Universal Studios Hollywood: Halloween Horror Nights 2024

Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) in Hollywood is an annual Halloween-themed event held at Universal Studios Hollywood. It's one of the most popular Halloween attractions in Southern California, typically running from September through early November - tickets are on sale now. The event transforms the theme park featuring haunted houses, themed eats, scare zones, live shows, and attractions based on popular horror films, TV shows, and original themes. Keep reading for our thoughts on HHN Hollywood 2024, but jump to the TLDR for our ratings only! Before we dive in, know that I’m not a let-me-just-talk-about-the-good reviewer and some people aren’t into that, or think it means I don’t know how to enjoy things. I really think Horror Nights is incredibly special, fun, and an iconic event. I hold them to a very high standard due to their pricing, how large of a corporation they are, and the market share they hold in the haunted attraction sphere. I think where they miss is so easy to rectify and I will never shy away from my honest opinion. Let’s talk about it…

Spooky season is so back, baby. Typically we pop into City Walk early to try some seasonal drink options before the event but we opted out since none sounded particularly inventive or themed for the 2024 year. We decided on attending Horror Nights on the second weekend (Sunday) after opening with both Early Entry (5:30pm) and Express Pass tickets. We really didn’t need the early entry with Express Pass, but as a content girly I would recommend it for that extra time in the park during daylight hours and to get your lay of the land (or if you just want to maximize your time and ability to hit houses more than once). There are no Death Eaters in Wizarding World this year (sad!), so largely that part of the park is not utilized and I know lots of folks want mostly empty park in the background so I would also recommend early entry for that! I did feel like photo op options were lacking this year in general - the bloody Hollywood sign is SO cool but that was really the only fresh photo spot. We always try to peruse merch before the event start in City Walk just so we don’t feel as pressured to make time in the park itself for merch. I did feel like the Horror Nights specific merch was mostly a miss for me this year - the punk theming is cool but just not anything I would personally wear. I did feel like the Ghostbusters merch went hard and I was very close to scooping a shirt! I want them to update the Universal Monster t-shirts so badly, and I don’t really connect with Lil Boo (even though it is so so cute and I love my shoulder pal) because we aren’t Orlando. I wish they could have gotten rights to Texas Chainsaw merch and put out some Crowz merch. Nevertheless, I do feel like Universal has stepped up all of their other merch. SO MUCH CUTE HEADWEAR. A new Hello Kitty Cafe has opened recently and the line for that was insane, as were all of the bathrooms in City Walk and in the parking structures. (The lines for the bathroom in HHN itself were manageable all night though)

We felt that the security and early entry were both really smooth, and overall throughout the entire night we found cast members to be much friendlier and happier this year than last. One of the things I had mentioned in last year’s review were CMs who were really trying to rush and it took away from my experience. There were a couple of those this year, but overall I felt like the staff was 10/10, no notes. One kid in particular scanning in Express at Insidious was contagiously stoked and I wish I would have gotten his name! We also thought that the costuming this year was the overall winner. I’m not sure if it was someone new working on costume or if it just happened to be a good year for it, but it was impeccable.

Now that we’ve gone through the initial random things I wanted to mention, let’s get into the thick of it -

