HHN 31: Most Anticipated House
- Thread starter Tbad556
- Start date
-
Signing up for a Premium Membership is a donation to help Inside Universal maintain costs and offers an ad-free experience on the forum. Learn more about it here.
- Jul 24, 2018
- 3,391
- 7,496
- Oct 14, 2011
- 634
- 1,100
Spirits of the Coven! Speakeasy theme and flapper witches has me infinitely intrigued.
- Aug 19, 2016
- 255
- 431
Dead Man's Pier for me. Just the air conditioning alone makes this a must-experience!
The vibe and premise is intriguing too I guess.
The vibe and premise is intriguing too I guess.
- Mar 24, 2022
- 2
- 2
Welp, first time posting for me..... I'd say dead man's pier. I freaking love sensory stuff... I loved yeti so much and how cold it was. I have to say that bugs really has me curious and excited as well... Love the 50s Halloween vibe!
- Aug 17, 2009
- 8,003
- 9,844
Can't remember the last time it was this hard to make an anticipation list. I'm actually genuinely excited for all of these.
- Spirits of the Coven
- Descendants of Destruction
- Dead Man’s Pier: Winter’s Wake
- Hellblock Horror
- Bugs: Eaten Alive
- The Weeknd: After Hours Nightmare
- Fiesta de Chupacabras
- Halloween
- Universal Monsters: Legends Collide
- Horrors of Blumhouse
- Descendants of Destruction - This was probably my #3 before they announced it and had the amazing artwork. Love abandoned and decayed places so this shot to the top of my list.
- Dead Man's Pier - loved the zone and if they pull off an amazing boat scene it's going to be amazing.
- The Weeknd - Not a big fan of his music (like a few songs) but the uncertainty really has me excited.
- Legends Collide - Usually the monsters houses are further down my list, but the size and scale of this house from the tidbits released has it higher up my list than usual.
- Hellblock Horror - sounds awesome and prisons are always fun.
- Halloween - Classic. Shocked how far down my list this one is.
- Bugs Eaten Alive - might be amazing, but was hoping for the gigantic 50s bug movies so this dropped down my pre-announce list.
- Blumhouse - Excited for the Freaky portion, not so much for the Black Phone (felt like that's more of a drama than horror).
- Spirits of the Coven - Usually not a fan of witches at the event.
- Fiesta de Chupacabras - not much into urban legend creatures so this is a big "Meh" for me. Like Yeti, it has the potential to surprise me and shoot up my post-event list.
- Apr 29, 2019
- 155
- 259
- Mar 24, 2022
- 2
- 2
Really hard to rank, but:
1. Dead man's pier
2. Bugs
3. Spirit of the coven
4. Chupacabras
5. Descendants of destruction
6. Hellblock
7. Halloween
8. Universal monsters
9. Weeknd
10. Blumhouse
All of the originals sound incredible and were really hard to rank. Most of the IPs sounds great too!
October can't get here fast enough.......
1. Dead man's pier
2. Bugs
3. Spirit of the coven
4. Chupacabras
5. Descendants of destruction
6. Hellblock
7. Halloween
8. Universal monsters
9. Weeknd
10. Blumhouse
All of the originals sound incredible and were really hard to rank. Most of the IPs sounds great too!
October can't get here fast enough.......
Easily the most promising line-up in over a decade, maybe ever. Any of my bottom 5 could prove a sleeper, any of my top 5 could be house of the year (and a couple may yet be all-time greats). Not an obviously weak house in the lot.
10) Descendent of Destruction – getting Spawning vibes here, Jaws queue used to have MiB tent’s rep for weak houses, wasn’t a fan of SoX (which this may or may not tie into). Interesting and varied mutant design could turn me around on this one tho.
9) Horrors of Blumhouse – two interesting movies to do houses from, and HoB houses tend to at least be designed well. Most years this would be closer to the middle. But my guess is originals are going to blow the corporate synergy houses out of the water.
8) Halloween – original still my top IP house, curious to see if a soundstage actually improves the experience. But my fourth house based on the franchise in less than a decade, bound to be some fatigue. Solid cast of Mikes could push this one up.
7) Hellblock Horror – a thrown-together “greatest hits”? Not convinced, but then again, House of Horrors and Hive made the last-minute approach work. I think any of my bottom half could prove a sleeper but this may be the most likely. I fully expect this house to inspire at least a dozen Twitter parody accounts.
6) The Weeknd – casual fan of his music, which shows how iconic he really is (I know other contemporary artists’ names but couldn’t hum even one song from them). Watched his videos, definitely have a creepy vibe. And I’m just glad to see a stab at something new and different. Wat excites me the most is he seems to be a genuine fan, and brings a sense of excitement. If he can transfer that into the house, it will be a winner.
5) Fiesta de Chupacabras – been waiting on this since 2012 (!). Comparisons to Yeti house have me excited. Hoping for some immersive sets and scary monsters to rival the wolves in AWiL.
