IT’S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN! I get scared by normal things on a daily basis, but for some reason I PAY people to scare me every fall. Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando is one of my favorite events. They really went above and beyond this year. I loved the theming and scare tactics in all ten houses, but there have to be winners. So although it was difficult, I have come up with my top five HHN 28 houses! There are many different aspects that go into why a house is good, so I decided to rank them purely on my enjoyment of the house.
5. Scary Tales: Deadly Ever After
Like most kids, you probably grew up with fairy tales like Humpty Dumpty, Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood. Well, the Wicked Witch of the West isn’t in Kansas anymore, and she came to add a twisted new twist to these tales (try saying that five times fast). There are some amazing sets and characters in this house. My personal favorite is seeing the Wicked Witch fly around above you as you’re walking in. This was the least scary house in my opinion, but I enjoyed so many other things about it! It’s really cool to see so many characters you recognize…even if it’s ruining your childhood.
4. Seeds of Extinction
Imagine that all of humanity is gone and all that remains are plants—only we aren’t talking about roses and daisies. These leafy monsters blend into the foliage-infested walls and attack when you least expect it. This house is terrifying and made me scream out loud. But in addition to the scares, the sets are beautiful in their own creepy way. There are also some rooms with really unique effects, and they get you prepared for some disorienting scares. This house really surprised me. I wasn’t expecting to love it when I first heard the concept, but I really appreciate how unique and different it is.
3. Slaughter Sinema
Who wouldn’t want to go see some scary movies at the local drive-in? Especially when they’re hilariously silly made up films! With titles like “Sorority Sacrifice,” “Amazon Cannibals from Planet Hell,” and “Cult of the Beast Baby,” I can assure you these flicks will entertain you in more ways than one. This house was a great mix of funny and scary. I definitely got spooked by some awesome actors and great timing. But my favorite thing about the house was looking at all the fun movie titles and themes.
2. Stranger Things
If you know me, you knew this house was going to make the list. I am a HUGE Stranger Things fan and I can’t wait for the new season! This house is a must-see for fans of the show. It was so incredible to walk into a world that I’ve watched on TV. The characters and sets for this house are so spot on. I kept fangirling over the scare actors because they looked just like the characters. But I will say, if you’re looking to be terrified, the scariest part of this house for me was the wait time.
1. Poltergeist
In my opinion, this is BY FAR the best house this year! It’s like you’re walking straight into the scariest parts of this classic horror film. This house had the best sets, and I was blown away by how similar it was to the movie. There were so many points where I screamed out loud because they had some awesome hidden scares. This house was dark and scary, but not in a way that took away from the incredible actors and set pieces. And as an added bonus, the ghosts make this house super cold for when you need to escape the Florida heat.
Overall, I was very impressed with this year. It might even be my favorite so far! Everyone will have different rankings, but these are the houses that really stood out to me. And if you didn’t like one of them, give it another try; you’d be surprised what the different timing of a second walkthrough can do.
Images: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (all other images credited to Nicole Wills)