Halloween Horror Nights 34 (UOR) - Speculation & Rumors

[TheCodeMan95]

It really is starting to seem that way. I hate to say it…but I kind of get it.

The store doesn’t really have anything different than you can get at dozens of other merch locations inside and outside the park. They may be looking at the budget and staffing, and asking if they’re seeing a return on the investment.

They can still offer the more limited items (snacks, comics, coins) in the smaller footprint…maybe only open during the event. The Mouse already has set precedent with event exclusive merch.

To the other point, are we sure that the arcade doesn’t have any back room connections that they can use? I thought all those buildings were connected through hallways. It’s possible that they have more footage to use than we think.

I'm late to this - but I think Universal Corporate is so used to the profitability of selling all the HHN stuff during normal park hours, they'll never go back on that.

As far as the location - I've wondered the same thing about backstage areas there. It's unfortunately sandwiched next to a ride, a ride gift shop, and a bathroom though. So my guess is there's none!

(Could have been a good time to repurpose Rosie's Irish Shop, though)

 

[Legacy]

If they dedicate any time to dreary forest dream sequences with ghost kids in the house, it’s going to be disappointing.

I’ve heard the ghost kids are in it. I’m not sure if it includes the woods, but casting seemed to include children and lookalikes.

Yeah, I think this is a stronger case for the timeliness of the series' inclusion than the movie argument. I don't think FNAF has that rabid of an adult fanbase right now, but there are definitely a lot of people my age with disposable income who have a lot of nostalgia and fondness for the franchise. And of course there are still plenty of tweens and teens who will beg their parents to fly to Orlando so they can see Foxy in person.

It was the movie.

Every “video games” IP HHN has gotten were past the height of their original popularity and after they get a movie or TV show.

Management still approves the IPs HHN licenses. It’s much less resource intensive to just show management a movie or TV show than cut together a package from a game play through.

 

[RedRightDan]

I'm late to this - but I think Universal Corporate is so used to the profitability of selling all the HHN stuff during normal park hours, they'll never go back on that.

They can still sell during the daytime (in CityWalk carts, the main CityWalk store, every five feet in Universal, multiple locations in Islands, I'm going to assume multiple locations in Epic, etc)

They could just reserve very select items to only be available in "The Tribute Store" for event exclusives. Therefore creating more demand for those items, and saving quite a bit of staffing budget/required hours during the day.

 

[TheCodeMan95]

Every “video games” IP HHN has gotten were past the height of their original popularity and after they get a movie or TV show.

Management still approves the IPs HHN licenses. It’s much less resource intensive to just show management a movie or TV show than cut together a package from a game play through.

I can only imagine if Fallout hadn't gotten a show.

"I know you guys thought Tenpenny Tower was interesting, but wait until you see The Dunwich Building and Paradise Falls!"

 

[SeanPhilly]

They can still sell during the daytime (in CityWalk carts, the main CityWalk store, every five feet in Universal, multiple locations in Islands, I'm going to assume multiple locations in Epic, etc)

They could just reserve very select items to only be available in "The Tribute Store" for event exclusives. Therefore creating more demand for those items, and saving quite a bit of staffing budget/required hours during the day.

I will say this: my group will be sad if the “normal” Tribute Store doesn’t happen. But obviously we will deal.

Over the past few years we have commented that the Tribute Store was better than some of the scarezones. I took more pictures in the store last year than in most scarezones.

For us, it was less about the merch, and more about the decor. Although we also spent a $&!*-load of money in there. To your point, however, there will be plenty of places for us to buy merch elsewhere.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

I will say this: my group will be sad if the “normal” Tribute Store doesn’t happen. But obviously we will deal.

Over the past few years we have commented that the Tribute Store was better than some of the scarezones. I took more pictures in the store last year than in most scarezones.

For us, it was less about the merch, and more about the decor. Although we also spent a $&!*-load of money in there. To your point, however, there will be plenty of places for us to buy merch elsewhere.

You bring up a good point and idea... would we complain if they removed the "shopping" element in favor of just a well-themed walkthrough with photo op elements tied to the overall theme/IPs?

 

[CaretakerBajaBlast]

Wait...what? Ok. Now I really have to watch the movie. Isn't that like...100% of what the game is

You think you’re in for a fun haunted house animatronic spooky time, then you realize after watching that it’s only about 10% of the movie. You spend almost as much time in a musical montage building pillow forts.

As far as the Tribute Store discussion, losing one of the key attractions of HHN is a bummer, but I feel like they need to focus on fixing the main problem: the merch. There’s no definite proof that I’ve seen personally, but from the word of mouth that’s reached me, last year’s merch sold very poorly by comparison to year’s previous. Why spend all this money on a storefront when you can barely move anything in it?

They have to step up their game on the product before they build another elaborate attraction to sell it- otherwise it’s just a very pretty piece of themed entertainment. If we can have multiple store locations that are almost as themed as individual rooms as what we would get in the tribute store, I’ll accept it for this year and hope we can get the full store the following year after the Epic expenses die down a little.

