Do you dare to venture out to this year’s Halloween Horror Nights? If so, you are in for a real treat. I’ve put together the top mistakes you MUST avoid to help you survive Halloween Horror Nights (HHN).
Halloween Horror Nights is an event takes place annually from September until late October at Universal Studios Florida.
However, this year it’s running from August 30th until November 3rd of 2024!
It’s a premiere event with new levels of fear and terrifying haunted houses along with outrageous entertainment.
So today, I take it as a great honor to give you a few tips to help you have the best HHN vacation EVER!
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First, listen to Podcast Episode 30 below on How to Do Halloween Horror Nights like a true Pro Below!
Halloween Horror Nights at a Glance:
- HHN runs from August 30th until November 3rd of 2024!
- Tickets start at $82.99
- There will be 10 haunted houses and 5 scarezones
- You can purchase an Express Pass to skip the lines
- Capture the most incredible photos with a group of your beloved Hipster Friends
- Be sure to grab the latest HHN merchandise
- Take the challenge and go ALONE!
- Eat your way through the haunted event with the ghoulish cuisine (my favorite thing to do)!
Keep reading to get a full guide on how to conquer this Florida event like a pro!
1. Not Getting to Halloween Horror Nights Early
This is one of the biggest Halloween Horror Nights mistakes you can make.
If you’re lucky enough, you may be able to get into the park early and knock out two to three houses within one hour.
Get your discounted HHN Tickets on Groupon TODAY!
2. Going Alone
Yeah, yeah I know I’m the solo travel chick, but there’s something so special about going to HHN as a group.
It increases the excitement of the night and you create so many fun memories.
Not-to-mention, you’ll have plenty of people to hide behind in the HHN haunted houses!
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3. Bringing Little Kids to Halloween Horror Nights
Now I’m not going to judge you on the decision you make, just know that this is not your Mickey Mouse bubbly Halloween party!
HHN is the world’s premiere Halloween event, so the creators of this event HOLDS NOTHING BACK!!!
The imagery is incredibly intense and the scareactors do not discriminate on who they will torment.
So before you bring your child, be sure to watch a few Halloween Horror Nights Vlogs on YouTube to get an idea of how the event is.
An official statement from Universal states that this event may be too intense for young children.
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4. Not Choosing the Best HHN Outfit
It’s important to know what to wear at Halloween Horror Nights.
What I do recommend is wearing comfortable sneakers for all of the standing, walking, and running you will be doing.
Don’t forget to pair your shoes with a light-weight t-shirt and comfortable shorts or pants.
Ready to plan your theme park trip? Watch the best vacation planning tips on YouTube. Get started here!
5. Not Having a Game Plan
This is one of the biggest Halloween Horror Nights mistakes to AVOID on your trip!
Be sure to Route your path around the park in advance by retrieving the Halloween Horror Nights park map.
Once you have a Halloween Horror Nights itinerary and game plan in place, you’ll be at ease knowing how to tackle the night.
Be sure to watch this video to learn all the best hacks and tips for HHN here!
6. Not Attending Halloween Horror Nights on Off Peak Nights
If you want to avoid the Halloween Horror Nights crowd as much as possible, then it’s vital for you to visit on the slower days.
I recommend visiting Universal HHN Sunday through Thursday to take advantage of the cheaper days (especially for Florida Residents or Annual Passholders) and the smaller crowd.
Get your discounted HHN Tickets on Groupon TODAY!
7. Not Getting Your Halloween Horror Nights Tickets in Advance
This is another one of the top Halloween Horror Nights mistakes many people make for the event.
It’s best to buy your tickets ahead of time. This prevents waiting in a line once you arrive at HHN.
You’re going to be doing a lot of standing in line and you DON’T want to add buying tickets the night of to that list.
Plus, it’s cheaper to get your HHN tickets in advance from a variety of websites online.
8. Not Getting a Halloween Horror Nights Express Pass
You may be wondering, is a Halloween Horror Nights Express Pass worth it?
Absolutely!
This is a must-have upgrade for HHN!!!
Halloween Horror Nights is extremely popular, if not the most popular Halloween event in Central Florida.
This popularity sometimes leads to wait times for haunted mazes exceeding three hours.
9. Not Buying a Unique Halloween Horror Nights Experience
Try out the Unmasking the Horror Tour where you’ll have a daytime, lights-on, chilling look into how Universal Orlando’s Art & Design team transforms the biggest names in horror into haunted houses.
This is one of the BEST things to do at Halloween Horror Nights!
10. Not Staying Hydrated
HHN requires A LOT of walking and sweating!
This is one of the biggest Halloween Horror Nights mistakes that you don’t want to fall victim to.
If you’re trying to do all of the houses, scare zones, shows, stores, and food, then you MUST remember to stop and drink a bottle of water every hour on your trip.
It’ll help make your next day recovery much better.
11. Not Watching Halloween Horror Nights Vlogs
One of the best things you can do to prepare for HHN is to watch vlogs from some of the top creators.
View vlogs from people such as the Knight’s Trek, Zombie Chris or Losh TV to help get you excited for HHN.
Ready to start planning your next Universal Orlando vacation? Listen to the latest podcast episode on Apple or on your non-Apple device now!
12. Wearing Costumes to HHN
Please remember that costumes are NOT permitted at Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights. This is for the protection of you, the scareactors, and the guest at Universal Studios.
Get your discounted HHN Tickets on Groupon TODAY!
13. Not Letting Your Guard Down
Just have fun!
You’re really going to have a great time, so try not to stress too much and enjoy the delightfully, ghoulish frights of Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights!
There you have it, 13 easy first timer tips to do Halloween Horror Nights like a pro!
What’s the number one mistake you think people make when going to Halloween Horror Nights? Leave your comment below!
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Until next time, Happy Park Hopping Hipsters!
About the Author
My name is Nikky. I’m a wife, a mother, a pharmacist turned theme park blogger, USA Today 10Best Contributor, and a writer who loves ALL things amusement park related!
Traveling alone to the parks has changed my life and I want to show how you can create your own solo theme park memories.
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(Original Article Date: October 28, 2018/Updated August 05, 2024)