It’s that time of year again when Universal Studios Florida transforms into a landscape of nightmares, with fog rolling in and shadows lurking around every corner. Halloween Horror Nights 2024 explores the realms of physical pain and psychological torment, weaving these themes into each of its ten haunted houses and five scare zones.
This year, the event brings to life major movie franchises like Insidious, Ghostbusters, and A Quiet Place, alongside a medley of Blumhouse films and original stories involving fictional B movies, a murderous birthday bash, crazed candy fiends, and much more.
To help you navigate this extensive lineup, we’ve put together a ranked list of all ten houses and five scare zones, from great to absolute favorites! Our rankings come from a mix of feedback from the online community and our team here at Orlando Informer. Both groups bring the same elements to the grading scale: an understanding of Horror Nights in years past, an appreciation of the source material, and an unrivaled enthusiasm for Halloween.
Ready to explore the ultimate fright fest? Let’s dive in.
Haunted Houses at Halloween Horror Nights 2024
10. Triplets of Terror
You’re invited to the Barmy triplets’ 59th birthday party! Junior, Melody, and Harmony – three siblings with a chilling past – have turned their celebration into a spectacle of blood, guts, and gore. In 1984, these relatives, raised in a hoarder’s home, gruesomely slaughtered their family. Every decade, they relive that horrific night, unleashing a murder spree in a new city. This chilling scenario is Halloween Horror Nights’ twist on a classic slasher. We took part in the Halloween Horror Nights Behind-the-Screams: Unmasking the Horror Tour, which includes Triplets of Terror in its 3-house lineup. Check out a lights-on look at this haunt here.
While Triplets of Terror earns points for its creative, original story, particularly with a nod to today’s true-crime podcast culture, a disturbing scene featuring a deceased dog detracts from the intended fear factor. Instead of inducing terror, this moment evokes sadness, which isn’t the emotion we’re seeking at this event.
9. The Museum: Deadly Exhibits
You’ve scored a ticket to the hottest exhibit in town, The Rotting Stone, but beware—the main attraction harbors a curse. A possessed spirit within causes decay wherever it lingers. We also toured this house before its opening, so make sure to check out our sneak peek here.
Stepping inside The Rotting Stone, you genuinely feel as if you’ve been transported into a museum. The details are incredible, with plaques throughout the house that the creative team has meticulously crafted, containing readable content—if you can manage between the scares, of course. However, the story is somewhat lacking, leading to scares that start to feel repetitive and predictable.
8. Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines
Universal Monsters is usually a highlight for our team, as it brings iconic characters together each year at Halloween Horror Nights. This year is particularly noteworthy as we anticipate the 2025 opening of Epic Universe and its Universal Monsters area, Dark Universe. Despite typically scoring high in our annual reviews, this year’s Universal Monsters house fell short of our expectations.
Eternal Bloodlines follows the saga of Saskia Van Helsing, daughter of Abraham Van Helsing. Teaming up with the Bride of Frankenstein, they confront Dracula’s daughter, Countess Marya, who, alongside She-Wolf, rises from the dead to avenge her father and obliterate the Van Helsing lineage.
Despite the promising battle of the bloodlines, the execution left something to be desired. While the house’s decor was visually impressive—earning a special place in our Halloween-loving hearts—the scares, unfortunately, felt repetitive once again.
7. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
As a Ghostbusters fan, the Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire house was my most anticipated attraction in the Halloween Horror Nights 2024 lineup. Ghostbusters boasts a rich history at Universal Orlando Resort—a legacy we explore in the house’s announcement—making its return to the park all the more exciting. Inspired by the 2024 film, this house recreates iconic moments and brings back fan-favorite characters, including plenty of Mini-Pufts.
This maze offers a fantastic scene-by-scene recreation of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, using the spacious location to showcase these scenes on a large scale. However, we missed hearing the iconic Ghostbusters theme song, which only played at the very end, giving it a bit of a “credits rolling” vibe. While we still prefer the 2019 Ghostbusters house, this one was overall a fun experience that shouldn’t be missed.
6. Monstruos: The Monsters of Latin America
After a successful run at Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights last year, the Latin American legends Tlahuelpuchi, La Lechuza, and El Silbón have made their way to Florida’s fright nights. Although a handful of the scares mirror those from the West Coast, Orlando’s creative team has enhanced this take on Monstruos: The Monsters of Latin America with additional scenes, taking advantage of the extra space available here.
