It’s the most wonderful time of the year. No, not Christmas — we’re talking Halloween season, baby! And in my household, that officially begins on the opening night of Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios.

Now in its 33rd year, Halloween Horror Nights (or HHN for short) is an annual event hosted at Universal Studios Florida. You’ll also find HHN at Universal Studios Hollywood, though the line-ups tend to deviate. I’ve never been to the Hollywood event so this article is specific to Halloween Horror Nights at the Universal Orlando Resort, but some of the following tips likely still apply.

Combining haunted houses, on-street entertainment, themed food and drinks, and more, HHN is a huge amount of fun for the casual and hardcore horror fan alike. But how do you have the most fun at HHN? Stick with me, kid, because I’ve spent the last few years organizing the annual excursion for my “scream squad” and have picked up some game-changing tips and tricks along the way.

From route planning to the hydration situation (no, seriously), here’s everything you need to know to have a killer time at Halloween Horror Nights 33.

The basics: What kind of HHN tickets do you need and when should you go?

The first thing you need to know if you’re planning to attend Halloween Horror Nights for the first time is that it’s a separately ticketed event, which means your regular park tickets or annual pass won’t get you in. The event can sell out, especially on weekends and around Halloween itself, so it’s best to snag your tickets in advance. It’s also a good idea to download the Universal Orlando Resort app and add your tickets to your virtual wallet to avoid keeping tabs on a paper pass (been there, done that, panicked when I thought I lost it).

The 2024 Halloween Horror Nights season is the longest yet, running every Wednesday through Sunday from August 30 until November 3. Single-night tickets start at $82.99 (plus tax) but can cost well over a hundred depending on what nights you plan to attend, so it’s well worth doing the math to see if a multi-night ticket is a better deal for you. Universal offers four different multi-night tickets that go up in price as the number of nights covered increases:

• Rush of Fear Pass: Covers the first 18 nights of the event only. Ideal for early birds. For HHN 33, pricing begins at $179.99 (plus tax) per person, which means it’s practically paid for itself by the end of the second night.
• Frequent Fear Pass: Covers every Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday night of the event (30 nights total). Ideal for folks who want more flexibility but prefer to avoid weekend crowds. For HHN 33, pricing begins at $239.99 (plus tax) per person.
• Frequent Fear Plus Pass: Covers every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday night of the event, plus the first and last Saturdays (40 nights total). Ideal for the die-hards who want to be there for opening and closing weekend. For HHN 33, pricing begins at $289.99 (plus tax) per person.
• Ultimate Frequent Fear Pass: Covers every night of the event (48 nights total). Ideal for locals. For HHN 33, pricing begins at $399.99 (plus tax) per person.

You also have the option to add a (pricey!) Express Access upgrade to any of the multi-night passes. At the time of writing, this upgrade is sold out for HHN 33 for all but the Rush of Fear Pass, though single-night Express Passes are still available (more about Express below). And if you’re an annual passholder, you may be able to get discounted or even free single-night event admission on select nights, so factor that into your considerations when choosing your ticket type. You can compare and contrast all the ticketing options by visiting the Universal Orlando Resort website.

Since October is a busy month for me, I prefer to visit HHN early in the season with a regular Rush of Fear Pass. It’s still busy, especially on weekends, but the lines aren’t nearly as long as they can get in late October. I recommend spending at least three nights at Halloween Horror Nights to ensure you have time to get your fill of the fog without feeling rushed, though there are ways to make a single night count (see below). Spreading your trip out can also help you account for potential washouts, which aren’t exactly uncommon in Florida during hurricane season.

Whatever you do, just remember that HHN doesn’t happen on Mondays or Tuesdays. So, if you’re going for a full week, consider building a couple of rest days into your schedule. (Or go ham at the water park. I’m not your mother.)

Image courtesy of Samantha McLaren

The extras: Is the RIP Tour at HHN worth it? What about Express?

Over the years, I’ve done HHN on the cheap and with all the bells and whistles attached, so if you have questions about whether an add-on is worth it, I’ve got you covered.

