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* ''[[Dracula Untold: Reign of Blood (Orlando)|Dracula Untold: Reign of Blood]]'' ([[Soundstage 24]]) |
* ''[[Dracula Untold: Reign of Blood (Orlando)|Dracula Untold: Reign of Blood]]'' ([[Soundstage 24]]) |
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* ''[[Giggles & Gore Inc.]]'' ([[Disaster! Queue]]) |
* ''[[Giggles & Gore Inc.]]'' ([[Disaster! Queue]]) |
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− | * ''[[Dollhouse of the Damned]]'' ([[Sprung Tent 1]]) |
+ | * ''[[Dollhouse of the Damned (Haunted House)|Dollhouse of the Damned]]'' ([[Sprung Tent 1]]) |
* ''[[Halloween (Orlando)|Halloween]]'' ([[Sprung Tent 2]]) |
* ''[[Halloween (Orlando)|Halloween]]'' ([[Sprung Tent 2]]) |
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* ''[[Roanoke: Cannibal Colony]]'' ([[Parade Warehouse]]) |
* ''[[Roanoke: Cannibal Colony]]'' ([[Parade Warehouse]]) |
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==== Scarezones ==== |
==== Scarezones ==== |
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− | * ''[[Twisted Tradition]]'' ([[Central Park]]) |
+ | * ''[[Twisted Tradition (Scarezone)|Twisted Tradition]]'' ([[Central Park]]) |
* ''[[Vamp '85: New Year's Eve]] ([[New York (Orlando)|New York]])'' |
* ''[[Vamp '85: New Year's Eve]] ([[New York (Orlando)|New York]])'' |
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* ''[[The Harvest (2018)|The Harvest]]'' ([[Plaza of the Stars]]) |
* ''[[The Harvest (2018)|The Harvest]]'' ([[Plaza of the Stars]]) |
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* [[Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein Lives]] ([[Soundstage 23]]) |
* [[Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein Lives]] ([[Soundstage 23]]) |
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* [[Revenge of the Tooth Fairy]] ([[Soundstage 24]]) |
* [[Revenge of the Tooth Fairy]] ([[Soundstage 24]]) |
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− | *Beetlejuice ([[Parade Warehouse]]) |
+ | *[[Beetlejuice (Haunted House Orlando)|Beetlejuice]] ([[Parade Warehouse]]) |
=== Halloween Horror Nights 2021 (Orlando) === |
=== Halloween Horror Nights 2021 (Orlando) === |
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== Pictures == |
== Pictures == |
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HHN1995 Unknown 11.png|Image from this [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeJ6qbrRpQI|this video]. |
HHN1995 Unknown 11.png|Image from this [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeJ6qbrRpQI|this video]. |
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HHN 1995 Ticket Taker.png|Image from this [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeJ6qbrRpQI|this video]. |
HHN 1995 Ticket Taker.png|Image from this [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeJ6qbrRpQI|this video]. |
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+ | Halloween-Horror-Nights-Twenty-Years-of-Fear-11.png |
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</gallery> |
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Revision as of 16:52, 9 January 2021
The Halloween Horror Nights event in Orlando is a Halloween event presented annually at Universal Orlando. Beginning in 1991 in Universal Studios Florida with only one house, it has continued annually to become one of the largest Halloween events in the United States. In its later years, the event has split time between its original park and the more recently built Islands of Adventure. Universal's design team has created twelve original Icons for the event, and have also used many of the Universal Monsters. Recently, deals have been made with various film companies to bring horror based IP's (Intellectual Properties) into the event.
History
Halloween Horror Nights began at Universal Studios Florida in 1991 under the title Fright Nights but was re-christened Halloween Horror Nights in 1992, advertising it as the "second annual" event. It began as a 3-night event but has since evolved into an over 30-night scare-a-thon spanning late September through the first weekend of November. Although it normally only operates from Thursday to Sunday, an occasional Wednesday occurs during what scareactors dub "Hell Week", known for its large crowds and the increase of alcohol-related incidents.
From 1991-2001, the event was held at Universal Studios Florida. Halloween Horror Nights moved to Islands of Adventure in 2002. 2004 was an experiment with a dual-park format, which opened parts of both parks. Guests were funneled through backstage areas and the soundstages, where most of the haunts were built. In 2006, the event made a return to Universal Studios Florida, where the event continues through its 30th year in 2021. It was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, making it the first year that Halloween Horror Nights Orlando was not held since 1990.
Each year's event, though unique, has certain characteristics in common with other years. These include houses, shows, scarezones, Event Icons, and event phrases. Depending on the park in which the event is held, certain popular attractions that are regularly open during business hours are also opened during the event to help alleviate the crowds.
Event Icons
From the very beginning as Fright Nights, Halloween Horror Nights has amassed a number of Icons, ten of which are original creations.
What qualifies as an Icon
The rules for being an Icon is extremely convoluted. An icon can be an IP or an original, and must have an appearance in the park. Note that while Universal may deny it themselves, their judgement can sometimes be naught as to qualify for being an icon, it can be any (but not all) of these qualifications:
- They have a presence in the marketing and merchandise.
- Most necessary of all, they appear somewhere in the event itself.
- They have a house or scarezone.
- Least necessary of all, they have a backstory
- There is a story of the overall park
- They must have SOME presence beyond one haunted house/scarezone/show.
What makes this confusing
The entire existence of the characters Bloody Mary and the Usher. Bloody Mary is not counted as an Icon in the event’s history officially by Universal, and the Usher didn’t have any appearances in the marketing for the event, not one single piece. The former is because of licensing issues with Bobbie Wiener, and the latter is presumably they wanted to focus on the movies. Universal’s statement should be taken for naught; Bloody Mary definitely is one of the Event Icons because of her heavy presence in marketing, her haunted house, her appearances elsewhere outside of her house, and the story for the entire event being that guests visited Mary’s mirror. likewise, the Usher IS an Icon despite appearing in zero marketing, for he had a house, had appearances elsewhere, and the story was that he transported guests into the Universal Palace Theater.
And given that 2010 retcons Horror Night’s entire canon to that of being influenced by Adaru, by technicality there stories for the pre-2000 years as well as 2012-2014 and 2018-2019 in that Adaru brought darkness to Universal Florida and in some years chose characters from horror media to serve as Icons.
