Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Orlando is not for the faint of heart (and is not recommended for kids younger than 13). It features 10 chilling haunted houses, four horrifying scare zones and fantastically frightening entertainment.
When it comes to scary things, I fall somewhere between “Total fraidy cat” and “Fearless.” I attended the 34th Halloween Horror Nights on opening night, as an “HHN Newbie.” While I’m not completely traumatized, I might or might not have visions of being chased by malevolent clowns when I close my eyes.
Here’s what you need to know before you go — if you dare — and all the details on the 2025 event.
The writer was hosted.
2025 Halloween Horror Nights Dates, Prices, and Essential Info
This new season of scares begins on August 29 and runs through November 2 with select dates: August 29-31; September 3-7, 10-14, 16-17, 19-21, 24-28; October 1-5, 8-12, 15-19, 22-26, 29-31; and November 1-2. The event begins at 6:30pm each day, but ending hours vary by date.
Prices range from $86 to $131 per person (+ tax) depending on the date. An Express Pass that allows the ticket holders to skip the line once at each of the haunted houses and participating rides and attractions is $169. Premium Scream Night, a sneak peek on Aug. 28, is $415 per ticket. There’s also a VIP tour that starts at $389 and a behind-the-scenes, lights-on tour that starts at $100 per person. If you want extra time in the park before the frightening stuff starts, an additional $55 will get you in at 3:00 pm.
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No Refunds, No Costumes, No Live Animals
- The event happens rain or shine.
- No refunds.
- The ticket can only be used by the person who bought it on the date for which it was purchased. Note that Halloween Horror Nights is a separate ticketed event. You cannot enter the evening event with a daytime park ticket.
- No costume masks, veils, long trains, live animals, swords or weaponry are permitted. You can read all of the costume rules here.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Skip the airport stress — Lyft’s On-Time Pickup Promise guarantees your scheduled ride shows up within 10 minutes of your pickup time. If it doesn’t? You’ll get Lyft Cash. You can schedule up to 90 days in advance and even lock in your rate. Use code SBT25 to save 25% off ONE scheduled ride to the airport.
2025 Scares
Here’s how Universal describes the 2025 event:
“Halloween Horror Nights unleashes a double dose of dread with the ultimate nightmare as guests come face-to-face with the origins of fear through a sinister lineup of 10 all-new haunted houses, a collection of eerie scare zones, outrageous live shows, and so much more.
Halloween Horror Nights awakens two iconic franchises in all-new terrifying haunted houses inspired by the blockbuster film, “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” and WWE’s legendary The Wyatt Sicks. The horror kicks off at Universal Orlando Resort on Friday, August 29.”
10 Haunted Houses
Here is the haunted house lineup for this year’s event:
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: Get ready for the night watch at a creepy, abandoned pizzeria, where nothing is what it seems and possessed animatronics are lurking.
- The Horrors of the Wyatt Sicks: Go head-to-head with The Wyatt Sicks as they lure you through the ominous doorway to their shadowy realm. You’re about to meet your match.
- Terrifier: Try your luck against Art the Clown in the Terrifier funhouse. You’ll witness his grotesque handiwork of torture and be exposed to the spatter of his victims. It’s a whole new level of gore!
- Jason Universe: The iconic horror villain Jason Voorhees is coming for you. Step into his terrifying world, from his sinister shack in the woods to the summer camp where it all began. Evil doesn’t stay dead.
- Fallout: Face your fears in post-apocalyptic LA. Escape from the vaults to the wasteland and confront the formidable bounty hunter The Ghoul.
- Hatchet and Chains, Demon Bounty Hunters: In this Old West town, all hell is breaking loose. Red-hot lava demons are trying to possess everyone, melting everything in their path. Your only hope: Hatchet and Chains with their mystical weapons..
- Dolls: Let’s Play Dead: You’re about to become doll-sized and witness the unnatural creations of a twisted little girl. You’ll be hunted by burnt fashion dolls, toys she’s melded together and undead horrors in her dollhouse.
- Grave of Flesh: Welcome to your funeral, where things are about to go from bad to worse. You’ll enter your grave and then the underworld, where flesh-eaters who feed on the dead will hunt you for all eternity.
- Gálkn: Monsters of the North: In a remote northern village, a wicked being rises from the dead, bringing a horde of monsters and demons from the fjords to wreak havoc on the townspeople. Try to escape the belly of the beast.
- El Artista: A Spanish Haunting: In 19th-century Spain, a tortured artist moves to an isolated country manor to seek inspiration. Instead, the art comes alive and possesses him. You’re about to be part of the permanent exhibition.