Haunted Houses: Before we dive in here, please be sure to follow us on our social channels for house walk throughs, reviews, and just generally more content! There were 8 houses and the Terror Tram for 2024. Overall we felt that it was not a mind-blowing year but it kept up with last year, for the most part. I feel like last year’s houses did feel just a bit stronger for me personally but I also recognize that I don’t care about/haven’t seen The Weeknd, Insidious, or this most recent Ghostbusters film so I think that is probably where that opinion comes from. And I do REALLY care about Universal Monsters and that house was, yet again, a huge letdown for me. I know from watching other folks’ videos that there is a particularly cool action with a head towards the end of the maze that was unfortunately totally empty, we thought the audio loops were more annoying than helpful, and it was a lot of short black corridor and not enough set. It was so cool and so special to be in Soundstage 12, where they filmed the original Frankenstein, that it almost makes up for it. We also thought the Blumhouse Terror Tram was a big miss - The Purge area was cooler than the last time they did it, and I’m always happy for some Happy Death Day rep, but everything else fell flat; in particular I thought the video they show on the tram itself was genuinely pointless and not immersive in any way. I really wish we would have gotten a Five Night’s at Freddy’s house, can you imagineeeeee!? Those 2 were my biggest letdowns and complaints, all the other houses were great, with the stars of the show for us being A Quiet Place (did NOT think that would be the case!), Texas Chainsaw, and Monstruos 2. The audio design in A Quiet Place was so unique for a haunted attraction and so well utilized, it brought a new meaning to intensity and was something so different - we both really appreciated them pushing the envelope in that way. I thought there were some really unique special effects scares in both Texas Chainsaw and in Monstruous - although I wish that EVERY maze didn’t have water features now. I feel like it makes it less fun/special/interesting when it becomes the norm - although the one that pops up in Texas Chainsaw was really cool (that’s all I’ll say for spoilers sake). Overall I felt like the houses weren’t scary, although Ghostbusters had a couple terrifying scares. And as everyone has already been saying, Insidious did feel like the scariest. I would still say it wasn’t THAT scary, but it was very intense in there and they pack a lot of actors in (a plus). I would imagine if you got the timing just right, you’d be terrified by the end. The set design in general is always the star of the show and this year was no exception! I would live and die to be able to walk through with lights on and just geek out. As we already mentioned, the costuming also felt really dialed in and on the level you would expect from a Hollywood studio!

Scare Zones: There are 4 scare zones for HHN Hollywood 2024: Luchadores Monstruosos, Murder of Crowz, Chainsaw Punkz, and Skull Lordz. Yes, there are “4” scare zones but you could have fooled me! Feels like there are 2. Chainsaw Punkz and Skull Lordz are not 2 zones, I don’t care what anyone says. I was really unimpressed with the Skull Lordz scare zone, a few really energetic and cool actors in that zone but otherwise fell flat compared to years past (the potential was THERE as I love the costuming and character design, I just want more intensity). REALLY into that multi-horn stilt walker though. I absolutely adore the crow stilt walkers and love that they’ve continued to bring those back but for me it did not work as a scare zone as they currently have it. I think the location is a poor choice and I also only saw the stilt walkers and 1 other actor the entire night in that zone. The baby crow animatronic is AMAZING, and I can’t believe they just have that out within public reach. Again, I want crowz merch! Because the scare zones are so thinly staffed and all bleed together, it really breaks immersion for me. I think this is where Horror Nights continues to fall flat for me and this year most of all. If I don’t feel like I’m at a horror event as I walk from house to house, I’m going to have something to say about it, especially when I’m paying $250 to be there. Disappointed in the scare zones EXCEPT Luchadores Monstruosos blew me away. I think this is my favorite scare zone ever?? The fun factor was 10/10, unique, creative, would only make sense at HHN; chef’s kiss. The concept is classic Universal monsters but luchadores. Simple but absolutely iconic and the simplicity just works because you don’t have to know anything about either topic to know exactly what is going on. The poster designs are exceptional and I want to buy them, the costuming is stunning gorgeous amazing, the actors are FULL of energy and there are a lot of them, the fog is pumping, the set pieces are immersive, the animatronics are fun and on theme. I love that the The Nightmares of Latin America house dumps you out into this scare zone and honestly I could just hang out in there for hours.

Live Entertainment: Don’t forget to use your Express Pass on the show options! I know I’ve said it 25 times but the Express Pass is so worth it if you only plan to make it to HHN once in the season. It really allows you to do everything! Onward to shows…There were 2 show options this year: The Purge: Dark Waters and Late Night with Chucky. The Purge is a return show option from last year that takes place in the Water World show area, which we did not make time for last year. Overall it was really entertaining and I think a stunt show is the perfect showcase for this franchise. It was much gorier/violent than I expected so that’s a win. Late Night with Chucky is in the Kung Fu Panda theater, and I thought the fact that they left the lobby waiting area devoid of theming was incredibly lame. No Chucky props, photo ops, nada. The premise is an interactive late night show hosted by Chucky where he will answer your questions. I do think it’s very cool if you are a Chucky fan because you have the opportunity to talk to the icon himself. Otherwise this was largely lame and can be missed if you are both pressed on time and you aren’t a fan of the franchise.