The One to Rule them all
- Adaru is the main villain of the entirety of the canon of Halloween Horror Nights, and is technically the true main villain for each year (aside from Bloody Mary and the 2015 version of Jack’s years). He is the Sumerian God of fear who was unleashed from a portal called Portameus, which leads to his realm, by the Legendary Truth. While he appeared in the flesh as the seventh original icon and the tenth overall, used for Halloween Horror Nights: Twenty Years of Fear, he influenced Every other year. He didn't appear in a house, instead appearing in the scarezone Fear Revealed.
Borrowed Icons
- Contrary to popular belief, neither the Cryptkeeper or Jack were the first Event Icons; as from the very beginning the Universal Classic Monsters (Comprisin of Count Dracula, The Mummy, Frankenstein’s Monster, the Bride, and the Wolfman) as well as Beetlejuice served as Icons. Adaru chose them to present Fright Nights. They predominately appeared in the Dungeon of Terror.
- The Cryptkeeper, from TV's Tales from the Crypt (a series popular in the 1990s) was the second Event Icon. Adaru chose him to serve as the head honcho for Halloween Horror Nights V. He returned the next year (and could be that year’s Icon), but didn't return after the series had been canceled. After The Cryptkeeper came two years of the event without an Icon.
- Imhotep was the third Icon (Last Gasp) as he appeared in the marketing materials and had a house and a slot in the parade. Adaru resurrected him, and Imhotep used his Egyptian powers to take over the event.
Original Icons
- Jack Schmidt/Jack the Clown/The Ringmaster was the first original icon and the fourth icon overall. Developed for Halloween Horror Nights X, Schmidt is an evil clown and mass murderer. Adaru resurrected him to helm the 10th event. He returned as the icon in Halloween Horror Nights XI. He later appeared alongside The Caretaker, The Director and Eddie in the Halloween Horror Nights XIV house Horror Nights Nightmares, and also appeared in Rat Run during Halloween Horror Nights: Tales of Terror. He was once again an icon during Halloween Horror Nights: Sweet 16, appearing in the house PsychoScareapy: Maximum Madness and in The Arrival. He was Icon again as the ringmaster of the Halloween Horror Nights: Carnival of Carnage where he hosted the Jack's Carnival of Carnage show. He reappeared as a sub-icon for Halloween Horror Nights: Twenty Years of Fear, where he appeared in the house Horror Nights: The Hallow'd Past with the other Icons. He appeared yet again to lead the event into its 25th anniversary at Halloween Horror Nights 25 with the house Jack Presents: 25 Years of Monsters & Mayhem and the stage show The Carnage Returns.
- Dr. Albert Caine/The Caretaker was the second original Icon And the fifth icon overall, developed and used for Halloween Horror Nights: Islands of Fear, where he appeared in Screamhouse. Caine was a respected surgeon who became caretaker of the Shady Oaks Cemetery, and after retialtion by the mob, Adaru made him the second Herald and lend him powers over darkness. He returned at Halloween Horror Nights 13 in the house Screamhouse: Revisited and at Halloween Horror Nights XIV with Jack the Clown, The Director and Eddie in the house Horror Nights Nightmares. He returned at Halloween Horror Nights: Sweet 16 in The Arrival and in the house Screamhouse: The Resurrection.
- Paulo Ravinski/The Director was the third original icon and the sixth icon overall, used for Halloween Horror Nights 13, where he appeared in the house All Nite Die-In and the show, Infestation. Ravinski is a snuff film director from Eastern Europe; Adaru chose him as the third Herald, and backed up his budget; he is the only Icon to not use darkness or other magical powers. He returned for Halloween Horror Nights: Sweet 16 in The Arrival and All Nite Die-In: Take 2.
- Elsa Strict/The Storyteller was the fourth original icon and the seventh overall, used for Halloween Horror Nights: Tales of Terror, where she appeared in the house Where Evil Hides. Adaru chose her to be the fourth Herald. Strict is an old woman who introduced guests to the world of "Terra Cruentus". She returned at Halloween Horror Nights: Sweet 16 in The Arrival and in the house Dungeon of Terror: Retold.
- Dr. Mary Agana/Bloody Mary was the fifth original icon and the eighth overall, used for Halloween Horror Nights: Reflections of Fear, where she appeared in the house Reflections of Fear. Agana was a psychiatrist in 1958 who was slowly possessed by the spirit of her grandmother to become the evil entity known as Bloody Mary. Notably of the 2000-2009 era, she is NOT one of the Heralds under Adaru’s control, and certain events in 25 suggests she and Jack may be against him.
- Julian Browning/The Usher was the sixth original icon and the ninth overall, used for Halloween Horror Nights: Ripped from the Silver Screen, where he appeared in the house Silver Screams. Browning was an usher from 1922 to 1940 for the Universal Palace Theatre who died in 1940 while dealing with a rowdy moviegoer. After Adaru made him the fifth Herald, He now haunts the Theatre, bringing the movies to life and punishing anyone who shows disrespect to his beloved theatre.
- Lady Luck was the eight original icon and the eleventh overall, used for Halloween Horror Nights 21, where she appeared in the scarezone Your Luck Has Run Out. She is the personification of bad luck and a vicious evil spirit who feeds off those who gamble with her and lose. She reappeared in the scarezone Icons: HHN at Halloween Horror Nights 25.
- Chance was the ninth original icon and the thirteenth icon overall, used for Halloween Horror Nights 26, where she both appeared in the scarezone A Chance In Hell and the house Lunatic's Playground 3D: You Won't Stand a Chance. She is the insane girlfriend of Jack the Clown, who takes as much delight from murder and mayhem as he does.
- Bone was the tenth original icon and the fourteenth icon overall (as much as Universal themselves deny it) used for the 27th year. Adaru chose him to headline the Festival of the Deadliest.
Unused Icons
- Edgar Sawyer/Eddie Schmidt was meant to be used during Halloween Horror Nights XI, where he was meant to appear in the Run haunted house and would be portrayed as a chainsaw-wielding horror-movie lover going too far to make a scary Halloween event. He was ultimately dropped as the main Icon due to the September 11, 2001 attacks. He would eventually make appearance in Halloween Horror Nights XIV with The Caretaker, The Director and Jack the Clown in the house Horror Nights Nightmares, and later in Halloween Horror Nights: Sweet 16 as the main character of his house, Run: Hostile Territory.
- SINdy/Cindy Caine - The young, insane daughter of The Caretaker. After a mob burned her father's home and place of business down, she was scarred and hid her burnt face behind a broken china doll mask. She was dropped from Halloween Horror Nights: Islands of Fear due to a rash of child kidnappings in the Orlando area. The main theme for Screamhouse: The Resurrection during Halloween Horror Nights: Sweet 16 was The Caretaker's followers looking for Cindy so Caine could resurrect his daughter. She got her own house, The Orfanage: Ashes to Ashes. during Halloween Horror Nights: Twenty Years of Fear. This house revamped her backstory into an orphan who was adopted by Dr. Caine after burning her orphanage down.
