Beginner’s Guide to Halloween Horror Nights
Halloween Horror Nights is no easy feat to conquer. Whether visiting for the first time or the 13th time, enjoying Halloween Horror Nights comes with its own obstacles and difficulties. If you aren’t prepped and prepared, you can find yourself having a trip that is either boring, exhausting, or overwhelming. This is especially true for beginners and those who have visited less than twice. Most first-time Halloween Horror Nights guests have no idea what to expect and find themselves lost in the crowd and surrounded by monsters and revving chainsaws.
As someone who has been visiting Halloween Horror Nights since 2018, every year I see new guests do the wrong things, prepare the wrong way, and have an awful night. I can’t tell you how many of my friends refuse to go again because of their first experience. I don’t want you to do that. Even if you are the scariest of all scaredy cats, Halloween Horror Nights has the potential to be a great and thrilling experience that calls you back for more each year. Here is the beginner’s guide to Halloween Horror Nights to ensure an enjoyable trip.
Before we start, if you haven’t purchased your ticket yet, be sure to purchase them ahead of time. You can find tickets here!
Pick the right day to visit
Your first tip on the beginner’s guide to Halloween Horror Nights is to pick the right day to visit. As I explained in the intro paragraph, I’ve seen so many have such a traumatizing experience they refuse to return. Half of the reason for this is because they picked the wrong time to go. If you are visiting Halloween Horror Nights for your first or second time, I recommend visiting in September or very early October, as in the first week of October. This is because the closer to Halloween it is, the more packed and crazy the event will be. Visiting Halloween Horror Nights on Halloween weekend or the week before is like visiting Disney World on Christmas morning. Expect large crowds, impossibly long wait times, long waits for food, and an overall unenjoyable experience.
Visiting on a crowded day really affects the quality of your visit and you might find yourself only able to walk through two or three out of the thirteen houses. At that point, the cost isn’t worth it. You will be exhausted, overwhelmed, and not having any fun. If you can avoid it, try your very best not to travel near the holiday of Halloween. Instead, celebrate Halloween early and visit in September or the very first weekend of October to ensure a moderate crowd and the ability to do everything you want to.
Pick your must-see houses before arriving
On that note, my second tip on the beginner’s guide to Halloween Horror Nights is to pick your must-see houses before setting out for your vacation. Most people want to run into the park and walk into the first house they see. However, by the end of the evening, you’ll find that you don’t have time to see one of the best and most popular houses in the park that year. Don’t just run in and out of houses all willy-nilly, you want to be methodical about it.
More often than not, you won’t be able to see every single house. It happens. I have been going to Halloween Horror Nights for 7 years now, and even with the most planning, I can’t get every single house in one night. You want to research the houses beforehand and focus on the ones you really want to see first.
On the official Halloween Horror Nights webpage, you’ll find a description of each house, and toward opening day, you’ll find videos and sneak peeks of houses. Of course, you don’t want to spoil any scares for yourself, but you want to pick what interests you. For example, if you are a big fan of HBO’s The Last of Us, Netflix’s Stranger Things, or the singer the Weekend, you obviously want to prioritize seeing that house first.
Not only will it ensure you get to go on what you are interested in before the day ends, but doing your favorites first also gives you the shortest wait time you will see all night. As most people are heading to the first house in the park as soon as the event opens, only a select few who know this tip will be heading elsewhere for their favorite house.
Arrive Early
The third, and one of the most important, tip is to arrive early. As I said in the previous paragraph, you won’t be able to do everything, however, you do want to try your best to. Showing up late is a sure way to miss out on an extra two or three houses on top of the few you will be missing already. Halloween Horror Nights isn’t like regular park admission where you can arrive two hours late and still have an entire twelve hours to enjoy the park. Halloween Horror Nights is already a short 6 to 7-hour event, you don’t want to make it any shorter.
Arrive in the parking lot about thirty minutes before Halloween Horror Nights opens. This gives you enough time to find a spot, make your way through the parking garages, complete the bag check, march through CityWalk, and then make it to the front gate. If you don’t have your tickets digitally saved or printed, you want to come a few minutes even earlier, to wait in line to have your tickets printed and secured. After all of this, you should be able to make it to the front of the gate a few minutes before the opening of the event. Then you can run straight in when it begins.
