Should Halloween Horror Nights Ditch the Intellectual Property?

[@katherineevans8818]

I object to your statement that most people just go to HHN for the adrenaline rush. It's a very expensive and crowded event. If people just want adrenaline, there are far cheaper haunts. People DO enjoy better theming, even if the don't consciously recognize it. Just like how Disney is still crazy popular despite being expensive and crowded.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

That's the experiment I would like to see. Does the house design bring people in even if there's no IP houses?

[@Akileese]

I'd like to think so. I've been saying HHN as an event is past the point where it needs IP to drive guests in, but this year has been noticeably less crowded than last year, and I think a lot of that is down to first timers balking at coming back after last years crowds, and also a weaker IP lineup. I also need to stress that I'm not saying HHN33 at Orlando isn't crowded, just that last year was unmanageably busy. I do think there's still a very large portion of the guest base that shows up to only really do the IP houses and (very weirdly) ride like, the only three open rides.

[@jamesmarshall6619]

@@Akileese also, could be because a lot of people are waiting for Epic Universe so planning for next year instead of going this year.

[@sharkfamine]

@@Akileese It's weird because I've heard a ton of people mention that Insidious was their favorite house due to it's design and seemingly endless scares, despite being a weaker IP in general. I could see no IPs being somewhat successful and I wish there was more UO original merch, like how Batilda is showing up on stuff now, but I also love to see how they do IP houses. I'm content with the way things are now with usually about half IP half original, usually leaning towards enjoying the originals more.

[@Bald_Sauerkraut]

@@PoseidonEntertainment IMO the house design is terrible, we found HHN houses to be too crowded. Because they are trying to get everyone through, most of the houses we've found we see the effect/scare before they come as we are so tight off the previous group...we've stopped going for that reason, and others have shared a similar experience.

[@LiquidSteel_04]

No. i absolutely love when they’re creative with the IPs. quiet place was amazing and even better, i love the ghostbusters house because it’s not inherently a horror IP. The creativity behind using a non-horror IP for the houses intrigues me. i love that they use both IP and non-IP houses.

[@graffiti.777]

Exactly. I think they should have half and half tbh.

[@bfluker85]

They are rarely creative with the IP though. It usually just comes across as a lazy “hey remember this scene?” The original houses are so much more fun.

[@LiquidSteel_04]

@@bfluker85 the ghostbusters house was creative

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I do agree that there have been many IP stand-outs, but sometimes they do just feel obligatory. Stranger Things 4 was definitely one of the weaker houses I've ever been through and Chucky was just outright bad. Many IP houses have been great, but sometimes they don't put in the effort that they should. I agree that this year's were a lot better though. I thought Frozen Empire was better than the 2019 Ghostbusters house, which also relied more on its name than its quality.

[@LiquidSteel_04]

@@PoseidonEntertainment that’s fair. stranger things last year was my first ever house so i remember it fondly though i am not a stranger things fan. and yes chucky sucked

[@enchantingkatie2]

Working as a house attendant during HHN-lite in 2020 kinda desensitized me to the scares, so I mostly go to check out the artistry of the houses at this point. With that being said, I don’t think the event would be able to stand as strong without the IPs. While I’ve loved some of their original houses (Case Files Unearthed from HHN 30 comes to mind as one of my favorites), a good number of them can be extremely hard to follow the stories of because of how fast you’re rushed through each room and how the blaring noise can drown out character dialogue. I think it makes sense to have a balance where there are some houses that are already well-known enough to where you can understand what’s happening (assuming you know the IP) without having to go through the house 10 times

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

Normally I would agree with you, because every year on opening night, I would run through all the houses and try to see what story I could pick up on before searching out more information or context. I didn't do that this year because every house was very straightforward in its storytelling with little room for confusion or ambiguity, which I think is a big improvement. Not that I don't think they necessarily need to have their stories so upfront to be interesting, but I definitely did not understand Dueling Dragons until I watched vlogs of people who went on RIP tours.

[@enchantingkatie2]

@@PoseidonEntertainment It’s not a MAJOR issue this year from what I’ve seen so far (granted I’ve only been once so far and only got half the houses done), but there were some that probably could’ve been clearer. A Team Member explained the story behind the triplet house to us before we went through, and I ended up enjoying the house once I understood, but I know for a fact I wouldn’t have picked up on that storyline myself if the Team Member hadn’t told me that. I also couldn’t pick up on anything beyond “evil Willy Wonka” with the candy factory house, but maybe that’s all that one was supposed to be (I didn’t really like that house)

[@m.hreels9822]

@@PoseidonEntertainment but dude you don’t agree with anybody’s opinion

[@TreySarver]

The “I was wrong about Dark Universe” video is gonna be hilarious

[@NicEeEe843]

His bad takes are stacking up

[@m.hreels9822]

@@NicEeEe843 No kidding! 😂😅

[@m.hreels9822]

He really doesn’t think about what the general public thinks. 😂 At this point I think he’s trolling.

[@thatfishguy4991]

@@m.hreels9822he spends half the video insulting the general public and calling them low class

[@FrenchTaco-i8d]

They should not ditch it, but make them be as creative as the original houses. I mean most people are drawn in by the IPs, they deserve more creative and unique scares that isn’t just recreations of the films.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I do like when they expand on the material. Poltergeist might be one of my favorite houses because it went beyond the film.

[@Elmerstudd007]

I think an even mix of Original and IP are a requirement with these parks BECAUSE they are studio parks. The only alternative to this would be if they used original characters and treated the houses as "trailers" for upcoming projects they had in production so that the studio element isn't ignored or forgotten. I do think the houses would be significantly less popular without iconography attached, at least at first until the vloggers use their outreach to reach a larger audience and tell everyone which houses are worth visiting.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I want one all original year as just an experiment to see what happens

[@Elmerstudd007]

@PoseidonEntertainment like I said I think that would be really cool as long as they tie in the studio element somehow. I know they've had a few movie themed icons in the past that honestly didn't do all that well, but I think if they spent enough time on the marketing and like I had said before, use the houses as a trailer for potential future projects it would be a super cool concept. Granted I can't say much, I've only been to HHN once and the 1 house I got to see was American Werewolf in London, I would have loved to have seen more but long story short that wasn't possible. Side note I also miss the Bill and Ted shows, I understand why they got rid of them because that brand of humor just doesn't play well today but still.

[@leroyjenkins1249]

I agree. I'd add that even their "originals" aren't 100% original: _Universal Monsters: Unmasked_ was not modern, but classic literature. Plus, Horror-fans bond exactly over those core things: Horror movies, games etc. So it makes sense that you catch those mice not just with good IPs, but their favourite type of cheese. It's about the execution. Tbf, I feel it might seem a bit repetitive, because other years had an overreaching "event" going on. Like when Jack summoned Jason & Freddy as his "special guests"? Makes it feel less...advertisy. And yeah, I also got into HHN ironically, through vloggers who filmed the houses.

[@Elmerstudd007]

@@leroyjenkins1249 when I speak lf their originals I mean their Icons like Jack, the Caretaker, The Storyteller, etc. Truly original properties that could be expanded on and future characters. Something that adds more to the sauce rather than just more salt.

[@nathanwenrich3699]

The thing about IP houses in Orlando is I think they are one of the most complete delivery of the original idea of “ride the movies”. I don’t necessarily care if it’s a huge IP, in fact I kind of prefer obscure ones, but one of my favorite things about hhn is being able to watch a few movies and then literally feel in them or at least on set. That is an experience I’ve only ever truely felt at hhn orlando and I think it’s the thing, I’m additional to its mix of quality original houses, which sets it apart from other quality events.

