jray21 Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 (edited) http://themeparkreview.com/upd_images/1283234280_4.jpg Part One: Knott's Haunt Special Event Part Two: Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights Part Three: Mickeys Not So Scary Halloween Party Video: HHN Rob Zombie's House of 10,000 Corpses Walkthrough Amy and I went down to the LA area to do the big three Halloween events, Disneyland's Not So Scary Halloween Party, Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights, and Knott's Berry Farm's Haunt. We have never been to a Halloween event, so we were excited to go down. We had a great time meeting new people, and catching up with old friends. We really liked all the events, and will definitely be going back again. We have always wanted to go to Halloween events, but the timing was never right, and the price is pretty high. Then, Club TPR was created! After hearing about the special event with Knott's Haunt, and them offering front of the line for the first time ever, I knew I had to go. Even though I have a season pass there, I got the whole day event deal for only $99, and it was absolutely worth every cent. The event, if ordered separately (using the best online pricing) would have been $35 for a day ticket, $35 for Haunt, and $21 for the pre-scare dinner. That comes to $91, but, that still doesn’t include ERT, backstage tours of two mazes, free T-shirt, Q&A session, and a raffle with incredible prices! Oh yeah, and did I mention FRONT OF THE LINE!!! The only other way to get this is to get the Very Important Monster Tour, which only costs a mere $2000, that’s right, $2000! So, it was a no brainer. Hmmm, $99 or $2091? We also got some great deals for Universal Studios through Club TPR. We got a three-day year pass for $59 ($15 saved), two HHN front of the line passes for $79 (saved $20 total), and used our coke rewards point for another free day ticket. Just using it at USH paid for over ¾ of our membership! Over the past year, we have saved a lot more then the price of the membership. So, anyone who is reading this and is not a member had better sign up right now! http://www.clubtpr.com Ok, back to the update. I will be doing this trip report backwards, just because of the awesomeness of the Knott’s event! Also, be gentle with me, as this is my first trip report, and I apologize for the inside jokes that make no sense. Yes, *cough*, I am *cough* with that group, mumble mumble. After all the TPR trips, I can put on a wristband in .5 seconds, behind my back, with only two fingers. I'm that good. Looks like a USH Jaws employee is a little far from home. Oh no it's trouble! Silver Bullet was running well, and the ops were doing really good! Somebody enjoys Silver Bullet a little too much. Amy's just hanging out with the locals. Robb made me look for a beer. I couldn't find one so he looked for himself. Some people only pose for a picture, and others pose for a TPR picture! Hi Larry! Glad to see them still making an effort to keep it open! I hope they never get rid of it! But I have a pickup just in case. Even though we're married, Amy still won't allow me to touch her. Virus Z, one of my favorite mazes of the trip! Y'all come back now, ya hear! I don't remember any spiders on this ride. Ah! Monster spiders! Freddy Kruger! Oh wait, wrong park. Why I love ERT! It was empty all morning, and you could get a ton of rides in. Knott's should be like Red Lobster. I would have picked this one. The local mall had a Mallmart! First one i've ever seen. This is from inside Walmart, looking out into the mall. Now that's classy. Corn Stalkers was amazing! The pop on the way back is the best part of Montezuma's. Q&A session setup. Very nicely decorated! Bella picks Edward! No Way! This is THE Haunt team. How warped and screwed up they are. Everyone is spellbound by the Twilight Werewolves versus Vampire discussions. We got an exclusive tour of some mazes. Looks like TPR was here! I expect a Dippin Dots sign to be here in a few years. I wouldn't be a good scareactor. I approve! Mmm, tasty. Moment of silence for the king. This is what happens when you watch Twilight. It's True! Every time a person watches Twilight, a man burns his face. Unfortunately, I too remember these. Amy's impression of a dead person. I remember these as a kid as well! Blood an all, because eventually you would go too fast and get wacked in the face! Definitely don't compare yourself to others. Being a coaster enthusiast, you'll be deeply disappointed. Pee in coffee maker, check. He didn't stand a chance. Next year, this needs to be Mega-Piranhas! Next up was Fallout Shelter! The