Halloween Horror Nights has earned its reputation as Orlando's most thrilling and scary attraction.  It is definitely the Country's largest Halloween "scary" attraction, and might also be the most intense.  Universal Orlando might be a a family resort, and one of the most popular family destinations, but there's a reason that all of their brochures state..

WARNING: Event may be too intense for young children and is not recommended for children under the age of 13. No costumes or masks allowed.

This year, it's 28th year (wow, where does the time go?), will be its most ambitious year yet.  For the first time ever, the even will feature 10 haunted mazes, and 5 scare zones.  So far, they've only unveiled the theme and settings for several of these attractions, but fans are already excited.  One of them will be based on Netflix's sci-fi monster hit "Stranger Things".

If you're going to be in Orlando while HHN28 is running, which will be September 14th through November 3rd, then we strongly suggest you check it out.

Well, how about this for an update from Universal Orlando regarding Halloween Horror Nights!  Last month we brought you the first released details of HHN 25 "Chaos Reigns", and now we find out that one of the haunted mansions will actually be Freddy Krueger versus Jason Vorhees, or, more commonly known as, "Freddy vs Jason".  They are arguable the 2 scariest horror film characters of all time.  Couple that with the return of the scariest character of all time at Halloween Horror Nights, Jack the Clown, and we are likely facing the most thrilling, most horrifying, and most evil HHN yet.

Highlights of Freddy vs Jason include:
- Weave through Elm Street and straight into Freddy Krueger’s nightmares
- Visit Camp Crystal Lake and come face-to-face with the hockey-masked killer, Jason Voorhees
- Witness iconic kills – and become the next target
- Fight to survive the terrifying showdown between the two titans of terror

Check out the teaser video below...

The first teasers and trailers have started rolling in for Halloween Horror Nights 25, and, as always, they have us on the edge of our seat (and halfway out the door).  There will be more haunted houses than ever before, they are running on more nights than ever before, and they are bringing back one of their scariest characters of all time.  Jack The Clown!  Just one look at his adorable face below should tell you all you need to know about him.


HHN25 will be featuring 9 haunted houses, 5 scare zones, and 2 shows, making it Universal Orlando's biggest event yet.  It will also be running on 30 nights, making it the longest HHN season yet.


We will be sure to bring you more information as we hear it, and to find you the best deals on admission tickets.  In the meantime, try to enjoy your Summers, and keep the image of Jack the Clown far from your dreams.

There are only a few nights left to experience Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights 2013 -- and the fans have spoken, saying this is one of the best the park has ever produced. 

Normally, we think of dreams coming true when we think of the Orlando theme park experience. But what if all of your nightmares came true instead? Well, strap in, friends, because that's exactly what happens at Halloween Horror Nights. On select nights from September 20 - November 2, Universal Studios will be taken over by the things that go bump in the night - especially zombies.


Fans of AMC's The Walking Dead are in for a special treat (and probably several very nasty tricks) because this year's HHN theme is lifted straight from the show. More details will be coming soon, but if you want to make sure you have the chance to run for your life, buy your tickets now. Prices start at $91.99 for a single night of horror, and there are multiple add-on and package options available. If you want to make sure you hear all the latest and gory greatest, sign up for the email newsletter.

Don't believe us when we say it's horrifying? Check out the video from the last time HHN teamed up with The Walking Dead. This is Universal's 23rd year running the creep show, so you better believe that they know what they're doing.

It's official, according to the event's Facebook page -- this year, Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights celebrates 23 years with 27 fright-inducing nights:

September 20-21, 26-29
October 3-6, 10-13, 16-20, 23-27, Halloween Night
November 1-2

No other details have come out, but based on last year's schedule, tickets should start being available around mid-June, with full house details ready in August. And like every year, if you want to be there on a high capacity night -- like ANY Friday or Saturday in October and ESPECIALLY Halloween itself -- buy tickets EARLY. And spring for Express Pass on those nights (or, in my opinion, any night -- the time saving is amazing). Yes, it's a whole additional cost on top of the bound-to-be-pricey tickets, but on crowded nights it can literally mean the difference between seeing all the houses or only one house. 

And if you're a true horror aficionado and you're feeling flush (or are willing to start putting away your pennies now), the RIP tour option can't be beat. It's VERY expensive -- last year, a private tour for 10 was a total cost of $1800 PLUS the actual admission ticket -- but the perks were pretty good:  RIP Lounge with cash bar (and complimentary coffee and bottle water after the tour), Priority front of the line access at the haunted houses, Priority seating at Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure, VIP access to select park attractions, Complimentary valet parking. And the RIP guides always know where the best bathrooms are, without the massive lines. No details on this year's RIP options yet; once we have them, we will post them.

