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Halloween Horror Nights 2024 at Universal Orlando Strategy For Seeing Everything
Halloween Horror Nights 2024 is here in Orlando, but you may need a plan to see it all.
It’s the best time of the year for fans of horror and the macabre as Halloween Horror Nights 2024 is in full swing in both Universal Orlando and Hollywood. If you’re in Florida to experience the frights this year, you may be wondering what the best strategy is for navigating the many thrills and chills that await you behind the threshold of Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando.
As anyone who has been to the park will tell you, once the sun goes down, the cool Halloween people come out in droves. The crowds will be big and everyone has similar goals — to see all the Haunted Houses, Scare Zones and indulge in some of the most delectable (albeit gruesomely themed) food HHN has to offer. So, how do you and your cadre of cool friends and family ensure you get the most out of your visit? Fear not (well, maybe a little) we’ve got a handful of tips and tricks to help you navigate HHN 2024 in Orlando.
Scare Zones at Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando Strategy
The moment you walk into Universal Studios in Orlando, it’s impossible to miss the first Scare Zone, Duality of Fear, where you’ll encounter visceral horrors by the original characters SINIST3R as well as more cerebral horrors from SURR3AL. If you follow the road to the right, you’ll enter SURR3AL’s domain in Demon Queens, a Scare Zone devoted to her twisted majesties plucked from the recesses of your deepest fears.
If you escape, you’ll see what is usually the Central Park area but, after dark during HHN, it is now the Swamp of the Undead, a bayou crawling with hungry zombies. If you can handle more, simply follow the water on your left through the Simpsons area and across the small bridge that takes you past King’s Cross Station, the not-so-secret entrance to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter where Death Eaters have taken over the park during Halloween Horror Nights. However if you continue forward you’ll spot the ominous characters of the Enter the Blumhouse Scare Zone where characters like M3GAN and The Grabber are out to get you. Once you’ve made it safely past them, you’ll spot the orange lights and hear the twisted revelries of The Torture Faire, where the King and Queen themselves have taken over the party to bring their own horrible, tortuous spin to an otherwise playful event.
After that, you’ll have completed the entire loop of Scare Zones for Halloween Horror Nights 2024 and escaped with your life… and be in a great position to take another lap around all five.
Haunted Houses at Halloween Horror Nights 2024 in Orlando Strategy
While the Scare Zones are visible just by walking through the park after your ticket is scanned, the Haunted Houses are a bit more of an involved process, particularly if you want to see them all.
The first thing to note is that there are ten Haunted Houses and each one requires a wait in line. You can shorten that wait if you get an Express pass or bypass it altogether with Universal’s RIP Tours. You can check out the park’s many different ways to book tickets here.
What this all means, though, is that it will take time in between each scream-filled Haunted House. The estimated wait times for each attraction are posted outside the entrance. If you download the official Universal Orlando Resort App, you can see the estimated wait times for each Haunted House posted there in real-time as well. So, if your goal is to see every Haunted House in one night, time may be your enemy. Getting to the park right when it opens will be key. However, if there is one Haunted House in particular you’re dying to see, you may want to prioritize it in case you run out of time. All of the Haunted Houses and their entrances are laid out on the map within the Universal Orlando Resort app.
Like the Scare Zones, the Haunted Houses are positioned throughout the park in a big circle. The entrance to five of them, including A Quiet Place and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, are located in and around the park’s New York Area. It’s also where you’ll find some of the best HHN merch food options the park has to offer, so if your stomach is up to it after your first of the Haunted Houses, it’s a great time to grab some grub.
Halloween Horror Nights 2024 Tips and Tricks
First and foremost, wear something comfortable on your feet because you’re going to be walking and standing a lot. Even when you get into a Haunted House, you’ll be moving. Although it’s the Fall, Orlando is still hot. Make sure you check the weather before you go and wear breathable clothes if it’s going to be hot out.
Lastly, one definite gem within the park during Halloween Horror Nights 2024 is the Nocturnal Circus. It's a show that combines twisted clowns and devilish circus performers for a gothic and adult-themed 30-minute showcase that is a spectacle for the eyes and ears that you won’t want to miss. Check the sign in front of the attraction when to know when showtimes are for each day. The theater can fit a lot of people but the lines get long so make sure you get in line early.
