The Good, The Bad, and The Meh of Halloween Horror Nights 35 at Universal Orlando
Prior to diving into my personal take on this year’s Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando, I should probably set the stage for you. The amazing folks at Universal Orlando were kind enough to invite us out for the kick-off of HHN 35, which featured a full RIP Tour. This allowed us to hit every single haunted house and explore the scare zones, all under the guidance of our fantastic host, Kristi. If you happen to find yourself booking an RIP Tour, you should definitely try to request her specifically.
The Bad
I prefer to get “The Bad” out of the way first, so let’s dive into what didn’t quite hit the mark. It is admittedly difficult to find something at Halloween Horror Nights that is genuinely bad, but we have to establish a baseline. It’s essentially the same as claiming Revenge of the Mummy is the weakest coaster in the Universal Orlando lineup; you know it is still high quality, but something has to occupy the bottom slot. For HHN 35, the "Bad" for me was the Invasion: Alien Abduction house. As one of this year’s five original concepts, it suffered from a lack of a cohesive narrative. During the creative panel, the creative team mentioned that this idea had been circulating for years, and it felt like they finally greenlit it just to check it off the list. While it featured some amusing sequences, the overall execution lacked a standout moment. To be clear, it isn’t a terrible experience—in any other theme park, it would be the crown jewel—but because Universal has set the bar so incredibly high, this house simply landed at the bottom of my personal rankings for the event.
The Meh
Heading into the festivities, the buzz surrounding Fortnitemares was undeniable. It stands as perhaps one of the most divisive creative choices Universal has made in recent memory; integrating the Fortnite universe into the theme park landscape was a massive gamble, and adapting it for Halloween Horror Nights was certainly a curious move. While I am clearly not the intended demographic for this particular IP, the actual presentation landed squarely in the "Meh" category for me. Although the Central Park scare zone rarely ranks among my personal favorites, the team utilized the space as effectively as possible. The character aesthetics successfully blended the classic Fortnite look with a signature HHN twist, and as emphasized during the event preview, the visual elements are undoubtedly the highlight of this section.
The Good
When it comes to the "Good," I could easily spend all evening praising everything from the diverse culinary offerings and stellar merchandise to the entertaining Stranger Things lagoon spectacular. However, the true crown jewel of this year’s event is undoubtedly the Jack & Oddfellow: Control & Chaos house. As a longtime fan of Halloween Horror Nights, the lore surrounding the ICONS has always been the primary draw for me; delving into the rich backstories of these villains makes exploring their respective houses a highlight. It feels incredibly appropriate that for this milestone 35th anniversary, Universal has reunited two of the most legendary figures, Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow, in a single experience. While you will hear the creative minds go into depth regarding the narrative’s development, simply seeing these two iconic powerhouses sharing a stage was the ultimate hook. The level of detail throughout the house is staggering, ensuring that this isn’t merely a "one and done" experience, but rather a destination that demands multiple return visits.
The festivities for Halloween Horror Nights continue on designated evenings until early November; however, you should definitely secure your admission soon, as these popular dates are known to reach capacity quickly! For those of you that can’t make it out this year or that might be a little too frightened to enter the fog in person, be sure to check out our highlights of all of this years houses.