Dare to tiptoe through the shadows of your darkest dreams… Universal Orlando Halloween Horror Nights beckons you once more to step into the fog…
Now in its spine-tingling 32nd year, the beloved Halloween event unveils ten blood-curdling haunted houses—showcasing ghoulish titans of the horror genre. Traverse five wicked scare zones, bask in the blaze of a fiery spectacle, savor devilishly tasty treats and brews, and brace yourself for unexpected jolts and jitters. We ventured into the abyss on opening night and invite you to journey into the misty embrace of Halloween Horror Nights as we share our top pics for the 2023 Halloween season…
Meet Halloween Horror Nights newest icon of terror: Dr. Oddfellow. This malevolent circus ringmaster is on a sinister quest, ensnaring unsuspecting guests to seize their souls for his wicked whims. As you navigate the treacherous paths of each scare zone, keep a vigilant eye out for traces of Oddfellow and his haunting emblem. He makes his ominous presence known during the opening scaremonies, lingers menacingly outside his roaming caravan near the park’s entrance, and is the malefic star of his own haunted house, “Oddfellow: Twisted Origins.”
Oddfellow has quite the backstory, including ties to Jack Schmidt (the clown). Universal shares more in their Discover Universal podcast – listen here!
HHN 32 Haunted Houses
Stranger Things 4 – Chrissy, wake up… Come face to face with the otherworldly creatures of Stranger Things season 4, including demogorgons, demobats, and even Vecna himself within his blood-red Mind Lair. Race against the clock to escape from his deadly curse!
The Exorcist: Believer – Journey alongside two girls who become possessed by an enigmatic three-eyed folk doll, culminating in the opening of a chilling demonic portal. The unmistakable signature scent of The Exorcist house pervades the atmosphere, while the visuals are hauntingly entrancing. We rank this as one of the most terrifying houses of the year. And even though the new Exorcist film won’t hit theaters until September 22nd, consider this house a tantalizing live preview!
The Last of Us – Delve into the harrowing world inspired by Naughty Dog and PlayStation’s award-winning post-pandemic video game. Embark on a brutal journey through a landscape ravaged by a fungal virus, transforming humans into a nightmarish threat known as the Infected. Beware… those dreadful Clickers are bound to make your heart race in this house!
Universal Monsters: Unmasked – Below the streets of Paris, explore an underground labyrinth filled with iconic characters, including The Phantom of the Opera, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and The Invisible Man. Universal can’t go wrong with their classic library of Monsters, and this year’s edition is a great time. There are some really great scares here – including a triple jumpscare which [almost] made me fall to the ground.
Chucky: Ultimate Kill Count – Chucky is out to kill you – and all who enter his very own haunted house. Inspired by the hit USA & SYFY series and cult classic films. This is one bloody fun house this year, complete with goofy tricks and scares you’d only expect from Charles Lee Ray.
Dr. Oddfellow: Twisted Origins – a demented, late-night circus led by the evil ringmaster Oddfellow, who seeks human souls to fuel his dark intentions. Keep your eyes open to spot a few Easter eggs for Jack the Clown, who once worked for Oddfellow before their murderous falling out.
Dueling Dragons: Choose Thy Fate – Remember the dueling inverted coaster from Islands of Adventure? Stepping through the Enchanted Oak, Fairy Forest, and ultimately Merlyn’s Castle, you’ll encounter a horrific twist to the frightening, yet familiar tale and sinister battle between Fire and Ice. This house is filled with demons, wizards, Blizzrock, and Pyrock, AND boasts two different pathways, leading to different finales.
YETI: Campground Kills This is the campiest campground camphouse. Taking place in a Rocky Mountain campground of the 1950s, bloodthirsty yetis have returned with a vengeance. If you’re on the nervous side, this is a good house to start your evening. The yetis are big and goofy, and the wilderness campground setting is a fun exploration trail… with a little side of blood. Keep your eye out for a baby Yeti!
The Darkest Deal – In the Mississippi Delta, blues musician Pinestraw Spruce makes a deal with an evil entity known as The Collector, ultimately selling his soul for fame. Journeying into hell, you’ll encounter other musicians who also made a deal with the devil.
