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Universal Orlando Resort (USO, IOA) Discussion Thread

p. 624 - New Epic Universe details, including Isle of Berk!

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As someone who has faithfully watched AHS, I think that maze looked awesome and I wish I could experience it this year! I thought it was a nice touch to include some of the lines and voices of characters from the show (like the maid from Hotel, and of course... Dandy!)

 

Bummer to hear about the crowds. I've only been to USH HHN last year, not sure how it compares crowd-wise. We had someone with a disability pass so we were able to skip the lines, which helped a lot. Not sure if the crowds are better or we are just more easily scared, but we definitely got our share of scares in! We went on like a Thursday in early October, so that might help as well? I can't imagine how bad Halloween night can get, or the Saturday just before.

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Even thought I had express, when I went last Thursday the highest wait time I saw posted was 100. I even waited in the regular lines for Halloween, Tomb of the ancients, and Exorist because they were only posted at 25 min.

 

I am sure it will get worse as it gets closer to Halloween. I highly recommend taking advantage of one of the in-park holding areas if you have an HHN ticket so you can have first crack at a maze queue line when the event opens.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just got back from our HHN trip on Monday after spending (4) nights at HHN. We had express for each night, so we were able to reach about 38 "laps" thru the houses. Our final count:

 

Chance: 1

Horror Story: 8

Texas Chainsaw: 5

Halloween: 5

Ancients: 3

Krampus: 6

Exorcist: 5

TWD: 2

Ghost: 3

 

As you can see, there is quite a difference between the good and bad houses. Chance was atrocious, didn't even waste our time going more than once (even with express). TWD was pretty bad as well, simply because it's just so old and overdone at this point... Nothing new, just all rehashed stuff from the past years. My survey asked about TWD for next year again, so OMG... Please stop Universal... Just NO!

 

As a big fan of AHS, the house was just awesome. The characters looked incredible, it was a really good house. I don't really get scared in houses, typically because I am so tall I see over everyone and can see the upcoming scares, but they are still fun just to see.

 

Krampus was tied for #1 spot with me with AHS... I wish there was more Krampus action, some more animatronics or puppets or something like Hollywood's, but otherwise still real good. Exorcist and Texas Chainsaw were also really good. Many of the houses required at least 3 or 4 laps to really see everything or get the good cast or timing of everything. Could never judge a house with only one or two laps (except Chance house, it was that bad... No potential there).

 

Zones were OK, wish they would do more with them. The chance midway was extremely lame, as expected. Terrible icon, too... Anyway...

 

Bill and Ted was ok, not my favorite year. The midway show was pretty awesome though, near Transformers at the end of the main midway (forget the name...). Worthwhile show to see.

 

Overall, it was a solid HHN. Hope next year TWD is finally retired and the rumors of a second AHS house are true (the other three seasons not done this year). We can only hope!

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^^I got to take the same survey for HHN and you know it's gotten bad when the they literally ask if you would like the event BETTER if TWD was not a part of it at all.

 

My problem is not just that the Walking Dead is rehashed, but that it's been the worst house at the event 3 of the 5 years, and this year (while not at the bottom) it's just a greatest hits collection of previous TWD houses. It's never been the best thing at the event or something that really makes the event better.

 

Oh an Bill and Ted really needs to tighten up script-wise. It's very fun and the costumes are great, but it's two years in a row that the script has LONG sections where none of the jokes work show after show. I wish that they could modify it after the first few showings to see what works and what doesn't.

 

Otherwise the AHS house is just beautiful and almost all of the other houses this year are really top-notch. The Dance show is really good too.

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Hope next year TWD is finally retired and the rumors of a second AHS house are true (the other three seasons not done this year). We can only hope!

 

I don't know if they'd do season 2 of AHS...

#Knotts #FearVR #Asylumhauntsaresoooooinsensitve

 

Why not? They are currently on season 5 of TWD... Anything is possible. At least AHS each season is drastically different and makes for a new house experience... Unlike TWD where each house is the same damn thing, year after year.

 

They focused on 3 of the 6 seasons with this house, they could easily do the other three next year. It makes sense... I also heard Scream Queens was a possibility for next year.

 

Supposedly, Purge was supposed to be the main zone again this year but due to the shootings in Orlando it was changed last minute.

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Asylum's became this years "lets be offended" thing during halloween, so Cedar Fair and Six Flags dropped that theme throughout their parks.

 

People are way too easily offended. I'm a girl, and most haunted houses have looots of violence against women but you don't see me complaining? You don't see country folks getting offended by cannibalistic redneck haunted houses! Geez louise, let people do their thing!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Some last minute questions before/if I visit HHN Friday night. Keep in mind I intend to stick to rides/shows/scarezones instead of conga-lining through the mazes and that I have no idea how long I will be at the park:

 

-What attractions have single-rider lines? How long should I expect to wait for the non-single rider rides?

-What are the loose article/locker policies? I plan to just have my wallet, phone, keys, maybe a beanie, and my glasses (maybe my case depending on the policies) shoved into cargo pockets.

-Best place to get Butterbeer? Cost?

-Cost of the blinky cup specialty drinks? Which is better?

-Best times to visit the non-IP houses/Walking Dead?

 

EDIT: -Also, how likely is it to get Chance's autograph if I bring a Sharpie and a napkin?

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-Rockit will have single rider but it will be packed as is the ride. Rockit is always a madhouse after 30 minutes have passed into HHN. Mummy/Gringotts should have one that is not very long and MIB/Transformers don't get busy but they might have one. Simpsons doesn't, it will be busier in the middle of the night.

 

-Everything has to come out for Rockit and go in a locker. Other rides you should just be able to hide it in cargo pockets.