4) Dead Man’s Pier – I have to imagine this will be the façade to beat this year. If we can get a mash-up of Dead Waters and Winter’s Night, will be a very impressive house that’s tough to beat. Hopefully a nice variety of costumes as well.
3) Bugs – I love a solid dark comedy house. The “1950s Home of the Future” setting puts a fun twist on a theme that could have felt somewhat basic. Hoping we get a variety of bugs and some humorous gags.
2) Legends Collide – last two Monster houses have nailed it. I can’t see them dropping the ball now. Three iconic monsters battling it out, what’s not to love?
1) Spirits of the Coven – Family legend says I’m a 13th generation descendant from a woman hanged at Salem, so always had a fascination with witches. Demon Cantina, which this feels like a Great Gatsby take on, remains my favorite house of all time. So I’m predisposed to love this house. Throw in the fact it’s in that prime spot that always seems to get the most love from the design team, fingers crossed that this one proves an all-timer.
10) Descendent of Destruction – getting Spawning vibes here, Jaws queue used to have MiB tent’s rep for weak houses, wasn’t a fan of SoX (which this may or may not tie into). Interesting and varied mutant design could turn me around on this one tho.
9) Horrors of Blumhouse – two interesting movies to do houses from, and HoB houses tend to at least be designed well. Most years this would be closer to the middle. But my guess is originals are going to blow the corporate synergy houses out of the water.
8) Halloween – original still my top IP house, curious to see if a soundstage actually improves the experience. But my fourth house based on the franchise in less than a decade, bound to be some fatigue. Solid cast of Mikes could push this one up.
7) Hellblock Horror – a thrown-together “greatest hits”? Not convinced, but then again, House of Horrors and Hive made the last-minute approach work. I think any of my bottom half could prove a sleeper but this may be the most likely. I fully expect this house to inspire at least a dozen Twitter parody accounts.
6) The Weeknd – casual fan of his music, which shows how iconic he really is (I know other contemporary artists’ names but couldn’t hum even one song from them). Watched his videos, definitely have a creepy vibe. And I’m just glad to see a stab at something new and different. Wat excites me the most is he seems to be a genuine fan, and brings a sense of excitement. If he can transfer that into the house, it will be a winner.
5) Fiesta de Chupacabras – been waiting on this since 2012 (!). Comparisons to Yeti house have me excited. Hoping for some immersive sets and scary monsters to rival the wolves in AWiL.
4) Dead Man’s Pier – I have to imagine this will be the façade to beat this year. If we can get a mash-up of Dead Waters and Winter’s Night, will be a very impressive house that’s tough to beat. Hopefully a nice variety of costumes as well.
3) Bugs – I love a solid dark comedy house. The “1950s Home of the Future” setting puts a fun twist on a theme that could have felt somewhat basic. Hoping we get a variety of bugs and some humorous gags.
2) Legends Collide – last two Monster houses have nailed it. I can’t see them dropping the ball now. Three iconic monsters battling it out, what’s not to love?
1) Spirits of the Coven – Family legend says I’m a 13th generation descendant from a woman hanged at Salem, so always had a fascination with witches. Demon Cantina, which this feels like a Great Gatsby take on, remains my favorite house of all time. So I’m predisposed to love this house. Throw in the fact it’s in that prime spot that always seems to get the most love from the design team, fingers crossed that this one proves an all-timer.
1. Universal Monsters: Legends Collide - I love the Monsters, and they're 2/2 with houses so far. The triple threat premise has a lot of potential.
2. Spirits of the Coven - A high-concept idea in a period that I love to learn about.
3. Dead Man's Pier: Winter's Wake - Loved the zone in 26. Hopefully, they can capture the same atmosphere.
4. Fiesta de Chupacabra - Finally! Another cryptid! It all depends on how many Chupas show up to the Fiesta.
5. Descendants of Destruction - It can go either way... The concept has been done, so it depends how fresh they make it feel.
6. Horrors of Blumhouse - Freaky had cool kills. The Grabber has a cool look but could be repetitive. ALSO, I'm interested in how they used the FF space.
7. Halloween - I love Mikey - but been there, done that.
8. Bugs: Eaten Alive - It all depends on how tongue in cheek the execution is. Has to find the balance of campy and scary.
9. The Weeknd - Love his music, but do not generally like music houses/zones. We'll see. I'm interested in the creative interpretation.
10. Hellblock Horror - A late addition to the line-up. The hodgepodge of Monsters sounds cool but could be its downfall. It may fall into the "Memba Berries" trap.
2. Spirits of the Coven - A high-concept idea in a period that I love to learn about.
3. Dead Man's Pier: Winter's Wake - Loved the zone in 26. Hopefully, they can capture the same atmosphere.
4. Fiesta de Chupacabra - Finally! Another cryptid! It all depends on how many Chupas show up to the Fiesta.
5. Descendants of Destruction - It can go either way... The concept has been done, so it depends how fresh they make it feel.
