Halloween Horror Nights 34 (UOR) - Speculation & Rumors

[kingmantis]

I don't think the Haunted House lineup has ever been cohesive; even if you look at a gold standard year like HHN18 they lumped a spaceship, zombies, Jack the Ripper and Fairy Tales together under "phobias". Which is fine though, it's way more important to have variety than cohesion in a lineup, and the facades are so far from the midway the clashing themes don't really matter. They exist in their own separate world.

I think when people say cohesion what they're really looking for is the entire park to feel "full". Consistent music loops that use spookier music, dead spots between scarezones filled with hordes, maybe smaller shows, or even just passive decorations instead of just #HHN34 projected on walls. A lot of this passive atmosphere has disappeared over the years, right now once you make it out of the front of the park the entire lagoon area can feel like one big deadzone.

An icon makes a tie-in easier as they can host the event, but even just a consistent theme like a haunted garden/conservatory can work just fine if they commit to the vibe like they're saying. The return of a chainsaw horde on the spec map is a good sign if it comes true.

 

[Blysthon]

I don't think the Haunted House lineup has ever been cohesive; even if you look at a gold standard year like HHN18 they lumped a spaceship, zombies, Jack the Ripper and Fairy Tales together under "phobias". Which is fine though, it's way more important to have variety than cohesion in a lineup, and the facades are so far from the midway the clashing themes don't really matter. They exist in their own separate world.

I think when people say cohesion what they're really looking for is the entire park to feel "full". Consistent music loops that use spookier music, dead spots between scarezones filled with hordes, maybe smaller shows, or even just passive decorations instead of just #HHN34 projected on walls. A lot of this passive atmosphere has disappeared over the years, right now once you make it out of the front of the park the entire lagoon area can feel like one big deadzone.

An icon makes a tie-in easier as they can host the event, but even just a consistent theme like a haunted garden/conservatory can work just fine if they commit to the vibe like they're saying. The return of a chainsaw horde on the spec map is a good sign if it comes true.

What I’m really worried about is how they are going to do the chainsaw horde on roller skates?

 

[Parkscope Joe]

What I’m really worried about is how they are going to do the chainsaw horde on roller skates?

Why?

 

[Blysthon]

Why?

Because it’s never been done before, like I’m worried about a freak accident.

 

[Jake S]

Because it’s never been done before, like I’m worried about a freak accident.

you know they take the chains off the saws right?

 

[Lucky Planet]

HHN fans when they don’t get an announcement but already know what 98% of what the lineup consists of….

Because it's not enough to be a "fan" anymore. You need to be an "insider super-fan," with secret esoteric knowledge of exactly what's coming -- which IP, which location they'll be in, the number of rooms, where the GATs are, what the ABV of the new craft-brewed HHN beer will be -- else you're just one more of the great unwashed who every year simply walk up, buy a ticket and raw-dog it all night. Because they're not real fans, even if they've been for years, they aren't even wearing a vintage t-shirt! But until the insider secret knowledge is confirmed, it's possible you were just another all year.

(This is obviously an issue throughout theme park fandom -- and other fandoms, the clown emoji was inspired by my Swiftie wife -- but HHN seems to be the worst. My theory is that HHN is like Monty Python & The Holy Grail in the 80s -2000s. Literally everyone who went to college ever in that era had seen it, but nerdy fans still loved to pretend it was some obscure cult movie so that quoting it made you one of the cool kids. HHN super-fans treat the event like a cult favorite only they obsess over and truly understand, even though it's easily the most attended event in Orlando.)

Maybe people just really like the event, are excited about it, and want more information about it? I don’t think that’s odd. I don’t see a lot of the gatekeeping of which you’re accusing HHN fans.

It is absolutely possible to placate fans while also appealing to the general audience. For over a decade the MCU gave an absolutely textbook example of how to please both groups. Lots of other properties have done it too.

The fact that HHN is “easily the most attended event in Orlando” makes it all the more strange that its marketing often seems so shambolic and unfocused.

a lot of times it just has to do with making TikTok or insta or YouTube vids lol. those can make you some passive income lol. specifically if you're fast enough to be the first one to upload

 

[SeanPhilly]

you know they take the chains off the saws right?

WHAAAAATTTT?!?!?!

I feel massively deceived.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Because it’s never been done before, like I’m worried about a freak accident.

