4. Refusal to listen to fans

In the days leading up to the final night, the fan community flooded Guest Services, both in person and by phone, with repeated pleas to allow passholders to attend on that night. Many long-time passholders and passionate fans repeatedly explained traditional attendance patterns, the reluctance of the general public to attend in November, and even the likely effects of the upcoming cold front. At every turn, we were rebuked, told that we didn’t know what we were talking about, and invited to pay $72.99 to experience the last night. It was as if we couldn’t possibly know what we were talking about, and Universal knew better.

5. Alienating the most loyal consumer base

Many in the fan community took Universal’s refusal to provide entry to passholders as a highly personal slap in the face. The company has spent years cultivating a fan culture based around the last night. As few members of the general public attend that night, it has always been structured as a sort of thank you to fans and actors alike, providing the opportunity for the people who love the event the most to give it a proper sendoff. Being denied that opportunity was extremely hurtful, as the outpouring of emotion on the official Halloween Horror Nights Facebook page clearly shows.

Even worse, Universal continued its tradition of allowing company employees to attend for free. Many people were angry that they had already paid money for season passes and were now being asked to pay more, while employees who had not paid a dime were allowed to enjoy the “last night” traditions.

Possibly the final straw for many members of the fan community was the decided lack of communication. Traditionally, that last night is added at the last minute, typically within 1-2 days ahead of time. Yet this year, no official word was ever handed down. Guest Services kept saying that an official decision had not yet been reached. So the fans continued to wait and hope. Even on the morning of November 1, in the middle of the misinformation about Express passes being sold out, more than one Guest Services employee stated that no official word had come from the company. So rather than being able to process our disappointment and make other plans, we were kept dangling on a string.

6. Underestimating the power of social media

On Friday night, when no official word had come down regarding Saturday night, the fan community began to get nervous. Conversations across social media began to turn to the question of what to do if that night was not added. Slowly at first, then more rapidly, a movement began. Many felt that the company was playing chicken, trying to see how many would cave and purchase tickets. Whether accurate or not, the fans largely felt that if we bought tickets this year, the “last night” tradition would be gone for good. So the fan community fought back. While a few individuals did decide to buy tickets, the vast majority did not. Many flooded the official Halloween Horror Nights Facebook site to explain why. What began as a questioning conversation and discussion between a few fans morphed into a semi-organized boycott that led directly to a vastly empty park.

Many fans are hurt and angry. Many have lost trust in the company. Not only do Frequent Fear holders attend the event night after night, spending money on food, drinks, and merchandise, but they also serve a public relations function that even the best marketing team cannot match. Frequent Fear holders sing the praises of the event across social media and they act as boots on the ground, bringing members of the general public for their first visit. Some portion of these new attendees convert to passholder status, and begin bringing their own friends and family members.

What Universal failed to account for, however, is that Frequent Fear holders expect a certain return on investment for their support. While it is true that the last night of the event was never guaranteed, Universal spent a decade cultivating it as a special bonus for the fans. They created an expectation that fundamentally changed the perceived value of purchasing a pass, and then removed it without warning or even communication. One only needs to study the 1985 New Coke debacle to realize that alienating your core group of most loyal fans can give a company a black eye that can take decades to recover from.

What happens next is for Universal to decide. It is sometimes known as “The Little Park That Could” for its remarkable ability to recover from its disastrous opening day. Fans have shown a willingness to forgive the company for its missteps, provided they are treated with respect. Next year, the last night of the event, which is Halloween night, happens to fall on a Saturday. A simple acknowledgment that the company messed up, combined with an announcement that Halloween night will be officially included in next year’s passes, would go a long way toward restoring trust with the event’s most ardent supporters.