theming was really good! Enjoying the tour. Meats for men, Mayo, and dog food. Boy, do they know TPR or what! And we even cause cancer too! Don't push that button! These are blacklight bubbles! They work really well, and we all looked like we got splattered with UV paint. Awesome blood dog human! I'm Amy, glad to meet you. Nice Pig Spider. Looks like a zombie baby Grinch. Even scarier, we rode Ghostrider! Wow, the tree has Kankles, must be an ACE tree. Best ride in the park, and no wait in the morning! Our favorite prop from our whole trip! Due to equal opportunity rules, all executives are required to wear lipstick. We got a Haunt cup, free 3-D glasses, a bumper sticker, and a raffle ticket! Back for our pre-scare dinner! Time for bonding with interesting people! This is so morbidly wonderful, and is definitely not Bryan approved! Here is Bryan's grazing table (the bread was very good). I was very impressed with the dinner. I highly recommend it, and will definitely be doing it again. Sorry hunny, your on your own. Here's my chance to leave him! Daniel, Robb, and John get ready to get transformed into In-Laws! Please be gentle! Must. Not. Sneeze. Robb's getting touched by a girl for only the second time of his life! Johanna is extremely apprehensive because she's seen the TPR site! She was a great host! John had a special button on his forehead that turned him off when pushed. Please don't stab my eye. Please don's stab my eye. Please don't stab my eye. Am I not supposed to be able to feel my face? Hey Dan, how is your chaffing? I hope I don't see this picture on the Offender Finder app anytime soon. I looked in the mirror and scared myself! All ready to terrorize and destroy the GP! This is the look I got when I tried to touch Amy. Don't be a snitch. Robb did a great job. These people jumped a mile high. The real reason I went through the maze 4 times, not because of the TPR zombies. I saw some great moves to recommend to Guy. John had a great stare that really creeped out a ton of people. The body blood bank area was pretty cool. Amy creeped out a few people with her eyes. The theming was very good. I was really impressed how much there was, and how good it was. Stopped by to watch/hear the Season Pass Podcast. It wasn't too busy for Haunt. We really lucked out. Betty White and an Andy Garcia Look-a-like. The Sheriff comes in to save the day and kill somebody. Hmm, I wonder who they will be killing this year, as there are soooo many choices. The World of Color tribute was the best part of the show! Hit Girl kicked, well, Kicked A$$! There was even a Piers tribute. Yay, it's dead! The non-advertised sliding show was awesome! Set..... Hike! Thanks for an incredible event Knott's! Edited October 30, 2010 by jray21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
omnio55 Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 Awesome TR so far! Can't wait to see the rest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dino Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 Great TR. Love the entrances outside of Asylum & Fallout Shelter, were all of the maze entrances as elaborate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jray21 Posted October 7, 2010 Author Share Posted October 7, 2010 Not all of the maze entrances were as themed as Asylum & Fallout Shelter, but the theming inside the mazes were pretty good throughout. We did HHN the night before, and I thought I would be very disappointed by Knott's theming, but I was very impressed. Knott's did a great job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imawesome1124 Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 Very nice TR so far. I have always loved these Halloween events, mostly because you get to stay up late at an amusement park. Thank you for sharing this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrygator Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 Joey/Amy - sorry it doesn't count if you buy a shirt without sleeves. I agree about being able to pick your own chicken. There used to be a Turkey Farm in New Jersey where you could pick your own dinner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jray21 Posted October 7, 2010 Author Share Posted October 7, 2010 ^haha, it is actually a normal t-shirt with just the sleeves tucked in Too bad that turkey farm isn't around anymore! