Halloween Horror Nights Trip Day 3
“I put a spell on you and now you’re mine”— I Put a Spell on You (Hocus Pocus)
The day had finally arrived. It was time for me to experience Halloween Horror Nights for the very first time! For those who don't know me personally, let me give you a little background. I'm not particularly bothered by gruesome scenes, monsters, or anything like that. What I absolutely CANNOT handle is a jump scare. And I don't just mean intentional jump scares. When I was younger and living at my parents' house, I would scream and jump if I opened my bedroom door and unexpectedly found someone walking down the hallway. Even now, if I'm focused on something at my desk at work and someone approaches without me noticing, I practically jump out of my seat.
I'm sharing this so you understand that my problem isn't necessarily being afraid of monsters. It's that I'm apparently incapable of handling anything appearing unexpectedly! With that information, you can probably understand why I had avoided Halloween Horror Nights for so many years. But today was the day!
We spent the morning and early afternoon catching up on client work before our big evening.I headed down to Bayliner Diner for lunch and enjoyed a delicious chicken sandwich. When I returned to our room, I discovered that Emily had transformed our living area into a full-blown craft station and was rapidly creating spooky-inspired friendship bracelets.I don't think I've properly explained how impressed I was with this girl's packing skills.The previous night, she had surprised me by pulling out a MULTI-POUND bag of Epsom salt AND one of those spa foot bath massagers. How she managed to fit everything into her luggage is beyond me. So, while I probably shouldn't have been surprised to discover an entire bracelet-making operation in our room, I absolutely was.She even made me a bracelet featuring the character I had declared my favorite from Five Nights at Freddy's, despite the fact that I'd never actually seen the movie. She also supplied me with a Dark Mark temporary tattoo so I could represent a franchise I actually knew something about. Now I was ready!
Our tickets allowed us to enter the park before the event officially started, so we decided to use that time to explore and sample some of the specialty food. Only certain houses were available during early access, but we were more interested in checking out the food booths before the crowds arrived. Our first stop was the Clown Cafe food booth, where we tried the Art the Clown Sunflower Glasses Cookies. Emily also sampled a few items from the Fallout food booth.
Next, we headed to Louie's Italian Restaurant, which had been transformed into Freddy Fazbear's Pizza Place for the event. We were on a mission to check out the themed cupcake, but something unexpected happened while we were taking pictures with the character cutouts. A family noticed us taking photos and offered us their cupcake! They had purchased it specifically for pictures and didn't want it afterward. Were we going to turn down a free cupcake?Absolutely not!
With our cupcake mission accomplished, I grabbed a margarita, and we headed toward the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in hopes of encountering some Death Eaters.
This ended up being one of my absolute favorite experiences of the entire night. We started encountering Death Eaters, and whenever they approached us, Emily and I proudly showed off our Dark Mark tattoos. They seemed to appreciate our loyalty. Eventually, we were selected to participate in a wand showdown with the Death Eaters! Now, if you know me, you know I'm a proud Hufflepuff. Naturally, I was wearing my Hufflepuff backpack. During the showdown, our backs were facing the audience when someone in the crowd yelled:
"NOT THE HUFFLEPUFF!"
If you ever hear me randomly say that phrase, now you know where it came from. It was easily one of the highlights of my night, and I hadn't even stepped foot inside a house yet!
We met up with our new friend Josh, whom we'd met during the previous day's training, and officially became a trio for the rest of the evening. While waiting for our next activity, we explored some of the scare zones.
One of my favorites was The Cat Lady of Crooked Lane. The storyline involved a mysterious cat lady who lured trick-or-treating children into her house and transformed them into cats. Throughout the scare zone, you could encounter children in various stages of their transformations. I thought this entire concept was hilarious.
At one point, I sat off to the side while Emily and Josh captured some footage. One of the cat characters approached me and stared, apparently confused that I wasn't running away. I calmly explained that my own cat had already gotten to me, so I was good. Then I showed him the scratch Oso had given me a few days earlier when I took him to the vet. Oso is NOT a fan of veterinary appointments. Apparently, that was enough to disturb the cat character because he walked away! Who knew having an actual cat injury would be an effective defense mechanism at Halloween Horror Nights?
Next, we headed over to see Nightmare Fuel. I'd heard so many great things about this show, but I genuinely wasn't expecting such impressive production quality. The performances and overall presentation were incredible. Unfortunately, something happened in the middle of the performance, and the show had to stop. I never got to see the ending, which was disappointing because I was really enjoying it!
