Halloween Horror Nights 2023: A Frightfully Good Time at Universal Studios Orlando!

When it comes to Halloween experiences in Central Florida, there are few quite so immersive – and so thoroughly dedicated to horror cinema – as Halloween Horror Nights! This event is like a spooky, red-inked love letter to horror films and television. It features maze-like haunted houses brimming with popular horror icons, specially designated “Scare Zones,” and frightfully themed food and drinks to keep you creeping through the night!  

For over thirty years, Halloween Horror Nights has been a Universal Studios Orlando staple in the fall and an absolute must for horror movie die-hards. Here’s everything you need to know about this Monster Mash! (It’s a graveyard smash!)

What are Halloween Horror Nights? 

A celebration of all things horror, Halloween Horror Nights is a nighttime event that transforms Universal Studios Orlando into a playground for things that go bump in the night. It blends walk-through haunted houses with live entertainment, so even those brave folks who can watch The Shining with the lights off will still find themselves feeling chilled and thrilled!

This event first premiered in 1991 under the name “Fright Nights.” It was a three-night-only event that featured just one haunted attraction and several shows. It was rebranded as Halloween Horror Nights the next year, eventually expanding into the months-long, nightly event it is today. For the first years of operation,  the park created a host of original icons for the event, including the scarily popular Jack the Clown.

As Halloween Horror Nights grew,  they began incorporating popular horror icons from film and television franchises like Leatherface, Freddy Kruger, Michael Myers, the zombies of The Walking Dead, and the Universal Monsters (Dracula,  Frankenstein’s Monster, The Wolfman, and The Bride) into the spooktacular event.  

Today, Halloween Horror Nights invites guests to get up close and personal with the monsters and mayhem, giving attendees a consistently fantastic (and frightful) experience!

While other events in the area advertise a family-friendly atmosphere (like Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party), the same cannot be said for Halloween Horror Nights! Universal Studios Orlando suggests caution in bringing children under 13 – and with good reason! There are loud noises, flashing lights, and some pretty intense scare actors! Not to mention some of the film and television properties featured are rated R. While you know your child’s threshold for horror-related elements best, we agree that these are evenings best suited for an older crowd.  

When is Halloween Horror Nights? 

For 2023, dates for Halloween Horror Nights are sandwiched between September 1st and October 31st – every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday! That’s two entire months of spooky season!

As an after-hours event, Halloween Horror Nights Orlando begins after the park’s regular hours are over for the day, going from 6:30 p.m. to the wee hour of 2:00 a.m.!

Halloween Horror Nights Admission Pricing and Tickets 

Admission to Universal Studios Florida Halloween Horror Nights requires a separate ticket from general park admission. Ticket pricing depends on the chosen event date. Weekends and evenings closer to Halloween are considered “peak nights” and are priced with a $10-$40 difference. (Prices range from $79.99 to $119.99 per person for regular admission.) There are several options for tickets, including several add-ons and extra experiences.  

Regular Admission 

This is the base ticket to the event. It allows you to get into the park as the event starts and participate in the monster mayhem. This does not include regular park admission. If you plan to visit Universal Studios Orlando for the day before participating in Halloween Horror Nights, you will need to purchase a ticket for the daytime hours.

Halloween Horror Nights Express Pass 

This is an add-on that can be purchased in addition to your regular admission ticket. The Express Pass allows guests to skip the normal queue for haunted houses and enter a shorter Express queue. Effectively, you can skip the lines! This can drastically cut down on the time you spend waiting for the attractions and makes it much easier to do everything in a single night. 

Pricing for the Express Pass also varies by date and is often more expensive than a regular admission ticket. (The price range is $109.00 – $219.99.) A Halloween Horror Nights Express Pass is most useful during peak times but may not be necessary if you plan a trip early in the season or use one of the other admission options. 

Halloween Horror Nights Behind-the-Screams: Unmasking the Horror Tour 

If you want to explore the magic behind the haunted houses, you might want to book a behind-the-scenes tour! These guided tours take you through the haunted houses in a small group. You’ll have time to explore the props and costumes, all in broad daylight, and can choose from a 3-house or 6-house tour. It’s like being on House Hunters… but make it CREEPY!

Halloween Horror Nights admission or theme park admission is not included or required to book this gruesome walking tour. Prices vary by the number of houses and the date, with Saturdays leading up to Halloween being the most expensive ($199.99 for a 6-house tour). If you love understanding special effects as much as you love horror, this tour is probably something you’d enjoy! Just keep it mind it is just as – and usually more – expensive than regular admission to Halloween Horror Nights.