- The Terra Queen was originally conceived as the icon for Halloween Horror Nights: Tales of Terror, before The Storyteller was created to promote and serve as the icon as the event. However, she was still featured in the event as the ruler of "Terra Cruentas". Each night, she would preside over a blood sacrifice at the Terra Throne and on the final night, she herself was sacrificed.
Islands of Adventure
When the event moved to Islands of Adventure for Halloween Horror Nights: Islands of Fear, where it stayed until 2006, new opportunities arose along with new complications. Every island of the park was to be converted into a scarezone with its own house. However, Seuss Landing is used with express permission from Audrey Geisel, widow of Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss), who approved of its construction and the attractions within, and has rights over what occurs during the events. The park was restricted to simply darkening this island and playing the music backwards. Strobe lights and fog were inserted in some sections, but actors were restricted until 2005.
Marvel Super Hero Island was first used as a scarezone in Halloween Horror Nights: Islands of Fear. In its incarnation, Island Under Siege, it would be taken over at night by the Marvel villains. The superheroes were either dead or had been defeated, while Carnage, Scream, an army of chainsaw gangs, supervillans, scarred police officers, and the Punisher roamed the streets. Flamethrowers, broken-down cars, and junkyard debris littered the streets. The main attraction was Maximum Carnage, Carnage's haunted house. The island came under fire for its portrayal of the heroes. Props implying that well-known superheroes had died upon them inside the Maximum Carnage attraction were used. Universal has not focused the island on its Marvel heroes since, and instead used the area as a generic cityscape with bikers, mutated residents of a toxic spill, and more innocuously, a party zone with stilt walkers dressed as Dracula and Frankenstein.
Event Phrases
Each year, except for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th, Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights has had its own unique subtitle and/or marketing slogan.
- Fright Nights - Dying for a good Halloween Party? (Blood Begins)
- Halloween Horror Nights V - The Curse of the Crypt Keeper
- Halloween Horror Nights VI - Journey Into Fear
- Halloween Horror Nights VII - Frightmares (You'll never sleep again)
- Halloween Horror Nights VIII - Primal Scream (The last scream you'll ever hear)
- Halloween Horror Nights IX - Last Gasp (Sayonara)
- Halloween Horror Nights X - Not afraid of the dark? You don't know Jack... (Stay away if you are not interested in grisly entertainment)
- Halloween Horror Nights XI - I.C.U. / Jack's Back / No More Clowing Around
- Halloween Horror Nights XII - Islands of Fear (Your time has come)
- Halloween Horror Nights 13 - The Director will see you now. (You oughtta be in pictures)
- Halloween Horror Nights XIV - What's your breaking point? (2X the fear)
- Halloween Horror Nights XV - Tales of Terror/Not Just Another Fairy Tale (No one will live happily ever after)
- Halloween Horror Nights XVI - Sweet 16 (Horror comes home)
- Halloween Horror Nights XVII - Carnival of Carnage (Choose Thy Fear)
- Halloween Horror Nights XVIII - Bloody Mary/Reflections of Fear (I Dare You to Say it One More Time...)
- Halloween Horror Nights XIX - Ripped From the Silver Screen (It's Showtime)
- Halloween Horror Nights XX - Twenty Years of Fear (A New Era of Darkness Begins)
- Halloween Horror Nights 21 - Are you in? (Nobody beats the house!)
- Halloween Horror Nights 22 - Once you're inside... There is no way out!
- Halloween Horror Nights 23 - What evil has taken root? (So this is what fear tastes like?)
- Halloween Horror Nights 24 - You've been warned... (Fear Will Eat You Alive!)
- Halloween Horror Nights 25 - Jack's back (25 years of fear)
- Halloween Horror Nights 26 - You won't stand a Chance! (Terror Takes Center Stage)
- Halloween Horror Nights 27 - The Festival of the Deadliest (The best nightmares never end...)
- Halloween Horror Nights 28 - We Know What Scares You/ More Houses Than Ever!/ True Fear Comes From Within.
- Halloween Horror Nights 29 - Your Worst Fears Live Here!/ Maximum Screamage
- Halloween Horror Nights 30 - 30 Years, 30 Fears
The Event
Since 1991, Universal Studios Florida has held Halloween Horror Nights annually. The first year the event, known as Fright Nights, was held for three nights and featured one house and a number of special shows. Since then the event has grown such that the latest, Halloween Horror Nights 29, was held for 42 nights and included no Event Icon, ten houses, two shows, and five scarezones. The Dungeon of Terror was the first house of the event, held in the queue of the newly built JAWS attraction. The second event introduced the annual Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure show and also began to use the soundstages on property for houses. The fourth event introduced the use of scarezones to bring roaming street scare actors together for easier scares, while the fifth and sixth introduced the concept of an Event Icon, although an unoriginal character at that point. The Event Icon would return for the tenth event, this time an original creation, and since then eight other original Icons have been used. The twelfth year moved the event to the newly built Islands of Adventure, while the fourteenth experimented in a dual-park format. The fifteenth year was the first to bring an elaborate back story for the full event, interconnecting all of the houses, scarezones, and shows, while the sixteenth returned the event to Universal Studios Florida exclusively. The seventeenth year introduced an exclusive deal with New Line Cinema to bring three horror icons to the houses. The 18th year featured the first Icon that is both an IP and a Uni original.
