Universal Orlando Resort (USO, IOA) Discussion Thread

[coastermaniac]

I always enjoy this show whenever I go to Universal.

[Kyle Coleman]

I am headed to horror nights on 10/26 which is a wednesday night on the stay and scream and was debating whether to spring for the express pass and was wondering if I should go for it or if its just a waste of money with it being a weekday and all. Any info would be most helpful.

[piers]

We did every house without Express or Scream early by 9 last night, most houses had a 5 minute wait.

 

It's a shame the event had no atmosphere at all this year.

[Hilltopper39]

We did every house without Express or Scream early by 9 last night, most houses had a 5 minute wait.

 

It's a shame the event had no atmosphere at all this year.

 

Agree, the atmosphere in the streets was terrible, and the scar zones were pathetic for the most part.

[jedimaster1227]

Universal Orlando has sent us a photo of rocker Dee Snider at Halloween Horror Nights 21.

Dee Snider, legendary rocker, entertainer and front man for Twisted Sister, came face-to-face with three savage, blood-thirsty banshees while experiencing the Nightingales: Blood Prey haunted house at Universal Orlando Resort’s Halloween Horror Nights 21. Named “the country’s best Halloween event” for four years in a row, Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights brings to life guests’ most intense nightmares on select nights this fall through October 31.

 

© 2011 Universal Orlando Resort. All rights reserved.

 

Photo Credit: Roberto Gonzalez, Universal Orlando Resort

[gisco]

The SyFy Channel needs to make COW ON A STRING VS. BIRD ON A STICK right now!

 

dt

 

You're a genius! This could be the start of whole new series of flicks!

 

The SyFy Channel would become the next major network if they put Dave in charge of what movies should be made!

[jjune4991]

^^ He should put on his make-up and walk around in the houses. He may scare more people then the monsters!

[krazekiddd]

It's a shame the event had no atmosphere at all this year.

 

That really sucks! I'm kind of used to the event not being as great but I'm bringing some friends that have never been before so its a shame its not a great event this year.

[Erik Johnson]

I honestly thought that most of the scare zones were quite good this year. However, the space in between the scarezones were very much lacking any halloween atmosphere. This may be due to that there was hardly any fog in the air or the chainsaw brigade roaming the streets. The houses were quite good though.

[Hilltopper39]

^ Yeah, 7 and Grown Evil were "okay" in my opinion but Acid Assault was way too spread out to be effective. Other than that yeah the scare zones were very spread out and there were a lot of dead spots in the park in between without any atmosphere.

 

The Canyon of Lost Souls was very dull and Nightmaze was just lame, one of the worst ever.

[JT3000]

I wouldn't call this a bad year at all. In fact, the overall quality of the houses, at least in terms of design, is possibly the highest its ever been. The scare zones are certainly less than optimal, but that doesn't make or break anything for me personally. I tend to care about the houses more. I don't get many scares in the streets anyway.

 

It would be nice if it stopped raining though. It's been a wet month, and every night it rains, the scare zones are affected heavily.

 

I honestly thought that most of the scare zones were quite good this year. However, the space in between the scarezones were very much lacking any halloween atmosphere. This may be due to that there was hardly any fog in the air or the chainsaw brigade roaming the streets. The houses were quite good though.

 

They don't usually put fog machines outside of scare zones. It would have to drift. This year's safe zones have the same basic stuff they always use, music, projections, etc. And Lady Luck's minions now have chainsaws, since their sparking sticks all broke. They begin the night at the front of the park and then move to the street between Sting Alley and the lagoon.

[robbalvey]

So when did they let Mythos start looking run down?

 

Here's what it looked like two years ago:

 

Here is what it looked like today:

 

It just looks terrible with all that mold!

 

The park today was REALLY disappointing.

 

RANT!

 

(Potterfans don't read this!) Wizarding World has really killed IOA. Its like nothing else matters here BUT Potterland. We spent an hour looking for an open drink stand, open rides, and almost any signs of "IOA" outside of Potterland. Really sad to see one of our favourite parks be transformed into something we are not even "meh" about now.