[@MovieFanZ89]

Here’s the thing: I think it would be cool to have more originals, but it is the IP houses one announced that will bring more people to the event. People want to come for a property that they have heard of. That might be why insidious this year in Orlando is the, best house voted on by a lot of people

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I think Insidious is the best house because it's literally just the best house. I like that it somewhat subverts a lot of traditional HHN house design and is very aggressive.

[@MovieFanZ89]

I do like that they split it though. This year they have six originals and four IP but usually it’s five of each and I think that works.

[@ethanhart129]

Not necessarily, since COVID the ratio of originals to IPs has been 6-4 or even 7-3

[@Itsuki_Kamui]

I love how most of the video is just talking shit about general park goers and still ended up extremely true. This year was my very first Halloween Horror Nights ever and I went with my dad over at Hollywood. When we were going in the Quiet Place maze there was a group of teens right behind me and one of them just started shrieking. Not because he got scared but he did it for no fucking reason, and me and my dad just stepped into the first scene and nothing jumped at us so they essentially weren't in the maze technically. Lowkey kinda pissed me off with how loud he was compared to the maze

[@zacg_]

I know Universal doesn't use the tag line "ride the movies" but I do think that attitude is why HHN is such idea. People don't go because it's a theme park that happens to have scare actors and mazes like we see with Six Flags (including the legacy Cedar Fair parks) as well as SeaWorld/Busch Gardens parks and so on. I think people go because "it's the best because it has horror movie characters." But as you point out, in general haunts like these aren't really for people who are focused on immersion in a theme. They're for young people trying to scare their friends, prove their grit or just laugh, or they're for people who think it's a party and like to get drunk. So I don't think Universal would get the same turnout with orginal haunts but it probably wouldn't actually matter to the people once they were in the park because most of them don't really care. Side note, probably my favorite haunt event is Howl-O-Scream at BGW. They really make great use of the specific settings. It doesn't feel like scare actors standing next to coasters. They genuinely seem to put the theme above the scares which makes it all come together incredibly well. I know the other SeaWorld parks do that event but I think it just works more in the European village themes they use at Williamsburg.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I'll have to try to get to BGW for it one year. I've always liked Tampa's (SeaWorld's is awful) but I would like to compare events too.

[@zacg_]

@@PoseidonEntertainment I think you'll like the event at BGW. In the English themed entry way the Halloween theme is Jack the Ripper. They have scare actors but they also have actors who are grim looking policemen and ladies of the night. The costumes are all very old styled and the lights are low. And while they aren't monsters, they still find ways to startle you. France has an elegantly dressed headless Marie Antoinette walking the streets and sometimes gracefully dancing. She's not even gory, just decapitated. My favorite area is Italy. It's always the most beautiful area in the park with the gardens. But the characters and atmosphere are amazing there at Halloween.

[@thatfishguy4991]

I feel like it’s weird to judge people for enjoying these events in a way that you don’t.

[@zacg_]

@@thatfishguy4991 who said anything about judging? I made a comment about the focus of people who like scare mazes and why that means a focus on immersion is not really the main draw. Nobody is judging anyone for what they like. If the comment about getting drunk is what rubbed you the wrong way then just watch the video because he touches on this same phenomenon. I'm neither saying nor implying that that represents everyone who likes scare mazes. But it would be pretty silly to say that it isn't an appreciable percentage of the guests.

[@lordsquidy133]

When it comes to IP houses though, when they’re made effectively they do a great part in elevating the event. Especially with some of the older IPs, it’s fun to celebrate classics like Beetlejuice and Halloween with a new immersive experience. At the end of the day, a fun and awesome house is a win for everyone!

[@hotmesslex18]

i think the ip’s are definitely a way to get people in and interested in the event, it just depends on what people get out of it, and it’s different for everyone. for example, i was interested in going to horror nights for years because i would see people on social media post cute pictures and talk about how much fun they had, but i’m a huge baby that could never handle horror movies or jumpscares. i finally braved it specifically for the weeknd house in 2022 (incredible house btw) and realized that i genuinely loved going into haunted houses and getting spooked and laughing about it afterwards. after that trip i started researching the history of the event and diving into the lore and storylines, and really fell in love with the production and artistry of the houses, makeup, costuming, and overall production. i went from being petrified of people jumping out at me to scare me to it being my most anticipated vacation of the year (my best friend whom i went with the first year and i have made it a yearly tradition since!!) i WILL say that i was a little more anxious this year because i didn’t have what i have called my “anchor house” which is an ip house that i was the most familiar with and excited for. basically my “anchor house” (the weeknd in 2022, the last of us in 2023) was a house that, no matter how scared or upset i could get at the event, i KNOW there is a house with ip that i’m familiar with so i won’t be as surprised with what’s going on and i will have a good time regardless. this year the ip i was most familiar with was “ghostbusters” and it was just the franchise as a whole, and not the new movies that the house was based on. that being said, i still went this year and had an AMAZING time and realized that i didn’t need an “anchor house” at all, and i am finally at a level where i can just go through a house and be scared and still have a great time and appreciate the artistry of what i’m experiencing!! all of this to say, i think that ip is necessary because, even if it draws a lot of rowdy crowds, it could bring some newcomers into the event and into haunts in general like myself that falls in love with it and wants to keep experiencing it every year!!

[@Ilikemixingthingsup]

My brother and I (along with our cousins) made sure to go to HHN in hollywood every year. We loved it, up until the last few years it began to feel stale. The mazes all felt the same albeit a few changes here and there but by using famous IPs it felt like a cop out. This year was the first year in many that we didn't attend, not after last year's disappointment. Love the original IP ideas, like how each year used to be themed around 1 specific evil character, and you would be filled in about their lore with videos or a show prior to the beginning of each night. Golden years!

[@larrywalker5743]

I miss those, Jack’s carnaval of carnage was awesome in 2007

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I've only started going to HHN Hollywood since 2022, but I immediately recognized that the house design is only really attempting the bare minimum. I liked it the last two years, but after this year, I'm really not sure if I'm going to make it a priority again. Too many houses this year had just absolutely nothing go on inside of them.

[@Lc._.1]

​@@larrywalker5743 he was 2007

[@larrywalker5743]

@@Lc._.1 you are correct

[@thefergyfilms]

Noting how different crowds are attracted to the different houses is so interesting. As a massive music junkie/ someone who works in the music industry I often take the same note on crowd "types" when at concerts. The more I like or associate with a given band, the more I often enjoy the crowd. Lots of crappy country or rock music attracts that Chucky crowd you speak of lol. This also contributes to why I have 0 interest in going to Disney parks anymore. Maybe I am going insane but hear me out: as they become a more dumbed down product less focused on educational aspects and being perceived as "art," the crowds showing up are often matching that energy- with Disney parks fans becoming more and more intolerable and "basic" as of late. All of the least interesting/ most annoying/ most childish people I know are often Disney adults. They seem to love the basic iconography around the brand and going "omg i recognize elsa!" rather than what they once stood for- which is a company (or, arguably, a man) that wanted to advance mankind through groundbreaking art and experiences, having invented both the feature animated film and the modern american theme park.

[@nokrepkie]

A lot of hardcore fans understandably wanna give the public the benefit of the doubt and refute Poseidon’s points about demographics, but it’s all too real. Certain IP attracts certain demographics and it’s the unfortunate truth

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I actually thought about mentioning that exact Disney angle in the video but I thought it might become an irrelevant tangent. I agree, I do think IP brings in a shallow, problematic and entitled crowd to the WDW parks because it's not about the quality or artistry to them. As much as I like the Universal parks in Florida, I agree that the issue continues there too, with Harry Potter bringing out that particular crowd. I've thought that this specific point might make for an interesting video, but I don't know if there's enough to actually talk about without including it in some larger thesis. Now that you've said it though, I might try to write out an outline to see if it seems feasible for a script.

