Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights, the home of scares and all things ghoulish, adds comedic touches and a throwback to the 80’s at the 2019 event. Ghost Busters, Holidays in Hell, and Killer Klowns mazes all offer humor and beautifully designed sets to broaden the entertainment appeal of the annual event. Every year Universal delivers detailed mazes and scare zones to frighten guests who dare to enter the gates, and this year is no different. 2019 brings ten complete mazes and five scare zones. Let’s jump into the fog and see what’s new . . .
Here’s our whole night in one minute:
The Mazes!
Overall, we felt that 2019 was an improvement over last year. Our personal favorite was Ghostbusters and if you are a Stranger Things fan, you will enjoy that maze as well. Though, there’s plenty to enjoy all over the park. There are some ups and downs, but mostly a solid season of scares. If things feel vaguely 80’s, that’s because many of the experiences this year are either from that era or inspired by it. That gives the whole event a bit of consistency of theme that haunts rarely have. It’s also a year of greater variety of scares and we feel that Universal has opened itself up to a broader market. If you’ve always felt that Horror Nights would be too scary for you, this might be your year to check it out.
Creepshow
Experience a horror comic book come to life! Your host for this horrifying journey is The Creep, the skeletal namesake of the Creepshow comic book, who will lead you through five jolting tales of terror.
Based on the 1982 horror anthology film as well as Shudder’s upcoming television series, the maze follows three of the stories from the original film. Guests enter a facade designed to look like a giant Creepshow comic book, literally drawing them into the stories featured within. Similarly to last year’s Trick r’ Treat maze based off of the anthology film of the same name.
Overall, we can say without spoiling too much that fans of the Creepshow franchise will be delighted to see the stories brought to life with great authenticity!
While there are some humorous details, this maze has plenty of ‘creep’ factor to make your skin crawl.
Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man
Despite what your parents told you at bed time…monsters are real… and they never die! Frankenstein and The Wolf Man are two of the most iconic Universal Monsters of all time. Now they are back in an epic battle to the death.
This maze was a delightful surprise. It immediately puts you into the mood of an old world gypsy encampment. Wolf Man and Frankenstein’s Monster are in constant conflict. At multiple points you will be directly between the two beasts. Tension, scares, and lots of beautiful sets. Bring us more classic Universal monsters, this was the perfect balance for us.
Ghostbusters
Ain’t afraid of ghosts, you say? That is, until you’ve experienced the all-new rift between worlds, releasing apparitions of all shapes and sizes.
The exterior of the house is a scaled replica of the iconic Ghostbusters firehouse. As you wait in line to enter, an actor playing Louis Tully will be seen outside the building along side a NYC taxi cab, you’ll see and hear the Ecto One behind the firehouse gate.
The sets are beautifully realized and enhanced by fun special effects and lighting.
Holidayz In Hell
The terrors are far from limited to just Halloween. Prepare yourself for a sadistic experience involving a trip through a series of psychotic seasonal celebrations.
Last year’s scare zone becomes its own full-fledged maze this year. And we’ve got to say that it’s a fun one; there’s humor and gore here, but just enough to keep it entertaining. While not one of the blockbuster IP-based haunted attractions, this is a very clever original concept that it’s clear the designers had a lot of fun with.
House of 1000 Corpses
Rob Zombie returns to Horror Nights with an epic horror masterpiece comes to life. Scream all you want, but you won’t find any mercy from the Fireflys as each family member is more sadistic than the next.
The maze brings to life Captain Spaulding’s Museum of Monsters and Madmen, the film’s roadside tourist attraction which showcases some of the country’s most notorious serial killers; including Dr. Satan, a surgeon who has gone mad. Making your way through the maze, you try escaping the tourist trap, then having to wind through the terrifying home of the Firefly family, a group of psycho killers who aim to torture and terrorize their prey.
JordanPeele’s Us
Jordan Peele’s new original nightmare comes to life when you follow in the footsteps of the Wilson Family as they face the ultimate opponent: themselves.
This maze is a recreation of the 1980’s Santa Cruz Boardwalk funhouse attraction “Shaman’s Vision Quest” and will feature a young Adelaide outside eating her candy apple. Inside, you make your way through a recreation of that attraction, past an owl from the film to a 50/50 mirror which lets you see yourself and young Red behind it.
Killer Klowns From Outer Space
If ever there was a reason why people are afraid of clowns, this is it. Killer Klowns from Outer Space have landed.
This is another maze which infuses bits of humor. We really enjoyed this one. While there are some very disturbing scenes, the bits of color and comedy really help make this a fun experience rather than just a terrifying one.
Stranger Things
Experience the most terrifying moments of Seasons 2 & 3 as you come face to face with the shadowy Mind Flayer and its army of creatures that wreak havoc in Hawkins.
Some of you may be thinking that this is a repeat of last year’s Stranger Things maze. It isn’t. This is an all-new creation based upon seasons 2 & 3 of the hit Netflix show.
They’ve invested a lot of time and money into special effects and projection technology in this maze.
The Curse of Pandora’s Box
Some things are never meant to be opened…lucky for you, someone already has, unleashing unimaginable evil with the demonic temptress Pandora as your guide.