6. Horrors of Blumhouse - Freaky had cool kills. The Grabber has a cool look but could be repetitive. ALSO, I'm interested in how they used the FF space.
7. Halloween - I love Mikey - but been there, done that.
8. Bugs: Eaten Alive - It all depends on how tongue in cheek the execution is. Has to find the balance of campy and scary.
9. The Weeknd - Love his music, but do not generally like music houses/zones. We'll see. I'm interested in the creative interpretation.
10. Hellblock Horror - A late addition to the line-up. The hodgepodge of Monsters sounds cool but could be its downfall. It may fall into the "Memba Berries" trap.
1) Dead Man's Pier: My most anticipated as I loved the pier setting in the middle of winter. Also, I've been fascinated by the Winter's Night house from 2011 so I've always wanted to see a concept like that again.
2) Bugs: Eaten Alive: Simple but unique concept. Looking forward to seeing how they pull off the creature effects in the house. Pretty sure I'm going to feel pretty uncomfortable in here. LOL
3) Fiesta de Chupacabras: Yeti was probably my favorite house from 29, so seeing a lot of comparisons to that makes me really excited!
4) Universal Monsters: Legends Collide: Really wanted to see an ancient Egyptian theme tackled for HHN. Looking forward to seeing what they do!
5) Spirits of the Coven: Love the setting of the prohibition era combined with witches. a proper roaring 20's house should be really cool!
6) Descendants of Destruction: The concept does sound really intriguing. An underground theme in the same "universe" as seeds of extinction. Hopefully we'll see the same kind of scares towards the end of the house from Seeds!
7) Hellgate Horror: While my least-anticipated original, I enjoyed Run in 2015 which was supposed to be set in Hellgate Prison. Sounds like this will be another entry in the Hellgate saga but this should be pretty cool.
8) The Weeknd: After Hours Nightmare: Interesting how most of the IPs are at the bottom of my anticipation list this year. This is probably the most-anticipated IP outside of Monsters by virtue that I have no idea what the heck to expect! I'm sure hearing Blinding Lights in the house will be fun.
9) The Horrors of Blumhouse: Alright, now we're getting to the bottom. Black Phone was a great movie, but there wasn't much to work with. Need to watch Freaky. I expect this will still be really cool.
10) Halloween: From someone who's been going to HHN Hollywood's event for over a decade.....uuuuuggggggghhhhhhh. So tired of Michael. Heard the 24 house was good so hopefully they'll be able to recapture that same magic from back then.
2) Bugs: Eaten Alive: Simple but unique concept. Looking forward to seeing how they pull off the creature effects in the house. Pretty sure I'm going to feel pretty uncomfortable in here. LOL
3) Fiesta de Chupacabras: Yeti was probably my favorite house from 29, so seeing a lot of comparisons to that makes me really excited!
4) Universal Monsters: Legends Collide: Really wanted to see an ancient Egyptian theme tackled for HHN. Looking forward to seeing what they do!
5) Spirits of the Coven: Love the setting of the prohibition era combined with witches. a proper roaring 20's house should be really cool!
6) Descendants of Destruction: The concept does sound really intriguing. An underground theme in the same "universe" as seeds of extinction. Hopefully we'll see the same kind of scares towards the end of the house from Seeds!
7) Hellgate Horror: While my least-anticipated original, I enjoyed Run in 2015 which was supposed to be set in Hellgate Prison. Sounds like this will be another entry in the Hellgate saga but this should be pretty cool.
8) The Weeknd: After Hours Nightmare: Interesting how most of the IPs are at the bottom of my anticipation list this year. This is probably the most-anticipated IP outside of Monsters by virtue that I have no idea what the heck to expect! I'm sure hearing Blinding Lights in the house will be fun.
9) The Horrors of Blumhouse: Alright, now we're getting to the bottom. Black Phone was a great movie, but there wasn't much to work with. Need to watch Freaky. I expect this will still be really cool.
10) Halloween: From someone who's been going to HHN Hollywood's event for over a decade.....uuuuuggggggghhhhhhh. So tired of Michael. Heard the 24 house was good so hopefully they'll be able to recapture that same magic from back then.
- Aug 20, 2019
- 390
- 751
10) Halloween- as a Hollywood native I'm just so tired of seeing the slashers. However, Orlando has the benefit of great design and more space with the soundstage. It also has the benefit of being the original film. Still, kinda hard to muster any enthusiasm for something I've seen four times at this point.
9) Hellblock Horror- this one is hard to peg. Going off the description and rumors surrounding what was a last minute addition has me intrigued but not overly excited. Could be really fun given the right cast and variety of monsters to chase you around. I also hope the prison setting isn't super generic.
8) Dead Man's Pier: Winter's Wake- I'm assuming the production value for this maze will be incredible, no doubt. Good character designs and the winter setting should make this one of the most visually dynamic houses at the event.