 

[velocicoasterswife]

Wait...what? Ok. Now I really have to watch the movie. Isn't that like...100% of what the game is?

For some reason the movie is split pretty evenly between a dry custody battle and a bunch of dream sequences of little kids running around in the woods. When the animatronics do finally show up they aren't even slightly threatening. Huge bummer.

 

[EAS]

For some reason the movie is split pretty evenly between a dry custody battle and a bunch of dream sequences of little kids running around in the woods. When the animatronics do finally show up they aren't even slightly threatening. Huge bummer.

Exactly. The movie has Matthew Lillard (who is predictably amazing as always), and the Jim Henson-designed animatronics look perfect. But it's bafflingly far from what it should be. In anticipation of FNAF coming to HHN, I bought and played through the original FNAF game (just finished Night Six yesterday, actually). The game is really fun, and the creepy jump scares of the giant animatronics is simple but effective. I am now very intrigued by the FNAF house. If they lean more into the creepy abandoned pizzeria / jump scare monster vibe of the game, it could actually be one of the best houses this year. If they go more for the movie - not just having the ghost kids and stand-ins for Josh Hutcherson and his little sister, but for the tone - it may be a real letdown. I know they are basing it on the movie - not the worst thing, since that means we'll also get Springtrap, who is not in the original game - but I think it is really still up in the air what the FNAF house will really be. Should be interesting.

 

[Tereglith]

They have to step up their game on the product before they build another elaborate attraction to sell it

Yeah, I agree with this - I've always loved walking through the tribute stores but I never feel compelled to buy anything in them.

I wonder how much of an issue it is that the people most likely to want merch are local fans who know they can wait until the end of the event and get pretty much everything for 70% off? That's the only way I've ever bought HHN stuff.

I don't think it's a good idea for them to encourage more FOMO, but it is effective in that the only thing I ever bought straight from the tribute store instead of waiting for clearance was the first-printing Tribute to Terror comic at 32.

 

[Andor]

huge loss if the tribute store does indeed get downsized. It's become one of my favorite parts of the event. The amount of detail and effort put into it by the design team is seriously astonishing. But, like so many others, I never buy anything from it. Nor does my group I usually go with. I remember thinking a painted ornament was cool, considered it, til i saw it was 90$. Mainly just loved the atmosphere in there so much. I hope it isn't true, but can 100% understand from a business side if it does indeed change.

 

[TheCodeMan95]

My assumption is that if Tribute Stores didn't result in higher merch sales, they probably wouldn't have kept doing them for so long already - not even just with HHN, but with every Tribute Store they do!

 

[RedRightDan]

My assumption is that if Tribute Stores didn't result in higher merch sales, they probably wouldn't have kept doing them for so long already - not even just with HHN, but with every Tribute Store they do!

How's that Summer 2025 Tribute Store going though?

 

[UniversalRBLX]

As far as the Tribute Store discussion, losing one of the key attractions of HHN is a bummer, but I feel like they need to focus on fixing the main problem: the merch. There’s no definite proof that I’ve seen personally, but from the word of mouth that’s reached me, last year’s merch sold very poorly by comparison to year’s previous. Why spend all this money on a storefront when you can barely move anything in it?

100% agree - the issue is not the physical store, but the merchandise itself. As bad as the merch design was last year, the store was still fantastic in design. I think merchandise for the event has become too much in available options and the quality has suffered a bit. Is there really a need/demand for 10+ different variations of drinkware? 8 different backpacks/handbags with a cheaply printed logo?

They've been trying to emulate the success (merch wise) of HHN 29, but that's a hard year to recreate.

 

[Brian G.]

How's that Summer 2025 Tribute Store going though?

Cut because the teams were working on IOA Trading Co and HHN, amongst other things.

 

[TheCodeMan95]

How's that Summer 2025 Tribute Store going though?

I mean they've also only been doing Summer ones for a few years, where they've been doing HHN since what.. 2015?

 

[RedRightDan]

I mean they've also only been doing Summer ones for a few years, where they've been doing HHN since what.. 2015?

I mean, there is the concept of diminishing returns. So one ends up getting knocked out, the other (more successful ones) gets downsized.

 

[Brian G.]

I mean, there is the concept of diminishing returns. So one ends up getting knocked out, the other (more successful ones) gets downsized.

Except they’re downsizing due to outside factors, not diminishing returns or lack of success. The fact that they’re making room to accommodate it this year shows that there is money to be made.

 

[Kichkinet85]

3:14 to 4:59 they talk about the merch and 5:01 to 8:44 they talk about the tribute store at spooky.



To me it's weird for them to talk about this and then not have a tribute store.

 

[RedRightDan]

Except they’re downsizing due to outside factors, not diminishing returns or lack of success

TBF, it can be both. If they really wanted to, they could put the store over where the Summer one typically goes. I'm not saying that the Tribute Stores haven't been successful, just that any additional merch sales that might come from a big fancy location, might not be worth the full budget any more and this was an opportune time to shrink.