Two things.

If you want to get rid of the Disc 1 to Disc 2 transition, make sure hidden files are visible, then copy the disc files to a directory on your hard drive (the data/index.mdi file is the same on both discs) and run setup.exe from said hard drive. Bam, no disc swap needed. I'd recommend allowing this.

As for the remaining load times themselves... well, the worst of them are actually waiting for sound effects to stop. This is quite apparent in the Butcher Shoppe where you're freeing... whatever her name is, I'll remember it eventually. Entering through the door, you hear 3 knocks. If you click on the freezer door to get closer to it, you have to wait for the knocks to end. Then you'll hear the knocks again. Opening the door starts the video more or less straight away, but skipping the video waits for... yep, those knocks.

A fine example where a sound effect can be avoided but if it plays it wastes time: Outside the stocks, just before you go to Horrorland Plaza for the first time. Sometimes you'll hear a wolf howl. That wolf howl means time loss.

The thing that disturbs me is I think that sound effects are what a lot of the speed tech is going to be about.

Rules have been updated to reference this forum post on removing the load times. Good notes!

Sounds are the real run killer. I would like to do some theory crafting soon to see when the sound effects take place. Thanks for your run!