Halloween Horror Nights Orlando Showcases Its Spooky Original Haunts

This year’sUniversal Studios Halloween Horror Nightsin Orlando , Florida , brings afull slate of horror — tapping into both familiar and original frights to recognise the nightmares in its haunted houses . io9 was ask for to visit all of them in one dark on an “ RIP Tour ” with other members of the press ; it was an adrenaline - charge sprint through the 2022 case .

Before the go we got a special presentation from Lora Sauls , Manager of Entertainment Creative Development and Show Director ofUniversal Studios Orlando . Sauls describe this year ’s offerings as a squad effort that came from the collaborative stable of storytellers at the East Coast haunt , who are known to never rehash frights if they can help it . “ We all get in a way and put down every approximation like harebrained scientists , really , ” shared Sauls . “ All the ideas [ get ] written up on a whiteboard — it looks absolutely insane—[and ] all the environments on another whiteboard . And there ’s pipeline [ connect ] all these things . Here , we feel with these noetic properties , with these original content mazes , we have a really great slate because we want to be various . We need to have something for everyone . We do n’t require to stay in one genre . ”

Horror-Film Based Houses

This year leans heavily on the slasher . There ’s a Blumhouse dual feature article house write of Freaky and The Black Phone , offering straightforward interpretations of the recent repulsion moving-picture show . The scares are slick , but more jumps than rooted horror due to both films being more in the thriller wheelhouse . It ’s a petty voiceless for a haunt star sign to translate the body - switch aspect of Freaky , which is about a teen inhabited by the spirit of a slayer . Similarly , The Black Phone has a challenge with conveying why the Grabber ( the fry killer played in the picture by Ethan Hawke ) is in particular chilling outside of the creepy design on his mask . Elsewhere , HHN ’s Halloween attraction put up a new interpretation of the Carpenter classic ; it ’s the first clock time the Halloween house has featured the serial ’ iconic Final Girl , Laurie Strode , going head to manoeuvre with Michael Myers . From a storytelling perspective , all of these house were interesting to expect at and the Boogeyman is never not scary .

The exuberance to elevate the graphics of the experience also could be see in the Weeknd ’s Afterhours Nightmare house , which feel like a horror movie version of some of the soda star ’s large hits . Yes , there was a incandescent lamp hall moment like the artist ’s Super Bowl set , but what was so fascinating about the theater was the fashion it transported you into different topographic point that feel very unlike than the standard linear house design . At one moment , you ’re in a classy , Kubrick - esque supper club with an actor performing as the Weeknd , who entertains you and lulls you into a gumption of safety — then bam ! You get a sudden fearfulness from where you ’d least expect . Major props to the “ scareactors ” in this one for really being capable to read the room as they do , distracting visitors and letting their castmates strike for maximum screaming .

The Halloween Horror Nights Universe of Monsters

Everybody knows the Universal Monsters , but this yr ’s attraction is n’t just a re - telling of the classic movies — it build up on the stories while also pay us some epical encounter and “ what - ifs . ” The Legends Collide house pits Dracula vs. the Wolfman vs. the Mummy , as they all seek a mysterious precious stone that could help them manage their curses to reign supreme — but then lead into some brute - on - animal conflict when they all arrive at the same ruins to collect .

The effort put in to not only repair classics but also continue to grow HHN ’s own stable of terror titans can be witness in its original mazes . My favorite this class is Dead Man ’s Pier : Winter ’s Wake , which recreate a New England ﬁshing Greenwich Village with undead ﬁshermen obsess frozen - over seaboard shacks ( bless the AC crucify in this house ) , plus plenty of other aquatic horror creature . Then there ’s the fun Fiesta de Chupacabras house which highlights a popular Latin American cryptid myth , set in a small town that lures unsuspecting tourists into the maw of the cultural beast . For those of you who are new to the interconnected tale of Orlando ’s original tales I definitely urge digging into Halloween Horror Nights : Haunted Tales , the podcast associate anthology the creatives at Universal released to go alongside the family forDead Man ’s wharf , Chupacabras ( inEnglishandSpanish ) , and theSweet Revengescare geographical zone .

Throughout the hangout juggernaut ’s 10 houses and multiple themed scarezones there ’s a boo - field-effect transistor of repulsion subgenres to feast on ( lest you permit yourself get feasted on , of course of action ) . With ghosts , flapper witches , retro futurist creepy crawlies , post - apocalyptic gore , and more , there ’s for sure no other Halloween upshot with this much to keep you occupied — and it ’s near impossible to do in one night unless you reserve an RIP Tour ( which is exhausting in its own right , but could be deserving it if you have a small window of prison term to visit ; the amazing guides quick to dole out small beer are a particularly fun part ) . in person , I ’d choose for two to three nights with an Express Pass , especially if you ’re traveling especially for the consequence , to really take in the environments , take in the display ( which I regrettably overleap ) , try out all the spooky snacks , and ride some rides while aim multiple rupture from Orlando ’s spicy , humid conditions ( you will postulate these breaks ) . You do n’t want to step on it through this event , as the theatricality and intent of the time of year is one .

Photo: Universal Parks and Resorts

Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights Orlando runs through October 31 . For more information , let in tag details , check out the event’sofficial website .

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Ethan HawkeFilmsHalloweenHorrorLaurie StrodeUniversal MonstersUniversal Studios

Lora Sauls presents Halloween Horror Nights.