It is never too early to start panicking at Universal Halloween Horror Nights! See how this top travel destination transforms at night to celebrate Halloween and offer you an intense and scary event full of frightening movie characters, mazes , scare zones, a terror tram, rides and much more. Many people have experienced Universal Studios Hollywood theme park during the day, but this event really makes the park different during this time of the year. Halloween Horror Nights takes place between September 16th-November 5th. The closest it is to Halloween the busier the park will be. By visiting Universal Halloween Horror Nights I learned that you must come with a plan and knowledge of certain things to really enjoy the park. Since this is such a popular attraction the park is so crowded and it can lead to a bad night if time is wasted trying to decide where to start and what to do. Today I would like to share my experience and also give you some tips to survive a scary night at Universal Halloween Horror Nights, but most importantly, to have fun at this park!
Attractions:
- Mazes
- Terror Tram
- Scare Zones
- Rides
- The Walking Dead Attraction
- Jabbawockeez Show
Mazes
This year the parked offered 6 mazes: American Horror Story, The Exorcist, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Freddy Vs .Jason, Halloween and Krampus. Considering that this theme park is well known for movies, I thought this was the perfect place to see these type of mazes. The park opens 3o minutes before 7PM, which is when the actions begins. So my first tip is to make sure to get there early so that you take advantage of every minute! Unless you have a front of the line pass, which is very costly, it is important to be there early and start as soon as the park opens when is not as crowded and you can get a head start plus the lines will be short at this time. Expect a delay of about 45 minutes for the not so popular mazes and a wait time of 95-120 minutes for the most popular mazes. I unfortunately did not plan well and arrived late, therefore I was only able to do 3 mazes, the terror tram and 2 rides. From the mazes offered I did The Exorcist, Krampus and Freddy Vs. Jason. I would say The Exorcist was the scariest in my opinion as they used real actors dressed as the Exorcist and playing different scenes in the movie. The makeup and theme made everything looked so real that it was very scary! The only thing I did not like is the 95 minute wait to this maze. I watched 2 episodes of a series as I was in line to for this maze. I also thought Krampus was very creative and loved the decoration for this maze as they even used scents that went with the theme of the movie. From what people were commenting The Walking Dead and The Exorcist seemed to be the most popular mazes at this park.
The Terror Tram
I have taken the tram at this theme park many times, but during this special event it is very different. You can actually get off the tram and be on the back lot where the movies are filmed with this attraction. The main thing about this attraction is the story of a serial killer clown names "Hollywood Harry". You are able to hear his story as the tram takes you to the terror area where you will be chased and scared by so many clowns. One of the things I liked about this attraction is that it takes place at the Bates Motel which I was only able to see from far away when i would take the tram during the day. Make sure to do this early int he night as this is the only attraction that closest at 11 PM. This is the first thing I did before heading down to the the mazes and rides.
Scare Zones
There are a few scare zones throughout the park. This year their main focus was on the movie The Purge. You will see areas in the inspired by scenes of the movie as well as the characters. Every year the park chooses a movie for these scare zones, but this year this was the choice. In my opinion it was not the scariest, but I also do not get so scared easily with dressed up characters. It does adds a nice touch to the event though.
The Rides
There were only a few rides open during this event: Transformers- The Ride 3D, Revenge of The Mummy, Jurassic Park-In the Dark and The Simpsons Ride. The good things about having mazes and other attractions during this event is that the lines were short for the rides. Since I arrive late though I was only able to do 2 rides. Even though I was only able to do 2 rides I must say I really enjoyed them. I think is a good balance to do both the mazes and the rides specially because the wait time for the mazes can be very long and tiring and this can serve as a short break or rest. The wait time for the Transformers ride was only 10 minutes and the wait time for The Mummy ride was about 35 minutes. I do recommend doing these in between mazes!
The Walking Dead Attraction
This attraction was made with the concept of zombies. It is based on the popular TV show and the purpose is to bring that to life in this attraction. You are thrown into this world full of zombies and you need to battle the way out of these AMC landscapes. I think the landscapes is what really creates the scary feel at this attraction. If you do get to the park early and time things well you may want to consider this option!
The Jabbawockeez Show
This show became very popular and is one of the highest rated shows in Vegas therefore, it is incorporated at this theme park. The wait time for the show that repeated throughout the night was short. If you want to see something other than mazes and rides this may be a good option for you. I did not have the time so I was not able to see the show. I also do prefer to see the scary attractions then the show as that is the main purpose of the park.
Other Tips
If you are able to get a front of the line pass make sure to get one as it will save you plenty of time. I was trying to upgrade to one and was sold out on the day of the event. All types of tickets were sold out! so prepare for this. If you purchase your tickets online in advance you are able to get in to the park 2 hours before it opens to the public. I suggest taking advantage of this to be able to do more! Also Start from the bottom to the top as soon as you get there as there will be less people at the bottom during the first hour or 2. Make sure to not take any costumes, food or beverages as you will not be allowed int he park. You do get a discount on the City Walk with your entrance ticket for certain food places. There is also a special ticket if you want to do day and night. I recommend doing this is you want to experience the rides that are not open at night such as Harry Potter and The Minion Ride. The cost for the day and night is $109 and the cost for the night admission is $79 and front of the line is $199. I was able to get mine cheaper as I went on the second week after it opened and was -purchased in advanced. I recommend going during the week like on a Thursday or Sunday also if you do not like it so crowded or simply arrive very early if you want to do it on the weekend.
Overall, I had a wonderful time! I did the mazes, rides, I ate and explored new things that were added to the park such as in the Simpsons area with Springfield and Moe's. Hope you have enjoyed this post and helps you if you are panning to visit for Halloween Horror Nights!
Thank you for your support!
I'm so Jealous right now! ;)
Thank you! You should go! 😊
Wow, Thank you, enjoyed that!
Very happy to see that! Thank you!
Amazing :O
Thank you! This may be something I'll have to do