If you read my previous article on the three best things about Halloween Horror Nights this year, you'll know that 2013 is a very strong season. If you missed it, you can read it here.
I find myself eagerly anticipating each night of the event and feeling sad as I realize how fast the days are ticking away.
However, it's not a perfect event, and there are a few things I'd like to change if I had a magic wand. Here are four quibbles with Halloween Horror Nights 23:
1) The sound stage queue line set-up: I realize that adding a fourth sound stage house created some challenges with the queue line set-up. I'd much rather have eight houses than seven, but the exit arrangement is killing my feet. All four sound stage house exits feed into the same spot at the end of the main pathway, down by New York. That means a lot of back tracking to see each of the houses.
I know it's probably logistically impossible, but I'd love a set-up more like the parade building and sprung tent houses, where each exit puts you out by the entrance to the next house. In the meantime, I've invested in several boxes of bandages to keep my blisters under control.
2) The neutered version of the Rocky Horror Picture Show: I was very excited when I saw that the Rocky Horror Tribute was returning. I'm old enough to be an original Rocky Horror fan, and I loved the live singing, dancing the Time Warp and, especially, the call backs. After all, isn't that the main reason people go to see Rocky?
This year, there's a crackdown on "offensive" callbacks, which pretty much covers all of them. The show is like a ghost town, with people staring in confusion at what's unfolding on the stage. They're typically a small crowd, because they're mostly poor souls who wandered in not knowing what it's all about. The real Rocky fans are staying away because it's pointless if they can't participate in the usual manner. Rocky Horror is meant to be offensive. Do it right, as it was done in years past, or kill it altogether.
3) The lack of chainsaws: I was a little worried about all of the scare zones being themed to The Walking Dead, but it's actually working out quite nicely. The only thing I miss is the pervasive presence of chain saws. Yes, the squad is there this year, but it's very rare to see them. I've visited the event almost every night since opening and have only run into them twice.
4) No humorous house: I'm a big fan of dark humor and love the fact that Halloween Horror Nights always has a humorous house...or at least it did until this year. Some luminaries of the past include H. R. Bloodngutz, Psychoscarapy: Home for the Holidays, and the classic Leave it to Cleaver. Alas, there's no such entry among this year's haunted house line-up, so I'm hoping that black comedy returns next year.
Those are relatively minor quibbles in a solid year. They most definitely won't get in the way of your overall enjoyment.
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