We FINALLY pulled the plug and went to Halloween Horror Nights Orlando and we LOVED it! I won’t lie, I had a ton of anxiety going into it, but I’m sharing some tips that helped us a ton and show you that you CAN experience and enjoy this event, even if you feel like a scaredy cat.

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Stay and Scream

This is a great option if you already have a day ticket or annual pass and want to get the most out of your time for the event. Basically there will be sectioned off areas of the park that you will be able to stand while they usher out the regular day guests between park close and the event officially beginning.

There is also an option to add on stay and scream to your HHN ticket if you don’t have a day ticket or annual pass. The advantage to Stay and Scream is that you can jump in line for a few houses before the lines get super long.

HOWEVER, if you are a scaredy cat and don’t want to jump right into the houses (we sure didn’t) it can also be a great time to get in before the crowds so that you can walk through scare zones in the daytime to get a handle for the vibes or maybe grab a bite to eat.

Scare Zones

As I mentioned, going through the scare zones in the daytime is a great way to see them without the added layer or darkness to make them scarier. It’s super important to remember that the scare actors CANNOT touch you and you are completely safe! This goes for the houses too. Some of the scare zones will have sidewalks that you can walk on that the scare actors do not go up on, but the biggest trick is confidence.

The more confident you can be, the less the scare actors will mess with you. If they think they can scare you, then they’ll do it. And remember… these aren’t actually monsters, they’re just people like you and me dressed up in a costume. They cannot and will not hurt you.

You can also usually find pathways around most of the scare zones. They aren’t all avoidable, but there are usually multiple paths to get around the park if you are feeling a little overwhelmed.

Ear Plugs

This event is LOUD! There is loud music, screams, and of course other stimulation like flashing lights and the scares. I found that my ear plugs were a LIFESAVER to not getting overwhelmed or overstimulated.

A huge part of how the scares work is my playing with your senses, so if you can reduce the effect of one, it will help to ease a bit of that fear and anxiousness.

These are especially helpful inside the houses and during the Nightmare Fuel show as both are incredibly loud. My favorite ear plugs are loops! I use these in the theme parks all the time (not just HHN) and they are perfect for helping me in noisy or overwhelming situations.

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Watch Walk Throughs

If you have never been to this event before or are just simply nervous of what to expect, I recommend maybe NOT going on the first couple of nights. Universal will often host a media event where creators can film inside the houses (this is not allowed during regular nights of the event) and can then share what these houses, scare zones, the show, and more are like!

This helped me a TON to know which houses were probably less scary and which ones I definitely wanted to avoid.

If you have some extra money to spare, you can also consider doing a Lights On tour of some of the houses! There is a three house tour and a six house tour where you can go inside the house during the day and see everything without the scare actors and with the lights on.

This will probably ruin a bit of the ‘magic’ for you, but it’s a good way to get familiar with what they are like before you do the real thing.

The Houses

This was the part I was most nervous about, but honestly it was also the part I had the most fun! Again, remember, the scare actors cannot touch you and none of it is real. It’s just a bit of theatre!

Scare Actors will pop out from their hiding spots usually around every 45 seconds, and it’s usually fairly obvious where they are coming from. I highly encourage enjoying the sets and taking a look around as you go through the house, but if you keep your eyes peeled for those scare spots, they usually won’t catch you off guard as much.

If you do find yourself in a house that is simply too much, there are team members scattered throughout the houses. Just let them know and they will help to escort you out. I really only recommend doing this in an emergency, but it’s there if you absolutely need it!

Walking through the houses only really takes around 5 minutes, you’re adrenaline may be pumping, so sometimes it can feel like longer, but it does go by pretty quick!

Also, just a fun pro tip - the house lines are shortest at the very beginning of the event and at the end pretty much once midnight hits. This year we saved the Ghostbusters house till last - all night the posted wait was between 45 minutes-1 hour and when we went around 12:30am we only waited 10 minutes! If you can stay till the end of the night, you can definitely knock out quite a few houses quickly.

You CAN do this event AND have a great time! Just set your expectations, don’t push yourself, and plan ahead.

Scaredy Cat Guide to Halloween Horror Nights