Official 2018 HHN-28 Thread

[verleniahall]

Just booked tickets for our first HHN - it is on DHs bucket list - I’m thourly terrified - we will be going on Nov 1s

 

[macraven]

Hotel booked, flight booked, now trying to decide on HHN tickets. Which scenario would be best for Saturday, Oct 6? I know it will be crowded, but I'm going to need Sunday to lounge and recover before we fly home Monday and get to back to the school/work grind on Tuesday:

1. Buy a park ticket and do the park for a bit on Saturday, leave mid day for a good lunch and maybe a rest. Then head back before 5:00 for Stay & Scream. AND purchase the express pass (so park ticket + HHN ticket + express pass)

2. Book a RIP tour for Saturday night which has a 7:30 start time. Where does this meet? We lose an hour and half with this tour right?

I guess I'm trying to decide if I'm better off with a RIP tour or Stay & Scream? Financially it's RIP, but strategy wise, I wonder which is better. And does RIP rush you through everything?

If it were me, I would book the rip tour as you will see all houses and zones
Your group does not stand in the regular line but moves ahead of all wait lines

So for the time prior to your tour start time, you are in your own in hhn for that 90 minutes
Explore the park until you meet your tour guide

You can do rides after your tour ends by showing your rip tour ticket and use the ep lines

 

[bas71873]

If it were me, I would book the rip tour as you will see all houses and zones
Your group does not stand in the regular line but moves ahead of all wait lines

So for the time prior to your tour start time, you are in your own in hhn for that 90 minutes
Explore the park until you meet your tour guide

You can do rides after your tour ends by showing your rip tour ticket and use the ep lines

Thank you. How long does the RIP tour last? I'm going to scour the web for reviews

 

[jessicag13]

Thank you. How long does the RIP tour last? I'm going to scour the web for reviews

this is my first HHN and i did a LOT of research before deciding to go, and then deciding to do the RIP tour.
here's a discussion about the RIP tour from 2016, with a lot on how long it takes:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/halloween-horror-nights-rip-non-private-tour.3534873/
and here's a mini review from last year's HHN thread:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/official-2017-hhn-27-thread.3606743/page-27#post-58271116

 

[bas71873]

this is my first HHN and i did a LOT of research before deciding to go, and then deciding to do the RIP tour.
here's a discussion about the RIP tour from 2016, with a lot on how long it takes:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/halloween-horror-nights-rip-non-private-tour.3534873/
and here's a mini review from last year's HHN thread:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/official-2017-hhn-27-thread.3606743/page-27#post-58271116

Thank you. Now I'm wondering if you have a 7:30 RIP tour time, can I still go to the VIP entrance at 5:30/6:00 to get checked in and then wander the park from 6:00 to 7:00 and then go to the Cafe place? I think if we do RIP, we won't do the park that day if we can avoid the regular entrance lines. And we are staying at HRH if that matters.

 

[GirlDreamer]

Is there much difference on crowd levels in day time on days that are HNN nights versus normal days? I'm considering changing which day we visit the Universal parks as they seem to have added a party on the day we were thinking on going. But then again, will the crowds be easier considering the park that holds the HHN will close earlier?

 

[macraven]

Thank you. How long does the RIP tour last? I'm going to scour the web for reviews

I have booked the hhn rip tours since I have been going to hhn

Public and private tours

You will see everything using the public tour

All houses and scare zones will be seen by the group

Pass the pre time before your tour begins doing anything you wish in the park

With it being your first time, walk around in the scare zones and take your time watching the scareactors in action

The public tour is 3 to 4 hours long

The tour is over after you have seen all the scare zones and walked through all the houses

Saturdays have the largest crowds in the park
Very wise to book the tour

I book public tour usually on sundays for the Columbus Day weekend and book the private tour for the Friday of that sans weekend

 

[soniam]

Even though I purchased the package 4 days ago I still haven’t received all of the info. My ticket within my wallet still says processing. They sent a very generic response to my email. I’ll try to call them in a few days.

You think it’s brtter to wait outside the entrance? Thanks for the tip.

My email took a while to come too, but I booked on the first day they were made available. If your email says to meet that the same place as mine, then I think you have to be outside. Someone mentioned that sometimes there's a door open from inside the park, but that's not always the case. I believe this is NOT the same place that tours met last year. Last year, I think they met in front of Cafe La Bamba, inside the park. Once the tours start up, people will hopefully comment on how it's working.

Is there much difference on crowd levels in day time on days that are HNN nights versus normal days? I'm considering changing which day we visit the Universal parks as they seem to have added a party on the day we were thinking on going. But then again, will the crowds be easier considering the park that holds the HHN will close earlier?

Islands of Adventure won't be closing early, just Studios. If you have park hoppers/2 park tickets, then you can go back and forth very easily. It's not like hopping at WDW. In fact, you can take Hogwart's Express between the two. Just do Islands once Studios closes. The parks never really stay open very late in September anyway.

 

[bas71873]

I have booked the hhn rip tours since I have been going to hhn

Public and private tours

You will see everything using the public tour

All houses and scare zones will be seen by the group

Pass the pre time before your tour begins doing anything you wish in the park

With it being your first time, walk around in the scare zones and take your time watching the scareactors in action

The public tour is 3 to 4 hours long

The tour is over after you have seen all the scare zones and walked through all the houses

Saturdays have the largest crowds in the park
Very wise to book the tour

I book public tour usually on sundays for the Columbus Day weekend and book the private tour for the Friday of that sans weekend

Thank you!!! Saturday RIP was sold out, so we booked for 7:30 on Sunday, Oct 7. We will just be dragging on Monday for the flight home. No biggie .

