The Old HHN 30 Speculation Thread (2020)

[Nick]

Dude, you’re talking to a scareactor. I’m weighing the potential risk of working HHNH. I know this.

I know you are dude. We were in the same house in 27! Blumhouse!

There is another side to this pandemic. I personally think it’s short sighted for Universal to move forward, but short sightedness is Universal’s MO. As a fan, it is disappointing to see good concepts wasted this year because they have to be drastically altered. I’d be down there 100% if it wasnt for a pandemic. Why celebrate a 30th anniversary when people are concerned for their safety? It’d be nice to actually celebrate the event after the pandemic’s over.

I agree in basic concept that the event shouldn't be happening. There is a chance that this year could put a stain on the event, if you will. But money speaks and they know people will show up for HHN and right now the parks are bleeding money. It's not gonna be pretty though if Universal has to cut the event short because of an outbreak of COVID that ran through the casts. That would be their worst possible scenario and it's not out of the realm of possibility knowing how close quarters are backstage.

 

[snayberry]

If the cases continue to spike in Fl, then not only may there not be a HHN; they may have to re-close Universal and Disney as well as many other businesses.

Okay, this thread is bleeding into the other Covid threads now. I'm pretty sure we are all well aware of whats going on. Until Universal says something, the event is still going to happen. So you can go to the other thread and discuss more about that scenario.

 

[Nick]

If the cases continue to spike in Fl, then not only may there not be a HHN; they may have to re-close Universal and Disney as well as many other businesses.

Not the thread for this dude. Ongoing discussion happening here:

Effects of Coronavirus (COVID-19) On Entertainment & Tourism Industry

Mod Edit: As the situation becomes more serious in the USA we're going to adjust some of the threads we have on here and lay down some rules. This thread will be used to discuss the business effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on the theme park industry at large including but not limited to...

forums.insideuniversal.net

 

[JawsVictim]

I know you are dude. We were in the same house in 27! Blumhouse!


I agree in basic concept that the event shouldn't be happening. There is a chance that this year could put a stain on the event, if you will. But money speaks and they know people will show up for HHN and right now the parks are bleeding money. It's not gonna be pretty though if Universal has to cut the event short because of an outbreak of COVID that ran through the casts. That would be their worst possible scenario and it's not out of the realm of possibility knowing how close quarters are backstage.

Sorry, man. I took your response too personal.

I’m glad to hear another performer shares those concerns. I feel like most guests - or Comcast executives for the matter - never even consider what has to go in backstage.

 

[hhn28andbeyond]

If the cases continue to spike in Fl, then not only may there not be a HHN; they may have to re-close Universal and Disney as well as many other businesses.

Read the room

 

[HandsomePete]

I did some math. Granted, a lot of it speculative and guess-timating, but capacity is a numbers game, so I looked at the numbers. Based on that, I can see them looking at a goal capacity of 18K with a stretch capacity of 20K.

View attachment 12559
There’s a lot going on here, so let me explain. If they pulse a party of 4 every 60 seconds, they will be able to to push (around 272 people an hour (for comparison, a congo-line pushes a “party of 4” every 10 seconds—2.5 seconds a person). With 10 houses, that’s a house capacity of about 2720 an hour. If we establish an average of 15 minutes between each house, then that means there are four parties in the streets for every party in a house, plus 5 parties in house queues. That means that basically, every hour (again, on a 60 second pulse), the park can support a capacity of 6K an hour.

Establishing 15 minutes between houses plus 3:30 a house, means it ”takes” 3 hours to “complete” the event (there are variables such as dining and shopping that this doesn’t address). With a 6 hour event, that means at “peak” you’ll have 3 or 4 “heats” in the park at its highest capacity. That means “capacity” at a 60 second pulse is between 18K and 24K guests.

Again, this is self-made and I’m not an expert. The biggest variables when calculating the normal capacity is “guest flow” and fire code capacity but the VQ mitigates a lot of flow issues and the capacity limits mean we don’t have to worry about a “everybody in one spot” moment.

You’re right. It can’t be watered down.

They’re cutting the water effects.

Nice math. One thing that would be interesting to know for sure is actual people per party since it’s highly leveraged - the human eye can’t sense the difference between average 3.8 per party and average 4.0 per party, but that’d be a 5% hit to total throughout.

