Ultimate Halloween Horror Nights 23 Touring Plan

We’re heading into the home stretch of Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights 23, and if you plan on facing the undead hordes you’ll need a good plan now more than ever. Luckily for you, we’ve been on the ground every weekend of the event so far, and have recorded over 300 pieces of wait-time data for the haunted houses.

Here’s the final result: field-tested touring plans, designed to help you tackle all eight mazes in a single evening without the use of extra-cost express passes — provided you pick the right night to attend (Wednesday or Thursday are best, Saturdays are worst, and Sunday can be surprisingly busy), arrive early, and stay late.

For starters, find general information about the event and ticket types in this blog post. Once you know whether you will be eligible for Stay & Scream early entry, pick your plan below:

Stay & Scream Option A (Recommended):

1. Arrive at the park no later than 4:45pm and enter using a daytime ticket.

2. Proceed to the New York area across from the Transformers ride, where you will show your HHN ticket and receive a wristband.

3. Wait outside or inside Finnegan’s Bar and Restaurant (reservations are almost fully booked for the event).

4. When released from the holding area at approximately 5:45pm, head directly to An American Werewolf in London (enter through the Twister facade).

5. As soon as permitted, at approximately 6:00pm, enter Cabin in the Woods (next to Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem).

6. Cross through the New York area past Mel’s Drive-In, and shortcut through the Garden of Allah to KidZone. Experience The Walking Dead.

7. The Walking Dead exit leads directly to La Llorona‘s entrance.

8. Afterlife: Death’s Vengance‘s entrance can be found next to La Llorona’s exit near MIB Gear (opens at 6:30pm).

9. Check your map for the first showtime of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure, and arrive at the Fear Factor Live stadium 15 to 20 minutes prior.

10. After Bill & Ted, watch out for the Chainsaw Team while walking to Havoc2: Derailed in San Francisco.

11. Exit to your right and continue to the New York area. Experience Evil Dead and/or Resident Evil if the wait is 30 minutes or less (both open at 6:30pm).

12. Check your map for the next showtime of The Rocky Horror Picture Show tribute, and arrive at the Beetlejuice stage 10 to 15 minutes prior.

13. Before or after the show, ride Transformers, Revenge of the Mummy, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, or MEN IN BLACK: Alien Attack using the Single Rider line.

14. Walk around the park counter-clockwise, exploring the scarezones. Start with the “Fall of Atlanta” in New York (watch for victims-turned-walkers), walk towards the entrance and then up Hollywood through “Clear,” explore the burning barn (look in the well out back), and traverse the woods (home of the “deer eater” and legless “bicycle walker”) to the survivor’s camp outside KidZone, complete with Dale’s RV and gory projection effects.

15. Consider taking a break from the park in CityWalk; hold onto your ticket and have your hand stamped at the gate.

16. Return to the park 90 minutes before closing to experience any houses you missed or want to see again. Wait times drop dramatically in the last hour, and you can join the queue for a haunted house right up until closing time.

17. To avoid a traffic jam, leave the park 30 minutes before closing, or wait to be one of the last to exit.

Stay & Scream Option B:

1. Arrive at the park no later than 4:45pm and enter using a daytime ticket.

2. Proceed to the KidZone area, where you will show your HHN ticket and recieve a wristband.

3. Wait in the shaded area outside Animal Actors until allowed to queue for The Walking Dead.

4. Experience The Walking Dead when it opens at 5:45pm.

5. The Walking Dead exit leads directly to the entrance of La Llorona, which opens at 6pm.

6. After La Llorona, cross the park to An American Werewolf in London (enter through the Twister facade).

7. Return to the other side of the park, where Afterlife’s entrance can be found next to La Llorona’s exit near MIB Gear (opens at 6:30pm).

8. Check your map for the first showtime of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure, and arrive at the Fear Factor Live stadium 15 to 20 minutes prior.

9. After Bill & Ted, watch out for the Chainsaw Team while walking to Havoc2: Derailed in San Francisco.

10. Exit to your right and continue to the New York area. Experience Evil Dead and/or Resident Evil if the wait is 30 minutes or less.

11. Check your map for the next showtime of The Rocky Horror Picture Show tribute, and arrive at the Beetlejuice stage 10 to 15 minutes prior.

12. Before or after the show, ride Transformers, Revenge of the Mummy, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, or MEN IN BLACK: Alien Attack using the Single Rider line.

13. Walk around the park counter-clockwise, exploring the scarezones. Start with the “Fall of Atlanta” in New York (watch for victims-turned-walkers), walk towards the entrance and then up Hollywood through “Clear”, explore the burning barn (look in the well out back), and traverse the woods (home of the “deer eater” and legless “bicycle walker”) to the survivor’s camp outside KidZone, complete with Dale’s RV and gory projection effects.

14. Consider taking a break from the park in CityWalk; hold onto your ticket and have your hand stamped at the gate.

15. Return to the park 90 minutes before closing to experience Cabin in the Woods and any other houses you missed or want to see again. Wait times drop dramatically in the last hour, and you can join the queue for a haunted house right up until closing time.

16. To avoid a traffic jam, leave the park 30 minutes before closing, or wait to be one of the last to exit.

General Admission:

1. Arrive at the park no later than 5:40pm and pass through the security checkpoint, using the “no bags” line to the left if possible.

2. Line up as close as possible to any turnstile (including the temporary ones at the center gate) and watch the pre-opening skit on the balcony above the ticket booths at approximately 5:50pm.

3. When the gates open at 6pm, walk quickly through Hollywood past Mel’s Drive-In, and shortcut through the Garden of Allah to KidZone to experience The Walking Dead.

4. The Walking Dead exit leads directly to the entrance of La Llorona.

5. Afterlife’s entrance can be found next to La Llorona’s exit near MIB Gear (opens at 6:30pm).

6. Check your map for the first showtime of Bill & Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure, and arrive at the Fear Factor Live stadium 15 to 20 minutes prior. If you miss the first showing, try to see the last or second-to-last performance.

9. After Bill & Ted, watch out for the Chainsaw Team while walking to Havoc2: Derailed in San Francisco.

10. Exit to your right and continue to the New York area. ExperienceAn American Werewolf in London (enter through the Twister facade), Evil Dead and/or Resident Evil if the wait is 30 minutes or less.

11. Check your map for the next showtime of The Rocky Horror Picture Show tribute, and arrive at the Beetlejuice stage 10 to 15 minutes prior.

12. Before or after the show, ride Transformers, Revenge of the Mummy, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, or MEN IN BLACK: Alien Attack using the Single Rider line.

14. If you have only seen 3 or 4 houses at this point, you may want to bite the bullet and wait in line for one, but try to avoid any queues over 60 minutes

15. Walk around the park counter-clockwise, exploring the scarezones. Start with the “Fall of Atlanta” in New York (watch for victims-turned-walkers), walk towards the entrance and then up Hollywood through “Clear”, explore the burning barn (look in the well out back), and traverse the woods (home of the “deer eater” and legless “bicycle walker”) to the survivor’s camp outside KidZone, complete with Dale’s RV and gory projection effects.

16. Consider taking a break from the park in CityWalk; hold onto your ticket and have your hand stamped at the gate.

17. Return to the park 90 minutes before closing to experience Cabin in the Woods and any other houses you missed or want to see again. Wait times drop dramatically in the last hour, and you can join the queue for a haunted house right up until closing time.

18. To avoid a traffic jam, leave the park 30 minutes before closing, or wait to be one of the last to exit.