[@anaismca]

I don’t have much to add to the conversation since I’ve never been to HHN, but here’s me trying to give your video a little boost!

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

Always appreciated lol

[@lordsquidy133]

I think HHN would still be able to bring in the most crowds without IP houses because of Universals positioning of thrilling entertainment; if they can make the icon and a few of their houses extra thrilling and exciting that could draw new crowds almost as effectively.

[@Heifer2997]

I’m fond of the current mix of IPs and originals. The originals are usually my favorite, but there have been many really cool IPs over the years so, current formula works well for me.

[@dennisd9804]

You made some great points in this video, especially with how some IP's have attracted key demographics. Universal Monsters has been one of my favorite house franchises from Universal; originality is a key. While I have not been to HHN after going in both 2018 and 2019, you made some great points about the success of icons Jack, Usher, and Oddfellow. Those icons have attracted a good number of people to HHN. Execution definitely trounces IP. Great analysis overall, Poseidon!

[@alpharone]

There seems to be a large amount of unsubstantiated conclusions based on your "observations." Not saying I disagree with your opinion, or agree with it, but it's hard to form one when there's such a vague degree of credibility at the basis of your argument.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

Did you want me to start polling people in line?

[@alpharone]

@@PoseidonEntertainment It's a better option than generalizing a large group of people's interests without any interaction with said group

[@Courier_333]

Why would universal give up the aspect that makes them unique? The thing is, I don't care for more than half the IPS they use. But whenever they nail a classic film, it's all worth it. The Texas chainsaw massacre maze a few years ago was a great example

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

Ah, see I thought that was definitely one of their weaker IP houses lol

[@Courier_333]

@PoseidonEntertainment maybe you don't really like the 1974 film? Cuz they captured it very well.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

@@Courier_333 Nah I love that film. The issue was that the house was too unfocused and actually didn't pull from the film enough imo

[@Courier_333]

@@PoseidonEntertainment fair enough!

[@Lc._.1]

​@@Courier_333 the 2016 one? Cuz 2021's was kinda ment to be a sequel of the orginal 1974 film and before the 1986 film,

[@toyotatacoma1616]

If you don’t want IP stuff, go to seaworld, where there’s less of a crowd and they actually allow the haunt actors to talk to the guests. HHN is the IP event, otherwise it’s outcompeted by other theme park haunts in the same state.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

SeaWorld's event is awful though

[@JP-1990]

I'm shocked we haven't gotten a Junji Ito house, yet.

[@Leahi84]

God I miss HHN SO much! I haven't been able to go since the mid 2000s. It's the only thing I miss from when I lived in Florida.

[@ColinTheGamerReal]

I mean there's 10 houses in Orlando and 7 of those are original houses, it's not a big enough issue to even bother bringing up. Plus all 3 of the licensed houses are well made (Insidious being my favorite overall house) so I just don't see the problem here. I do agree that Howl-o-Scream is also great, but HHN just has a level of quality that's hard to beat.

[@whydidntigetanysoup]

I have ALWAYS enjoyed the original houses more than IP houses. I think for a number of reasons-not the least of which is the wait times, but also the fact that IP houses rush you through due to demand. Of course, I don’t like being rushed through because I love to look at the sets and effects and costumery. I went last year but I seriously considered just doing the daytime walk throughs-not due to scariness 😂 I’m the person that scared people always hide behind while going through houses-but because I just want to see how well they’re put together. The only thing that stopped me from doing the daytime event was the price. But honestly given how crowded it gets and, like you said, the emphasis on alcohol, it is sincerely tempting. I think it’s too late in the season for me to consider it this year, but I might pull the trigger next year. I don’t even ride rides during HHN. I’m purely in it for the houses. That all said, I think the IP houses kind of prop up the event monetarily. I think a lot of people pay the price to go and don’t stay the whole time, get discouraged due to wait times, etc. I think if they had 1-2 big IP houses and the rest were originals…I think you might have a golden formula.

[@obsidian_band]

Oof. That Chucky comment was rough. Maybe it was being a kid in the late 80s and seeing Child's Play very young, which my mom followed up with a very mean yet hilarious prank with a red-haired cabbage patch kid doll. There is a certain nostalgia factor and cult following within the LGBTQ+ community for that IP outside of edgy nu-metal nerds.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I didn't know the LGBTQ community had any connection to Child's Play, but the "Nu-metal" crowd is probably the best descriptor of who I encountered.

[@rosarolli]

​@@PoseidonEntertainment think it mostly started drawing in queer audiences ever since bride and seed because of the presence of queer characters. Kinda like how a lot of queer horror fans LOVE Scream because of Billy

[@AgentGodzillaRP1701]

⁠​⁠@@PoseidonEntertainment Hmmm, you’re spot on with the “nu-metal” description. I’m in a lot of these horror fanbases and the slasher stuff always attract that type of crowd, not just Chucky. What appeals to them most are the kills and the killers, not if a specific movie is good. Not saying slasher fanbases are just those people, but it’s a noticeable trend that slasher stuff attracts them.

[@jordanwhite352]

​@@PoseidonEntertainmentOne of the most things about horror media is the queer undercurrents of the genre and its popularity. Among people who are lgbtq, there are literally well documented University studies going on decades about this very subject. I actually took a class like that in college and the book we had to read is the the all textbook for this called the monstrous feminine.

[@365daysof18]

I’m an attendant in one of the original houses this year (the person dressed in black in the corner accidentally scaring you). Last year was my very first horror nights, and I didn’t end up in any of the IP houses because of wait times+having no interest in them since I wasn’t really familiar with the franchises. I think that the IP is necessary to draw in people, and the pop culture aspect to them are what keeps the event relevant. People love insidious specifically this year because of the way the iconography is there without being attached to one movie, and it’s a house people can enjoy even if they’re vaguely aware of the story (me) because it’s so iconic. the way the house is paced is intense enough that even if they’re changing out the cast, getting half the scares is just as good. Ghostbusters is my favorite not bc I’ve seen the movie (I haven’t seen the og in at least 15 years let alone the newer ones) mostly because it was so much fun, it’s well paced, and the detail is great. Quiet place kind of bores me and I hate that it’s basically just in total darkness, and people get lost in it all the time, which just makes for an annoying experience. I think I’m mostly disappointed because I’ve seen it with the house lights on, and it’s honestly so well detailed I feel it’d be scarier and better if it was well lit with a ton of fog to hide anything they’re trying to conceal. All in all, probably if I didn’t work here and was able to walk through the houses when I could, I probably wouldn’t go through them for the exact reason I didn’t last year: I just don’t care. Being in one of the original houses that people dunk on-and granted we have our super fans- nothing pains me more than someone coming up to me and asking “what movie is this house?” A lot of people come just for the IP houses and they’ll never get rid of them. The teens will always come because the high school is right across the street from property. 2023 Blood moon was the reason why I committed to staying in Orlando to work at hhn because I wanted to be apart of that original experience, and I’m hoping to stay for many years to come. There’s a lot of people that respect the true artwork that hhn is and there are people who just want to get drunk and punch scare actors in the face. It’s just the way it is.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

Having only seen the first movie, I was really confused why the red faced demon wasn't in the Insidious house, which I don't think really delivers on the iconography. I did then binged the next 4 movies to understand why he loses his red face, but that never actually happened, so it's a bizarre creative choice.

