HHN 34: Tips, Tricks & Planning Thread

[UniversalRBLX]

Updating this as I think with 3 weekends down I've gotten a good idea of the event this year.


I hate saying this, but I really have no solid stay & scream route this year. The only tip I can give is that there is a "grace period" closer to the event start (around 5:45 to 6:15PM) where the Fallout queue is relatively quiet as most of the S&S guests would have experienced it by then and it's a 5-10 min wait.

Just an observation: stay & scream is busier than ever this year. To a point CityWalk bartenders are complaining they've lost the "pregame" crowd they were counting on this season. Houses are opening up with 100+ minute waits. Last night, they closed FN@F standby during S&S because it was full.

The ripple effect from this is that the rest of the night is more pleasant. Based on last year, I fully expected a quarter-mile of traffic at 7:40 last night--instead, I was greeted with multiple empty "toll" booths. Security is set up to send you all the way to the JP garage like last year, but every time it's been open to the rotunda with at least one open checkpoint. When I left around 11:30, not the usual rush of people still coming in. I can only assume the event is back to slowing down after midnight, but I haven't had a chance to observe that yet.

Make of this what you will, and adjust plans/expectations accordingly.

Credit to UOR, parking and security have been a breeze this year. However S&S has gotten ridicously useless over the years and difficult to navigate without express.

 

[SeventyOne]

Credit to UOR, parking and security have been a breeze this year. However S&S has gotten ridicously useless over the years and difficult to navigate without express.

"Credit" might be a strong word in this case. Universal is clearly set up -- and staffed up -- like they expected a different event. They seem to have been caught flatfooted just like everyone else. I hope they don't cut staff only to have October return to normal.

Best theories I've heard are (1) Five Nights crowd is younger, has to be home at a decent hour, and (2) guests are priced out of Express and think S&S the only way they'll be able to see the marquee IPs without a 2 hour wait (which, of course, everyone else thinks, defeating the purpose altogether). Bars have been relatively empty as well lately, which I suppose could support either theory.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

"Credit" might be a strong word in this case. Universal is clearly set up -- and staffed up -- like they expected a different event. They seem to have been caught flatfooted just like everyone else. I hope they don't cut staff only to have October return to normal.

Best theories I've heard are (1) Five Nights crowd is younger, has to be home at a decent hour, and (2) guests are priced out of Express and think S&S the only way they'll be able to see the marquee IPs without a 2 hour wait (which, of course, everyone else thinks, defeating the purpose altogether). Bars have been relatively empty as well lately, which I suppose could support either theory.

I do think the "need" to get to the event earlier has resulted in HHN being busy from the very start. I remember the days of the event not feeling busy until 9PM. Operationally, this practice is far better than having guests rush in between a smaller timeframe like previous years.

On the bar/alcohol front, there are a lot more bar carts this year throughout the park and each major bar is now fully staffed with way more bartenders than prior years. Finnegan's surprisingly hasn't been difficult (have seen it quite empty pass 11 now) to visit, so maybe people are drinking but limiting themselves. It's hard to justify $15 for a canned beer or $20 for a mixed cocktail more than once a night. So maybe the combination of less drinking + better operations results in empty bars.

I really only saw the bars busy on the first week (as people love to acquire the souvenir cup) but it's been very easy to grab drinks lately.

 

[Jake S]

It's hard to justify $15 for a canned beer or $20 for a mixed cocktail more than once a night.

I wish you were right

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Fallout and Galkn are next to each other and still 30 minutes apart for opening. That's ridiculous!

I saw this happen, basically everyone lines up for Fallout cuz it opens at 515 but not everyone is through before Galkn opens at 545. Then once folks are through Fallout they go to Galkn and that lines gets super long as Fallout dries up. My pro tip would be to wait for Galkn then jump over to Fallout to minimize waits.

 

[HalfGlass]

Depends on what counts as "long" for Jason for you. I did El Artista S&S today getting in line around 5:40 (after getting out of WWE) and was out of there by 6:06. I did briefly consider going to Jason which was posted 35 when I walked by but had a hefty visible line outside the building. Ended up hitting Fallout + Galkn instead which I think was the right call since I walked on both in about ten minutes apiece.

Jason remained posted between 50-60 minutes for quite a while after that so I doubt I would have waited longer than about 50 had I hopped in line at that time. But 50 is still pretty long at that time of night.

Thanks for the feedback! Do you know what time the pen opens for Jason? Will probably just go straight there.

 

[Tereglith]

I hate saying this, but I really have no solid stay & scream route this year. The only tip I can give is that there is a "grace period" closer to the event start (around 5:45 to 6:15PM) where the Fallout queue is relatively quiet as most of the S&S guests would have experienced it by then and it's a 5-10 min wait.

I was pretty satisfied with my route last night - lined up for WWE around 4:45, out by 5:30. Went to Artista at 5:40, out by 6:05. Beelined behind MIB and did Fallout right as its wait time crashed to near zero about 6:15, then by the time I was out of there Galkn had also crashed to near zero and I was through that by 6:35. Four houses by 6:40 is not bad, the only problem is WWE is kind of a low-value house to start with because it has the lowest average waits throughout the night.

If you're willing to put the time in you could increase the value of this route by swapping WWE for FNAF - but it would take lining up right around 3 to be able to get out soon enough to hit Artista, which I don't care enough to do. You could also instead be one of the first people in line for Terrifier and still get out soon enough despite the 5:30 open, though I'd only want to do that on a cloudy day. But regardless of initial pick I agree that hitting the new tent houses in quick succession right around 6:15 is one of the highest value S&S opportunities.

Thanks for the feedback! Do you know what time the pen opens for Jason? Will probably just go straight there.

I assume it opens at 4 like the other headliners, but someone else would have to confirm.

 

[HalfGlass]

I really do struggle with the idea of lining up at 3 for a house that opens over two hours later. The whole purpose of S&S was to avoid lines that deep. Just brutal this year…

 

[UniversalRBLX]

I really do struggle with the idea of lining up at 3 for a house that opens over two hours later. The whole purpose of S&S was to avoid lines that deep. Just brutal this year…

It just doesn't make sense anymore. That Terrifier line is especially brutal in direct sunlight.

The event is pretty much jam-packed from the very beginning.

 

[kingcooger]

To confirm, the front gates open at 6:30pm, right?

I have some people who plan on meeting us in the park and I want to make sure they know how early to arrive

 

[ssirin88]

To confirm, the front gates open at 6:30pm, right?

I have some people who plan on meeting us in the park and I want to make sure they know how early to arrive

Yes the "official" starting time for everyone is 6:30pm.

S&S is definitely odd this year. I love the changes with the wristbands and not being corralled but without express, you kinda have no choice but to queue up right at 4pm or whatever if you want to do FNAF or Fallout. I do wonder how much will change once ROF ends in a couple of weeks.