 

[NotPennysBoat]

Not the thread for this dude. Ongoing discussion happening here:

Effects of Coronavirus (COVID-19) On Entertainment & Tourism Industry

Mod Edit: As the situation becomes more serious in the USA we're going to adjust some of the threads we have on here and lay down some rules. This thread will be used to discuss the business effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on the theme park industry at large including but not limited to...

forums.insideuniversal.net

Thanks for pointing me to the correct thread dude. I didn't know it existed until now. My bad.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Believe me or don’t... it will come out soon enough and you all will see I’m accurate.
Today the HHN 30 tv spot started filming in the sound stages. Following information is from someone I know who was on set today helping with production.
1. Don’t know exactly if it’s the main commercial, however seems to be.
2. Setting is jack walking slowly down a hallway in a prison/jail. Talking about how he escaped from the box. (Which personally I think is starting to be over used)
3. Icons/ old HHN characters walking behind him later on.
4. the “bent neck lady” was apart of today’s production but was shot separately.
5. jack is in his 25 outfit but with a little revamping/ new things.
6. other icons that were seen were the usher, Cindy, eddie and chance.
7. production is supposed to go until Wednesday.
8.Jack did lots of different takes saying different things. He did mention something along the Lines of “Aw social distancing” (personally don’t think that’ll end up getting used)
9. He has a victim that is a guard. It seems very very similar to the shadybrook spot during 16. But again time will tell with this. But my friend gave me all of this information in detail.

bumping

 

[Clive]

bumping

This sounds awesome. Hope the reports of including the original characters is true, would love to see professionally lit/shot media of the OGs again, even if it's just an ensemble shot or two.

 

[londonwerecat]

I know you are dude. We were in the same house in 27! Blumhouse!


I agree in basic concept that the event shouldn't be happening. There is a chance that this year could put a stain on the event, if you will. But money speaks and they know people will show up for HHN and right now the parks are bleeding money. It's not gonna be pretty though if Universal has to cut the event short because of an outbreak of COVID that ran through the casts. That would be their worst possible scenario and it's not out of the realm of possibility knowing how close quarters are backstage.

I'm sure they must know about this issue and must be working towards it fixing the close quarter proximity of all the scare actors to each other. There's no way that Universal would leave themselves open to a potential law suit like that. It feels like most people think Universal is dumb; they really aren't, They will pull through something both safe and satisfactory. We just need to stop being so entitled and just be happy with the event as it is. We are lucky that Universal decided not to just say no at the beginning and that they have held out this long for us.

 

[JJ591]

I did some math. Granted, a lot of it speculative and guess-timating, but capacity is a numbers game, so I looked at the numbers. Based on that, I can see them looking at a goal capacity of 18K with a stretch capacity of 20K.

View attachment 12559
There’s a lot going on here, so let me explain. If they pulse a party of 4 every 60 seconds, they will be able to to push (around 272 people an hour (for comparison, a congo-line pushes a “party of 4” every 10 seconds—2.5 seconds a person). With 10 houses, that’s a house capacity of about 2720 an hour. If we establish an average of 15 minutes between each house, then that means there are four parties in the streets for every party in a house, plus 5 parties in house queues. That means that basically, every hour (again, on a 60 second pulse), the park can support a capacity of 6K an hour.

Establishing 15 minutes between houses plus 3:30 a house, means it ”takes” 3 hours to “complete” the event (there are variables such as dining and shopping that this doesn’t address). With a 6 hour event, that means at “peak” you’ll have 3 or 4 “heats” in the park at its highest capacity. That means “capacity” at a 60 second pulse is between 18K and 24K guests.

Again, this is self-made and I’m not an expert. The biggest variables when calculating the normal capacity is “guest flow” and fire code capacity but the VQ mitigates a lot of flow issues and the capacity limits mean we don’t have to worry about a “everybody in one spot” moment.

You’re right. It can’t be watered down.

They’re cutting the water effects.

So, you're essentially saying that say on a Wednesday night withOUT Express, if they are capping at 18k, that a guest (say ME) would be able to do all 10 houses in a little over 3 hours with the 60 second pulsing through the virtual queue app? Or am I not understanding the spreadsheet here? Thanks man.

