Welcome back to the spooky season! As people are looking forward to what costume they will wear, what horror movie to watch, or what treats they are going to get this Halloween, many people are dying to go to Universal’s premier attraction: Halloween Horror Nights. Every year, leading up to Halloween, Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights takes over the Universal Studios Theme Park to fuel the cravings of horror junkies around the world. This year, it kicked off on August 30th and will haunt their guests till November 3. The spooky experience is the most anticipated event every Halloween season, as fans arrive at 6:30 P.M. and stay till the late hours of the night. With its uniquely terrifying scare zones and horrifying haunted houses, Halloween Horror Nights is a place for all horror fans and enthusiasts.
One of the main highlights when it comes to Halloween Horror Nights is their haunted houses. Every year, there are 10 haunted houses, some based on beloved horror movie icons that are either classics or recent hits, and some creative stories that Universal’s storytellers create on their own. This year, the gore is there, people! Many of the houses and their stories are very violent, and many people have appreciated the attention to detail that Universal has put in. Now, for the houses, there are three movie-based houses and seven houses that Universal has crafted. The three movie-based houses are Insidious: The Further, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, and A Quiet Place. All three of these movies have had popularity for a long time now, but especially in the recent couple of years with new installments being added to their roster.
Every year, Universal decides to pay tribute to classic and iconic monsters in their original houses. This year, they have decided to do houses called Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines. According to universalorlando.com, it is, “An epic battle as Saskia Van Helsing and the Bride of Frankenstein go up against Dracula’s daughter and her monstrous mavens.” Universal also decided to bring back some houses from the past, including Slaughter Sinema 2, a sequel house to the original released in 2018. Other original houses include Goblin’s Feast, Triplets of Terror, and Museum of Deadly Exhibits, which all set the stage for the premier event’s 33rd year.
As guests approach rides and haunted houses, they are sure to stumble upon the various scare zones. The scare zones are filled with creatures of everyone’s nightmares waiting to jump out and keep guests on their toes. Every year, five different scare zones fuel the eerie ambiance of the whole event. This year, there is something unique about one of the zones. There are only three main scare zones, which could be due to licensing issues or the size of each zone. The first main scare zone, the Blumhouse scare zone, is filled with a few characters Halloween Horror Nights decided to introduce last year but also has a few new Blumhouse characters. Notably, this year, Blumhouse has decided to present the first look of their Wolf Man character for the upcoming film directed by acclaimed horror filmmaker Leigh Whannell. Orlandoinformer.com provided more details on the various other scare zones, such as Swamp of the Undead, filled with zombies ready to cause terror. At Torture Faire, guests will enter a Renaissance Faire and embark on a medieval journey. There is a zone where guests will have to choose between two different paths. Lastly, in Demon Queens, visitors will have to survive a few demon queens as they greet guests. If people want to keep their excitement and fear even before entering their houses, then these scare zones are for them.
Along with all the themed events, there is also a lot of delicious themed food that Universal offers. They have their iconic Twisted Tater which consists of seasoned potato pieces on a stick. According to orlandoinformer.com, some of the flavors of seasonings they have are, “Sour cream and chives, garlic parmesan, and seasoning salt.” This is a recommended food for anyone near the Minion Cafe towards the entrance of Halloween Horror Nights. Lastly, they also have themed drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic, and there is a variety to choose from. So, as guests get their scare on, make sure to come and try the Universal cuisine.
Halloween Horror Nights have everything a horror encounter enthusiast needs to get their adrenaline rushing with their immersive haunting experience. Many people go to Halloween Horror Nights every year, and lines get packed fast. Get ready for a night of fear and thrills that will keep people up all night long!