Food/Drinks: Oh Universal Studios Hollywood, how you continue to disappoint and upset me when it comes to plant based food offerings. I think it is so embarrassing that HHN Hollywood offers NO, zero, zilch seasonal vegan food options, while HHN Orlando has multiple. The only theory I can come up with is the person in charge of food and bev at the Hollywood park is just old school and Orlando has a young gun who gets it. I would love for Universal Hollywood to hear me say: it is ridiculous that you have the budget you do, the prices you charge, and you are incapable of a seasonal themed labeled vegan option at your biggest event of the year — pineapple spears with chamoy do not count. If you are plant based and heading to HHN, might I recommend eating at Plant Power’s Hollywood location beforehand (they even have a pumpkin pie milkshake on the menu for that spooky time feel!). Now that I’m done venting, if you do need to eat in the park they have labeled vegan options at their Cocina Mexicana which feature Beyond Meat products - we ate before we went so we didn’t try anything but we did confirm they have non-dairy cheese and Beyond and it’s all labeled clearly on the menu. There are also a handful of vegan options throughout City Walk (namely, Voodoo Donuts). We weren’t feeling super boozy this year but we did start our evening at Chucky’s Dive Bar and this was a win; I hope they bring it back next year as is, no notes. The location makes sense, it genuinely feels like a little bar with table options; having the Chucky animatronic with the shaker + bloody fountain is an excellent touch. The drinks were really good as well; we had Chucky Got Jokes and Friend Till the End. They were out of some garnish but my garnish was supposed to be pieces of corn so I was honestly happy to omit. They had the Day of the Dead plaza again this year, with maybe even more drink ordering spots than last year, and it’s such a vibe in there. We did not check out The Weeknd bar area which is in the Lower Lot by Jurassic but it was certainly a busy spot throughout the night and looked fun!

Horror Nights didn’t just break the mold for haunted attractions, they perfected it. I will continue to hold them to the highest standard but for us, and for most spooky folks, it genuinely is worth checking out at least once per year. This year in particular I implore you not to miss the luchadores scare zone! And yes, we hope HHN Hollywood can continue to evolve and dial in to a changing audience and some day, perhaps, the scare zones will all feel full and full of frights. I will continue to hold out hope that they can offer Hollywood the same vegan options that they do in Orlando, and that one year soon they will nail a Universal monster house again. Until then, I’ll continue to pop in and be amazed by the set design, the costuming, and the energy that the staff bring every night for spooky season.

TLDR

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TLDR 〰️

Boo’s Review:
Overall Haunted Attraction Rating: 3.5
Atmosphere Rating: 2.5
Vegan Food Rating: 2
Costume & Makeup Rating: 4.5
Scare Actor/Cast Rating: 4
Set Design & Special Effects Rating: 5
Scare/Intensity Factor Rating: 2
Value for Money Rating: 4 (only if you do Express Pass)

Individual Attraction Name: Terror Tram: Blumhouse
Individual Attraction Overall Rating: 1.5
Character & Story Cohesion Rating: 1
Set Design & Special Effects Rating: 2
Scare/Intensity Factor Rating: 0

Individual Attraction Name: A Quiet Place
Individual Attraction Overall Rating: 4.5
Character & Story Cohesion Rating: 4
Set Design & Special Effects Rating: 5
Scare/Intensity Factor Rating: 1.5

Individual Attraction Name: Ghosterbusters: Frozen Empire
Individual Attraction Overall Rating: 3.5
Character & Story Cohesion Rating: 3
Set Design & Special Effects Rating: 4
Scare/Intensity Factor Rating: 1.5

