I was in the sixth grade when I experienced a rite of passage for many Orlando-area residents — when one of the girls in my Girl Scouts troop asked if I wanted to go to Universal's Halloween Horror Nights with her and her family.
Did I later learn that I was the fourth person she asked and the only person whose mother said I could go? Sure but we're not talking about that. Did I attend and have my little middle schooler mind blown from experiencing Halloween on whole new level? 100%.
Over a decade later, I'm still willingly paying to get scared every Halloween season. Sometimes, multiple times in a two month span. And I still love it.
Since 2011, I have gone to Universal Orlando's Halloween event at least 20 times, which I believe makes me an unofficial expert on all things HHN. I will not debate this further. But what's the use of this knowledge if I can't help others?
Whether you're a complete newbie to the Halloween Horror Nights realm or a fanatic who is just reading whatever content is available before the event's opening day, I got you. Here are all the tips and tricks I have gathered in my 13 years of attending the spookiest event of year:
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How scary is Universal's Halloween Horror Nights? Figure out if event is right for you
Before you invest your time and money into attending, you need ask yourself — How scary is too scary for me? The event promises several terrifying attractions that might not be suitable for all parkgoers, regardless of age (the website recommends attendees be 13 and older).
Remember that scary is subjective. While the sight of a ghost or goblin won't cause you to bat an eye, maybe it will be gore and guts thrown throughout the house. Or maybe you have an unconventional fear of "Slimer" from the Ghostbusters franchise and seeing him will make you pass out? It happens!
Don't you dare look scared:Here's how I survived Universal's Halloween Horror Nights
A good way tofigureout what may trigger you is to readhaunted house and scare zone descriptions on the eventwebsite ahead of time.
When you go matters. See upcoming dates for Halloween Horror Nights
The event runs from the end August to the very beginning of November, giving you several dates to choose from. But they are all not created equal.
I highly recommend attending in early to mid-September and/or on a weeknight. For starters, it's typically cheaper since Halloween is still a month away and many aim to go closer to the holiday. There are also smaller crowds, especially on weeknights.
But there are pros to attending in October, such as potentially cooler weather and increased spooky vibes as we get closer to Halloween. Universal Orlando Resort’s Halloween Horror Nights will be on the following days:
- Aug. 30-31
- Sept. 1, 4-8, 11-15, 18-22, 25-29
- Oct. 2-6, 9-13, 16-20, 23-27, 30-31
- Nov. 1-3
Should you splurge on 'Frequent Fear' or 'Express' pass? See ticket prices
For starters, single-night ticket for HNN at Universal Orlando Resort starts at $82.99 and increases depending on the date, which USA TODAY notes is a hike from last year’s $73.99. The ticket is a separate event ticket from park admission.
For those who want to maximize their experience, it might be worth it to add on some extras. The express pass allows visitors to skip the line at haunted houses one time for the cost of $129.99. You can also splurge on a "Frequent Fear" pass to attend multiple nights and take your time when you attend, something I would highly recommend.
But if you don't get a multi-night pass or the fast passes, don't fret — you can still get into every house, go through the scare zones and have a lot of fun. You might just have to stay for the entirety of the night (terrible news for those who go to bed at 10 p.m.).
Study up — Get to know the houses, scare zones and map
We got the tickets! But what should you do in the meantime?
Start researching, get familiar with the houses this year and determine which ones you want to go through the most. Once the official map has been released, start making a game plan for where to head to first.
Here's the 2024 haunted houses atUniversal Orlando:
- Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
- A Quiet Place
- Insidious: The Further
- Triplets of Terror
- Monstrous: The Monsters of Latin America
- The Museum: Deadly Exhibits
- Major Sweets Candy Factory
- Goblin’s Feast
- Slaughter Sinema 2
Leave the costumes at home. It's not allowed and very uncomfortable
Guests are not allowed to wear costumes or masks to Universal Studios Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights. But it's honestly for the best. No one wants to go through a haunted house with a sweaty, weary princess or superhero trailing them.
Instead, you want to prioritize comfort over anything. Since it still feels like a sauna in Florida during the fall season, I recommend wearing lighter, looser clothing. And please, please, please … wear sneakers or comfy shoes in general.
To the baddies who wear Doc Martens or heeled boots, I'm begging you to leave them at home. It's not worth it.
Get there early and as close to the opening as possible
The event hours are 6:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. or 2 a.m. depending on the day. You'll want to be at the park gates around 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
For any chronically late readers who are asking, "Why would I get there there over 30 minutes early, that's stupid?" hear me out. By the time you finally park and get through security, you still have to make your way through CityWalk to get the theme park, easily taking 30 minutes alone.
Depending on the night, crowd levels can get crazy and the lines to check in can stretch out past the entrance. So grab a water and snack, you might as well wait.
When the gates open, knock out the most popular houses first
This is where your research will save you. As soon as you get through the gates, make a beeline to the more popular houses. These are typically the houses based off of horror movies, TV shows or video games.
Some of these houses can see wait times past 90 minutes. If you arrive early, you can knock these out first.
Learn from my mistakes. When I attended back in 2016, I forced my friends to go into the "Walking Dead" house with a wait time of over two hours since I was obsessed with the show. By the time we got out, the event was almost over and we had only hit two houses.
Houses getting crowded? Hit up the rides, other attractions
While haunted house lines are getting up to as much as three hours, the lines for top rides, such as "Gringotts" or "Men in Black," might reach only 10 to 20 minutes. Perfect for a quick break from the constant frights.
Don't skip out on the food
You thought the houses were the main attraction? A real draw for the event is its unique themed food options found throughout the park.
You can treat yourself to a killer feast while partaking in the frightening fun. From the famous twisted taters to new items inspired by the houses, there's something for everyone to sink their teeth into.
Bonus tip: Try the items that sound or look gross, those are usually the best.
Need a break? Attend Halloween Horror Nights' show
It can feel like you accidentally signed up for 10K marathon when you're darting from house to house all night, not to mention all the time spent waiting in lines.
Give yourself, and your feet, a break throughout the night. Might as well get your rest while watching the event's 2024 show, "Nightmare Fuel: Nocturnal Circus."
The final hour of Halloween Horror Nights is important. Use time wisely
Suddenly, it is 1 a.m. and you only have an hour left of Halloween Horror Nights. Don't panic, you can actually do a lot.
Since a significant amount of parkgoers will have started leaving, this means that lines for the haunted houses will start to go down. Head to your remaining houses or finally get in line for the house that has had a wait time of over 90 minutes all night.
Get ready for your final journey of the evening — the walk from the park to the parking garage
Remember that tip about wearing comfortable shoes? You'll remember to thank me once the clock strikes 2 a.m. and you have to walk all the way to the parking garages with thousands of other tired, slightly sweaty parkgoers.
Just take it slow and don't rush. There's no reason to push through a crowd of people who are all kind of miserable and cranky, so take your time getting back. Double check the note in your phone to make sure you're going to right lot.
Nothing will be scarier than realizing you parked in Jaws when you already walked all the way to Spiderman.
Contributing: Eve Chen, USA TODAY
