Top Picks for 2019 Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood

Top Picks for 2019 Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood

Last night was the first ever Fan Preview at Universal Studios for their annual Halloween Horror Nights and we were there! as part of the press invited to review the event. This was my third year attending Halloween Horror Nights and the changes that have happened over the years for me have been monumental. I had very high hopes for my first visit in 2016 since Universal is a working movie lot and left the event a bit disappointed. This year I was blown away! Check out my recap and my top picks. Opening night is Friday the 13th and is ready to scary the daylights out of you select night through November 3rd.

What a difference a year and a couple seasons makes! Stranger Things maze last year was a flop for me BUT this year the journey the maze took you on included seasons 2 and 3 and out of all 10 mazes at HHN this year, this was my favorite by far! The maze constantly delivers scares and surprises from every angle! You don’t need to be a fan of the series to enjoy this one!

Ghostbusters had all the cheeky references along with lots of fun scare actors within the maze giving it a lighter, fun feeling making it a top pick for me. This one compared to last years Poltergeist in regards to spot on movie references and nostalgic feeling. Find it on the lower back lot.

Last years scare zone Holidays in Hell moved up to full blown maze status this year. With it’s twisted take on all our cherished holidays you may never see the Easter Bunny the same way again. Hope you are on Santa’s nice list because the transition to the Christmas in Hell scare zone will have you face to face with a not so jolly Saint Nick! Also new the year was Creepshow, House of 1000 Corpses and Killer Klownz From Outer-Space.

Universal opted to bypass the Terror Tram this time around in order to add a couple more mazes. Located near the Studio Tram loading area you will find Jordan Peeles US and The Curse of Pandoras Box. I loved the outside facade and opening room for Pandoras Box but the maze itself didn’t relate to it and lost me from there. I feel like it lacked more story , the glowing 80’s florescent colors used inside didn’t resonate and was just distracting. As for US there were several scare actors within the maze and lots of gore but was just marginal for me. With the outstanding display and surprise elements in Stranger Things there was a high bar set and out of all the mazes I would say these two were at the bottom of my list.

Food is huge this year, way more options than last year in my opinion. You will find much of it on the lower lot as well as some very cool merchandise throughout the park.

My top 5 mazes and tips on getting it all done in one night.

1. Stranger Things

2. Ghostbusters

3. Killer Klowns

4. House of 1000 Corpses

5. Holidays in Hell

If you can get the option to be at the park before the event opens, do it! Busting out the lower lot mazes before the opening is key to getting it all done without an express pass. Otherwise if you can swing the Express I can’t stress it enough.

My suggestions on ticket options:

• After 2 p.m. Day/Night Combo : Experience the park’s popular daytime attractions, and remain for the terror that awaits at “Halloween Horror Nights.”

• Universal Express™ One-time priority access to all mazes Jabbawockeez performance and theme park rides.                                                          

All tickets options can be found and purchased in advance at Hollywood.HalloweenHorrorNights.com

We did 9 mazes and all the scare zones in just over 3 hours with the express doing Holidays in Hell first then heading down to the lower lot right after, clocking over 5 1/2 miles so remember to stay hydrated. We didn’t take the time to do any rides or stop to eat but had plenty of time to do so. Kudos to Universal Studios for a banging haunt, I left feeling entertained and pumped for the haunt season!

Halloween Horror Nights is open select nights September 13th – November 3rd. 

Operating Hours:

• 7:00PM – 2:00AM on:

  • September: 13, 21, 28

  • October: 4, 5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26, 27, 31

• 7:00PM – 1:00AM on:

  • September: 14, 15, 20, 22, 26, 27, 29

  • October: 3, 6

  • November: 1, 2, 3

• 7:00PM – 12:00AM on:

  • September 19

This Event may be too intense for young children and is not recommended for children under the age of 13. No costumes or masks allowed.

Get a full description of all the mazes and scare zones below!