Halloween Horror Nights has returned to Universal Orlando for its 35th year, bringing another massive lineup of haunted houses, scare zones, live entertainment, and plenty of food and drinks to Universal Studios Florida.
Anniversary years always come with a little extra weight. It’s a celebration of an event that has evolved considerably over more than three decades. This year, Universal turned to two familiar faces to lead the horror festivities, with Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow sharing the spotlight.
Despite the anniversary designation, HHN 35 splits between the past and present of horror, offering a mix that should appeal to everyone.
The result is an event with some very high highs, a solid overall house lineup, interconnected streets, some fantastic food & drink options, and a few areas that don’t quite hit the mark.
Our coverage of Halloween Horror Nights 35 comes from several visits under different circumstances. I purchased my own ticket to Premium Scream Night, attended Opening Night as invited media by Universal Orlando, and returned Sunday as a regular park guest. The opinions throughout this review are our own and reflect our experiences across those visits.
The Houses
Before getting into the houses, we’re changing things up a little this year.
In previous years, we used a star rating to review each haunted house. Starting with HHN 35, we’re moving away from assigning houses an absolute score and instead grouping them into three tiers: Upper Tier, Mid Tier, and Bottom Tier.
Upper Tier houses represent the best HHN 35 has to offer. Mid Tier houses are good experiences that may have a few shortcomings, keeping them from reaching that next level. Bottom Tier represents the houses that, for one reason or another, didn’t completely come together for us.
These impressions also represent our experiences during the opening stretch of HHN 35. Houses can and will evolve as the event progresses. They are also listed in the general order of preference.
Upper Tier
Hellraiser
Hellraiser is hands down one of the best IP-to-house translations Universal has done in the modern era.
The house is grotesque, intense, and incredibly well designed. Fans of the franchise will appreciate how much care went into bringing the world of Hellraiser to life, but you don’t need to know the films to appreciate the haunted house.
The layout is one of its biggest strengths. Inspired heavily by the labyrinth of Hellbound: Hellraiser II, the house twists and turns in ways that make you feel like you’re genuinely lost inside this seemingly endless maze. You never quite know where the next hallway is going to take you, or where the next Cenobite is coming from.
Pinhead and the Cenobites are on a full-out assault throughout the house, with aggressive scares coming from seemingly every direction. Combine that with the fact that it’s also the longest house at HHN 35, and Hellraiser feels like one of the most complete experiences of the year.
Universal absolutely cooked with this one.
Jack and Oddfellow: Chaos and Control
This is a visual feast and a house that should be especially rewarding for longtime Halloween Horror Nights fans. Chaos and Control digs into the history between Jack and Oddfellow and provides more backstory for everyone’s favorite maniac, Jack the Clown.
The maze itself is expertly designed, frequently giving you glimpses of scenes and locations you’re about to encounter before eventually leading you into them. It makes the house feel much larger and more connected than a simple series of rooms.
Then there’s the Oddverse.
The special effects used to bring Dr. Oddfellow’s twisted world to life are among the coolest visual moments of HHN 35, adding another layer to an already impressive house.
We recommend paying close attention as you make your way through. There are visual and audio motifs scattered throughout the house that help tell the story, and catching them adds another layer to the experience.
It rewards repeat visits, especially for HHN fans who enjoy digging into the event’s lore.
Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness
A loving tribute to the Prince of Darkness that can really only be described one way:
It’s metal AF.
The house pulls heavily from Ozzy’s career and album imagery, using it to create some fantastic sets and visuals. Even if you’re not someone who knows every Ozzy album by heart, there’s plenty here to appreciate from a pure design standpoint.
There are plenty of fun scares mixed in with the music and imagery, preventing it from becoming simply a walkthrough tribute to Ozzy. The Crazy Train sequence is undoubtedly the highlight moment of the house.
The biggest thing holding it back is its length. It’s a relatively short experience, so it feels like it’s over just as you’re really getting into it.
