By: Denna Beena
Halloween Expert Happy Halloween or I mean September because as you know, Halloween begins in September here in Orlando! If you haven't already got your Halloween planning going, better JUMP on it! Check our awesome Halloween Guide and get in as much seasonal fun as you can!
The Daily City, and by that I mean me, made the first trip to Halloween Horror Nights last night and it was gooood, really good! For those of you who follow us on Instagram, you could see some photos and videos.
This year is Halloween Horror Nights 25th anniverscary (see what I did there!) and Universal has upped their game by presenting 9 houses/ mazes and 5 Scarezones! More than ever before!
from the press release:
"This year, the number of elaborate haunted houses has increased to nine – more than ever before. Guests will… • Witness the ultimate battle of evil vs. evil in “Freddy vs. Jason”
• Relive atrocities from the fifth season of AMC’s “The Walking Dead”
• Step inside the most sinister scenes from the “Insidious” film series
• Face masked vigilantes who purge as they are entitled in “The Purge”
• Fend off ferocious werewolves in “An American Werewolf In London” – one of the top-rated haunted houses in Horror Nights history
• Risk survival in four original haunted houses, including Jack Presents: 25 Years of Monsters and Mayhem; Body Collectors: Recollections; RUN: Blood, Sweat and Fears; and Asylum in Wonderland – 3D."
My personal favorite was Jack Presents: 25 Years of Monsters and Mayhem! It brought back so many favorites and the favorite parts of the favorites! We went through it twice and I wanted to go through a few more times! You really see different things each time!
Here's my tips for making the most of your Halloween Horror Nights!
#1 Invest! Invest time, invest money.
Get there early, stay late. There is so much to see, so much walking to be done. If you get there early and stay til close you'll get the best chance to see the most!
Also invest yo money.... A RIP Tour is the top of the line way to not only make it through all 9 houses in one night but you'll also get great seats for Bill and Ted! You'll be lead around the park by your very own tour guide. No unfolding and folding that map trying to get around the park.
If the RIP Tour is a bit too much, the next best thing is the Halloween Horror Night's Express Pass. This will at least cut your wait times down. At last night's opening, we saw wait times of 90 plus minutes and several of the houses.
Another great options is the Frequent Fear Pass. This will give you the opportunity to go multiple dates so not only will you have several days to make it to each house, you will get the chance to visit and re-visit your favorites.
#2 Think things through.
Wear comfortable shoes. Leave your fancy shoes at home and skip the flip flops. Don't let your little tootsies get stomped on or the back of your shoe stepped on. Trust me, you will be walking and walking. And walking.
Scale down to only the bare essentials, meaning leave your bag at home. You'll save time not having to go through bag check and it will speed up the time you spend at the security check. If you can fit your camera safely in your pocket and of course your phone, some cash/ credit card and your ID if you are drinking, you are set!
#3 Keep your eyes akimbo!
Just because you went through a scare zone doesn't mean it stays the same! This year, there are several zones and houses that change! Different casts will give different experiences at different time through out the event.
You also have the roaming scareactors and move around things like The Rat Lady. Yes, she and her cutie little friends are back!
So there you have it! Go out and Horror Night it up!
Check out part of the presentation from last night's media event. If you don't want too much spoiled about the houses, watch up to 12:40 then skip to 30:00 to watch part of the GREAT Q&A with John Landis (director of American Werewolf in London), Greg Nicotero (The Walking Dead director and SFX) and Chandler Riggs (Carl/The Walking Dead)! Otherwise, watch it all and Mike Aeillo will tell you a bit about each of the houses!
Enjoy of few photos from last night :)