7) The Horrors of Blumhouse- very excited for the new maze location, I know it's super nerdy but it's cool to see how the park will repurpose the Fast and Furious queue. Freaky had lots of great kills and varied settings which should translate easily. The Black Phone is more intriguing but the Grabber is a very iconic horror character and all the variations of his house and faces should be cool to see.
6) Descendants of Destruction- I really hope this one uses claustrophobia and the underground setting to its advantage. If it really is a spiritual successor to Seeds of Extinction then it should be lots of fun.
5) Fiesta de Chupacabras- very excited to see this legend from my childhood come to life. Hearing from the designers that they wanted to incorporate authentic elements of Hispanic culture makes me excited for what that might entail. I also know this is something they've wanted to do for years so I'm hoping that passion bleeds through.
4) Bugs: Eaten Alive- from what the designers have been saying, this house will be an assault on the senses. The premise is simple but it should be fairly effective.
3) Universal Monsters: Legends Collide- Bride of Frankenstein Lives was my least favorite house last year but this one seems to have everything I want. Emphasis on the Mummy, in the tombs of Egypt, while also being pursued by the Wolfman and Dracula?? Glad they're leaning into the mythological roots of the monsters and have this fun battle royale to play off of. If they take any design inspiration from Murdy with Anubis, this could be really spectacular.
2) The Weeknd: After Hours Nightmare- in terms of left-field ideas, this one is so exciting. Taking the popular high-energy music from The Weeknd and marrying it with grimy, seedy visuals and horror elements from his videos and films like Fear & Loathing and Clockwork Orange is genius. Should be one big party and this is definitely one of the mazes I'll head to first every night.
1) Spirits of the Coven- WITCHES! I love witches. I always wanted to be the Wicked Witch of the West as a child. I'd ride the vacuum around the house like Mary Sanderson. This one is also "high concept" and combines the glamour of a Prohibition era speakeasy with the arcane delights of a mysterious coven? It's giving Case Files in all the best ways and I can't wait to try the Witches Brew.
9) Hellblock Horror- this one is hard to peg. Going off the description and rumors surrounding what was a last minute addition has me intrigued but not overly excited. Could be really fun given the right cast and variety of monsters to chase you around. I also hope the prison setting isn't super generic.
8) Dead Man's Pier: Winter's Wake- I'm assuming the production value for this maze will be incredible, no doubt. Good character designs and the winter setting should make this one of the most visually dynamic houses at the event.
7) The Horrors of Blumhouse- very excited for the new maze location, I know it's super nerdy but it's cool to see how the park will repurpose the Fast and Furious queue. Freaky had lots of great kills and varied settings which should translate easily. The Black Phone is more intriguing but the Grabber is a very iconic horror character and all the variations of his house and faces should be cool to see.
6) Descendants of Destruction- I really hope this one uses claustrophobia and the underground setting to its advantage. If it really is a spiritual successor to Seeds of Extinction then it should be lots of fun.
5) Fiesta de Chupacabras- very excited to see this legend from my childhood come to life. Hearing from the designers that they wanted to incorporate authentic elements of Hispanic culture makes me excited for what that might entail. I also know this is something they've wanted to do for years so I'm hoping that passion bleeds through.
4) Bugs: Eaten Alive- from what the designers have been saying, this house will be an assault on the senses. The premise is simple but it should be fairly effective.
3) Universal Monsters: Legends Collide- Bride of Frankenstein Lives was my least favorite house last year but this one seems to have everything I want. Emphasis on the Mummy, in the tombs of Egypt, while also being pursued by the Wolfman and Dracula?? Glad they're leaning into the mythological roots of the monsters and have this fun battle royale to play off of. If they take any design inspiration from Murdy with Anubis, this could be really spectacular.
2) The Weeknd: After Hours Nightmare- in terms of left-field ideas, this one is so exciting. Taking the popular high-energy music from The Weeknd and marrying it with grimy, seedy visuals and horror elements from his videos and films like Fear & Loathing and Clockwork Orange is genius. Should be one big party and this is definitely one of the mazes I'll head to first every night.
1) Spirits of the Coven- WITCHES! I love witches. I always wanted to be the Wicked Witch of the West as a child. I'd ride the vacuum around the house like Mary Sanderson. This one is also "high concept" and combines the glamour of a Prohibition era speakeasy with the arcane delights of a mysterious coven? It's giving Case Files in all the best ways and I can't wait to try the Witches Brew.
- Jun 7, 2016
- 1,179
- 2,219
1. Legends collide: Monsters are my absolute favorite and I cannot wait to see my man Drac again
2. Spirit of the coven: Flapper witches is all I need to know
3. Halloween: did not go the year they did the OG and I am down with any excuse for a Carpenter film to be featured at the event.