Bloodmoon: Dark Offerings A colonial cult is lurking inside, waiting to slaughter those who dare refuse to worship the Bloodmoon. This one is another contender for scariest of the year… enter if you dare.
HHN 32 Scare Zones
With Scare Zones scattered throughout the park, there’s no safe space on the streets of Universal Orlando (though, if needed, Minion Cafe is a great place to decompress)…
Dr. Oddfellow’s Collection of Horror – You’ll come face to face with the devious icon who is promising immortality for those who dare to enter, right at the front of the park.
Dark Zodiac – Invading the streets of Hollywood are a few of Dr. Oddfellow’s twisted creations. He has used his power to transform the zodiac signs into a horrifying horoscope of creatures!
Jungle of Doom: Expedition Horror – In Central Park, Dr. Oddfellow conducts bizarre experiments combining the elements of nature and animals to create vicious jungle creatures looking to satisfy their cravings!
Vamp ’69: Summer of Blood – The streets of New York host a music festival crashed by bloodthirsty vampires let loose by Dr. Oddfellow.
Shipyard 32: Horrors Unhinged – In San Francisco, you’ll stumble upon Dr. Oddfellow’s crates and cages that once housed monsters of all kinds who have escaped in pursuit of chaos.
Entertainment & Extras
Nightmare Fuel Revenge Dream – a pyro and aerial stunt show that is sure to fire everyone up to the beat of metal and electronica, located at the old Fear Factor stage.
HHN 32 Tribute Store – Located in the New York area of the park, this year’s Tribute Store is an immersive shopping experience where you can pick up some HHN-exclusive goods. This time, it’s themed to a 1960s NYC Comic Shop, where you step into one truly terrifying comic.
Death Eaters in Diagon Alley
Don’t miss the Death Eaters in the Wizarding World. The whole land takes on an extra eerie tone that makes the whole area feel like a giant scare zone.
Roaming M3GAN Horde
Dancing M3GANs roam Horror Nights this year. A fun and creepy diversion!
Dead Coconut Club – Back for its second edition in Universal’s CityWalk, this spooky lounge overlay of Red Coconut features live music, themed cocktails, and fun 3D inspired photo ops. The perfect spot for pre-HHN hangouts.
Chloe’s Top 10 Universal Orlando HHN Houses for 2023
While I truly enjoy each and every house at HHN 32, there are some that really stand out… and I must recommend you visit my top 5 at least once! The Universal Creative and Entertainment teams put their all into each of these haunted houses, and it shows. Considering the set designs and details, storytelling, scare levels, and my high enthusiasm for all things Halloween… here’s my personal ranking of this year’s 10 haunted houses; ranging from “I’ll do that one again at some point” to “I have to go through this multiple times each visit”.
- #10 Chucky: Ultimate Kill Count (only in this spot because I have to pick a #10. It’s still a fun house and I really enjoy the goofiness… and Chuckster’s little shoes!)
- #9 The Darkest Deal
- #8 Stranger Things 4
- #7 The Last of Us
- #6 The Exorcist: Believer
- #5 Oddfellow: Twisted Origins
- #4 Yeti: Campground Kills
- #3 Bloodmoon: Dark Offerings
- #2 Universal Monsters: Unmasked
- And at #1… Dueling Dragons: Choose Thy Fate
Please, what did we do to deserve a Halloween Horror Nights haunted house themed to the rich lore of the defunct Dueling Dragons? And the two separate paths, leading to four varying endings throughout the night? The sets are beautiful, the character designs are true to the backstory, and, come on, you begin your journey by walking through the Enchanted Oak. This one is made by theme park fans, for theme park fans! If you’re like me, you’ll be smiling ear-to-ear the whole way through, with a few fun jump scares along the way. But the real question is… fire or ice?
Universal Orlando Halloween Horror Nights Tickets & Details
Halloween Horror Nights is running select nights from now through November 4th at Universal Studios Florida. Tickets are available now, starting at $79.99.
- Halloween Horror Nights Single-Night Ticket (from $70.99); add $119.99+ for an Express Pass at each haunted house
- Can’t get enough scares? Rush of Fear and Frequent Fear Passes are also available, starting at $179.99 and $229.99
- Additional options and tours available on their ticket page
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