Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando: Everything You Need to Know

All About Universal Orlando Halloween Horror Nights

Halloween Horror Nights is one of the biggest events of the year at Universal Orlando. Widely considered the best holiday special event in Orlando, Halloween Horror Nights can be the highlight of your vacation. But beware – HHN is not for kids, or the squeamish. Here are my top tips to help you decide if you should add Halloween Horror Nights to your Orlando itinerary.

Go Informed Podcast Halloween Horror Nights Episodes

I had some help from a few friends to put these tips together. Be sure to listen to my Go Informed Podcast interviews with Jon Self (episode 71) and Michelle Russell (episode 37) to get all the gory details. You can find them below, or on your favorite podcast app.

Go Informed Podcast episode 71 is my interview with theme park blogger Jon Self, after his first visit to Halloween Horror Nights. Find out what it’s like to take an RIP tour and what makes Universal’s 2021 version of HHN extra special. Click the play button below to listen.

On Go Informed Podcast episode 37 I talk to hardcore Halloween Horror Nights fan Michelle. Click the Play button below to listen to the episode for lots more detail about this topic. Note that Halloween Horror Nights is scary – this episode may be too intense for younger listeners.

Go Informed Podcast episode 55 is a fun-sized bonus episode about Halloween Horror Nights. It’s extra-graphic so only listen if you want the gory details I cut out of episode 37.

Is Halloween Horror Nights really scary?

Yes! Listen to the podcast episodes for descriptions of the houses and other activities. Some of Michelle’s descriptions on episode 37 were so graphic, I cut them out and made a special bonus episode. (That’s episode 55).

Halloween Horror Nights is like walking into a R-rated horror movie. It’s not for little kids, and even many adults will find it too intense. But if you like scary, you’ve come to the right place.

When is Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights?

Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights run from mid-September to the weekend after Halloween.

The Horror Nights don’t take place every night. During the first weeks of the event, it only takes place a few nights a week – always on Friday and Saturday and usually another weeknight. As Halloween approaches, Horror Nights run almost every night.

The park will be open as usual during the day, and close around 6pm to regular guests. At about 6:30 the gates will re-open for HHN guests.

When Should You Go?

Crowds are lowest at the beginning of the season, and if you go after Halloween you’ll practically have the place to yourself. Go on a weekday or a Sunday. Friday and Saturday nights are always the busiest.

Where You’ll Find Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando

All of the Horror Nights events take place in only one of the parks at Universal Orlando, the Universal Studios park. During HHN, Islands of Adventure continues to run on its regular schedule.

Note that during the fall season, Universal Studios Florida will close earlier than usual on Halloween Horror Nights evenings. This could affect your touring plans, so be sure to watch the schedule when planning your September or October vacation.

What You’ll Find at the Horror Nights

HHN usually hosts about ten haunted houses. Some are based on movies or TV shows, like Stranger Things or Poltergeist, and some are original creations like Scary Tales. The haunted houses are also called ‘mazes’.

Some of the mazes are inside sound stages at the park and some are inside huge tents.

The haunted houses are very intense, like a movie set. And there are live actors inside, called scareactors, who will pop out at you.

Some of the regular attractions are also open, so you can go on rides during Horror Nights, but most people come for the Halloween activities.

There are lots of extras besides the haunted houses. Scareactors who look like horror movie characters walk around and add to the creepiness.

Universal has lots of special merchandise for Halloween Horror Nights, and even a unique store that pops up just for the event.

There are also special food and drinks related to each haunted house, including lots of signature cocktails.

What to Wear to Halloween Horror Nights

Costumes are not allowed at Halloween Horror Nights.

Security is really strict – everyone entering the park will be searched and go through a metal detector.

HHN takes place during hurricane season, which means you’ll probably encounter a downpour most nights. Be sure to bring your Orlando summer gear so you’ll be ready for the weather.

Spoiler alert: the fake blood that will be sprayed at you is just water.

How the Horror Nights Tickets Work

Everyone needs a special ticket for Halloween Horror Nights, even annual passholders. Annual passholders get a discount on HHN tickets.

There are several different options for tickets, including multi-night passes and even a pass that covers every night of the event.

Here’s a link to Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights ticket info.

HHN Express Pass

Horror Nights wait times can routinely be 2 hours long, or longer. Express Pass allows you to skip the regular line and only wait a few minutes, one time per night for each haunted house.

You can add an Express Pass to your Halloween Horror Nights ticket. Michelle suggests that, especially if you’re visiting on a weekend, you should always get an HHN Express Pass.

The HHN Express Pass is separate from any other Express Pass you might have. The Unlimited Express Pass guests receive for staying in an express pass hotel is not valid during Halloween Horror Nights.

You can buy an HHN Express Pass when you’re already inside the park, or buy it online ahead of time, or at the Guest Services counter outside the park gates.

Your HHN Express Pass works at all the Express Pass attractions in the park, not just at the haunted houses.

Horror Nights Extras

If budget is not an issue, Universal offers some very special extra HHN touring options.

There are lights-on tours during the day, called “Behind the Screams”. You get to see some of the haunted houses with the lights on! This is a good way for someone to ease into HHN, but beware: some of the scenes are just as scary, or even scarier, in the daylight.

The Rest In Peace tour is the Horror Nights version of the VIP tour. Guests on the RIP tour get to completely skip the line at every haunted house, plus get Express Pass access for the rest of the night.

Go Informed Podcast episode 71 guest Jon visited HHN on a RIP tour. Be sure to catch that interview to learn more about how an RIP tour works at Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights.

Universal Orlando Halloween Horror Nights Pro Tips

The top things to know about Universal Orlando’s HHN are:

• Horror Nights is scary.
• Buy your tickets ahead of time, some nights sell out.
• Get an HHN Express Pass.
• Go early in the season or the weekend after Halloween.
• Avoid Fridays and Saturdays.
• Annual passholders get a discount on HHN tickets and get a few early admission nights too.

Thank you podcast guests Michelle and Jon

Big thanks to Michelle for joining me on episode 37, and to Jon for episode 71.

Jon is a prolific theme park blogger. You can follow him on Twitter at @PastorJonSelf and on Instagram at @jon.self.37. He writes for TouringPlans.com, PiratesandPrincesses.net, universalfamilyvacations.com, Universal Food Blog, and faithelement.net.

Some of Jon Self’s posts about Halloween Horror Nights:

• Texas Chainsaw Massacre HHN30 House Review
• Review of ‘Halloween Nightmare Fuel’ at HHN30
• REVIEW: Beetlejuice House at HHN30
• Also Universal Orlando Halloween related, but not part of Halloween Horror Nights: The Dark Arts at Hogwarts Castle Experience

More resources for planning your trip to Disney World and Universal Orlando

Here on GoInformed.net, and on the Go Informed podcast, you’ll find lots of tips to help make your vacation the best ever. Be sure to join the mailing list to receive twice-monthly bonus insights directly in your inbox. Here are some of my most popular posts:

• 33 things to know before you visit Universal Orlando
• 55 things to know before you visit Disney World
• Adding Universal to your Disney World vacation
• Christmas at Universal Orlando
• Universal Orlando hotel guide

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