Surviving Halloween Horror Nights at Universal

Having survived a night of gleeful terror at Universal Orlando Resort’s Halloween Horror Nights, I can report that #HHN is a blast. Before you die, take just one autumn night to explore these remarkable and heart-stopping haunted houses. Tip toe through scare zones and succumb to screeching entertainment designed to put your nerves on edge.

Just do it! Work up the courage to book this frightful fest of doom in Orlando, Universal Studios Hollywood or at the Singapore and Osaka theme parks. You may not survive… but we guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

Looking Ahead to Halloween Horror Nights

The 2024 event runs Aug. 30 through Nov. 3 at Universal Orlando Resort and Sept. 5 through Nov. 3 at Universal Studios Hollywood.

For my family of fright fans, this is a Halloween event that’s worth repeating annually.

Each year, the Universal creative teams reach out to a fresh crop of master storytellers. Discover original and classic tales, there are always new horrors to survive. Special for this year, drown yourselves in the “Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines” haunted house in both Orlando and Hollywood. It promises an all-femme array of classic Universal monsteresses at their best. Picture your daughters strolling with the Bride of Frankenstein, Dracula’s Daughter, She-Wolf of London and Anck-Su-Namun.

How Horror-ible is Halloween Horror Nights at Universal?

Join me on my own experience that October 31st oh so long ago…

Unbeknownst to us, zombies, living dead, aliens, horror movie extras are among the thousands of park-goers out for a fright. Call them what you will, these energetic people are expertly made up, costumed and choreographed to come up from behind and breathe down your neck.

“Aaargggh!!!” shrieked my companion, complaining. “They get so close you can even smell what they ate for dinner.”

There are many haunted attractions and spooky weekends you could survive. Halloween Horror Nights is special because it is so well crafted yet touchey-feeley.

Look closely because there’s much more than meets the eye when you arrive at the gate next the spinning, fog-shrouded Universal globe.

Typically, the “Halloween Marathon of Mayhem” takes over the lagoon where terrifying moments inspired by Halloween classics are projected on giant water screens.

Get splashed by… blood? No, get splashed by more than 100 fountains bathed in special effects, pounding techno music, lasers and massacre-like sounds.

Skillfully Spooky and Admirably Scary Horrors In Orlando

Survive, as we did, the machine gun attacks between aliens and law enforcement. Run from a huge variety of almost-dead creatures with bad breath. Our very first haunted house had entrails and organs being consumed by amphibious-looking aliens. We regretted eating so much dinner.

Relax. Just keep going — always maintain your cool on the streets and in haunted houses.

Expect 10 new haunted houses, five sinister scare zones, outrageous live shows and exhilarating attractions this season. This year’s fresh haunted house is based on that very disturbing… shhhh! “A Quiet Place” franchise. Another is themed to the chilling “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.”

Our crystal ball says the top scare will the “Insidious: The Further” haunted house. Once you cross the door to the Red-faced Demon’s lair you’ll have to protect your spirit from being locked away by KeyFace.

HHN Brings Horror to Hollywood for 2024

Universal Studios Hollywood showcases a similar terrifying 2024 line-up. This western theme park has some of the same ghoblins and frights as its sunny Florida sibling, plus new surprises. Steel your nerves for a haunted house based on the “Weekend Nightmare Trilogy.” Another sure heart-flutter comes from “Insidious: The Further” haunted house (see clip above.)

Budding filmmakers will especially appreciate the Blumhouse studio’s notorious Terror Tram — like a moving haunted house! Look for and run away from the murderous android M3GAN, The Grabber and others. There’s lots of themed merch plus some fun, casual food and boozy outlets that are being themed for the 21+ crowd. Over at “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter,” rides are open to those who want an extra does of late night terror. 

Save On Halloween Horror Nights

There are ways to save on tickets at both of the American theme parks. Here are some tips.

1. The base rate is $77 – $83 depending on which park you succumb to, but look online for coupons.
2. Event rates are lowest in September, and lowest on mid-week evenings.
3. Prices go up weekend nights and rise again as you approach Halloween night. All the package prices vary upwards according to date and weekday/weekend.
4. If you’re not familiar with very cool Florida theme park, get a Scream Early ticket to visit between 3pm-5pm to face the park’s thrills before braving the chills of HHN.
5. Save by avoiding an Express Pass (cut the line). You only get first in line access once per each attraction. Plus, we think the wait is healthy because you can prolong your life by letting your heartbeat return to normal between haunts.
6. You can buy Frequent Fear and Rush of Fear Passes which provide access to the event on multiple nights but do you need to?
7. Get an Ulitmate Frequent Fear Plus Express Pass if you must. It gives you every one of the 48 nights of repeat terror. The $399 fee works out to only $8.33 per entry so some would call it a score.

It’s an adult affair; Universal Orlando Resort recommends HHN to those over 13. Still, if you have kids of any age in tow, that Express Pass may come in handy, especially after a long day on thrill rides. There’s only so much excitement a body can take, right?

End of the Line Halloween Horror Nights Tips for Halloween-Goers

Get tickets including early admission to select haunted houses if you hate waiting. However, we felt that being in line with crowds is part of the fun. Lines averaged 20-30 minutes’ wait at our visit. Not bad, and with several vendors selling Blood Shots, beer, and steaming cocktail confections, the wait was as important a social event as the environment itself.

There are good value hotel packages at Universal Orlando Resort (and several other parks) that provide a special entry gate for #HHN festivities. If this is the vacation you and your family have been waiting for, the four-night stay option saves you 20%.

Don’t miss the cleverly decorated rides and coasters that remain open after dark. We certainly got our money’s worth of scare from the amazing scenes. And after we got safely back to our hotel, we laughed about the experience.

Make a note that no costumes or masks are allowed. For more information, visit Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights or Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood.

Buy ahead or be caught dead. These events do sell out quickly.