Let terror reign with our ghoulish guide to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort.
Get ready for a spine-chilling good time in Orlando with our guide to Halloween Horror Nights (HHN), one of the top-rated Halloween events in the world. Hosted by Universal Studios Florida at Universal Orlando Resort, this after-hours nightmare boasts 10 new haunted houses, five spectacular scare zones, pulse-pounding entertainment and more, available on select nights from Aug. 30 – Nov. 3, 2024.
But be warned: Halloween Horror Nights is not for the faint of heart. Read on to learn more about this terrifying Halloween event and see if you have what it takes to master the mayhem — I know I do!
WARNING: EVENT MAY BE TOO INTENSE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN AND IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 13. NO COSTUMES OR COSTUME MASKS ALLOWED.
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The Legend of Halloween Horror Nights
Voted the world’s best Halloween event for 14 years by Amusement Today's Golden Ticket Awards, Halloween Horror Nights isn’t your average haunted house attraction. It’s the stuff of legend, with a world-class creative entertainment team, incredible immersive environments, decades of interwoven backstory, and a dedicated fan base across the globe.
I’m one of those fans, a self-identified horror addict who first attended HHN back in 2007. I met Jack the Clown, screamed my way through headliner houses themed after iconic slasher films, and even caught a glimpse of the magic behind some of the event’s most compelling scares. I’ve been to almost every Halloween Horror Nights event in Orlando since.
There’s something about the adrenaline rush, the music, the costumes, the incredible storytelling, the sets and yes, some very creative blood and guts that thrill me to the bone. It could be perhaps that unlike in the real world, here I know I am safe. I can immerse myself in stories of cinematic proportions — including some ripped directly from the silver screen — and walk out smiling, laughing, nodding. “Now who’s hungry?”
And clearly, I’m not alone. Halloween Horror Nights is one of Orlando’s most highly anticipated events, with thousands eagerly lining up night after night to be horrified, entranced and scared out of their pants. It’s been that way since 1991, when the first-ever “Fright Nights” debuted at Universal Studios Florida. Since then, the event has grown, taking on a new name, new fans and more scares than ever across 48 nights. Let’s see who’ll be haunting our nightmares this Halloween season.
New Scares at Halloween Horror Nights
With all-new houses, scare zones and shows every single year, you can almost guarantee that you’ll never have the same experience twice. Here’s a peek at some of the new Halloween Horror Nights experiences coming in 2024.
10 New Houses
Stick with your group and get ready to scream your way through 10 frightful haunted houses. Four houses are based off iconic film and TV productions, while the remaining six haunts come directly from the twisted minds of Universal Orlando’s in-house creative team. They run the gamut from campy to gory for an immersive, bone-chilling experience. The only way out is through.
In 2024, new Halloween Horror Nights houses at Universal Orlando Resort include:
- Insidious: The Further: Based on the Insidious film franchise produced by Blumhouse Productions in association with Sony Pictures, this house transports you into a paranormal dimension of tortured souls and demonic entities.
- Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire: The Ghostbusters are back to protect the city from vengeful spirits and more nefarious villains in this house based on its namesake Sony Pictures film.
- A Quiet Place: Don’t make a peep, or monstrous creatures will hunt you down in this post-apocalyptic house based off Paramount Pictures’ A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place II. This will be the first house in Halloween Horror Nights history to incorporate American Sign Language.
- Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines: Get caught in an epic battle for dominance as Saskia Van Helsing and the Bride of Frankenstein go up against Dracula’s daughter and her monstrous mavens She-Wolf and Anck-su-namun.
- Triplets of Terror: You’re invited to the Barmy triplets’ birthday bash. But beware, they celebrate by recreating their family’s murders. Prepare for a gory gathering.
- Monstruos: The Monsters of Latin America: Run if you can from legendary monstruos like the blood-sucking Tlahuelpuchi, owl-faced witch La Lechuza and bone-ripping El Silbón.
- The Museum: Deadly Exhibits: An evil spirit escapes from The Rotting Stone, a new display at the local folklore exhibit, possessing and decaying everything in its path.
- Major Sweets Candy Factory: You’ve been called on to chaperone a field trip to a candy factory. But this sweet tour is about to turn sour when free samples transform the kids into candy-coated killers wielding sharpened candies.
- Goblin’s Feast: A lavish feast is being prepared for the goblins, orcs, hobgoblins and witches of the goblin village — and you are the main course.
- Slaughter Sinema 2: If you’re dying for a B-movie horror marathon, head to the Carey Drive-in. Scream through scenes from creature features, grindhouse gore, spaghetti westerns and more.
Five New Scare Zones
- Duality of Fear: The moment you enter Halloween Horror Nights, you must choose a path in this fascinating dual scare zone. Follow SINIST3R, the manifestation of visceral horror, or follow SURR3EAL, the incarnation of unearthly terror.
- Demon Queens: Get caught in an otherworldly hellscape ripped from the darkest corners of your mind. Four merciless queens loyal to SURR3AL rule, surrounded by hordes of fanatical followers.
- Swamp of the Undead: In backwaters Louisiana, you unwittingly wander onto private property, where you’re swamped by zombies borne from the bodies of other trespassers who were killed and dumped in a nearby bog.
- Torture Faire: SINIST3R's Renaissance fair has a dark medieval torture theme, complete with gory homemade devices.
- Enter the Blumhouse: Come face-to-face with a terrifying gauntlet of Blumhouse characters, including M3GAN, The Grabber and more icons of modern horror.