Halloween Horror Nights R.I.P. Tour

Enjoy Halloween Horror Nights – VIP style! You’ll be guided, along with other fans, on a VIP tour of the event and enjoy exclusive VIP entry to haunted houses. Pricing varies by date, ranging from $299.99 to $449.99. (Talk about scary!) Keep in mind you need a regular admissions ticket in addition to your R.I.P. Tour ticket! The scariest thing you’ll see on this tour might be your credit card bill.

Scream Early 

As of writing, Universal has not yet released details about Scream Early for 2023, nor does their website have the option to buy Scream Early tickets. We recommend checking their website for updates as the event approaches, but in the meantime, here are the details from 2022!

Scream Early is a newer option that offers something a little different. With this ticket, you can get into the park a few hours early – during regular operating hours – and stay until the event begins. This gives you time to visit a few attractions before the park closes. Around 5:00 p.m., you will enter a special waiting area – typically located near restaurants – until the event starts. 

This is a much more affordable option, usually between $20-$30 per person. It is also a great way to get an early start. In our experience, you can typically visit 1 or 2 of the bigger, more popular haunted house mazes within the first  30 minutes of the event instead of waiting for several hours to do the same ones later in the night. 

Frequent Screamers

As of writing, we’re still waiting for Universal to release details about this ticket option for 2023. If the Frequent Screamers option jump scares us again this year, it should include a selection of special passes that grant admission for multiple nights of Halloween Horror. Last year, passes ranged from 17 nights to every night of Halloween Horror Nights. These tickets are for super serious Ghostbusters only!

What to Do at Halloween Horror Nights 

Haunted Houses 

When it comes to haunted houses, Universal knows how to make an impression! Each year, Halloween Horror Nights debuts new haunted house mazes, just in time for fall. While some of the most popular maze concepts return (The Walking Dead, for example, had a maze at least four years in a row), they develop new storylines and scares for returning attendees. You’ll never experience the same event twice!  

The event usually has a mixture of mazes based on existing intellectual properties – popular horror films or television shows – and original concepts developed by their in-house designers. These original houses often carry storylines throughout the years, developing an entire canon to accompany the creepier – and more popular – monsters that haunt the mazes.

This year, the offerings include ten new haunted houses, though, as of writing, details have yet to be announced. However, that hasn’t stopped fans from speculating on themes; popular guesses include Chucky, The Last of Us, and the Japanese anime Demon Slayer.¹ (An anime haunted house?? Dattebayo!)

Scare Zones 

Halloween Horror Nights will see five outdoor sections of the park transformed into themed “scare zones” filled with large set pieces, environmental effects, and wandering scare actors.  Most years, these are original, one-of-a-kind experiences that are uniquely created for each year’s event.  You can walk through them as many times as you’d like. We highly recommend re-visiting your favorite spots as the night goes on, especially if you like to watch other guests get startled! 

The odds are that the actors will interact with you or someone in your party while you’re walking through them. While no one in the park can touch you, they are very good at popping up and surprise you when you least expect it! 

Regular Attractions and Rides 

Another appeal of the event is that many regular rides and attractions are open during the nighttime festivities. Not only can you visit each of the haunted houses and scream through all of the scare zones, but you can also ride some of your favorite coasters and rides! Here are the rides typically open during the event:  

• Revenge of The Mummy 
• Men in Black 
• Escape from Gringotts 
• Transformers 
• Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket 
• The Simpson’s Ride 
• Fast & Furious: Supercharged 

The Tribute Store 

One of the less frequented gems in Universal Studios Orlando is the Tribute Store! This seasonal, multi-room shop always has amazing merchandise and even more incredible displays paying homage to film classics. While the shop is typically open year-round, the theme constantly changes to reflect new shows, rides, or seasonal events happening in the park. 

During the spooky season, the Tribute Store is generally themed around the Halloween Horror Nights haunted houses with their own astounding décor! You’ll want to wander through and explore each room while you check out the amazing merch they offer. You can find exclusive merchandise for the event inside, including apparel, gifts, and more. They’ve even added a small bakery where you can get exclusive sweet and savory treats with a spooky theme!  

Dining and Drinks for the Event 

Bring your appetite when you go! Halloween Horror Nights has plenty of restaurants, drink stands,  temporary food tents, and specialty food items to explore while you’re there!  