It was finally time. My first Halloween Horror Nights house EVER! We decided to start with Five Nights at Freddy's because I figured the creepy animatronic characters would be easier for me to handle than a house filled with human jump scares. I've read the Kingdom Keepers series. I can handle living Audio-Animatronics, right? (Please tell me someone understands that reference!) My strategy was simple. I insisted on leading our group because I wanted to control how closely we followed the people in front of us. My theory was that if I stayed close enough to them, I could watch where they were getting scared and prepare myself accordingly. I was particularly suspicious of the transitions between rooms because those seemed like obvious opportunities for jump scares.
I was convinced one of those creepy little cupcakes would be my downfall. I was close. It wasn't a cupcake.
IT WAS A GIANT BEAR FIST COMING THROUGH A WALL!
I jumped so dramatically that I practically landed on the guy walking in front of us. I don’t think he was as amused as I was. He was younger, and I suspect he was a little embarrassed by the entire situation.
So, what did I think of my first HHN house?
The level of detail was absolutely incredible. I knew Universal would deliver an immersive experience, but seeing the craftsmanship firsthand gave me an entirely new appreciation for what goes into creating these houses. Unfortunately, even with relatively few human jump scares, I spent the entire experience anticipating the next one. I was so focused on preparing myself to be startled that I couldn't fully appreciate everything happening around me. I'm genuinely glad I experienced it, especially since I went into the house knowing practically nothing about Five Nights at Freddy's. But I also confirmed something I'd suspected for years. Haunted houses might not be for me!
After surviving my first house, we continued exploring the scare zones. By this point, it was completely dark, which made everything significantly more intimidating. Eventually, we found ourselves in Mutations: Toxic Twenties. This was where I started reaching my limit. Unlike some of the other scare zones, where the characters were fairly easy to identify, this one featured scare actors who could blend into the crowd. Unless I spotted the glowing, toxic-looking portions of their faces, I couldn't always tell who was a regular guest and who was about to jump out at me.
I'd officially had enough. Fortunately, Universal had introduced something that seemed practically designed for people like me: the Deathly Afraid necklace. I immediately headed into the Tribute Store and purchased one. For anyone unfamiliar with it, the Deathly Afraid necklace is a light-up accessory that signals to scare actors that you'd prefer a little more personal space and fewer intentional scares. There are some important limitations. It only applies to scare zones, not haunted houses, and it doesn't guarantee a completely scare-free experience. For example, an actor approaching from behind might not see your necklace. But for me? IT WAS AMAZING!
Emily and Josh could still enjoy getting scared, while I could participate without constantly anticipating someone jumping into my personal space. Even better, the scare actors still interacted with me! In fact, I found those interactions even more entertaining because the actors would engage with me instead of simply trying to startle me. The carnival chainsaw crew even made fun of me for wearing the necklace, which I thought was absolutely hilarious. It completely changed my experience for the better.
Eventually, Emily and Josh wanted to experience more houses.
I had absolutely no interest in putting myself through that again, so we temporarily went our separate ways.I found a quiet spot near Men in Black, away from the scare zones, grabbed a Diet Coke, and settled in to enjoy the atmosphere while they continued their adventures. And you know what? I was perfectly happy!
I could still enjoy the energy of Halloween Horror Nights without spending the rest of the evening wondering what was going to jump out at me. We eventually reunited and managed to stay until the very end of the event.
By the time we made it back to Cabana Bay, it was 2:23 AM. I don't think I've ever fallen asleep so quickly!
So, after years of avoiding Halloween Horror Nights, what did I think? I actually REALLY enjoyed it! The amount of creativity, detail, and craftsmanship that goes into the haunted houses is incredible. Even though I only experienced one house, I was genuinely impressed by how immersive it was. The scare actors throughout the event were fantastic, and some of my favorite moments came from interacting with them in the scare zones. I also loved the themed food, entertainment, and especially our experiences with the Death Eaters. My biggest takeaway is that you don't necessarily have to enjoy haunted houses to have a good time at Halloween Horror Nights. I wish I could handle jump scares because I would LOVE to explore more houses and appreciate all the details Universal puts into them. Unfortunately, I spend so much time anticipating the next scare that it's difficult for me to enjoy the experience.
Would I go back? I probably wouldn't plan another trip specifically for Halloween Horror Nights on my own. However, I certainly wouldn't say never! With the right people, a Deathly Afraid necklace, and perhaps a little convincing, I could absolutely see myself returning. After all, I survived my first Halloween Horror Nights experience! And I have Emily to thank for getting me there in the first place.
Want to experience Universal Orlando, Halloween Horror Nights, or somewhere else in the world? I'd love to help you plan your next adventure!