4. Blumhouse: Loved both of these movies and I think this could be really cool with the liberties creative could take
5. Dead Man's Pier: Feels like we are getting two carpenter movies this year because new england coastal town with creepy zomby dead guy things is close enough to "The Fog" for me
6. Bugs: love me some 50's sci fi camp. Hope this has it.
7. hellblock: Don't know anything about this other than it might have some cool characters/monsters. If the cabin in the woods comp is true then I am very excited.
8. DOD: So basically C.H.U.D? I love that movie and we will never get a real chud house so I will settle for this and love it I am sure.
9. Chupa: Love criptids but this is at the bottom of my list of criptids. Hopefully this gives us a mothman house or something in the future.
10. All the scarezones
11. Wknd: There is not anything I can say about the wknd that will not get me a slap on the wrist here. So this is where it is on my hype list.
2. Spirit of the coven: Flapper witches is all I need to know
3. Halloween: did not go the year they did the OG and I am down with any excuse for a Carpenter film to be featured at the event.
4. Blumhouse: Loved both of these movies and I think this could be really cool with the liberties creative could take
5. Dead Man's Pier: Feels like we are getting two carpenter movies this year because new england coastal town with creepy zomby dead guy things is close enough to "The Fog" for me
6. Bugs: love me some 50's sci fi camp. Hope this has it.
7. hellblock: Don't know anything about this other than it might have some cool characters/monsters. If the cabin in the woods comp is true then I am very excited.
8. DOD: So basically C.H.U.D? I love that movie and we will never get a real chud house so I will settle for this and love it I am sure.
9. Chupa: Love criptids but this is at the bottom of my list of criptids. Hopefully this gives us a mothman house or something in the future.
10. All the scarezones
11. Wknd: There is not anything I can say about the wknd that will not get me a slap on the wrist here. So this is where it is on my hype list.
- Descendants of Destruction- I'm from NYC, I can't wait to see what they do with the setting
- Dead Man’s Pier: Winter’s Wake
- Bugs: Eaten Alive
- Spirits of the Coven
- Fiesta de Chupacabras
- Hellblock Horror
- The Horrors of Blumhouse
- Universal Monsters: Legends Collide
- The Weeknd: After Hours Nightmare
- Halloween
- Oct 9, 2016
- 1,521
- 1,994
As a first timer, I know my opinions probably don't mean much, but I've got a lot of em, so pardon the length.
10.) Hellblock Horrors (A lot of people are placing this pretty high, but it's still kind of a wildcard for me. By no means do I expect it to be bad, since this entire lineup is pretty stellar, it just strikes me as the one we know the least about, and will really sink or swim based on it's execution. It's really a 50/50 to me on whether this'll be a fun monster mash or an adequate collection of leftovers.)
9.) Descendants of Destruction (Similar to Hellblock, this is another one that to me is just gonna end up relying on it's execution to seal the deal for me. In a lineup with a lot of extremely unique and creative concepts, CHUD type underground mutants just doesn't immediately do it for me like much of the rest of the lineup does. That said, I fully expect this to be one of the prettier houses we see this year. Definitely a very creative canvas but it doesn't immediately jump out at me.)
8.) The Horrors of Blumhouse (Kinda surprised for a blumhouse maze to end up this high given their record in the past, but Freaky and Black Phone are a pretty promising lineup. Granted, I've only seen the latter, and clips from the former, but there's undeniably a lot of fun things they could do with these, especially Freaky. Not my fave IP of the event, but I still look forward to it. Everything past this point is what I'd consider the stuff I find really exciting.)
7.) Fiesta De Chupacabras (This one's another wildcard for me, but one I'm a lot more optimistic for, the story and finally seeing a maze dip back into latin american folklore and cryptids really has me excited. Really happy to see a bit of that showing up on both coasts this year. This could also easily end up being another top beautiful maze of the year just based on the kind of visuals I envision in my head for the concept. My big question is how they're gonna go about the chupacabras themselves, more humanoid? doglike with AWiL type puppets? a mix of both? Just a lot of fun opportunities for a fun Creature feature house here.)
6.) Universal Monsters: Legends Collide (Being entirely honest, I haven't been hugely satisfied with the last two Universal Monster mazes on orlando's side of things, and thats probably 100% my Hollywood home field bias showing, but I think this maze acting as a prequel to the hollywood variation really seals that divide for me. Hollywood and Orlando really don't allow their mazes to interact enough story wise, so allowing these to be a package deal to tell a much broader story than any one coast could alone makes this very fun to me.)
5.) Halloween (The original film holds such a special place in my heart, I really can't help but be excited for this. It probably would've broken the top 3, but since I've been through 4 years of Hollywood's Halloween mazes, that exhaustion does dampen things a little. Still, very excited to see the original through orlando's lens, and I kinda hope they try to do the masks in house this year since the Trick or Treat studios myers masks in the mazes really just dont work for me at this point. Small nitpick, but still.)