Specialty Cocktails 

Each year, Halloween Horror Nights debut a selection of specialty cocktails only available at the event. Themed after horror elements in the park, you can only find them at select locations around the park, so you’ll have to travel around to try them all! Often, you can purchase a souvenir cup commemorating the event.  

These are pre-mixed drinks, meaning you can’t make substitutions or changes. In our experience, they are usually heavy sugary, sweet flavors. Some of them can be unique, so you might want to give them a try. If you’d really like to absorb the themed atmosphere on your trip, however, we suggest skipping these in favor of better selections of mixed drinks at the kiosks instead. Otherwise, you’ll be better off grabbing a drink at Finnegan’s Bar and Grill if you can!  They have a wide selection of spirits, wine, and beer on tap.  

Themed Food

Most of the food offered at the event can be purchased from large tents set up around the theme park. Some of the simplest vendors offer food that would be at home at a county fair – French fries, fresh ears of corn, funnel cakes, and spiral potatoes on a stick are staples. There are more dedicated food tents, often serving interesting foods that match the theme of the various mazes or haunted houses. 

Most of the bigger restaurants are open during the event, including the dining options in the Springfield, New York, and San Francisco sections of the park. They serve hot food well into the night, so you should be able to find something for just about everyone in your group. One of our favorite snacks at the event is the Pizza Fries over at Louie’s Italian Restaurant. Trust us. You’ll want to give them a try!  

The Monster Café

How often do you get the chance to dine in a restaurant themed around the Universal Monsters? This little gem is filled with props, statues, full-size monster maquettes, and more! While the restaurant doesn’t offer an extended menu during the event, it’s a staple for burgers, sandwiches, and fries. It also has a  surprising amount of seating inside, making it a perfect spot to take a break, have a snack, and enjoy the décor. 

Tips and Tricks 

Buy Tickets ASAP. If you’re planning a trip and know you want to get spooky, buy your tickets well in advance! This event can – and frequently does – sell out. It isn’t easy to anticipate which nights will be the most popular apart from Halloween weekend. Weekends usually sell out faster than weekdays, but you’d be surprised at how often a random Thursday will be booked, too. 

Prioritize Your Time. Don’t go into your night blind. With these crowds, you might find yourself overwhelmed or running out of time before seeing and doing everything you want. Prioritize the haunted houses you want to do the most and do them first (or last!), so you’ll be sure you can experience them before the night is over. 

Go Early and Expect Lines! We recommend getting to the park early so you can get in as soon as the event begins! This can mean arriving up to an hour early and waiting in line. Trust us. You won’t be the only person with that idea. Every year, the attendees begin lining up earlier and earlier to beat the lines. The closer to Halloween you plan your visit, the busier the event will be.  

Invest in Scream Early. One of the best ways to experience everything Halloween Horror Nights has to offer in a single night is to invest in a Scream Early ticket. Getting early entry into the event might not seem like a huge benefit, but being able to line up early for the most popular haunted house can save you hours of wait time. This is one of the best experiences we’ve had at the event!  

Pick a Weeknight. Want to avoid the heaviest crowds? Try to go on a weeknight. Fridays and Saturdays are always the most crowded and are popular with locals and teenagers free from school. During the week, the lines may be shorter (especially early in the season). Sunday nights are usually a good time to go, as the event is full but not as hectic as other weekend nights. Granted, during the week of Halloween, these rules do not apply. 

Stay Late. Staying at the park until the event closes can give you another advantage. In the last hour of the event, wait times decrease dramatically. If you’re lucky,  you can hit 2-3 of the smaller haunted house mazes within that time and still make it to the front gate before the park closes.  

Use Single Rider Lines. If you want to check out any of the theme park’s regular rides, we recommend splitting your party into single-rider lines whenever possible. The wait times are usually lower during the event, but even a short wait to hop on The Mummy or Escape from Gringotts can cost you precious time to experience any of the mazes!  

Wear Comfortable Shoes. It goes without saying that you’ll be doing a lot of walking! You might even do more than a typical day at a theme park, considering the winding lines for the mazes and the fact that most of the attractions are walk-throughs. You’ll also be spending a lot of time standing in lines on hard concrete, which can be even harder on your feet. 

Follow the Dress Code. Although this is a time of year when we love to dress up, Universal strictly prohibits masks and full costumes. Instead, consider expressing your Halloween spirit with a cool t-shirt!

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Featured photo: Universal Orlando Resort