Halloween Horror Nights has returned to Common Orlando for its thirty fourth 12 months, bringing ten all-new “film high quality” haunted homes, 4 scare zones, a number of roaming experiences, and dwell exhibits that rework the park after darkish.
I traveled to Orlando to expertise the media preview and opening evening celebration and examine HHN 34 to final 12 months’s Horror Nights. HHN 34 feels greater, fuller, and extra bold than HHN 33, little doubt a response to suggestions and re-focused efforts after the launch of the Epic Universe (learn my overview of Epic Universe right here). From the extremely anticipated WWE-backed Wyatt Sicks home to the gore-soaked Terrifier maze, this 12 months’s occasion balances main IP diversifications with authentic nightmares to create one of the stable Horror Nights experiences in latest reminiscence.
Under is an in depth record of every part Halloween Horror Nights 34 provides, together with a rating of the ten homes, a rating of the 4 scare zones, and a recap of the opposite experiences, one in every of which is absolutely the spotlight of the festivities…
Halloween Horror Nights 34 Haunted Homes Ranked
10. Dolls: Let’s Play Useless
“You’re about to develop into doll-sized and witness the unnatural creations of a twisted little lady. You’ll be hunted by burnt trend dolls, toys she’s melded collectively and undead horrors in her dollhouse.”
This home shrinks visitors all the way down to doll-size and unleashes a twisted little lady’s assortment of burnt, melted, and stitched-together toys. The costumes are creative and creepy, and there are some unsettling character designs scattered all through. Sadly, the home begins sluggish and by no means absolutely ramps up, leaving it feeling extra like a showcase of costumes than a completely realized maze.
9. Jason Universe
“The long-lasting horror villain Jason Voorhees is coming for you. Step into his terrifying world, from his sinister shack within the woods to the summer time camp the place all of it started.”
Jason Voorhees will get the anthology therapy right here, with masks and kills pulled from throughout the Friday the thirteenth movies and even the video video games. Pamela Voorhees makes an look, and the grand finale of this haunted home is a slim hallway lined with curtains the place a number of Jasons assault relentlessly, delivering the home’s finest second. Nonetheless, the buildup feels uneven and underwhelming, making it extra of a deal with for hardcore Jason followers than a top-tier home by itself.
8. Hatchet and Chains: Demon Bounty Hunters
“On this Outdated West city, all hell is breaking free. Crimson-hot lava demons try to own everybody, melting every part of their path. Your solely hope: Hatchet and Chains with their mystical weapons.”
The Outdated West collides with hellfire on this chaotic mashup of cowboys, demons, and zombies. Highlights embody grotesque set items like a creature shoving its hand by a lady’s mouth, zombies bursting from coffins, and an enormous demon head on the finale. There are enjoyable moments and a few spectacular results like smoke puffing by bullet holes, however the pacing is uneven, the costumes are repetitive, and it generally appears like the home throws every part on the wall with out tying all of it collectively.
7. 5 Nights at Freddy’s
“Prepare for the evening watch at a creepy, deserted pizzeria, the place nothing is what it appears and possessed animatronics are lurking.”
Followers of the video games and 5 Nights at Freddy’s film (particularly the film) will admire the authenticity right here. Iconic animatronics constructed by Jim Henson’s Creature Store look unbelievable, and rooms just like the safety workplace and storage areas are full of element. Visitors enter by a neon-lit pizzeria with a haunting voiceover describing its fall from glory. The bounce scares from actors add vitality, however general the home is extra about ambiance and spectacle than outright terror. It really works as fan service however lacks the punch to rank increased.
6. Grave of Flesh
Welcome to your funeral, the place issues are about to go from dangerous to worse. You’ll enter your grave after which the underworld, the place flesh-eaters who feed on the lifeless will hunt you for all eternity.
Grave of Flesh begins on the entrance of Halmouth Cemetery with a gravedigger warning that the lifeless are stressed, then plunges visitors underground right into a development of hellish environments. There are roots with skeletons tangled inside, dripping water, sacks of flesh, glowing pink runes, and ultimately historic ruins with mummies and ghosts. The number of surroundings is spectacular, and it tells a transparent story of descent into the underworld. Sadly, the finale appears abrupt and complicated, as if visitors made it partway again up, undermining what might have been the most effective home of the 12 months.