As a long-time fan of Halloween events, I am here to tell you -- nothing ruin the experience faster than guests behaving badly. And there are a lot of bad guests out there. If you are heading to Halloween Horror Nights, HowlOScream, or any of the many other Orlando haunted attractions this year, give this list a read -- consider it an easy way to avoid being that guest (or accidentally bringing that guest along with you).

1. Never touch the actors: This is a big issue every year. Yes, sometimes accidents happen and people bump into each other or someone throws their hands up too fast, too close. But never touch the actors on purpose. For one, someone could get hurt. For another, one touch can ruin makeup or costuming that took hours to complete. Be respectful of personal space -- the actors have been trained to be respectful of yours while still getting in for a good close scare.

2. Keep the line moving: This is another one that seems obvious, yet always happens. depending on the size of the attraction, anywhere from dozens up to thousands of people need to pass through the doors on any given night. While your Vincent Price impression may be the best one on the planet, halfway through the haunted house is not a good place to stop suddenly and perform it. Same with trying to find something in your purse. Wait to get out to a better lit area -- it's too dark in there anyway.

3. No running the corridors: Sometimes this just happens -- the best houses make our fight or flight response kick in, and flight is better than fight (see #1)! But there are also guests who just run through every room at top speed, usually screaming all the way and often eyes closed. Most haunted houses have lots of people (guests and actors), narrow hallways, and limited visibility. Running blind is a great way to get hurt and hurt others. Nobody wants an emergency room visit for Halloween.

4. Don't give away the hiding places: If you spot Freddy or Jason or anybody peeking out of their respective haunted hidey-hole, don't tell! Half the fun of these houses is watching the person who didn't spot them get scared out of their wits. And while we're on the subject...

5. If you've already been through the house, don't give away the secrets: If the house was good enough to warrant going through more than once, they must have some pretty excellent surprises, set up, decor, and actors. Let everyone experience it without your assistance.

6. Mind your alcohol intake: A lot of the bigger Halloween events serve alcohol (notably HHN and HoS), and a lot of people choose to partake in a little liquid courage. The trouble happens when some people opt to indulge in a LOT of it. A stumbling drunk is no fun anywhere, but it's a special kind of problem at Halloween attractions (hitting actors, throwing up in attractions or on other guests, falling down, starting fights, and stripping in the middle of the road are just a few things I have witnessed). Know your limits, be smart, and always have a designated driver. And speaking of inappropriate behavior...

7. Haunted House ≠ Tunnel of Love: Those dark and secret little corners sure do look private, don't they? Guess what? They're not. AT ALL. And nobody wants to see that.  

8. Don't use your phone: Treat the haunted house like a movie theater or a live theater experience. Silence your phone and please -- for the love of the Great Pumpkin -- don't text in the hallways!  

9. We know it's not real: Being the guy who has to point out -- loudly -- how fake everything is doesn't make you smart. It just makes you a jerk. There are places to go if your want realism. This is not one of them.

10. If you don't actually like Haunted attractions, don't go to them: This seems simple, right? Yet every year, every visit, I hear at least one person per house complaining -- these things are stupid, it's so fake, this is lame, etc etc etc. If that's you, do everyone a favor and please stay home. Don't be the guest who ruins everyone else's good time.

Halloween Horror Nights 22 is definitely featuring a pop culture theme this year, with houses connected to Silent Hill, creep rock god Alice Cooper's anthem "Welcome To My Nightmare," and Universal's amazing runaway hit The Walking Dead (coming back to AMC October 14, 2012). But they just announced the one that totally sold it for me -- Penn and Teller: New(kd) in Vegas. 


This is a dream (nightmare?) come true for fans of the world-renowned magicians, who have long been begging them to do some kind of Halloween event. The HHN22 attraction will be a 3D haunted house and maze that is a tour of a post-radiation accident Sin City. Kinda. Check out the tag copy:

World-renowned magicians Penn & Teller have accidentally nuked Las Vegas, but don’t worry, it’s nothing a fresh coat of paint and a truckload of BS can’t fix! Come on down to New Vegas, where all that glitters isn’t gold, and in fact probably has fatal levels of radioactivity. 

I can just hear Penn Jillette saying that. Can't you? I was on the HHN fence for a while this year, I admit it, but now I am totally sold. 

And speaking of sold, I'd advise you to get your Halloween Horror Nights 22 tickets now, before the event sells out. Again. Just like it does every year. 

If you can, be sure to spring for those Express Passes; on weekends and even weeknights as Halloween approaches, they can be the difference between seeing all the attractions or spending hours on line to only see one or two. They are cheaper earlier in the season and believe me, having them will make your night. 

It's possible!

Although all we have is speculation right now, the survey this year to determine what things attendees would like to see at Halloween Horror Nights 2012 included the popular prestidigitation pair. Penn Gillette has also been Tweeting about being in talks with Universal Orlando about something, but he won't tell us what it is quite yet.

