2020 was set to mark the 30th Anniversary of Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Florida. Of course, since 2020 is just the worst, that much-loved event, like so many other things, had to be canceled. Most years, Halloween Horror Nights is a special ticketed event that takes place after the park closes to regular day guests. It features haunted houses, and many other special activities for fans of the scarier side of theme parks.
Despite the fact that we are not getting the full event this year, Universal did come through with a lot of special offerings to celebrate the Spooky Season. I made it a point to head over to Universal in early-October to experience these events for you, and give you the scoop on the spook.
Most importantly and probably most surprisingly, Universal Studios moved forward with opening two of the planned haunted houses, and having them available for regular day guests at the park. These houses are the Universal Monsters: Bride of Frankenstein Lives and Revenge of the Tooth Fairy. On weekends, these houses were routinely utilizing a virtual queue on the Universal Orlando Resort mobile app, due to high demand. I visited on a Tuesday, and was surprised to see that Bride of Frankenstein was listed as a five-minute wait as I walked through the turnstiles.
I made a B-line to the attraction, which has its entrance right next to the giant stage near Rip Ride Rockets (for those of you familiar with the layout of the park). After walking directly through the queue, with no stopping at all, I was already getting my hands squirted with sanitizer from a team member, and I was entering the house. There will be no spoilers in this blog. I can tell you that, like previous years of Halloween Horror Nights, this house threw movie-quality effects at you to create a truly chilling experience. Crucially, there were team members staggered throughout the attraction to make sure guests were maintaining physical distancing, even when having their pants scared off by a ghoulish attacker.
While Revenge of the Tooth Fairy (located in the New York section of the park) was also showing a low wait time all day, I did not experience that haunted house, because I knew my day was already going to be pretty packed full. I also braved one house without embarrassing myself with a high-pitched squeal, so why test fate?
The Revenge of the Tooth Fairy’s entrance is right next to the Tribute Store. This was the earliest of the Halloween offerings unveiled by Universal; having gone up in August. The store has a variety of rooms with décor reminiscent of Dr. Frankenstein’s laboratory, sinister and scary clowns, and an entire room themed to Beetlejuice. You will find retro and new Halloween Horror Nights merchandise in the store, but the theming is really where this offering transforms from a store to an attraction in-and-of itself.
No Halloween-themed store would be complete without snacks, and the Tribute Store is certainly no different. Among the treats available inside the store are the Zombie Cookie Dough Cup, Stolen Teeth Tart, and the Red Velvet Blood Spatter Cake Pop. Since I always try to review vegetarian and vegan options, I grabbed the Vegan Brownie Skull. This was the perfect treat. Sometimes, vegan desserts can be dry and almost chalky. This brownie tasted just as moist and gooey as a brownie made with milk products. I would whole-heartedly recommend for vegans and the lactose intolerant.
In this Instagram-obsessed world, however, the most eye-catching treats at the Tribute Store are the Beating Heart Sour Cherry Gummies. These heart-shaped gummies are back-lit to give them the appearance of a beating heart. These are the types of details that set places like Universal and Disney apart from other theme parks. They could have just made regular heart-shaped gummies, and they would have sold well. They went the extra mile to make this one treat a must-have for almost all visitors.
There are some more seasonal food and beverage options available at Café La Bamba, which has been converted into the Skeleton Bar. Guests who partake in alcoholic beverages have plenty of options in this location, and the inside has been transformed with Halloween décor that is every bit as spooky as something you would see in many haunted houses. I gravitated towards the food, because I am not a drinker. I picked up the Vegan Jack’D up Mac, and the Screaming for S’mores Fries.
The Vegan Jack’D up Mac is exquisite. The plant-based sausage and dairy-free cheese are what really make this dish a winner. Coming up with a realistic flavor when replicating another type of food can be difficult. This would fool many meat-eaters. All of the ingredients are fresh tasting, and it has the perfect amount of spice to make your tongue tingle without being too hot.
On the other hand, the Screaming for S’mores Fries are a little too sweet for my taste. I had a feeling I wouldn’t be a fan, but I was too curious to pass up this option. With sweet potato fries, marshmallow, dark chocolate chips, and crumbled graham crackers, it is a busy dessert. A lot of people will love this dessert, but be warned that it is rich.
On the other hand, the Screaming for S’mores Fries are a little too sweet for my taste. I had a feeling I wouldn’t be a fan, but I was too curious to pass up this option. With sweet potato fries, marshmallow, dark chocolate chips, and crumbled graham crackers, it is a busy dessert. A lot of people will love this dessert, but be warned that it is rich.
After putting on those calories, it was time for the Scarecrow Stalk. This is a scavenger hunt throughout Universal Studios. Find all thirteen scarecrows (all of which are in stores inside the park); get your passport stamped by team members; and you receive a small bag of candy. All day I saw families trying to complete this little challenge. The scarecrows are all very creative. It gives you an excuse to check out stores that you may not always visit. Don’t sleep on a good scavenger hunt to give kids (and adults) a goal to keep them from getting too cranky on a long theme park day.
Those are just the experiences I tried. You can also check out Universal Orlando’s Horror Make-Up Show; Trick-or-Treating at Universal’s Islands of Adventure for the little ones; specialty cocktails at the on-property resorts; special snacks at Universal’s City Walk; and costumes are permitted and encouraged (obviously, check the website for guidelines to make sure your costume is compatible).
Both Universal Orlando Resort and Walt Disney World have been making the best of a bad situation since July, and they have carried that adaptability into the Halloween season. Universal is providing attractions that normally are only offered at an up-charge, and giving them to guests with a regular ticket. They are doing all of this while continuing to work diligently to keep us all safe. This isn’t an easy task, and they should be complimented for tackling it in this way. The team members should also be applauded for their constant hard work in enforcing rules when needed, and monitoring the parks for any potential health concerns. Such a great way to spend an October day.
