The 2023 Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Orlando was “screamy.” If you are one for fright nights, it is a must-do.
Haunted Houses
We went on the first Saturday of October and had a blast. From the horror-themed food to all the different haunted houses, we were totally spooked but made it through 8 out of 10 houses. The houses we thought were the scariest, in order, are as follows: Exorcist Believer, Blood Moon Dark Offerings, The Darkest Deal, Universal Monsters Unmasked, Dr. Odd Fellows Twisted Origins Chucky Ultimate Kill Count, Dueling Dragons Choose Thy Fate, and Yeti Camp Ground Kills. Blood Moon Dark Offerings was about a satanic cult, and The Darkest Deal was bayou-themed. Dr. Odd Fellows Twisted Origins was a twisted spin on clowns and creepy creatures. Our personal favorite was Universal Monsters Unmasked, and the creativity award goes to Dueling Dragons Choose Thy Fate, where I am almost positive I saw the Game of Thrones Night King in there multiple times.
Express Pass
We recommend splurging on an express pass if you want to make it through all the haunted houses in one night. We missed 2 of the most popular ones, The Last Of Us and Stranger Things 4, which remained between 75 and 90-minute waits. If you have a season pass, you can get a discount on your Halloween Horror Night tickets.
Scare Zones
There were also five trippy and wild scare zones, including vampire hippies, Dr. Odd Fellows’ shipyard, jungle monsters, and chainsaw chasers.
Tips for Halloween Horror Nights
- Universal Studios closes at 5:00 p.m., and the Island of Adventure stays open till 10:00 p.m.
- If you have a season pass or a day pass, stay in the park for horror nights and go to a holding spot that starts at 5:30 p.m. vs. 6:00 p.m. because the line to get into the park is extremely long.
- Download the Universal App for all the details on Halloween Horror Nights, park wait times, and more.
- Always check the Universal App for park hours because they vary by day, season, etc.
- A note for season pass holders: A season pass acts as an express pass once for each ride after 4:00 p.m.
- Dress in black to get in the spirit, and try not to scream too loud!