[@gameboygamer6498]

From my experience at HHN 2022. The 1950s bug house was awesome and was by far my favorite.

[@CH33KYBAST3RD]

Back in the early 2000's everything was original creations with HHN. They had cohesive themes and it was great. The product started to get watered-down when it stopped being an adults only event, and they catered to the PG13 crowd. We went from creative, fun scares to derivative B-Tiered houses. Scare zones are NOTHING like they used to be 20 years ago. And the shows? They used to be can't miss attractions. The IP can be done great, but that's been lacking for a long time. They have no motivation to be better, without a solid challenger. That's where we are now. They value the volume of guests over the quality of the event, anymore. It's a shell of what used to be a great product, even when it lacked the IP prescence to fuel ticket sales.

[@KRobinson-ko1ne]

I would to see a more restrained version of a walkthrough focused on the classic Universal Monsters: one that sincerely recreates the scenes to a T. It would probably drag and would require reservations and cast members to control each group but, man, to see the Bride come to life with the music and all and Dr Pretorius would be incredible

[@UndeadNerdT800]

Universal is a film company if anything all the houses should be IP.

[@TheHoboPig]

Honestly I dont think HHN should get rid of ip based houses, rather I do wish for them to be creative with the ip and have fun with it. Ip houses have been apart of HHN since the second ever one with The people under the stairs house, not to mention there are some ip houses that are amazing like the American Werewolf in London house where it had fantastic set design and prosthetics. So to me at least there is value with ip houses if used to best it can be but being lazy with it is my main issue with them especially when the walking dead was the most consistent house for many years at HHN. But thats my thoughts on the matter, I really enjoyed the video and i hope to see more for HHN cuz i cant get enough of other perspectives on the finer appreciation of these houses rather than how most people who make videos on the event do

[@friendlyneighborhoodfangir1956]

I feel like Dark Universe at Epic Universe, as well as the permanent HHN installation in Las Vegas will do decently well because there is the demographic of people who want something spooky all year round. It would be like having a Spirit Halloween open all year instead of just three months in the fall. In regard to getting rid of ip at HHN, I feel like it’s the one thing that it has over other haunt. It’s a movie studio park, so it would make sense to have horror movie houses. And I know another comment said this too, but maybe putting a spin that at least one or two of the houses are based on future movie concepts would be a good idea to make the original story houses make sense in a way

[@mr_creatinator]

It's not the IPs themselves; It's the way some of them are handled. For example, I and a lot of other people would strongly agree that the Insidious house was the best house this year, and it was all IP based. All it comes down to is how well they're executed.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

Does that matter though? Stranger Things 4 was really half-baked, yet it drew in a ton of people.

[@pinefruit.2269]

People don’t visit for the IP’s anymore usually. So it would survive just fine without them. I will say, they suck actually theming everything together without a proper icon. That I think is the main issue

[@Gael-qk5gw]

I completely disagree, the IPs are always the most popular houses and the most talked about. I don’t see anyone talking about how amazing was Major Sweets all I hear is Insidious being great and the same can be said for Hollywood who also has its shares of Original houses but those will never be as popular as a Texas Chainsaw house or a Ghostbusters house and all the marketing never uses the originals. If it was just originals they would lose half their audience

[@thedumpingground305]

I’ve been to HHN almost every year since 2014 to now since my birthday falls in October and it was a relatively cheap way to celebrate my birthday for my family/friends (Florida resident). Never been one for scares but I certainly can appreciate the artistic design and attention to detail that Universal Orlando brings to the table when it comes to bringing these scare mazes and scare zones to life. I don’t necessarily think Universal needs IP to succeed; I have friends in the purely thrill-seeking without paying much attention to detail/wanting to experience an IP demographic and the attention to theme park detail demographic and I see them both appreciate the original houses, due to just wanting to experience as much as we can throughout the night and focusing into going to whatever house we can while trying to find the best time to go on the big IP draws. That being said, you can’t dispute that IP is a huge draw to event and an integral part of the experience. You go to Universal to ride the movies, so for a scare mazes it makes sense to experience what a character in, say, the Walking Dead would be feeling at that moment. (HHN’s biggest sin was that period where every year had a Walking Dead house lol) Plus, more often than not I find the experience being enhanced by the IP and adding to it than using them as a way to cover up mediocrity and merchandising opportunities like Disney has been doing lately. Universal’s definitely better at walking that fine line and way more people are starting to take notice, so they’d be wise to learn from the way Disney keeps shooting itself in the foot.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

For the most part I agree, but I do think IP houses can be a bit hit or miss. Stranger Things 4 was definitely covering its mediocre house design with its IP. It was a lot of big empty rooms with nothing going on.

[@thedemonscorn]

I have been going for a few years now. The first year I went was back in 2002 where most attractions were original and not IP. yes a couple houses had ip characters like maximum carnage and Jurassic. for years majority of houses were original concepts with 1 or 2 houses that were ip houses. With the opportunities of the haunt I work at getting full backstage access to HHN when we come visit the past 2 years we have been able to understand the process of how this event works from one of the top people that put the event on. I agree there are a minority of us that truly love the lure of the original houses and icons as it shows the amazing story telling HHN does.

[@DarMar106]

Personally; HHN strongest houses and my personal favorites have always been the original houses. That being said they’ve done some amazing IP houses in the past. The Weeknd house was shockingly my favorite one that year. and form a business perspective I get it. Did you make it to Knotts Scary Farm? Would’ve loved to get your options in their event; and also a great argument for an event that relies solely on original houses and content and is famous in its own right

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

Yeah, I went to Knotts again this year and it was so much better than HHN Hollywood lol. I think that Widows is kind of "meh" but I liked Boogeyman to the point where it might be my new favorite house there.

[@DarMar106]

@@PoseidonEntertainment Widows was my favorite; and Boogeyman one is pretty awesome as well

[@TreknotTrack]

This year we did HHN in both Hollywood and Orlando, in fact just got back last night for the Orlando trip. We noticed that the IP houses in both had the longest wait times. In Hollywood the night we went Dead Exposure: Death Valley and Monstrous 2 both seemed to be the best put together and IP houses The Weekend and Ghostbusters the weakest with many empty boo holes and space. In Orlando Insidious and Major Sweets were probably our strongest houses with Goblins being up there. 1 IP and 2 non in both parks the Universal Monsters houses were pretty bad, lots of missing scare actors. However, seeing Stage 12 in Hollywood was pretty cool. Last year we went to Knott's Scary Farm for the first time and had a blast, I was very impressed on the quality of the houses with no IP

[@legosonicadventures-g5t]

in the uk, fright nights at Thorpe park is amazing and blends original ideas with ip perfectly, there were 4 original scare mazes this year, the rest involved Fanta sponsoring the event and it as a 4d experience in sunset cinema

[@jordanwhite352]

Funny enough. I think you can make the same argument about fighting video games and their guest characters being popular IPS lol. I think of good balance is always desired and what's more frustrating is Universal's lack of timing and leveraging the I. Like now, knowing that the Beetlejuice sequel happened this year, if they had released that Beetlejuice haunted house this year, it probably would have been the most popular haunted house in the entirety of the history of the park because man did Beetlejuice take over Halloween this year. So I think what Universal needs to do more is not. Should we have IPS? It's more of trying to figure out when to do the IPS when the iron is hot. For example, maybe creating a resident Evil haunted house at Halloween horror nights whenever resident Evil 9 comes out would be something that I think Universal needs to try to coordinate.

