Universal Horror Unleashed - Chicago, IL

[velocicoasterswife]

The worry is not the right clientele, but if it can support year-round operations. It’s still an open question as to if the Vegas location will be able to, and with the Chicago winter, this location will probably be DEAD through at least November-March.

I don't think an indoor location will have any real issues with Chicago winter. It's not like bars or movie theaters do bad business when it gets cold out. If anything I think it might be appealing as an option for teens during Great America's off-season.

As an aside, I really hope they figure out an annual pass option here. The locals discount is fine for Nevada but especially being in the actual city I think they'd benefit big time from having a reliable crowd who might show up just to have a drink and do one house every weekend or so, and nobody's paying 60 dollars to do that.

 

[Clive]

I echo the same concern, however the two business are very different. Disney Quest failed because the pace of technology was too quick for Disney to match. My main concern with Unleashed is if they see any sort of business during the non-traditional Haunt season. Maybe they can generate enough business during Sept-Oct to justify shorter operating hours during Jan-Mar (or outright temporary closure)?

The biggest benefit of having multiple locations is that they can rotate houses through each location if they wanted to. For example, Chicago can open up with a Friday the 13th house inside of Texas Chainsaw Massacre and eventually switch houses in a matter of a few months.

I am surprised by them being this bullish of the concept, would have assumed they'd wait until later this year to decide how popular Vegas is.

Well put. To be clear, if this doesn't take off, it won't be for the same reasons Disney Quest failed, as you've explained here.

The biggest issue is I can't think of one example of a major, expensive haunted attraction surviving year-round operations... and I can think of a whole lot of failures.

 

[queenmetroid]

Yeah, while I do think Chicago is a good location, this will live and die by the pricing. In Vegas, you expect a certain amount of overcharge. In Chicago, I just don't think you'll have the same sort of latitude to charge what you want.

I foresee the exact same difficulties with Netflix House: a decent first couple years and then stagnation and death. The balancing act between pricing and new content will be critical because this place has to rely on locals for most of the year.

 

[velocicoasterswife]

Well put. To be clear, if this doesn't take off, it won't be for the same reasons Disney Quest failed, as you've explained here.

The biggest issue is I can't think of one example of a major, expensive haunted attraction surviving year-round operations... and I can think of a whole lot of failures.

It would probably be wise of them to make the bar and restaurant a free-entry area. Operate the space like a themed bar that happens to have a decently pricy haunted house attached. People are totally comfortable spending 30-50 bucks on cocktails in a cool space as a special outing, maybe less enthusiastic about spending 130+ bucks on haunted houses and cocktails.

 

[Clive]

It would probably be wise of them to make the bar and restaurant a free-entry area. Operate the space like a themed bar that happens to have a decently pricy haunted house attached. People are totally comfortable spending 30-50 bucks on cocktails in a cool space as a special outing, maybe less enthusiastic about spending 130+ bucks on haunted houses and cocktails.

While I agree that this is the optimal strategy, other year-round haunt efforts like Eli Roth's Goretorium tried something similar and still came up short. That was Vegas, though, and Chicago is of course a very different market... so we'll see.

 

[velocicoasterswife]

While I agree that this is the optimal strategy, other year-round haunt efforts like Eli Roth's Goretorium tried something similar and still came up short. That was Vegas, though, and Chicago is of course a very different market... so we'll see.

Maybe I'm just being blindly optimistic because I really want something Universal-quality in my backyard for years to come, but I really do think it's possible if they focus all their efforts in the first few years on making this a regular outing for activity-hungry young people. Relatively inexpensive annual passes, rotating content, good food and drink. If there's any city in America that feels like the right place for a permanent haunt (and it's possible that there isn't), Chicago is it imo.

 

[belloq87]

I have no idea if this will really be financially viable, or for how long, but I'm thrilled by the idea of an HHN-quality attraction, operating year-round, in my general region. I never get down to Orlando during HHN season (or travel with people who would want to attend), but I'll certainly be able to be in the Chicago area more frequently.

 

[Jerroddragon]

I mean if it can't run every day they can still make it work

Just take it off on slow months, I mean I see many businesses be able to close for months and still run so I assume they can make this work

I doubt Universal would just do this without a plan

 

[UniversalRBLX]

The other concern with Unleashed is capacity. It's only 4 houses available that are promoting more intimate experiences than the traditional Haunted Houses at HHN... so that's less hourly capacity available. The less capacity, the less guests they will allow into the building/tickets sold... meaning less availability for annual passes.

Edit: Side note, seems like this sort of concept has roughly a 3 year development/construction cycle. We could theoretically have 3-4 locations by the time the UK park opens up... insane.

 

[Viator]

Small note; but I think this is connected to Ballys's new Chicago location.

Gensler is leading that project and they have been connected with UDX recently with the sake of Universal Kids. Wouldn't be shocking if this is part of a masterplan that ropes Horror Unleashed as part of it, to act as a main "hook" for adult nightlife experiences ontop of the casino.