Personally, my favorite way to experience HHN is with an RIP Tour. This is a VIP, small-group guided walking tour that gets you front-of-the-line entry to all 10 haunted houses in a single night. That’s right: your tour guide walks you right up to the door of each house and takes you straight in — zero queuing required. You’ll also get reserved seating at the show, a pre-tour reception with tasty treats, a commemorative lanyard and button, and other fun little perks that make you feel like the fanciest ghoul at the ball.

Let’s rip (heh) the band-aid off and talk about cost. RIP Tours aren’t cheap — for HHN 33, they start at $369.99 plus tax per person — but for my scream squad at least, they’re worth the extra overtime at work. We like to schedule our RIP Tour for our very first night at the event, allowing us to experience everything HHN has to offer upfront so that we can prioritize our favorite houses on subsequent nights. It’s easier to wait in a 90-minute line if you know you really love that house.

If the cost of the RIP Tour is making your eye twitch, you may want to invest in an Express Pass instead. These start at $149.99 per person plus tax and allow you to skip the regular line once per house. Keep in mind though that you’re not skipping the line entirely, and on busy nights, Express wait times for popular houses can still be fairly high. If you’ve only got one night at HHN and you want to guarantee that you’ll see everything, splurging for the RIP Tour is still your best bet.

Whichever path you choose to reduce your wait times, you’ll still need separate admission to the event, so don’t forget to include the cost of your HHN tickets in your budget. After all, there’s nothing scarier than an unexpected expense on vacation.

There’s one other extra I’d highly recommend for the HHN completionist and that’s a Behind-the-Screams: Unmasking the Horror Tour. This won’t affect your wait times in the slightest, but it will give you a new appreciation for the thought and craftsmanship that goes into the houses at HHN.

Starting at $109.99 (plus tax) for the 3-house tour and $179.99 (plus tax) for the 6-house tour, Unmasking the Horror takes place during the day and gives you a light-on look at some of the haunted houses that will test your bladder during the evening event. Your tour guide will tell you the stories behind the houses, point out easter eggs, and even let you take pictures in certain areas. If you’re the sort of person who loves learning how special effects are done in your favorite horror movies, you’ll probably get a real kick out of this tour. Save it for the end of your trip if possible to avoid spoiling the surprise.

The lodging: Where should you stay during HHN?

Where you stay might not be at the top of your list of concerns for HHN, but trust me when I say that it can make a huge difference to your overall experience.

I stayed off-property for my first year at HHN and regretted that decision a little more every night as I hunted for my Uber in the chaotic parking garage. Since then, I’ve stayed at various Universal Orlando Resort properties and have never looked back.

As of 2024, the Universal Orlando Resort includes eight hotels, with three more scheduled to open in 2025. Of those eight, all but two (Dockside and Surfside Inn and Suites) include walking path access to Universal Studios Orlando. If you’re staying at one of the Signature Collection hotels (Portofino Bay, Hard Rock, Royal Pacific, or Sapphire Falls), you’ll also be able to travel to the park in style via the water taxi.

Why does this matter? Well, taking a water taxi or walking path to HHN means you get to avoid the crowded main entrance at Citywalk altogether. You’ll cruise through security and have access to a dedicated entrance for resort guests. And for my money, there’s no better feeling than slumping into a seat on the water taxi at 2 a.m., exhausted but happy, and feeling the wind in your hair as you sail toward your comfy bed.

Here are a few additional tips for getting the most out of an on-property stay at HHN:

• You can fit four people into a 2-bed room if you’re not afraid to snuggle up with your buddies. Hey, you’re gonna be clinging to one another in the houses, so why not practice in your room?
• Not sure you can make it to the end of the event at 2 a.m.? Staying at a Universal Orlando Resort property makes it easy to knock out a few houses when the gates open, head back to your hotel for a power nap, and then return to close out the night strong. That might sound psychotic, but house lines tend to get much shorter after midnight, so you can often race through a few of your favorites in a fraction of the time.
• All Signature Collection hotels except Sapphire Falls come with Express Passes to the theme parks, but these don’t extend to Halloween Horror Nights. So, if your top priority is shorter lines at HHN, it may be better to pick one of the cheaper hotel options and spend the money you saved on an Express Pass for the event instead.
• If you book your hotel early, check the rate from time to time in the lead-up to the event because it can fluctuate. I saved a cool $80 this year by calling the hotel and asking for the current passholder discount to be reflected. That’s $80 more pizza fries I can consume.