4.) The Weeknd (To be honest, before this maze started floating around the rumor mill, I really didn't know much about The Weeknd. I'd heard a few songs on the radio, but that was about it. After this maze got announced and I started finally digging around though, I'd say it's safe to say I'm a fan now. Really excited to see how the imagery of the music videos is represented, and how they do new things in that aesthetic beyond what we see in them. Also happy to know that a handful of my favorite songs of his are gonna be in the maze. Definitely my top priority when it comes to IPs this year.)
3.) Bugs Eaten Alive (This was not a house I expected to ever be excited for. I really truly expected this to be at the bottom of my list and end up as a gross out house with no real substance, but, I'm a total sucker for unique period settings, and this is one of the most fun ones of the year. Really fun way to tie in 50s giant bug B movies into a more gross and grisly tone, lands in the top 3 easily for me.)
2.) Spirits of the Coven (Once again, sucker for a period theme. This is also one I feel like might turn out to have surprising scare factor besides just being beautiful. I'm glad to see haunts really embracing 20's aesthetics as of late, like with Knotts' Gore-ing 20s scarezone and to a lesser degree the little chunks of the unannounced golden age hollywood hotel maze we've seen for USH. Vamp '25 somewhere in the near future plz and thnx?)
1.) Dead Man's Pier: Winter's Wake (Absolute standout of the announcements for me. Nautical horror is an absolute all time favorite subgenre of mine, and coupling that with a cold seaside town aesthetic is an absolute win in my books. Sure this means The Fog probably isn't in the cards any time soon, but honestly, this is probably better. Wouldnt be surprised if this becomes an all timer. Definitely strikes me as the kind of maze I'll literally want to live in from aesthetic alone, really cant see this one falling at all from my number 1 spot as things go on.)
10.) Hellblock Horrors (A lot of people are placing this pretty high, but it's still kind of a wildcard for me. By no means do I expect it to be bad, since this entire lineup is pretty stellar, it just strikes me as the one we know the least about, and will really sink or swim based on it's execution. It's really a 50/50 to me on whether this'll be a fun monster mash or an adequate collection of leftovers.)
9.) Descendants of Destruction (Similar to Hellblock, this is another one that to me is just gonna end up relying on it's execution to seal the deal for me. In a lineup with a lot of extremely unique and creative concepts, CHUD type underground mutants just doesn't immediately do it for me like much of the rest of the lineup does. That said, I fully expect this to be one of the prettier houses we see this year. Definitely a very creative canvas but it doesn't immediately jump out at me.)
8.) The Horrors of Blumhouse (Kinda surprised for a blumhouse maze to end up this high given their record in the past, but Freaky and Black Phone are a pretty promising lineup. Granted, I've only seen the latter, and clips from the former, but there's undeniably a lot of fun things they could do with these, especially Freaky. Not my fave IP of the event, but I still look forward to it. Everything past this point is what I'd consider the stuff I find really exciting.)
7.) Fiesta De Chupacabras (This one's another wildcard for me, but one I'm a lot more optimistic for, the story and finally seeing a maze dip back into latin american folklore and cryptids really has me excited. Really happy to see a bit of that showing up on both coasts this year. This could also easily end up being another top beautiful maze of the year just based on the kind of visuals I envision in my head for the concept. My big question is how they're gonna go about the chupacabras themselves, more humanoid? doglike with AWiL type puppets? a mix of both? Just a lot of fun opportunities for a fun Creature feature house here.)
6.) Universal Monsters: Legends Collide (Being entirely honest, I haven't been hugely satisfied with the last two Universal Monster mazes on orlando's side of things, and thats probably 100% my Hollywood home field bias showing, but I think this maze acting as a prequel to the hollywood variation really seals that divide for me. Hollywood and Orlando really don't allow their mazes to interact enough story wise, so allowing these to be a package deal to tell a much broader story than any one coast could alone makes this very fun to me.)
5.) Halloween (The original film holds such a special place in my heart, I really can't help but be excited for this. It probably would've broken the top 3, but since I've been through 4 years of Hollywood's Halloween mazes, that exhaustion does dampen things a little. Still, very excited to see the original through orlando's lens, and I kinda hope they try to do the masks in house this year since the Trick or Treat studios myers masks in the mazes really just dont work for me at this point. Small nitpick, but still.)
4.) The Weeknd (To be honest, before this maze started floating around the rumor mill, I really didn't know much about The Weeknd. I'd heard a few songs on the radio, but that was about it. After this maze got announced and I started finally digging around though, I'd say it's safe to say I'm a fan now. Really excited to see how the imagery of the music videos is represented, and how they do new things in that aesthetic beyond what we see in them. Also happy to know that a handful of my favorite songs of his are gonna be in the maze. Definitely my top priority when it comes to IPs this year.)
3.) Bugs Eaten Alive (This was not a house I expected to ever be excited for. I really truly expected this to be at the bottom of my list and end up as a gross out house with no real substance, but, I'm a total sucker for unique period settings, and this is one of the most fun ones of the year. Really fun way to tie in 50s giant bug B movies into a more gross and grisly tone, lands in the top 3 easily for me.)
