photo and article by Philip Hernandez
A New Season for Revenue
Halloween Horror Nights transformed a slow season into a significant profit center for Universal Parks. Now imagine that same revenue engine running in spring – a second Halloween, of sorts. Enter Fan Fest Nights, the elusive spring hard-ticket event theme park professionals have chased for decades.
Universal Studios Hollywood’s offering ran select nights through May 18, operating from 7 PM to 2 AM with general admission tickets priced at $74-84. The overwhelmingly positive reception proves the format has legs — guests are enthusiastic for this “HHN meets Comic-Con” concept celebrating fandoms spanning sci-fi, fantasy, gaming, and anime. If Universal turns the shoulder weeks between spring break and summer into genuine profit territory, this opens up an opportunity for operators industry-wide.
The event celebrates 8 IPs, through a mix of “In World Experiences,” “Zones,” and Meets. Let’s explore each.
Inside the Three “In World Experiences”
Back to the Future: Destination Hill Valley
The undisputed crown jewel of Fan Fest is this immersive theatrical experience staged on the actual Courthouse Square backlot where the original film was shot. Universal has created what can best be described as “Sleep No More meets Back to the Future” – a 45-minute looping street-play where guests follow Marty, Doc Brown, and Biff through key scenes from the 1955 timeline.
The experience begins on the tram ride to the backlot, where Doc Brown appears on-screen to explain how he’s retrofitted the vehicle for time travel and provides guests with a 1950s slang guide. Upon arrival at Hill Valley, guests are free to explore the town and follow whichever character interests them most. The actors recreate pivotal moments from the film in a continuous loop, culminating in the iconic clock-tower lightning strike finale, complete with DeLorean effects and flaming tire tracks.
What makes this experience exceptional is the depth of actor training. Performers remain perfectly in-character regardless of guest interaction, handling unexpected situations with improvisational skill while maintaining narrative cohesion. The attention to period-accurate detail throughout the town creates an environment that feels genuinely transported from another era.
The one operational challenge: crowds can become dense around key story moments, sometimes making it difficult to hear dialogue or see the action. At peak times, the flowing crowd following characters through narrow streets creates occasional bottlenecks, suggesting that additional traffic management systems might benefit future iterations.
Dungeons & Dragons: Secrets of Waterdeep
This 12-minute walkthrough experience is a D&D play-in-the-round, where small groups journey through multiple practical sets representing the city of Waterdeep. Guests join the Harpers guild on a quest to find a magical staff, culminating in a confrontation with an impressive 8-foot Xanathar puppet created with Jim Henson-style craftsmanship.
While promotional materials suggested guests would play active roles in the adventure, in practice, visitors observe rather than participate. The experience operates more as a moving theatrical performance with guests following actors from scene to scene. The impressive Xanathar puppet serves as the highlight, drawing gasps from guests regardless of their familiarity with the D&D universe.
Star Trek: Red Alert
Housed in the former Walking Dead attraction space, this pulsed walkthrough takes small groups aboard the USS Enterprise-D for a “first contact” mission gone awry. The narrative premise places the Enterprise as a museum that guests are touring when an unknown entity appears, causing a malfunction that sends visitors to the bridge.
The experience follows the familiar HHN maze formula, with guests moving from scene to scene watching short vignettes performed by actors playing the Enterprise crew. Unlike traditional HHN experiences, however, there’s no significant climax or resolution beyond the revelation that the entity means no harm and represents a first-contact opportunity.
Additional Experiences
The remaining five fandoms are smaller in scale:
- One Piece: Grand Pirate Gathering – Character meet-and-greets with members of the Straw Hat crew, drawing consistently long lines despite the simple format.
- Jujutsu Kaisen: Hunger of the Cursed – A 4D film directly imported from Universal Studios Japan without localization modifications.
- Wizarding World extras – Roaming Niffler/Occamy puppets and the West Coast debut of the Hogwarts Always projection show.
- Super Nintendo World: “Let’s Go, Yoshi!” – A scavenger hunt culminating in a meet-and-greet with pink or blue Yoshi, typically generating 60-90 minute waits.
- Wicked photo-op – Alternating meet-and-greets with Elphaba or Glinda.
The Universal Plaza mainstage hosts hourly cosplay gatherings organized by fandom type (sci-fi, fantasy, anime, etc.) and trivia contests, though attendance at these gatherings has been modest compared to the character meet-and-greets.
Operator Takeaways
For attraction professionals looking to adapt this model to their venues, consider these actionable insights:
- Leverage one-of-a-kind assets. Universal’s BTTF win shows the power of creating an experience only you can offer. Regional parks should identify exclusive local assets or stories that competitors can’t replicate.
- Let the fandom drive the format. Gamers expect agency; cosplayers expect stage time. Build mechanics (role assignments, photo backdrops, mini-parades) that let fans perform rather than just watch.
- Right-size investment to fan size. Allocate budget based on local convention attendance, streaming stats, and social chatter, not personal nostalgia.
- Monetizing the spring “shoulder” is viable. Universal has shown guests will pay for a seven-hour, IP-driven evening between spring break and summer. Regional parks should explore micro-FanFests aligned with local comic cons or esports events to double down on daytime capacity.
The spring shoulder season opportunity is real and proven. Operators at all levels can adapt this model by identifying their unique assets, understanding fan motivations, and creating experiences that deliver authentic value to targeted fandoms. Universal has cracked the code on the format — now it’s about optimizing the execution to reach its full potential.
Philip Hernandez is a journalist reporting on the haunted house industry, horror events, theme parks, and Halloween. He is also the CEO of Gantom Lighting and Founder / Publisher of the Haunted Attraction Network, the haunted attraction industry’s most prominent news media source. He is based in Los Angeles and co-founded/co-hosts the Green Tagged podcast
