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[title]Halloween Horror Nights is back for its 32nd year, operating for a record-breaking 48 nights from September 1 through November 4. Despite its tagline warning to “Never Go Alone,” I took my first-ever trip to the event over opening weekend—by myself. It was all worth it in order to bring you, dear reader, this comprehensive guide to Universal Orlando Resort’s Halloween Horror Nights 2023, including information on tickets, dates, the theme, rides and more.
I’m the first to admit I can be a little bit of a scaredy cat. Regardless, as a fan of all things spooky and a fan of Universal Orlando, I knew I had to check it out. The event is often regarded as one of the premier Halloween events in the country (and a popular destination for Halloween in Miami), for good reason: It includes original Universal content and also brings beloved titles like Stranger Things, The Exorcist, Last of Us and Chucky to life.
Based on my first-look experience of Halloween Horror Nights 2023, I absolutely loved this event. The dedication to theming, incredibly talented scare actors and movie-quality set design make this a must-do for fans of haunts and Halloween. On opening night, I was invited to the media event, which allowed me the opportunity to take part in an RIP Tour. The RIP tour allows guests to skip both the standard queue and Express lanes, basically ensuring that you’ll be able to experience all of the houses, even on the busiest nights.
I also attended the event the following evening with a standard ticket that did not include an Express Pass, and even with longer lines for houses, I had an amazing time and felt like the ticket price was a great value.
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What are Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando?
Halloween Horror Nights is the nation's leading Halloween event, featuring haunted houses, scare zones, unique spooky food specials and entertainment throughout the park.
What are 2023’s Halloween Horror Nights dates?
Halloween Horror Nights is running on select days from September 1 to November 4.
What dates will be busiest?
Weekends are the busiest days to visit, specifically Saturday nights. The event is typically more crowded at the start and end of the season as people try to visit as soon as possible or for one last trip of the year. September is the best month to go to avoid larger crowds that typically fill the park during October as Halloween approaches.
Do I need a separate ticket for Halloween Horror Nights?
Yes, a separate ticket is needed for entrance to Halloween Horror Nights. Tickets are available to purchase online as well as in person at both the Universal Resorts and park gates.
How much are tickets?
Single-night event tickets range from $79.99 to $124.99, depending on the date. For an additional cost, visitors can purchase an Express Pass that will allow them to skip regular lines and wait in an abbreviated queue one time at each haunted house. Express Pass pricing is also date-based and ranges from $119.99 to $239.99.
For guests looking to spend more for convenience, the park also offers RIP tours. These tours give guests the ability to skip both the standby and express queues and enter directly into the houses. Multiple parties will be combined during an RIP tour unless you opt for a private experience. These tours can accommodate up to 10 guests and start at $3,726 and can go as high as $5,323 throughout this year's HHN season. (Note that the pricing for both the RIP tour and Express Pass does not include park admission and an event ticket is required in addition to these add-ons.)
If you’re a local or just on a longer trip, consider taking advantage of either the Rush of Fear or Frequent Fear passes, which offer the ability to return for more than one night. The price per night breaks down into a great value, which is perfect for the biggest fans of the event.
What’s this year’s theme?
Each year, Halloween Horror Nights spotlights a different park icon who is the headline figure of the event. This year, it’s Dr. Oddfellow. The park icon ties into different houses and scare zones throughout the event, revealing their history and backstory to guests. Dr. Oddfellow owned a circus that had employed prior park icon Jack the Clown until Oddfellow murdered him.
As guests pass through the scare zones, they learn about Oddfellow’s past: how he journeyed through the “Jungle of Doom” and found the crystal skull that sits atop his cane and gives him powers; traveled through the “Dark Zodiac” dimension and harnessed each of the signs power; sent a shipping crate containing monsters of years past which cause terror in “Shipyard 32,” and unleashed the power of vampires amongst music festival attendees in “Vamp ‘69.”
Sound like a lot to take in? It is! If you’re looking to learn more about the theme, characters and backstory of each original house and scare zone, Universal Orlando releases different episodes in their “Discover Universal” podcast, giving listeners a peak into each story. As a first-time attendee, I found that listening to these episodes helped me become more invested in the stories and understand what was happening in each of the houses.
What rides are open during Halloween Horror Nights?
TRANSFORMERS: The Ride-3D, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, Revenge of the Mummy, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts and Men in Black Alien Attack stay open throughout the event, but do note that the availability is subject to change.
During the event, the lines are generally much shorter than during the day, as most guests are in line for the houses. Hopping on a ride is a great way to take a quick scare break before returning back to the horror!
How scary is it?
Each guest has their own ranking of which house scares them the most. For example, I’m not keen on clowns, so Dr. Oddfellow’s Twisted Origins was one of the scariest houses for me. While many of the houses utilize a lot of gore, much of the scare factor stems from jump scares and sudden noises.
While Universal does not have an age limit for the event, they do state that the event "may be too intense for young children and is not recommended for children under the age of 13." It is also important to note that the frights aren’t limited to the houses, the scare zones are spread across the park and scare actors roam about these areas as well.
While I was screaming through almost every house on my first pass-through, there was never a moment when I felt like I couldn’t finish the house. That being said, I did scream so much that I lost my voice almost completely after the first night. One thing to note: Scare actors are never allowed to touch you (or you them), so knowing there would never be any physical contact always made me feel a little better.
In addition to the scare zones, there are other, less scary experiences throughout the park to enjoy. This year, guests can find a horde of dancing M3GANs, David S. Pumpkins and Death Eaters at Nightmare Fuel Revenge Dream, an aerial and pyro-centric live dance show.