The costumes are visually stunning, with La Lechuza being the standout, and the house incorporates animatronics to enhance the experience. Some of our team who saw Monstruos: The Monsters of Latin America during its run at Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights noted that it feels completely revamped and fresh this year.
5. Major Sweets Candy Factory
Let’s revisit 2022 Halloween Horror Nights when the New York area of the park was transformed by the Sweet Revenge scare zone. Here, children transformed into crazed killers after consuming candy from the Major Sweets Candy Factory, unleashing havoc at a Halloween carnival. Fast-forward two years, and we now have the Major Sweets Candy Factory house, a prequel to that beloved scare zone.
Enter the factory just days before the Sweet Revenge events, run by Major Sweets and Miss Treats—characters you might remember from the earlier storyline. They’re on the hunt for taste testers for their new monstrous candy concoction, using children on a field trip as guinea pigs. Watch as the factory worker, Taffy, feeds the sinister sweets to the children, transforming them before your very eyes.
This house was a blast and surprisingly interactive, with three guest-activated triggers (also known as G.A.T.) you can press throughout for extra scares. It’s also become our favorite house to be located in the San Francisco area over the past few years of Halloween Horror Nights.
4. A Quiet Place
Step into a house where silence isn’t just golden—it’s essential for survival. A Quiet Place house takes you through the events of the first two films in chronological order. With an emphasis on silence, you’ll find yourself wondering how this can be achieved at an event known for its screams. The creative minds behind this house have crafted it as an experimental endeavor: stay quiet, or the Death Angels will find you.
As you step inside, the usual noise of Halloween Horror Nights fades away, providing a rare moment of solace in the dark and quiet—until you realize bloodthirsty Death Angels are right behind you, creating an unnerving sense of dread. These creatures appear to be brought to life through puppetry, adding a unique visual element. There’s also a significant focus on the soundscape, making every subtle noise crucial to the experience. Listen closely.
3. Insidious: The Further
Step beyond the red door and enter The Further, a realm where demons and insidious spirits take you captive. The creators of this house designed it to immerse fright night guests in a feeling of entrapment and doom, enveloping them in a terrifying hellscape.
Insidious: The Further easily earns the title of the scariest house at Halloween Horror Nights 2024. This house plays on disorienting its patrons, with scareactors appearing in unexpected places, often in quick succession, keeping you on edge. The design also induces a sense of claustrophobia, making you feel as though The Further is closing in around you. For those seeking the ultimate scares, Insidious: The Further is an absolute must-see.
2. Goblin’s Feast
This house captures the essence of Halloween, teeming with goblins, orcs, giants, hobgoblins, and witches. While they celebrate their holiday festival, you are the intended feast. The experience masterfully blends horror with fantasy, weaving through settings like a tavern, a village, and a forest.
The diverse array of costumes for the fairy tale characters in Goblin’s Feast is truly impressive, featuring everything from stilts to puppets. Located in a new tent designed to accommodate taller elements, the setting includes not only allows for stilted costumes but also a towering giant water wheel that looms overhead, adding to the fantastical atmosphere.
1. Slaughter Sinema 2
Easily a fan favorite from 2018, Slaughter Sinema brought the latest B movies to life on the silver screen, featuring adventures in films with sacrificial sororities, werewolf bikers, and murderous barbers. This house inspired subsequent attractions like the 2019 house, Yeti: Terror of the Yukon, and the Meetz Meats snack stand in 2022, further establishing The Carey Drive-In as a cornerstone of HHN lore. Now marked with a “2” for its 2024 sequel, we have been eager to see the new terrors Universal has devised. The original house’s influence extended into the following years—what could this sequel spark next?
We also had the opportunity to preview this house before its opening and have broken down every film featured in Slaughter Sinema 2. Read all about it, including its easter eggs, here.
Slaughter Sinema 2 earns our top spot for Halloween Horror Nights 2024, proving to be a worthy successor to the original. Just like its predecessor, the house features a movie theater screen outside while you wait, hinting at films that may or may not appear inside. If you opt to skip the lights-on walkthrough that we mentioned above, you’ll be in for even more surprises. As you walk through, each corner reveals something new and unexpected, with every movie concept differing greatly from the last.
Halloween Horror Nights Scare Zones 2024
5. Duality of Fear (Production Central)
For over 33 years, the screams of Halloween Horror Nights guests have been collected within the depths of Universal Orlando Resort, festering beneath the surface until now… they’ve birthed two horrifying realms of fear. Meet SINIST3R, the guardian of physical pain, and SURR3AL, the overlord of psychological torment. As these new icons stand at the gates of their respective domains, you face a choice: which will you brave?
