Halloween Horror Nights 2025 (USH) - News & General Discussion

[highdefrex]

While I am glad to see the event is popular, if a person on their own with a extremely high degree of experience at the event cannot see everything the event has to offer, that is a clear sign that there is a problem.

Gosh, that's so disheartening to hear.

I'm supposed to go this weekend, kicking off my 16th year of going, and with how Express has been my number one complaint in the post-COVID closure era, I'm genuinely debating not going based on all the reports of stress, crowds, waits. Coupled with Early Access being sold out practically the rest of the month, meaning this would be my first time ever going *without* taking advantage of early entry, I feel like just... waiting until the November weekend. It's hard for something to feel fun when you're a sardine in a can, and if you wait an hour and a half to go through a house you're potentially getting one shot at going through for the night just for the people ahead of you to ruin it with their cell phones or acting like fools or actors not being in place, it makes it sting even more that your time and money really got devalued and wasted.

And like I've said in years past, it's frustrating seeing Express continue to have such a negative effect. "Well, I don't want to wait in line!" or "I've got the money" is great for whoever wants it, but, again, my opinion -- and it's just mine, for anyone who disagrees -- is that every single person paying for Express is helping create the very problem (long standby lines) they're paying to avoid. But the cat's out of the bag, Universal knows more and more people are willing to pay hundreds and hundreds of dollars for a single night out, and Express is never going to become a super limited, premium product to help mitigate the situation. Universal has no incentive to make the experience better for us peasants who refuse to buy (or simply can't afford) Express passes now.

 

[queenmetroid]

During EA they are more correct but yeah I got into lines and waited longer then what was posted

I rather them scare people away and add time then go low and you wait longer

Oh, I absolutely agree with this, but we cannot pretend like the card system Universal is using is effective right now. I actually got THREE cards last night (probably because I was alone and I look responsible; jokes on them because I'm not lol) on Scarecrow, Jason Universe, and Monstrous, and what they raised the posted time to after I handed mine in STILL wasn't accurate. By the time you hand the card in, it's not even remotely true to what the line is.

Gosh, that's so disheartening to hear.

I'm supposed to go this weekend, kicking off my 16th year of going, and with how Express has been my number one complaint in the post-COVID closure era, I'm genuinely debating not going based on all the reports of stress, crowds, waits. Coupled with Early Access being sold out practically the rest of the month, meaning this would be my first time ever going *without* taking advantage of early entry, I feel like just... waiting until the November weekend. It's hard for something to feel fun when you're a sardine in a can, and if you wait an hour and a half to go through a house you're potentially getting one shot at going through for the night just for the people ahead of you to ruin it with their cell phones or acting like fools or actors not being in place, it makes it sting even more that your time and money really got devalued and wasted.

And like I've said in years past, it's frustrating seeing Express continue to have such a negative effect. "Well, I don't want to wait in line!" or "I've got the money" is great for whoever wants it, but, again, my opinion -- and it's just mine, for anyone who disagrees -- is that every single person paying for Express is helping create the very problem (long standby lines) they're paying to avoid. But the cat's out of the bag, Universal knows more and more people are willing to pay hundreds and hundreds of dollars for a single night out, and Express is never going to become a super limited, premium product to help mitigate the situation. Universal has no incentive to make the experience better for us peasants who refuse to buy (or simply can't afford) Express passes now.

I don't want to discourage you from going by any stretch of the imagination! It's a really, really good year, with a couple notable misfires (Poltergeist is a lazy retread, which is a shame because the cast was bringing it) but it's clearly worth going and I will hang my hat on that statement.

But I do agree wholeheartedly with your statements that the express situation is out of control. I have no issues with price discrimination (the cost of the event), but when the price discrimination INSIDE the event starts to impact the event, then there is an issue. You really need to plan for the absolute worst, and that includes multiple days or early entry. You could get lucky, of course, but if this is your one shot at the event, you don't want to risk it. This was exemplified by two stories for me.

The first was I was in line for Monstrous and I started chatting with the folks behind me (we were both wearing a specific watch and shoe brand) and we expressed mutual frustration that we could afford express passes and we both had multi-night tickets, but that's not the point because it's the principle of the thing. They had arrived at 7:30 PM and had seen three houses by 12 AM with continual time in line. Like that's rough and I can understand why they were frustrated. If that's the average person's experience, it's not a good one because you have to have perfect strategy to see the event.

The second was the last maze I got in line for with a full queue at 1:45 AM and a posted 75 minute wait. The woman behind me expressed frustration about the long lines and this was going to be their fifth one hour plus wait of the night.

"Don't worry, we'll be through this line very quickly."

"How do you know?"

"No express line."

We were through the line in 25 minutes.

 

[Jerroddragon]

As someone who used express the first night too the funny thing is your not even top dog RIP just walks in front of you

So Universal created literally a money tier structure RIP for the super Rich, express with those with extra income and general for the Average guest and thats not including EA

As I said in my review the core of the event is amazing but the ops still need working on, and I wish we could get a few nights without express

Also I no they wont but would be cool to add more days, the event I think would sell out the extra passes as well and just be an almost infinite money cheat for them

 

[DTH]

If I am being completely honest, even with Early Entry, this event has ALWAYS been dang near impossible to see all in one night since like...2011. However, I am a great planner and have always managed. I have long recognized that us (those on the boards) and maybe a select few are truly the 1% in that regard -- most people I have talked to have said the event is one of the worst when it comes to lines and look at my like I am crazy when I say I love the event. Even when I explain to them how I do it, their eyes glaze over and just say that's too much work or impossible.

Then, post-Covid, I started to notice the scales being tipped in a way that almost felt impossible to see everything even with a great plan. I had too many close calls. Then, they started charging for Early Access and that was it for me. I finally said I had enough, I was done with planning, and I was going to start doing Express. And you know what the crazy thing is that I found? Even WITH Express, the event is nearly impossible to do everything (HHN related is fine, but I mean everything-everything that is open -- which, if I am paying THAT much, you're damn sure I am going to do all that). I thought, wow...so you're telling me even now I still NEED Early Entry?!

So the last 2 years, I've done Express + Early Entry. It's insanely overpriced, nowhere NEAR worth it...but it's the ONLY way to even slightly enjoy this event anymore. I hate it, because it feels like the bad guys won, and my pockets hurt for it, but I just couldn't do it anymore...the constant stress, the hours of waiting, the pivoting and trying to keep my group together so we can hit everything...on top of that, the parks were getting more and more crowded. I had enough. With that said. the answer is VERY clear: eliminating Express or have Express-free nights. I said it somewhere on this forum before, but I outlined how I think a more fan friendly experience should go. Charge more for regular tickets (I'm talking 200 range), lower capacity, they could call it fan appreciation night or whatever they want. But until Express is gone, the only way to do this event is with Express. I wish I could believe me boycotting Express would actually matter, but I did this event for 15 years without Express and somehow the situation got worse? Yeah, that ain't helping. At this point, it's only up to Universal to see the opportunity that there is a need they are creating for an alternate Horror Nights experience that can cater to fans. Either that or this event needs to be more nights, more attractions, more space to do literally anything. It's a HUGE issue and the bubble is bound to pop before everyone turns on the event.