Halloween Horror Nights is the ultimate Halloween event of 2019. Last year was going to be tough to beat, but Universal knocked it out of the park this year. Everything, from the treats, mazes, and scare zones has been taken up a notch and is sure to please horror fanatics from all over the world who hit up the Hollywood and Orlando theme parks. New movie mazes introduced this time around include Ghostbusters, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Jordan Peele’s Us, and more.
For more than 25 years, guests from around the world have visited Halloween Horror Nights to become willing victims of their own private horrors. Multiple movie-quality mazes based on iconic horror television shows, movies, and original stories come to life season after season, leaving one to wonder how long it takes to get everything set up and then taken down in November. If that wasn’t enough, the streets of each park’s event are transformed into highly-themed scare zones where menacing scare-actors lunge from every darkened corner.
One of the first things one needs to realize when visiting Halloween Horror Nights is that it is going to be crowded, especially on Friday and Saturday nights, so plan accordingly, or get the ever crucial front of the line pass, now dubbed Universal Express. The lines for the mazes end up getting pretty long, so it is more than worth it to spring for the Universal Express ticketing option. It’s a bit more expensive, but if planned right, you’ll be able to hit every maze and scare-zone, which means you will need your stamina. Thankfully, Universal has all kinds of food and beverages for parkgoers to indulge in.
Related: The Curse of Pandora’s Box Comes to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood
The Stranger Things Mind Flayer shake is not for the faint of heart, so be weary of that one. And the Slimer’s Dirty Water Dog could probably get a new name and a more appealing picture. With that being said, there’s plenty of other food options this year and one can never go wrong with a good old fashioned corndog and soda. Just keep in mind you’re going to be doing a lot of walking, so it might be a good idea to chill out on some of the junk food, even though you’ll probably walk a lot of it off going from maze to maze. Drinking alcohol can be a good idea, but try not to take down a double shot of Jack Daniels after drinking wine because you won’t make it.
Now that you’ve got your food situated and you’re prepared for the crowds, here’s a list of the top movie-related mazes of Halloween Horror Nights 2019 first. Keep in mind that this year was pretty much all really well done, so it was hard to choose favorites. However, there was definitely one that stood out from all of the rest and it’s from a very popular 1980s horror movie. You can read the list below and then head over to the Universal Studios site to purchase your tickets.
Based on the cult 1980s cult favorite, the Killer Klowns from Outer Space maze transports guests to the sleepy small town of Crescent Cove, which has been taken over by a pack of murderous clown-like creatures. We were lured by the sweet smell of cotton candy and ice-cream, only to find ourselves in an otherworldly circus tent where we came face-to-face with the crazed klowns. This is the best maze of Halloween Horror Nights 2019 by far. Do this first, you will not regret it.
Without a doubt, the Creepshow maze is one of the best of Halloween Horror Nights this year. In fact, it might be the best. The original Creepshow movie was created by legendary director George Romero. Greg Nicotero has taken over for a new Shudder series and the brand-new maze invites guests to step into the anthology’s comic book pages to experience five terrible tales of terror guided by The Creep, the skeletal namesake of the source material. This is a must-experience maze for all horror fans.
Obviously, Ghostbusters is going to be one of the more-crowded mazes of your night, so be prepared to wait. Luckily, there are some video screens around teasing footage from the upcoming Ghostbusters 2020 to check out while in line. We were able to follow Peter, Ray, Egon and Winston – as they took us through artfully recreated scenes from the movie, including the firehouse, the library and the Temple of Gozer. A must-see for fans of the original movie. Beware, Halloween Horror Nights 2019 is really into spraying visitors with water. Consider yourself warned.
Jordan Peele’s Us seemed like a hard maze to pull off for Halloween Horror Nights on paper. However, they were able to pull of some horrifying magic on this particular maze. Featuring the unnerving labyrinth of underground tunnels that stretch from coast to coast below America, to the disorienting and the ominous uprising of “The Tethered,” doppelgangers of every living man, woman and child in the country, the maze made us realize that we truly are our own worst enemies. Eagle-eyed visitors will notice they reused some of the old E.T. attraction in the new maze.
The terrifying House of 1000 Corpses maze bring to life the movie’s offbeat roadside tourist attraction, Captain Spaulding’s Museum of Monsters and Madmen, and introduces guests to some of the country’s most infamous serial killers, including Dr. Satan, a demented surgeon who has gone mad. Rob Zombie should be proud of this one, along with the late great Sid Haig. This was a terrifying maze and a lot of fun with a lot of cool music.
Ok, this is a Halloween Horror Nights original maze and it was truly epic. The wait was surprisingly short, but the maze was long and full of horrors. Occult artifacts are everywhere and the evil has been unleashed. Make sure not to skip this one because it’s not one of the big-name draws. It’s going to be hard to put it all back into Pandora’s box, so be careful when opening it up.
What would Halloween Horror Nights be without some classic Universal Monsters? Frankenstein and the Wolf Man is a maze that is loosely based on the classic 1943 horror movie of the same name. While this is last on our list, that doesn’t mean that it was inferior in any way. Plus, Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash created the music for the epic old school maze. Again, you just might get wet. We can’t wait to see what next year has in store for us.
The Stranger Things maze made its debut last year and it was one of the best that 2018 had to offer. However, 2019 proved to be not as good as last year, though it was still memorable. Getting into Hopper’s cabin was definitely the highlight, but the storyline of the maze was not as fluid as the previous year. Bonus points for a soundtrack rivaling the Killer Klowns from Outer Space maze.
Get your Halloween Horror Nights tickets today, before it’s too late.