If you’re a weirdo, and you haven’t been to Halloween Horror Nights, what are you waiting for? (I say again.) Of course, when I say weirdo, I mean it in the most positive way possible. I mean, if you’re someone who loves to be nerdily passionate about your hobbies or to spend time with those whose interests might be a little outside the mainstream, you probably will have an amazing time at Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights. Maybe you’re a goth ghoul or a queer fae; maybe you love to see the beauty in nightmares; or maybe you just really enjoy an incredibly theatrical, immersive experience that’s somehow high camp, totally terrifying, and elegantly dreamy.
All of these things can be yours at HHN, alongside the total certainty that so many people just like you are surrounding you on all sides. Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights is the perfect place to let your freak flag fly, and not only will you have divine time, but it will also be a very communal experience.
Everyone who attended Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando during my media trip was dressed to the nines in their horror best. And what that meant varied radically from horror cosplay to gothic glamor to casual witch-wear. No matter where you looked, people were buzzing with excitement. Many were trading friendship bracelets. Others were gesturing wildly to friends. Still, some were coming off the high of screaming their heads off in the haunted houses. It was an infectious aura of delight. And that was just the attendees.
The park itself had, too, come to slay, not to play. The mist was rolling thick, and everything was incredibly themed. Halloween Horror Nights’ Scare zones (specifically themed locations that are like mini-house experiences) were everywhere, and there was something for every kind of weirdo. There was the Torture Faire for the D&D/Renaissance Faire lovers among us. There was the Swamp of the Undead if you wanted something more slasher/gory. And the Demon Queens ruled over the night to welcome the dark fairies among us into their realms. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, of course. Universal Orlando really transformed as the sun set, and I could barely even tell it was the same park I had witnessed during the day when Halloween Horror Nights began. A nightmarish fantasy land emerged from every corner and haunt.
Of course, the Haunted Houses were wonderful, and the food was delicious, and you can read all about those things in their specific articles. But for me, the cherry on top of the experience was the Nightmare Fuel: Nocturnal Circus performance. Exhausted from my RIP Tour (which I cannot more highly recommend), I pulled the bones of my skeleton to the last show of the night. And it blew my mind. Nightmare Fuel: Nocturnal Circus was so camp. It was so queer. It was so welcoming of the Other and so full of talent it shocked me. Truly, it was one of the most beautiful live shows I’ve ever seen. And I honestly could not believe that it was an official Halloween Horror Nights performance sanctioned by Universal Orlando. But it was amazing. (And full kudos to Universal Orlando for approving it.)
All this to say, after attending Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights 2024, I know that is a place all weirdos should pilgrimage to at least once. Because if you’re any kind of odd, you will have the best time ever. And so I have to ask again, what are you waiting for?
(And remember, hydration is cool culture. A pro tip for you is that any soda dispenser in the park will dispense water for free, regardless of whether you have the official park cup or not! We love horror in our lives, but not the horror of dehydration.)
