Twenty-six years ago, when Universal Studios Florida launched its annual Halloween event, then known as Fright Nights, it's likely the theme park had no idea the kind of monster it was creating: Halloween Horror Nights has since grown to become a 10-time winner of Amusement Today's "Best Halloween Event" Golden Ticket award.
An annual attraction that started out as a three-night event with a $13 admission price and just a single one haunted house now stretches over six weeks; boasts 10 haunted house mazes and five "scare zones"; and includes live entertainment as well as special merchandise.
This year's Halloween Horror Nights promises to be bigger and more terrifying than ever and will debut on Sept. 13, frightening visitors on select nights through Nov. 4. Some of the details follow.
Over the years, Halloween Horror Nights has taken on a general theme, though some of the mazes or scare zones have either skirted the theme or ignored it completely. Not this time.
For 2018, Universal is making a concerted effort to tie the mazes, scare zones and entertainment into a cohesive package centering around the "cinematic greats, slasher films, cult classics and original nightmares" from the 1980s, or will be inspired by that decade.
The haunted mazes: More frights than ever
Ten haunted mazes are slated for the 2018 lineup, the most in the event's history.
One of the most anticipated additions this year is a "Stranger Things"-themed haunted maze, which is being done in partnership with Netflix, which airs the popular TV show.
Guests will be taken through locations and scenes familiar to fans of the show, such as the Hawkins National Laboratory, and the Byers' home, illuminated with erratically flashing Christmas lights. The eerie "Upside Down" woods, where Will Byers goes missing in the series, will ooze a shower of floating orb-like spheres in a dimly lit, other-worldly atmosphere. The chittering Demagorgon will stalk guests through the maze as they encounter the events and characters from the series.
Another maze debuting this year is Slaughter Sinema, where guests will enter a decrepit drive-in movie theater. As the lights dim, monsters and nightmares inspired by 1980s B-movie horror films will come face-to-face with guests. Alien cannibals, werewolf bikers and deadly barbers are just a few of the ghouls guests will encounter.
Last year, the Legendary Pictures film "Trick 'r Treat" was featured in a themed scare zone, but the feedback was so positive, the creative team at Universal decided to make it into a full-fledged maze. Michael Dougherty, director of the 2007 cult Halloween thriller, partnered with Universal to create this maze. Guests will enter the maze and experience grisly scenes and demented characters teaching the traditions of Halloween. The main character, Sam (whose name is a play on the Gaelic spirit of Samhain), keeps a watchful eye on the events.
The Dead Exposure: Patient Zero house was a fan favorite from several years ago, but now it's been reimagined to incorporate the 1980s theme of the event. Dead Exposure places guests in the middle of Paris in 1982, where vicious, flesh-eating undead swarm the streets. There's a vaccine for the disease that took the city by storm, but of course, there are side effects. Grisly ones.
The scare zones: Chucky, Killer Klowns, and more
Two of the scare zones will come directly from Universal films: "Revenge of Chucky" and "Killer Klowns from Outer Space." In the "Revenge of Chucky" scare zone, guests will be stalked by possessed toys like murderous monkeys, a board game turned deadly and the murderous doll himself. In "Killer Klowns," guests enter an interstellar circus tent filled with the otherworldly klowns from MGM Pictures' hit horror sci-fi film.
The other three scare zones will be original Universal creations. In one of the zones, guests will be stalked by ravenous, 1980s-inspired punk, metalhead and "Material Girl" vampires in a zone called Vamp 85: New Year's Eve." Rotting pumpkins and vines cover the humanoid creatures seeking out human sacrifices in the Twisted Tradition scare zone. Makeup and costuming are always captivating at Halloween Horror Nights, and the Harvest scare zone will be the place to admire the artists' handiwork.
Live entertainment: Academy of Villains
The dance company Academy of Villains will make an encore appearance at this year's Halloween Horror Nights. The high-energy dance team, which has has performed on TV's "So You Think You Can Dance," is known for its often-macabre subject matter: previous shows have explored Egyptian mummification, a tribute to Nosferatu and the Mexican Dia de los Muertos traditions. Details haven't been released about what will make up this year's danse macabre.
Ticket packages and hotel specials
Single-night tickets for Halloween Horror Nights range from $63 to $88 plus tax. A calendar of pricing, dependent on the date, can be found on the Halloween Horror Nights website. Guests can also purchase a Flex Ticket, which allows them to visit on almost any night they wish. Saturdays are excluded from the $82 Flex Ticket, but the $89 Flex Ticket is good on any night during the Horror Nights run.
The wait times for some of the haunted mazes can stretch more than two hours, so visitors might want to consider an Express Pass, which is not included with a regular admission ticket. Express passes range from $80 to $140, dependant on the date of visit. These passes are only good during the hours for Halloween Horror Nights, not during regular park hours. However, guests can use them for the select rides that are open during Horror Nights hours. These rides are yet to be announced.
The Rush of Fear pass, which costs $94 in advance, is a great deal for guests who are traveling specifically to experience Halloween Horror Nights as a major part of their vacation. Guests who purchase the Rush of Fear pass will have access to every night of the event for the first three weeks of Halloween Horror Nights, which includes 10 nights.
The Frequent Fear pass covers the rest of the Halloween Horror Nights event, days 21 to 34. These range from $107 to $599, depending on what extras are purchased along with the pass (Express, extra nights, etc.). The Ultimate Frequent Fear pass covers every night of Halloween Horror Nights, and costs $204 plus tax for just the event ticket, or $600 plus tax if Express access is added on.
Universal Orlando Resort hotels are currently offering a package that includes admission to the event. The package starts from $215 per adult, per night and includes four nights' accommodations, park-to-park daytime admission to all three theme parks (the two Universal theme parks, plus the Volcano Bay water park) and admission to Halloween Horror Nights.