Universal Studios Hollywood (USH) Discussion Thread

[robbalvey]

Here's a "first look" at the new Stranger Things Maze coming to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood, Orlando, and Singapore...

 

Universal City, CA, September 5, 2018 – Universal Studios reveals first look images from the “Stranger Things” haunted mazes coming to “Halloween Horror Nights” 2018.

 

For the first time ever, Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Singapore are partnering with Netflix to bring “Stranger Things” to life at their “Halloween Horror Nights" events. Each park will feature its very own maze that will give guests the chance to brave the Upside Down and encounter iconic scenes, characters and environments from season one of the critically-acclaimed series.

 

The images showcase some of the eerily-authentic environments guests will encounter at “Halloween Horror Nights” 2018 – including the Byers’ living room adorned with an erratic display of flashing Christmas lights, Hawkins National Laboratory in the Upside Down, Will’s makeshift fort called Castle Byers and more.

 

“Halloween Horror Nights” begins Friday, September 14 in Hollywood and Orlando, and on Thursday, September 27 in Singapore. Tickets and vacation packages are on sale now. For more information about “Halloween Horror Nights” at Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Orlando Resort or Universal Studios Singapore, visit http://www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com

 

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Edited September 5, 2018 by robbalvey

[dylanreich]

Wow, those scenes look great! I just watched the show so I am excited for this. I probably wasn't going to go before but this is enough to make me want to visit this year.

[Shut It Down]

My girlfriend is obsessed with stranger things and after showing her these pictures were slated to go to horror nights this year!! Will be my first time so definitely looking forward to it.

[thedlr]

Just pulled the trigger and bought our express tickets for next month. It will be our first time!

[DBJ]

That Stranger Things set design sold me on it this year. Going Oct. 4. Looking forward to that and Poltergeist mostly.

[coasterlvr]

Theme Park Review was invited to a special sneak preview to Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights new maze, Stranger Things. John Murdy, Creative Director and Producer of HHN, walked us through the entire Stranger Things maze and explained the thought that went into all of the design.



Stranger Things follows Season 1. The maze starts with Will being abducted by the Demogorgon. Then follows season 1 through a number of rooms. Will’s Room, Will’s Backyard, Castle Byers, The Upside Down, Hawkins National Laboratory, The Void, Hawkins Middle School, HMS Science Room. The Demogorgon will be throughout the maze for obvious reasons.

 

All the audio clips are taken directly from Stranger Things. John Murdy spent hours watching and listening to each episode taking notes, then requested all the audio clips from Netflix.

 

The detail in every room, even in an unfinished state, is amazing. The maze, is also in Stage 29 on the backlot, which is a working sound stage. Most recently used for Family Feud. Being in a sound stage gives them a little more freedom. Including a much higher ceiling if needed. I believe some areas of the maze are as high as 30 feet. So not having to distort an area that might have had to in another area. Also, being Universal, there will be some pretty cool effects used throughout.

 

I think fans of Stranger Things will undoubtedly be impressed with the rooms within the maze, if you’re able to focus at all on anything before being frightened throughout. A big thank you to John Murdy, and Heather from NBCUniversal for allowing us behind the scenes!

 

Here are a few photos of a couple of the areas that were mostly finished.

John and John

John Murdy showing his excitement to take a bunch a nerds through the Stranger Things maze! lol

Edited September 9, 2018 by robbalvey

[jarmor]

Hum, so judging from the pictures, each universal doesn't have a carbon copy of Stranger Things maze.

[Jew]

Hum, so judging from the pictures, each universal doesn't have a carbon copy of Stranger Things maze.

 

I've found that to always be the case when they share properties. Each creative team has their own takes on the same scenes.

[KBrylczyk]

^ Orlando's always seem to be bigger, too. At least the soundstage haunts. Since Orlando's soundstages aren't in such heavy use they have more freedom. Hollywood generally has only one or two soundstage haunts that share one soundstage. The rest are in existing structure or tents.