2.) Spirits of the Coven (Once again, sucker for a period theme. This is also one I feel like might turn out to have surprising scare factor besides just being beautiful. I'm glad to see haunts really embracing 20's aesthetics as of late, like with Knotts' Gore-ing 20s scarezone and to a lesser degree the little chunks of the unannounced golden age hollywood hotel maze we've seen for USH. Vamp '25 somewhere in the near future plz and thnx?)
1.) Dead Man's Pier: Winter's Wake (Absolute standout of the announcements for me. Nautical horror is an absolute all time favorite subgenre of mine, and coupling that with a cold seaside town aesthetic is an absolute win in my books. Sure this means The Fog probably isn't in the cards any time soon, but honestly, this is probably better. Wouldnt be surprised if this becomes an all timer. Definitely strikes me as the kind of maze I'll literally want to live in from aesthetic alone, really cant see this one falling at all from my number 1 spot as things go on.)
With this being my 4th year attending, I would like to think it's easier to make an anticipated house list. But I said it before in the spec thread, the houses this year are a bunch of ragtag wildcards. And I LOVE me some ragtag wildcards! So from that aspect, this year really was the hardest one for me to figure out for my anticipated list, and it will truly be hard to top next year because of that!
As the usual preface, once again I like all ten houses announced for the event. Even ones at the very bottom, that's not a knock on how I feel about the house. So without further ado, let's roll from the bottom up!
10. Halloween - Since I started going to HHN in 2018, I never got to see the O.G. house here. My introduction was Halloween 4, which still scared the heck out of me several times since the cast was on fire. The sets weren't memorable, but I will never forget the first masked Michael getting me so bad I had to lean again the opposite wall for a moment to regain my bearings, and the multiple times Dr. Loomis of all people got me in that house. Even with this being a redux house, if it has a good cast, I'm in trouble!
9. Hellblock Horror - For being a last-minute house change, a Prison full of Literal Monsters is a rather fun idea! And with the inmates being various monsters of HHN past, there's bound to plenty of easter eggs, fanservice etc. Though I will say I hope the house is just fun to go through in general, and not because of just to see the easter eggs etc. (Something which last year's Icons couldn't shake.)
8. Descendants of Destruction - A trip through NY's subway tunnels with a whole bunch of mutants? Sounds like a promising time! Now I did experience 2018's Seeds of Extinction once, and it was a little middle of the road for me due to unfortunate timing in the scares. I was fine with the concept and all, so I'm intrigued to see how this sequel of sorts fares. I will say, I think this'll fare better in a Sprung tent than it did in the parade warehouse.
7. Dead Man's Pier: Winter's Wake - Bout' time they had this theme for a house! I felt so bad when Dead Man's Wharf was revealed to be in San Fran, since sure enough the bottleneck issues showed up rather quickly. But now that it'll be a house, I think it'll be a downright gorgeous.
6. Horrors of Blumhouse - Here we go again! 2018's HoB was...definitely not the dark horse that 2017's was! Personally, I liked the Happy Death Day segment and felt The First Purge segment ended things on a weak note. (But even with that said, I didn't think it was as bad as others made it out to be.) Either way, for this year I think The Black Phone and Freaky as the segments this year are a lot more fun and intriguing. I'm very interested to see how they handle The Black Phone. And then there's the factor this is in a brand-new house location, so there's a lot of wildcard aspects in this one house.
5. Spirits of the Coven - High Concept. Roaring 20's (I'd say Goring 20's, but I think Knott's may have been an inspiration on that one.). Speakeasys. Witches disguised as Flapper Girls. Hooch. PROHIBITION. Smuggling. Sure, Lackadaisy is a fun comic!
4. Fiesta de Chubacabras - Like with @SeventyOne, I've been waiting ten years for this house. Big fan of cryptids, love the concept on why we're there. I'm really excited to see how this one is pulled off!
3. The Weeknd: After Hours Nightmare - Easily one of the most intriguing IP's the event has gotten, and unlike the others we're seeing a passion and excitement from the artist themselves that we haven't seen before. (Seriously, I don't think anyone expected that Abel himself would start replying and quote tweeting HNNightmares in regard to the spec map and rumors of his house.) I'm really looking forward to seeing how this "Nightmare Concert" turns out, I hope it's a trip!
2. Bugs: Eaten Alive - My feelings on this house are the same I had for Dead Exposure: Patient Zero. I'm looking forward to this house as much as I am also dreading it. I know this is the Horror Comedy house, but from everything I've read and heard so far, yes the setup for the house is wonderfully campy...but the experience on the inside is going to cranked hard into horror. I've already seen a bunch of comments from folks who won't go into this house. I can't recall a house where folks have really stated that!