Still, what’s here is a blast. It’s completely committed to celebrating Ozzy.
HR Bloodengutz presents A Halloween Frightacular!
Taking what Universal learned from Slaughter Sinema, HR Bloodengutz Presents: A Halloween Frightacular brings Mr. H.R. into the modern era with a fun, schlocky ride through a collection of ridiculous horror movies.
And we mean ridiculous in the best possible way.
The house knows exactly what it is and has a lot of fun with the concept. Conjure the Funk and The Madness of Dr. Pumpkinspice embrace the tongue-in-cheek humor that made Bloodengutz such a fan favorite in the first place.
Longtime HHN fans will also want to keep their eyes open. There are plenty of Easter eggs scattered throughout the house.
It’s funny, spooky, and never takes itself too seriously. It’s exactly what we wanted from the return of H.R. Bloodengutz.
It also earns the completely unofficial award for best-smelling house of HHN 35.
Cybergoria
The genuine surprise of HHN 35 for us.
This is easily the most intense house of the year. The scareactors have brought their A-game on every run we’ve had, and the house rarely gives you much time to recover before something else is coming at you.
It’s gruesome, claustrophobic, and relentless.
The house also makes excellent use of its location. In fact, we’d argue Cybergoria may be the best maze to occupy this particular space in its history.
The only thing keeping it from landing higher in our Upper Tier is that it can become a little repetitive. The intensity never really lets up, but scenes blend together a bit.
Still, that’s a relatively minor complaint for one of the biggest surprises of the year. Cybergoria came out swinging.
Mid Tier
Sinners
Sinners does a great job capturing the look and vibe of the film, with some beautiful sets and several recognizable moments brought to life throughout the house. Club Juke is the obvious highlight, and it’s where the house feels most like you’ve stepped directly into the movie.
The casting also deserves a lot of praise. Some of the scareactors portraying the Twins look so much like Michael B. Jordan that there were moments where we had to do a double take.
Ultimately, the biggest thing holding Sinners back is its length. It’s a surprisingly short house, and just as it feels like it’s finding its groove, you’re already approaching the exit. What’s here is very good – but we were left wanting more.
Invasion: Alien Abduction
The Invasion experience can depend heavily on timing. When everything hits, it can make for a great run. When it doesn’t, the house can feel lackluster.
The special effects are the star here, with some great lighting and several moments that really help sell the idea of being caught in the middle of an alien abduction. The standout is the tractor beam effect, where the floor begins to vibrate heavily as lights surround you.
The aliens themselves are a little more hit-or-miss, as the classic “Greys” look didn’t completely work for us. Their masks are good, but the generic grey outfits come across a little cheesy and can take you out of the moment rather than adding to the scare.
Invasion is a bold creative swing; we just wish the experience didn’t depend quite so much on timing.
Bottom Tier
Madlands: Caged Cannibals
This is probably the most difficult of our Bottom Tier houses to criticize because there’s actually quite a bit here that’s done well.
The costumes are great, the sets look good, and the scareactors bring plenty of energy to the house. From an execution standpoint, it’s the quality you expect from Universal.
For us, it’s more about the concept.
We’ve seen a lot of post-apocalyptic, dystopian worlds at Halloween Horror Nights over the years, and Madlands feels like another variation on something we’ve experienced several times before.
Madlands isn’t a bad house, per se. We’re just ready for HHN to give this particular genre a rest for a while.
Evil Dead Burn
We weren’t big fans of the film, but we went into the house with an open mind, hoping the material might translate into a good Horror Nights house.
Unfortunately, we came away feeling much the same about the house as we did the film.
That’s not to say there aren’t some cool ideas here. The opening is easily the highlight, featuring an impressive animatronic decapitated Deadite head before simulating the curse flying through the forest as passages from the Book of the Dead are read aloud. It’s an awesome way to kick things off.
The problem is that nothing afterward really matches it.
