Changes Coming to Halloween Horror Nights Stay & Scream

Universal is making major changes to early admission for Halloween Horror Nights, called Stay & Scream, this year. Find out the details inside and how this change could help you do every house in one night!

Stay & Scream is a way for guests holding daytime admission to Universal Studios Florida and a Halloween Horror Nights ticket can stay inside the park and experience the haunted houses before anyone else. Guests are able to stay in the park after it closes to day guests, but before HHN guests enter, allowing them exclusive time to see the houses. In the past Stay & Scream operated this way:

1. Be inside the park before 5:00 pm.
2. Receive a wristband at a designated location starting at 3:00 pm.
3. Wait to be let into the houses between 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm.
4. Experience the houses open till HHN begins at 6:30 pm

Now Universal is changing things up, in a good way! Now guests have the opporutunity to enter the houses earlier and in a more relaxed format. Here’s the new plan as reported by Universal as of July 8, 2026:

1. Be inside the park before 5:00 pm
2. Receive a wristband at a designated location before 2:00 pm (locations to be announced later)
3. Select haunted houses will open “as early as” 2:00 pm for Stay & Scream for guests with daytime USF admission or a Scream Early ticket.
4. Experience the select haunted houses open till the start of the event at 6:30 pm.

The big change is the additional three hours of touring time during Stay & Scream. A lot of guests only purchase a HHN ticket and do not go during the day or cannot visit during the day, allowing for lower waits during Stay & Scream. Universal is promising at LEAST three houses will be open till 6:30pm, letting you experience a 1/3 of the event before it starts. If you can only visit one day consider purchasing a Scream Early ticket for $70 to experience these houses, and USF attrations, before HHN starts.