I know, Summer isn’t even here, yet, but guess what? Fall is really right around the corner! Who can resist pumpkins, pumpkin spice lattes, apple cider, spooky skeletons, black cats, and scary ghost stories. I get so excited for everything Autumn related, especially Halloween. Plus, Fall is, in my opinion, the best time to plan a trip to Universal Studios Florida. Why, you ask? So you can enjoy the Universal parks during the day and experience the 33rd year of Halloween Horror Nights.
The special ticketed event will be held on select evenings from September 30, 2024, through November 3, 2024. If you love going to haunted attractions, this is a “must-do.”
Think about it, Universal Pictures is one of the best when it comes to classic horror movies; Frankenstein, the Mummy, Dracula, the Wolf Man, and more. Figure their movies started being shown in the 1930’s. So, they’ve been working on scaring people for more than 90 years, and trust me, they are very good at it!
Halloween Horror Nights takes being frightened to a whole new level, especially with all the creativity, creep factors, and special effects that stem from their scary movie history. Keep in mind that this is not recommended for anyone under the age of 13.
Halloween Horror Nights is at the top of my favorite things to do in the Fall. Let me share with you my five must-dos for when you go to Halloween Horror Nights.
1. Halloween Horror Nights features not one, not even five, but TEN haunted houses. Some of the houses are themed after horror movies and some are original ideas from the creators of the event. So far, three of the 2024 themes have been released. When you go through the houses, you don’t just walk through them, you get immersed in the theming. The sights, sounds, creatures, and even smells, will have you screaming, and maybe even grabbing onto the person in front of you!
2. Now that you have the jitters from your walk through one of the houses and are heading to the next house or maybe to grab a treat. You think you are going to get to relax. Nope! There are five scare zones in different areas of the park that you will need to pass through at some point. Previously, they’ve featured creepy critters with chainsaws, giant ghouls on stilts, scary plant creatures that come out of the fog, zombies looking for a snack, and more. These areas keep your adrenaline pumping, keep you on your toes, and your heart racing! Here’s one of my helpful hints, if you want to enjoy the scare zones but don’t want the “in your face” scares, stay on the sidewalk. The sidewalks are considered safe zones.
3. What creepy event would be complete without scary snacks? Not Halloween Horror Nights! They have all kinds of yummy treats that are only available during the event. The 2023 menu included 
ghoulish goodies, such as the Peanut Blooder Burger, Surfer Boy Hawaiian French Bread Pizza (that complimented the Stranger Things themed house), Left Behind Ravioli (for fans of The Last of Us), Twisted Taters, a walking taco (this was available in a vegan-friendly version) and more. Dr. Oddfellow’s Carn “Evil” Dog featured Kool-Aid pickles, bubblegum mustard, and potato sticks. If you are worried about your sweet “fang” not getting a treat, there’s always delicious devilish desserts to try. Last year, the sweets menu included a Mummy Cheesecake Pop, a Bloody Snowball, and confetti battered cookies, just to name a few. There are a bunch of spooky themed specialty drinks if you get thirsty, including some with alcohol. The food booths are located in different locations. It’s a good idea to research the treats that you want to eat and have a good plan of attack to make sure you get all the things you want to try. I suggest not having a big meal during the day to save room for all the Halloween Horror Night goodies.
4. There is a live action show that is definitely worth seeing! The high-energy show features amazing acrobatics, pyrotechnics, and dancing. It’s held in a stadium type setting so you get to sit down, relax, and enjoy the show. Check the schedule for the show so you are sure to catch it. You might want to get in line a little early. This is a good time to take turns going out and getting some of the spooky treats to try while you are waiting!
5. Some of the rides and attractions in Universal Studios are open during Halloween Horror Nights. This is a great time to experience rides such as Rip Ride Rockit and the Revenge of the Mummy. In the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Harry Potter and the Escape From Gringotts is open. Plus, last year, the Dementors were putting on shows and interacting with the crowds. I haven’t seen an announcement that they would be back this year, but I am hoping! One of my top recommendations is to purchase your Halloween Horror Nights tickets, early, and add the Express Pass. This pass allows you to skip the regular line, one time, at each of the ten haunted houses, plus at participating rides and attractions. A limited number of passes are offered each evening of the event.
Want to take your experience to a whole new level? Book the Halloween Horror Nights R.I.P. Tour. Your family will join other fans on a guided walking tour, enjoy a pre-tour reception, have an exclusive entrance to the event, get priority entry to each haunted house, Universal Express Unlimited ride access, and more. If you don’t get the R.I.P. tour, Universal Studios park closes to regular guests at 5 pm on the days of Halloween Horror Nights, if you have a park ticket and a ticket to the event, you can hang out in gated waiting areas close to some of the houses while they clear out the park. You can plan which house you want to go to, first, and get yourself in a position to enter the line for that house when it opens while other ticketed guests are just making their way into the park. Now is the perfect time to start planning your Fall trip to Universal Studios Florida since tickets are already on sale for Halloween Horror Nights 2024!
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