[@douglasfreer]

TBH it does annoy how many people just assume the IPs have to be the best houses automatically and the originals being lesser for not being a movie. To show my tier list my top 3 this year are Slaughter Sinema (the schlocky b movie theme is awesome), Eternal Bloodlines (love the monsters) and Insidious (actually made me scream) in that order. Other ones I would include as favorites are Goblins Feast and Ghostbusters, the order depending on how I’m feeling. As for the other 5 it goes in this order: B tier Major Sweets, Triplets, Museum (C tier), A Quiet Place (D tier) Monstruos (bottom tier) Now let’s compare that to Hollywoods: S Tier (meaning I wanted to go back in after the first run) Terror Tram, Weeknd, TCM and Monstrous 2 A Tier (good but didn’t need a second run) Dead Exposure B tier (it was fine) Eternal Bloodlines C tier (could’ve been better) Insidious D tier (Orlando did it better) ghostbusters F tier (shouldn’t have been made) A Quiet Place

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I don't agree with your rankings at all, but I'll agree heavily with your first sentence lol

[@kevinbhieey9188]

It ALWAYS come down to the merch. The original Hogsmeade supposedly made back its construction cost on opening day. (It probably made it back in Butterbeer alone!) Licensing agreements are usually fee + percentage of merch, but I'm curious how that works for such a short-term event. Licensing a movie for a ride or land means all kinds of merch. I mean, there's an entire store of Men in Black merch, which I STILL cannot fathom! Meanwhile, most of the HHN licenses share shops with each other. From a cursory glance through this year's merch, there is WAY more Ghostbusters merch than Quiet Place or Insidious. Combined! Mr Sweets has a lot of merch and Lil Boo has more than that. Chucky also has a lot, and he doesn't even have a house. So the Top 4 IPs merch-wise are 2 originals, 1 for which they already own the license, and 1 I assume the have the license for since it's a television show on a Universal channel (Syfy). What's surprising, though, is the severe lack of Universal Monsters merch. Either it just doesn't sell, or they just didn't want to kill that cash cow before Dark Universe opens. How many stores are going to be filled with this stuff next year? (Good call on the Universal Monsters being popular more for what they represent than who they actually are. Frankenstein's Monster was the first zombie, The Wolf Man was the first werewolf, the Mummy was the first mummy (and the second zombie!), Dracula was the second vampire (I think) but the one who actually fathered most of the vampires we've seen since.) Also surprising was how little Blumhouse merch there was. Not only do they have the Insidious house, but they have a Scare Zone prominently featuring M3GAN, which does bolster your argument that Universal spreads the net far and wide, in this case appealing to people who don't like surprises, scares, original plots or well-written characters. This may also bolster the argument that Universal was going to spend less on IPs this year, as I think the Blumhouse agreement is an unusual one. Blumhouse signed a first-look agreement with Universal Pictures a decade ago, and Universal has distributed most of their films. So this arrangement creates an area between a homegrown IP like the Universal Monsters and a straight-up license, like A Quiet Place. A Blumhouse presence is basically a commercial for the product, and that benefits both studios. Not sure how their HHN agreement works, but it can't be too costly for Universal. What apparently does sell is merch from previous HHN icons. With one less IP house this year, and Blumhouse doing double duty, you'd think it'd be a year for Universal to bring back a biggie like Jack, so good job pointing out that they didn't. Maybe they needed to make sure Mr Sweets and Lil Boo would sell merch and didn't want some popular icon taking away focus. (Great call on the most popular icons being horror archetypes. I always thought Jack was only popular because evil clowns are an easy sell, but the ones that have stuck around do tend to be based on something made popular previously.) As for no IPs at all? No way. Universal does need the Chucky fans, the M3GAN fans, the OMG THERE'S ANOTHER INSIDIOUS MOVIE??? fans, etc. They come in, do the house they came for, maybe a couple others, and spend most of their time in the Scare Zones. (I actually much prefer Scare Zones to houses.) These are the people that don't fill up the queues, allowing Universal to sell more tickets. And they're out buying food and drinks and character-specific merch while the "nerds" are standing in line, not buying anything. Universal LOVES these people. Especially the drunks, because they got drunk on Universal's very-expensive booze. These are the people that have to be lured year after year. People like you are going to go, complain about the IPs... and buy next year's tickets the day they go on sale. They're already doing what they need to do to bring you back, so you're simply not their focus. "This year we have a spooky campground and a house filled with insects!" is NOT going to bring these people in.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

You make a lot of good points here, especially from the merch angle. I do recall seeing the Monsters merch on t-shirts and hoodies, but now that you point it out, yeah it's weird that there isn't more. I'm surprised by how much there is for Major Sweets, which makes me wonder if this will be the branding they slap on their candy going forward.

[@kevinbhieey9188]

@@PoseidonEntertainment The merch importance really comes into focus with those Mr Sweets sweets, don't it? Which takes us back to the Butterbeer Effect. That's when Universal realized how much money they could make off IP-related food. Krusty Burgers cemented this. (And Disney has tried their damnedest to copy this success.) Look no further than more recent HHNs, where the amount of IP-related food items has exploded. And it's not just slapping an IP on an item that already exists. You can eat the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man!!! And that's the point. They are selling food to the Instagrammers and TikTokkers and KZbinrs, etc, who all want to post the cool food they are eating. I would stand in a ridiculous line to eat the bloody nail from A Quiet Place!!! Thinking even more about IPs... what would happen to the HHN Rumor Industry if there were no IPs? Universal relies on sites like that to create buzz and excitement, so they have to provide them with a few reasons to actually exist.

[@frankdux5785]

Without watching yet…. No way! Its so fun making sure u watch the movies prior to see how closely they replicate it, along side the awesome originals… they have been slackin for years though. When i started in 2013 they had so many insane licenses for a number of years, then it was just halloween all the time and blumhouse. I want another avp/resident evil/saw/evil dead/texas chainsaw/horror icons… i mean they still are awesome every year but i feel like there is one or 2 less licenses every year since covid (maybe they are just recouping from covid and epic universe, but i dont want that to be the standard). Ok impulse rant over. Watching now. 😎

[@graffiti.777]

Exactly! Like how are they supposed to market or even make a lagoon show? What's it gonna be based on that has familiar music and characters?

[@negavenom]

And in some cases, the mazes are better than the movies they're based on.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I didn't start going until 2017, but the over-reliance on zombie houses seems just as bad as the current over-reliance on Blumhouse imo

[@frankdux5785]

@@PoseidonEntertainment ya they def had a walking dead thing going for a while

[@graffiti.777]

@@PoseidonEntertainment I guess same thing for classic Monsters but universal created them so I guess that's why they keep using them.

[@lolplzlolplz1]

Singapore is almost entirely IP free and the few times there are IP houses, they are often the worst ones of the bunch. Haven't been to HHN 12 yet but will be in 2 weeks

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I know almost nothing about the events outside of the U.S. but it would be interesting to experience them. How does Singapore usually do in terms of event quality?

[@lolplzlolplz1]

@@PoseidonEntertainment Singapore usually has a good mixture 1 house based on local Singaporean haunts. These might not resonate well with foreigners but are a big hit with locals. We consider them original houses, universal's interpretation of local haunts. 1 based on Asian haunts. Similarly, mostly original and Universal's take 2 based on commonly associated western haunts 1 misc, could be ip, local, asian or western In Singapore, 1-2 scare zones are functionally are outdoor houses, with flow and scares better than some of the USA houses. USS is small, they really creatively make use of the ourdoor spaces. Sting alley and jurassic park outdoor spaces are often turned into outdoor houses. In USS, Quality> Quantity for sure TDR explorer on KZbin has pretty good coverage Or Dejiki blog, a local Singaporean blogger. He maintains a museum of horror nights on his site, archiving every USS HHN, from opening scaremonies, parades, stage shows to houses, svarw zones an RIP tours Sometimes he travels to USJ or USB too In fact, a video of how HHN works in the Asian parks would be pretty unique. Universal could even consider replicating a past Asian HHN house each HHN in NA to see how they fare.