We REALLY enjoyed the mix of mazes this year. Pandora’s box is one of two original mazes that doesn’t rely on television or movie properties. It’s rare for Universal to do original mazes, much less two of them in one year. It is refreshing and to be encouraged for the future. This one is a bit of a throwback and done in the classic maze style you might remember from the 80s and 90s. There’s lots of black lights here and bright colors.
The Walking Dead
Enter the post-apocalyptic world of AMC’s “The Walking Dead”. Prepare to fight for survival in a fully immersive journey as you navigate through a world overrun by walkers with an insatiable appetite for the living.
This isn’t something new folks. Some years ago Universal created a year-round maze for the Walking Dead. It’s a hyper-detailed and very realistic experience with animatronics and special effects. But at Halloween they amp it up with extra live actors. Unless you’ve never seen it before, this shouldn’t be your top priority. See the limited-time stuff first and do this if you got everything else done. But that’s not to say this isn’t amazing, we just wish there was something they could do to keep this experience fresh.
TIP: Save this maze for last. By the last two hours of the event, this maze had a 10 minute wait!
Scare Zones!
Universal’s weak spot in recent years has been scare zones. It feels like they are trying a bit harder in this regard, but there’s still a long way to go compared to what some of the other haunts do. Most of the zones involve monsters walking around, some area music, and special lighting. But very few sets and decorations. However, there are some impressive exceptions. On the lower lot, you’ll find one scare zone that feels like an outdoor maze – All Hallow’s Evil. There’s also a scare zone which is really just an extension of the Holidayz in Hell maze it is located at the exit of. Here’s a list of 2019 scare zones with some photos:
Fallen Angelz
Explore crypts packed with restless ghouls and escape angry skeletons that have taken over Main Street. If you think the aged statues are creepy, wait until you encounter the wraith who will be literally watching over you. You can also spread your own demonic wings while you’re here, but be sure not to antagonize the Angel of Death.
Spirits & Demons of the East
Sacred antiquities have just been shipped over from the Far East, and they didn’t come alone. Many of these artifacts were stolen from ancient temples and carry angry spirits with them. Now the spirits roam New York Street, looking to exact vengeance on anyone who would dare steal such sacred relics. Be careful out there, these powerful demons can look like anything, even innocent school children.
Christmas in Hell
You’ll likely feel a faint sense of relief as you exit the Holidayz in Hell maze, but it won’t last long. Navigate through the Christmas trees littering French Street and make your way through our twisted takes on many holiday traditions. A giant nutcracker may be looking for a skull or two to clamp down on. The Winter Witch and Jack Frost himself will be celebrating as well, and they may not take too kindly to you interrupting their festivities. And just when you think it’s over, beware of the New Year’s Baby. He’s… cranky.
Toxxxic Tunnel
Yes, if you wish to experience the mazes on our Metro Lots, you’ll have to get through the tunnel once again. This time, the warped and cartoonish members of a demonic custom car club have taken over, and they don’t plan on letting you get very far on foot.
All Hallow’s Evil
Halloween isn’t the only holiday that happens this time of year. The Celtic festival of Hop-tu-Naa is celebrated on October 31st as well. There’s also All Saints’ Day, followed by All Souls’ Day, and of course Mexico’s Dia de Muertos; all of which share this season with the centuries-old Gaelic festival of Samhain. Samhain celebrates our transition into the “darker” months at the end of the harvest season. The souls of the dead are thought to return home on this night and are welcomed with costumes and bonfires. Some say the costumes were actually intended to protect oneself from these otherworldly beings. Here’s hoping they’re relatively peaceful during your visit.
The Merchandise!
This year’s merchandise covers all the popular attractions with exclusives from Killer Klowns from Outer Space to Stranger Things. This year seems to have a great mix of new products vs the prior years. Universal still has all the standard t-shirts and sweatshirts you can get.
Food Ahoy!
There were plenty of themed food options all throughout the park, though we didn’t have time to try any of them. Below are some of the more unique items. We’ll come back for a 2nd round of Horror and stop to shop and eat next time . . .
Horror Nights Tickets and Observations
There was also a app you could download and win achievements as you go through each maze. Have any of you done this? We’d like to hear your thoughts.
Also, the one show this year is Jabbawockeez again. We miss the Bill and Ted days. Heck, we’d take a Rocky Horror sing-a-long. Something a little more season appropriate.
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood officially opens today, Friday, September 13 and runs through November 3 on select nights. Opening night and event dates are: September 13-15, 19-22, 26-29; October 3-6, 10-13, 17-20, 24-27, 31; and November 1-3, 2019. Advanced purchase is recommended as event nights will sell out and available for purchase here.
If you can’t get enough of getting scared, you can purchase a multi-night Frequent Fear pass. There are four different passes to choose from:
- Ultimate Fear Pass $299
- Fan Preview and Frequent Fear Pass $199
- Frequent Fear Pass $179
- September Pass $109
For up to date info on Halloween Horror Nights and to purchase tickets and passes, you can visit the Horror Nights page HERE.
That’s a Wrap!
That is it for us! Will you be attending this year or skipping Universal for Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm or Six Flags Halloween offerings? Let us know in the comments below!
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