There are some fun visuals and recognizable moments along the way, but the house never builds on the momentum of that opening. By the time we reached the end, there just wasn’t much that stuck with us.
Stranger Things 5
Much like the divisive final season itself, we didn’t find ourselves enjoying this latest Stranger Things house.
There are some impressive moments throughout, including the recreation of Will taking on the Demogorgon telekinetically. It’s a big scene and shows off the kind of spectacle Universal can pull off with the property.
Unfortunately, the house as a whole never really came together for us. Rather than feeling like a cohesive final send-off to Stranger Things, it feels more like a collection of Season 5 moments stitched together. The pacing feels strange (no pun intended), and the ending left us scratching our heads a bit.
There are certainly individual scenes worth seeing, especially for fans of the show, but as a complete house, it just didn’t work for us.
Scare Zones & Experiences
For the most part, HHN 35’s scare zones and street experiences share a common thread, tying into the larger carnival-inspired team-up between Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow, giving the event a cohesive identity as you move around the park.
The exception, of course, is Fortnitemares, which very much exists within its own world.
As with the houses, they’re listed in our general order of preference within each tier.
Upper Tier
Downtown Clowntown
Downtown Clowntown stands alone in our Upper Tier. It’s the zone we felt came together most completely at HHN 35 and our clear favorite of the bunch. It takes full advantage of the size of New York.
Each “borough” offers something different, giving the zone variety as you explore the area. There’s always something happening.
The highlight for us is Delancey Dan, a lone clown carrying balloons who stalks the darkened street of Delancey all by himself. It’s such a simple idea, but the isolation and darker setting make him one of the most memorable characters in any of the zones this year.
There are also plenty of familiar faces, including the welcome return of the Killer Klowns.
Art the Clown is back as well, although his popularity creates our biggest complaint with the zone. The street where he’s located gets packed, with crowds gathering around Art and making it difficult to walk through.
That’s more of a crowd-management issue than a complaint, though, because what’s here is seriously fantastic.
Mid Tier
Sideshow of Decay
Sideshow of Decay is a nice callback to Halloween Horror Nights’ past, bringing characters from previous years back into the streets.
There are some impressive sets throughout the zone, and longtime HHN fans should have plenty of fun recognizing characters from the event’s history.
At the same time, we were surprised by some of the faces who aren’t here. With so much of HHN’s past being celebrated, the absence of characters like the Director feels noticeable.
Still, there’s enough history represented to make Sideshow of Decay a fun walk down memory lane, particularly for longtime fans.
Fortnitemares
Let’s get something out of the way: Fortnitemares isn’t particularly scary.
This is very much the whimsical side of Halloween. There are scares and monsters, but the emphasis is more on having fun with the world of Fortnitemares.
We know mileage is going to vary considerably on this one – but this is Halloween Horror Nights, and sometimes the Halloween part can be just as important as the Horror.
Our biggest complaint has less to do with the zone and more with what’s missing around it: themed food and drinks. If you’re going to bring in a monster IP like Fortnite, go all the way with it. Let us drink a Chug Jug.
That feels like such an obvious opportunity that we’re surprised it isn’t part of the experience.
Fortnitemares won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. It’s a different take on what a Halloween Horror Nights scare zone can be, and there’s absolutely room for that at the event.
Infernal Carnival of Carnage
I.C.O.N. (Get it?) serves as the opening act for HHN 35, welcoming guests into the twisted carnival world of Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow.
The entrance arch looks great and immediately establishes the carnival atmosphere before you’ve really made your way into the event. From there, the scareactors do a good job setting the tone as guests enter Universal Studios Florida and begin their night.
There’s nothing overly complicated about this zone. Its job is to welcome you to Horror Nights and build the atmosphere for everything waiting inside.
It’s simple, but it works.
Also returning this year are Death Eaters, Mel’s Die-In Zombies, and Club Horror, which are more or less the same experiences we’ve seen in previous years. While there isn’t much new to say about them, all three remain solid additions that help round out the streets and give guests something to experience outside of the traditional scare zones.
