Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights is one of the world’s most renowned Halloween events. For the first time since opening in 1991, Halloween Horror Nights was canceled. After seeing the devastation of the event’s fanbase, Universal decided to open two of its finished houses to the public during daytime park hours — many are calling it “HHN Lite.” However, as we are still in the middle of a global pandemic, there have been a few adjustments to the usual HHN procedures.
- Pulsating Guests
-
When thinking about Halloween Horror Nights, the first thing that may come to mind is its spine-chilling haunted houses. Typically, guests run through in a conga line-like fashion, essentially backpacking into each other and the other groups around them. However, this year, to abide by safety guidelines, guests are being carefully pulsated through the houses. There are team members located at the entryway of each room to make sure the room is completely cleared of other guests before letting more through. I personally love this new procedure, as you can truly process the story of each house and get every scare to put the pieces together. Plus, it just makes walkthroughs so much scarier!
- Virtual Lines
-
One of the less enjoyable parts of Halloween Horror Nights is the long queues. You could wind up standing in line for up to three hours per house. However, to maintain social distancing, Universal has created a virtual line system to reserve a time to walk through the houses. You still have to get to the parks early though, because they reach capacity very quickly! On the opening weekend, the time slots sold out just three minutes after opening.
- Plexiglass and Vinyl
-
The one change that seems to be the most polarizing is the plexiglass that’s been added to the houses for safety precautions. Every “boo hole,” or hiding spot for scare actors, has a plexiglass panel or vinyl curtain in front of it. Unfortunately, this makes it very easy to spot where scares will be coming from, therefore making the experience less scary than previous years.
Despite the many changes to Halloween Horror Nights, the spooky spirit is definitely living on for both fans and team members. The event is open every day from October 3rd to November 1st during park hours. Come visit to get your Halloween fix!