Halloween Horror Nights 34 restored my faith in the event | Opinion
As I grow older, I become more jaded to my surroundings as a theme park fan, but this year’s Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort has shown me the light once again.
My first visit to Halloween Horror Nights was in 2016, for HHN26 (shorthand for the 26th year of the event). At the time, I was scared out of my mind while also being truly blown away by something I had never experienced before.
Imagine the surprise of the naïve 14-year-old theme park fan reading forum posts about the event in the middle of class, met with cynicism I had not yet been exposed to. These posts were filled with lengthy discussions about how the event was not up to the standards its commenters had made for themselves from their years of going to Halloween Horror Nights. “It’s not scary anymore,” they would claim. These “fans” seemed disappointed in the follow-up to the prior year’s iconic HHN25 (an anniversary year that I beat myself up for not attending to this day).
As I enjoyed my first year of Halloween Horror Nights, I feared that one day the novelty would wear off and I would also adopt the “old man yells at cloud” attitude the forum commenters had. Unfortunately, I was right, but only for a while.
HHN 27-29 felt like an untouchable winning streak. I did eventually become desensitized to the scares, but as a fan of the creative teams behind the event, I went from burying my head in the backs of my friends in front of me, to walking through admiring every detail in awe. When each year’s event would end, I would be devastated beyond belief. A year of waiting feels a lot longer when you’re under the age of 18.
When I did reach adulthood, the entire HHN community received a devastating blow as the event would not return that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The entire world was hoping for a return to normalcy and routine, yet mine had just been ripped from me. I completely understood and knew it was the right decision to make, but I wondered: Would it ever be the same?
Artwork courtesy of Universal
No, it wouldn’t. In the fall of 2021, Halloween Horror Nights returned to its normal operations (after doing a very limited COVID rendition during normal park hours in 2020). You couldn’t talk to any theme park fan without them bringing up how excited they were that Halloween Horror Nights was finally back! The energy was electric as everybody and their mother flocked to Universal Studios Florida for the opening night of HHN30, my first anniversary year where all the Horror Nights icon characters were here to welcome everybody back.
Now imagine my surprise when after going through all 10 houses I was left with feelings of being underwhelmed and indifferent. I was more than grateful for the lengths the teams behind the event went through to make it happen, but something felt like it was missing. This was a feeling that would follow me through the next three years of Horror Nights. Every year I’d say “THIS is the year it’ll be back to normal,” but each year felt less and less like the Horror Nights I fell in love with.
Artwork courtesy of Universal
Were these feelings just part of getting older, the aforementioned desensitization to the scares but a growing disgust toward gore around every corner? I do attribute more of my disinterest to my anxiety that was exasperated by the large crowds and dark themes the event promoted. Going back felt like a chore to make the money I had spent on a Frequent Fear Pass worth it. Each year more of my friends would just choose not to go as much as they were feeling the same fatigue. “It’s just the same thing every year” was the reasoning they would use to justify downgrading their tickets and disinterest.
I would go into each year with an open mind, hoping for the best, only to find that my preconceived notions were correct. Last year I promised myself, “If next year is bad, I’m done.” Why spend money on something I’m losing passion for? It’s a great place to spend time with friends, but the price to pay for a social gathering was just too high.
Photo by @bioreconstruct
Rumors circulated on reasons for the apparent downgrade the event had gone through. Change in leadership? Budget cuts due to Epic Universe? What ever it was, this year, HHN34 was my last shot before giving up and only purchasing a single-night ticket for the events in the years ahead.
There was a level of hype in the lead up to HHN34 that I had not felt since I was in high school. This year’s haunted houses include intellectual property I love (“Five Nights at Freddy’s”), properties I’m familiar with and like to an extent (“Fallout” and “Terrifier”), a classic slasher (“Jason Universe”), and a house based on the WWE. What the heck would that even be about? I was cautiously optimistic, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t counting down the seconds to opening night. The original houses, which are always the highlight of Halloween Horror Nights, looked stellar. Every single house had my attention and curiosity piqued. Creative teams on both coasts were assuring fans that this event would be different and with that, I put all my trust in them.
They didn’t let me down in the slightest.
Photo by @bioreconstruct
While far from perfect, this year’s Halloween Horror Nights has met all my expectations. Each house is special in its own way instead of feeling like a rehash of old ideas. Last year, after going opening weekend, I was set with zero desire to go back. After this year’s opening weekend, I could not wait to go back. The two days of the week with no HHN feel like eternity as I eagerly look forward to running through each and every house. A majority of the houses this year have that HHN charm that has been missing in my eyes for the last few years. Overall, the atmosphere of the park has an energy that is truly electric. You can see that everybody is really enjoying themselves, it hasn’t felt like that in a long time.
But here’s the thing, this is my opinion. What I like, what I find scary and enjoyable, is 100% subjective. I have friends who loved last year’s HHN even though it was my least favorite year that I’ve attended. Houses that fall flat for me in 2025 are “Gálkn: Monsters of the North” and “Grave of Flesh,” even though most people I talk to have those high on their rankings.
As my love for Horror Nights dwindled over the years, there’s someone out there who attended for the first time and fell in love with it the same way I did back in high school. The truth is, there’s a lot of negativity from people who feel some sort of entitlement solely because they’ve been going so long. Maybe that’s what had been plaguing my judgment for so long. Becoming jaded is one of the most common symptoms of early onset theme park adult.
Photo courtesy of Universal
At its core Halloween Horror Nights is a love letter from the teams behind it to the fans who keep the event alive. From the creative teams to the scare actors, every single person involved has ALWAYS done an incredible job. Maybe I didn’t lose faith, maybe I lost sight of what was really important. I am so grateful to be able to attend something so special and unique. What used to feel like “same old, same old” now feels like the beginning of a new era, one we’ll look back fondly upon in the future.
Photo courtesy of Universal
If you’ve ever wanted to attend Halloween Horror Nights, I highly recommend it. That’s something I haven’t been able to say in years.
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