 

[Legacy]

So, you're essentially saying that say on a Wednesday night withOUT Express, if they are capping at 18k, that a guest (say ME) would be able to do all 10 houses in a little over 3 hours with the 60 second pulsing through the virtual queue app? Or am I not understanding the spreadsheet here? Thanks man.

If everyone takes only 15 minutes between each house, yes, it’s possible. The wrinkle is how much time Express guests take between houses.

The VQ is going to prioritize Express. That means that the % of capacity with Express will get front loaded ahead of everyone else for each house. If those parties take 30 minutes between houses, then it throws it for everyone else.

For example: 100 people enter the park and all say they want to do Beetlejuice first. Of those, 50 have Express. The system says those 50 go first. But the house and queue (in this example) only hold 40. That means 10 people with Express have to VQ until 10 people with Express go through the house.

Now, that’s not an issue if those 40 in the house and queue immediately go to the house. Then the Express VQers only have to wait 10-15 minutes, and non-Express holders wait 15-20. But, let’s say the first 10 Express holders linger and they don’t go through the house for 30 minutes. Now, the 10 other Express holders have to wait 30-40 minutes. But now THOSE, Express holders linger another 30 minutes. That means the non-Express holders have to wait an hour.

As that scales though, and you have 7,000 Express holders compared to 10,000 non-Express holders, the VQ for some houses can always be full of Express holders taking their sweet time to get there. If that happens, then non-Express holders won’t get it.

 

[Ringwraith]

And they can use her again next year even if they use her this year. It’s not an either/or proposition.

The IPs are probably more vital this year, as they’re an active draw against circumstances that, otherwise, would push people away from the event. Billie, Hill House, and Beetlejuice all serve a range of cultural touchstones. In a year where the default position is, “It’s not safe to go,” using the IPs can shift audiences to, “Maybe it’s worth it.”

It’s also important to remember that capacity for the entire event is going to be drastically reduced. With VQ, there’s not going to be 33,000 to 40,000 guests waiting for their time. It’s going to be between 15,000 - 20,000. While they’ll normal try to push 3,000 people per hour through a house, this year, it’ll be around 1,500.

The event IS getting tailored to the new normal, and I think people are having a hard time envisioning that. I get it. If you’ve only ever attended HHN when they’ve averaged 32,000 guests a night, a 12,000 person night feels unfathomable. A night where you can casually get every house done in about 3 hours doesn’t seem possible. Trick is, that’s exactly what Universal is going to try to give you. Part of me is actually really jealous. If it weren’t for the whole deadly virus thing, this is exactly the type of HHN I’d be signing up for.

I'm hoping it'll look like it did in 2005, again

I did some math. Granted, a lot of it speculative and guess-timating, but capacity is a numbers game, so I looked at the numbers. Based on that, I can see them looking at a goal capacity of 18K with a stretch capacity of 20K.

You’re right. It can’t be watered down.

They’re cutting the water effects.

Tremendous math. As a fan of not math, I even enjoyed seeing the outcome.


Also, beat me to the water joke.

Is HHN really HHN without close encounters with scareactors, fog machines, stuff in face, curtains, scents, drunk idiots bumping into you, cattle herding crowds, conga lines, and attendants screaming, “Keep up with the group in front!”? Guess we’ll see.

Yes. Yes it is. Minus the virus, that is a dream HHN.

 

[JJ591]

If everyone takes only 15 minutes between each house, yes, it’s possible. The wrinkle is how much time Express guests take between houses.

The VQ is going to prioritize Express. That means that the % of capacity with Express will get front loaded ahead of everyone else for each house. If those parties take 30 minutes between houses, then it throws it for everyone else.

For example: 100 people enter the park and all say they want to do Beetlejuice first. Of those, 50 have Express. The system says those 50 go first. But the house and queue (in this example) only hold 40. That means 10 people with Express have to VQ until 10 people with Express go through the house.

Now, that’s not an issue if those 40 in the house and queue immediately go to the house. Then the Express VQers only have to wait 10-15 minutes, and non-Express holders wait 15-20. But, let’s say the first 10 Express holders linger and they don’t go through the house for 30 minutes. Now, the 10 other Express holders have to wait 30-40 minutes. But now THOSE, Express holders linger another 30 minutes. That means the non-Express holders have to wait an hour.

