The Complete Guide to Halloween Horror Nights – Universal Orlando
Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) is the preeminent annual Halloween event across the entire state of Florida. If you are a fan of Halloween or just love to be scared, this is the place for you to be every fall.
Typically held on select dates from late September until early November of every year, this separately ticketed event takes place in Universal Studios Florida theme park at the Universal Orlando Resort. The theme park closes early and is transformed into one amazing Halloween party which includes some the most frightening walk-thru haunted houses, terrifying scare zones and amazing live entertainment.
Originally started in 1991 at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, this sinister annual event is now available in all four of Universal’s worldwide theme parks including Universal Studios Hollywood (1997), Universal Studios Singapore (2012) and Universal Studios Japan (2012).
What time does Halloween Horror Nights start? Halloween Horror nights usually starts around 6:30 PM and ends at 1:00 AM or 2:00 AM in the morning so you will have many hours of terrifying fun.
The 2024 version of HHN will run on select nights from August 30th to November 3rd
Halloween Horror Nights 2024 (HHN 33)
For 2023, Halloween Horror Nights will run on select nights from August 30, 2024 to November 3, 2023 and will feature 10 haunted houses, two live shows and five scare zones to go along with themed food, drinks and merchandise.
- August 2024: 30 – 31
- September 2024: 1, 4 – 8, 11 – 15, 18 – 22, 25 – 29
- October 2024: 2 – 6, 9 – 13, 16 – 20, 23 – 27, 30 – 31
- November 2024: 1 – 3
What does is cost to attend Halloween Horror Nights 2024?
General admission tickets for Halloween Horror Nights 33 range in price from $82.99 to $122.99 per night. Prices vary based on the individual night and Friday / Saturday nights command the highest ticket prices.
A single time Express Pass starts from $129.99 and can be as high as $239.99 for the premium nights. Guests will be allowed to skip the regular lines one time per haunted house as well as participating rides and attractions.
Additional ticket packages from 2023 but have yet to be announced for 2024 include:
- Rush of Fear Pass: Get the first 18 nights of Halloween Horror Nights. The price for the Rush of Fear Pass is $179.99 and could be combined with Universal Express for $529.99.
- Frequent Fear Pass: Visit HHN for up to 30 nights which includes every Sunday to Thursday plus the first weekend of HHN. The price for the Frequent Fear Pass is $229.99 and could be combined with Universal Express for $609.99.
- Frequent Fear Plus Pass: Visit HHN for 40 nights every Sunday to Friday plus first and last Saturday event nights. The price for the Frequent Fear Plus Pass is $269.99 and could be combined with Universal Express for $699.99
- Ultimate Frequent Fear Pass: Access to every single night that Universal offers HHN plus free regular parking after 5:00 PM. The price for the Ultimate Frequent Fear Pass is $374.99 and could be combined with Universal Express for $919.99.
Additional premium experiences for HHN 32 (2023) included:
- Halloween Horror Nights RIP Tour: Priced from $359.99 to $469.99, guests will enjoy a guided VIP walking tour of the event as well as priority entry to all haunted houses.
- Halloween Horror Nights Behind-the-Screams: Unmasking the Horror Tour: Priced from $119.99 to $149.99 for a 3-haunted house tour or $169.99 to $199.99 for a six-house tour, guests will go behind the scenes for a VIP lights on tour of this year’s HHN haunted houses.
HHN for Universal Annual Passholders
If you area a Universal Orlando annual passholder, there are discounts available for purchase. However, Premier annual passholders get one free night of access to HHN during select nights (check out the benefits of being a Premier annual passholder by CLICKING HERE). These dates are as follows:
- September: 4 – 8, 11- 12, 15 ,18 – 19, 25 – 26
- October: 2 – 3, 9, 10, 30
- November: 1 – 3
2024 HHN Haunted Houses
There will be ten (10) Haunted Houses for HHN 33. The following houses have been announced for 2024:
- A Quiet Place
- Ghostbusters
- Insidious
- Eternal Bloodlines
- Slaughter Sinema 2
- Goblin’s Feast
- Major Sweets Candy Factory
- The Museum: Deadly Exhibits
- The Monsters of Latin America
- Triplets of Terror
2024 HHN Scare Zones
Throughout the park guests will find five (5) individual Scare Zones that will terrify guests as they pass through these areas on their way to the HHN haunted houses.
For 2024, these scare zones include:
- Enter the Blumhouse
- Duality of Fear
- Demon Queens
- Swamp of the Undead
- Torture Faire
In addition to the scare zones, Universal announced that the Death Eaters will be appearing at Diagon Alley in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
HHN Live Entertainment
We anticipate that Universal will bring back Nightmare Fuel with the “Nocturnal Circus” show for 2024. 2024 showtimes for Halloween Nightmare: Nocturnal Circus are 8:00 PM, 9:30 PM, 11:00 PM and 12:30 AM.