 

END RANT

[Moose]

Eww who wants to eat in a mold and mildew covered restaurant? Not good IOA not good.

[jedimaster1227]

^^They had actually cleaned all of the algae off about a month or so ago, and the place had looked nice again. Sad to see it came back so fast... And that they haven't done anything else about it.

 

As sad as it was to see the place dry, they did try turning off all of the building's external water features to prevent that, and it did work. Maybe that is the best solution at this point.

[gisco]

I think you answered your own question Robb, Everything is going to Potterland.

[Wes]

It's not algae,it's Demontor goo!

[krazekiddd]

That's actually rather disgusting. Kind of sad actually being that it is one of my favorite parks.

[coasterfreak101]

RANT!

 

(Potterfans don't read this!) Wizarding World has really killed IOA. Its like nothing else matters here BUT Potterland. We spent an hour looking for an open drink stand, open rides, and almost any signs of "IOA" outside of Potterland. Really sad to see one of our favourite parks be transformed into something we are not even "meh" about now.

 

END RANT

 

See, I'm a Potter fan, and this January will be my first trip back to IOA in four years - and I couldn't really care less about the Wizarding World. I'm excited for Forbidden Journey and to walk through the castle, sure. But they've created basically a "superior" park inside of their usually-amazing park, and it hasn't helped the rest of the place at all. And then in the process they've screwed over Dueling Dragons 100%.

 

Potter fans don't care though - they're there for HARRY POTTER WORLD OMG, and Universal knows it.

[eddytheviper]

Yeah the state of affairs of the park is quite sad to see, well, in The Lost Continent it is for sure, feels like IOA's forgotten part of the park.

 

I guess, if it is true that it's going to be transformed into an expansion of Potterland then, we won't need to worry about the mould problem that much longer haha.

 

Sadly I agree with the other sentiments though, it feels like WWOHP is sucking life from the other parts of the park, whenever I go, it seems the entire park is in there, no-where else, just there, the rest of the park is dead quiet. It's kind of sad really.

 

Is the standard of the park slipping? Maybe a little bit really even though attendance & profits are up by a HUGE amount ...

[chargersmichael]

I'm going this Sunday. Is it crowded on Sunday? When I enter the park do I go to the houses in the Soundstage area or make a right going to the ones in the tent and storage area? What time should I get there! Really excited about Sunday. Best house? Best scare zone? THANKS

[Zeppelinfreak]

I know this isn't about HHN 21 but there is no other Orlando HHN page.

 

Does anybody know, or have a list of the movies that were used in Silver Screams in 09?

[ernierocker]

^

Phantom of the Opera

My Bloody Valentine

The Thing

A room that closely resembles the Evil Dead movies (they couldn't technically use the name of the move because of licensing issues)

Shawn of the Dead

The Strangers

Edited October 15, 2011 by ernierocker

[Zeppelinfreak]

^Thank you so much, I've been wondering what the rooms were for a long time, since I never got to go.

[jarmor]

I'm going this Sunday. Is it crowded on Sunday? When I enter the park do I go to the houses in the Soundstage area or make a right going to the ones in the tent and storage area? What time should I get there! Really excited about Sunday. Best house? Best scare zone? THANKS

Are you gonna be in the park for the stay and scream? If so I would wait in the NY area. They will lead you to winters night. After that I would go to the kids area and do foresaken, then the inbetween, then the poe house, followed by saws and steam then H.R. Bloodenguts. Now, here is where its up to you. I would suggest thing because its line could get pretty heavy then nightengales. I can almost promise you by 830pm you'd be finish with all the house, provided you dont make any ride stops before then.

[JT3000]

If you're waiting outside the gate at opening, I recommend going straight to the parade building (Forsaken), then doing the Sprung tents and working your way counter-clockwise around the park, ending at the soundstages. The first few houses should have barely any line. You should avoid the soundstages at the beginning of the night, because that's where everyone who doesn't know better goes.

 

If you do Stay and Scream at Finnegan's, you should have all three soundstage houses done by the time the park officially opens.