Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights

Courtesy+of+Universal+Orlando

UNIVERSAL ORLANDO

Courtesy of Universal Orlando

Sam Schaffer

Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights strikes fear into the hearts of Americans for the 27th year. This year guests can prepare to get spooked in haunted houses with themes ranging from The Shining to Saw.

This year boasts nine haunted houses and five scare zones. Scare Zones are areas in the streets of Universal where biker gangs , roaming chainsaw hoards, and pig men rule the land. Scenes from the movies are acted out in the Purge and Trick ‘r Treat scare zones. Universal also created their own horrifying concepts for scare zones that make up the other three random areas of anxiety.

“The most exciting part was the Purge scare zone,” 19 year old Valencia College student Anthony Falstad says. He liked that they acted out scenes from the movie.

When asked which was his favorite house, Falstad responds, “American Horror Story because it was the longest one and it had the best effects.”

American Horror Story was one of nine haunted houses, the others included: Stanley Kubrick’sThe Shining, SAW: The Games of Jigsaw, Ash v. Evil Dead, The Horrors of Blumhouse and a few more.

The haunted houses take the concept of scare zones to the next level, lines wrap around buildings as people wait to walk through a tight maze of terror. Narrow halls and dim lights inspire anxious feelings as guests navigate around sharp turns full of unknown horror. Walls drop and doors open to expose mutilated humans, deranged doctors, pig headed human creatures and tons of other demented “scaracters.”Scaracters are all of the people that are dressed up as scary characters that make Halloween Horror Nights what it is.

Halloween Horror Nights began on Sep. 15th and will end on Nov. 4. It is open each night except Mondays, Tuesdays, and Halloween. Ticket prices range from $59.99 to $83.99. With wait times exceeding two hours at times, some guests choose to buy an express pass for an additional $79.99.