[@sailormoonfaiza]

@@PoseidonEntertainment The Houses are usually themed to stuff familiar to locals.

[@otaking3582]

But if HHN doesn't use licensed properties, where else would people be able to see them in person? It's not like Dead by Daylight, where the license holders could choose to make their own asymmetric multiplayer game. You can't just have the abandoned theme park from Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 in the middle of the state (although I wouldn't complain if they did).

[@piedmontaker]

The only factor that would be considered would be merch sales. If you bring in an IP, then you could sell associated merchandise. So, if they felt that merch sales from original houses would hold up, I don’t see why they couldn’t be all original.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I see a decent amount of merch from Major Sweets this year and it doesn't seem to be selling particularly well, so I think that does reinforce your point.

[@letsroamaround2189]

I went to HHN for the first time this year and all the IP related houses had atleast a 100 minute wait, while something like monstrous had a 25 minute wait...

[@shorebreakcards]

I would think that the licensing fees for IP's + merch + cost of production (consult fees, IP management, cooperate coats, etc.) is less than ticket sales without the IP. Imo, if HHN went without IPs, they would net positive while gross negative... obviously, I know nothing of their budget/income/net standard, but it seems they're happy where they are. HHN took UO Orlando out of the pit of despair and built IOA, and then built Harry Potter, and now a new theme park built on land bought from Boeing and other conglomerates. I don't think they're going to derive from that model, even though us HHN die hards would love to see it!

[@Cat-ix6jy]

i think a mix of both is fine personally!

[@acowwithlegs]

Universal was a good time this year, but scary farm knocked it out of the park. I prefer the non ip mazes because I have zero clue as to what to expect. Walking into the boogeyman maze I had no clue what was going to happen, it was absolutely incredible and they keep managing to one up themselves every year. I can skip universal some years but I never miss Knotts and haven’t for the past 4 years

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I liked Boogeyman a lot, I think partially because it's what HHN Orlando's Blood Moon should have been last year. I went into that house with no context and was blown away by how good it was.

[@acowwithlegs]

@@PoseidonEntertainment the highlight of boogeyman was the plush cat on that robot arm, it scared me and my friends both times we went into the maze.

[@MH2O_FTW]

tbh i think they need more ips! It is a studio park after all, and people go to be a part of the movies. I love the movie themed houses much more than the non movie themed ones. I love the set design tbh

[@BuckarooBanzai84]

Can't we just enjoy both? I think some of the best years have been ones where they they had a decent mix of both kinds, with more subtle theming connecting it all. Yeah, perhaps the ratio is off these days, and the IPs themselves have dipped in quality over the years, but I still think that's the best approach. As for the poor conduct of certain patrons; unfortunately, they're probably going to get that kind of thing no matter what they do. =( Still, I thought it was a valuable insight. Thanks! =)

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

In fairness, I do think the "quality" of people has improved. Despite observations with the Chucky house specifically, I've noticed that behavior the past 2 years was a lot better than 21 and 22.

[@BuckarooBanzai84]

@@PoseidonEntertainment Post-Covid cool-down I guess. =)

[@ironfist4457]

Did anyone else see that Six Flags actually had more IPs featured at their haunt event this year? That is actually bizarre. A lot of them seemed like ones that would go to Universal too.

[@notit297]

Warner Brothers/Six Flags partnership. They want a slice of the HHN profits lol

[@SydneyMilynn]

Ooh buddy. Six flags houses are rough. And not in a good "scary" way.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I haven't been paying attention because I really have no plans to ever attend Fright Fest, but it definitely is weird to see them licensing IP when I didn't know they could or would do so.

[@SydneyMilynn]

@@PoseidonEntertainment Wat5ching @Kevinheimbach 's coverage of the Six Flags event made it seem like they might not have the right authorization to use those IP's. 👀 Particularly their Stranger Things house. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qZW1fpZ_lJl4g8ksi=Vq0JClic2T3dvVd8

[@sorceress1986]

Wow, this was an interesting analysis. I like the idea of HHN, and LOVE to learn the stories, lore, etc. I even went to the Stranger Things house lights on tour last year, because otherwise I'm a total chicken. I'd go for Universal Monsters, Ghostbusters etc. I personally, am just kind of a chicken, so it's interesting to see the difference.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I haven't done the lights on tours yet (even though I say every year that I want to), but I've heard they're great because you miss so much detail when walking through at night.

[@UnofficialFreddyFazbear]

As someone who went for their very first time this year, about a week or 2 ago, I hit every scare zone and most of the houses, missing Quiet Place, Insidious, Triplets, and the Candy one. I was a little disappointed. The houses in my opinion, some houses felt very weak, maybe because I worked at a Haunted Hay Ride and Haunted House for 4 years, so they don’t really scare me… This doesn’t mean I didn’t have fun, I still had a lot of fun, but not enough to stay til 2:00a.m

[@SamHartwell420]

Hey, you should check out Petrified Forest in Altamonte springs. I haven't been this year, but it's always quite good in my opinion. They have 3 trails that you can only do once per visit (I imagine you can pay to do them more than once), but they're well themed with great scare actors.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

Yeah, I'd like to branch out in the following years

[@fredleggett923]

@@PoseidonEntertainment Just temper your expectations, as PF is a VERY small haunt compared to the majors and has a family-owned vibe. However, they have touch nights, which all the majors won't "touch" with a ten-mile cattle prod (pun intended). There's also Scream-A-Geddon and 13th Floor in Florida. Even Leu Gardens is getting some decent Halloween action.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

@@fredleggett923 I've liked Scream-a-geddon in the past, but I don't go anymore because of how frequent allegations of sexual assault and harassment there are. Conceptually, I like what they're doing but I can't support it.

[@fredleggett923]

@@PoseidonEntertainment I was scrolling through the tripadvisor comments for SAG and they do seem to've deteriorated quite a bit in the past couple of years. I didn't see anything about sexual assault, but that's always going to be an "danger" with haunts that offer a touch option, especially as it relates to females. Ohwell. There's also Sir Henry's, which I hear is quite spooky and worth the price.

[@leah6831]

About to head into the park this is perfect timing!!

[@hyperionsama]

Another great video! I appreciate the update for the season 🙏 since it’s tough for a Canadian to get down there some times 😅

[@samtorbert6554]

Honestly this year my favorite houses were the original ones. Especially the goblin one

I've worked at a theme park for well over 35 years and I've seen the evolution of the special holiday events from their inception to present day...These videos, including this one are spot on accurate. The IPs, while not completely unnecessary, suck out the majority of the budgets, leaving behind weak sets with no ambience. Most especially at USH. However, the majority of the people who go to the Halloween events at theme parks are most definitely just looking to be scared and the adrenaline rush that follows. Most wouldn't notice a well thought out walk through if their life depended on it. I agree that UO would be able to make an IP-less HHN successful if they wanted. USH, however, doesn't currently have the skill level they would need to pull that off. One last thing, it's not pronounced Scare Actors. It's pronounced exactly like the work character but with an S at the beginning. I was there when that phrase was coined ;)

[@Phantomcrustacean]

It’s a similar issue that’s happening with dead by daylight. It was originally meant to be a love letter to the genre and specifically slasher, no, it’s bloated with every horror ip you can think of (and nick cage)

[@binguspingus2461]

It’s so crowded it’s not worth going to anymore, waiting 3 hrs for even the b tier houses is absurd

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I do think the event needs to address capacity concerns. It's possible that an all original year might be a good experiment to see how crowds turn out.

