Lisa's HHN Survival Guide
I am so excited to go to HHN again this year and elated to go to every house available for the Behind the Screams tours too! I can't fully enjoy myself to the max without a little prep though.
Biggest bit of advice first, download the the universal Orlando app and set it up if you don’t already have it.
Do not spend a full day in the park and then try and do HHN the same day!
Youtube is great for helping you plan your trip. There is even advice for wait time tactics. Try not to watch a walkthrough of the haunts though if you don't want to ruin the surprise.
If you don't have an express pass, paying and taking advantage of stay and scream is worth it!
If you can afford the express option, get it. All ten houses can only be seen in one eve sainly with the help of an express pass and the app with its wait times during the event helps. Bonus if you have express you likely will have time after to wait on second go throughs on some of the houses you want to give a second shot. You may be lucky with out express if you set up alerts for wait times on the app. But it will take some luck and probably coming in early season.
There do not seem to be slow nights anymore so if you only have one chance go and its within your travel budget go RIP.
Local and an enthusiast? The frequent fear passes are a great option. Go multiple times and see the event change and evolve. This is also a great option as sometimes the timing when going through is just off, which can ruin the experience. There is nothing you can do to control it besides going with the RIP tour. “Update, false! I found out this last trip the actors only respond to every third person. So to see a good run, you have a one in three shot. Nothing can guarantee you get a good run” It can be made less sour when you can go through multiple times though.
Locate bathrooms and use them between each house! Lines get crazy long and people do not take kindly to jumping back in line.
The food can be disappointing if you are a foodie. Waiting until the vloggers give their food reviews can really help to narrow your list. The food and drink is not cheap by any means. I recommend sticking to one food and one drink item per person if you must, and go with people that you would like to share with. I would rather get a good meal at Finnegans. The money to value is much better there and is a nice place to sit if you need a break. Many say it"s a great bar too if you want a place out of the streetmosfear.
As an update, we found a food item we actually really like! The peanut blooder burger! It’s behind Mel’s die N and we got it the very beginning first round made of the night. If you can, definitely get your food early and fresh!
Now call these your quest items:
Bring ear protection! If you have hearing sensitivities or just protecting yourself in general bring comfortable hearing protection. Theme parks are loud and HHN even more so. If needed there is a quiet room in the front of the park by first aid and guest services. They do not have ear plugs sadly.
Bring wet wipes! These can refresh you a bit and get rid of the sticky, messy, and staining food, should you choose to indulge.
Be careful with how hot the weather in Florida can be! Bring fans and cooling towel if you are heat sensitive. It is already hot in FL but all those people in line can really raise the temp.
Wear tested closed toe super comfortable shoes. Some even go in steal toed shoes as tight spaces and scared people can lead to stomped toes.
Bring a collapsible cup or bottle. This will save you a fortune on bottle water.
If you are doing stay and scream or coming early bring sun glasses. The bright to dark tradition can be blinding and make you miss the beginning of a house!
Same as above but wear a hat, be it baseball or folding style. This will act to help keep sun out of your eyes better than glasses alone.
Pack some Ibuprofen or other pain relief of you choice. It is a-lot of standing and walking.
Wicking long sleeve sun shirt, this is part of your sunscreen and light buffer against evening breezes
Shorts or lightweight wicking pants for the win on comfort.
Fan of wearing black? Unless you are a local, I cannot recommend doing this if you want to enjoy the beginning of the event. Again, that Florida sun is no joke. Red is a lovely color that can still help you pull off your killer style.
It rains frequently. Rain is pretty much a guarantee on opening weekend. Bring a poncho
Update! Bring an umbrella! Ponchos are not allowed to be worn in the haunt. The umbrella works as both shade and easier to fold away when going through a haunt. Now you can leave that hat at home too. It’s unlikely you’ll be doing many rides and putting things in the locker. Isn’t the worst it just eats a bit of time but if you have/buy too much it will cost you in bigger locker fees.
Now gear up and fit all that into a tiny backpack or fanny pack. Want to go on some rides? The free lockers are small. Only the fanny pack option can go on rides.
If you are not a local blessed with a frequent fear pass, get a universal hotel with ferry access. You will be the walking dead and this is the kindest and calmest way to leave the park. It works as a zenful ride back to your resting place, aka bed. Heck I live 1 hour away and do this!
Update: Just for those who want to know, the earlier in the evening you go the less crowded it will be. It gets packed as the night wears on. Of course the temp is cooler but if you don’t like being crowded or dealing with those who are heavily intoxicated go early.
I hope this knowledge serves you well on your journey and remember never go alone and have fun!
updated: 10/3/2023