What To Expect at Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights 2024

Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights is one of the most highly regarded Halloween events in the world. With locations in Orlando, Hollywood, Singapore, and Japan, it is truly a worldwide spectacle of fun and fear.

So, when Universal Orlando sent over an invite to experience opening weekend, I couldn’t dare say no … even though horror movies aren’t my thing, and, honestly, I was terrified at the thought of going.

But with such consistently great reviews from my friends and co-workers, I had to see what all of the fuss was about.

With 10 unique haunted houses, 5 scare zones, live performances, and limited-time snacks, there is a lot to see and do. If you are considering a visit this year, here is what you can expect.

Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights

Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) is a wildly popular, separately ticketed nighttime event that takes place each year at Universal Studios Florida.

This is the 33rd year of the killer party, with opening night on August 30, 2024 — earlier than ever to meet demand. There will be 44 nights of jump scares, but they do sell out. So if you are interested, you should buy your HHN33 tickets as soon as possible.

Each year, Universal changes the lineup of haunted houses, with many inspired by the biggest names in horror. The 2024 HHN lineup includes:

• A Quiet Place
• Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
• Insidious: The Further
• Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines
• Monstruos: The Monsters of Latin America
• Slaughter Sinema 2
• The Museum: Deadly Exhibits
• Major Sweets Candy Factory
• Goblin’s Feast
• Triplets of Terror

Some of these houses are scarier than others, and without going into too much detail about each one (no spoilers here), there is more or less something for everyone.

For example, A Quiet Place is quite terrifying because the premise is that you need to be quiet, so try not to scream or the aliens will find you! Meanwhile, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is really fun and will have you dancing to the theme song on your way out.

Just note that HHN is very intense and not recommended for children under the age of 13.

As you pass from house to house, you will pass through marked scare zones where you’ll find monsters, zombies, and other sinister characters roaming the streets.

As someone who was a bit nervous before going into the haunted houses, the scare zones were a nice warm up.

Besides the terrifying houses and scare zones, there is also a nighttime show with fire and scantily clad performers, as well as rides including Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, Revenge of the Mummy, and Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts.

Universal also creates its own limited-time menu for Halloween Horror Nights, including fan-favorite food options like walking tacos, pizza skulls, and more.

This year’s hot item (pun intended) was the Stay-Puft S’more.

So between the haunted houses, scare zones, shows, bar, snacks, and rides (with very short lines!), there is a lot to see and do.

Halloween Horror Nights opens at 6:30 p.m. each night and lasts until 2:00 a.m.

Is It Worth It?

Is it worth it? That is the question I kept asking myself throughout the entire night.

I made it very clear that I am not a fan of horror movies or jump scares, but I do love theme parks. And Universal has done a really good job with Halloween Horror Nights. It’s so good of a job that the park keeps adding dates and extending hours to accommodate the crowds.

I visited on the first night of HHN33, so it was expected to be crowded. But I was part of an R.I.P. tour, which is the Halloween version of a V.I.P. tour. This meant we entered through a separate line that bypassed nearly all the crowds.

Otherwise, the queue for each house ranged from 90 to 120 minutes.

At that wait time, you’d only be able to experience a few of the houses in an entire night, and you’d spend the majority of the evening in line. Our guide said that it would only get busier the closer we got to Halloween.

Tickets for Halloween Horror Nights start at $82.99 and go up from there based on dates.

If you have the budget for $149+ for the Express Pass or $369+ for the R.I.P. tour, I would highly recommend it, as it could transform your experience.

For reference, our group of 12 visited all 10 haunted houses (and repeated some) in about 5 hours, including breaks.

Final Thoughts

Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights is an epic event gaining popularity every year — and for good reason.

Coming from someone who had zero interest before attending, I get it now. HHN is a terrifyingly fun experience that I think most people should try at least once, especially if they are theme park fans.

The park transforms into a sinister stage packed with fans of horror and thrills. Visiting the park at night is a unique (and much cooler, temperature-wise) experience, plus you can experience some of your favorite rollercoasters with virtually no line.

While the price may be tough to swallow, the experience is next-level. See you in the fog!