Halloween starts in September now! And if you’re a fan of the holiday, like I am, two months of Halloween is a welcome thing… And Universal is kicking things off right. I had a chance to swing through Halloween Horror Nights on opening night, September 5th. And when it comes to scares and terrifying treats, they really give you a lot of BANG for your buck!
• “The Weeknd: Nightmare Trilogy,” an immersive experience curated by the multi-award-winning artist… The music is great in this one, as a Zombie DJ spins as you enter. And the visuals are unnerving.
• “A Quiet Place,” a terrifying new experience based on Paramount Pictures’ critically acclaimed franchise that will incorporate American Sign Language (ASL) into a haunted house for the very first time… The lack of sound makes this one even creepier. And things do happen if you make noise. So make some noise.
• “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” inspired by Sony Picture’s latest installment of the Ghostbusters franchise… I watched the film before I went, so things were very familiar. And the attention to detail is great.
• “Insidious: The Further” based on the latest films in the hit supernatural horror film series produced by Blumhouse Productions in association with Sony Pictures.
• “Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines” an all-female monsters led haunted house inspired by Universal Pictures’ classic monsters, featuring music by Slash…This is a must see. I won’t spoil anthing.
• “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Legacy of Leatherface,” which pays tribute to the 50th anniversary of the iconic maniacal monster… And there are a lot of chainsaws.
• “Monstruos 2: The Nightmares of Latin America,” a sequel to the 2023 hit haunted house… Last year’s haunt was one of my favorites, and this year’s doesn’t disappoint.
• “Dead Exposure: Death Valley,” an original concept house with petrifying radioactive zombies…Since this is an original, you don’t know what you’re going to see. And that’s a good thing.
• “Terror Tram: Enter the Blumhouse,” a terrifying experience taking fans on a close encounter with characters from Blumhouse Production’s popular franchises, including M3GAN, The Black Phone, Freaky, The Purge and Happy Death Day…. This year, the tram went all out. I loved all the individual Blum House sections, and the surprises that waited inside. Also, I’m a big fan of the Downed-plane section, that was a part of THE PURGE.
• “The Purge: Dangerous Waters,” a live stunt show that takes visitors on a fiery, rock-fueled adventure while they fight to survive the night, inspired by Blumhouse Production’s popular film franchise.
• “Luchadores Monstruosos,” an all-new scare zone.
• “Skull Lordz,” a scare zone featuring a gothic inspired royal court of the dead.
• “Chainsaw Punkz,” a troop of chainsaw killers will confront guests as they enter the event.
• “Murder of Crowz,” a flock of menacing crow stilt-walkers will terrify guests.
Adding to the scares, guests also can experience select theme park attractions open during the event, including “Jurassic World—The Ride,” “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™” featuring “Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™” and “Flight of the Hippogriff™,” “Transformers™: The Ride-3D,” “Revenge of the Mummy—The Ride” and “The Simpsons Ride™.” SUPER NINTENDO WORLD will be accessible to guests purchasing select tickets.
I really took advantage of the open attractions as well. After about three hours of scares, I took a break in Super Nintendo World. I ate at Toad’s Café, and rode Mario Cart. And I also did Jurassic World at night, before once again delving into the Halloween Horrors. Which was exactly the break I needed before tackling the rest of the night.
And like last year. I recommend you go at least two nights to enjoy all the scares and shows, and try the food. I’d go once to hit all the mazes and scare zones. Then go a second night to hit the Terror Tram, and shows, which also includes a “CHUCKY” talk show.