List of events
Fright Nights (1991)
- Main article: Fright Nights
Haunted House
Shows
- Beetlejuice Dead in Concert! Featuring the Ghostbusters! (The New York Library)
- Chainsaw Massacre (Outside Sting Alley)
- Dr. Death (Metropolis Tribune)
- The Human Pincushion (Gramercy Park)
- Magical Mania (Delancey Street)
- Madame Kuszel: Gypsy Fortune Teller (Delancey Street)
- Cobra Woman (Delancey Street)
- Dragon Breath (New York)
- Starshower (Mel's Drive-In Stage)
- Paul Revere & the Raiders (Mel's Drive-In Stage)
- Monster Mardi Gras Costume Contest (Hollywood)
- Thunderdome (Hollywood)
- Prince Dragon (Amity)
- Iron Belly (San Francisco)
- Dr. Frankenstein's Theater Featuring Mistress of the Night, Frankenstein and Dracula (San Francisco)
- The Human Impaler (San Francisco)
- The Gravediggers (World Expo)
- The Pendragons (Animal Actor's Stage)
- Universal Science Band (World Expo)
- Beetlejuice Graveyard Tours (Bates Motel)
Halloween Horror Nights II (1992)
Main article: Halloween Horror Nights II (Orlando)
Haunted Houses
Shows
- Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (Wild West Stage)
- Carnival of Horror (Hollywood)
- The Pendragons (Animal Actor's Stage)
- Robosaurus (New York)
- Thunderdome (Hollywood)
- The Incinerator (New York)
- Human Blockhead (Sting Alley)
- Misfortune Tellers (Delancey Street)
- Bone Bender (The Boneyard)
- Hex Maniacs (New York)
- Grand Illusion (Amity)
- Dragon Breath (Amity)
- Monkey Ladies (San Francisco)
- Hell Cats (World Expo)
- Blade Walker (World Expo)
- Rock 'N Roll With Wolfman Jack (Mel's Drive-In Stage)
- Roni Nu's Revue (Mel's Drive-In Stage)
Halloween Horror Nights III (1993)
Main article: Halloween Horror Nights III (Orlando)
Haunted Houses
- The Slaughterhouse (Nazarman's)
- The Psycho Path Maze (Bates Motel)
- The People Under the Stairs (Soundstage 23)
Shows
- Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure II (Wild West Stage)
- Burn and Bury (Woody Woodpecker's Kidzone)
- Crossbows of Death (Animal Actor's Stage)
- Hex Maniacs (New York)
- Human Blockhead (San Francisco)
- Robosaurus (New York)
- Rock Inferno Featuring Herb Williams and Gibraltar (Mel's Drive-In Stage)
Halloween Horror Nights IV (1994)
Main article: Halloween Horror Nights IV
Haunted Houses
- Dungeon of Terror (Earthquake Queue)
- The Psycho Path Maze (Bates Motel)
- The Boneyard (The Boneyard)
- Hell's Kitchen (Nazarman's)
Scarezone
Shows
- Bill and Ted Meet Timecop (Wild West Stage)
- The Devil and His Showgirls (New York)
- The Price is Fright (Animal Actor's Stage)
- Robosaurus (New York)
- Rock 'N' Roll Inferno (Mel's Drive-In Stage)
Halloween Horror Nights V (1995)
Main article: Halloween Horror Nights V
Haunted Houses
- Cryptkeeper's Dungeon of Terror (Earthquake Queue)
- Terror Underground: Transit to Torment (Nazarman's)
- Universal's House of Horror (Soundstage 22)
Scarezones
Shows
- Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure IV (Wild West Stage)
- The Price is Fright (Animal Actor's Stage)
- Rock of Ages (Metropolis Tribune)
- Crypt Keeper's Revenge: The Knights of Hell (Studio Lagoon)
Halloween Horror Nights VI (1996)
Main article: Halloween Horror Nights VI
Haunted Houses
- The Crypt Keeper's Studio Tour of Terror (Earthquake Queue)
- Toy Hell: Nightmare in the Scream Factory (Nazarman's)
- Universal's New House of Horrors (Soundstage 22)
Scarezone
Shows
- Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (Wild West Stage)
- The Crypt Keeper's Festival of the Dead Parade (Parade Route)
- Tricks, Treats, & Trances (Animal Actor's Stage)
- Welcome to My Nightmare (Mel's Drive-In Stage)
Halloween Horror Nights VII: Frightmares (1997)
Main article: Halloween Horror Nights VII: Frightmares
Haunted Houses
- Tombs of Terror (Earthquake Queue)
- Hotel Hell (Nazarman's)
- Universal's Museum of Horror (Soundstage 22)
Scarezone
Shows
- Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure VI: The Final Frontier (Wild West Stage)
- Abra-Cadaver (Animal Actor's Stage)
- Festival of the Dead Parade (Parade Route)
- Frightmares (Mel's Drive-In Stage)
Halloween Horror Nights VIII: Primal Scream (1998)
Main article: Halloween Horror Nights VIII: Primal Scream
Haunted Houses
- S.S. Frightanic: Carnage Crew (Earthquake Queue)
- S.S. Frightanic: Fear in First Class (Earthquake Queue)
- Hell's High (Nazarman's)
- Universal's Museum of Horror: Chamber of Horrors (Soundstage 22)
- Universal's Museum of Horror: Unnatural History (Soundstage 22)
Scarezone
Shows
- Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure VII: Dial "E" for Excellent! (Wild West Stage)
- Festival of the Dead Parade (Parade Route)
- Horrorpalooza (Mel's Drive-In Stage)
Halloween Horror Nights IX: Last Gasp (1999)
Main article: Halloween Horror Nights IX
Haunted Houses
- The Mummy (Earthquake Queue)
- Doomsday (Earthquake Queue)
- Universal's Creature Features in 3-D (Nazarman's)
- Psycho: Through the Mind of Norman Bates (Soundstage 22)
- Insanity (Soundstage 22)
Scarezone
Shows
- Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure VIII (Wild West Stage)
- Deadly D'Illusions (Animal Actor's Stage)
- Festival of the Dead Parade (Parade Route)
- Tricks or Treats: Dead Man's Party (Mel's Drive-In Stage)
Halloween Horror Nights X: Not Afraid of the Dark? You Don't Know Jack (2000)
Main article: Halloween Horror Nights X
Haunted Houses
- Universal Classic Monster Mania (Earthquake Queue)
- Dark Torment (Earthquake Queue)
- The Fearhouse (Nazarman's)
- Anxiety in 3-D (Soundstage 22)
- Total Chaos (Soundstage 22)
Scarezones
- Clown Attack (Hollywood)
- Apocalypse Island (Central Park)
- The Gauntlet (The Boneyard)
- Midway of Dr. Morose (Amity)
