Halloween Horror Nights 34 (UOR) - Speculation & Rumors

[HHN Maddux]

I’m genuinely not trying to start a flame war, but seeing how hard HHN’s marketing is pushing FNAF this year it’s genuinely feeling like they’re trying to get the youngest age group ever to attend this year.

I know the franchise has fans of all ages, but there’s merch for the tiniest of dudes readily available for this one property, there’s a huge sign in the storefront that everyone sees walking through Citywalk that basically is like a blue light trap for any eight year old walking into the resort, etc etc

It’s an interesting discussion: I fully expect FNAF to be strictly fun with barely a drop of blood in it and have zero scares. (If rumours are to be believed, A&D designed something scarier and more violent and was told to pull it way back by the rights holders). So is Terrifier intentionally designed to be the way they can counter the “HHN has gone soft” crowd when FNAF is aiming for a disproportionally younger demographic?

I mean... it was confirmed in the THR article that the house is going to have much more bloody versions of the film's kills so I have no idea where you heard that rumor.

 

[ssirin88]

Birria Ramen, yes please. Cat Lady booth might just be the only one I visit

 

[CaretakerBajaBlast]

I mean... it was confirmed in the THR article that the house is going to have much more bloody versions of the film's kills so I have no idea where you heard that rumor.

Can you link me on that? The only thing I found in the THR article listed here is that there’s additional focus on the munched upon security guard, which does not say “bloodier” and is also referring to Hollywood specifically.

I should clarify that rumour isn’t the correct terminology, this is discussion coming from various TM’s I’ve talked to who have heard about the recent final walks by the IP holders in the last week or so. Hearsay sure, but it’s interesting.

 

[HHN Maddux]

Can you link me on that? The only thing I found in the THR article listed here is that there’s additional focus on the munched upon security guard, which does not say “bloodier” and is also referring to Hollywood specifically.

I should clarify that rumour isn’t the correct terminology, this is discussion coming from various TM’s I’ve talked to who have heard about the recent final walks by the IP holders in the last week or so. Hearsay sure, but it’s interesting.

Looking at it now and I might be having a mandela effect, cause I swear I remember it mentioning bloodier and gorier versions of the film's kills.

 

[LPCaptainDeath]

I know the franchise has fans of all ages, but there’s merch for the tiniest of dudes readily available for this one property, there’s a huge sign in the storefront that everyone sees walking through Citywalk that basically is like a blue light trap for any eight year old walking into the resort, etc etc

I've cited these examples before in other threads but i saw these interactions last year:
- Two parents had two 4/5 year old kids queued up for the Major Sweets house last year. My girlfriend was flabbergasted but the kids were PUMPED. We watched them lose their collective sh!t at all the stuff going on. They loved it.
-We saw a parent with a BABY in a stroller and the scare actors were all playing with her and she wasn't screaming or crying or anything - she was ALSO loving it.

My judgement on it is: If they're well behaved, let 'em enjoy it, no matter their age.

I just think it's hard to definitively say that the same kids who are hammering their parents to buy them merch at the Universal Store in City Walk are going to be the same kids we'll see queuing up for the house. It's one thing to ask for a shirt, it's another thing to take your kid to the event itself, especially if you've never been before.

Example A: Kid asks for shirt, parents buy shirt but explain that they won't be going to horror nights because it's too mature in tone for their kid//too unpredictable for them to assume they'll be okay with everything they'll see.

Example B: Kid asks for shirt, parents buy shirt, parents know kid is going to be okay at HHN and this isn't their first rodeo.

It's hard to say where that overlap is or venn-diagram lands, yanno what i mean?

 

[CaretakerBajaBlast]

Looking at it now and I might be having a mandela effect, cause I swear I remember it mentioning bloodier and gorier versions of the film's kills.

Conspiracy? Could have been redacted.

 

[CaretakerBajaBlast]

I've cited these examples before in other threads but i saw these interactions last year:
- Two parents had two 4/5 year old kids queued up for the Major Sweets house last year. My girlfriend was flabbergasted but the kids were PUMPED. We watched them lose their collective sh!t at all the stuff going on. They loved it.
-We saw a parent with a BABY in a stroller and the scare actors were all playing with her and she wasn't screaming or crying or anything - she was ALSO loving it.