4 Scare Zones
While the ghoulish, gory sights and jump scares inside the haunted houses are going to get your heart pumping, you’re not safe strolling through the park. There are four themed scare zones filled with “scareactors” whose mission in life – or death as it may be – is to scare the pants off of those who dare to meander through their turf.
- The Origins of Horror: Enter a decaying conservatory of twisted vines where artists carve tributes to Halloween Horror Nights 34. You’ll encounter monstrous crows, gargoyles and more.
- Masquerade: Dance with Death: You’re invited to a masquerade ball where bloodthirsty vampires lurk behind ornate disguises. When their masks fall, you’ll become their prey..
- The Cat Lady of Crooked Lane: Travel down a spooky winding path to a mysterious home, where trick-or-treaters are transformed into feral felines. Be careful or you’ll be next.
- Mutations: Toxic Twenties: In a bustling 1920s neighborhood, a BuzzCon truck with radioactive cargo crashes into a mobster getaway car sending the city into toxic pandemonium. It mutates everyone in its path, including you.
While not a scare zone, per se, Club Horror is a vibey outdoor space in Universal’s San Francisco area. There’s smoke, dancing, an undead deejay playing high-energy dance music and tall tables where you can gather with a cocktail. Think ghoulish street party.
Outrageous Live Shows
There are two shows for 2025:
- Nightmare Fuel: Circus of Decay features a once-vibrant circus that has festered into an unending nightmare. It’s a sinister spectacle of pyro, aerialists and illusions. The show is a jaw-dropping display of dance moves, acrobatics and music you can feel in your heart. This loud and fiery spectacular had the packed house gasping, cheering and singing along throughout the 30-minute show. The costumes and dancing are very risque and spicy. The dancers are incredibly talented and I don’t recommend skipping this show but it might make you blush.
- Haunt-O-Phonic is a ghost story rising from its watery grave to haunt the Universal Studios lagoon, featuring towering water screens and eerie music.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Queue up for Nightmare Fuel at least 30 minutes before showtime; otherwise, you probably won’t get a seat.
Are Rides Open During Halloween Horror Nights?
Yes! If you can’t imagine a theme park visit without hopping on a thrill ride, you’re in luck: a selection of rides is open during Halloween Horror Nights. If getting on the rides is important to you, I recommend knocking this out early in the night. The event stays open late but the rides may close earlier.
The rides that will be open at the 2025 Halloween Horror Nights include:
- Revenge of the Mummy
- Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
- Transformers: The Ride 3D
- Men in Black Alien Attack.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Timewise, it is really difficult to hit all of the haunted houses and scare zones and ride rides. Unless the scary stuff really isn’t your thing, get the most mileage out of your Halloween Horror Nights ticket by prioritizing the themed activities.
An HHN First-Timer’s Impressions
I love a good scary movie now and then, although I haven’t seen anything more recent than It – the first one — so obviously I don’t consider myself a horror enthusiast. I’ve been to some pretty scary haunted houses over the past several years, but the theming, theatrics and costuming at Universal Orlando Resort is unrivaled by anything I’ve experienced.
The haunted houses and scare zones are all incredibly immersive, with detailed backstories that are summarized above and online. If you opt for the RIP Tour, your guide will provide you with a bit more insight into the stories and details behind the monsters.
Do You Love a Back Story?
Some of the haunted houses at Halloween Horror Nights are based on movies, video games and pop culture and others were created by the talented team at Universal – it’s about half and half.
As someone not familiar with Five Nights at Freddy’s or Terrifier the scares were all the same to me – creepy animatronic animals, creepy clowns and creepy demon monsters. I could appreciate the creativity and the detail but someone who has a deeper need to dig into the narrative behind the jump scare might be more excited.
This event definitely has a following and many of the people I spoke to on opening night have attended year after year. Universal does an incredible job at creating all-new scary experiences year after year, which is why the event does so much repeat business. My terror slash enjoyment of Halloween Horror Nights was pretty on the surface but if you seek a more detailed level of understanding, that’s there, too.
My HHN Favorites
My favorite haunted house was El Artista: A Spanish Haunting. The crumbling 19th-century manor is dripping with decaying vines, exquisitely masked ghouls that are almost too beautiful to be frightening – almost. What really sealed the deal for me on this one was the gargoyle (a real-life scareactor) flying across the ceiling on a cable. My favorite scare area was Mutations: The Toxic Twenties. The roaring twenties costuming was on point.
