Halloween Horror Nights Orlando 2025: My Ultimate Experience

Intro

The main event of my October Trip to Orlando had finally come: Halloween Horror Nights 2025 at Universal Studios Florida!

Disney had been fun, and Epic Universe was amazing as always, but the only reason I came to Orlando was to experience HHN. And for the first time, not only once but twice in the same season. Not even including HHN Hollywood and the Horror Unleashed experience in Las Vegas.

These are my experiences in the previous years in Orlando only:

• 2022: Quick Guide For What To Do At Halloween Horror Nights Orlando 2023
• 2023: It’s Scary!: My Halloween Horror Nights Orlando 2023 Experience
• 2024: Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights: My Experience!

What is Halloween Horror Nights?

Halloween Horror Nights Orlando is Universal Orlando Resort’s massive, award-winning nighttime Halloween event that transforms the entire park into a pulse-pounding world of terror. Each fall, the park fills with elaborately themed haunted houses inspired by iconic horror films, TV shows, and original Universal creations, alongside immersive scare zones crawling with scare actors, atmospheric fog, and cinematic lighting.

High-energy live shows, specialty food and drinks, and late-night access to select rides round out the experience, making HHN Orlando one of the most intense, theatrical, and must-do Halloween events in the world. Whether you’re a horror superfan or just chasing an unforgettable night, it delivers top-tier production value and relentless scares from the moment the gates open.

Getting to Universal Studios Florida

We had 2 nights at Halloween Horror Nights. In the first one, we were going to do Scream Early + Express Pass. We did not buy a day ticket, so we had to wait until 2:45 PM to be able to enter the park with the Scream Early tickets, but we needed to sleep in after a marathonic last few days at Disney and Epic Universe.

The first thing we did when we arrived at CityWalk was to buy a HHN shirt for the people in my group which was the first time in this event, and then we saw the Butterbeer section of the Universal Store, which opened not long ago. I had just gotten some in Epic Universe, Hollywood and the Harry Potter Store in Chicago, so I was good for now. Maybe later today?

And here we were. I was supposed to come by myself the previous Saturday, but all the flights had gotten delayed, and missed my chance, but I was back in Universal Studios Florida.

After the iconic pictures at the Universal Globe, we made it to the gates, where we could see the medallion of HHN for the first time.

But it was still to early for my family to go on Stay and Scream, which started at 2:45 PM. All of them were left at the entrance, with like other dozens of people waiting for the magical number, while I enter the park to explore a little bit, and get a treat for them while they waited. It was my first time seeing the decor for HHN.

The Tribute Store

This year, probably because of the demolition of Rip Ride Rock It, the Tribute Store was shortchanged and put in some corner by The Mummy. I was not a fan of this decision, especially since they could have also use the location in Los Angeles that they have used in the past.

However, I thought that this year’s location was cool, and full of Easter Eggs, and amazing merchandise. It just did not feel like a Tribute Store.

I really hope they come back in 2026 with revenge, because for a lot of people, this one was one of the only negatives in HHN Orlando in 2025.

Haunted Houses

We were able to do the Stay and Scream, but you will see all that later in this post. For now, let’s jump into the Main Event. It started at 6:00 PM, so we went to start the line at around 4:30 PM. Before that, we got our wristbands for the event, which was a first ever.

Because of the whole demolition and construction happening in the New York area of Universal Studios, this year, the entrance to 5 of the 10 houses were located backstage. Which actually is very convenient, because you did not have to go all the way back to the park, and then again in line for the next one. This year, you could exit a house, and then do the line for the next one almost immediately, at least for these 5 houses.

Our goal, while having Express was to do the first one with No Express, just the regular line, and then use Express when the wait times were going to be higher. Unfortunately, for us, on this Wednesday at the beginning of October, the crowds were crazy.

Even though we arrived early, the lines to the most popular house: Five Nights at Freddy’s were already 3 hours long. So we decided to start with WWE Presents: The Horrors of The Wyatt Sicks!

• WWE Presents: The Horrors of The Wyatt Sicks

A dark, twisted realm inspired by WWE’s Wyatt Sicks family and the sinister alter-ego “The Fiend.”

From the IP houses, this was the one I did not care too much. I had done my homework, and seen all of the movies or TV shows for the other ones, but I did not want to see this one during my research. Also, I had seen this one in Universal Studios Hollywood, earlier in the season. But I do not know what it was, that I actually enjoyed it a lot. My family also liked it a lot. We had the chance to do it again, this time with the Express Pass that we did not use at beginning, so we even got time to appreciate more. And for that it was a 10/10. Great start for this year’s event.

• Grave of Flesh

Descend into your own grave and the underworld, where flesh-eaters feed on the dead in eternal torment.