My judgement on it is: If they're well behaved, let 'em enjoy it, no matter their age.

I just think it's hard to definitively say that the same kids who are hammering their parents to buy them merch at the Universal Store in City Walk are going to be the same kids we'll see queuing up for the house. It's one thing to ask for a shirt, it's another thing to take your kid to the event itself, especially if you've never been before.

Example A: Kid asks for shirt, parents buy shirt but explain that they won't be going to horror nights because it's too mature in tone for their kid//too unpredictable for them to assume they'll be okay with everything they'll see.

Example B: Kid asks for shirt, parents buy shirt, parents know kid is going to be okay at HHN and this isn't their first rodeo.

It's hard to say where that overlap is or venn-diagram lands, yanno what i mean?

This is how I’m looking at it too. I legit don’t care if you bring your kid of any age (except infants, that does sketch me out but no big deal).

It’s just interesting how this rollout has been compared to the other IPs I’ve seen integrated into HHN prior.

 

[TheCodeMan95]

My interesting take - the Tribute Store did a lot to make the presentation of Stranger Things "feel like HHN." The eerie Stranger Things rooms in the Tribute Store were incredibly well done, and gave a feeling of unease.

Whereas now with FNAF - it's just the merch in a bright Universal Studios store. The merch itself is bright because of the general color scheme of FNAF.

I don't expect the FNAF house to break away from the general formula of an HHN house - there will be a focus on scares and I'm sure kills as well.

I've cited these examples before in other threads but i saw these interactions last year:
- Two parents had two 4/5 year old kids queued up for the Major Sweets house last year. My girlfriend was flabbergasted but the kids were PUMPED. We watched them lose their collective sh!t at all the stuff going on. They loved it.
-We saw a parent with a BABY in a stroller and the scare actors were all playing with her and she wasn't screaming or crying or anything - she was ALSO loving it.

My judgement on it is: If they're well behaved, let 'em enjoy it, no matter their age.

I just think it's hard to definitively say that the same kids who are hammering their parents to buy them merch at the Universal Store in City Walk are going to be the same kids we'll see queuing up for the house. It's one thing to ask for a shirt, it's another thing to take your kid to the event itself, especially if you've never been before.

Example A: Kid asks for shirt, parents buy shirt but explain that they won't be going to horror nights because it's too mature in tone for their kid//too unpredictable for them to assume they'll be okay with everything they'll see.

Example B: Kid asks for shirt, parents buy shirt, parents know kid is going to be okay at HHN and this isn't their first rodeo.

It's hard to say where that overlap is or venn-diagram lands, yanno what i mean?

This is it right here. I have zero doubts that there are kids at Universal right now (and in the past few weeks) that see the FNAF merch and have no clue what HHN is. Parents can still buy them the merch without them actually going to the event. And I'm sure Universal is perfectly happy with that too lol

In 9 years of attending, I've only ever seen one kid get genuinely freaked out in a house. It was in the first room of the Us house, little kid cried and the parents moved her out of the way, and we continued on. Didn't disrupt us in the slightest lol

 

[Speed]

Not sure if it’s been mentioned but it seems that they’re testing out no scare necklaces this year (zones only)

 

[TheCodeMan95]

Not sure if it’s been mentioned but it seems that they’re testing out no scare necklaces this year

I could see these working in a scare zone, but there's really no way for them to work in houses

 

[CaretakerBajaBlast]

I could see these working in a scare zone, but there's really no way for them to work in houses

The houses are excluded, just for streets.

Still interesting given the current discussion about broadening appeal.

 

[HHN Maddux]

Not sure if it’s been mentioned but it seems that they’re testing out no scare necklaces this year (zones only)

Really hope that isn't true. This isn't Howl-O-Scream or Not-So-Scary, you're going to the event to literally be scared and have fun with it. If your kid isn't mature enough for that, don't bring them.

 

[TheCodeMan95]

The houses are excluded, just for streets.

Still interesting given the current discussion about broadening appeal.

I live very close to Hersheypark and they have their own Halloween event- Dark Nights.

They sell no scare necklaces as well, and the general consensus seems to be that they don't actually work lol

Imagine a kid with a no scare necklace walking through Springfield with chainsaws revving all around them?

 

[LPCaptainDeath]

This is how I’m looking at it too. I legit don’t care if you bring your kid of any age (except infants, that does sketch me out but no big deal).

