Should Universal do a Fall Festival/Alternate Halloween Event?

[Disneyhead]

With HHN's cancellation UOR is going to need an attendance driver during the slower fall season. Do you think they could pull together something like "Universal's FrightFALL Feastival"?

Decorate the place up with a lot of the more generic HHN decorations. Have Beetlejuice, the classic monsters, and HHN Icons around for photo ops. 12 kiosks with classic fall favorites and new unique fare like a "Brown Sugar Cinnamon Twisted Sweet Tater with a Marshmallow Drizzle" or a "Candy Corn Martini".

Like Epcot's F$W Festival, it would be included with admission. Multi-Sample Lanyards available.

I know that losing HHN is quite the gut punch, but would any of you guys be interested in a totally different kind of event for this year?

 

[Jerroddragon]

I'll have more thoughts on this after I go to Knotts and see how much fun it really is.

But I'm down, The WaterWorld area also would allow for some sort of show if they really wanted to make it more than just eating foods. I think it would be something nice to do for the Holidays

 

[UNIrd]

I'M LISTENING.

I'm also hoping they still at least put up some decent Halloween decor. None of the gory stuff obviously but something festive for the park. Not sure if it's too late to make something like that happen on the scale they'd require.

 

[knoxmyers]

I think this sounds great! If money has already been dropped on decorations and food prep, no need to go to waste. My biggest concern would be how to get people in the park for something like this. They may have to be more creative on their current ticket/ AP options to get more folks in.

 

[Coolbfitz]

I'm upset about losing HHN, but I'd be fine with something like this.

My only request would be for these costumes to be brought to Orlando.

 

[Mad Dog]

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With HHN's cancellation UOR is going to need an attendance driver during the slower fall season. Do you think they could pull together something like "Universal's FrightFALL Feastival"?

Decorate the place up with a lot of the ore generic HHN decorations. Have Beetlejuice, the classic monsters, and HHN Icons around for photo ops. 12 kiosks with classic fall favorites and new unique fare like a "Brown Sugar Cinnamon Twisted Sweet Tater with a Marshmallow Drizzle" or a "Candy Corn Martini".

Like Epcot's F$W Festival, it would be included with admission. Multi-Sample Lanyards available.

I know that losing HHN is quite the gut punch, but would any of you guys be interested in a totally different kind of event for this year?

Good idea. They're going to need something to get people in the park Sept./Oct. With no UK'ers or Brazilians, few tourists from US, and Central Florida's dire economy, September crowds, without a special event to lure guests, will make these sparse July crowds look awesome in comparison. .
If they don't do something special, and the Florida covid crisis continues unabated, they may end up shutting shop for a month or two.....And, I'm usually the glass is half full type of guy. Things don't look good right now for anything in Florida.
A "Special Food & Drink event themed to Halloween could work. We know Floridians like to Eat & Drink. Play to their strength. :thumbsup:

 

[UNIrd]

I'm upset about losing HHN, but I'd be fine with something like this.

My only request would be for these costumes to be brought to Orlando.
View attachment 12839

Or these!

 

[Viator]

With HHN's cancellation UOR is going to need an attendance driver during the slower fall season. Do you think they could pull together something like "Universal's FrightFALL Feastival"?

Decorate the place up with a lot of the more generic HHN decorations. Have Beetlejuice, the classic monsters, and HHN Icons around for photo ops. 12 kiosks with classic fall favorites and new unique fare like a "Brown Sugar Cinnamon Twisted Sweet Tater with a Marshmallow Drizzle" or a "Candy Corn Martini".

Like Epcot's F$W Festival, it would be included with admission. Multi-Sample Lanyards available.

I know that losing HHN is quite the gut punch, but would any of you guys be interested in a totally different kind of event for this year?

Universal Hollywood really does some good stuff for Halloween in the daytime. Hell, they even tested a daytime Halloween event for the kids.

A fall "Spooky" food festival, with custom food items and perhaps Beetlejuice would honestly make a lot of sense, especially if they need to get the Beetlejuice merchandise that they had for 30 out of the way.

 

[Jerroddragon]

I think this sounds great! If money has already been dropped on decorations and food prep, no need to go to waste. My biggest concern would be how to get people in the park for something like this. They may have to be more creative on their current ticket/ AP options to get more folks in.

If your talking about physically getting them there at Least at Hollywood we have a large parking lot area to make a HUGE Q to get into the parks.

If your talking about what would make people come in
I think for Halloween it would be decorations, music, some live entertainment, Photo Ops, and unique food offerings should be more than enough to get people back in the parks.

I think at least until the end of the year you could switch up the themes a little and be fine. 2021 might be a time to start testing rides, like in Hollywood the Tram should be an easy ride to get back up and running safely. Then Jurassic and flight of the hippogriff...then move on to more indoor rides.
So start with events then do events with rides and finally open back up at reduced capacity

 

[Clive]

I think it's a great idea, but with attendance being where it is at the height of summer, I'm honestly wondering if Universal will bother to spend any additional money - even if it could mean a marginal uptick in attendance.