I loved the actual feeling of being underground while walking this house. It was actually amazing how they were able to accomplish this. The production and design was impeccable, the costumes were amazing, but some of the scares were missing. And for that, it was a 8/10.

• Five Nights at Freddy’s

Enter the creepy abandoned Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria where possessed animatronics lurk in every shadow.

Using the Express Pass was never a guarantee to be fast like in previous years, but at least we were moving and grooving, and it was still daytime. We finally arrived to the house we wanted to do twice, and the one my family was more excited about: Five Nights at Freddy’s.

Hollywood had been a 5/10, but this one in Orlando looked way much better, with more animatronics, and scare actors. The sets from the movie also looked great, and seeing my family enjoying this house also added to the final score: 9.5/10.

• Terrifier

Face the ultraviolent clown Art the Clown in a twisted fun-house of gore and dark theatre.

The sun was still pretty much out, and burning us through the Express Line. I was afraid that seeing being this exposed to the sun in a long line, was going to affect us for the rest of the night, but at least we were not in this other long line like in the picture below.

Regardless, we were about to hit the 4th house of the event, and it was Terrifier. I loved the movies to be honest. And I can’t wait to see the 4th installment next year. I also loved the house in Hollywood, which I gave a 9/10, and loved seeing Art the Clown roaming in that park, although we never saw him in Orlando. But the scares were here and there in this house, and we absolutely loved this house. We picked the wet path at the end, and it was pretty fun, getting some water at the end. 10/10.

• El Artista: A Spanish Haunting

In 19th-century Spain, a tortured artist’s manor becomes haunted by his own living artwork.

The sun was finally setting, and we were about to do the line for the 5th and last house of this section of the park. After this, we would finally be able to enjoy the Scare Zones, food options, and entertainment. El Artista was one of the most gorgeous houses this year. It was not too scary, but the entrance and the patio inside were just enough to give this house a 10/10. Just amazing.

• Jason Universe

A journey through the slasher legacy of Jason Voorhees, from Camp Crystal Lake and beyond.

I watched 5 of the Jason movies in preparation for these events, and I kinda liked them, even though they all looked the same and had no plot lol. A 80 minutes wait for the regular line was not going to stop us. Before heading here, we explored some other things during the event, but you will see all of it later in this blog, for now we are focusing on the houses. In Hollywood I gave this house a 8.5/10, but here, the narrow path at the end with the multiple Jasons was the best idea ever. I loved the ending so much. Also, because of the location on the Fast and Furious ride, they gave it the double house treatment, meaning it was one of the longest ones, and was definitely the most scary: 10/10.

I was handed the Wait Time lanyard and felt very much lucky haha.

• Fallout

Set in the year 2296, this post-apocalyptic maze draws from the Fallout video game and TV series with irradiated horrors.

We are down to the houses on the back and the event was going quickly, faster than I had anticipated, even with express. I had started to worry, but I was confident we would still do all of the 10 houses. For Fallout, I had watched the entire first season, and even though I was not the biggest fan of this show, I think I would still watch season 2 coming up this year. In Hollywood I gave it a 6/10, and here I was still very unimpressed: 6/10 yikes.

• Gálkn: Monsters of the North

A remote northern village suffers an ancient beast’s rise, unleashing monsters from the fjords.

Right next to Fallout was Galkn, and one of the shortest lines of the night was going to become the longest. For some reason, the team member at the end of the line would allow like 100 regular guests for every 10 with Express Pass. It was absurd. A lot of the Express Pass guests had to start to complain, and some lady from management came to tell him to allow more of us in express. This was surprisingly the longest wait we had tonight, and it was past 9:00 PM.

Crowds, crowds, crowds. I guess everyone thought that coming on a random Wednesday would be more beneficial for the waits than on a weekend. Regardless, this house had amazing sets and productions, although I do not remember the scares too much: 7.5/10.

• Dolls: Let’s Play Dead

Shrunk to the size of a toy, you’re hunted by twisted fashion dolls and undead creations inside a child’s nightmare.

The exterior of the house was great, and the use of LED screens was amazing. The dolls and toys inside were very creepy, but I guess that was the idea. I have to give points for creativity, but I think the scares could have been better: 7.5/10.

• Hatchet & Chains: Demon Bounty Hunters

In an Old West town overrun by lava demons, the only hope lies with the demon-hunting bounty hunters.

Last house of the night, and it was 10:05 PM. Yikes. In previous years, I had finished all the houses by 8 PM and all the event by 11 PM. Crowds were definitely crazy tonight. Also, the houses on the back of the park had been a chop so far. Definitely not the best ones, but overall this even had been far more superior than the one in Hollywood, in terms of the quality of the houses.

This last house was a bit forgettable, but it was one of the most scary ones. The production on the exterior, and some of the interior deserves itself a 8/10.