Yeah, i had a nice conversation with the father of that baby, as he mentioned his wife was in one of the houses at the time and that they would switch off with friends and family, basically doing a parent-swap thing with everything there.

We discussed the immediate vs. long-lasting psychological impressions of a kid who's grown up around horror and how fear/danger/pain are taught/learned experiences and not so much something a baby would understand because they legit don't know what's going on - they just think "man, that's one weird looking dude," were his exact words. I think it was one of the Sinister/Surreal sisters that came up to him and legit coddled the baby and she just stared in amazement - no clue that she was being held by a demon queen. lol I remember mentioning the MGMT music video KIDS to him and he laughed and said she's never been the type of kid to scream/cry around stuff like this. It is honestly pretty fascinating, but i also wouldn't be caught dead taking a baby to HHN if I had a choice. Hahah

I live very close to Hersheypark and they have their own Halloween event- Dark Nights.

They sell no scare necklaces as well, and the general consensus seems to be that they don't actually work lol

Imagine a kid with a no scare necklace walking through Springfield with chainsaws revving all around them?

And -as you know- I live near and have worked at Dorney Park and they have the same thing and I massively concur. I actually think i saw someone specifically start walking toward a little boy with a necklace last year and when the boy started freaking out, the scareactor swerved and got someone else. On one hand, misdirection on the scareactor's part still made the kid bug out. On the other hand, if your kid is gonna bug out, maybe don't bring them?

 

[TheCodeMan95]

And -as you know- I live near and have worked at Dorney Park and they have the same thing and I massively concur. I actually think i saw someone specifically start walking toward a little boy with a necklace last year and when the boy started freaking out, the scareactor swerved and got someone else. On one hand, misdirection on the scareactors part still made the kid bug out. On the other hand, if your kid is gonna bug out, maybe don't bring them?

The interesting part about this discussion is - if they're doing this because FNAF is attracting younger guests.. it doesn't really matter, because the necklace won't work in the actual FNAF house lol

I've always been under the impression that No Scare Necklaces are a massive scam at any haunt - especially with the caveat and defense of "this does not guarantee you a scare free evening."

By all accounts, it amounts to "if the actor sees the necklace, they'll make an attempt to not charge directly at you" lol

 

[Brian G.]

This year, the 3-house tour lets guests learn more about Hatchet & Chains: Demon Bounty Hunters, Dolls: Let's Play Dead, and Grave of Flesh.

First Look: Unmasking the Horror at Halloween Horror Nights 34

Halloween Horror Nights 34 is set to kick off this Friday at Universal Studios Florida, but eager fans who can't wait for the fog were able to get a first look at three of this year's original houses by reserving a Unmasking the Horror tour. The Unmasking the Horror Tour is a VIP tour that offers

www.insideuniversal.net

 

[WryNewsie]

I think it was one of the Sinister/Surreal sisters that came up to him and legit coddled the baby and she just stared in amazement - no clue that she was being held by a demon queen.

That's the problem I have with infants/small children being brought to the event.

Parents are thinking "Aww. Look how cute they are interacting", but they're not considering how that degrades the experience of everyone else there for the scares and creepy atmosphere. If scare actors feel they have to reign in their performance or act differently because of the presence of children, HHN as a whole suffers.

 

[Myah1220]

View attachment 27672
From the recent TM email. $20!

Introducing? I swear this used to be a thing years ago. Am I misremembering? Is this another Mandela effect? lol.

 

[Jake S]

Parents are thinking "Aww. Look how cute they are interacting", but they're not considering how that degrades the experience of everyone else there for the scares and creepy atmosphere. If scare actors feel they have to reign in their performance or act differently because of the presence of children, HHN as a whole suffers.

Yeah, I tend to agree with this. I have a six-month old and while I think Americans are often, ah, not great at tolerating children in public... this is a different thing. Taking your baby to a bar changes the vibe. Taking them to Horror Nights also changes the vibe.

 

[CaretakerBajaBlast]

Introducing? I swear this used to be a thing years ago. Am I misremembering? Is this another Mandela effect? lol.

Are you possibly thinking of the incomparable AMULET OF FEAR? It was a light up necklace that interacted with the zones.

It sold terribly, they were passing them out in boxes the last night of the event lol