The Tribute Store is also a can’t-miss stop to break up the terror. This comic-themed shop takes guests through a storyboard with a different scene in every room. Be sure to pick up a copy of Tribute to Terror, a comic book that tells the tales of the shop, as a unique keepsake from the event.
If you’re looking to alleviate some fear, try watching walkthroughs of the houses before visiting. It allows you to see what’s in your comfort zone and, while it may spoil some of the surprise factor, that could be a good thing for the fright-adverse!
Another option is to take the Behind the Screams: Unmasking the Horror Tour, a daytime, lights-on tour of either three or six of the haunted houses. This tour does not require theme park or event admission and pricing starts at $119.00 per person. It’s a great way for guests who are afraid of the regular experience to pull the curtain back on the elaborate houses, and a great way to dive deeper into the scenes and sets constructed for the year.
What time does Halloween Horror Nights at Orlando open and close?
The event begins at 6:30pm and runs until 2am. Guests who either have a day ticket or purchase the “Stay and Scream” add-on can utilize early entry to get a jump start on tackling all the houses. You’ll need to be in the park by 5pm and then choose which Stay-and-Scream holding area you’ll wait in, depending on which houses you want to visit first. There are five holding areas this year.
New York (located near Louie’s Italian Restaurant) offers access to Stranger Things, The Exorcist and Dueling Dragons. Springfield/Central Park (located across from Mel’s Drive-In) offers access to The Last of Us and Universal Monsters: Unmasked. San Francisco (located by Chez Alcatraz) offers access to Chucky: Ultimate Kill Count. The Today Show serves as an overflow queue in case the others fill up—which does happen.
Be sure to arrive early and get in line if you’re only visiting for one night or just want to cross a house off your list as soon as possible. Finally, guests of Universal Resorts are granted a hotel guest exclusive entrance by Sound Stage 18, which offers access to Bloodmoon: Dark Offerings.
Are Halloween Horror Nights tickets cheaper for Florida residents?
No, Universal does not offer discounts for Florida residents for this event.
What are Halloween Horror Nights 2023’s haunted houses?
Here are this year’s haunted houses, listed from my favorite to least favorite:
Bloodmoon: Dark Offerings
This colonial village is home to a cult ready to slaughter anyone who refuses to worship the Bloodmoon. As a lifelong resident of New England, any kind of colonial terror is right up my alley. The house featured jump scares and gore galore, plus an extremely elaborate set design featuring multiple stories and truly terrifying lighting.
Universal Monsters: Unmasked
Classic creatures like the Phantom of The Opera, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and the Invisible Man are all ready to scare in this complex labyrinth that takes guests beneath the streets of Paris.
Dr. Oddfellow’s Twisted Origins
This walk through a deranged circus gives guests a glimpse into the genesis of 2023’s HHN icon. Coulrophobics, beware: This house has no shortage of terrifying clowns and other creepy circus folks hiding behind every corner, crevasse and wall.
YETI: Campground Kills
Witness blood-thirsty Yetis ravage a mountainside campsite looking for revenge. The set design is amazing and another legendary HHN character makes an appearance so grizzly, you’ll bear-ly be able to stand it.
Stranger Things 4
Take a trip through Hawkins, starting at Eddie Munson’s trailer. You’ll bump into favorite characters like Max, Dustin, Eleven and Vecna—a whole lot of Vecna. This house didn’t scare me. Instead, it felt like hanging out in the Upside Down with old friends. The set design is stunning and the scare actors really channel the personas and energy of the actors from the show. My only wish? More Kate Bush.
The Darkest Deal
Musician Pinestraw Spruce will do anything to be famous, including sell his soul to The Collector. This house blends amazing storytelling with a great soundtrack and top-notch scare actors.
Dueling Dragons: Choose Thy Fate
Dueling Dragons is among my all-time favorite rides with a lot of sentimental value: It was one of my grandfather’s favorite rollercoasters. So getting to revisit the now-shuttered attraction (which sat where Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure now races through) was an absolute highlight for me. Taking place where the ride left off, guests follow the battle between wizards and, at the end, select either fire or ice to tailor their own ending.
The Exorcist: Believer
This house is a walk-through of a yet-to-be-released movie, which made following the plot a bit tricky. But the scares in this house easily make up for any missed plot lines, with plenty of impressively terrifying makeup and special effects being utilized in every corner of this house.
The Last of Us
It’s worth noting that this house is based on the video game rather than the show, but even as someone who has never played it, I did not have an issue following along with the plot. While I watched the show at home, I had to often view scenes with the “clickers” and “bloaters” through my hands to partially obscure the screen because these fungus folks absolutely terrify me. Seeing Joel and Ellie battle it out felt like rooting for friends. While the costuming was the scariest part of the house for me, it was an incredibly impressive undertaking and I expect another chapter of this saga in future HHN years.
Chucky: Ultimate Kill Count
This was the last house that I walked through for the evening and maybe it was my bravery finally showing up, but there weren’t a lot of scares here. The house felt disconnected, divided into two chapters, to the point where I thought we were filing through the exit until I realized there was still more to see. The house utilized a lot of screens and just didn’t do it for me.
Where to stay for Halloween Horror Nights 2023
During my visit, I stayed at Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort which made the trip even better. Not only does the hotel offer easy bus transport to the parks, but it’s also home to a Chucky photo experience available only to guests at Universal hotels, complete with optical illusions and photo ops with everyone’s favorite friend till the end.
The Swizzle Lounge in the lobby is decked out with festive pumpkin decor and seasonal drink specials, like the Walking Zombie and Scream Sickle. Best of all, the Bayliner Diner stays open until 3am on event nights and offers refrigerated grab-and-go selections and a limited selection of hot items like pizza and chicken tenders. After a long night of screaming in the park, it was a relief to have the option to grab a snack before bed.