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PKI Jizzman Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 Wow nice shots, Joey! Great update, Knott's looks like they do a pretty damn good job. Kings Island's has improved since CF came in, so it's nice to see some quality photos of the original place. Being a scare actor is soo much fun. Hilarious update! -Zach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calicoasters Posted October 7, 2010 Share Posted October 7, 2010 Awesome TR! I looks like Knott's has really stepped up Scary Farm! Especially compared to last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jhcbiinoc Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 Great TR and great pics, thanks again for taking the pics and for hanging out with me Sunday night. Great job on the captions, too. I am guessing Amy was wearing contact lenses in those pics-I thought I saw her eyes looking like that when we were going through the mazes and walking around Sunday but thought I was just seeing things, so I didn't say anything. Love that last pic-so far, Corn Stalkers is my favorite maze of the year, thought I cannot say for sure until I see all the others in a few weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted October 8, 2010 Share Posted October 8, 2010 Thank you Joey for an awesome look back at our great night at Haunt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy T. Koepp Posted October 9, 2010 Share Posted October 9, 2010 Yay! Vampire strippers! Thanks Bro! Awesome TR! I can't wait to go when I get into town on the 20th. Guy "Halloween is the most glorious time of the year!" Koepp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatdaddy Posted October 9, 2010 Share Posted October 9, 2010 Great report, all my pictures turned out like crap. Thanks for posting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbalvey Posted October 10, 2010 Share Posted October 10, 2010 Great report, all my pictures turned out like crap. Thanks for posting. Same! I'm glad I had Joey & Amy to help take better pictures. --Robb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piers Posted October 10, 2010 Share Posted October 10, 2010 Looks like a lot of fun, can't wait to try Haunt one year, though I would expect I will compare it to HHN the whole time... Looks like a great event though made even better by TPR presence! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted October 10, 2010 Share Posted October 10, 2010 I haven't been to Knott's Haunt since 2001 (I enjoyed it a lot)--sure looks like it's picked up its game since then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jray21 Posted October 11, 2010 Author Share Posted October 11, 2010 Thanks for all the comments! I'm glad my pictures worked out! We now move backwards a day and head off to Universal Studios Hollywood for a day at the park, and Halloween Horror Nights! First up is part 1 of USH, our day time adventures! I've always liked USH, but I wished they would vary their shows/attractions a little more. I also liked The Mummy a lot more than I had remembered, and the park was empty all day so we were able to re-ride it as many times as we wanted. One of these days I will fork over the money for the VIP tour. Also, sorry there are so many pictures in each update, but I am part Japanese We were greeted by a friendly USH employee! Amy fails at her zombie impression. Best part of USH! Love the Rocky Road, hate the price. Simpsons was running as sickening as always. For me, this is the most sickening ride in the world. I can only ride it once, even with my motion patch. "Please do not touch or climb on capsule" Yeah, right. In America it translates to, "Please climb all over me. Feel free to take any and all pieces/parts as souvenirs. Also, please leave your name in the most artistic way possible." My workout for the day. Just a hunch, but I think a movie was made here. Traitor! There were a bunch of these walls up all over. I assume they are for the backgrounds of the facades, but it made for some empty areas on the tour. Flattops, spandex, and perms, must be an 80's themed shoot. How to close the bridge attraction? Throw a crushed tram in front of it and call it Kong theming! The entrance to Kong. It was really good, but I really do miss the old attraction. The driver got a little close to the Serenity vehicle. Yeah for Back to the Future, and Ryan's car. At least the Rice Rockets have fire. First, we blow up the car and have it fly towards the tram with water and fire. Sounds great! Then, to top it off...... let's have them dance! WTF!? They still need more blood, and maybe some body parts. They need to update this as well. Perhaps a SUPERGATOR sequence! "Beneath the man, you find the clothes. Beneath the clothes, you find..... the nucleus." I may be wrong, but this area looks like it hasn't been used in years. Some mom pointed these out to her kid, and he had no