5. Fallout
“Face your fears in post-apocalyptic LA. Escape from the vaults to the wasteland and confront the formidable bounty hunter The Ghoul.”
An bold adaptation of Prime Video’s hit sequence primarily based on the online game franchise, the Fallout home recreates Vault 32 in placing element, full with a raider assault, Ma June’s Sundries, and Energy Armor shows. Lucy MacLean (Ella Purnell) shouting “I want my organs” within the pharmacy is a standout second, and followers will acknowledge loads of Easter eggs, together with some from season 2 since Amazon labored with Common throughout manufacturing. The finale comes too shortly and feels unfinished, however Fallout nonetheless succeeds as an immersive expertise full of fan service.
4. Terrifier
“Attempt your luck in opposition to Artwork the Clown within the Terrifier funhouse. You’ll witness his grotesque handiwork of torture and be uncovered to the spatter of his victims. It’s a complete new degree of gore!”
This home is pure carnage, showcasing 36 our bodies throughout its size (essentially the most ever for a home at HHN in keeping with our information), almost three per room, and recreating notorious kills from all three Terrifier movies. It engages all of the senses with gore, unsettling smells, and grotesque tableaux. Visitors are warned by a “You Might Get Moist” signal and should buy ponchos exterior, as a result of the finale provides two paths: a protected dry route or a “blood path” the place visitors are drenched. It’s the most excessive and disgusting home HHN has ever tried, making it unforgettable even whether it is extra stunning than scary.
3. Gálkn: Monsters of the North
“In a distant northern village, a depraved being rises from the lifeless, bringing a horde of monsters and demons from the fjords to wreak havoc on the townspeople. Attempt to escape the stomach of the beast.”
Set within the Norwegian countryside, this beatifully designed home tells the tragic story of a beast who was as soon as a protector however grew to become corrupted, turning on livestock and ultimately folks. Villagers killed her, however now her spirit returns for revenge. Visitors journey by rune-marked caves, forests with antlered beast varieties, and a large wicker effigy that burns as a part of a sacrifice ritual. The home ends contained in the stomach of the beast, surrounded by fleshy horrors and skeletal creatures. It’s richly atmospheric, mythic in tone, and one of the story-driven homes of the 12 months.
2. El Artista: A Spanish Haunting
“In nineteenth century Spain, a tortured artist strikes to an remoted nation manor to hunt inspiration. As an alternative, the artwork comes alive and possesses him. You’re about to be a part of the everlasting exhibition.”
One of the stunning homes HHN has ever staged, the El Artista maze locations visitors inside a Spanish manor the place a tortured artist turns into possessed by his creations. Statues come to life, gargoyles swoop overhead, and monsters lurk round each nook. Common designer Dylan Kollath makes use of lengthy sightlines so visitors can see different elements of the maze from afar, including to the sensation of being inside a sprawling atmosphere. It’s a traditional haunted home expertise with class and menace, a real showcase of design.
1. WWE Presents: The Horrors of The Wyatt Sicks
“Go head-to-head with The Wyatt Sicks as they lure you thru the ominous doorway to their shadowy realm. You’re about to satisfy your match.”
Essentially the most distinctive home of HHN 34 blends wrestling spectacle with haunting tribute. Visitors method a wrestling ring earlier than shifting backstage, the place crew members lie lifeless and the Wyatt Sicks emerge. The Firefly Funhouse puppets seem, screens present Bray Wyatt footage, and rooms vary from slaughter chambers to surreal dreamscapes. It’s each terrifying and poignant, honoring Wyatt’s legacy whereas offering among the occasion’s most various scares. Haunting, stunning, and unforgettable, it’s the home of the 12 months partly due to the true story behind. A should see for WWE lovers.
Halloween Horror Nights 34 Scare Zones Ranked
4. The Cat Woman of Crooked Lane
Moody and atmospheric, Crooked Lane is constructed round an immortal witch who transforms trick-or-treaters into cats. The setting options crooked homes, jack-o’-lanterns strung by bushes, mist, and the eerie bonus of lagoon present music drifting by the realm. The idea is powerful, particularly the development of partial transformations to full-on cat folks, and the visuals are compelling, however the zone is noticeably gentle on scareactors. It’s stunning to stroll by however finally falls quick in comparison with the others.
