Yikes. I am an overly positive person (so I've been told) and honestly have a hard time being critical of most things because usually I can find an aspect that I enjoy in almost anything. There were aspects of my first night this year that I enjoyed, but that being said... I'm extremely disappointed. There were a lot of factors that hurt my experience outside of Universals control: there was a parking incident involving angry guests (myself and others had to even file a report by request) and the rain cleared out the scarezones. However, without going on a tirad, holy cow Universal, how do you blunder both parking and guest services so bad. You've been in this business since before I was born, used to have the best, kindest guest services I've ever seen, and now you've overloaded unprepared, under-equipped employees during the busiest Halloween event in the world. I'm not being silly or overzealous - guest services was more upset with everything than myself and the other groups that had to a wait an hour in the rain for a simple fix. That was after waiting over an hour for parking due to poor management AND being relayed to a secondary guest services area.
Ok so in the park and it only took about 2.5 hours since arrival to an event I've gone to for over a decade. It (shouldn't but) can happen. C'est la vie. Time for a houses.
-I don't think it's fair to judge a houses scare factor the first few weeks of the event. When I come back I'm sure some houses will hit better-
Monstrous - I enjoyed it but it would greatly benefit from an explanation of the creatures outside the house. I knew what was going on because I post on here so, yeah, but so much is lost if you're unfamiliar. This isn't even an issue of a cultural gap. I asked some friends born and raised where some of these dudes are from and they had a vague familiarity at best.
Slaughter Sinema 2: Sinema Strikes Back - I'm the only person in the world that didn't appreciate Slaughter Sinema 1. That being said, Slaughter Sinema 2 has some great moments. My timing was hot garbage going through but I'd love to see some of these as full houses. I'd still prefer any of of these houses as a fully realized concept as opposed to this house. I swear I'm not a hater.
Museum - when discussing my favorite houses with friends at the end of the night I had forgotten this existed until I started writing this review. Funny enough, this houses greatest strength is explaining itself before you enter. There's a Goblin in this house making it the second best Goblin house this year.
Goblin Feast - this house slaps. It does everything great except actually being scary. Again, can't rank that factor until later in this event. For now I give it 5 out of 5 Goblins
Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines - this house is INCOMPREHENSIBLE if you didn't study for it like an SAT. I don't see how this can recover. I am literally a hype man for the Universal Monsters houses but this isn't it. Horror Nights, again, I am begging you, take $200, put out 4 or 5 signs in the line and explain the story of what's going on in high-narrative houses like this.
Insidious - I won't ever know how I got to Egypt in Eternal Bloodlines, but I do know how I got to Pee Pee Pants City in this one. Extremely good, potential to be a GOAT (Greatest of all time, NOT Goblins of all time - that goes to a different house)
This review is more than long enough but to put everything into thoughts, I strongly disagree with the idea that budget cuts were going on, but I do agree that somethings off. Tried to be unbiased but if this was my first time at the event ever, there wouldn't be a return trip Mr. Frodo.