We do wish Club Horror leaned a little harder into the “club” part of its name. The music and atmosphere are fun, but the area still feels like it could use better decor and a lounging area to feel more like an actual club rather than simply another place to stop for a drink. It’s a good idea; we’d just like to see Universal take it a little further.
You’ll also notice there’s no Bottom Tier for this year. While we definitely preferred some street experiences over others, none felt deserving of a bottom-tier label.
Overall, we like what Universal did with the streets this year. Tying most experiences loosely together gives HHN 35 a stronger identity, while Fortnitemares offers something completely different from the carnival theme found throughout the rest of the event.
Entertainment
Halloween Horror Nights once again offers guests a couple of opportunities to get off their feet and enjoy some live entertainment.
Stranger Things: Return to Hawkins serves as a fitting tribute to all five seasons of the hit series, celebrating the characters, moments, and music that helped define the show.
It’s a fun production that leans heavily into the music associated with Stranger Things, bringing several iconic songs to the stage, including the memorable “Master of Puppets” sequence.
The show fittingly closes things out with “Purple Rain,” providing a nice send-off to both the production and Stranger Things as a whole.
There’s not much more that needs to be said: if you’re a fan of Stranger Things, you’re going to enjoy this. It’s a fun celebration of the series and a nice way to spend time away from the houses and crowds at night.
The Fuel Girls are back with Nightmare Fuel: Blood Noir. We skipped the show during our initial visits, so we’re not going to review something we haven’t seen.
Tribute Store
The Halloween Horror Nights Tribute Store returns to its original home in New York this year, and it feels good to have it back.
This year’s store is themed to Sideshow Obscura, a mysterious traveling sideshow filled with strange creatures, oddities, and a creepy carnival midway – fitting nicely with the larger carnival theme of HHN 35.
As usual, there’s plenty to look at beyond the merchandise, with detailed sets and little touches throughout that make the Tribute Store almost like its own attraction. Having it back in its original location just feels right. Keep an eye out for some hidden scavenger hunts around the store, too.
Food & Drinks
Food has become an increasingly important part of Halloween Horror Nights, and HHN 35 features another massive collection of event-exclusive dishes, desserts, cocktails, and non-alcoholic drinks.
And overall, we came away pretty impressed
We found considerably more hits than misses across the event. As always with an event this large, it’s almost impossible to try everything, so rather than attempting to rank the entire menu, we’re highlighting some of our favorites along with a few items that didn’t quite work for us.
The Hits
Carnevil Tacos:
One of our favorites of the event. The Carnevil Tacos delivered where it mattered most: they tasted great and were something we’d happily order again. It’s basically a Big Mac Taco, and ain’t nothing wrong with that!
Chow’s Southern BBQ Eggrolls from Sinners:
The BBQ Eggrolls were flavorful, had a good crunch, and were easy to eat while making your way around the event. It’s a good example of simple but tasty HHN food.
Bloody Bones Ribs from Meetz Meats:
Meetz Meats still understands the assignment. The ribs were another highlight and one of the more satisfying options we tried during the weekend. Their Torn to Shreds Pork Sandwich also deserves some praise.
Burnt Sando:
The Burnt Sando is basically a deep-fried creme brûlée sandwich. Need we say more? The only thing is for the portion size, the price is a little on the high end.
And a special shoutout has to go to the always-reliable Death by Cheesestick…
The Misses
Lasagna Burn from Evil Dead Burn:
This one just didn’t do it. It’s a rather small portion, and it was heavy-handed with the Szechuan oil, making it all spice and no flavor.
Upside Down Chicken and Waffles from Stranger Things:
Chicken and waffles sounds like a pretty safe combination, but the Stranger Things version didn’t come together for us. The waffle portion was fine, but the chicken wasn’t doing it for us.
