Terror has struck and everyone is prepping to get their scare on as Halloween approaches. On September 14th, Universal Studios opened up their annual Halloween Horror Nights, an event where park guests explore a multitude of haunted houses called ‘mazes,’ horror attractions, scare zones, and the terror tram.
This year’s theme features horror in the 80s, headlining the popular Netflix series Stranger Things as one of the mazes. Other mazes include Steven Spielberg’s Poltergeist, The First Purge, Trick ‘r Treat, Halloween 4: the Return of Michael Myers, Universal Monsters and The Horrors of Blumhouse: Chapter Two. The scare zones dispersed throughout the park include Hell’s Harvest, Trick ‘r Treat, Monster Masquerade, Toxic Tunnel, and Holidayz in Hell. Many of the rides at Universal will also be offered throughout the night, including Transformers the Ride, The Revenge of the Mummy, and The Simpsons.
Depending on the day, general admission tickets range from $65-$97 and online tickets offer early access to the mazes at 5 p.m. Other options are also offered for tickets, including express passes or day/night combo tickets. The least crowded times to go are the first two weeks that are in September, October 31st, and November. The October dates are the most expensive and the most crowded. The Horror Nights will run from September 14th till November 3rd.
A Guide to Horror Nights:
Arriving for early admission at 5 p.m. is the best way to secure entry to a lot of the mazes because the lines lengthen at around 7 p.m. when the sun goes down. The downside to going early is that scare zones don’t begin until 7 p.m. and some mazes aren’t open right away. The first two mazes that open for early entry are Stranger Things and Trick r’ Treat at 5:15 p.m., both located on the lower level of the park. It is wise to head straight to the lower level because all of the early entry mazes are located there. Stranger Things is also one of the most popular mazes so lines are sure to stay long throughout the night. The second group of mazes that open at 5:30 p.m. are Poltergeist and Blumhouse, which are both in the lower lot towards the back. Lastly, The First Purge opens at 5:45 p.m. and all other mazes will officially begin at 7 p.m.
It is still advantageous to go for early admission because waiting in line consumes the majority of the time. By the time one maze is finished, the other will already be open. Generally, the lower lot gets crowded in the latter half of the night because people who come for regular entry usually start from the upper level and then head down. This may not be the case all the time, but the majority of the mazes are also situated on the lower lot.
As for which mazes were the best, that is entirely subjective. After going through every maze and attraction though there were many things that popped out in a couple of them. Stranger Things and Poltergeist had amazing set and costumes designs, and being the most anticipated ones, it was definitely immersive in their world. Although both were scary in their own ways, Blumhouse and The First Purge had better jumpscares scattered throughout. Overall, Universal Monsters had both the immersive set and costume design while giving many jumpscares along the way.
All of the mazes and scare zones had their own nuances that would definitely appeal to each person. If you love the thrill of reliving these horrors, Horror Nights is the place to go!
Park Map: