What to Expect at Halloween Horror Nights This Year!

Don’t run and scream, but prepare to face your fears this Halloween over at Universal Studios, for the return of the ever-popular gorefest that is Halloween Horror Nights!

Running on select nights from 6th September – 2nd November this year, you will be able to visit ten spine-tingling haunted houses, five frightful scare zones and, assuming you escape, watch some fangtastic live entertainment! Read on to discover a terrifying horde of information about this year’s event!

Haunted Houses of Terror

This year the 80s have come back with a vengeance – as both Ghostbusters and Stranger Things come to the fore in their respective haunted houses. Although 80s-set Stranger Things made its haunted house debut at the park last year, 2019 sees a whole new experience featuring scenes and locations from series 2 and 3 of the hit Netflix show. Will you dare to return to the iconic town of Hawkins, Indiana and come face-to-face with the fearsome Demodogs? Make sure you catch up with all of the events of series 3 before you head inside!

Who ya gonna call to rescue you from the Ghostbusters haunted house? Why Ray, Egon, Peter and Winston of course! Marking the 35th birthday of the original film, you’ll find yourself transported to New York to watch as events unfold before you – discover the Temple of Gozer, watch out for frightful ghosts and phantoms, and be prepared to be terrified by Gozer, the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and a spectral host of other spooks!

Prepare to meet with all of the icons of horror in the Universal Monsters house. Dracula, Wolfman, Frankenstein’s Monster, The Creature from the Black Lagoon, the ancient Mummy and more are waiting to trap unknowing travellers who roam through their realms – will you get out alive?

Are you afraid of clowns? Well, if you aren’t now – you soon will be as you meet with the Killer Klowns from Outer Space, who made their mark on the park last year with their terrifying scare zone. A new haunted house experience based on the cult film features a horrifying host of new characters including the baby klowns Klownzilla and Boco. The fairground setting will soon turn from screams of fun to those of terror!

If you haven’t already seen Jordan Peele’s box-office hit Us then you’ll want to do so before venturing into the haunted house based on the 2019 film. Featuring a host of terrifying doppelgangers you’ll follow in the footsteps of Adelaide Wilson (played by Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong'o in the film) and explore the tunnels below America, before meeting with her double, Red. Watch as the Tethered rise from their underground prison – you’ll need to run fast to escape yourself in this house!

Rob Zombie is known for his heavy metal music, but he also made his directorial debut in 2003 with House of 1000 Corpses which has gained a cult following in the years since its release. This year the House of 1000 Corpses gets its own haunted berth at Universal ready to terrify unwary visitors! Meet with the crazed Firefly family and learn of The Legend of Doctor Satan – you don’t want to be in the company of the house’s residents for too long – or you might never find your way out alive!

There is more gory terror waiting in Nightingales: Blood Pit. A continuation of the ongoing story of the Nightingales – shape shifting creatures who first appeared in Halloween Horror Nights during 2011 and are known to feast on dead or dying warriors. This year, witness as they devour fallen Roman gladiators who have been battling to the death, but you’d better make sure that they don’t see you as fresh meat…

Brush up on your folklore knowledge for Yeti: Terror of the Yukon, where in the snowy tundra you will find sheltering loggers and trappers waiting out the storm unaware of the danger lurking outside. Little did they know that they had infringed on the territory of the fearsome Yeti! As you explore their blood-spattered logging camp, you can only wonder at the terrible fate that befell these poor souls. And now it is your turn to venture deep inside the caves of the Yeti – as you hear the screams of those unable to escape their bloodthirsty wrath.

Are you a strong swimmer, or does the thought of water – and what secrets await below terrify you? Take the plunge in Depths of Fear – a haunted house which takes you deep into the horrifying tale of a deep-sea mining company’s discovery of a parasitic race of deadly underwater creatures. You find yourself trapped at the bottom of the ocean as flesh-eating acidic eggs are launched at unwary human hosts, and those infected succumb to unavoidable madness. The only way to prevent the slithering ‘Mouthbrooders’ from taking over the human population, is by using the self-destruct facility – I hope you can escape before it is too late!

The final haunted house is Graveyard Games – where all of your nightmares of terrifying graveyards are set to come true. Pay a visit to the Ascension Parish Cemetery, where unruly teenagers have been disrespecting the graves and have unwittingly attracted the attention of the spirits of the dead, awakening them from their eternal slumber. Before you enter the house you can even use Facebook Messenger to chat with the locals and learn about the history of the town. Watch on in horror as ghostly creatures and vengeful spirits try to exact their revenge on the living. Escape the maze of mausoleums and tombstones before they drag you into an early grave!