Shows
- Festival of the Dead Parade (Parade Route)
- Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (Wild West Stage)
- Jacked Up (Animal Actor's Stage)
Halloween Horror Nights XI (2001)
Main article: Halloween Horror Nights XI
Haunted Houses
- The Mummy Returns: The Curse Continues (Earthquake Queue)
- Run (Earthquake Queue)
- Superstitions (Nazarman's)
- Scary Tales (Soundstage 22)
- Pitch Black (Soundstage 22)
Scarezones
Shows
- Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (Wild West Stage)
- Boogeymen (Pantages Theater)
- Nightmares on Parade (Parade Route)
- Dangerous D'Illusions (Animal Actor's Stage)
Halloween Horror Nights: Islands of Fear (2002)
Main article: Halloween Horror Nights: Islands of Fear
Haunted Houses
- Maximum Carnage (Carnage Warehouse)
- Scary Tales II (Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges Queue)
- Fear Factor (Thunderfalls Terrace)
- Project Evilution (Triceratops Discovery Trail)
- Screamhouse (Soundstage 20)
Scarezones
- Port of Evil (Port of Entry)
- Island Under Siege (Marvel Super Hero Island)
- Treaks and Foons (Toon Lagoon)
- JP Extinction (Jurassic Park)
- Island of Evil Souls (Lost Continent)
- Boo-Ville (Seuss Landing)
Shows
- Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (Toon Lagoon Amphitheater)
- Fountain of Evil (Lost Continent)
- Studio 666 (Enchanted Oak Tavern)
- Town Square of Tortured Souls (Port of Entry)
Halloween Horror Nights 13 (2003)
Main article: Halloween Horror Nights 13
Haunted Houses
- Ship of Screams (Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges Queue)
- Funhouse of Fear (Thunderfalls Terrace)
- Jungle of Doom (Triceratops Discovery Trail)
- Psycho Scareapy (Jurassic Park Discovery Center)
- All Nite Die-In (Soundstage 20)
- Screamhouse: Revisited (Soundstage 20)
Scarezones
- Port of Evil (Port of Entry)
- Toxic City (Marvel Super Hero Island)
- Hide & Shrieeek! (Toon Lagoon)
- Night Prey (Jurassic Park)
- Immortal Island (Lost Continent)
- Boo-Ville (Seuss Landing)
Shows
- Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (Toon Lagoon Amphitheater)
- Infestation (Enchanted Oak Tavern)
Halloween Horror Nights XIV (2004)
Main article: Halloween Horror Nights XIV
Haunted Houses
- Disorientorium (Carnage Warehouse)
- Hellgate Prison (Soundstage 20)
- Horror in Wax (Soundstage 20)
- Ghost Town (Soundstage 22)
- Castle Vampyr (Soundstage 23)
- Horror Nights Nightmares (Soundstage 44)
- Deadtropolis (Earthquake Queue)
Scarezones
- Fright Yard (New York Backlot)
- Field of Screams (Seuss Backlot)
- Midway of the Bizarre (The Boneyard)
- Point of Evil (Port of Entry)
Shows
- Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (Toon Lagoon Amphitheater)
- Festival of the Dead Parade (Parade Route)
Halloween Horror Nights: Tales of Terror (2005)
Main article: Halloween Horror Nights: Tales of Terror
Haunted Houses
- Demon Cantina (Carnage Warehouse)
- The Skool (Thunderfalls Terrace)
- Body Collectors (Jurassic Park Discovery Center)
- Terror Mines (Poseidon's Fury)
- Where Evil Hides (Soundstage 18)
- Cold Blind Terror (Soundstage 20)
- Blood Ruins (Soundstage 22)
Scarezones
- Terra Guard Run (Port of Entry)
- Blood Thunder Alley (Marvel Super Hero Island)
- The South Hollow (Toon Lagoon)
- Cemetery Mines (Jurassic Park)
- Fire Pits (Lost Continent)
- The North Hollow (Seuss Landing)
Unofficial Scarezones
Shows
Halloween Horror Nights: Sweet 16 (2006)
Main article: Halloween Horror Nights: Sweet 16
Haunted Houses
- PsychoScareapy: Maximum Madness (Soundstage 22)
- All Nite Die-In: Take 2 (Soundstage 23)
- Screamhouse: The Resurrection (Soundstage 23)
- Run: Hostile Territory (Earthquake Queue)
- Dungeon of Terror: Retold (JAWS Queue)
- Psycho Path: The Return of Norman Bates (Sprung Tent 1)
- People Under the Stairs: Under Construction (Sprung Tent 2)
Scarezones
- Blood Masquerade (Shrek Alley)
- Deadtropolis: Zombie Siege (New York)
- Harvest of the Souls (Central Park)
Unofficial Scarezone
Shows
- The Arrival (Mel's Drive-In Stage)
- Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (Fear Factor Stage)
- Robosaurus (Peak Nights Only) (New York)
- Sweet 16: The Director's Cut (Studio Lagoon)
Halloween Horror Nights: Carnival of Carnage (2007)
Main article: Halloween Horror Nights: Carnival of Carnage
Haunted Houses
- Dead Silence: The Curse of Mary Shaw (Soundstage 22)
- Psychoscareapy: Home for the Holidays (Soundstage 23)
- A Nightmare on Elm Street: Dreamwalkers (Soundstage 23)
- Vampyr: Blood Bath (Nazarman's)
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Flesh Wounds (Earthquake Queue)
- Friday the 13th: Camp Blood (JAWS Queue)
- The Thing: Assimilation (Sprung Tent 1)
- Jack's Funhouse in Clown-O-Vision (Sprung Tent 2)
Scarezone
- Midway of the Bizarre (Park-wide)
Unofficial Scarezones
- Treaks and Foons (Shrek Alley)
- Killer Carnies (New York)
- Chainsaw Drill Team (San Francisco)
- Motormaniacs (Hollywood & The Plaza of the Stars)
- Troupe Macabre (Central Park)
Shows
- Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (Fear Factor Stage)
- Freak Show (Animal Actor's Stage)
- Jack's Carnival of Carnage (Mel's Drive-In Stage)
- The Rocky Horror Picture Show Tribute (Beetlejuice Stage)
Halloween Horror Nights: Reflections of Fear (2008)
Main article: Halloween Horror Nights: Reflections of Fear
Haunted Houses
- Creatures! (Soundstage 22)
- Interstellar Terror (Soundstage 20)
- Body Collectors: Collections of the Past (Soundstage 20)
- Doomsday (Disaster! Queue)
- Reflections of Fear (JAWS Queue)
- The Hallow (Sprung Tent 1)
- Dead Exposure (Sprung Tent 2)
- Scary Tales: Once Upon a Nightmare (Parade Warehouse)
Scarezones