Let’s start with this area’s strengths. This is where SINIST3R and SURR3AL kick off the evening, welcoming guests to a night of fright during the opening scaremony, accompanied by the familiar sounds of scareactors revving their chainsaws. You can also catch SINIST3R and SURR3AL here at the end of the night, thanking guests for joining them. However, beyond this, the zone feels a bit lacking. The decor is minimal, and while it serves as an entryway into each icon’s dedicated area, we were hoping for something with a bit more substance.
4. Demon Queens (Hollywood)
Step into the realm of SURR3AL, the master of psychological torment. Dark portals with eerie scenes dominate the streets of Hollywood, where souls are trapped and overtaken. The central setpiece features a staircase adorned with skulls and spines. Keep your eyes peeled here throughout the night, as this spot is where SURR3AL commands her realm and summons her followers for a thrilling show. The queens in this area, who serve as SURR3AL’s followers, wear intricate and unique costumes that play on psychological fears. Enhanced by fantastic lighting, the atmosphere is set perfectly for this otherworldly nightmare.
3. Enter the Blumhouse (San Francisco)
Blumhouse Productions has cemented its place at Halloween Horror Nights, becoming a highlight of the event over the years. This year, the Enter the Blumhouse scare zone promises an unforgettable experience with an ensemble of villains from the silver screen, such as M3GAN and The Grabber. To prepare for this experience, consider brushing up on your Blumhouse favorites and hosting your own movie marathon. Line up films like Happy Death Day, Freaky, and The Black Phone to set the stage for this particular haunt.
Beyond that, this area is a blast, with plenty of recognizable characters throughout the zone. It’s also the ideal spot to snap a picture or two with your favorite Blumhouse faces.
2. Swamp of the Undead (Central Park)
Louisiana is known for its swamps, but the most terrifying one is right here: the Swamp of the Undead. This eerie expanse is overrun with dense foliage, forsaken boats, and zombies in all stages of decay. Dare to step into this living graveyard, and discover the chilling fate of those who trespassed into these cursed waters.
With the lush foliage in this area year-round, it perfectly sets the scene for a swamp. The fog lingers, enhancing the atmosphere and brilliantly recreating the eerie feel of a bayou. The decor is expertly chosen and crafted, creating the perfect hiding spots for scareactors to jump out from and evoking a sense of dread, as if anything could be lurking in the murky waters.
1. Torture Faire (New York)
Like many others, I adore a Renaissance faire. The creative brains at Halloween Horror Nights have taken this beloved concept and infused it with their unique, dark twist, creating the Torture Faire scare zone. Here, guests can explore a grim collection of recreated medieval torture devices with modern supplies, adding a sinister edge to the traditional festive atmosphere.
The cast kept the energy high all night, both in the streets and on the stages, adding an extra layer of excitement to the terrifying atmosphere. With New York being the largest scare zone area, the cast and creatives had plenty of room to create a truly immersive experience, and they didn’t disappoint. Don’t forget to check out the windows of the New York buildings—you might just spot some fun Easter eggs.
Read the scare zone announcement
Halloween Horror Nights 2024 Shows
Nightmare Fuel: Nocturnal Circus
While “Nightmare Fuel: Nocturnal Circus” at Halloween Horror Nights stands unchallenged in its category and claims the crown by default, its status as the sole contender doesn’t diminish its impressive production. Having occupied the former Fear Factor stage for the last several years, “Nightmare Fuel” annually evolves with new takes on twisted dreams.
This season introduces a shift from its usual theme, incorporating a heartbreaking love story. The plot centers around a hero who falls for an aerialist at a circus. Tragically, he and the audience witness her death during a performance. Cursed to relive this moment repeatedly, he must find a way to save her.
Despite the emotional storyline, the show remains raunchy and edgy, packed with jaw-dropping illusions, daring stunts, pyrotechnics, aerialists, and more, all designed to push the boundaries of your darkest nightmares.
Read the entertainment announcement
Halloween Horror Nights runs on select nights from August 30 through November 3. Find out everything you need to know about tickets here. Discuss it all with 170,000+ other Universal die-hard fans in our Orlando Informer Community on Facebook. And be sure to follow Orlando Informer on TikTok, Threads, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest news, tips, and more at Universal Orlando, Walt Disney World, and other Orlando attractions.
The post REVIEW: Halloween Horror Nights 2024 appeared first on Orlando Informer.