[Lucas The Drummer]

If i want to do all the maze, is an express pass necessary on a Thursday night? Specifically october 11th

[KBrylczyk]

If i want to do all the maze, is an express pass necessary on a Thursday night? Specifically october 11th

 

If you get there right as they begin entry and head straight to the backlot then yes, you can pull it off without an express pass. But I'm talking get in the gate, walk as fast as you can through the park, get to the backlot, do those haunts, immediately pull a 180 and head towards the lower lot, do those haunts, then head to the upper lot and do those haunts. If you start up top you're gonna run into 90+ minute waits for anything in the lower lot and backlot.

[wrs28330]

Halloween Horror Nights 2018 - Opening Day

 

Friday, September 14th marked the start of Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood, and Theme Park Review was invited to Opening Night to face our fears! This year’s maze lineup includes: Stranger Things, Poltergeist, Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, Universal Monsters, Trick ‘r Treat, The First Purge, The Horrors of Blumhouse: Chapter Two, and the year round AMC’s The Walking Dead. In addition, horror fans can experience Terror Tram: Dreadtime Storiez Hosted by Hollywood Harry, five new scare zones, and the Jabbawockeez live show. Visit hollywood.halloweenhorrornights.com for event dates and ticket prices. We highly recommend the Universal Express Pass for single-night front-of-line access to ensure you get to experience all the event has to offer, as stand-by lines can reach up to 180 minutes. Let’s take a look at the event!

Blumhouse Productions is back again with new suspense-filled moments from Blumhouse’s Truth or Dare, Unfriended and a nightmarish surprise ending that will leave you screaming for more!

Fall victim to the silver screen’s most deplorable slasher with Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers.

Enter a pagan harvest festival where the dark spirit of Halloween was born! The streets are filled with strange bewitched dolls, brought to life through dark magic.

Every day is Halloween in this irreverent send up of the Holidays of the year.

Based on the classic 1982 film by director Tobe Hooper and producer Steven Spielberg, Poltergeist will take you inside the iconic ghost story that set the bar for paranormal thrillers ever since.

Step inside the hair-raising world of Stranger Things and prepare to brave the Upside Down of this pop culture series phenomenon!

Hollywood Harry, the phantom clown infamous for terrorizing the Universal Studios backlot, has returned to Terror Tram as host of an all new bloodcurdling experience.

Get ready for The First Purge, a terrifying new maze that tells the story of how the blockbuster franchise all began. The New Founding Fathers of America (NFFA) have instituted the inaugural Purge, a 12-hour period on Staten Island, where all crimes, including Murder, are legal.

There’s been a terrible industrial accident deep inside an underground utility tunnel.

The frightening characters from writer/director Michael Dougherty’s anthology horror film Trick 'R Treat have descended on the small Midwestern town of Warren Ohio during their annual Halloween celebrations.

Experience Halloween night like never before with Trick ‘r Treat, the anthology horror film from writer/director Michael Dougherty that has become a modern horror cult classic!

Inspired by Universal’s legendary horror films, the Universal Monsters maze—featuring an original score produced and composed by GRAMMY® Award-winning musician, SLASH—will shake horror fans to the core with a petrifying modern rendition.

Moving onto the scare zones! Step into the fog-enshrouded streets of old Paris and enter “The Danse of the Dead.”

This army of evil dolls are looking for the next victim for their human sacrifice…will it be you?

Lurking in the fog are vampires, werewolves, zombie school children and Sam, the vengeful spirit of Halloween who will stop at nothing to ensure his rules for the season are being upheld.

Brace yourself for the unspeakable horrors depicted in this demented rendition of Harry’s 1950s television show. As you journey through five spine-tingling bedtime stories, attempt to survive the chainsaw wielding monsters, bloodthirsty cannibals, rotten corpse scarecrows, homicidal clowns, and a merciless torture factory. You better get some sleep while you can because after you experience Hollywood Harry’s Dreadtime Storiez, you’ll never sleep again…

Terror Tram Line closes at 11:15pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays and 11:45pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Plan your night accordingly so you don’t miss the Terror Tram experience.

Welcome to USH Halloween Horror Nights!

It is said that Halloween is the night when horrifying creatures roam free, but there are rules devised to protect us from their evil. Every year, one small town is taught a terrifying lesson: that some traditions are best not forgotten.

Welcome to Warren Valley, Ohio—a sleepy suburban community that masks many dark secrets. A bloodthirsty visitor has come to uphold the sacred traditions of Halloween and is itching to punish rule-breakers with bloody acts of vengeance!