They're hiring for roller skaters and plenty of places have done "scare chainsaws on wheels". And as Jake said they remove the blades, the sound is the real startle. Go check out what USH does with their chainsaws for more ideas.

 

[Blysthon]

you know they take the chains off the saws right?

I feel bamboozled lol

 

[saint.piss]

I feel bamboozled lol

You thought the chainsaws were real?

 

[RedRightDan]

WHAAAAATTTT?!?!?!

I feel massively deceived.

A sneak preview of this year's HHN

 

[Neo]

You thought the chainsaws were real?

Almost, ALMOST, breaks the immersion of the event as much as seeing a wall in Epic Universe.

Couldn't resist pulling in a reference to another post of mine people hate

 

[srbmarc]

When I read the "freak accident" post I wasn't thinking about chainsaw accidents, but rather drunk people doing stupid things to trip up the skaters.

 

[Staggz]

I'd also argue there's a common theme of different art forms being represented through each house, though I admit it might be a stretch.

WWE - Wrestling/performance art
El Artista - Paintings
FNaF - Animatronics/themed entertainment
Graveyard - Architecture
Terrifier - Extreme cinema
Jason - Slasher genre
Fallout - Science fiction
Vikings - Legends
Dolls - Toy creation
Hatchet and Chains - Westerns

I personally think that although it's a stretch, it's about the best it's going to get, and more than likely on-purpose. I would argue that they don't come up with these houses to "fit the theme" or the cohesion of the event, and frankly, I think that would be a terrible idea if they did. I think they pick the houses they want, pick the theme they want, and try to vaguely tie things in.

I know it sounds contradictive because I said like a couple pages ago that I love cohesion and a cohesive theme, and I think that translates to me to JUST the overall event, maybe one house, the tribute store, and the merch/food. The houses shouldn't ever be all dedicated to tying into a theme hardcore, because I think part of the appeal to me about HHN just in general is how diverse all the houses are, and how even if there is 1-2 houses that aren't necessarily my thing there, I know there will be something there for me to enjoy. If all the originals and IPs tied into it deeply, and then we got a theme that was just not super great, that would really be disappointing.

 

[Midnight Detective]

I feel bamboozled lol

They're actually adding the chains back to the chainsaws THIS YEAR

 

[TheCodeMan95]

I'm completely content with the theme of the event just spreading through the zones, decor, ads, etc.

They did a FANTASTIC job with Oddfellow imo - each zone could easily exist on its own under another event, but they were able to retrofit each one into an Oddfellow story. And honestly, it worked very well.

Chances that the original houses could maybe be paintings come to life this year?

 

[Tingus Pingus]

I'm completely content with the theme of the event just spreading through the zones, decor, ads, etc.

They did a FANTASTIC job with Oddfellow imo - each zone could easily exist on its own under another event, but they were able to retrofit each one into an Oddfellow story. And honestly, it worked very well.

Chances that the original houses could maybe be paintings come to life this year?

The Oddfellow year was one of my favorites ever because of that cohesion. Having every scarezone be a different era of Oddfellow's terror really allowed for awesome lore, even if I didn't love all the scarezones. Having a house dedicated to the theme and connecting the scarezones loosely while keeping them diverse would be great.

 

[Lucky Planet]

They're hiring for roller skaters and plenty of places have done "scare chainsaws on wheels". And as Jake said they remove the blades, the sound is the real startle. Go check out what USH does with their chainsaws for more ideas.

didn't some of the Mary Shaw actors have tennis shoes with wheels one scarezone year? (2010?)
and then I remember them falling when they tried to scare me?? fell in their butt?

 

[Grabnar]

They're actually adding the chains back to the chainsaws THIS YEAR

View attachment 27094

Mandy house confirmed

 

[WryNewsie]

Man, there really is not a ton of aesthetic throughline between these houses. Chuck E. Cheese, nuclear wasteland, summer camp, 19th century Spain, wild west, and now Toy Story. I dig all of these and I'm glad El Artista is the one that's "setting the tone" but I'm starting to feel funny about all that optimism around the cohesion they were talking about at Spooky Empire. Hope Sergio and the Creation House have a decent presence in the scare zones.

To be fair, Aiello did say that they were leaving it up to the guest to decide for themselves how and to what extent the story they're telling with Sergio influences/touches the other aspects of the event. In fact, they went further than I expected to clarify that it wouldn't be as blatant as Dr. Oddfellow was.