El Cucuy: The Boogeyman

Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood attraction
El Cucuy: The Boogeyman
Attraction type	Haunted Maze
Event	Halloween Horror Nights 2013 (Hollywood)
Park	Universal Studios Hollywood
Area	Upper Lot
Year	2013
Housed in	Parisian Courtyard
Based on	The legend of El Cucuy

El Cucuy: The Boogeyman was one of the six haunted mazes that were featured during Halloween Horror Nights 2013 (Hollywood). It was located in the Parisian Courtyard.

History & Location

On August 22nd, 2013, Universal announced El Cucuy: The Boogeyman was coming to the event.

The house was located in the Parisian Courtyard.

The Codename for this Maze was "Pumpkin". .

Description

Do you remember when you were afraid of the dark… the possibility that some horrible creature may be hiding in your closet or under your bed? People call him the Boogeyman, but in Mexico, he's known as "El Cucuy." Some say he's a shadow, an evil spirit that changes form to become whatever you fear. Some say he's a hideous monster that lives in the caves. But it's all just a myth, right? Or is it? Many people find him terrifying

Experience

Facade

The Facade was a Art Deco Theater with the Marquee saying El Cucuy the Boogeyman. Usher El Cucuy would sometimes attack guests at the Facade. Guests would enter the Maze.

Haunted Maze

Guests enter down a Hallway to then enter the Movie Theater. There were Rows of Dead Theater Victims as one of them would pop out at guests with a Shaker Can. Janitor El Cucuy would then pop out at guests. Guests would see El Cucuy the Boogeyman projected on the Screen.

Guest enter a Film Storage Room where El Cucuy pops out at guests. Guests then enter a Brick Hallway with a Red Flashing Light. Guests then go down a Black Hallway.

Guests are immediately scared by Police Officer El Cucuy from behind a wall panel and guests go down a Hallway with a bunch of Missing Children Posters.

Guests enter the Backyard of a House where in the Windows is a Shadow Silhouette Projection of El Cucuy moving. Guests see a Birthday Party with corpses everywhere. Clown El Cucuy then pops out at guests. Guests then enter the House.

Guests enter the House where there are more Birthday Decorations and more corpses. Clown El Cucuy then pops out at guests. Guests then go down a Hallway where Grandma El Cucuy appears behind a Painting where they pull it back and scares guests.

Guests then enter the Children's Bedroom where El Cucuy's Hands come out from underneath the Bed. Grandma El Cucuy then pops out of a Doorway at guests.

Guests then are outside of El Cucuy's Lair which is a Cave with Dolls surrounding it. Guests then enter the Cave. Guests see a bunch of Pumpkins behind a wooden board.

Guests then enter a Room filled with Children's Toys hanging and on Shelves as El Cucuy pops out at guests. Guests then enter the Jail Cells where there are 2 Pumpkin Prisoners that pop out at guests from inside their Cells.

Guests then go down 2 Hallways with Hanging Bags and a Furnace. Guests then enter a Room where a Pumpkin Prisoner is split in half as El Cucuy then pops out at guests.

Guests then enter a Kitchen with a Dining Table with a Cake and a Chair made out of Bones. Guests then see a bunch of Splattered Pumpkins on a different table.

Guests then see a Corpse pop out of a Barrel and spray guests with Water. Guests then see a Furnace. Guests are then scared by El Cucuy from a Boo Box Scare. Guests then exit the Maze.

Settings

• El Cucuy's Lair

Scareactors

• El Cucuy x4
• Usher El Cucuy
• Theater Victim
• Janitor El Cucuy
• Police Officer El Cucuy
• Clown El Cucuy x2
• Grandma El Cucuy x2
• Pumpkin Prisoners x3

Quotes

• “Do you remember when you were afraid of the dark? That terrible feeling there was some monster hiding in your closet? Waiting for you under your bed? Your mama told you such a story, didn’t she?” - El Cucuy
• “Some people say he is a shadow, a ghost, an evil spirit that can change forms & become whatever you fear most. Others say he is a monster with razor sharp teeth. He lives in a cave high up in the hills & comes down to the pueblos at night...searching for disobedient children.” - El Cucuy
• “Of course, El Cucuy is a myth, right? A story parents tell children to get them to go to sleep at night. Now you are older, you no longer believe such stories. You no longer believe in El Cucuy. But maybe your parents knew something you didn’t. Maybe it isn’t a story after all.” - El Cucuy
• “Maybe that noise you heard in the closet...that creaking sound under your bed is what you feared as a child...a monster waiting to eat you alive! Maybe there’s a good reason to be afraid of the dark!” - El Cucuy
• “Once there was a young boy from a small pueblo. His uncle took him to town one day, to see a scary movie for his birthday...” - El Cucuy
• “When the movie ended, the uncle was gone...so the boy had to find his way home alone...” - El Cucuy
• “The boy arrived home for his birthday party, but his family was no where to be found...” - El Cucuy
• "The boy called out for his la Madre! But she did not answer. Duérmete niño, duérmete ya, que viene El Coco, y te comerá." - El Cucuy

Pictures

Image from John Murdy on Twitter

Image from John Murdy on Twitter

Image from John Murdy on Twitter

Image from John Murdy on Twitter

Image from John Murdy on Twitter

Image from John Murdy on Twitter

Image from John Murdy on Twitter

Image from John Murdy on Twitter

Image from John Murdy on Twitter

Image from John Murdy on Twitter

Image from John Murdy on Twitter

Image from John Murdy on Twitter.