When the tricks and treats of Halloween turn deadly, you must attempt to survive the scariest night of the year. You either live by the rules, or you die by them.

The noxious vapors that were released have transformed the emergency workers into radioactive monsters, filled with an uncontrollable rage and hell-bent on our destruction!

Encounter creepy Cupids, lecherous Leprechauns and evil Easter bunnies as you take a terrifying trip through these psychotic seasonal celebrations…screaming all the way!

Try to survive the NFFA’s experiment and make it through the night. Your government thanks you for your participation!

After moving to their new home in sunny Southern California, the Freeling family discovers that dreams can come true—and that nightmares can too…

One stormy night, their youngest daughter, Carol Anne, begins talking to strange, ghostly voices through a dead signal on the television set. When Carol Anne disappears, the family slowly comes to realize that she has been abducted by vengeful spirits occupying the spectral plane between the world of the living and the realm of the dead.

What the Freeling family doesn’t know, is that their house was built over an old cemetery and they are in mortal danger!

Enter the “Horrors of Blumhouse” film festival, where horror movies come to life. Pack your bags and get ready for the spring break trip of your nightmares. A group of college kids have unwittingly unleashed an ancient curse, forcing them to play a never ending game of Truth or Dare—but this time the rules are a little different; the stakes are life or death!

Next, enter the familiar world of cyberspace with Unfriended. A chatroom session amongst high school friends has turned into an endless night of terror! Exactly one year ago, fellow student, Laura Barns, committed suicide as a result of cyberbullying. When an unknown user assumes control over Laura’s online account, the group of friends attempt to expose the infiltrator’s true identity—forcing them to face their darkest secrets and lies. Soon they realize, this is no ordinary hacker. Let’s hope you make it out of cyberspace alive…

Journey to small town Hawkins, Indiana—a seemingly peaceful community with dark, unnerving secrets. When a young boy goes missing near a secluded government laboratory, his faithful friends begin a quest unfolding a series of increasingly bizarre and frightening events. With the threat of flesh-eating creatures in the shadows and the help of one very strange little girl, their world is about to be turned “Upside Down”!

We love that the Stranger Things maze is located in a fully contained Sound Stage on the front lot!

This macabre monster masquerade ball is inspired by the original Universal Classic Monster movies The Phantom of the Opera and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

After decades of rot and decay as they lay mouldering in their graves, the Universal Monsters’ disdain for the living has risen to a bloodthirsty, all consuming level! Invade their eternal resting place and witness the bone-chilling resurrection of Frankenstein’s Monster, Dracula, The Phantom of the Opera and The Wolf Man, among others. As they rise from the dead, thirsty for revenge, you will fall victim to the terrifying images and stories that helped invent the horror film genre.

Based on the cult-classic horror film franchise, Halloween, this new maze will truly have you on edge…of Michael Myer’s knife that is.

October 30, 1988, a seemingly comatose Michael Myers is being transferred back to Smith’s Grove Sanitarium. It has been a decade since his last killing spree in Haddonfield, but the townspeople know pure evil never sleeps. Michael awakens and slaughters the medical personnel transporting him, escaping into the night.

Fortunately, Michael’s former psychiatrist, Dr. Loomis, knows exactly where he is heading; unfortunately for you, no one is safe from Michael Myers…

This event continues to be as popular as ever, so make sure to pre-purchase your tickets!

Thank you to the USH team for inviting us to their opening day, and we wish you a wonderful HHN season!

[Jew]

If i want to do all the maze, is an express pass necessary on a Thursday night? Specifically october 11th

 

If you get there right as they begin entry and head straight to the backlot then yes, you can pull it off without an express pass. But I'm talking get in the gate, walk as fast as you can through the park, get to the backlot, do those haunts, immediately pull a 180 and head towards the lower lot, do those haunts, then head to the upper lot and do those haunts. If you start up top you're gonna run into 90+ minute waits for anything in the lower lot and backlot.

 

Stranger Things was almost immediately at a 90 min wait as part of the early entry. Express Lines were 5-10 min all night.

[prospekt88]

I went to the park last week, a few days before the Halloween event started. It was a great time to go crowd wise. We got to the park at opening (10am) and were able to do everything including all three shows before 5:00. A few notes:

 

-Mummy was great but not as good as the one in Florida. Still my favorite ride at this park for sure tho.

