Killer clowns, the undead, gory cyborgs, and… Fortnite? This year’s Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios features a variety of interesting, terrifying, and slightly silly scare zones and haunted houses. As someone who doesn’t like horror—and jumps at the slightest unexpected noise—going to Halloween Horror Nights was a jump scare in itself. But now that I’m back safe from that scary adventure, let me tell you how I survived… (just in case your horror-loving friends decide to drag you along).
BE PREPARED FOR SCARES
For horror fans, scrolling on Instagram or TikTok before you go might ruin the fun, but for skittish people like us, it might help us feel a little better. Before I even bought my ticket, I was watching videos of the scare zones, interactions with scare actors, and even lights-on videos of rides and houses. Knowing what to expect beforehand made it easier for me to enjoy the park without constant heart rate spikes.
STATE YOUR FEARS
While communication can also be spooky, I highly recommend telling your friends and family your hard boundaries for the night. If you don’t like clowns, then avoid the killer clown house. If you need to start easy, head towards the small yet silly Fortnite section first. When everyone knew about my anxieties, everything went much more smoothly, and I was able to have lots of fun!
SURVIVE THE SCARE ZONE
Once you prepare and arrive, you must face your fears and enter the park. As you might have seen in the videos, it’s going to be dark, and you will immediately enter a scare zone. As much as you might want to start being jumpy, DON’T: the scare actors look for easily scared people. Their job is to make people scream, and you will look like an easy target.
The biggest advice I’ll give you is to pretend you ‘re not scared. Look scare actors in the eyes. Smile. Interact with them. When you recognize their presence, they know it’s harder to scare you, so they often move to someone else! Also, in houses, if you are entering with a crowd, I suggest going second in line. I found that I avoided being the target of the scares the most in that position!
If the worst comes and you’re still scared, remember that Universal is selling “Deathly Afraid” necklaces in the park. This signals to scare actors that you want them to keep their distance.
While you might be more scared than most during the spooky season, it shouldn’t stop you from enjoying the festivities! Go to the parties, eat fall-flavored treats, and enjoy the haunted houses while you can. Face your fears this season and have a great Halloween!