Scare Zones

Overall, the houses had been amazing this year, way better than previous years. But what about the Scare Zones? Let’s go back in time to when I left the backstage area to go into the scare zones in the park, starting with the one by New York.

• Mutations: Toxic Twenties

Set in a 1920s speakeasy era gone wrong, a radioactive spill and mob mayhem spawn mutated victims roaming the streets.

I found this one pretty amazing. I enjoyed it more the second time we went on Friday, but the actors were giving it all. The sets and costumes were impressive, and the actors just hiding in plan sight scaring everyone was amazing: 10/10.

• Club Horror

A full-on undead nightclub in the San Francisco zone: live DJ, dancers, strobes and party vibes — less about jump-scares, more about immersive atmosphere.

A choice was made about San Francisco, and the decided to add full on party club in the middle of the street, meaning there was no way to avoid it.

But seeing people actually dancing, and enjoying this section of the park was pretty refreshing. Not in a scary way, but at least it did not feel trashy. It was kinda funny actually.

We missed the Haunt‑O‑Phonic: A Ghoulish Journey with all the stress of doing the houses, but at least the park lake looked amazing.

• The Cat Lady of Crooked Lane

A whimsical yet eerie zone of winding paths and jack-o-lanterns where trick-or-treaters are transformed into feline foes under the watch of the Cat Lady.

And talk about amazing. The best Scare Zone I have ever seen in any of these events and do not even come close. Look at how spectacular it looks. And with a creepy show, and mini haunted house in the middle. Just wow: 10/10.

The little show was one the creepiest themes of the night. Please Universal bring things like this every year.

• Mel’s Die‑In Zombies

A street-experience turned zombified 1950s drive-in centred at Mel’s Drive‑In, where zombie car-hops on roller-skates glide around serving gruesome “meals” and classic rock-and-roll hits keep the soundtrack bouncing.

Sort of a Scare Zone, but with just a few zombies skating around, Mel’s Die-In never ceases to amaze me every year. I need to go inside one time, but the food in there never goes viral. They need to create something great for people to go enjoy: 8/10.

• Masquerade: Dance With Death

A lavish masquerade ball turned deadly: behind ornate masks lurk vampires whose dance floor becomes your worst fate.

Another scare zone where the actors were giving it all. Some of them very blended with the crowds, and surprising and scaring people at every second. The costumes, and set design were also amazing. I love the use of fog and lights at this year’s event. 9/10.

• Origins of Horror

The last of the scare zones was actually the last thing we saw, and it was located at the entrance. I mean, we had been inside since before they uncovered these statues. It basically showed some of the icons of the year with a focus on the houses. There were some scare actors, and definitely a great way to finish this night: 8.5/10.

Nightmare Fuel: Circus of Decay

Transforms the former Fear Factor Live theatre into a nightmarish circus gone horribly wrong — the once-vibrant big-top has rotted and twisted into an arena full of fire, aerial acrobatics, illusions, and ravaged spectacle.

Very similar to the one from last year (the first I ever saw), but with a positive twist at the end. We tried 2 show times before we actually committed to wait in line at least 30 minutes before the next show, and we still almost did not make it. It was good to sit down and relax, and see all the stunts, but in my mind I was just thinking I was not going to be able to finish all the houses lol. Very crowded night like I mentioned many times, and no wonder why so many people chose to come to this show instead of waiting 3 hours in a line for just one house. Do not get me wrong, I still enjoyed this show, and thought was amazing, but being too similar in plot to 2024s was very distracting: 9/10.

HHN Food Options

Food was good, but I feel it was better in other years. Regardless, we had the chance to try some of it like the Abracadabra Sunflower Glasses from Clown Cafe. I had tried them in Hollywood, but these ones were way better lol.

The food epicenter of the night, however, was the Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza (Louie’s Italian Restaurant). My family was so excited to eat here. It was just amazing how this was just something we could go into.

We got the Cupcake, Why Not Have Both Pizza & Pasta, Chica’s Sour Lime Tang and Foxy’s Strawberry Soda. Everything was so good omg. I wish I could go back to that night and eat it all again. The pizza, meatball and pasta somehow worked??? It was amazing.

But of course, I was not gonna skip the iconic Pizza Fries this year. Pizza on top of pizza seemed actually amazing for this year’s event. You can get them every year at Dreamworks Imagination Cafe.

Another IP food option was Camp Crystal Lake, kinda close to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and I wanted to try a couple of things from here. The first one was the Crystal Lake Coffee, which I had to chug because we were going to do a line for a house. Unfortunately, a little bit too sweet.

And the Camp Bloody S’mores were not as good either. They were basically on a bread (?), and the chocolate was very syruppy (?). Why did I pick this? Everyone was recommending it on YouTube ugh.