The fit: What should you wear to HHN?

Like choosing your lodging, deciding what to wear might not be at the top of your mind as you plan your HHN trip, but don’t throw just anything into your suitcase. I’m speaking from painful experience when I say that the wrong outfit — and especially the wrong shoes — can ruin your HHN experience.

On any given HHN night, you’re likely to walk the length of the park several times over and stand in line for multiple hours. Last year, I walked a minimum of 20,000 steps every day during my trip. That’s why my motto is “stylish from the ankles up” (and why you’ll often see me sitting with my feet in the hot tub first thing in the morning). I tend to err toward sneakers, though I’ve also found Tevas good for utility and comfort. My well-worn Doc Martens once left me with the biggest blisters you’ve ever seen after a long night at HHN, so I leave those suckers at home now.

Remember: pus belongs in the houses, not on your feet.

Above the ankles, feel free to live your Hot Topic fantasy. Universal doesn’t allow obvious costumes lest you be mistaken for a scareactor, but you can usually get away with a look inspired by your favorite house or horror character if you’re so inclined (think Disney-bounding if it was designed specifically to upset Walt).

Oh, and prepare to get a little wet. As I said, it rains a lot in Orlando during Halloween season. Luckily, you’ll have plenty of time standing in line to dry off.

The route: What houses should you hit first at HHN?

Alright, you’re heading into the park and you’re ready to get your scare on. Where do you go first?

If you have daytime park tickets, I strongly recommend using the “Stay & Scream” option. This allows you to hang out in a designated holding area while the park resets for HHN and is often a great way to knock out a few houses before the event officially opens at 6:30 p.m. There are a few different Stay & Scream areas to choose from that feed into different houses, so scope them out and make your choice during your day at the park. Just make sure you’re in your chosen holding pen by 5 p.m. when the park closes to daytime guests or risk being booted out to wait behind the gate with everyone else.

Whether you stay and scream or not, chances are that the houses at the front of the park will have the longest lines. For Halloween Horror Nights 2024, three of the four IP (intellectual property) houses — Insidious: The Further, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, and A Quiet Place — are all located near the entrance, and you can expect their lines to remain consistently over the one-hour mark. I prefer to start in the back where it takes a little longer for the wait times to creep up, but if you’re dying to tiptoe through the tulips with the Lipstick-Face Demon or try your darndest to stay silent in A Quiet Place, knocking your must-have house off your list early in the night can help curb the FOMO.

After you’ve screamed yourself hoarse in your first few houses of the night, consider taking a break to reset and refuel. In addition to indulging in a themed snack (or six), this is a great opportunity to ride a couple of rides, often with virtually no line. Not everything will be open, but you’ll have some Halloween-adjacent options like Revenge of the Mummy and Men in Black: Alien Attack, as well as the chance to ride the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster in the dark if you want to keep the screams coming.

My top tip? Don’t sleep on the show! HHN 33 brings us Nightmare Fuel: Nocturnal Circus, and if the previous years’ Nightmare Fuels are any indication, it’s likely to be fun, fiery, and extremely horny (like seriously, so goddamn horny, don’t take grandma). Come for the incredible aerial stunts and the ladies licking fire; stay for all the emos in the audience perking up the second “Welcome to the Black Parade” starts playing.