New Shows
- Nightmare Fuel: Nocturnal Circus: Step right up to a dark circus, a new nightmare that carries with it a sinister curse. Get trapped in a thrilling spectacle of pyro and aerialists to the beat of pulse pounding rock rhythms.
Halloween Horror Nights Survival Tips & Tricks
Buy Tickets in Advance
Avoid crowds at the ticket windows by buying your Halloween Horror Nights event tickets well in advance. Select tickets, annual passes, upgrades, tours and vacation packages are available directly through Universal Orlando Resort. You can also save on daytime and Halloween Horror Nights tickets through Visit Orlando powered by BestofOrlando.com. (Halloween Horror Nights is a separately ticketed event and is not included with day admission to Universal Orlando Resort.)
Save on discount tickets: Universal Orlando Resort
Scream Early
Get a head start on your night by arriving early. If you have a Halloween Horror Nights ticket and a Scream Early or daytime ticket for Universal Studios Florida, simply head to a designated Stay & Scream zone before the park’s 5 p.m. closing time. When the park re-opens for Halloween Horror Nights, you’ll be among the first guests released into the park. Each zone offers early access to a different area of the park, so choose your path wisely.
Discover: Things to Do at Universal Studios Florida
For the first time ever, Universal is also hosting a Halloween Horror Nights Premium Scream Night, which gives you access to all the scares on August 29, one day before the event officially begins. Scream early to enjoy staggered entry, lower house wait times, limited capacity, an unlimited selection of food items, free self-parking, souvenir event credentials, and more brag-worthy goodies.
Spend Less Time in Line
There’s nothing more frightening than spending half your night waiting in line — so don’t! There are several ways to bypass the standby line for your favorite haunts, or to at least reduce your wait time.
One of the most popular paid options is the Universal Express Pass, which can be used once per house and at participating attractions for reduced Express wait times. You can also book a guided R.I.P. tour to enjoy front-of-line access to each haunted house. Choose from private and non-private options to suit your preferences.
How to Navigate Halloween Horror Nights Without Express
No Express Pass? No worries. Brave Halloween Horror Nights by arriving early, staying late and prioritizing your must-do’s. The houses in the front of the park and those based on popular film and TV productions tend to remain busy most of the night, while those spread throughout the park enjoy a slower start to the night. No guarantees, of course, but in my experience, wait times typically start to drop around midnight. With that in mind, you can create your own custom itinerary, start checking things off, and make the most of time spent in line with friends.
Shriek on Pulse-Pounding Rides
Select Universal Studios Florida attractions are open throughout Halloween Horror Nights, giving you a whole new way to scream. Wait times for high-octane rides are often lower after hours, so check them out between houses to keep things interesting. Pay attention to special operating hours, as some of these rides may close before the event ends.
Minimize the Scares With These Scaredy-Cat Tactics
If it’s your first time at Halloween Horror Nights (or your braver friends dragged you into going again), you might be a little nervous about what lies beyond the park gates. Fear not. Try some of these tricks to keep your cool when it all gets to be too much.
- Wear earbuds or earplugs to dull any loud noises.
- Stick to the sidewalks to enjoy most — but certainly not all — of the scare zone action from afar.
- Take in a show. They’re pulse-pounding good fun without the jump-scares.
- Let your friends go first in the houses and hang on tight.
- DON’T RUN. Seriously, do you want them to chase you?
Eat, Drink & Be Scary
All that screaming and running around is guaranteed to make you hungry. Satisfy your appetite with themed treats and diabolical drinks inspired by this year's houses. Highlights pictured here include the Mini Stay-Puft S'more, The Bride's Cake, the Heart "Beet" Tostada and the Poison Apple, with many more menu items. Try them if you dare.
More Ways to Celebrate Halloween at Universal Orlando Resort
Looking for even more spooky fun? These events and offerings are also available at Universal Orlando Resort throughout the Halloween season. Universal also has several spooky spots that are open all year long, perfect for Halloween ghoulies like me who’ve been listening to HHN-inspired playlists since last season ended.
Discover: Year-Round Halloween Haunts in Orlando
Unmasking the Horror Tour
Go behind the screams on a guided, lights-on tour of select Halloween Horror Nights houses. Choose between 3- or 6-house tour options to get a closer look at the props, sets, stories and illusions that form the heart of this incredible Halloween event. If that wasn’t cool enough, here’s the kicker: You don’t need a Halloween Horror Nights or a daytime park ticket to enjoy the tour. It’s perfect for seasoned, detail-obsessed HHN fans like myself and those who are curious but not quite ready to commit to a full night of scares.
Discover: Unmasking the Horror Tour
Halloween Tribute Store
Shop for exclusive Halloween Horror Nights merchandise at the Halloween Tribute Store, a themed, limited time offering in the New York section of Universal Studios Florida. It’s open all day long, so you can even check it out while you wait for the event to start.
Halloween Offerings at Universal CityWalk
The spooky fun doesn’t stop when you leave Universal Studios Florida. Enjoy bewitching food and beverage items at select Universal CityWalk restaurants, and don’t leave without visiting one of my favorite stops: The Dead Coconut Club. This spooky version of the Red Coconut Club is perfect for a pre- or post-Halloween hangout, with ghoulish cocktails, live entertainment and maybe even a familiar horror icon or two.
Discover: Things to Do at Universal CityWalk
Hotels of Horror
Finally, keep the fun going all night with festive Halloween lounges at Universal Cabana Bay Beach Resort, Universal Aventura Hotel and Universal Endless Summer Resort — Dockside Inn and Suites. All will have Halloween-themed specialty drinks served in spooktacular settings. The remaining hotels will also have themed lobby experiences and photo opportunities.
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