I try to tell myself Universal is like Disneyland. I feel like I need to plan more, but it is just fine if I don’t.
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I looked at Leaky Cauldron at 7:30 last night and it was open.
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@heathernoel will you be trying to avoid any high gore houses this year?
I don’t think so - a year has made a lot of difference on what I think DD can handle. I am interested on your thoughts about how clausterphobic cyborgia was, houses you thought were especially gorey, and any that have a self-harm undertone. Thank you!
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We did all 10 houses last night but we had been up since 3am, so we were a little loopy. We will look for self harm tonight. Off the top of my head, I don’t remember anything but lots of harm to others (and lots of aliens).
We did not find it claustrophobic at all. My son says he thought Ozzie was the house he felt the most boxed in because there was a section that was completely dark. We couldn’t see anything. That was freaky.
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Thanks - that is a long day!
Thinking through thw themes this definitely seems like more of a straight horror year than last year (equaling more gore and violnce). I think we are ready!
I can see straight darkness being very creepy.
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Evil dead burn has self harm. One of the scare actors stabs herself.
There is a lot of gore! Blood splatter and hanging intestines (that you walk through) seem to be repeating themes.
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Thank you! I really appreciate it.
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@ErikTheRed64 I also wanted to let you know that we were looking at food options on Sunday around 10:30 and mobile order for LC was an option at that time.
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@heathernoel we ended up doing 10 houses the first night, 9 the second night. The only house we didn’t do twice was HR Bloodengutz. We were waiting to do Sinners a 2nd time and they were playing previews of a few of the houses in line. We decided that there was no way that house was not going to remain at the bottom of our list. I am not saying it was bad, I liked it more than the rest of my family.
Our top five (not always in the same order)
- Hellraiser
- Ozzie
- MADLANDS
- Cybergoria
- Evil Dead Burn (but one character stabs herself)
**** I would actually drop Cybergoria for Jack and Oddfellow. There are a couple of sets in that house that do things that are just “wow”. The creative team really did an amazing job on that house. Please let me know what you think.
Hellraiser was especially great since the express line (twice) was less than two minutes. It was crazy!
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Just to clarify was it Cyborgia or Jack and Oddfellow that had the cool sets? I think Hellraiser has walk on lines during early entry so I have that as a possible repeat house, and ai think Jack and Oddfellow does too, so now I am extra curious!
I watched the movie last night, so I think I know what scene this is, so can discuss ahead of time. That movie is all gore all the time, so now I know what I am getting into!
Jack and Oddfellow has the cool sets. There are a couple of houses where you might think “oh, this is a new effect” but J &O has a couple of them.
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Also, since it is a scare actor, you might not see her. She was in my 2nd time, not the first.
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super helpful for me too! thank you.
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I 100% agree with this. The first 3rd or half of the house through to the dark point was not my favorite because of the claustrophobia. But then it opened up and had one effect I literally clapped for.
The self harm was more intense than I expected having watched the movie and it happened in front of us. @4ljs I wished I had warned DD. I will ask her what she thought when she wakes up 
We ended up doing Cyborgia and Jack and Oddfellow twice and did those early with little to no wait. I wished I did Hellraiser twice, but feet are glad we didn’t. It was DD’s favorite - which isn’t suprising - she got every single jump scare except the very last one, which got me. But the scare actors were plentiful and very “on” on that house (plus great costumes). Madlands has been getting panned, but we like sets and costumes plus some good scares, so it was definitely at the top for us too. I liked Sinners a lot, but that line is no joke!
When she wakes up and we talk through the houses - I’ll report back on other thoughts!
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I think maybe it was in front of my son, but I was past her when I saw it.
Did you think the effects in Jack and Oddfellow were good?
Hellraiser is one of my DIL’s favorite movie. Her family watched it a lot when they were young. She had it on VHS. She loved the variety of scare actors.
This was near the top of our lists for me and my son but DIL don’t like it. I loved the costumes and scare actors .
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Was thinking of you!! Hope you guys had all the fun! Appreciate the warning - DD isn’t particularly sensitive but sounds like it’s worth the heads up.
I’ve been getting so excited today about it, and trying to figure out what houses we try for early - maybe we’ll do Cyborgia and Hellraiser…
On our 2nd night at HHN we decided to do the five houses in the New York area first. They did change the exit/entrance to those houses in the two nights but there can be extra steps looping through (if they push the exit insisting you loop all the way around).
HR Blood N Guts is campy but fun and creative. Lots to see for two times through and a good ease in. Cyborgia was way scarier later at night - not sure why, but perhaps it was darker?
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