3. The Origins of Horror
Designed because the gateway to the occasion, this zone leans on gothic imagery with mist, chainsaws, statues, and looming gargoyles. It additionally options icons from HHN 34’s IP homes, equivalent to statues representing Fallout and Terrifier’s Artwork the Clown. Whereas visually placing, it feels extra like a quick introduction to the occasion than a completely realized scare zone with a lot depth or size, with fewer scareactors and fewer interplay. As an atmospheric entry level, it succeeds, nevertheless it lacks the density and vitality of the highest zones.
2. Mutations: Poisonous Twenties
Set in a bustling Nineteen Twenties neighborhood thrown into chaos after a radioactive truck crash, Mutations pulses with chaotic vitality and is essentially the most visualy distinguished. Neon-green ooze spreads throughout the streets, infecting residents who stumble round with glowing prosthetics and zombie-like growths. A police officer yells warnings by a megaphone whereas set items like a hearth truck, newsstands, and barrels overflowing with sludge full the scene. It’s full of performers and props, making it a busy and energetic road the place scares come from all instructions.
1. Masquerade: Dance with Loss of life
The clear standout of HHN 34’s scare zones, Masquerade transforms the streets right into a gothic ballroom stuffed with ornate masks, chandeliers, and haunting classical music match for vampire royalty. The inhabitants of scareactors is dense, every one dripping in eerie element. Some visitors beg for assist, others immediately flip aggressive, revealing their vampiric nature, making each interplay unpredictable. The mixture of immersive set items, sturdy costuming, and unsettling roleplay creates essentially the most full scare zone of the 12 months. An exquisite theme with among the finest performers!
Whereas the haunted homes and scare zones are the guts of Halloween Horror Nights, the occasion provides lots extra to fill out the expertise, one thing Common pushed onerous this 12 months to deal with among the combined emotions in the direction of HHN 33. Road performances, roaming scareactors, and interactive moments hold the park buzzing between mazes.
Visitors can even take a break with dwell exhibits, themed meals and drinks, and the brand new Tribute Retailer, a extremely themed retail house designed as an deserted museum the place historic evil was as soon as unleashed. These extras add depth to the occasion and make HHN really feel like a completely immersive competition relatively than only a lineup of homes.
Road Experiences at Halloween Horror Nights 34
- Membership Horror: Dance social gathering with performers, LED props, and heavy purple lighting. Extra spectacle and enjoyable than scares.
- Artwork the Clown (Roaming): The Terrifier icon seems randomly within the park, retaining visitors on edge. We additionally noticed The Grabber from The Black Cellphone although this wasn’t marketed.
- Chainsaw Carnies: Packs of roaming chainsaw-wielding performers ship loud, very loud, chaotic scares.
- Mel’s Die-In: Zombies: Zombie carhops take over Mel’s Drive-In for atmospheric enjoyable and picture ops. That is essentially the most visually iconic exterior location with its neon lights enjoying off the mist results.
Reveals, Eating, and Procuring at Halloween Horror Nights 34
- Nightmare Gasoline: Circus of Decay: Hearth, aerialists, and illusions in a rotting circus setting, absolutely the must-see occasion of HHN 34.
- Hang-out-O-Phonic: A Ghoulish Journey: Lagoon present with ghostly projections and eerie music.
- Themed Meals & Drinks: Highlights embody a Freddy’s cupcake, Fallout Radaway, and Terrifier bloody popcorn.
- Tribute Retailer: Designed as an deserted museum stuffed with event-exclusive merchandise.
Nightmare Gasoline stood out as the most effective a part of HHN past the homes. The present combines pyrotechnics, aerial stunts, and a circus gone unsuitable into an exhilarating efficiency that energizes the group and delivers nonstop spectacle. For a lot of visitors, it was as memorable because the strongest homes, proving that HHN is extra than simply haunted mazes. The place the Hang-out-O-Phonic is tremendous skippable, Nighmare Gasoline is a can’t miss as a lot as Halloween Horror Nights itself.
HHN 34 VHS artwork by Eldritch Terror. Customized HHN 34 map by Horror Night time Nightmares.