The dazzling duo has been involved with Universal Orlando in the past, themselves as performers and helping to promote another magician in their park. Whatever this new opportunity might be, we're sure it's going to be something to talk about.

Photo courtesy of insidethemagic.net.

If you're planning to go to Halloween Horror Nights this weekend, you'll find yourself in good company -- by which I mean, you and potentially THOUSANDS of other people will be keeping each other company. It's the final weekend for HHN21, and this is the biggie -- Halloween itself is Monday.

Obviously, Express Pass is the only way to see everything, so if you have that, you should be all right (though expect decent waits even at the express lines). But if you don't have your express pass and you don't feel like spending the $60-80 additional to get one, here's a quick guide to what you MUST see and what you can probably get away with skipping.

All the Scare Zones are worth seeing this year, and since you have to traverse them to get to all the attractions, don't worry about going out of your way to see or skip. The best one is probably 7, which features temptresses and their minions displaying the evils of the Seven Deadly Sins. The makeup and costuming are pretty spectacular, so if there is a must-see Scare Zone, this get my vote.

There are only two shows this year -- Death Drums and the always-packed Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure. Here's the reality: if you want to save time, skip the shows. You'll wait not only to be seated (in a massive cattle-call crowd, no less) but the shows themselves run 45-60 minutes, which is valuable house line time. Fans and HHN regulars will be loathe to miss BIll and Ted's, since it has become iconic for the event, I know, but in my opinion, the show isn't what it used to be (though this year was funnier than the last few). Time is better spent trying to get to the houses.

And now, the houses. First things first -- if you must skip a house, don't bother with The Thing. I am sad to say it, as this was meant to be the flagship house for 2011, but it somehow lacked the panache of most of the other houses. The scares were few and far between and the theming was somehow basic. Make this house last on your list and only bother if you have the time.

The Must-See of the year, however, goes to Winter's Night. It's the best of the houses, from actors to atmosphere. I went in three times and got more than my share of scares every time. It's beautifully presented, with loads of places for actors to hide. The creep factor is off the charts, so massive kudos to the designers for this one. Winter's Night is not to be missed.

The second Must-See is The In-Between. This is the funhouse for 2011 and it's delightfully disorienting (be warned if you have dizziness issues, though). You'll feel slightly lost from the get-go, so when the scareactors pop out from parts unknown, the shock is twice as strong. Don't trust your eyes, watch your step, and enjoy.

Here's a run-down of the rest of the houses:

The Forsaken -- It's skippable if you're pressed for time, but the theming and effects are well done. Horror buffs will dig it for that alone.

Nightingales: Blood Prey -- Great costumes, nice scares and strong theming. This is likely the goriest house, and the squick factor is high, so the easily grossed-out might not be too comfortable here. But for everyone else, do it. You won't regret the time spent on line for this WW1 house.

Nevermore: The Madness of Poe -- If you're a fan of the Grand Master, this is an absolute must-see. The nods to Poe's life and his descent into drink and madness are fantastic. This is perhaps the most subtle house, more creepy than scary. The atmosphere will get you; it's encompassing and electric. It's well worth the time.

Saws 'n Steam: Into the Machine -- I was expecting this to be the goriest of the lot, probably because I connected it to the Saw film franchise. This is more steampunk than splatterpunk, so it wins for decor in many ways. This house is LOUD. For some, this will add to the atmosphere; for others, it's just annoying. My group was split on this one. It was good, with some nice scares, but the loud factor was a bit distracting. Skip? See? I honestly don't have a call on this one. Poke a few people who are on their way out and make up your mind that way.

HR Bloodengutz Presents Holidays of Horror -- I wanted so much more from this house! The external theming was great fun and it really built things up. But the house disappointed. For one thing, not enough actors. For another, the scare spots were obvious and easy to find, so the jumps were few. The theming remained excellent, with possibly the most cohesive storyline. But this was also meant to be the comedy horror house, and I neither jumped nor laughed. It's skippable.

Rides will be open during the event as well. Jaws is great fun at night, so if the line isn't long, give it a try. As for the rest, it's nothing you can't see during the day, with far shorter lines. If you have time, they're great. If you don't, they're open all year, so don't worry about them.

Universal Studios Resort Orlando has released an official teaser video for the 2010 Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) celebration. This annual offering is considered by many theme park and horror aficionados to be THE premiere Halloween event in the country, often even beating out its sister celebration at Universal Studios Hollywood. Check out the video:






Full details will be released on August 26, 2010, and I CANNOT WAIT. This year will be my 15th visit to HHN and I am ready for the scares to begin!

Anyone else getting ready for HHN? Get your tickets before they sell out (which they do, every year) -- check this link for more information: http://www.dwtickets.com/HalloweenHorrowNights_s/216.htm