 

[Jerroddragon]

I think it's a great idea, but with attendance being where it is at the height of summer, I'm honestly wondering if Universal will bother to spend any additional money - even if it could mean a marginal uptick in attendance.

My thing from the start has been do a basic event first and then be ready for the Holidays after. They have 60+ days until October plenty of time to do some tests, surveys and so on.
For sure you could get 40+ bucks out of many people if you provide a few basic things like Decorations/Music themed to Halloween, some photo ops, special merchandise and some sort of live show. Which Water World has the perfect area for a show where the Performers are way away from the guests and guests are in an outdoor area

The Pets Show area could also be used but a show that small I have no idea if it would be worth it to put on. Also if offer dicounts for AP's to get in and maybe if you can give them some free when they get in to say thanks then that could bring in lots of good will

 

[Nick]

I think it's a great idea, but with attendance being where it is at the height of summer, I'm honestly wondering if Universal will bother to spend any additional money - even if it could mean a marginal uptick in attendance.

Would they have to spend any additional money though? They already were just about to dress up the streets for HHN. Take the bones of that and throw some of it out there and salvage what you can so at least not everything from HHN is going to waste. While people won't fly in for it, you could create something little that would cost next to no money to put together and would entice the crowd that would've come for HHN. They already have Beetlejuice out there every day so throw him in. Then just pop up some food tents and hope for the best.

I know that's simplifying the process, but they could pull it off on a very minimal budget because of what HHN has already created.

 

[shiekra38]

I think it's a great idea, but with attendance being where it is at the height of summer, I'm honestly wondering if Universal will bother to spend any additional money - even if it could mean a marginal uptick in attendance.

The pumpkins in the tree would be nice...And some sweet Fall treets would be great

 

[Jushin Thunder Liger]

Can I get a picture with the Gill-man?

 

[GAcoaster]

I think we'll see more festivals coming to the parks to try and draw locals.

 

[GadgetGuru]

I think Universal would love to, but who knows if their supply chains can handle it right now.

A bunch of new dishes and merch would involve getting supply chains set up, dishes designed, and all that.

I feel like all of that takes a lot longer in a Covid-world

 

[shiekra38]

With HHN's cancellation UOR is going to need an attendance driver during the slower fall season. Do you think they could pull together something like "Universal's FrightFALL Feastival"?

Decorate the place up with a lot of the more generic HHN decorations. Have Beetlejuice, the classic monsters, and HHN Icons around for photo ops. 12 kiosks with classic fall favorites and new unique fare like a "Brown Sugar Cinnamon Twisted Sweet Tater with a Marshmallow Drizzle" or a "Candy Corn Martini".

Like Epcot's F$W Festival, it would be included with admission. Multi-Sample Lanyards available.

I know that losing HHN is quite the gut punch, but would any of you guys be interested in a totally different kind of event for this year?

After thinking about this, part of me says yes, and part of me says no

Yes because they could do a really fun fall food type festival

No because they may get flack from dumb folk saying "why couldn't they just do HHN"...and also, I would hate for people to come expecting houses

Personally I think SeaWorld and Busch are going to push forward with something like this

 

[Magic Feather]

I think Universal would love to, but who knows if their supply chains can handle it right now.

A bunch of new dishes and merch would involve getting supply chains set up, dishes designed, and all that.

I feel like all of that takes a lot longer in a Covid-world

They could honestly reuse their planned HHN menu (maybe with some added stuff from Mardi Gras and last year’s HHN) with ease, I’d assume.
As for merch, while difficult, I don’t think it’s too bad. After all, Disney and SeaWorld both managed to crank out “Welcome Back” shirts in time for their opening.

 

[Nick]

They could honestly reuse their planned HHN menu (maybe with some added stuff from Mardi Gras and last year’s HHN) with ease, I’d assume.
As for merch, while difficult, I don’t think it’s too bad. After all, Disney and SeaWorld both managed to crank out “Welcome Back” shirts in time for their opening.

I fully expect Pizza Fries to be at the park this fall. It's a cheap way to entice locals back in. Offer a few other things as well to add a little extra incentive and come up with a name to market a small, locals aimed event. At this point, literally ANYTHING will help. Attendance has been dire at the parks since reopening.

 

[GadgetGuru]

I fully expect Pizza Fries to be at the park this fall. It's a cheap way to entice locals back in. Offer a few other things as well to add a little extra incentive and come up with a name to market a small, locals aimed event. At this point, literally ANYTHING will help. Attendance has been dire at the parks since reopening.

I’m shocked Universal didn’t make Pizza Fries permanent a long time ago. It’s not like KidZone Pizza Company was doing gangbusters.