The Haunt List headed to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood earlier this month. One of the main reasons we go back to this haunt every year is the environment. While there are typically long lines, going through the park itself is entertaining with a number of scare zones and an overall eerie but fun atmosphere. As usual, the set design and props for the rooms we saw were stellar, but some of they key rooms featured a bulk of recycled props from previous years. For the part of our team who hadn’t experienced those mazes in past years it was great, but for those that had, it was a bit of a disappointment. Some of our favorite attractions this year were The Shining, Ash Vs. Evil Dead, and American Horror Story: Roanoke. The Shining maze was very tastefully done and really payed homage to the horror classic. It also had extremely detailed and well thought out rooms. Ash Vs. Evil Dead was probably the most fun as it was super interactive and after every scare from Ash, he would stumble back and give us the thumbs up after realizing we weren’t the “evil dead” he was after. Unfortunately, the season of American Horror Story featured in this year’s haunt was not streaming yet, so we had to take this one in without a backstory. That said, it was creepy and had a key scare moment in a room of tall trees, simulating the woods.
Would we recommend this haunt? It depends. In our opinion, the themes weren’t as compelling this year compared to previous years and while we love attending this attraction, it’s virtually impossible to see every maze unless you have a front of the line pass. That said, we had a great time at the event and are happy to have experienced it. Halloween Horror Nights brings out droves of haunt fans each season and with their detailed mazes, impressive monsters, and fun but scary environment, it’s no surprise that this event sells out in advance every year.
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood is open on select dates, now through November 4th. Get your tickets here.