- American Gothic (Shrek Alley)
- Streets of Blood (New York)
- Asylum in Wonderland (Hollywood)
- The Path of the Wicked (Plaza of the Stars)
- Fractured Tales (Woody Woodpecker's Kidzone)
- The Skoolhouse (Mel's Drive-In)
Unofficial Scarezones
- Dark Reflections (Front Lot)
- Doomsday: The Infected (San Francisco)
- The Harvest (Central Park)
- Zombies! (World Expo)
Shows
- Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (Fear Factor Stage)
- The Rocky Horror Picture Show Tribute (Beetlejuice Stage)
- Brian Brushwood (Animal Actor's Stage)
Halloween Horror Nights: Ripped from the Silver Screen (2009)
Main article: Halloween Horror Nights: Ripped from the Silver Screen
Haunted Houses
- The Wolfman (Soundstage 22)
- Dracula: Legacy in Blood (Soundstage 23)
- Frankenstein: Creation of the Damned (Soundstage 23)
- Leave it to Cleaver (Disaster! Queue)
- SAW (JAWS Queue)
- Chucky: Friends til the End (Sprung Tent 1)
- The Spawning (Sprung Tent 2)
- Silver Screams (Parade Warehouse)
Scarezones
- Containment (Plaza of the Stars)
- Lights Camera Hacktion! (Hollywood)
- Cirque Du Freak (Woody Woodpecker's Kidzone)
- Horrorwood Die-In (Mel's Drive-In)
- Apocalypse: City of Cannibals (New York)
- War of the Living Dead (Shrek Alley)
Unofficial Scarezone
Shows
- Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (Fear Factor Stage)
- The Rocky Horror Picture Show: A Tribute (Beetlejuice Stage)
Halloween Horror Nights: Twenty Years of Fear (2010)
Main article: Halloween Horror Nights: Twenty Years of Fear
Haunted Houses
- Legendary Truth: The Wyandot Estate (Soundstage 22)
- Hades: The Gates of Ruin (Soundstage 23)
- PsychoScareapy: Echoes of Shadybrook (Soundstage 23)
- ZombieGeddon (Disaster! Queue)
- The Orfanage: Ashes to Ashes (JAWS Queue)
- Catacombs: Black Death Rising (Sprung Tent 1)
- Havoc: Dogs of War (Sprung Tent 2)
- Horror Nights: The Hallow'd Past (Parade Warehouse)
Scarezones
- HHN: 20 Years of Fear (Hollywood)
- Fear Revealed (Mel's Drive-In)
- Zombie Gras (San Francisco)
- Esqueleto Muerte (Plaza of the Stars)
- The Coven (Shrek Alley)
- Saws N' Steam (New York)
Shows
- Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (Fear Factor Stage)
- Brian Brushwood: Menace and Malice (Animal Actor's Stage)
Halloween Horror Nights 21 (2011)
Main article: Halloween Horror Nights 21
Haunted Houses
- Winter's Night: The Haunting of Hawthorn Cemetery (Soundstage 22)
- Nightingales: Blood Prey (Soundstage 23)
- The Thing (Soundstage 23)
- H.R. Bloodengutz Presents: Holidays of Horror (Disaster! Queue)
- Saws N' Steam: Into the Machine (JAWS Queue)
- The In-Between (Sprung Tent 1)
- Nevermore: The Madness of Poe (Sprung Tent 2)
- The Forsaken (Parade Warehouse)
Scarezones
- Your Luck Has Run Out (Sting Alley)
- 7 (Hollywood)
- Acid Assault (New York)
- NightMaze (Shrek Alley)
- Grown Evil (Central Park)
- Canyon of Dark Souls (International Food Bazaar)
Shows
Halloween Horror Nights 22 (2012)
Main article: Halloween Horror Nights 22
Haunted Houses
- Welcome to Silent Hill (Soundstage 22)
- Gothic (Soundstage 20)
- Dead End (Soundstage 20)
- The Walking Dead: Dead Inside (Disaster! Queue)
- Alice Cooper: Welcome to My Nightmare (Sprung Tent 1)
- Penn & Teller: New(kd) Vegas (Sprung Tent 2)
- Universal's House of Horrors (Parade Warehouse)
Scarezone
- The Legions of Horror (Park-wide)
Shows
- Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (Fear Factor Stage)
- 20 Penny Circus: Fully Exposed (Beetlejuice Stage)
Halloween Horror Nights 23 (2013)
Main article: Halloween Horror Nights 23
Haunted Houses
- The Cabin in the Woods (Soundstage 21)
- Resident Evil: Escape from Raccoon City (Soundstage 21)
- An American Werewolf in London (Soundstage 22)
- Evil Dead (Soundstage 24)
- Havoc: Derailed (Disaster! Queue)
- Urban Legends: La Llorona (Sprung Tent 1)
- Afterlife: Death's Vengeance (Sprung Tent 2)
- The Walking Dead: No Safe Haven (Parade Warehouse)
Scarezone
- The Walking Dead: The Undead Streets (Park-Wide)
Unofficial Scarezones
- Walking Dead: Woodlands (Central Park)
- Walking Dead: Clear (Hollywood)
- Walking Dead: Survivor's Camp (Woody Woodpecker's Kidzone)
- Walking Dead: The Farm (Mel's Drive-In)
- Walking Dead: The Fall of Atlanta (New York)
Shows
- Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (Fear Factor Stage)
- The Rocky Horror Picture Show: A Tribute (Beetlejuice Stage)
Halloween Horror Nights 24 (2014)
Main article: Halloween Horror Nights 24
Haunted Houses
- From Dusk Till Dawn (Soundstage 22)
- The Walking Dead: The End of the Line (Soundstage 25)
- AVP: Alien vs. Predator (Soundstage 24)
- Dracula Untold: Reign of Blood (Soundstage 24)
- Giggles & Gore Inc. (Disaster! Queue)
- Dollhouse of the Damned (Sprung Tent 1)
- Halloween (Sprung Tent 2)
- Roanoke: Cannibal Colony (Parade Warehouse)
Scarezones
- MASKerade: Unstitched (Plaza of the Stars)
- The Purge: Anarchy (New York)
- Bayou of Blood (Central Park)
- Face Off: In the Flesh (Hollywood)
Shows
- Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (Fear Factor Stage)
- The Rocky Horror Picture Show: A Tribute (Beetlejuice Stage)
Halloween Horror Nights 25 (2015)
Main article: Halloween Horror Nights 25
Haunted Houses
- Jack Presents: 25 Years of Monsters & Mayhem (Soundstage 21)
- An American Werewolf in London (Soundstage 22)
- Freddy vs. Jason (Soundstage 24)
- Body Collectors: Recollections (Soundstage 24)
- RUN: Blood, Sweat and Fears (Disaster! Queue)
- The Purge (Sprung Tent 1)
- Insidious (Sprung Tent 2)
- The Walking Dead: The Living and the Dead (Parade Warehouse)
- Asylum in Wonderland 3D (Shrek Theater)
Scarezones
- ICONS: HHN (Hollywood)
- Evil's Roots (Central Park)