-The screen overload is real here. I feel similarly about Florida, but it's even worse here. I mean going from Harry Potter, to the Kong/Fast and Furious on the tram, to Simpsons, to Transformers, to Minions, to Kung Fu Panda. I was completely sick of them by the end of the day and that hasn't happened to me at a park before. It doesn't help that one of their only physical set rides in Jurassic Park is closed. Hopefully the new one avoids the screen treatment but I doubt it will.

-The shows were great. Glad I got see Water World before it inevitably goes away, it was a fun show.

-15 bucks for a 16oz Duff Beer at Moe's Bar. I'm used to expensive beers at parks, sporting events, etc, but definitely was a little surprised when I got the receipt from the bartender. And all for a "microbrewed" version of Budweiser.

 

It was still a great time overall. Walk ons all day and despite what I said about screens I still really like the Harry Potter and Transformers rides. But not gonna be hurrying back any time soon unless they get a little more creative with their additions.

[KBrylczyk]

Hooooooooly crap, HHN is bad this year. Are you a fan of black, unthemed hall corridors? Then have I got the halloween event for you!

 

Seriously, more than half of the length of the haunts combined is black hallways with the occasional actor. I thought Universal was supposed to have a large budget for these things. Meanwhile non-park events are whoopin' their butt with the themeing and scares. The only thing HHN California has going for it at this point is name recognition. The actual event is a pure cash grab that is devoid of scares and themeing. Save your money and visit one of the MANY other SoCal haunts that put effort into their attractions. Dark Harbor, Knott's Scary Farm, Into The Black, Reign Of Terror, LA Haunted Hayride, literally any other LA haunt is more worth your time.

[Jew]

-15 bucks for a 16oz Duff Beer at Moe's Bar. I'm used to expensive beers at parks, sporting events, etc, but definitely was a little surprised when I got the receipt from the bartender. And all for a "microbrewed" version of Budweiser.

 

All of the specialty beers at Universal parks (the Duffs and the stuff in the Potter lands) are actual microbrews from Florida Beer Company.

 

Hooooooooly crap, HHN is bad this year. Are you a fan of black, unthemed hall corridors? Then have I got the halloween event for you!

 

Seriously, more than half of the length of the haunts combined is black hallways with the occasional actor. I thought Universal was supposed to have a large budget for these things. Meanwhile non-park events are whoopin' their butt with the themeing and scares. The only thing HHN California has going for it at this point is name recognition. The actual event is a pure cash grab that is devoid of scares and themeing. Save your money and visit one of the MANY other SoCal haunts that put effort into their attractions. Dark Harbor, Knott's Scary Farm, Into The Black, Reign Of Terror, LA Haunted Hayride, literally any other LA haunt is more worth your time.

 

You lost me at saying LA Haunted Hayride puts effort into their attraction.

 

There definitely is a lot more dead spaces this year, and the scares are the same scares you have seen over and over again---but the set design is still top notch IMO. I describe HHN as bringing the Movies/TV shows to life with some scares while the others you listed are more in the traditional Haunted house mold.

Edited September 17, 2018 by Jew

[MagicMountainMan]

I completely agree that this year's Horror Nights was surprisingly underwhelming. The black wall phenomenon is in full force. The "Universal scare" is also almost every single scare this year (loud noise, strobe, monster pops out), it's almost become a bad word. The end of pretty much every maze was a consortium of black walls and Universal scares. Even the big scenes in a lot of the mazes seemed unfinished this year, and that's usually something that Universal nails and nobody else competes with.

 

If you only have the time and/or money to do one big Halloween event this year I'd look away from HHN this time around. Between the crowds and the same stale offerings, HHN isn't as fun as it used to be in my opinion.

[Lucas The Drummer]

had a couple more questions:

 

1) i know the express day/night pass sells out, but does the normal day/night pass usually sell out too?

 

2) I heard someone mention something about getting a wristband early with the day/night pass, then heading to the backlot early and being able to be there first or something along those lines. is that just with express or also with normal day/night?