One more question, since we now won't do a "park day" and can't get in 'til 6:00 when HHN starts, can I be at the VIP Tour window at 6:00ish to get all of our tour "stuff" and get in the park that way, or do I still need to use the hotel park entrance and then go find the VIP place?

Also need to decide if I want to give up my room at HRH and move to SF and save some money since we don't need the the express pass perk. We tend to be creatures of habit, but saving $300 speaks to me and we LOVE the HRH pool and plan to hang out there during the day Sat and Sun.

 

[macraven]

Do not give up your room at hrh unless you can book another room for that one more night you need

I’ll be at uo that weekend also

I have been looking to add one more night but many of the hotels are booked up for that time period

If you can book a one night only at Sfalls..... book that first then adjust your hrh reservation

You can use the hotel only entrance for hhn

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

Here is my assessment of the two Blumhouse movies:

I'm not too excited about Happy Death Day. It was an ok movie but really wasn't scary at all. I guess we'll just be seeing lots of scare actors wearing the puffy cheek mask.

I always like when HHN uses the Purge movies. I'm pretty excited to see what they do with the First Purge. I expect those glowing eyes to be everywhere. If there isn't a place where one of the walls is pitch black and you just see several pairs of colored eyes lit up I'm going to be sad (then they can scare you from the opposite direction when you're focused on the eyes.

 

[CDKG]

My email took a while to come too, but I booked on the first day they were made available. If your email says to meet that the same place as mine, then I think you have to be outside. Someone mentioned that sometimes there's a door open from inside the park, but that's not always the case. I believe this is NOT the same place that tours met last year. Last year, I think they met in front of Cafe La Bamba, inside the park. Once the tours start up, people will hopefully comment on how it's working.



Islands of Adventure won't be closing early, just Studios. If you have park hoppers/2 park tickets, then you can go back and forth very easily. It's not like hopping at WDW. In fact, you can take Hogwart's Express between the two. Just do Islands once Studios closes. The parks never really stay open very late in September anyway.

I booked my RIP tour a few days after they were made available and never received an email with instructions. I only received the email receipt with confirmation number. It states the date of my tour, but doesn't even list the time.

I downloaded the app and created an account. But, I can't link any of my HHN reservations because I only have confirmation numbers, not actual ticket numbers.

So, I am just planning on following the instructions on the website and any advice I read here. I wish Universal was better with communication...

 

[soniam]

I booked my RIP tour a few days after they were made available and never received an email with instructions. I only received the email receipt with confirmation number. It states the date of my tour, but doesn't even list the time.

I downloaded the app and created an account. But, I can't link any of my HHN reservations because I only have confirmation numbers, not actual ticket numbers.

So, I am just planning on following the instructions on the website and any advice I read here. I wish Universal was better with communication...

I'm wondering if only the private RIP tour people get emails. I booked a private, not public one.

I know what you mean about communication though. I bought a Grinch breakfast for November. I only received the email with the receipt and QR code. It didn't say what time. Luckily, I remembered.

 

[bas71873]

I booked my RIP tour a few days after they were made available and never received an email with instructions. I only received the email receipt with confirmation number. It states the date of my tour, but doesn't even list the time.

I downloaded the app and created an account. But, I can't link any of my HHN reservations because I only have confirmation numbers, not actual ticket numbers.

So, I am just planning on following the instructions on the website and any advice I read here. I wish Universal was better with communication...

I booked my RIP tour and HHN tickets yesterday. Did it online. Got an email right away, but they assigned the names wrong. My husband has 2 tickets and I don't even have one. The site was very glitchy and I had to type in the names a few times. I've emailed customer service to get this corrected and will give that few days before I call.

 

[verleniahall]

Question - we are going on nov 1, but now dh is orried about people sneaking up on him...he is a combat veteran.

Would it be a good idea to put something on the back of his shirt? Something simple like - combat veteran in glow in the dark htv?

 

[verleniahall]

He is worried his reflexes will come out and might accidentally panic on someone

 

[Robo56]

He is worried his reflexes will come out and might accidentally panic on someone

God Bless your husband for his service to our country.......hopefully he will do fine and have a great time.

Scareactors's are not allowed to touch you and you are not allowed to touch them at all. They do come up behind you and in front of you at times.

Not having been in these Scare Zones or Houses this year yet it is hard to tell what to expect.

The houses can have strobe lights, loud noises, loud music, banging, darkness and scareactor's that come out behind walls etc.

If your husband has severe combat PTSD this might be hard for him.

After HHN starts the guys here on the Dis (Craig and Ryno on the Dis unplugged) will go and do a review of the Houses and the Scare Zones. If you don't mind finding out about the houses and scare zones ahead of your visit you can watch those and see if it would be something that would work for your husband.

There will also be folks on this site doing reviews.

 

[verleniahall]

As long as they can't touch you, I think he will be fine - he's totally fine at Disneyeven knwoing that there are people behidn him

Yes - since I am a scardy cat i plan to find out EVERYTHING I can prior to our night - between review and Dis Unplugged and TimTracker, I will have plenty of info to sort through!

 

[kylieelizabethhh]

Thanks! This is exactly what I was thinking. I will probably end up buying the EP for the first night in hopes that we can do all/most things and then re-do our favourites on the second night.

That’s what my group and I are doing! We’re going on a Friday and Sunday, so we’re getting a pass for Friday and just winging it on Sunday. It’s expensive, but so worth it.

 

[bas71873]

So besides Halloween and Poltergeist, what movies should we watch in prep for HHN. Labor Day weekend weather forecast looks crappy here, so we may use that weekend to movie binge!