Spooky season has begun! Immerse yourself in the thrills of Universal Studios Orlando Halloween Horror Nights by experiencing the 10 chilling haunted houses, the 5 horrifying scare zones and the 2 fantastically frightening live shows. With supernatural treats and wild rides around every corner, Halloween is here! How family-friendly can Halloween Horror Nights be? Is the price worth the scare? Dive deep into what Halloween Horror Nights has to offer and see if your family is up for the spooks.
The writer was hosted.
Wondering if Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Orlando is really that scary? As a first-time Halloween Horror Nights attendee, my expectations were through the roof. As someone who loves a good scary movie, my fear of the unknown blended with pure excitement.
I was blown away by the theatrics and dedication of the scare actors as well as the beautiful scenery created by the Universal team. Not only was it a wonderful visual experience, but the extra passion and effort presented by the crew made for a memorable adventure.
Here's what you need to know about Halloween Horror Nights at Universal for 2022 to have a spooky good time!
Universal is known for its horror films. Universal Studios released its first horror film, "The Phantom of the Opera," in 1925. From there, the studio went on to release some of the most well-known horror films in history, bringing to life characters such as Dracula, The Mummy and The Wolf Man.
In 1991, Universal brought the horror off screen and into the real world with the birth of Halloween Horror Nights. Since then, die hard fans have been gathering for that special time of the year when they get to become part of the experience!
The Universal team, which spends 365 days of the year planning for Halloween Horror Nights, is expected to wow us every year. And man did they wow me!
Read More: Best Hotels Near Universal Studios
One of the top reasons people look forward to this special event, is the creepy haunted houses.
This year's Halloween Horror Nights consists of 10 of the spookiest haunted houses yet!
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A post shared by TravelingMom (@travelingmom)
One of this year's most anticipated haunted houses! Experience what it feels like to have The Weeknd stalk you around this horrifyingly wacky house.
There are lots of colors and no shortage of flashing lights. So if you are sensitive to strobes, this would be the house to avoid. If you're looking to jam to some of your favorite Weeknd songs while constantly checking over your shoulder, this is your kind of haunted house.
Have one of Universal Studios' most memorable characters chase you around this creatively crafted house. Michael Myers flashes his iconic mask and knife as you try to find your way out of his victim's house. Be careful as you go around the corner; you never know where he could be lurking.
This is two haunted houses in one! With two well-known Blumhouse movies, "Freaky" and "The Black Phone," Universal gives its guest a back-to-back experience. If the topic of missing children doesn't appeal to you, this is the house to skip.
Using the 3 original classic monsters - The Wolf Man vs Dracula vs The Mummy - you get to experience the battle of the century! Every night holds a new winner, which keeps this house completely unpredictable.
One of this year's best characters! Immersed in a 1920s speakeasy, guest are introduced to a coven of flapper witches that slowly reveal their true identities as you creep further into the house.
This house is one of this year's original concepts. If bugs are not your thing, it may be best to avoid this house. With creepy crawlers around every corner, the bugs slowly become life sized! Set in a 1950s home, guests experience what it's like when a pest control experiment goes wrong.
This gruesomely gorgeous haunted house is one of the goriest of all the houses. The legend of the Chupacabra comes to life as you walk through a Latin American village just to find out that you might be the next sacrifice.
One of the more tame houses of the season. If you're looking for spooks and creativity, this is a great house to explore! Guests get the opportunity to experience the make-up and costume designs that make it all feel so real! This house is a prison for monsters. Find your way out fast as they begin to escape from their cells!
By far my favorite house of the year! Guest get to experience the amazing storytelling and set design skills of the talented crew at Universal. The most beautiful house of the line up. Explore a New England fishing village as the fisherman of a shipwrecked crew begin to emerge from the sea. See how a lonely fisherman's widow plays her beautiful violin as she mourns her husband who's been lost at sea. This house is a chillingly dazzling adventure.
Another original concept developed by the genius minds of Universal Studios. Descend into the New York subway tunnels and try not to get caught by the creepy mutants lurking in the darkness.
The creep vibe doesn't end when you walk out of a haunted house. Traveling between haunted houses means walking through the 5 sinister scare zones.
Each scare zone has its group of scare actors that iare always one step ahead of you.or behind you!