Spook-tacular Scare Zones

So we’ve had a look at all of the haunted houses – what scare zones await as you make your way around the park? If you didn’t know already, scare zones are open themed street areas filled with costumed actors whose intention is to terrify you! This year there are five scare zones that you will have to navigate on your way around the park!

Brimming with the undead, Zombieland Double Tap is based on the 2009 horror comedy film Zombieland and its sequel, which is being released in cinemas in time for Halloween this year. While in this scare zone you’ll find yourself surrounded by bloodthirsty zombies – you’ll need to obey the rules of survival if you want to escape unharmed!

The dead have risen again in Vikings Undead. With a lust for battle and bloodshed, they were a terrifying enough prospect in life – and in death they are even scarier…

You’ve already heard about the House of 1000 Corpses haunted house based on Rob Zombie’s film – but there is even more from the maestro of heavy metal and horror in the Rob Zombie Hellbilly Deluxe scare zone! Find yourself faced by otherworldly oddities and fiendishly demented bloodthirsty maniacs, all accompanied by a background of pounding metal music!

Get the Hollywood treatment – with a gruesome difference – over at the Vanity Ball zone, where the tagline ‘beauty is pain’ has never been truer! Watch out for the scalpel wielding ‘artists’ who want to use your flesh as their canvas…

The final scare zone over at Avenue of the Stars takes us back to the 80s again, in Anarch-cade – a games arcade with a horrifying difference, as a gang of neon-clothed slashers are trying to make sure that ‘game over’ has a more permanent meaning.

Ghoulish Live Entertainment

It isn’t just the creepy cast who are set on entertaining and terrifying – take a break from all of the fearsome action to catch Academy of Villains: Altered States, a dance and music performance from Halloween Horror Nights regulars Academy of Villains. Known for putting on fantastic theatrical shows that combine storytelling with dance – this is one all-new performance that you won’t want to miss.

A new lagoon show also joins the line-up this year – Halloween Marathon of Mayhem. Using state-of-the art technology, light and lasers to project scenes from classic horror films and TV shows onto soaring fountains, this is sure to be a spectacular addition to the night’s entertainment. Look out especially for scenes from haunted houses you will visit – including Stranger Things, Ghostbusters, Killer Klowns from Outer Space and Universal Monsters. With show times at 10pm, 11pm and 12am, be sure to make time in your terrifying schedule!

Talking of scheduling, if you download the official Universal Orlando app through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store† you will be able plan out your night, and keep abreast of any updates. You can even play a game of TERROR TRIVIA while you wait to enter the houses, to test if you are the ultimate fan of the Halloween Horror Nights event! With multiple levels of trivia, including questions about the history of the event, and the goings-on at the park this year, will you make it onto the leaderboard?

Do you want to escape from the zombie hordes for a while and enjoy some of Universal’s top ride attractions? Fortunately there are plenty of thrills to be had without the threat of bloodsucking ghouls! Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringott’s, Revenge of the Mummy, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, Men in Black: Alien Attack, Fast & Furious: Supercharged, Transformers: The Ride 3D and The Simpsons Ride are all open during the event. As some of these rides close before the end of the event, or are open on select nights only, check the app to make sure you don’t miss out!

Halloween Horror Nights isn’t recommended for those under the age of 13, as it can be a pretty intense experience. Remember, no costumes or masks are allowed either! If you are driving it is advised that you plan to arrive at least an hour before the event starts to avoid traffic delays – and find a parking space more easily! If you have event admission for the day as well as the evening, you needn’t exit and re-enter the park – instead wait in a Stay & Scream area – from there you will be able to get a head start on the guests queuing at the front entrance.

The best tip is to head straight to the back of the park and explore the haunted houses there first, as other revellers tend to file straight to the first houses that they come across.

If you can’t wait to get into as many houses as possible, you might want to look at the Halloween Horror Nights Express Pass which allows you to skip the regular lines once at each house, as well as on rides and attractions. You can even purchase additional tickets through the Universal website for a guided VIP Tour of the houses which include front-of-the-line access. If you are interested in how the event was put together, a daytime tour is also available which gives a look behind the scenes. You can further enhance your evening with the Scareactor Dining Experience, where costumed actors roam about as you enjoy special photo opportunities while dining in Classic Monsters Cafe.

Has all of this horrifying fun whetted your appetite for terror? Keen to attend this year’s event? Then get in touch with Debbie’s Villas on 01892 836822 to discuss ticket options!

Halloween Horror Nights is a favourite amongst Halloween aficionados – will it be your new favourite event in Florida? If you are planning on attending this year we would love to hear from you – which haunted house are you looking forward to visiting most? If you have been before what tips do you have for those new to the event? Get in touch with us using our social media channels!

† Debbie’s Villas accepts no liability for the use of third-party applications

Image credits: Universal Orlando Resort and Halloween Horror Nights