[@silverheart4049]

I wonder if using the IPs comes with constraints about the house design?

[@fredleggett923]

There are definite expectations the IP owners have. Universal Orlando lost Scream a few years ago because of (reportedly) "creative differences". It's not a stretch to believe it's happened to others.

[@gamatashu]

It would be fascinating to have a year without IP - but in the theme park profit formula, I don’t see that as an option. The IPs provide an attraction for the general crowds, and the attendees in it for the artistry head for the original houses (or wherever). Personally, I’ve stopped purchasing passes for HHN Orlando, and only go 1 night a year. I’ve been attending for ~18 years (minus 2023) and the change in crowds (both volume and type) has been jarring. I went this year and managed to hit all 7 original houses, and it was truly a treat. The craftsmanship in the props and costumes was impressive. I’ve always found fulfillment in the original content for the event, and never drawn to the big-bill IPs. In a selfish way, I’d love for the event to find ways to appeal less to general crowds and give respite to the oddballs that like the storylines and cool sets/designs/props. The event has become a mandatory social thing for most people - even if it’s not suitable for them or to their tastes. People go because “everyone goes” - but that’s where you get people misbehaving or disrespecting scare-actors or property. It’s okay if this event isn’t for you. It isn’t really for a lot of people.

[@sarah2888s]

I believe they do need them. I go to haunted houses yearly and when I was told about HHN I thought it sounded cool but they then explained “they have all the IPs too so you see movie monsters etc and you’re in the movie” which really made it stand out. I love original haunts but those are 99% of them, so this makes HHN unique. Now I love the original houses at HHN too, so ideally there would be at least a 50% split original to IP. Went to Knotts Scary Farm this year, no IP obviously, and it was better than HHN in my opinion (by a mile) but that’s more capacity I think HHN oversells the event and has to scale things back to make it work for more crowds. If I had a wish it wouldn’t be to remove IP it would be to limit ticket sales a bit.

[@dredpyratebonny]

HHN has great original lore and stuff, but having IP is relevant because of the company's reach and because it'll draw new people.

[@MrPete-ei4mx]

I've been going to hhn since 2002 and noticed that the glut of IPs started in 2012 when Comcast bought NBCUniversal. It went from an event to a cash grab of IP related merchandise and food and drink since then. The Walking Dead started the glut of IPs and rise of crowds as the general public would see their favorite media come to life. AHS started the lipsynch era, which is one of my least favorite things hhn has done, it takes away improvisation from the scare actors and meas every run through is the same. An all original lineup would be devastating to the bottom line for Comcast (cant make money off non-IP merch ie, 5 different ST or Ghostbusters shirts) but a boon for actual fans of what HHN used to be.

[@TheCobruhAlienat0r]

I'd be interested to see what they would do if they had to make 10 original houses but they'd have to cut ticket prices in half for me to consider going because I assume part of the reason for the high prices is because they have to pay licensing for the IP's.

[@ShleemenLive]

I love your videos. I know it’s not intentional but some of the stuff you say has me cry laughing.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

What do you mean?

[@Ataraxia462]

I think most people go to HHN to experience the IP houses because Universal has the budget and experience to do something incredible that you won’t find at your local haunt. That said my favorite houses are still Erebus in Michigan and Terror on Church Street in Orlando (back in the mid 90’s).

[@LauraBow]

People go out to HHN to get scared but they wont conquer their biggest fear: seeing something new that might not have a big audience. Yea people flocking to the popular thing and ignoring everything else has plagued artists forever. Its IP business in the front and original art party in the back.

[@feloniousbutterfly]

I think they should have a little of both, but as someone who isnt interested at all in IPs unless it's retro monsters (not their new aged children) I never feel interested in going to see their horror nights when it's ip crap. I get super excited and want to go when I see their original haunts though!

[@TrentOrTreat]

IP brings in normies who wouldn’t go to a normal haunted house but would love a stranger things themed house. Horror fans would go to any house so long as it is good

[@funinthesun6191]

You should come to Jacksonville, FL and experience The 13th Floor Haunted House! So much artistry and many scary animatronics! I would kick my feet in glee to see them featured on your channel!

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I've never heard of it, but I eventually do want to expand to other haunts

[@fireorb2]

So without starting the video, these are my thoughts concerning IPs. As someone who hasn't been to HHN ever, but loved the theming, I feel HHN was best in the 2010 to earlier era with fewer IPs back when they advertised the houses and themes on the website, and it was like a point and click adventure. Sure IPs help financially, but I can't help but feel HHN lost some of it's soul in the process. I think of the constant Walking Dead houses when the show was popular. Edit: I do agree as you mentioned, that specific people are attracted to archetypes of horror.

[@angeloo402]

In my opinion universal does it best for its cued scared points and the loud sounds and music playing throughout the mazes. Every low budget haunt ive been to including knotts their houses are sort of quiet with people jumping out and growling. It makes u feel like ur friend is hiding behind a wall just to jump out and try to scare you. Universal has the loud sounds and flashing lights which add to it making it ultimately better. The IPs are great imo because theyre able to make scenes from classic movies and you get to be inside of them and its always nice seeing the scenes youve watched in movies come to life.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

Yeah, I do agree that the lack of triggers in Knott's houses are a detriment. That said, the storytelling of the houses conveyed just through design more than makes up for it. If Knotts added those triggers, I think it could very well be the best Halloween event anywhere.

[@weston407]

I've been an Orlando resident for most of my life and I stopped going to HHN years ago. It's too crowded and too expensive and it is NOT fun anymore. Sad - it was amazing in the 90s and early 2000s but SUCKS now and I have absolutely no interest in going back.

[@DarkCrystalSage]

Given that I've only been to two HHN (last year and this year), going through the IP houses a part of me has felt a bit inclined to check out the movies or franchises

[@anastasiareilly2336]

I loved Insidious and Ghostbusters! Quiet Place was poopoo though!😂

[@_Tjacks_]

It really does depend on the IP and the amount of effort put into it. I remember way back for either HHN 2013 or 2014 they did walking dead and the park had an excellent atmosphere with it. Some IPs just don’t fit for a haunted house like ghostbusters which felt way more like an interactive exhibit about the franchise than providing any real scares or tension.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

Isn't that the appeal though? I don't think HHN is scary, I go for the set design, costumes and storytelling.

[@AlexMartinez-gv7hy]

I just want a luigi mansion house. I know it won't happen, but it could be super fun

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I think that Metroid actually lends itself to an HHN house. I don't think Nintendo would ever allow it, but I think it would be interesting.

[@agentM1991]

I politely disagree. I’ve been doing Halloween Horror Nights for two years, 2023 and this year and never have I went through a bad IP house. Now granite some are better than others.

[@vectorwolf]

As someone that FAR prefers their original houses, I'm still going to say they need to keep their IPs. Because they're a theme park based on movies at the end of the day, and it's part of their brand identity. In addition, they need to appeal to guests that aren't necessarily general horror nerds, but people that wouldn't attend unless there was something they were familiar with.