Individual Attraction Name: Insidious: The Further
Individual Attraction Overall Rating: 3
Character & Story Cohesion Rating: 4
Set Design & Special Effects Rating: 4
Scare/Intensity Factor Rating: 2.5

Individual Attraction Name: The Weeknd: Nightmare Trilogy
Individual Attraction Overall Rating: 3
Character & Story Cohesion Rating: 2
Set Design & Special Effects Rating: 4
Scare/Intensity Factor Rating: 2

Individual Attraction Name: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Legacy of Leatherface
Individual Attraction Overall Rating: 4
Character & Story Cohesion Rating: 4
Set Design & Special Effects Rating: 4
Scare/Intensity Factor Rating: 2.5

Individual Attraction Name: Dead Exposure: Death Valley
Individual Attraction Overall Rating: 3
Character & Story Cohesion Rating: 3.5
Set Design & Special Effects Rating: 3.5
Scare/Intensity Factor Rating: 2

Individual Attraction Name: Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines
Individual Attraction Overall Rating: 2
Character & Story Cohesion Rating: 3
Set Design & Special Effects Rating: 2
Scare/Intensity Factor Rating: .5

Individual Attraction Name: Monstrous 2: The Nightmares of Latin America
Individual Attraction Overall Rating: 4
Character & Story Cohesion Rating: 4
Set Design & Special Effects Rating: 4
Scare/Intensity Factor Rating: 2

Killer K8’s Review:
Overall Haunted Attraction Rating: 3.5
Atmosphere Rating: 3
Vegan Food Rating: 2
Costume & Makeup Rating: 4.5
Scare Actor/Cast Rating: 3
Set Design & Special Effects Rating: 4.5
Scare/Intensity Factor Rating: 2
Value for Money Rating: 3.5

Individual Attraction Name: Terror Tram: Blumhouse
Individual Attraction Overall Rating: 2
Character & Story Cohesion Rating: 1.5
Set Design & Special Effects Rating: 2.5
Scare/Intensity Factor Rating: 0 (I am either becoming the bravest woman in the world or…)

Individual Attraction Name: A Quiet Place
Individual Attraction Overall Rating: 4.5
Character & Story Cohesion Rating: 5
Set Design & Special Effects Rating: 5
Scare/Intensity Factor Rating: 3.5

Individual Attraction Name: Ghosterbusters: Frozen Empire
Individual Attraction Overall Rating: 4
Character & Story Cohesion Rating: 3.5
Set Design & Special Effects Rating: 3
Scare/Intensity Factor Rating: 2

Individual Attraction Name: Insidious: The Further
Individual Attraction Overall Rating: 3.5
Character & Story Cohesion Rating: 3.5
Set Design & Special Effects Rating: 3.5
Scare/Intensity Factor Rating: 4

Individual Attraction Name: The Weeknd: Nightmare Trilogy
Individual Attraction Overall Rating: 3.5
Character & Story Cohesion Rating: 2
Set Design & Special Effects Rating: 4
Scare/Intensity Factor Rating: 4

Individual Attraction Name: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Legacy of Leatherface
Individual Attraction Overall Rating: 4
Character & Story Cohesion Rating: 4.5
Set Design & Special Effects Rating: 4
Scare/Intensity Factor Rating: 4

Individual Attraction Name: Dead Exposure: Death Valley
Individual Attraction Overall Rating: 3
Character & Story Cohesion Rating: 3.5
Set Design & Special Effects Rating: 3.5
Scare/Intensity Factor Rating: 3

Individual Attraction Name: Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines
Individual Attraction Overall Rating: 3
Character & Story Cohesion Rating: 4
Set Design & Special Effects Rating: 3
Scare/Intensity Factor Rating: 1

Individual Attraction Name: Monstrous 2: The Nightmares of Latin America
Individual Attraction Overall Rating: 4
Character & Story Cohesion Rating: 4.5
Set Design & Special Effects Rating: 4
Scare/Intensity Factor Rating: 3

*Scores are out of a possibly perfect 5