Halloween enthusiasts rejoice, one of the most anticipated events of the year has finally kicked off, but there’s a common misconception about one of its rules.
Halloween Horror Nights commenced at Universal Orlando Resort on August 30 and will continue until November 3.
This is the 33rd edition of the event, featuring ten new haunted houses inspired by iconic films such as Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, A Quiet Place, Insidious: The Further, and Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines.
Take a look at what’s in store below, but be warned:
In addition to the haunted houses, there are five scare zones distributed across the park, where visitors must tread carefully through the streets of Universal Studios Florida.
Having personally encountered numerous terrifying creatures, I can confirm it’s a genuinely scary experience.
Universal employs actors specifically for these scare zones and haunted houses, and they remain in character throughout the night.
Moments before the opening of Halloween Horror Nights 33, Lora Sauls, Assistant Director of Creative Development and Show Direction for Art and Design, Entertainment at Universal Orlando Resort, spoke to UNILAD: “We cast our scare actors, as we call them, in April, and the casting process goes through until after the event opens.”
“I think our fans absolutely love it [the houses and scare zones] and they fall into laughter after the scare.”
Having experienced Horror Nights firsthand, it’s undeniably frightening. While some houses like Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire highlight the production value, others such as the Insidious experience may cause sleepless nights.
This particular house is not recommended for those under 15, so you might assume there’s an age limit for Halloween Horror Nights.
However, this isn’t the case. Universal provides a disclaimer that the event may be ‘too intense for young children’.
The park advises that children under 13 should not attend, but this is not a strict rule—it’s up to parents’ discretion.
During my visit to Halloween Horror Nights last week, I often saw young children participating in the event.
Speaking to the press including UNILAD before the event, Sauls added: “We have 48 select nights for Halloween Horrors Night this year to share in your screams and fears.”
“This year we are celebrating 33 years and in those years the Universal Orlando creative group has created over 200 haunted houses.”
“This year we are adding ten terrifying haunted houses to that collection. These ten come from amazing horror movie franchises.”
Here is the full list of houses at Halloween Horror Nights 2024:
A Quiet Place
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
Insidious: The Further
Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines
Slaughter Sinema 2
Goblin’s Feast
Major Sweets Candy Factory
The Museum: Deadly Exhibits
Monstrous: The Monsters of Latin America
Triplets of Terror