Image from John Murdy on Twitter.

Image from Jared Clemons on Facebook.

Image from Jared Clemons on Facebook.

Credit to: adventures_in_the_everyday on Instagram

Credit to: adventures_in_the_everyday on Instagram

Credit to: adventures_in_the_everyday on Instagram

Credit to: adventures_in_the_everyday on Instagram

Image from John Murdy on Twitter.

Image from Universal Studios Hollywood

Image from Universal Studios Hollywood

Image from Universal Studios Hollywood

Image from John Murdy on Twitter.

Image from John Murdy on Twitter.

Image from John Murdy on Twitter.

Image from John Murdy on Twitter.

Image from John Murdy on Twitter.

Image from John Murdy on Twitter.

Image from John Murdy on Twitter.

Image from John Murdy on Twitter.

Image from John Murdy on Twitter.

Image from John Murdy on Twitter.

Image from John Murdy on Twitter.

Image from InsideTheMagic.com

Image from InsideTheMagic.com

EL Cucuy: The Boogeyman Maze T-Shirt Image from HorrorUnearthed

Image from coasternet1998 on Flickr

Image from coasternet1998 on Flickr

Image from coasternet1998 on Flickr

Image from coasternet1998 on Flickr

Image from coasternet1998 on Flickr

Image from coasternet1998 on Flickr

Image from coasternet1998 on Flickr

Image from coasternet1998 on Flickr

Image from partymonster84 on Instagram

Image from eyesopennocrybabies

Image from eyesopennocrybabies

Videos

Behind the Screams of El Cucuy narrated by Danny Trejo

El Cucuy Insights with John Murdy at Halloween Horror Nights 2013 Universal Studios Hollywood

El Cucuy (Daytime Walk-Through) Halloween Horror Nights 2013 Universal Studios Hollywood

El Cucuy - The Boogeyman - Halloween Horror Nights 2013 at Universal Studios Hollywood, CA

-HHNForever - El Cucuy- The Boogeyman 2013 POV Maze Walkthrough

EL Cucuy "The Boogieman" POV FULL Maze Halloween Horror Nights Universal Studios.

El Cucuy - Night Vision - Halloween Horror Nights 2013 (Universal Studios Hollywood, CA)

Soundtrack

El Cucuy- The Boogieman Danny Trejo Narration Audio

Trivia

• The first half of the maze was Murdy's ideas and the second half of the maze was Chris's ideas
• When Murdy wrote the lines for this Maze, he only had one actor in mind to read them and that was Danny Trejo. .
• El Cucuy: The Bogeyman was a maze designed to tell a story and the voice needed to set the tone for the whole experience. .
• The first challenge in designing El Cucuy was to determine what the monster should look like. For Murdy, it started with this etching by Spanish artist Goya. The title in English translates to “Here Comes the Bogeyman.” .
• Murdy wanted him to be a very old man with age spots that resembled a rotting pumpkin. He wanted his head to be vaguely pumpkin shaped with teeth like a barracuda and ears like a vampire bat. .
• The cloaked figure from Goya’s drawing made it in there as did the various pieces of visual research. Murdy wanted his sack to be made out of the pajamas of his victims with a legs of his latest victim sticking out of the top. .
• El Cucuy is sometimes referred to as a shape shifter, so the Creative Team could applied basic look to the various characters the Guests meet along the way. .
• Since the Creative Team knew this maze was going in Parisian courtyard and the surrounding architecture was Art Deco, a movie theatre seemed like the place to start. .
• In Murdy's research, he came across the Luchador monster movies that were popular in Mexico in the 1960’s; basically Mexican wrestlers fighting monsters straight out of the Universal classics. El Cucuy is a Luchador monster film a kid goes to see. .
• They had decided if they were going to build a movie theatre that’s playing a Luchador monster movie. That meant they had to make one. Taking a nod from foreign horror movies where they would cast an America star to help the box office, Murdy played the role of Dr. Albondigas. .
• In the Street Scene guests find posters for missing children (who are all members of our prop team when they were kids). .
• In the Child's Birthday Party there was “Pin the tail on the donkey” Little fingers that was in the treatment. .
• The Kid's Bedroom Scene was one of Murdy's favorites with the giant monster hands coming out from under the bed. .
• There are Dr. Albondigas and Magnifico (characters from the fake movie) “Easter Eggs” in the Kid's Bedroom Scene. .
• The facade for the El Cucuy's Cave was inspired by “The Island of Dolls” which is a real place in Mexico where this recluse placed dolls all over an island because he believed it was haunted by a little girl. .
• Inside of El Cucuy's Lair is his "Trophy Room" which contains all the toys he’s stolen from his victims over the years. .
• Murdy had this idea that El Cucuy would place a pumpkin over his Victims heads to add flavour his food. They pumped in a pumpkin scent to add to the scene. .
• According to John Murdy at the El Cucuy BTS Panel, the other reason the Pumpkin Prisoners had pumpkins on their heads was so their screams were muffled and no one could hear them.
• The original plan was to end the maze with El Cucuy with the faces of his victims pressed against his belly. Kind of an ode to Freddy Krueger. The Reason for this not being present in the Maze is due to Spacing. .