Everything was really well done and there wasn’t anything I didn’t like or thought wasn’t well-themed. I think I would have gotten more out of the experience if I were more familiar with the background stories of the horror films and video games some of the haunted houses were based on but knowing those stories isn’t essential to having a good time.
Is Everything Scary at Halloween Horror Nights?
Overall, yes. The name gives it away. If scary isn’t your thing, Halloween Horror Nights is probably not the wisest investment at Universal Orlando Resort. With scare zones throughout the park, it’s hard to avoid a scare or two when getting from point A to point B.
If you’re with a larger group or visiting with younger kids – remember, Universal recommends this event for 13+ due to scary scenes, gore and intensity of the haunted houses – I can see wanting to have a less scary plan, but overall this is an event for people who enjoy being frightened.
The haunted houses are indeed scary. The scareactors won’t touch you – and you can’t touch them – but there are a ton of jump scares and really sinister-looking characters. Ditto for the scareactors in the scare zones – they’ll run at you with fake chainsaws and get close to you but they won’t touch or grab you. If you’re not in one of the scare zones, you can be reasonably sure the scareactors won’t bother you but there are a few characters that roam the park and can pop up anywhere.
Halloween Horror Nights Themed Merchandise
The 2025 Halloween Horror Nights event features trendy merchandise that’s branded for the event. There are apparel items, such as shirts and hats, mugs, and collectibles, that would make great spooky season decor pieces. There’s also a “Deathly Afraid” light-up necklace you can purchase if you’re truly wimpy. This signals the scareactors not to approach you when you pass through the scare zones, although they don’t work inside the haunted houses.
There’s a pop-up store and lots of merchandise being sold at kiosks throughout the park. If you’re seeking merch, you won’t have to look very hard to find it.
Themed Eats
The Universal Orlando Resort culinary theme has really outdone itself with themed HHN food and drinks. I sampled all the specialty foods for this year’s event, and there really is something for every taste. What I liked was that there’s a mix of hearty, real food that will fuel you through a very long night and provide a base if you plan on drinking alcohol.
The food is just “gross enough” to be a fun nod to the Halloween season without being so over-the-top that it’s unappetizing, like “Clown Cafe Bloody Popcorn,” which features popcorn chicken with pepperoni, marinara blood sauce, and parmesan over popcorn. Messy but good. If you’re looking for “Instagrammable” treats, “Mr. Cupcake” is the clear winner. It’s also a really good cupcake with raspberry and homemade cannoli filling. But that is a heck of a lot of icing!
There are also a variety of themed cocktails. The souvenir cup is $19 and refills are $14. Most of the specialty drinks are on the sweet side. The food and drink kiosks are plentiful around the park so you don’t have to look far to find them and the lines aren’t terrible.
Staying at a Universal Orlando Resort Hotel
The best way to experience Halloween Horror Nights is with a stay at a Universal Orlando Resort Hotel. You’ll receive numerous benefits, including priority entry through a dedicated gate and free transportation.
There are 11 official hotels on property. I recently stayed at Cabana Bay Beach Resort and thought it was a great fit for a quick trip to attend Halloween Horror Nights. Cabana Bay has over 2,000 rooms and a huge lobby food court, the Bayliner Diner, which is open late on HHN nights, just in case you’ve got the munchies when you get back from the parks.
The rooms are fairly no frills but they’ve got cute retro theming – I’m a sucker for the avocado green/burnt orange combo – and lots of amenities, including a bowling alley, lobby bar, a Starbucks and a great pool with a lazy river.
Tips for Visiting Halloween Horror Nights at Universal
- Download the Official Universal Orlando Resort App for maps, wait times, show times and more.
- Purchase tickets in advance and use the Universal app to speed your entry and get you to the scares that much faster.
- If you’re looking for smaller crowds, consider visiting on weeknights or early in September.
- Purchase upgrades, like the guided R.I.P. Tour or the Express Pass, to the extent your budget allows. You’ll spend less time waiting in line and with 10 haunted houses, that’s important. On opening night, the wait for one of the haunted houses was listed as 180 minutes.
- Arrive at the event opening and prepare for a long night.
- If you’re visiting other parks in the Orlando area, consider scheduling a rest day or a pool day before heading to HHN. You’ll last longer!
- Wear comfortable shoes and clothes. You will walk a lot and even in the latter part of October, Orlando is probably going to be humid. I saw lots of clubwear, high heels, fishnet stockings and leather and while the “Goth” style is a great vibe for a scary Halloween event, I highly recommend wearing what you know will be comfortable for eight hours on your feet. I saw a few people limping at the end of the night.
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