Halloween Horror Nights Food & Beverages
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal always brings out a vast array of themed food and specialty beverages to celebrate the scary season. Visitors will find a number of pop up bars and kisoks along with a number of the usual dining venues including:
HHN Stay and Scream Locations
Stay & Scream allows guests to stay in the park after it closes at 5:00 PM on Halloween Horror Nights events days. The main benefit of Stay & Scream is that guests have access to select HHN houses before the gates open at 6:30 PM which is a great way to finish a house (or two) before the crowds arrive.
Typically there are four (4) individual Stay & Scream locations which are as follows:
- Central Park / Springfield
- New York / Delancy Street Holding Area
- Today Show Cafe
It should be noted that there is a holding area for Universal Orlando hotel guests as they receive priority entrance over general admission. This area is by Sound Stage 18 which is the former Blue Man Group building.
Halloween Horror Nights Premium Scream Night
New for 2024 is the Halloween Horror Nights Premium Scream Night which is being held on August 29, 2024. While not cheap at $350 plus tax per person, this one-of-a-kind event offers a limited capacity with shorter waiting times, unlimited food and non-alcoholic beverages, a souvenir credential / lanyard and free parking.
Rides and Attractions Which Remain Open During HHN
Universal also keep several rides and attractions open during Halloween Horror Nights. For 2024 a number of the most popular rides will remain open. These include:
- Transformers The Ride – 3D
- Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit
- Revenge of the Mummy
- Men in Black Alien Attack
- Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
Shopping During HHN
HHN fans will find Halloween Horror Nights merchandise at the following stores throughout the Universal Studios Florida. In addition to these stores, there are kiosks / carts within the park as well as in Universal’s CityWalk.
- Universal Studios Store
- Sahara Traders
- San Francisco Candy Factory
- MIB Gear
- Supply Vault
- Diagon Alley Shops
- Borgin & Burkes
- Simpsons Games
- Kwik-E-Mart
- Five & Dime
In addition to the stores shown above, Universal opens the HHN TRIBUTE STORE during the Halloween season. The store has separate rooms featuring not only the latest merchandise but also throw back merch from prior years HHN events. There is also a fully stocked bakery offering Halloween Horror Nights themed cakes, donuts, pretzels and other tasty delights.
The Tribute Store is open all day and night during normal park operating hours. It is located in the New York area of Universal Studios Florida next to Macy’s and across from the Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Endless Summer Tips when Attending Halloween Horror Nights
If you are planning on visiting Universal for HHN, there are a number of things you need to know to get the most out of our visit. Following is a short list of our best tips when attending Halloween Horror Nights.
Buy Tickets in Advance
Halloween Horror Nights is one of the most popular special events of any Orlando theme park and tickets sell out quickly for some of the most popular nights. The last thing visitors want to do is wait on a long line for tickets only to find out that HHN is sold out for that particular evening.
Click here to purchase theme park tickets
Arrive Early (Stay & Scream)
At times Universal will reach capacity during the opening weekend so a number of guests will unfortunately be turned away. If possible, get in the park during the day before HHN opens (however a park ticket or annual pass is required for admission during the day). Guests with a valid HHN ticket are allowed to remain within Universal Studios Florida in four (4) corralled areas.
It has been our experience that the HHN park experience is open to guests in the corralled areas between 15 and 30 minutes of the opening of the gates. Therefore, guests already in the park get a jump start to the first Haunted House (or two, depending on crowd levels).
If you don’t have a park ticket or annual pass to get into Universal Studios Florida early, we recommend the $55.00 Scream Early Ticket which allows access to the park from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM followed by the ability to stay in a Stay & Scream area until the event begins. Important note: make sure you have a valid HHN admission ticket before purchasing Scream Early.
Develop a Plan
It makes sense to figure out which Haunted Houses you want to get to first as wait times can easily exceed 30 to 60 minutes on a typical weekend night. We recommend that HHN guests head to the newest / most popular houses first before the lines get long (which are typically near the front of the park in Production Central & New York), then move on to the other near Hollywood, near the E.T. Adventure and finally the ones near Men In Black Alien Attack.
We also recommend that you see the Live Entertainment later in the evening as the initial shows are always the most crowded.
Universal Express
It’s not cheap but the Universal Express pass is one of the best ways to experience Halloween Horror Nights. HHN Express Passes typically start from $89.99 and allow for front of the line access for each haunted house. If you are planning on attending on either a Friday or Saturday night during the month of October, Universal Express is highly recommended to ensure you are able to get through all the Haunted Houses.
Don’t forget that R.I.P. (VIP) Tours are offered which provide for immediate access to the Haunted Houses as well as current year shows.
If you are staying at a Universal on-site Premier level hotel (Portofino Bay, Hard Rock or Royal Pacific), the free Universal Express benefit is valid for normal operating hours only and does not extend to HHN nights.
Buy Merch During the Final Days
Although you might miss out on some of the more popular items if they are sold out, we have found the best time to be HHN merchandise is during the final days.
In prior years, Universal has discounted HHN merch in the Tribute Store by as much as 50%, depending on the items. So if you are looking to pick up a new HHN T-shirt, HHN themed lanyard or any other souvenir, try and wait until the end of the season.