Attractions opened during HHN

Here are some of the major ride-attractions at Halloween Horror Nights 2025 at Universal Studios Florida that remain open during the event:

• Revenge of the Mummy — A high-speed indoor roller coaster themed to the Mummy franchise.
• Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts — A 3-D/enhanced dark ride located in the Diagon Alley section that remains open.
• Transformers: The Ride‐3D — A motion-simulator dark ride based on the Transformers franchise, also operational during HHN.
• Men in Black Alien Attack — A shooting dark ride where guests zap aliens; listed among the attractions open during HHN.

But seeing Rip Ride Rock It being demolished had me shocked. It is weird seeing a major attraction, part of the skyline of a theme park just begone forever. But this one traumatized my family a few years ago lol, so I will not miss it. Excited for whatever the replacement is.

But the first real attraction we did was Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley. We did Single Rider, and were still matched together, yay! We did this before the event officially started, but could have done it with Express during the event as well.

We did Revenge of the Mummy twice. Once at the beginning with Single Rider, and once again with Express Pass. My family and I love love this roller coaster. It is an amazing attraction. Excited to ride it again in December.

Dining Options during Stay and Scream

Remember when I got into the park with my Annual Pass before the event started? Well, I went in there to grab some drinks for my family, including PX-41 Punch (Lemonade with bright flavors of strawberry and kiwi, with Evil Minion-colored topping and Blue Raspberry Pop Rocks!) from Illumination’s Minion’s Cafe. Why am I obsessed with this drink? It is just so good! I’ve gotten it so many times, and I have never seen a Minions movie lol.

And talking about obsession, do not even get me started with Fish and Chips. I think this is the most hilarious tag of this blog, since I have gotten this delicacy in so many places, including: Cape Town (South Africa), Japan, ICON Park, Alaska, Hollywood, London, EPCOT, Iceland, Greenland, and of course Universal Orlando. I tried the children plate this time, just because we had so much to eat this night.

Saying bye to HHN 2025

As we left the event almost at 2 AM, the RIP Tour Guides were saying their goodbyes, and it seemed surreal it was over.

But the main event of this Orlando trip was coming back, less ceremoniously, on the upcoming Friday, with no Express, but it was going to be the first time I would go twice in a year to the Orlando event. In the next blog I will include that second night quicker, and adding other experiences from the trip. For now, let’s see some conclusions.

Conclusion

Halloween Horror Nights 2025 was, without a doubt, one of the strongest editions I’ve ever experienced in Orlando. The creativity and production value of the haunted houses reached an impressive level this year, with a lineup that consistently delivered, whether it was the gorgeous sets of El Artista, the pure adrenaline of Jason Universe, or the fan-massive energy surrounding Five Nights at Freddy’s. Scare-wise, it was a mixed bag depending on the house, but the average score speaks for itself: Houses Average: 8.95/10. The Scare Zones also brought their A-game, with a surprising amount of atmosphere and energy. From the immersive chaos of Mutations: Toxic Twenties to the jaw-dropping beauty of The Cat Lady of Crooked Lane, easily the best scare zone I’ve ever seen at HHN, the streets this year were vibrant and alive. Scare Zones Average: 9.2/10.

The entertainment lineup continued the tradition of HHN’s high-energy offerings. Nightmare Fuel: Circus of Decay remained a crowd-pleaser with its fire, stunts, and circus-from-hell aesthetic—though the plot felt close to last year’s version, it was still an incredible break from the chaos of the houses. The new lagoon show, Haunt-O-Phonic: A Ghoulish Journey, slipped through the cracks for us due to the stressful house-hopping, but the lake area looked amazing every time we passed by. The food options this year were solid, even if not as groundbreaking as previous events. Some booths were hits, Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza stole the night, but others, like the Crystal Lake coffee and Camp Bloody S’mores, didn’t quite land. Still, Pizza Fries saved the day as always.

Crowd-wise, this was easily one of the most packed Wednesdays I’ve ever attended in the event’s history, and that absolutely changed the pace. Express helped, but long lines, bottlenecks, and slow-moving queues (especially in Gálkn) were the theme of the night. Yet even with that, the ambience was so strong—dense fog, clever lighting, roaming scare actors, party energy at Club Horror—that it still felt like Halloween wrapped around the entire park. And of course, riding The Mummy and Gringotts during HHN always adds something special to the night.

Overall, HHN 2025 was a spectacular event. The houses were beautifully designed, the scare zones exceeded all expectations, the shows added balance to the night, and the food brought character and fun fandom touches. Yes, the crowds were intense, and yes, Express didn’t feel as powerful as previous years, but even then, the event managed to be thrilling, memorable, and absolutely worth flying down for. And the fact that I came twice in one season—and still wanted more—should tell you everything. If you’re a horror fan, a theme-park lover, or just someone chasing a once-a-year adrenaline rush, HHN 2025 was one for the books.