[BlahBlahson]

Damn, thanks for the Honest opinions on Universal HHN. I am planning a 30th birthday trip to California next year for Halloween-time, and was already kind of looking for a reason to not do HHN/USH. There's just...very little that we don't already have in Orlando there. And the house mazes in Orlando have upped the detail higher this year so any downgrade would be felt. I'm thinking Dark Harbour, Scary Farm, and SFMM Fright Fest(because I have season pass) would be the musts.

[Jew]

had a couple more questions:

 

1) i know the express day/night pass sells out, but does the normal day/night pass usually sell out too?

 

2) I heard someone mention something about getting a wristband early with the day/night pass, then heading to the backlot early and being able to be there first or something along those lines. is that just with express or also with normal day/night?

 

It is a pretty safe bet that Fridays & Saturday's will sell out of everything.

 

You can take advantage of early entry if you arrive before 6:00pm (it says 6:30 on the tickets, but you have to factor in the security checkpoint). Early entry begins at 5pm for the mazes on the lower lot at 5:30 for the mazes on the backlot.

[Lucas The Drummer]

had a couple more questions:

 

1) i know the express day/night pass sells out, but does the normal day/night pass usually sell out too?

 

2) I heard someone mention something about getting a wristband early with the day/night pass, then heading to the backlot early and being able to be there first or something along those lines. is that just with express or also with normal day/night?

 

It is a pretty safe bet that Fridays & Saturday's will sell out of everything.

 

You can take advantage of early entry if you arrive before 6:00pm (it says 6:30 on the tickets, but you have to factor in the security checkpoint). Early entry begins at 5pm for the mazes on the lower lot at 5:30 for the mazes on the backlot.

 

and do you need express for early entry?

[DJeXeL]

No. Early entry only requires that you pre-purchase your tickets via mobile app or website.

[Lucas The Drummer]

So if I wanna do all the mazes (including terror tram) in one night without Express pass, and get there as soon as possible with early entry, what order should I do everything in?

[DBJ]

I attended last night, pretty busy for a Thursday. I did do the early entry, and promptly at gate opening. 1st tip, the far right of the plaza has shortest lines. What we did was head straight to the lower lot to Stranger Things. I noticed on the app btw, which is well done and pretty accurate, that the line for that maze grew the longest over the course of the night. After Stranger Things, start the walking journey to the other 4 mazes on lower lot. We went straight towards Poltergeist. If you do Purge first however, the exit lets you out pretty closely at the entrance of Poltergeist. Then worked our way back towards Blumhouse, then journey back towards Mummy (which had problems off and on), for Trick Or Treat. Wrapped up lower lot with Transformers.

 

That worked well for us, saw all the mazes and the tram by 8:30, and did a couple of repeats. So, basically the order was Strangers Things, Purge, Ploltergeist, Blumhouse, Trick O Treat, Terror Tram, Universal Monsters, Halloween 4.

 

The amount of empty blank corridors was pretty irritating. So dark in the Purge, almost walked into a security guard. The Christmas scare zone was not the best, and the Toxic Tunnel is just odd, at least they varied the lighting I suppose.

[Lucas The Drummer]

I attended last night, pretty busy for a Thursday. I did do the early entry, and promptly at gate opening. 1st tip, the far right of the plaza has shortest lines. What we did was head straight to the lower lot to Stranger Things. I noticed on the app btw, which is well done and pretty accurate, that the line for that maze grew the longest over the course of the night. After Stranger Things, start the walking journey to the other 4 mazes on lower lot. We went straight towards Poltergeist. If you do Purge first however, the exit lets you out pretty closely at the entrance of Poltergeist. Then worked our way back towards Blumhouse, then journey back towards Mummy (which had problems off and on), for Trick Or Treat. Wrapped up lower lot with Transformers.

 

That worked well for us, saw all the mazes and the tram by 8:30, and did a couple of repeats. So, basically the order was Strangers Things, Purge, Ploltergeist, Blumhouse, Trick O Treat, Terror Tram, Universal Monsters, Halloween 4.

 

The amount of empty blank corridors was pretty irritating. So dark in the Purge, almost walked into a security guard. The Christmas scare zone was not the best, and the Toxic Tunnel is just odd, at least they varied the lighting I suppose.

 

This is very helpful, thank you. Is the Mummy different at all for Halloween?