- Scary Tales: Screampunk (Plaza of the Stars)
- PsychoScareapy: Unleashed (New York)
- All Nite Die-In: Double Feature (San Francisco)
Unofficial Scarezones
- Jack's Maniacs (Clowns) (Springfield U.S.A)
- Jack's Maniacs (Prisoners) (South Street)
- Jack's Maniacs (Rednecks) (Transformers: The Ride)
Shows
- Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (Fear Factor Stage)
- The Carnage Returns (Mel's Drive-In Stage)
Halloween Horror Nights 26 (2016)
Main article: Halloween Horror Nights 26
Haunted Houses
- American Horror Story (Soundstage 19)
- The Repository (Soundstage 19)
- The Exorcist (Soundstage 22)
- Ghost Town: The Curse of Lightning Gulch (Soundstage 24)
- The Walking Dead (Soundstage 24)
- Lunatic's Playground 3D: You Won't Stand a Chance (MIB Tent)
- Tomb of the Ancients (Sprung Tent 1)
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Sprung Tent 2)
- Halloween: Hell Comes to Haddonfield (Parade Warehouse)
- Krampus (Shrek Theater)
Scarezones
- A Chance In Hell (Plaza of the Stars)
- Survive or Die: Apocalypse (New York)
- Vamp '55 (Hollywood)
- Dead Man's Wharf (San Francisco)
- Lair of the Banshee (Central Park)
Unoffical Scarezones
- Cheersaws (Springfield U.S.A)
- Chainsaw Hillbillies (Springfield U.S.A)
- Chainsaw Geishas (New York)
- Chainsaw Scarecrows (Transformers: The Ride)
- Chainsaw Pumpkins (Transformers: The Ride)
Shows
- Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (Fear Factor Stage)
- Academy of Villains: House of Fear (Mel's Drive-In Stage)
Halloween Horror Nights 27 (2017)
Main article: Halloween Horror Nights 27
Haunted Houses
- American Horror Story: Volume 2 (Soundstage 21)
- The Shining (Soundstage 22)
- Ash Vs. Evil Dead (Parade Warehouse)
- SAW: The Games of Jigsaw (Shrek Theater)
- The Horrors of Blumhouse (MIB Tent)
- Hive (Sprung Tent 2)
- Dead Waters (Soundstage 24)
- Scarecrow: The Reaping (Sprung Tent 1)
- The Fallen (Soundstage 24)
Scarezones
- Trick 'r Treat (Central Park)
- The Purge (New York)
- Altars of Horror (Plaza of the Stars)
- Invasion! (San Francisco)
- Festival of the Deadliest (Hollywood)
Unofficial Scarezone
Shows
- Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (Fear Factor Stage)
- Academy of Villains: Afterlife (Mel's Drive-In Stage)
Halloween Horror Nights 28 (2018)
Main article: Halloween Horror Nights 28
Haunted Houses
- Stranger Things (Soundstage 22)
- Dead Exposure: Patient Zero (Sprung Tent 1)
- Trick 'r Treat (Parade Warehouse)
- Slaughter Sinema (Sprung Tent 2)
- Carnival Graveyard: Rust in Pieces (Soundstage 24)
- Seeds of Extinction (Second Parade Warehouse)
- Poltergeist (Soundstage 25)
- Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (Shrek Theater)
- The Horrors of Blumhouse (MIB Tent)
- Scary Tales: Deadly Ever After (Soundstage 24)
Scarezones
- Twisted Tradition (Central Park)
- Vamp '85: New Year's Eve (New York)
- The Harvest (Plaza of the Stars)
- Revenge of Chucky (Hollywood)
- Killer Klowns From Outer Space (South Street)
Unofficial Scarezones
Show
Halloween Horror Nights 29 (2019)
Main article: Halloween Horror Nights 29
Haunted Houses
- Stranger Things (Soundstage 25)
- Nightingales: Blood Pit (Sprung Tent 1)
- Universal Monsters (Second Parade Warehouse)
- Depths of Fear (Sprung Tent 2)
- Yeti: Terror of the Yukon (Soundstage 24)
- Ghostbusters (Soundstage 22)
- Killer Klowns From Outer Space (Shrek Theater)
- Us (Soundstage 24)
- Graveyard Games (Parade Warehouse)
- House of 1000 Corpses (MIB Tent)
Scarezones
- Zombieland Double Tap (New York)
- Rob Zombie HellBilly Deluxe (San Francisco)
- Anarch-Cade (Plaza of the Stars)
- Vanity Ball (Hollywood)
- Vikings Undead (Central Park)
Unofficial Scarezone
Shows
- Academy of Villains: Altered States (Fear Factor Stage)
- Halloween Marathon of Mayhem (Studio Lagoon)
Universal Studios Orlando Fall & Halloween Experience (2020)
Main article: Universal Studios Orlando Fall & Halloween Experience (2020)
Haunted Houses
- Universal Monsters: The Bride of Frankenstein Lives (Soundstage 23)
- Revenge of the Tooth Fairy (Soundstage 24)
- Beetlejuice (Parade Warehouse)
Halloween Horror Nights 2021 (Orlando)
Main article: Halloween Horror Nights 2021 (Orlando)
Haunted Houses
Haunted House Locations
With two amusement parks full of rides and a number of soundstages between the parks, Universal Orlando has found a number of places to host their haunted houses each year. The first house, Dungeon of Terror, was hosted in the empty queue of the, then down for refurbishment, JAWS ride. Since then a number of ride queues, soundstages, specially-built buildings, and even walkthrough attractions themselves have been utilized to host haunted houses. Soundstages were first used in 1992 and have been used for every year since 1995. Known for their greater detail, the event has grown to include three soundstage houses each year. With the move to Islands of Adventure in 2002, a new building, known as Carnage Warehouse, was built to host houses, hosting three in the years since. In the same vein, two sprung tents were built behind the World Expo section of Universal Studios Florida in 2006 and have hosted 11 houses each since that time. The first location to be used for a walkthrough attraction was the Bates Motel, a recreation of the motel from the film Psycho. It was used for houses based on the movie before its demolition. Since then, the Jurassic Park Discovery Center, the Triceratops Discovery Trail, and Poseidon's Fury have been used, needing to be closed to regular park-goers during the day. A number of other buildings, including a seasonal restaurant, have also been utilized, with each location offering a unique experience for guests.
