There is little doubt that Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort is one of the biggest and best Halloween experiences to be had anywhere across the nation (it has been the recipient of Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Award for Best Halloween Event six years running now, after all)… but the truth is it’s just one aspect of a many-faceted (and magnificently scary) jewel that Universal proudly displays in several locations all across the globe.
HHN has, over the past 23 years, spread to infect all four of Universal’s international venues, starting with Florida and just recently finishing with Japan. Since no two events are quite the same – not even Orlando’s and Hollywood’s, which, unsurprisingly, have the closest resemblance to one another – the special touches and unique scares to be had at each park are more than worth investigating; even if reading about all of them doesn’t make you want to become a Halloween jetsetter this year, it will nonetheless afford a far greater appreciation of Universal Studios Florida’s dramatic flourishes all the more.
Let’s get to it, shall we?
Universal Studios Hollywood (09.19 – 11.01)
Although Universal Studios Hollywood precedes Universal Studios Florida by a good 25 years, it took a considerably long time for HHN to be transplanted across the country and take root there; it wasn’t until the event’s seventh year, in 1997, that it first made a formal appearance on the West Coast, and, even then, it didn’t become the permanent, predominant fixture that is today until just 2006.
But now that it has taken hold, it just won’t let go, with Hollywood even becoming something of a design influencer for all the rest of the Universal parks – what its personnel conceive and build ultimately trickles down to all the other locations, making HHN aficionados and prognosticators keep a close eye on what can be called Halloween’s ground zero.
Here are the properties that have thus far been announced for the park for 2014:
Haunted houses
The Walking Dead (for the third consecutive year)
From Dusk Till Dawn
Face Off: In the Flesh
Alien vs. Predator
Dracula: Untold – Reign of Blood
Scarezones
The Purge: Anarchy
As for the unconfirmed houses, there is, at the least, a sixth and, presumably, final haunt to be unveiled (unlike USF’s seven or eight haunted houses, USH’s lineup has consisted of just six for the past three years, due to its smaller size). There is also the possibility, however, of the event adding a seventh maze for the very first time in its sporadic history, which would be, more than likely, an original creation – something of a rarity for USH’s roster, at least as of late.
As for just what the sixth house would consist of, our sources have heard some very strong indicators that An American Werewolf in London, which was Florida’s surprise star of the show last year, will be making its way over to the West Coast. This is an exciting development not only because Werewolf featured some of the most inventive – not to mention frighteningly effective – uses of puppets ever seen in a haunted attraction, but also because it reverses the trend of Orlando picking up the creative tab from Hollywood.
An American Werewolf in London – Halloween Horror Nights 2013.
There’s one more reason why everyone should sit up and take note of this possible development: American Werewolf in London was a house that Universal Creative’s design team actually wanted to do (and had tried to get greenlit two times previously), as opposed to having properties forced on them to work on. Should California be getting Florida’s hand-me-down, and should it prove to be every bit as popular as last year’s rendition, this may very well be the beginning of a new era within HHN in which the designers are given more of a free reign, resulting in a higher-quality product.
Want some final, parting rumors? As for the three or four additional scarezones that have yet to be revealed, we’re hearing that “Mask-a-raid” and the Walking Dead (but of course) are the most likely to materialize.
Visit Universal Studios Hollywood’s HHN site
Universal Studios Singapore (10.03 – 11.01)
This is where things get really interesting.
2014 may only be the fourth year the event has been held in Singapore, but it’s already taken on a level of experimentation and, dare we say, boldness that has largely eluded the two American parks’ lineups, and it all largely revolves around Universal Studios Singapore’s icon: the Minister of Evil.
Here he is, in all his glory: Singapore’s Minister of Evil.
Something that Universal Studios Florida fans and HHN Orlando designers would die for, USS seems to be going all-out in the Minister’s conceptualization and execution. Unlike, say, what happened with Orlando’s last original icon, 2011’s Lady Luck – who was heavily censored by the Marketing Department very late in the game, drastically downplaying her “dark side,” even after all of her commercials had been shot – Singapore isn’t doing much, if any, censoring in the slightest. This can easily be attested to by the event’s recent 30-second teaser:
Even HHN 4’s write-ups are more risqué than anything we’ve been getting on either coast here in America in recent years: “Pursuant to Section 666 of the Insurgency of Mortal Agents Act, we declare Jonah Goodwill the candidate elected to office as the Minister of Evil. The end of the world is nigh. All hell will break loose according to schedule. Watch this space for more Revelations.”
Here’s what the Minister of Evil will be presiding over this Halloween:
Haunted houses
The L.A.B. (Laboratory of Alien Breeding)
Mati Camp
Jing’s Revenge
Jack’s 3D Dementia
Scarezones
Demoncracy
Scary Tales
Canyon of the Cursed
Bogeyman
While the park has yet to announce any official details on most of these attractions, it sounds as if the Scary Tales scarezone will be a variation on the classic (and original!) Orlando theme, which was deployed in three haunts over the past 13 years. The last form it took was “Once upon a Nightmare” in 2008, a house which continues to rank amongst HHN aficionados as one of the best the event has ever seen in its 24-year history. Here its official description from ‘08:
“Find yourself ‘Once upon a Nightmare’ as you wind your way across a landscape filled with cherished fairy tales as they have never been told before. The Evil Queen’s scribes have written new chapters on terror, where princesses don’t get saved, children don’t find their way out of the woods, and there is no escape from the rabbit hole.”
Care for one last original IP tidbit? Jack’s 3D Dementia would seem to be the domain of the irrepressible Jack, Orlando’s most popular icon. If this makes Universal Studios Singapore seem like it’s fast becoming the repository of all of Universal Orlando’s original content, it would be only appropriate, as Florida is increasingly becoming the exclusive domain of licensed material.
We suspect that there may be more to Jack’s inclusion this year; in pulling yet another card from the Orlando deck, Singapore’s designers may be gauging his reception to see how he may be better integrated into next year’s event, even possibly as its main icon. Only time – and evil – will tell.
Visit Universal Studios Singapore’s HHN site
Universal Studios Japan (09.12-11.09)
Universal’s third international venue was actually the last to jump on the Halloween Horror Nights bandwagon, having just started to pull off the event two short years ago (despite the fact that it’s been open for the past 13 years). Perhaps unsurprisingly, USJ has usually had the most low-key – some might even say barebones – marketing campaign leading up to the festivities; this year, the park made its very first announcement just this week.
HHN kicks off in Japan with style – and with zombies, of course.
(In case you’re curious, that cool kanji [Chinese character] after “9/12” is short for “Friday,” and the one after “11/9” is the abbreviation for “Sunday.”)
Typically, USJ has celebrated Halloween by throwing two different events: Universal’s Surprise Halloween party is held during the day before Halloween Horror Nights proper and is meant, of course, for children. Based off of the sole piece of marketing, it looks like guests can expect the tradition to continue this year.
As for literally any other detail about HHN 3, we’ll just have to wait… and stayed tuned to the park’s Facebook page, since it doesn’t have this year’s dedicated HHN website up yet.
Visit Universal Studios Japan’s Facebook page
A very special thanks
I’d like to end by giving much public credit to my co-author for this piece, Taylor Strickland, better known as PWT, the OI Forums Community Manager. Congratulations on your first published article!
Want to see what Universal Studios Florida has in store for this year’s Halloween Horror Nights? Find out everything there is to know in the in the OI Forums (be sure to say hi to Taylor when you do!).
Ready to if the cost to visit HHN in Orlando is as scary as the event? We’ll price it out for you – for free (seriously). Learn more