Universal Orlando Resort (USO, IOA) Discussion Thread

Universal Studios Orlando always suprise me!

USO makes HarryPotter with lots lots of details,

and i hope a indoor secret Rollercoaster....

When do you think Dueling Dragons will be closed for the retheming work?

I am going to visit the park during my stay in Orlando between 12 september and 22 september.

Sorry to answer so late, but I love halloween and haunted houses, but I'm trying not to get my hopes up because I want this event to be awesome, but I feel if I hype it up to much I'll be let down.

In all honesty, how good are the haunted houses them selves? Haunted houses are quite possibly my fav. thing about halloween, and I've been to some good ones, but I usually don't enjoy amusement park haunted houses...even though I have not been to very quality horror events. I've only been to fright fests and halloweekends.

how long will waits be? Whats the best deal aka is there a good deal if I want to come over and over again?

My computer is down, the flash player does not work, so not only can I not watch any videos on the internet what so ever, I can't go to interactive sites....so I don't really know what all is going on. but I love reading all your updates, it sounds very intriguing!

In all honesty, how good are the haunted houses them selves? Haunted houses are quite possibly my fav. thing about halloween, and I've been to some good ones, but I usually don't enjoy amusement park haunted houses...even though I have not been to very quality horror events. I've only been to fright fests and halloweekends.

 

how long will waits be? Whats the best deal aka is there a good deal if I want to come over and over again?

Mkay. I personally think Universal does an amazing job with the houses and the scare zones. I feel like they go all out and that it only gets better and better every year. Last year they incourpered smells, which was a really neat element and really helped to set the tone for each house. I think you'll really like em; most everyone does.

Last year me and my best friend went opening day (6:30pm-12am), and I gotta say, it was the best time of my life. The longest line we had to wait in was 15 minutes for Dead Exposure. There were hardly any people, we got to do each house twice; all before midnight. Truly an amazing experience. And thats what me and her plan to do again this year.

Although... don't let my good time fool you. Peak nights (normally Fridays, Saturdays, and actual Halloween day) get hellaaa crazy and waits for just one house can get up to 2.5 hours.

You have plently of choices when it comes to buys tickets and which package (if any) works for you. Here is the link to buying tickets section.

Click here! (: (I reconmend getting your tickets as soon as you know what you wanna do. They may sell out, so you might as well be on the safe side.) All the packages and what not are on the left sidebar, right under the HHN logo.

And just for fun...any other general questions you might have can be found here FAQ's

I really hope I helped you some! Please, feel free to ask any other questions!!

-Ashley (:

IS it true the banner is still not back up?

There's a new update up: Strangled

http://halloweenhorrornights.com/orlando/theater.html

Possibly more later tonight.

^ That is correct. I was there today, go in two rides both via single riders. During my stay which was about 10:45 to 2:30 the ride went down eight times. Ranging from 3-5 minutes to a half hour each time. The entire time they only had two trains running.

I am really trying to see the good in this attraction mainly because hey its open and yeah its a lot of fun and an overall great coaster. But today was a perfect example of whats been happening since it opened. I understand there comes a point when you can't lose anymore money on a $55 million dollar investment, but would it of really hurt to test for another week? Maybe enough time to get the capacity up? I mean two trains carrying 12 passengers each traveling along a 3800ft coarse. Talk about a slow moving line.

I really feel for Universal especially the ride-ops, they really have got it tough right now. Each time they would say the ride is down the crowd would sigh, then boo, and really get frustrated. Just judging by today's experience and word of mouth since opening this coaster they have a ways to go.

That thing cost them $55 million? Looks like it's worth half of that if even that. They paid $55 million for a ride that keeps breaking down. Sad. Even for a new ride, it shouldn't be having the problems it's having.

^Yeah there is a link somewhere amongst 260+ pages to an article from the Orlando sentinel that says the ride came in at a cost of 55 million.

I would bet that half of that 55 million would just be for licensing fees not only for the 30 normal tracks but also for the numerous hidden tracks.

The gist of that article is..

Houses:

SAW – For years you have come to celebrate Halloween and to witness the weakness of others. The only way to gain redemption for this voyeuristic obsession is to truly know what it means to bleed, to feel weak; to experience pain. Jigsaw will give you this experience. Happy Halloween. Let the games begin.

The Wolfman – Pure. Animalistic. Rage. Take a journey through England’s countryside and come face to fangs with one of the most terrifying creatures to ever explode from the silver screen. Forget everything you thought you knew, and prepare yourself for the sights and sounds of the newest addition to Universal Pictures’ legacy of horror.

Chucky: Friends to the End – Ever wonder what happens when good toys go bad? Chucky has been hard at work, tinkering with your favorite childhood playthings. Nothing is what it seems as you step inside and experience what its like to live in Chucky’s world. This is no Child’s Play.

Dracula: Legacy of Blood – Welcome to Castle Dracula on the night of "The Calling." Vlad Dracul bids you welcome – be you one of the chosen women who has been called or merely a mortal man. Those who have been chosen must decide whether to join the Dark Prince in everlasting life as his brides, or reject his offer and suffer for all eternity. The blood must be renewed. The fate of the legacy hangs in the balance – Dracula’s legacy of blood.

Frankenstein: Creation of the Damned – It has been a fortnight since his creation caused the castle to be engulfed in flames. Doctor Frankenstein now continues his work to perfect the art of resurrection and regeneration, surrounded by his creations. The Creature has also returned, to make the Doctor pay for the pain and suffering he has had to endure. The Creature will destroy everything in his path to gain redemption, and you are now caught in the middle of this epic battle.