Here are a few other key considerations when planning your night at HHN:

• If you intend to Stay & Scream, don’t wear yourself out at the park before the event even starts. My group tends to sleep in and cruise over in the early afternoon, but if you’re a morning person, you could always take a break in the middle of the day (when the Florida heat is at its most unforgiving) instead.
• It’s usually still bright out when HHN starts, at least during September. After staring into the sun all day, your eyes will take a moment to adjust to the dark houses, which has led me to walk square into the scenery before (staff once had to rescue me when I got turned around in a dark corridor). It might help to wear sunglasses for a few hours before entering your first house, but I’d still advise keeping a cautious hand out in front of you if in doubt.
• Keep an eye on the Universal Orlando app (or the screens located around the event) to monitor wait times, but resist the urge to drop your pizza fries and sprint to the other side of the park the second a house starts posting a short wait time. You certainly won’t be the only person to have that idea and the line will likely have expanded by the time you arrive.
• Set aside some time to explore the scare zones rather than just power walking through them on your way to your next house. I’m especially excited for the Torture Faire and Demon Queens zones this year, which sound horrifying and camp respectively. I also can’t wait to see my girl M3GAN in the Enter the Blumhouse zone after somehow missing the dancing M3GANs flashmob entirely in 2023.
• Consider visiting the Tribute Store (located in the New York area of the park) during the day if you can. It can get incredibly crowded during HHN, which makes it tricky to appreciate all the intricate theming while you’re blowing your paycheck on merch.
• As mentioned earlier, crowds start thinning significantly in the final few hours of the night. If you can stay awake, the post-midnight slump is the perfect time to run through a few favorites or catch anything you missed. I’ve also found that if you’re already in line for your favorite house when 2 a.m. strikes, they’ll let you complete the run.

The snacks: What should you eat and drink at HHN?

You can’t go to HHN without getting yourself a little treat. Throughout the park, you’ll find dozens of food booths offering food and drink themed to the different houses, as well as perennial favorites like pizza fries and twisted taters. Some of my most anticipated treats for Halloween Horror Nights 2024 include the Mini Stay-Puft S’more of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and the demented Wooden Board Éclair for A Quiet Place. Like seriously, whoever came up with that deserves a raise.

While there are plenty of meaty options (often with horrifying implications) at HHN, Universal has also upped its vegan and vegetarian offerings over the years. The vegetarian in my scream squad never has any trouble finding something delicious to snack on at HHN and is thrilled to see Pumpkin Guts back on the menu this year.

If you’re looking for a little liquid courage to help you brave the horrors of Insidious: The Further, you’ll find alcoholic options at most food booths, as well as at the various bars scattered throughout the park. I’m a creepy cocktail ghoulie (bonus points if it’s blue), but there’s no shortage of beer and spirits floating around either. Just don’t puke on a scareactor or your guts may be used to decorate a house next year.

Here are a few life hacks to help you eat and drink like a demon queen at HHN 33:

• The line for pizza fries tends to be long. If you’re visiting Islands of Adventure during the day, you can get pizza tots (same idea, different potato configuration) from the Green Eggs and Ham food location in Seuss Landing to satisfy your craving early.
• If you want to take a little break from the crowds in the park but still want to enjoy an eerie atmosphere, consider visiting the Dead Coconut Club in Citywalk. Universal does a great job decking this space out with a different theme each year, and for 2024 season, you’ll find both a neon-tastic 80s vampire situation downstairs and a Blumhouse mashup upstairs. Just be aware that the drinks can run on the sweet side.
• Drink plenty of water. You’re rolling your eyes but here’s where the life hack comes in: you see those Coca-Cola Freestyle machines scattered around the park? You need to pay for a cup to get soda, but you can get water for free. Bring your own bottle and avoid paying $5+ every time you feel a dehydration headache coming on. You’re welcome.

Image courtesy of Samantha McLaren

Your Halloween Horror Nights adventure awaits

Now that you know what to expect at HHN, you’re ready to have the vacation of your dreams (or should that be nightmares?).

For extra credit, consider reading up on some of the HHN lore before you go (there’s a lot of it) or watching the horror films that you’ll soon be stepping inside of (if you haven’t seen it yet, A Quiet Place: Day One gets our heartiest recommendation).

Have a scarily good time, and maybe we’ll see each other in the fog…