If you’re like me, then horror really isn’t your thing. You’d rather do anything else than watch a horror film or read a novel by Stephen King (even if his work is actually really good). You cover your eyes, have nightmares, and happen to be the one friend in the group that screams at every scene that has the potential of being scary.
This is how I was for years. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still like this. I still refuse to watch horror movies because I know that I’ll have nightmares. But one thing that I can handle and I’ve surprisingly found to be fun, is Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights. Last year was the first year that I went and while it was wildly intimidating, it was also the time of my life.
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The best time to go is on a Sunday night. I know this means you’ll be out late and then there’s a possibility of missing school and work, but I promise that its worth it. The lines are shorter, there’s a higher chance of getting through all of the mazes, and it’s a lot less crowded. It’s always better to go with a group of friends too because then you can link arms in a few of the mazes and walk through with protection, something I always need.
I remember last year, in one of the mazes, they made us walk through a section single file and I was so freaked out, I almost started crawling until I realized there were actors at that level too and I was going to have to suck it up and walkthrough.
When you don’t like horror, there is always an anxiousness that surrounds you when you’re about to enter a maze. You don’t know what’s going to happen, and if your friends are anything like mine and have already gone once before, they aren’t going to prepare you for what’s about to happen either. The hardest part is walking in and the first actor jumping out or the first scene playing out in front of you. After that, it gets a lot easier because it becomes somewhat simple to see where they will be coming from next.
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The scare zones are a little harder to predict. You can never be too sure where the actors are in those and they do tend to come out nowhere, sometimes coming up right behind you and sticking their head next to yours. Not wanting them to single me out, I typically walk with my head down and avoid eye contact, even if they sometimes realize what it is I’m doing and then single me out anyway.
One of the worst parts for me is any part that has clowns. I hate clowns, and I always have. They freak me out more than, say, zombies would. But those are also the best parts. You pay a lot of money to be scared, so facing what you fear the most gives you the most out of your money. Also being scared isn’t all that terrible. It can be super fun.
I love dragging my friends after me as I try to get the heck out of the mazes as fast as I can. I once pushed my friend straight into a wall because a Michael Myers character scared me and it’s still something that we laugh about.
I also once got lost in the Stranger Things maze and ran straight into a Demogorgon, which surprised both of us. He did not expect someone to be standing right there when he came out of his hiding place.
I know that the thought of Halloween Horror Nights is scary. I regretted agreeing to go every single day last year until I went and had the best night. I even decided to go back again this year, because if you go in with an open mind and anticipate it being a good night, then it will be, even if you don’t like horror.