- There are rumors of special Easter eggs for fans of the park. There may be roving groups of M3gans who spontaneously engage in dancing flash mobs.
- If you visit Peacock’s Halloween Horror Bar, you might spot David S. Pumpkins, made viral by Tom Hanks on “SNL.”
- Lumos! In Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando, there may be Death Eaters wandering around Diagon Alley
Yes, you can do Universal Studios in Orlando for under $100 – here’s how.
Admission to Halloween Horror Nights ranges from $79.99 to $129.99 before taxes. According to the Halloween Horror Nights website, here’s when tickets are under $100:
- Wednesday September 20: $79.99
- Thursday September 21: $79.99
- Sunday September 24: $89.99
- Wednesday September 27: $84.99
- Thursday September 28: $84.99
- Friday September 29: $92.99
- Sunday October 1: $82.99
- Wednesday October 4: $94.99
- Thursday October 5: $94.99
- Friday, October 6: $99.99 (OK, we acknowledge this price squeeze due to the penny “under $100” ticket hack)
- Sunday October 8: $99.99
- Wednesday October 11: $84.99
- Thursday October 12: $84.99
- Sunday October 15: $94.99
- Wednesday October 18: $84.99
- Thursday October 19: $84.99
- Friday October 20: $99.99
- Sunday October 22: $89.99
- Wednesday October 25: $84.99
- Thursday October 26: $84.99
- Friday October 27: $99.99
- Sunday October 29: $94.99
- Tuesday October 31, Halloween! $94.99
- Wednesday, November 1: $84.99
- Thursday, November 3: $84.99
- Friday, November 3: $94.99
It’s fall, y’all!The gory details of Halloween in Florida with events in Orlando, Tampa and Miami
These are the rides open at Universal Studios Orlando during Halloween Horror Nights 2023
Wait times for rides and attractions are typically shorter during Halloween Horror Nights, as many guests line up for haunted houses or other ghoulish entertainment (see below). Typically, wait times for listed rides can range from 30 minutes to over an hour. But during Halloween horror nights? Guests can ride and re-ride several times during their visit. Note: Universal Studios closes early for Halloween Horror Nights, which begins at 6:30 p.m. on the dates mentioned above, and several traditional park favorites are closed for this special event. Here are the rides offered by Universal Studios during Halloween Horror Nights 2023:
- Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit
- Transformers: The Ride-3D
- Revenge of the Mummy
- Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Diagon Alley
Cost comparison:Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights vs. SeaWorld’s Howl-O-Scream
These are the attractions open at Universal Studios in Orlando during Halloween Horror Nights 2023
Alien Attack of the Men in Black: In this attraction inspired by the hit films starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones (not the Chris Hemsworth-Liam Neeson-Tessa Thompson reboot), guests will “eliminate the scum from the universe.” It’s a multi-room, movement-based experience for you and a group of six “to defend the galaxy against the biggest – and smallest – threats the aliens have to offer,” according to Universal Orlando. The action takes place in New York.
Meeting with Death Eaters: Since the 1990s, Universal Studios Orlando has been known as the theme park where you can “make movies”. When the park introduced the Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Diagon Alley, visitors were able to walk through a Harry Potter movie set. Fans of the films starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson would know not to show fear towards the Death Eaters, because they suck your soul. Fortunately, wands to counter these Death Eaters and invoke a patronus are available for purchase in Diagon Alley, as is Butterbeer, the creme de la creme of Harry Potter drinks.
These are the haunted houses of Halloween Horror Nights 2023 at Universal Orlando
This is where guests encounter long lines at this theme park – but that’s to be expected due to the amount of detail and thought required to immerse guests in the world of Chucky, Zombies and scary monsters.
These are the themed “spooky zones” for Halloween Horror Nights 2023 at Universal Studios Orlando.
Here’s where to expect crowds at Universal Studios during Halloween Horror Nights. Advice: For guests who enjoy people watching, these are prime locations for that.
- Dr. Oddfellow’s Horror Collection
- Dark Zodiac
- Jungle of Doom: Horror Expedition
- Vamp ’69: Summer of Blood
- Shipyard 32: Horrors Unleashed
What else is included in Halloween Horror Nights 2023 at Universal Studios Orlando?
- Scare the actors, a lot two
- Universal Orlando Nightmare Fuel Show, Nightmare Fuel Revenge Dream
- M3GAN dancers
- Sightings of David S. Pumpkins, the viral character wearing a black and orange pumpkin costume on “Saturday Night Live,” made famous by Oscar winner Tom Hanks
- Halloween Horror Nights themed merchandise and food – Left Behind Ravioli or Peanut Blooder Burger, anyone?
Are Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando worth the price?
It depends on your point of view. Here’s a scenario from a longtime theme park fan and entertainment writer:
- Attend Halloween Horror Nights on a night when tickets are less than $100.
- There’s time before the gates open at 6:30 p.m. to explore Universal Orlando CityWalk, the theme park’s retail, dining and entertainment complex. Or arrive at the park early to find a parking spot, go through security lines and wait for the entrance so you can go straight in at 6:30 p.m.
- Ride the rides, visit the attractions, take on a haunted house or two, go shopping, try the hot Butterbeer (Universal’s the hot drink sold only at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando).
- Stay at the park until closing, which is until 2 a.m. during Halloween Horror Nights. If you arrived at 6:30 p.m. and explored the park until 2 a.m., that’s 7.5 hours of theme park fun. For a single-day visit to Universal Studios this time of year, park tickets start at $119 for adults before taxes. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., which is nine hours of theme park fun. You pay for the experience – and Halloween Horror Nights is a signature annual event at Universal Orlando.
How much are parking fees at Universal Studios Orlando during Halloween Horror Nights 2023?
Self-parking for Halloween Horror Nights opens at 6 p.m. and costs $30. Parking is free after midnight.
The gory details of Universal Orlando Halloween Horror Nights 2023
- Halloween Horror Nights 32 runs Wednesday through Sunday through November 4, 2023, at Universal Studios, 6000 Universal Blvd., Orlando.
- Theme park hours are 6:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. on these evenings.
- Halloween Horror Nights is recommended for ages 13 and up.
- Single-night tickets start at $79.99 online. Multi-night tickets start at $179.99 online. Express passes can be added for an additional fee, starting at $119.99. RIP tours are available starting at $329.99 per person.
- Call Universal Orlando at 402-224-7840 or visit halloweenhorrornights.com.
Contributors: Eve Chen, USA TODAY, Christina LaFortune, FLORIDA TODAY, and Samantha Neely and Lianna Norman, USA TODAY Network-Florida
Sangalang is an Orlando theme park fan, a longtime entertainment writer and a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.