The Spawning – Something "different" has moved in among the sewers of Wyandot County, Ohio. The locals claim that these creatures, these "Sculders," are two feet tall, with the body of a snake. As a volunteer member of the local water district, it is your civic duty to venture into these pipes and restore the flow. But beware, the locals are wrong about the "Sculders" and the only thing that will be flowing is your blood as it leaves your lifeless body.

Leave it to Cleaver – Samuel Meetz works for the people of Carey, Ohio as a butcher, bringing them the freshest meat possible. With a steady livestock of transients and town lawbreakers with which to serve, and a staff of volunteers who will preserve their towns deadly secret by any means necessary, there is truly no end in sight for Samuel or his family business. As Sam always says: Meet Me at Meetz…The Z stands for cannibal.

Silver Screams – Julian Browning has been the usher in the Universal Palace since it opened in 1922, of course, he’s been dead since 1940, but he still commands respect for his most beloved films from every patron. Buy a ticket to the Universal Palace, and let Julian usher you into a realm where the horror on the screen is ripped away to reveal a world that is truly terrifying. Features "The Phantom of the Opera," "My Bloody Valentine 3D" and other popular horror films

Scare zones:

Lights, Camera, Hacktion!!! – Hollywood Boulevard is being used as a location for the filming of the next big horror movie to be released in October 2010: The CHAINSAW DRILL TEAM MASSACRE in 3-D. Lights, Camera, Hacktion! Our director, Mas Imair, noted horror film aficionado, is bringing the massacre to life in blood-red terrorcolor. But the actors seem to be taking their direction literally and are "hacking" through the cast and crew. It’s a close encounter of the worst kind as the backlot becomes a hacklot and the streets run red with blood. Are you ready for your close-up?

Cirque Du Freak – Inspired by Universal Pictures’ upcoming film "Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant," which tells the fantasy-adventure tale of a boy who unknowingly breaks a 200-year-old truce between two warring factions of vampires. Pulled into a fantastic life of misunderstood sideshow freaks and grotesque creatures of the night, one teen will vanish from the safety of a boring existence and fulfill his destiny in a place drawn from nightmares. "Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant" will be in theaters on October 23.

Horrorwood Die-In – The Hollywood Drive-in has been closed for years, and some say the abandoned grounds are haunted, where late at night the dim flickering images of carnage and chaos, monsters and madmen leave the screen and enter the real world looking for fresh victims to star in their latest horrors.

Apocalypse: City of Cannibals – A whole civilization of war-like carnivorous humanoids emerges from the sewers and underground tunnels of New York, looking for fresh food. Half-humanoid, half-beast and ravenous, these tribal cannibals invade the streets of Manhattan. No one is safe!

Containment – When an experimental bio-nerve gas is accidentally released into the atmosphere, the streets are filled with a toxic green mist that turns anyone that comes in contact with it into an infected, melting glob of flesh and blood.

War of the Living Dead – On a remote island in the Pacific during the last days of World War II, German military attempted to create the unthinkable – a new breed of super-soldier made from the reanimated corpses of the dead. American forces quickly seized the island compound, but not before the reanimate agent was released. The island was quarantined and has remained a secret until now. Fifty years later, the two opposing dead forces are still locked in immortal combat with you caught in the crosshairs.

I would bet that half of that 55 million would just be for licensing fees not only for the 30 normal tracks but also for the numerous hidden tracks.

There are ways to get around licensing fees with the hidden tracks. Not only are none of the tracks advertised to the public but also they can not be sold on the DVD.

^ and ^^, I feel like outside of the niche market of coaster geek, not a soul will find out about the hidden tracks. I mean who sits there and holds down the logo until something happens without already knowing?

Full site reveal will be up shortly.

It's up..still loading a bit. Looks like an AMAZING year.

^ There is an article somewhere on here that talks about Annual Passholders knowing about how to get "extra" tracks. Something says there will be instructions for passholders and a track list for them. They would not go through this much work for nothing.

^So moral of the story, we just need a TPR member that is a passholder to get their hands on one of those lists and then we won't have to trial every single combination of 000-999?

Theres your 2009 Icon,

 

Oh, and that Silver Screams facade is looking badass!

Did you see a picture of the actual house facade somewhere, or are you just talking about the animated one on the website?

Well, I am very excited now after the full website update. I can now see that the rumors of a Army of Darkness house came from the War of the Living Dead scarezone. There will technically be 7 scare zones, if you count the entrance to the park, where there will be roaming ushers similar to the Mirror People last year.

Can't wait to see how the website ties all these houses together!

 

Oh, and that Silver Screams facade is looking badass!

 

Did you see a picture of the actual house facade somewhere, or are you just talking about the animated one on the website?

The facade featured behind the usher, both here and on the official website, is the entrance to Silver Screams.

I am an annual passholder, but I have not received this list yet. If one does come in the mail, I will be sure to post all about it.

^ There is an article somewhere on here that talks about Annual Passholders knowing about how to get "extra" tracks. Something says there will be instructions for passholders and a track list for them. They would not go through this much work for nothing.

Where is this article? because no they haven't and no they won't.

Im very excited for the event now, especially after watching the new promo video and interview with Roddy!

Yea, here's another annual passholder without this list.