Article (overview on events prior to 25 Jack)
Through the fears: Universal marks 25th Halloween Horror Nights
Dewayne Bevil
It's the silver anniversary for Universal's Halloween Horror Nights, and that's appropriate because the event has been giving guests gray hairs for much of that time. As the latest edition of HHN kicks off this weekend, let's look back at 25 highlights of the past and this year's event.
•In the beginning, it wasn't Halloween Horror Nights at all. In 1991, the first year, Universal called it Fright Nights, a three-evening affair with a single haunted housecalled Dungeon of Terror. Tickets were $12.95, purchased in advance.
"It was a test to kind of find out an event like this would be something that people would want to see and attend. And here we are, 25 years later," says Michael Aiello, who attended as a guest that first year and is now director of creative development for Universal Orlando's entertainment team.
•In year two, Universal added "Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure" show, which remains an HHN mainstay; Robosaurus, a four-story-tall mechanical dinosaur with an appetite for cars; and the Rat Lady. The park advertised for people willing to wear Victorian garb and play dead in a coffin as real live rats — dozens of them — crawled on them. They received 500 applications. The next year, Roach Man was added.
•By 1994, there were 250 scareactors — Universal-speak for its frightful characters — and "Price Is Fright," a game-show spoof hosted by Beetlejuice.
•Universal creative types see 2000 as a pivotal year. That's when Jack the Clown debuted, ushering in the event's Era of the Icon. "That character really changed the landscape of how this event is perceived, marketed and viewed by the guests," Aiello says.
•By means of introduction, Jack agreed to an interview with the Sentinel. "I want them [guests] to know I'm perfectly harmless. Clowns are nice. Benevolent. Magnificent. We only want to meet them. We only want to see their bright, shining, fat, tasty faces here at Universal," he said.
•In 2007, Jack took over with a Carnival of Carnage theme, outranking even Jason of "Friday the 13th" fame and Leatherface, the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" baddie. "People just kept wanting to see Jack year after the year," Aiello says.
•HHN has had its share of star power, but our favorite back-in-the-day celeb moment is this: Britney Spears and then-beau Justin Timberlake with Jack the Clown. For more screaming stars, see our photo gallery at OrlandoSentinel.com.
•Halloween officially moved from being an October thing into a September thing in 2005. HHN began Sept. 30, its first non-October start date.
•Chain saws have been a recurring terrorizing technique, frequently in the form of the Chain Saw Drill Team. "They are back in a big way," says show director Laura Wallace of HHN 2015. "We have two great roaming groups of maniacal chain-saw teams. They'll roam two sides of the park so you'll never know where they're going to be."
•The Gory Getaway package, which included an HHN ticket and a night in a hotel near Universal for $39, came in 1995.
•Possibly the least horrifying HHN feature is "Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure," a stage show that skewers current pop culture. Famous folks getting a little come-uppance ranged from Miley Cyrus and Lindsay Lohan to politicians (Obama, McCain, Trump) and an innocent-looking O.J. Simpson.
•In 1995, Knights of Hell, shown on a 45-foot-by-90-foot water screen over the lagoon with pyrotechnics, lasers and stunts, was presented as a less-scary option for guests.
•The Festival of the Dead Parade arrived in 1996, with the Crypt Keeper as grand marshal, floats and an army of scareactors.
•Billboards promote Horror Nights, but it hasn't always been pretty. In 2008, the Bloody Mary character, with dripping blood and shattered glass overlooking public roadways, prompted protests by moms in that "What about our children?" way. The Sentinel editorial board even urged the company to rethink. Universal stood firm and Mary lived on.
•In 1998, playing off the popularity of "Titanic," Universal created a Frightanic house. "According to the story line, the Frightanic has just docked in San Francisco after a bizarre voyage to Hawaii in which the ship passed through another dimension and returned in a state of perpetual decay," the Sentinel wrote. Features: water sprays, flickering lights, low ceilings, narrow hallways and a corpse in a dentist's chair, plus "the smell of burned tooth enamel."
•HHN's first 3-D house appeared in 1999. Creature Feature achieved the effect using "special paint" and 3-D glasses.
•Mashups are key for 2015. For instance, the houses called Body Collectors — Recollections and Run: Blood, Sweat and Fears use elements from past mazes. "We get to find out where Body Collectors come from. It's an origin story," says show director Charles Gray.
•Look for old fiendish friends and flashbacks in the Icons scare zone. "We're taking the kills that they did in their commercials: The Director is going to electrocute someone in a bathtub — exactly what he did the first time we saw him on the commercial for that HHN," Wallace says. "The Caretaker is going to do a live autopsy and rip the heart out of someone right in front of you. The Storyteller, of course, will cut the tongue out of someone who is not listening, and then the Usher is bludgeoning a head with his flashlight for not paying attention to the rules."
•Universal's "psychoscareapy" creation will be seen in the streets for the first time this year. "This street is going to be bloody. Bloodier than anything we've ever seen before. Those psycho patients have embarked and been unleashed into a very traditional Halloween party and they cause mayhem," Wallace says.
•It's round four for "The Walking Dead." AMC's zombie drama is back for a record fourth year running. "Last year we made it big. ... This year we're building up. You're going to go in and see these very tall, very high ceilings that are amazing," Gray says. In addition, you may get wet. "This is the first time we've had actual scareactors in waist-high water attack you as you go through," he says.
•In 2001, the post-9-11 era kicked in and metal detectors were added for HHN to the entrance of the park.
•News events have affected the event from time to time, including a string of unrelated child abductions in 2002. That temporarily shelved Cindy, the daughter of a mortuary owner. Since then, she has appeared in at least three houses.
•In 2002, HHN moved next door to Islands of Adventure. In 2004, the event was split between IOA and Universal Studios.
•In 2003, Universal introduced the Frequent Fear Pass, which saves repeat visitors some cash. The program has expanded with many options, including the bulky Frequent Fear Plus + HHN Express Plus.
•Four years after HHN started, Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party was thrown for the first time at Disney World. The kinder, gentler event, complete with trick-or-treating, was initially scheduled for one night — Oct. 31 — at Magic Kingdom. marks 25th Hall
Pictures
See also
- Halloween Horror Nights Express
- Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood
- Scarezone Locations for Halloween Horror Nights Orlando
External links
- Halloween Horror Nights Orlando Official Site
- HHN Crypt (Fan Website & Forum)
- http://www.paulstravelpictures.com/Halloween-Horror-Nights-03-Universal-Studios-Orlando-FL/index.html
- http://www.jordanna.net/photos/hhn.htm
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