To get a better jump at entering early, and if in the budget, I recommend purchasing a stay and scream pass, that you can stay in the park after your universal day and enter Halloween Horror Nights an hour before it officially opens
Prep for Florida weather
Many assume that a night in September or October will come with a certain chill and crisp air, as it is everywhere else in the United States. However, here in central Florida, it is quite the opposite. It does not cool down in central Florida until late December and early January. This means you will find temperatures lingering around 80 degrees, even in the middle of the night. On top of this, it will be humid and might even rain. All of this makes you feel pretty heavy during your trip. Be sure to dress in loose comfortable clothes and drink lots of water throughout the night. Stay hydrated and leave any sweaters or extra layers at home. Treat it as if you were traveling for a summer trip because essentially, that is what it is.
Understand that scare actors are just actors.
Next on the beginner’s guide to Halloween Horror nights is to understand that the scare actors are just actors. They are just people who woke up this morning, at their cereal, and dressed in costume to come to work. They also take their job seriously. Universal also takes its job seriously. For those deathly afraid of them, understand that Universal would not hire someone to hurt you, they do not want a lawsuit. So, the scare actors, though scary and in monstrous costumes, will not ever hurt you or touch you.
In the same sense, for those who are disrespectful and treat them like they are not people, you need to not touch them or hurt them or attack or yell at them in any way. Please be respectful to them and understand that they are people. They are your neighbors, your grocery store employers, and the students in your classrooms. Don’t be so afraid of them and also don’t harass them.
Stick to sidewalks and restaurants if you need a break
Another big and very important tip on the beginner’s guide to Halloween horror nights is to stick to the sidewalks and restaurants if you need a break. Even I, a seasoned Halloween Horror Nights fan need a break. In the beginning, when I was terrified and shaking at every corner, and even now when I am excited, prepared, and thrilled for it all, I still need that break.
At this event, it is very easy to get overwhelmed. There are strobe lights, bright lasers, loud noises, screams, and shouts coming from every signal corner for 8 hours in a row. If you know you will be awfully scared or if at any time you find yourself shaking or anxious, take to the sidewalks and stay calm. Scare actors will usually go for those walking through the middle of the road, most of the time, guests on the edges of the sidewalk are in a much safer position.
Then after passing through the scare zones, take some time to sit in any indoor restaurant for a sense of normalcy. Though there is excellent food outside and in the tents, this is where the hustle and bustle is. The point is to find someplace calm and away from the feeling of danger and relax. So head into Richter Burger or the Mel’s Drive-in restaurant and order some fries and a drink to sit in a friendly atmosphere while you calm yourself down.
Save rides for the end of the day
Lastly, on the beginner’s guide to Halloween Horror Nights, you want to save the rides for the end of the day. I know many will be upset about this, but truthfully, Halloween Horror Nights is not about the rides. Many go through houses and find themselves upset that they did not have time to ride any rides. Understand that this event is not about the rides. The rides will be there for years and years to come. These haunted houses are now and only now. They will change next year and you’ll never get to see that same house again.
Focus on the houses and make sure to go on those special ones that pique your interest. Then once there are about two hours left in the night, if you feel satisfied with your houses and are only left with those you aren’t interested in, then you may go ride some of the exciting rides. You don’t want to go on rides in the middle of the trip, it wastes precious time that could be spent on the limited-time houses. Prioritize the houses during this event to make sure you get the full use out of your ticket and save the ride for the end of the day or a separate trip.
Have a spooky time
Now you have reviewed the beginner’s guide to Halloween Horror Nights. We have covered when to arrive at the event, how to prepare, and what to do when you get there. All that is left is to have a ghoulishly great time at the premier Halloween event. Enjoy yourself at this iconic celebration of Halloween. Make sure to follow these tips and you are sure to have a wicked time. In the end, even those most afraid will be screaming for more.
Visiting the theme parks in the daytime? Check out How to do Universal Orlando in One Day.
Want a softer kid-friendly Halloween experience instead? Find out if Mickey’s Not so Scary Halloween Party is right for you.