-Butterbeer ice cream is the best. There are three locations that sell the regular/hot/frozen versions about 5 dollars.

-The Blinky cup is like 4-6 dollars extra I think. The combined version of the drink is pretty good.

 

-AHS is the busiest house and TWD is probably second. Go early, get to the front of the gate before open, then go right at the start of the event, go directly to Krampus, then Halloween, then Tomb of the Ancients then Chainsaw Massacre, then Chance (minimal stopping) and you will be right next to MIB/BIll and Ted/Harry potter at the point where it starts getting busy. Or do Rockit very first thing if you want to skip any of those houses. Should be able to hit them all in 1.5 hours. Do Walking dead and Ghost town around the last hour of the event and get in line for AHS right before the park closes and DON'T worry about how long it claims the line is (should be under 35 minutes real time after park close). The only house you would miss would be exorcist if you did that plan, with about 4 hours in the middle to see shows and ride things.

 

My top 3 houses this year would be Horror Story, Tomb of Ancients and Ghost Town, then Halloween and TWD tied.

 

-Chance does meet guests in her scarezone, don't know about Autographs. B&T sometimes do at audience right just after the show.

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Universal Orlando has sent us a press release announcing that Halloween Horror Nights 2016 has been extended for two additional nights!

 

Universal Orlando is giving guests more nights to experience Halloween Horror Nights 26 than ever before. The nation’s best Halloween event has been extended to include two additional nights – Friday, November 4 and Saturday, November 5. The Repository – an experience that takes interactive horror to the next level with virtual reality, live actors and more – is also included in this extension as an upgrade to event admission.

 

Now, guests will have even more nights to experience the highest-rated event in Halloween Horror Nights history. Guests won’t stand a chance as they:

  • Come face-to-face with Chance, the twisted icon of this year’s event
  • Fight to survive nine disturbingly-real haunted houses based on some of the most popular names in entertainment and horrifying original stories
  • Explore five terrifying scare zones filled with live scareactors
  • Enjoy two electrifying live shows

Tickets are on sale now for these two additional event nights. Halloween Horror Nights event tickets start at $59.99 for Friday, Nov. 4 and $66.99 for Saturday, Nov. 5. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit http://www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com/Orlando.

 

Halloween Horror Nights is the ultimate Halloween event, spanning both coasts at Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood. For more than 20 years, guests from around the world have visited Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando and Hollywood to become victims inside their own horror film as they encounter movie-quality haunted houses, hundreds of menacing “scareactors” and outrageous live shows.

thumb_04_chance.jpg.680803b7669a1d2b667207496bbe629f.jpg

Edited by jedimaster1227
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I don't believe anyone has posted this yet (I searched and didn't see it). It appears that Volcano Bay has been added to the resort map online with a pretty good layout of the actual park.

 

https://www.universalorlando.com/Images/PrintableMapsUOR_8.16.16_tcm13-58140.pdf

 

Most of what we already knew from the construction updates, but it looks like there's going to be some very long lazy river(s).

Also- disappointingly, not a lot of stuff for younger guests by the looks of it.

Edited by nynehalem
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I believe the intent of the long lazy rivers is to keep people busy instead of waiting in actual lines for slides. Universal has already gone on record saying Volcano Bay "will redefine the queue experience so visitors can focus entirely on having fun and spending time together."

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^Looks like it was an oops on their part and pulled. Link didn't work for me.

 

The file is still available the problem is that the link has an extra https// in it. If you copy the link and fix the error or just copy the text it works.

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^Looks like it was an oops on their part and pulled. Link didn't work for me.

 

The file is still available the problem is that the link has an extra https// in it. If you copy the link and fix the error or just copy the text it works.

 

It's fixed now! thanks for the information on how to get it working

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Screamscape posted this on-going *rumor* today. I know that it's been mentioned here in the past. Thoughts?

 

Dragon Challenge Refurbishment - Rumor - (10/31/16) Remember back when we first learned that Hulk was going to be torn down and rebuilt, we learned soon after that once Hulk was done there was a good chance that the two Dueling Dragons / Dragon Challenge inverted coasters would likely be next. Welll..... about that... according to the latest rumors... that may no longer be the case.

Like Hulk, it seems Universal has determined that the world famous dueling inverted coasters will soon reach the end of their projected lifespan. Unlike Hulk however, it seems that they may have changed their mind about just what to do about it. Several courses of action were apparently considered beyond just rebuilding exact copies of the Fire and Ice dragon layouts... including the idea of altering the new layout to be merged into one seriously extended length coaster, as well as scrapping the entire ride concept in order to reuse the large footprint it sits on to build other new concept attractions going forward.

While I am hoping to god that my sources are wrong on this one, the story being leaked says that before too long Universal Orlando may simply opt for the later option, and retire the Dragons forever and build another unknown new Harry Potter themed attraction instead. In short, I would find that option to be devastating, as the old Dueling Dragons coasters have a very special place not only in my heart, but I also believe them to be world famous icons of Islands of Adventure itself, just as much as Incredible Hulk and the park's iconic lighthouse out front. Removing the Dragons would be such a shame... as it would drop the number of major coasters in the park from 3 down to just 1.

So with that in mind, as you visit the park going forward, do take the time to get plenty of rides in on the old Fire and Ice dragons, and maybe drop by guest services to fill out a comment card about just how much you also enjoy them if you too would like to see them remain in the park's lineup. Plus there is plenty of room to add a new attraction to the Potter lineup right where Poseidon's Fury is sitting, or even where the Eighth Voyage of Sinbad show arena is instead.

http://screamscape.com/html/islands_of_adventure.htm#Dragons

Pic source: TheThemeParkGuy.com

She's so pretty, I don't want her to go

Edited by snapfordakids
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