Halloween brings out the scares and fun every year around the world, from kids dressed as cartoon characters looking for candy to multi-million dollar and horrifying haunted houses. Halloween Horror Nights has horror in the title, but many guests who don’t want to be scared or are just overwhelmed end up at the event with friends or family. Fret not, as this guide will help you navigate the foggy streets and tight corridors of HHN.

What is Halloween Horror Nights?

Halloween Horror Nights is a separately ticketed nighttime event after Universal Studios Florida closes to day guests. Universal transforms USF into a huge Halloween party with ten haunted houses, five scare zones, and several shows. Feeling parched or famished? Dozens of unique food booths serve devilish, delicious items like fried Oreos, pizza fries, themed food items, and lots of alcohol.

How Actually Scary is HHN?

The event is a non-stop blast of loud music, startling sounds, gruesome imagery, and actors tasked with scaring the bejesus out of you. Expect to see simulated violence, fake blood and guts, scantily clad men and women, startling imagery, loud noises, strobe lights, chainsaws, thick theatrical haze, and more. The event is more intense than Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party but roughly in line with other haunt events at other amusement parks.

What Kind of Scares Does HHN Use?

Believe it or not, haunted houses are an art form with many techniques and technologies used to scare the poop out of you. The most common form of scare at HHN is the jump scare, a startling movement when you don’t expect it. For example, imagine a hallway with three framed mirrors on one side. Two mirrors are real mirrors, but the last is a fake; on the other side is a replica of the hallway where a scare actor can come out and scare you. Other techniques include fake outs and distractions, where your attention is drawn to another place before a scare happens, and loud, startling sounds. Once you identify the methods and ways scares happen, you are better able to brace yourself for the jump scares.

And finally, as a reminder: scare actors are NOT allowed to touch you or move you, so don’t worry about being grabbed or separated from your party.

Surviving the Haunted Houses

Universal’s haunted houses are multimillion-dollar extravaganzas full of special effects, incredible sets, and terrifying actors. Every year brings a new collection of houses to life, ranging from paranormal thrillers to being stalked by slashers, gross out mutilations to supernatural legends, scream at the top of your lungs scary to laugh out loud silly. The houses cover original concepts, along with bringing your favorite horror and Halloween properties to life. Haunted Houses are like a walking dark ride; guests walk in a single file line through sets that tell a story. Scare actors pop out of doorways and holes in walls lovingly referred to as “boo holes”, often right when you’re distracted looking at a set piece for a misdirect scare. All haunted houses are staffed with Universal Team Members staged in the houses to make sure scare actors and guests are safe.

Here are our tips for surviving the haunted houses:

• Scared? Ask! Team Members at the event love talking about their favorite houses and offering advice to guests. Ask them which houses they consider to be the least scary, or ones that don’t have triggering items for you.
• If you enter the house and it is too much, find a Team Member stationed in the house and alert them that you wish to leave. The Team Member will show you a safe path to leave the house and meet up with your party at the end. (Shout out to our friend Jenn who attempted the Freddy vs Jason house but immediately bounced when she got to the Freddy section.)
• Traveling in a party? Send some of your party first and hold onto their shirt or belt hoop if you get too scared and close your eyes (no shame). They’ll walk you through the house and to the exit before you know it.

Surviving the Scare Zones

Scare Zones transform the New York, Hollywood, Central Park, and Production Central lands of USF into new, scary locations full of scare actors and fog. These open-air themed areas feature lots of scare actors who are looking to scare guests with simple jump scares, chainsaws (without blades), and creepy effects. Even if you do not step through a single haunted house, you will have to go through at least one scare zone at the event.

Here are our tips for surviving the scare zones.

• The Deathly Afraid Necklace is a $20 lanyard with a glowing red icon that informs scare actors to avoid you. While that’s the plan, it’s not a guarantee all scare actors will see it while sneaking up on you.
• Stick to the sidewalks in the scare zones to avoid scare actors. Most actors stick to the streets and stage pieces so walking behind them will keep you out of their scare range.
• Walk with confidence through the park and stay off your phone. Scare actors are attracted to cowering guests and folks on their phones.

Where to Escape within the Event

Need to escape for a quick breather? These locations are safe from the scare actors and other horror elements:

• Minion Cafe – Quick service dining at the front of the park offering a quirky menu of unique items. Atmosphere is bright and happy, with a soundtrack of Minion-ified popular songs.
• Fast Food Boulevard – Simpsons themed buffeteria with salads, sandwiches, pizzas, fried chicken, burgers, fries, and more. Seating can become busy during the rain but the large space offers plenty of seating for groups.
• Leaky Cauldron – Quick service dining with British tavern fare like fish and chips, pies, and sandwiches. The most calming location in the park with cozy booths and soft ambient music.

While you can escape to these places in the park, they are not promised to be scare-free. For 2025, Art the Clown from the Terrifier series roams the park and is allowed to enter restaurants to torment and poke at guests.

Where to Escape Outside the Event

When all else fails: BAIL! You can re-enter the park anytime before the event ends or meet your party outside the gates. CityWalk’s restaurants and bars are a great respite from the pulsing music of HHN and stay open till 1:00 am, and don’t forget about the numerous hotels easily accessed by the resort buses and walking paths.

• Dead Coconut Club – A bar that receives a yearly Halloween theme that serves mixed drinks, beers, and wines.
• NBC Grill & Brew – Large sports bar and restaurant with well over 100 televisions.
• Hard Rock Cafe – The house that rock built, a good option if NBC Grill & Brew is too crowded.
• Hard Rock Hotel – Hotel is within a 10 minute walk of USF and has several bars and restaurants.

Have you attended Halloween Horror Nights and successfully avoided the scare actors? Levae your tips and ninja training techniques in the comments below!