Halloween Horror Nights begin on September 8th at Universal Studios Hollywood this year and I am starting to get very excited to go “into the fog.” But Jess, you’re thinking, I would not have pegged you for a Horror Nights fan! Trust me, I would have said the same thing a year ago. But I married one, so when we got Universal Studios annual passes last year, I decided to brave the event for Ritchie. Here’s why I think you should give Horror Nights a chance, even if you’re not a fan of horror.
Scare Zones
The scare zones are so much fun!! They’re like character meets taken to a whole new level. An entire street of creepy characters, completely mixed into the crowd. To the point where you may not see that small zombie postal service worker with the axe until he’s right over your shoulder. Terrifying?? A little. But, like, in a fun way. They can’t hurt you! Technically they can’t even touch you. But they’re VERY good at getting close without you noticing and jumping right into your face to startle you.
(Official art from Halloween Horror Nights)
Terror Tram
The Studio Tour, but ELEVATED. You disembark and walk through the War of the World set, by the Bates Motel, and this year, through Jordan Peele’s Jupiter Claim set from Nope. It’s like one big scare zone, mixed with movie sets, and the pop culture lover inside of me is willing to brave the jump scares for the unique experience. If your group has good energy, it makes it even more fun! We found ourselves dancing along next to scare actors and they only threatened us with their knives a few times. We were shocked at how much we loved the Terror Tram experience!
(Death Eaters at Halloween Horror Nights)
Death Eaters
This year, Universal Hollywood welcomes Death Eaters into Hogsmeade and I could NOT be more excited about it. They’ve been at Universal Orlando before, but never in Universal Hollywood. The opportunity to walk through Hogsmeade and have Death Eaters dueling and casting spells is this Harry Potter lover’s dream come true. The only thing that could make it better? DEMENTORS. Come on, Universal… next year!!!
(Official art from Halloween Horror Nights)
You can absolutely enjoy the event without setting foot into one of the themed horror houses, but if you do decide to brave them, here are some quick tips to make your experience a more pleasant one.
- Start on the lower lot. If you can start your day inside the park and be downstairs as the party begins, even better! But knocking out the houses on the lower lot first when the wait times are still low will allow you to get through everything. When you’re finished with those, you should be getting upstairs right as it gets dark out and that’s the perfect time to hop in line for the Terror Tram. Then work your way through the upper lot houses and scare zones.
- Don’t react. If you’re scared, I get it. I’m terrified. But reacting will make things so much worse! The scare actors LOVE a good scream, so when you let one slip, it’s like a beacon to attract ALL OF THEM. If you run away, well… forget it. They’re all coming for you. Keep yourself tight lipped, dig your fingernails into your palms or someone else’s bicep, and smile through the terror.
- Don’t take it so seriously. Have fun! If you are truly paralyzed by fear thinking about it, then this is not the event for you. I was worried and anxious leading up to our HHN, but knew deep down that I would enjoy some of it. And even though the houses are NOT my favorite, I did have a great time with all the other experiences. Enough to brave it again!
The most important part of Halloween Horror Nights is to have fun and get into the spooky spirit! We can’t wait to see everyone IN THE FOG!!!!!!
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