The menu’s sheer size means the event has enough variety that most guests should find something worthwhile.
Not everything needs to be an elaborate Instagram-ready creation, either. Some of the best event food is simply something that tastes good and is reasonably easy to eat while walking around the park.
Crowds, Operations, and Express
HHN 35 comes with several changes to how Universal operates the event, and after Opening Weekend, we’re not quite ready to say whether they’ve worked.
One of the biggest changes is Universal Studios Florida now opening at 2 pm on event days.
The idea makes sense, as giving guests an earlier start can help stagger crowds instead of having everyone descend on the event, especially during the prime-time hours. It’s also a nice benefit for guests trying to get as much done as possible in a single night.
I’m a little torn, though.
There’s something strange about doing Halloween Horror Nights at 2 in the afternoon while the sun is shining and normal park operations are still going on around you. You may be walking through a haunted house, but stepping back outside into the Florida afternoon takes away some of that “Horror Nights” feel.
That’s obviously more of an atmospheric nitpick. If the earlier opening ultimately creates a better experience for guests, losing a little of that Horror Nights magic during the afternoon may be a worthwhile trade-off.
The question is whether it actually does that.
Opening Weekend certainly didn’t give us a clear answer. Friday and Saturday were two of the busiest Opening Weekend nights I’ve experienced in my 25 years of attending Halloween Horror Nights. The park was packed, with heavy crowds throughout the event that made it difficult to get around at times.
Then came Sunday, which was the complete opposite. Crowds were relatively light, and waits were much more manageable.
The removal of Express options from multi-night tickets is another major piece of the puzzle. Presumably, fewer guests with Express should help balance the Express and standby queues, but we’ll need more time before we can tell what impact that change has.
Keep in mind, there’s how we feel about the event itself, and then there’s what it’s like to go to HHN. Crowds, long waits, and other issues can make for a frustrating night, even if the event itself is still good.
We’re still at the beginning of a long event. Universal will make adjustments, and we’ll get a much better idea of how these new policies affect wait times as the season progresses.
Premium Scream Night
One of the biggest improvements at HHN 35 actually happened the night before Opening Night.
Universal clearly listened to the feedback from last year’s Premium Scream Night and delivered a much more “premium” experience this time around.
You could actually slow down and enjoy Halloween Horror Nights.
That was especially noticeable in the scare zones. Instead of fighting through crowds, you could hang around, watch the scareactors work, and just vibe with the event.
The low waits also opened up opportunities you simply won’t get on a normal busy night. I was able to do Hellraiser back-to-back-to-back, and later in the evening, I even had a few house runs where there was nobody else inside the haunted house with me.
The included food and non-alcoholic drinks were another highlight. Beyond the obvious value, it gave us a chance to try a lot more of the event’s menu than we normally would. When you’re paying for every item individually, you’re naturally going to stick with things you know you’ll probably like. Premium Scream Night made it much easier to branch out, sample different options, and even try a few things we probably wouldn’t have ordered otherwise.
Guests attending the next Premium Scream Night on October 19 are in for a treat if Universal can deliver a similar experience.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Halloween Horror Nights 35 is another strong year of the event.
The house lineup features several standouts, the streets feel more connected, and the food and beverage lineup produced far more hits than misses for us. Jack and Oddfellow provide familiar faces for the anniversary while still allowing HHN 35 to establish an identity of its own.
There are shortcomings. Not every house reaches the same level; some concepts work better on paper than in execution, and the realities of HHN’s enormous popularity continue to create challenges Universal needs to address.
However, Halloween Horror Nights shouldn’t be judged by its weakest attraction… or even its strongest one. HHN is the complete package.
It’s walking through the fog. It’s catching the perfect run through a house where every scare hits. It’s watching scareactors find ways to interact with guests in the streets. It’s grabbing something ridiculous to eat at midnight.
Now comes the fun part: enjoying the next two months of Horror Nights.
You’ll find me at Hellraiser, most likely.
