HHN 30 Is A Recent Classic

Without saying things like "under the circumstances" or "despite the pandemic" I think everything Universal threw at us this year was solid. All 10 houses were fantastic! The 5 scare zones were amazing! Nightmare Fuel was a sleeper hit and Marathon of Mayhem delivered like last year. The Tribute Store, food offerings around the park, and even an off-site/on-site activation at Cabana Bay! Everything they gave us was really good and I loved it all! However...

Something Was Missing

There are just a couple things I would've added or tweaked to change HHN 30 from a classic year to a legendary year. For starters, the lack of HHN presence in Springfield this year was obvious, at least to me. Disney acquired The Simpsons in March of 2019 and there was a "roaming hoarde" in Springfield that following HHN.

Fear Leaders in Springfield for HHN 26

Perhaps something happened since then to prevent any sort of Horror Night related imagery within the boundaries of Springfield. And if that's the case, rip the whole thing out and make it something else! It's a long way from Central Park to go all the way around before you encounter another scare zone (or vice versa), and HHN is priority, dammit!

That's only half joking.

Kind of.

But seriously, breaking off a couple of the Eddie performers (they seem to have the most) and make them a roaming hoarde would've spiced things up a bit. If Springfield is off limits, the area once used for the Killer Klowns sz could've been an option. And I've seen a roaming hoarde as far back as near the entrance to MIB. I understand that this could cheapen the whole "Jack is everywhere" gimmick, but there's too many "dead zones" around the park.

And Another (Two) Thing(s)!

This is an anniversary year and there are a couple fan favorite characters that I think deserved to be mentioned. Once featured in a zone and then a house a couple years later, the VooDoo Queen is nowhere to be seen at HHN! While she wasn't an official Icon, she is definitely recognized within the community as a lead character.

Someone else I was hoping to see this year was The Rat Lady, another fan favorite! I think the last time we saw her was HHN 25. I haven't taken a lights on tour of the houses, so there might be an Easter egg dedicated to her somewhere. Maybe she will be back some time down the road as well.

 

Honorable mention goes to the real Fried PB&J w/ banana sandwich. I thought we were getting it back this year. But instead we got a deep fried hot pocket. To the hot pocket's defense, I haven't personally tried it to judge. And Chance said it's like her, sweet and a little spicy. So maybe I should give it a try. What is something you hoped to see at HHN 30? What is something you're hoping to see next year for HHN 31? Let me know! Tweet me @magiccitymayhem or email me: [email protected]