clue what Back To The Future was. She should be shot. Might I suggest Mega-Piranha instead. This makes me really excited for the Southern Japan trip next year! Finally! More fire! Growing up in the bay area, this was my nightmare. Needs bodies and blood. We should be able to pick one idiot from the tram, the one who is repeatedly told to sit down, and feed them to jaws. Munsters>>>>>>Desperate Housewives They've destroyed the Klopek's home! Here is the Boondocks motel where we met Leslie Hall, oops, wrong trip. Anyone know what this is for? It was never used/opened for HHN. I want my next house to look like this. It would creep out any visitors we have over, and we would totally put in things to make people think it was haunted. I see you! The War of the Worlds scene looks ten times better with blood and bodies everywhere! Wait a minute! Do I see.... Yep! I thought so! Awesome! I need to watch the Great Outdoors again. I've eaten a 64'er, soon I will do a 96'er! The Pirates 4 set. I'm not holding my breath. Next we went to the ACE, er, I mean Special Effects Show. I liked the old version better. I actually got excited thinking they may have a Mega-Piranha part! But of course, no. One of these days I will do this trick to my mom. She may have a heart attack, but it will be super funny! Insert gay joke here. We met Jewwy for lunch, but he wasn't allowing pictures without his agent present. We did get an autograph for only $40 though! We finally found a couple that represents our marriage. He's getting more action than me! Put on deodorant. Floss. Brush teeth. Put on makeup. Put finger in light socket. Waterworld is a good show, but it's pretty old. This rude Frenchman (I know, a rude Frenchman. Shocking) was talking to some other Frenchy's behind us and totally used Amy to lean on! I was making fun of her until his wife did the same thing to me! Next time I will just punch them in the face. One of these days I will walk in late to this show with Dan. It is amazing what they are able to pull off in such a small area. I can't remember the last time I've seen an actual Jet Ski, and not a waverunner. I don't remember a gay pride tribute in previous shows. I've seen the same guy play this part for a long time, but this guy was new. I liked the toy collection though. I would love to be at the show where he misses the turn. It still amazes me that they are able to pull this off. No, a Bud Light! (Really bad joke for us older folk) Fire is always a good thing. Until now, I had only heard of brass balls. Wow, ACE members get their own cameo in this show. Rob(b), I thought I could just flash my Club TPR card and they would put me in the show? I may have to resort to teaching my bird this trick so I can do more TPR events! This is definitely the next animal we will be getting. Yes Mr. SFMM General Manager, I have a question. The candy machine stole my money. I put in a dollar and I didn't get my candy. What are you going to do about it? Careful! Amy's a biter! She already took off his thumb and finger.... Freddy's getting ready to scare the crap out of people in just a little bit! Must be some TPR members around. And, there was! We ran into Brent (downunder)! I think I need to shave my head next year. To be continued......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smells_like_team_disney Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 Awesome TR so far, Joey. Very clever captions... why haven't you done one of these yet? Although not sure about your wife's creepy eyes. I hadn't done Knott's Scary Farm for years, and I have to admit that I was very impressed with this year's event. The production level seemed more developed than in previous years. And Universal's HHN, for what it was, really blew me away. The Hollywood event is definitely on the right track, and hopefully not too far away from reaching the same caliber as Orlando's superior event. I definitely hope to return to both SoCal events next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 Popcornopolis's carmel corn is great (they have a stand at the Yankee Candle Factory in Williamsburg). I can't remember the last time I visited Universal Hollywood, but ET was still there and Jurassic Park was fairly new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jew Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 Anyone know what this is for? It was never used/opened for HHN. That was part of the Terror Tram in previous years. A little mini sheet maze. The neighbors complained (there are houses in the hills behind that area) about the noise, so it is no longer on the path. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 The neighbors complained about the noise, so it is no longer on the path. F them Here's a suggestion: Don't pay a million dollars for a house that butts up against one of the largest and busiest working studio properties in the entire world. Same goes for airports, amusement parks, and gang bangs. (Wait, can I say gang bangs on the forums??) Enjoying the report so far! Can't wait for you to start doing the F&F's from Middle America too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jray21 Posted October 14, 2010 Author Share Posted October 14, 2010 The F&F will be my crowning glory! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 Whatever you do, don't hold back!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jray21 Posted October 14, 2010 Author Share Posted October 14, 2010 (edited) Now it's time for Universal Studio's Halloween Horror Nights! It was an awesome event, and the scareactors were wonderful! We met up with our really good TPR trip friend Fernando/Nando (screen name Nando!), who we met on the Deep South Trip last year! I think we are his charity project. The theming at USH was top notch, but that is to be expected. It was extremely crowded, so anyone who goes, absolutely needs to get a Front of the line pass, and ClubTPR offers a great discount! So, the eternal Halloween question is, which is better, HHN or Haunt. I haven't done any of them in previous years, so I can only compare this years event. I think both events were incredible, but I did like Knott's just a little bit more. USHHN Good: Incredible theming, Bill & Ted's show (All their other shows are also very professionally done), Better looking scareactors (more realistic), popular movie based houses, and hot chicks! Knott's Good: Tons of Mazes!, Lots of rides, great theming, fun scareactors (they interacted more versus staying in character, but both have their benefits), great pre-scare dinner event. USHHN Bad: Only 4.5 (Vampire and Chucky are the 1/2. Vampire because you can do it during the day) mazes. Massive lines without Front of the Line Pass. Knott's Bad: Theming is great, but it's not Universal. No front of the line offered (except for the TPR event). Some scareactors didn't stay in character onstage (talking to each other normally in front of the GP). The big debate between the two is quality over quantity, and it is really tough to compare them. I mean, would you rather go to a park with 5 of the worlds biggest and fastest coasters, or a park that has 14 good coasters? At the Universal event, I went through each maze at least three times, and while they were incredible, after a while you started to learn where the scare actors hid. At Knott's, we were barely able to get through all 14, and each one was completely different so you didn't get bored. As for the shows, Universal definitely takes the cake. I liked the Hanging, but there is a huge gap in professionalism between that and Bill and Ted's. Anyway, enough of my ranting. On to the pictures!!!! And it starts. All little boys and girls step this way. Fernando is about to de devoured. You should have seen her head explode! Blood everywhere! Awesome makeup! Definitely what I would expect from USH. The entrance to House of 1000 Corpses. If you have your '3-D' glasses, they still work with these pictures! Is that a picture of Hurley in the background? The '3-D' glasses make the spiderwebs jump out and move in weird ways. Not really 3-D, but it does screw up your depth perception a little. Stick a pin in him, he's done. Ed Gein enjoys a midday snack. Hey, my mom had this surgery last year for her stroke! This dude scared the living hell out of me. This dude does not like furries! This house is not Devious approved. Nando could not get enough of this chick scalping this poor guy. I told her to keep walking, but she wouldn't listen. Some people just have that face that you wish you could just rip right off. Movie night at Amy and Joey's house. Saw to the head. Blood squirting all over you. Awesome. Chett'snuts roasting on an open fire.... He's about to grab himself a treat. Ok, my headache isn't that bad. Time to fall asleep while staying awake while we are sleeping while awake. Want to come out and play? I had to keep telling Fernando that he couldn't take advantage of the actors. Previews for A Boy and His Blob 2? Nando, stay away, no touch! Back outside for some incredible scare zones. Aaah! Scare acEtor! He dropped a load right then and there. Sawchain militants stand guard for Chucky. A midget dressed as chucky was the funniest, and scariest, thing ever! Wanna play? Your mine! One of the coolest parts of the