Sensory-friendly tips for Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando
Tips for attending Halloween Horror Nights for guests with sensory sensitivities, including where to find quiet, uncrowded areas and how to curate a sensory-friendly evening.
By Mateo Osorio
Halloween Horror Nights primer
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Florida in Orlando is advertised as the world’s premier Halloween event. For some people, it’s their Super Bowl, Christmas, and Met Gala all wrapped into one. While Walt Disney World offers the popular, family-friendly Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights event is geared toward a more mature audience, which the park takes very seriously.
Photo courtesy of Universal
With 10 haunted houses and five scare zones showcasing what twisted ideas Universal Creative has cooked up in the year since the last event, Halloween Horror Nights is always evolving.
In recent years, I’ve noticed some of my go-to quiet areas disappear in favor of expansion or relocation of event-related festivities. Now don’t get me wrong; Horror Nights is a great time. But for those with sensory challenges, the large crowds, loud noises, and chainsaws can really cause one’s enjoyment of the evening to start to fade.
If you’re like me, or you know someone like me, you struggle with this. You don’t want to miss out on this incredible seasonal event, but you don’t want to put yourself under unnecessary stress. Everybody should be able to experience Halloween Horror Nights in a way that fits their needs, and I’m here to share those findings.
Crowded areas of Halloween Horror Nights
Scare zones (areas of the park taken over by scare actors, usually relating to a specific theme) can get extremely crowded. Additionally, not being able to tell who’s a guest or who’s a scare actor can be overwhelming in what can become a tight space.
Photo courtesy of Universal
Haunted house entrances can also get pretty packed as guests try to maneuver themselves into the standby or express lines! As this happens, I seek out my go to quiet areas.
Quiet, sensory-friendly areas at Halloween Horror Nights
Of course, Halloween Horror Nights takes place in a theme park. You’re not going to experience pure silence until you’re on the car ride home (or in the “A Quiet Place” haunted house, which for your sake, you’d better be quiet in there!).
Quiet Rooms at the front of the park
Universal Studios Orlando offers a Quiet Room at the front of the park (see location below) for those who need a breather or are overwhelmed due to sensory overload. This are helpful for individuals who need to ground themselves before heading back out into the fog.
Images courtesy of Universal
Today Café
Near the front of Universal Studios Florida is my favorite quick-service restaurant possibly ever, Today Café. Though it’s right next to a scare zone, heading inside to grab a seat in the air conditioning while being calmed down by Al Roker’s soothing weather report is by far one of the best resting spots for a sensory-friendly pause during Halloween Horror Nights.
Photo courtesy of Universal
Illumination’s Minion Café
In Minion Land is the extremely bright Minion Café. In contrast to the gore of Halloween Horror Nights, it does not get more lighthearted than the Minions! Minions Café has outdoor seating, but if you’re willing to order a quick snack or beverage, you can sit inside. It is quite bright here, so please keep that in mind if you or a loved one has a sensitivity to bright lights.
Photo by Jon Self
Fast Food Boulevard
Outdoors throughout Springifeld, the home of the Simpsons, is usually overrun by chainsaw gangs or other roaming hoards of scare actors. This year however, the hoards have moved elsewhere.
Inside of Springfield’s Fast Food Boulevard (also known as Krusty Burger or Moe’s Tavern) is a food-court-style quick-service dining location with plenty of places to sit and rest.
Photo courtesy of Universal
It’s worth noting that it can get a little loud here. It’s a great place if you really just need a quick moment to sit and soak in some “Simpsons” television clips for a little lighthearted fun and laughter amidst the chaos of Halloween Horror Nights.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley
During past years’ Halloween Horror Nights, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley was the place to be if you wanted to escape all the horror. Sometimes if you spent enough time in the Wizarding World during a night at HHN, you would forget where you really were, which is really a testament to the immersive land Universal Creative crafted.
Last year, Universal added roaming Death Eaters to the land. While they won’t run up on you, they will walk around and come up to guests. Despite the presence of Death Eaters, Diagon Alley can be a nice escape during HHN for those who see the Wizarding World as their happy place.
Photo by Blake Taylor
Lagoon show viewing area
This year, I discovered what feels like the holy grail of sensory-friendly quiet places at Halloween Horror Nights. While exiting Universal Studios Florida, I took a shortcut through Central Park — specifically through the part of it that’s used for the viewing area of Universal’s nighttime shows.
It’s completely dark back here, with little lights being used to guide pathways. The best part? It’s relatively silent! I felt as if Universal had heard my prayers. There is a scare zone right behind this area, but if you’re okay with the occasional faint scream in the background, this is your best bet for a resting spot during your night.
Photo by bioreconstruct
In the past, this has been a viewing area for when the event hosts the Halloween version of its nighttime lagoon shows, but since there’s no such production this year, the area is completely open. I don’t want to see it get packed and take away yet another quiet area, so it’ll be our secret, okay?
Sensory-friendly tips & tricks
I want to share some sensory-friendly tips I’ve found helpful in my years of going to Halloween Horror Nights, in hopes that it will make your night a lot smoother.
Arrive after dark. While you will miss out on the first few hours and some short wait times at the start of the event, the crowd to scan your ticket upon arrival is almost non-existent after the sun has gone down. If you stay until the park closes, you’ll usually be able to make up for lost time as the wait times start to vanish after midnight.
Wear earplugs!! This event is extremely loud. Even if you don’t have a sensitivity to sound, protecting your hearing is very cool!
Bring wireless headphones to listen to music or other media in line for haunted houses. This provides a nice escape and mood shift if you feel yourself start to get overwhelmed. I recommend AirPods or anything similar, as over-the-ear headphones might be hard to carry around the park.
Pack a portable fan. These have gotten very popular recently, which is amazing because Orlando is hot! It doesn’t matter that it’s “fall.” it still feels like the surface of the sun at 10:47 p.m. in the middle of October.
STAY HYDRATED!!!!!!
I sincerely hope you have an incredible and safe time at Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights. Even if you aren’t a fan now, you might find yourself DYING to go back.
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