 

[velocicoasterswife]

Aaaaanyway. I'm sure it's a fool's errand to try and guess the four houses (who would have predicted The Exorcist: Believer for Vegas?) but I'm gonna give it a shot anyway. I'm gonna guess it's another two notable IP, one original, one monsters. Dead Man's Pier: Winter's Wake seems like a total layup for an original house - huge fan-favorite, gives an incredibly strong first impression for a potentially skeptical audience, and we're right on the water in real life (drawback might be size... I'm not sure how big DMP actually was but those sets sure looked huge). IPs are harder to pin down. If I'm just dreaming out loud, Killer Klowns From Outer Space and Insidious: The Further would be my ideal, but if I'm being realistic, neither of those really has any mass market appeal. More realistically I could see Halloween (super buzzy casual-friendly IP) and Beetlejuice (something less aggressive with the scares for a less haunt-y crowd). And for Monsters, it's a total tossup, so I'm giving it to Legends Collide. Because it's my list.

 

[Viator]

Aaaaanyway. I'm sure it's a fool's errand to try and guess the four houses (who would have predicted The Exorcist: Believer for Vegas?) but I'm gonna give it a shot anyway. I'm gonna guess it's another two notable IP, one original, one monsters. Dead Man's Pier: Winter's Wake seems like a total layup for an original house - huge fan-favorite, gives an incredibly strong first impression for a potentially skeptical audience, and we're right on the water in real life (drawback might be size... I'm not sure how big DMP actually was but those sets sure looked huge). IPs are harder to pin down. If I'm just dreaming out loud, Killer Klowns From Outer Space and Insidious: The Further would be my ideal, but if I'm being realistic, neither of those really has any mass market appeal. More realistically I could see Halloween (super buzzy casual-friendly IP) and Beetlejuice (something less aggressive with the scares for a less haunt-y crowd). And for Monsters, it's a total tossup, so I'm giving it to Legends Collide. Because it's my list.

Dead Mans Pier and Universal Monsters feels like obvious fill-ins. As for IP's--Chucky and Five Nights at Freddy's would work really well in large merchandise pushers. Part of me hesitates on Halloween because of legal; so Chucky would make sense as a strong contender if Myers can't work.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

balancing act between pricing and new content will be critical because this place has to rely on locals for most of the year.

It helps that new content is created yearly through HHN, compared to DisneyQuest when you’d need to hire WDI just to do an update.

 

[velocicoasterswife]

Dead Mans Pier and Universal Monsters feels like obvious fill-ins. As for IP's--Chucky and Five Nights at Freddy's would work really well in large merchandise pushers. Part of me hesitates on Halloween because of legal; so Chucky would make sense as a strong contender if Myers can't work.

My guess is FNAF would be an even harder sell on the legal side, although I guess it depends on some unknown factors (how much say Blumhouse has over the movie iterations of the characters, how amiable Scott Cawthon has been with HHN for this year). If they could land it though, I think FNAF would genuinely anchor the place as a destination for the first year or so. Chucky would be cool for the reasons you've already stated (Chicago connection being the big one).

 

[Viator]

My guess is FNAF would be an even harder sell on the legal side, although I guess it depends on some unknown factors (how much say Blumhouse has over the movie iterations of the characters, how amiable Scott Cawthon has been with HHN for this year). If they could land it though, I think FNAF would genuinely anchor the place as a destination for the first year or so. Chucky would be cool for the reasons you've already stated (Chicago connection being the big one).

I've been talking with a few colleagues; and I think the worst of the FNAF legal side has passed.

Come by 2027, FNAF will have FNAF 1, FNAF 2, and FNAF 3 all in theaters and able to be used for materials for a house that'd combine all three of them. They are working closely with JHCS on it, and I imagine Scott Cawthon's watching them like hawks to ensure it is done right. I think having Horror Unleashed be a home of FNAF, and by extension a "Freddy Fazbears Pizzeria" dining venue; would be a massive sell for the location.

 

[rageofthegods]

I would assume that they would keep things to in-house IP as much as possible. That would mean Chucky, Blumhouse, Monkeypaw, Universal Monsters, TCM (which I believe they have some kind of long-term theme park deal)...

If they do go for outside IP, I do wonder if a package deal with MGM would make budgetary sense. It let's you amortize the licensing fee a little bit and it could potentially get you KKFOS, Poltergeist, and (importantly) Candyman, a hometown Chicago IP.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

So doing some research and I think a model Universal is looking at is the Sony Wonderverse in the Chicago suburbs. $70 for two hours, which is roughly the same pricing as Vegas, but harder to get to from Downtown areas.

Home Page | Wonderverse

 

[velocicoasterswife]

So doing some research and I think a model Universal is looking at is the Sony Wonderverse in the Chicago suburbs. $70 for two hours, which is roughly the same pricing as Vegas, but harder to get to from Downtown areas.

Home Page | Wonderverse

Wonderverse's bar and restaurant are also treated as their own destinations (especially the Ghostbusters bar), exactly the way I'd expect Unleashed to be.

 

[saint.piss]