Each scare zone contains its own creative theme:
Don't forget to check the schedule and plan to see the 2 wildly spooky live shows!
Universal is a theme park, after all. It wouldn't be the same if there weren't some thrill rides to provide a different kind of scare.
My favorite is also Universal's most thrilling ride of them all: Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. For a little Halloween flair, click and hold the logo at the top of the screen for 10 seconds. When the keypad pops up, press '666' and experience the horrors of Chucky as he talks to you through the whole ride!
This is a ticketed event not included in regular theme park admission.
Is it worth the extra cost? The worth depends on what you are looking for! How much horror can you handle? Maybe one night isn't enough for your family?
There are a ton of ticket packages and options. Pricing varies by date and availability.
For the truly horror-addicted, Universal sells passes that get you access to multiple nights of scary fun:
In addition, annual passholders can purchase a single-night ticket at a discounted price between Sept. 2-30.
Premier passholders can use their one free ticket on these dates: Sept. 2-4, 7-9, 10-11, 15-18, 21-23, 28-30.
If you are planning on staying in one of the Universal Orlando Resorts while visiting HHN, you might consider getting a Halloween Horror Nights Hotel & Ticket Package.
You can save $200 or more on a 2 night or longer hotel stay with a 3-Park Ticket. The Stay, Scream and save offer only applies to Universal Orlando vacation packages purchased on the Universal Parks & Resorts Vacation websites.
Make sure you choose your nights carefully when purchasing a HHN ticket! The scares go on rain or shine! There are no raincheck, refunds, or returns.
HHN happens every weekend and most weekdays from Sept. 2 to Oct. 31.
Halloween Horror Nights begins at 6:30pm and closes at 2am. So you can experience the scares late into the night!
TravelingMom Tip: Buy your tickets online and download the Universal app so you can pass the ticket line and start getting scared sooner!
If scary isn't your thing, Halloween Horror Nights might be a difficult place for you. With scare zones weaved throughout the park, it's hard to avoid a scare or two when getting from point A to point B.
Universal says the event is best suited for children 13+ due to the scary scenes, gore and intensity of the haunted houses.
Still, there are some tame areas to escape the horror. One of them is near Diagon Alley. This area is clear of scare zones, which makes it a great place to take a seat and remind yourself that all the scares are just for fun!
Nobody is required to enter into the haunted houses, so if you are interested in going just for the scare zones, rides, creepy atmosphere, deliciously haunting treats and incredible live entertainment, then you can still have a fantastic, much less scary time.
You might want to ask yourself before hand, "If I can't make it through a mildly scary movie, is Halloween Horror Nights the place I want to be?"
As for your children, it is up to your best judgment to decide. If your child is all about gore and spooks, then HHN might be the highlight of their Halloween season!
This year's Halloween Horror Nights Event consists of well-thought-out and chilling merchandise. The clothing ranges from t-shirts, long sleeves, hoodies, jackets, hats and flannels. Each t-shirt has a unique design. Some sport the original Universal monsters such as Dracula, The Mummy, The Wolf Man, and Michael Myers.
The logo and designs have an old school retro art theme that makes the merchandise seem less flashy. Which is my preference!
There's also a large selection of water bottles, shot glasses, key chains, coffee mugs, collectable pins and so much more!
If you're looking to build a collection of Halloween Horror Nights 31 apparel, this season merchandise selection is perfect.
There is no shortage of scary good foods and drinks around the park!
The Coconut Yuzu Eyeballs are a must try! They have a creamy pudding-like texture with a fruity sweet taste.
There are also fun treats like Pizza Skulls, African Lentil Coffins, Lil' Boos Spicy Pumpkins and Meetz Meats 100% Ground Princess (aka a rasberry flavored rice crispy treat) that make the halloween experience so much more exciting.
There are specialty spooky cocktails that you can purchase throughout the park as well! One of my favorites being the Electric Death. It is a gin cocktail with Bols blue curaçao, lime juice, BR Reynolds orgeat, simple syrup, pineapple juice and pimento bitters. It's delicious, a fun color, and it lights up!
There is also a non-alcoholic mocktail called the Un-Tipsy Tiki. It consists of a blend of pineapple, orange and fresh lime juice, a splash of tonic water and orgeat.