[@WillCulbertsonIT]

I've done HHN once in 2022 with an Express pass and it was good but exhausting. Some of the houses were really meh and only a few were really top notch. I don't think it matters what the subject is if they spend time and make it good. The event is so crowded I get that people get out of hand and waiting for hours to get into a house means it needs to be good, especially if tied to a popular IP. It's all about quality. I saw a video on the Hollywood version and they had fewer houses but most looked a lot better than Orlando's.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

A lot of those videos cut out the hallways of just absolute nothingness. Hollywood's houses are just so incredibly weak.

[@matchakit]

I think that USB & USJ knocked it out of the park this year. With the Resident Evil stunt show/scare house & Jack’s Circus. USJ also makes sure the day is dedicated to families (ghost Pokémon & kid friendly overlays) and nights are for teens & adults (HHN) so they can cater to all Halloween fans.

[@jimt9245]

My entertainment interest are not dependent on IPs, but rather than design and execution. Unlike Knott's, I think there will always be a aspect of IP references with the Universal HHN parks - But with the large hordes of people that visit both Orlando and Hollywood - Is Universal even inclined to shake up their formula. Personally I find these IP's to be abruptly ended as they are a freestanding attraction and not a compliment to a scare zone or district. With over 30 years of history at HHN - Universal could definitely revived past mazes and extend the lore of different HHN developed characters and legends. There is a library of content and stories than the park could reference than only rely on the crutch of an IP to garner interest. I learned of the Dueling Dragons House, like so many thing through your video, as an attempt to reference park lore instead of a movie franchise. I hope to see future attempts at this as I thought of recent maze at Knott's (Origins, the curse of Calico) that has a deep rooted connect to the land that is located in (Ghostown) and references to past attractions, landmarks in the land and a story that times them all together. Depth of Story is what entices some visitors to experience a maze multiple times in a season or over multiple years. Having no experience with HHN - I would rather visit Orlando over Hollywood - when I get the chance. But a single day visit is different experience than annual visits or multiple visits in season. Not all visitors to these events digest them in the same way - and for some their taste and expectations mature over time. Great video as always. - Unlike the west coast - it appears that HHN Orlando is head and shoulders the rest of the scare events in the greater Orlando area.

[@notit297]

With Bloodmoon and Monstrous you neglected location in the discussion. People B line past that area to get to more well known houses and typically never return. Word of mouth absolutely plays a role as well. Scarecrows had insane lines because it was by far the scariest it's year, despite being an original. Scarefactor is a huge indicator, maybe the biggest in mid to late season. Darkest Deal had a weak opening on scares, and didn't hit its stride as the best house last year until October. Universal, as you mentioned with the icons, needs to figure out how to inform the GP now that BOTH the websites and paper maps are gone. There was massive oversight this year in educating people about the Icons, but more so, for the actual houses stories. Bloodlines suffers the most from this imo I personally prefer originals mostly, and think we'll see a shift in that direction now that Six Flags is disastrously hoarding certain IPs, but being the best in the biz on set design, it's always great to see HHN tackle a IP and bring it to life

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I did wonder if location played a factor in how well the front of the park houses have done, but then I see how Insidious takes up the same space as Dueling Dragons and I do think that word of mouth is probably more important. I do also like your point about how houses evolved to become better. I always like the third week in because that's when it really feels like the scare actors hit their stride.

[@notit297]

@PoseidonEntertainment agree on the 3rd week, that really seems to be when things come together! I didn't even consider it until your reply, but hypothetically, Stranger Things 4 pulled a younger audience in the direction of Dueling Dragons - a group like you pointed out have zero knowledge/familiarity with its legendary queue theming.

[@iparizotto]

The answer to any question about ditching IP in favor of original experiences is always yes.

[@gabbdrg]

I enjoy your videos and your channel but I have to let you know this video really rubbed me the wrong way for a few reasons: Claiming certain Horror Icons target a certain demographic of people is a really absurd statement to make and incredibly narrow sited. Horror appeals to all different types of people and for most of the people who enjoy horror movies feel they belong to a community of people who enjoy them. It sounds like your experience with the Chucky House was unpleasant but to say that a certain demographic likes Chucky is stereotyping certain people. Because your video is about should Universal Ditch the Intellectual Properties, not sure why making statements about different social classes matters to the overall video? People come to this event to get scared, but it is an experience for a lot of people during the Spooky Season and not just an adrenaline rush. People come to hangout and have a good time, it is an event. You are going to get all sorts of people who come out and because the event is huge and drinking is involved your going to get assholes. This is going to happen in any large social gathering, there are tons of assholes who go to Disney and they are not drinking. HHN has built a reputation of being one the top haunts because of it's high production vaules and the amount of love it puts into the event. The event has grown over the years and has made a lot of changes good and bad, but it maintains a level of quality that you would not get from most haunts. It is a really silly question to ask if the event would be the same without the IP's attached to the event. Horror Icons are big things and believe it or not, there are more Horror fans than you seem to realize based on your statements in this video and your Epic Universe video. Universal does a great job of mixing up IP's and their own haunts, and most of the time I find the original haunts to be the scariest houses and the IP's are visual great to look at, but you have to have both. I enjoy most of your videos but a recommendation I would leave the Horror stuff to people who know what they are talking about and understand the culture.

[@brevin630]

I'm curious if they're going to do a Halloween Horror Nights at Epic Universe? I think it would be cool if we got a house for Luigi's Mansion, and it had interactive elements like the rest of Super Nintendo World

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I see no reason to bring it to that park. The infrastructure for the event is already in place at USF, the build of the park lends itself to the event and I think that its proximity to Islands probably also encourages more cross visitation earlier in the day. I don't think it makes sense from a business or infrastructure perspective to move the event to Epic.

[@jordanisaperson9877]

My first year was the year they had the haunting of hill house and nothing I’ve been to has lived up to that house.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

I actually thought that house was really boring lol

[@Tsumami__]

Nope. That would make zero sense. The best houses have been the IP houses, and I’ve gone since the first HHN.

[@PoseidonEntertainment]

There have been a lot of high profile duds, especially in recent years. Blumhouse, Stranger Things, Chucky, Texas Chainsaw for HHN 30, etc.

[@dylanbarracks3509]

Just curious but for recording at the parks what camera setup do you usually use? Especially for stuff like onride footage

[@PaddletailPhilly]

I definitely agree that Halloween Horror Nights could be a strong event without IP houses today, seeing as it worked for the event for 16 years before they officially licensed external franchises. Of course I never really considered Universal Orlando attracting larger crowds through licensed houses, in turn leading to less... empathetic guests visiting, but from word of mouth and even my own personal experiences at HHN, I'd go as far to say at least for the most part, Universal has made solid to excellent IP houses in the past. Embarrassingly, since I don't have vivid memories of most houses I've visited at HHN, the only ones I'd consider key examples are Resident Evil: Escape from Raccoon City and, what I remember much less of, Cabin in the Woods. I don't think HHN Orlando _needs_ licensed IPs, and I'd be perfectly fine and even prefer if they completely stopped using them, but at least they put in the effort with them. And they do a better job with others' properties than Disney does with their own.

[@KRobinson-ko1ne]

I think they can go both ways I gotta admit I’m a sucker for the Ghostbusters Walkthroughs so I may be a bit biased

[@randomusernameCallin]

No, these event should have license IP, original IP and new ideals.

[@robertporter6641]

I think it would ONLY because it’s got such a huge fan base already. That said, the IP draws in the casual, first time guest. I don’t think they would draw as well overall without it. Consider the “success” of Six Flags’ event this year. By all accounts, they did a horrible job in execution, but they drew crowds at the start of the event despite the terrible ticketing situation solely because of the great IP’s they had, some of which they even outbid Universal to get. IP is used to draw casuals, not necessarily because Universal needs them, although Insidious was an amazing house!