1. Universal Monsters: Legends Collide - I'm a fan of the UCM, and I've definitely enjoyed the past two houses. I love that the team is now going in the direction of coming up with fun original tales for the monsters to be in. Anything I've heard or read about this house is getting me more and more excited. Big house! Dracula! Mummy! Egypt! Wolf-Man! Anubis! I'm a mythology buff and a Furry, so most of those (especially the last two together) instantly check all the boxes of what I'm hoping for in this house. Am I shameless for that being the reason for putting this at number one? You bet I am!
------------
And that's that! It's quite the lineup, and honestly any and every one of them can really kill it this year! The next couple weeks can't go by soon enough!
As the usual preface, once again I like all ten houses announced for the event. Even ones at the very bottom, that's not a knock on how I feel about the house. So without further ado, let's roll from the bottom up!
10. Halloween - Since I started going to HHN in 2018, I never got to see the O.G. house here. My introduction was Halloween 4, which still scared the heck out of me several times since the cast was on fire. The sets weren't memorable, but I will never forget the first masked Michael getting me so bad I had to lean again the opposite wall for a moment to regain my bearings, and the multiple times Dr. Loomis of all people got me in that house. Even with this being a redux house, if it has a good cast, I'm in trouble!
9. Hellblock Horror - For being a last-minute house change, a Prison full of Literal Monsters is a rather fun idea! And with the inmates being various monsters of HHN past, there's bound to plenty of easter eggs, fanservice etc. Though I will say I hope the house is just fun to go through in general, and not because of just to see the easter eggs etc. (Something which last year's Icons couldn't shake.)
8. Descendants of Destruction - A trip through NY's subway tunnels with a whole bunch of mutants? Sounds like a promising time! Now I did experience 2018's Seeds of Extinction once, and it was a little middle of the road for me due to unfortunate timing in the scares. I was fine with the concept and all, so I'm intrigued to see how this sequel of sorts fares. I will say, I think this'll fare better in a Sprung tent than it did in the parade warehouse.
7. Dead Man's Pier: Winter's Wake - Bout' time they had this theme for a house! I felt so bad when Dead Man's Wharf was revealed to be in San Fran, since sure enough the bottleneck issues showed up rather quickly. But now that it'll be a house, I think it'll be a downright gorgeous.
6. Horrors of Blumhouse - Here we go again! 2018's HoB was...definitely not the dark horse that 2017's was! Personally, I liked the Happy Death Day segment and felt The First Purge segment ended things on a weak note. (But even with that said, I didn't think it was as bad as others made it out to be.) Either way, for this year I think The Black Phone and Freaky as the segments this year are a lot more fun and intriguing. I'm very interested to see how they handle The Black Phone. And then there's the factor this is in a brand-new house location, so there's a lot of wildcard aspects in this one house.
5. Spirits of the Coven - High Concept. Roaring 20's (I'd say Goring 20's, but I think Knott's may have been an inspiration on that one.). Speakeasys. Witches disguised as Flapper Girls. Hooch. PROHIBITION. Smuggling. Sure, Lackadaisy is a fun comic!
4. Fiesta de Chubacabras - Like with @SeventyOne, I've been waiting ten years for this house. Big fan of cryptids, love the concept on why we're there. I'm really excited to see how this one is pulled off!
3. The Weeknd: After Hours Nightmare - Easily one of the most intriguing IP's the event has gotten, and unlike the others we're seeing a passion and excitement from the artist themselves that we haven't seen before. (Seriously, I don't think anyone expected that Abel himself would start replying and quote tweeting HNNightmares in regard to the spec map and rumors of his house.) I'm really looking forward to seeing how this "Nightmare Concert" turns out, I hope it's a trip!
2. Bugs: Eaten Alive - My feelings on this house are the same I had for Dead Exposure: Patient Zero. I'm looking forward to this house as much as I am also dreading it. I know this is the Horror Comedy house, but from everything I've read and heard so far, yes the setup for the house is wonderfully campy...but the experience on the inside is going to cranked hard into horror. I've already seen a bunch of comments from folks who won't go into this house. I can't recall a house where folks have really stated that!
1. Universal Monsters: Legends Collide - I'm a fan of the UCM, and I've definitely enjoyed the past two houses. I love that the team is now going in the direction of coming up with fun original tales for the monsters to be in. Anything I've heard or read about this house is getting me more and more excited. Big house! Dracula! Mummy! Egypt! Wolf-Man! Anubis! I'm a mythology buff and a Furry, so most of those (especially the last two together) instantly check all the boxes of what I'm hoping for in this house. Am I shameless for that being the reason for putting this at number one? You bet I am!
------------
And that's that! It's quite the lineup, and honestly any and every one of them can really kill it this year! The next couple weeks can't go by soon enough!
Book with our Travel Partners
Latest posts
-
Halloween Horror Nights 33 (UOR) - Speculation & Rumors- Latest: AlexanderMBush
-
-
-
Halloween Horror Nights 2024 (USH) - Speculation & Rumors- Latest: ParksandSights
