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

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Chris Hassan
Chris Hassan's image

Chris Hassan

Social Media & Brand Manager

264 Published Articles

Countries Visited: 27U.S. States Visited: 26

Chris holds a B.S. in Hospitality and Tourism Management and managed social media for all Marriott properties in South America, making him a perfect fit for UP and its social media channels. He has a ...
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Ryan Smith

News Managing Editor

314 Published Articles 468 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 197U.S. States Visited: 50

Ryan completed his goal of visiting every country in the world in December of 2023 and now plans to let his wife choose their destinations. Over the years, he’s written about award travel for publicat...
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Jestan Mendame

Compliance Associate

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Since 2016, he has embraced the life of a digital nomad, making the world his office. He has built a career in social media marketing and blogging for various travel brands, which is also his bread an...
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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.

Halloween Horror Nights Unviersal entry
Entrance to the park.

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.

Haunted Houses at Halloween Horror Nights 2024 Universal Orlando warning
Image Credit: Universal

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.

Universal Halloween Horror Nights scare zone
Scare zones aren’t too bad during the day.

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.

Insidious Rock It Rollercoaster Universal Halloween Horror Nights
I walked on to Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit with no wait.

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

Stay Puft Smore Universal Halloween Horror Nights
Stay-Puft S’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.

Hot Tip:

The scare actors do not touch or grab you, and there is plenty of Universal staff throughout the haunted houses. So, if you scare easily (like me), that knowledge should help you make it through the twisted creations.

Is It Worth It?

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

Universal Halloween Horror Nights lights
Scenes throughout the park were well done.

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.

RIP Entrance Universal Halloween Horror Nights
RIP entrance at the park.

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.

Halloween Horror Nights exit
Entertainment stage at night.

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

Hot Tip:

If you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, you’ll earn 5x Ultimate Rewards on Universal tickets purchased through the Chase Travel portal.

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!

Chris Hassan's image

About Chris Hassan

Chris holds a B.S. in Hospitality and Tourism Management and managed social media for all Marriott properties in South America, making him a perfect fit for UP and its social media channels. He has a passion for making content catered toward family travelers.

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