Halloween Horror Nights 32 (UOR) - Tips, Tricks, & Planning

[Brian G.]

Time for my annual question of how are the Unmasking the Horror Tours in terms of allowing photos? Some years it's "cameras down" for 70% of the houses, other years it's just a room or two per house they don't let you take pictures. Just curious which way the winds are blowing this year. Thanks!

I did the 6 house and it was fairly photo-friendly. Stranger Things was the most restrictive but you were allowed the Vecna/Max room.

 

[qwerty]

Hey everyone! To help with planning purposes, I was just wondering what house or houses we get led to when we do hotel early access?

Like last year I remember with hotel early access we went directly into Hellblock, then I think we ended up in general stay n scream if i remember correctly...

 

[Rikku]

I haven't been yet this year but the Express complaints seem on par/normal? I mean I have done Express for years and usually never have a problem. If an Express seems long then I usually back out before the scan point and just hit it up later, also Express ops usually work themselves out after a couple of weekends then have a better groove, or is it bad across the board this year because of sellouts or something?

Also have heard no complaints about house ops rushing people so that is good, that is usually my biggest complaint.

 

[Acandrews12]

Hey everyone! To help with planning purposes, I was just wondering what house or houses we get led to when we do hotel early access?

Like last year I remember with hotel early access we went directly into Hellblock, then I think we ended up in general stay n scream if i remember correctly...

From what people responded to my question, it is not set up like last year. It puts you in the alleyway by BMG. It spits you out by Music Plaza next to Bloodmoon.

 

[Rikku]

Also does Nightmare Fuel have Express for first show? Also what is the recommended time to get to the theater before a show?

 

[wutisgood]

I haven't been yet this year but the Express complaints seem on par/normal? I mean I have done Express for years and usually never have a problem. If an Express seems long then I usually back out before the scan point and just hit it up later, also Express ops usually work themselves out after a couple of weekends then have a better groove, or is it bad across the board this year because of sellouts or something?

Also have heard no complaints about house ops rushing people so that is good, that is usually my biggest complaint.

I think express is always a mess in the first week until universal figures out crowd flow and really the initial demand fades. This year though the initial express usage was insane. The after 11 surge seemed worse too.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Also does Nightmare Fuel have Express for first show? Also what is the recommended time to get to the theater before a show?

The show reaches capacity 5-10 minutes prior to showtime this year. It's incredible just how busy the event has become (or lacking appropriate capacity).

 

[WelcomeHome]

I'm not really into the canned beverage selection this year, and I thought in past years there were more pop-up bars with various beers on draft - are those just not being highlighted in the F&B offering reviews, or is that a thing of the past? Does anyone know if either of the "bars" in Diagon Alley (the walk-ups that also serve butterbeer) are still open for HHN? I'm trying to strategically plan beverage breaks in combo with my house route!

 

[Guygas]

Hey everyone had a quick question about express, my friend and i were planning on purchasing express for next wednesday but it seems to be sold out on the website, do they usually have some available for purchase at the gate or are they completely sold out?

 

[UniversalRBLX]

I'm not really into the canned beverage selection this year, and I thought in past years there were more pop-up bars with various beers on draft - are those just not being highlighted in the F&B offering reviews, or is that a thing of the past? Does anyone know if either of the "bars" in Diagon Alley (the walk-ups that also serve butterbeer) are still open for HHN? I'm trying to strategically plan beverage breaks in combo with my house route!

Pro-Tip: Leaky Cauldron has the same beverages with no wait. (You can just walk up to the counter.) Diagon is busy this year, feels like the normal crowd level during the day.

 

[Jake S]

Pro-Tip: Leaky Cauldron has the same beverages with no wait. (You can just walk up to the counter.) Diagon is busy this year, feels like the normal crowd level during the day.

Second this. Plus you’re inside while ordering, which beats the outdoor bar (the name of which escapes me) by a country mile.

 

[sparky]

Second this. Plus you’re inside while ordering, which beats the outdoor bar (the name of which escapes me) by a country mile.

Is leaky cauldron serving food during hhn?

 

[Jake S]

Is leaky cauldron serving food during hhn?

it was last week! so I suspect it will be, particularly given how mobbed Diagon Alley is.

 

[Acandrews12]

From what people responded to my question, it is not set up like last year. It puts you in the alleyway by BMG. It spits you out by Music Plaza next to Bloodmoon.

Update: Tonight the resort entrance went in through the exit of the Studios by the Studios store in the front. So does not put you out by any houses or anything. Took us a bit to get through to get in.

 

[TheGentTrent]

Hey everyone had a quick question about express, my friend and i were planning on purchasing express for next wednesday but it seems to be sold out on the website, do they usually have some available for purchase at the gate or are they completely sold out?

That was my situation last year. Tried to buy it online, only to find it was sold out. When I went to the front gate around 2:45 for Scream Early, the only passes they had available were the Unlimited Express option, which I believe ran around $240 that night. As I understand it, those are a bit of a roll of the dice as far as whether or not they're offered. So I'd say you're not completely out of luck yet.

If anyone else is thinking of buying them in advance, it looks like the rest of the month is sold out, so better get your passes now.

 

[Chumpieboy]

There is a massive cluster of people trying to turn left immediately into BloodMoon standby on the right hand lane, crossing the stream of people trying to use express to get into BloodMoon's left lane, and fighting the people who even still don't want to do BloodMoon and want to just get into the park.

Can confirm - that was a mess.

 

[jerrmajesty]

A couple years ago there was a 'quiet spot' map on twitter, Free ice water was marked on it too. has anyone seen anything like that for this year? Usually we use Knockturn Alley for some down time but with the Deatheaters I wonder if this is an option.

 

[grlhowl]

With S&S, when will we be allowed to leave NY and go to houses in other parts of the park?

My first night (10/5) we have Express but we would like to do some anticipated/important houses early before we start to use Express so we can do second runs later. So, we're doing NY S&S in order to knock out ST, DD, and Yeti (maybe Exorcist) with standby before we head around the lagoon and hit those houses. Should we go clockwise and try TLOU in standby or will the line be long enough for Express, even once the event has just started? I'm a huge fan of the game, but I'm curious as to what those lines have been like (if we should try standby when HHN starts or closer to the end of the night).

Sorry, I know this is a lot.

 

[MrRoamer]

With S&S, when will we be allowed to leave NY and go to houses in other parts of the park?

My first night (10/5) we have Express but we would like to do some anticipated/important houses early before we start to use Express so we can do second runs later. So, we're doing NY S&S in order to knock out ST, DD, and Yeti (maybe Exorcist) with standby before we head around the lagoon and hit those houses. Should we go clockwise and try TLOU in standby or will the line be long enough for Express, even once the event has just started? I'm a huge fan of the game, but I'm curious as to what those lines have been like (if we should try standby when HHN starts or closer to the end of the night).

Sorry, I know this is a lot.

I've only been two nights but feel like its been on the difficult side on predicting waits.

NY does seem to be the first S&S to get let out and you have 3 houses there that are open before 6. We did NY first night and Springfield S&S last night. I have got to say it has been a bit confusing as to which line you are in and what house it goes to. We accidentally ended up in TLOU line last night trying to do Monsters

 

[UniversalRBLX]

First year I’ve had problems predicting crowds.

Best advice this year is Stranger Things S&S as it opens the earliest, hopefully get out before 6 to run through Dueling Dragons/Exorcist.

Only solid tip I have: if you are not a fan of Chucky, don’t bother with the house and just move on. Originals this year are not to be missed.