As that scales though, and you have 7,000 Express holders compared to 10,000 non-Express holders, the VQ for some houses can always be full of Express holders taking their sweet time to get there. If that happens, then non-Express holders won’t get it.

So there's a legit chance that a non-Express holder could be at the gates at opening and not get into a house they want the entire night theoretically? I wonder if the 12 am-1 am time frame (when crowds are usually really thinning out on weekdays) would open up some reservations? Or if people leave the park and have already reserved times during the 12-1 period that it still keeps those logged. Lots of things to consider with that. And would it be like Disney where you'd be able to pick houses before you enter? Or would it be once your ticket is scanned then you start picking the houses? Sorry if I'm asking for too much info, just trying to wrap my head around what this process might be like a little. Thanks Legacy.

 

[Legacy]

So there's a legit chance that a non-Express holder could be at the gates at opening and not get into a house they want the entire night theoretically? I wonder if the 12 am-1 am time frame (when crowds are usually really thinning out on weekdays) would open up some reservations? Or if people leave the park and have already reserved times during the 12-1 period that it still keeps those logged. Lots of things to consider with that. And would it be like Disney where you'd be able to pick houses before you enter? Or would it be once your ticket is scanned then you start picking the houses? Sorry if I'm asking for too much info, just trying to wrap my head around what this process might be like a little. Thanks Legacy.

There are a lot of logistical questions I don’t know the answers to. My explanation is based purely on the math of the event and how VQ conceptually works.

That said, yes, it’s also feasible that, if you don’t have Express, you won’t get into your top house. It’s all in the numbers and timing.

 

[RoseBlight]

There are a lot of logistical questions I don’t know the answers to. My explanation is based purely on the math of the event and how VQ conceptually works.

That said, yes, it’s also feasible that, if you don’t have Express, you won’t get into your top house. It’s all in the numbers and timing.

Even with the BOGO pass, it'd probably be my best bet to save and get express then huh. Given this is (finally) my first time going, I think I'll end up biting the bullet just to be safe.

 

[Spookies n' Stuff]

Even with the BOGO pass, it'd probably be my best bet to save and get express then huh. Given this is (finally) my first time going, I think I'll end up biting the bullet just to be safe.

I mean most years if you're only going 1-2 nights and want a decent shot at getting every maze done each night you're there express is basically a necessity unless you get lucky with crowds, I assume this year will be no different in that respect. The thing that concerns me is what happens once more and more people realize express is a necessity this year and the amount of express holders rivals or exceeds the general admission guests.

 

[JJ591]

There are a lot of logistical questions I don’t know the answers to. My explanation is based purely on the math of the event and how VQ conceptually works.

That said, yes, it’s also feasible that, if you don’t have Express, you won’t get into your top house. It’s all in the numbers and timing.

Thank you for the info. Hopefully they explain the process really well.

Even with the BOGO pass, it'd probably be my best bet to save and get express then huh. Given this is (finally) my first time going, I think I'll end up biting the bullet just to be safe.

Most years you won't need Express to get through all the houses as long as you are willing to be there at opening and stay until close (after close to be exact), and you do the houses in a certain order (from a location perspective). However, with this year it might be required to get all the houses done from the sounds of it.

 

[DannyPowers]

There are a lot of logistical questions I don’t know the answers to.

I know this is in the logistics “grey area”; but, I think express is set to run a little differently (if that article is to be believed...and it’s all we have to go on at this point).

It sounds like VQ will be designed to spread out and schedule express throughout the night.

So, let’s say that the same 100 people all enter at the same time. 50 express people say that they have BJ on their list. Those 50 get scheduled for a virtual queue from entrance time throughout the night. Let’s say that 15 get scheduled right away.

Assuming the house/queue holds 40, that means that 25 non-express can get into the queue right away.

Again, this is still some rough math, and there are still a lot of assumptions. But, that’s how I pictured it happening after reading that article. And yes, that also means that non-expressers can get locked out if they have bad timing.

 

[cmoorin]

Chances on the event being re-ran early next year for an "encore season"?