night. After so many years of seeing this place on the Tram Tour, we get to walk through it. A view into one of the 'motel' rooms. Looks like ACE trip accommodations. I had to keep telling Fernando that they weren't real rooms because he kept on trying to lure little children into them. The Psycho house looked extra eerie for the event. I guess this is some Ghost that all the Mexicans are freaked out by. I was more freaked out by the kids hanging in the tree. I think I saw Nando shed a tear, and say, "such a waste," for some strange reason. Very morbid and creepy. Looked extra scary. I see you! Chucky and Ichabod hiding out. Take one more flash picture and I will show you where this stick goes. (I followed all the rules, and none of the pictures in this update used a flash.) Loved all the gore. Save the neck for me Clark. This area was so realistic and creepy. Best part of the entire event. Haha, they're all dead! Looks like he had his hands up for the crash. Definitely a TPR member. How nice. USH even gave the special needs zombies a job. Time for Bill & Ted's! Lot's of eye candy for Gays and Straights alike! Half naked girls, I think I'm going to like this show Oh. My. Gosh! What the heck is that thing on his nose? This is the closest most TPR members will ever get to what they call, 'females.' Dedicated to PIERS! Wes was dressed as Justin Bieber! Snooki put on a personal show for Nando! Oh yeah Fernando, that's the money shot. Even the situation was liking Nando! (By the way, that's really my body, I just photoshopped his face on.) They did an awesome job! There was something wonderful happening behind the pile of junk. Doing what Snooki does best. I guess Bill & Ted aren't gay. Old Spice, Prince of Persia, and Lindsay Lohan. Must be Bill & Ted's. They couldn't bring in the real Lindsay Lohan because everyone would have jumped her and beat her to death. Many TPR members would let him Futterwack their Bandersnatch. The Avatar actor was just as annoying and horrible as the movie. Too bad Mr. T didn't take out the fool. Jacob from Twilight. Yah, ok so so I wish I was just as ripped, but your movies are still the worst movies ever made. (I thought the gays would like this one. Your welcome.) Edward, the depressed, emo, vomit inducing, vampire. Another picture for Devious. Unfortunately, Avatar didn't fall and break his neck. This lady kept on backing her huge trunk into Nando's personal space. And she had a massive fanny pack that forced Fernando to put his legs around it! The special effects were incredible. How they got them to float in mid-air without ropes was amazing. For the twins. Fernando only takes the important pictures. During the final, an explosion misfired and everyone was instantly burned! Their bodies were carbonized on the spot, just like at Pompeii. I think Hit Girl needs a new mask. Awesome show! Most TPR member's garbage is rated NC-17, and is a bio-hazard. Later in the evening you could add 30 minutes to all the maze times. Thank goodness for Front of the Line Pass' and Club TPR! Time for the nightmare inducing Saw maze. The smell in this room was like someone took a dump on the floor and smeared it all over the walls. I literally gagged in this room. Once again, I had to keep Nando away. How many TPR members prepare for the trips. I'll take the end cut please. So disgustingly awesome. The Lard Lad Donuts were way too sweet. (I never thought I would ever say anything was too sweet.) IT was awesome to just sit near hear and watch people get scared half to death. After seeing all that blood and gore, how about some stomach comforting tacos, corn, and turkey legs? Next up is Jason! I love how his leg is shredded to the bone! All those late nights on TPR finally took their toll. Jason will be the next one profiled on Hoarders. Personally, he looks half full to me. Amy was the truly scary person of the night. This scare actor spun around real quick and caused the girl to fall to the ground. Awesome! Ok, so we had some more. Nom Nom Nom. Till next year! Up next, Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party! Edited October 20, 2010 by jray21 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nando! Posted October 14, 2010 Share Posted October 14, 2010 Hahaha... That was a fun night! Thanks for making me seem like a child predator BTW And yes, the Front of the Line Pass is so worth the money, but with the TPR Club Discount makes it a lot better. Anyways, I'm glad I spent my b-day weekend with you guys and we need to do this again... Disney for x-mas?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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