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Five Years Away from the Fog

It had been over five years since I last set foot on the sacred grounds of horror known as Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort. Five long years without wandering through the fog, coming face-to-face with terrifying creatures, or wondering what might be lurking around the next corner.

Through the woods, wickedness and whatever twisted nightmares Universal had cooked up this year, my buddy Brant and I were finally attending Halloween Horror Nights together for the very first time. We had talked about making this happen before, but somehow the stars never quite aligned. Thanks to a little wicked magic from Brant himself, he helped turn those conversations into reality. I’m not entirely sure what kind of dark forces he summoned to pull this off, but I’m certainly not complaining.

Brant is practically a Halloween Horror Nights veteran, having attended the event for years. My own history with HHN goes back much further than my first actual visit. I had been following the event since Halloween Horror Nights: Sweet 16 in 2006, watching it evolve while wishing I could experience the madness myself.

It wasn’t until Halloween Horror Nights 26 in 2016 that I finally stepped into the chaos. After spending a decade following the event from the sidelines, I continued attending through HHN 30, including that unusual COVID-era experience, if you even want to count it as a proper Halloween Horror Nights event. Let’s just say Halloween looked a little different back then.

Although I had been away for quite some time, my love for HHN never disappeared. I continued following the haunted house announcements, original concepts and everything else that makes this event one of my favorite Halloween traditions.

Twenty years of following Halloween Horror Nights, five years since my last visit and one long-overdue return to the chaos.

What could possibly go wrong?

Returning to Universal Orlando

My last visit to Universal Orlando had been back in 2022, so returning felt like catching up with an old friend. Much of the resort still looked familiar, although there were definitely a few changes and new additions to discover.

Since Brant and I arrived early, we had some time to explore Universal CityWalk before the nightmares began. Naturally, we decided to kick things off with a little Halloween fun at the Red Coconut Club.

Red Coconut Club: Halloween Meets an Alien Invasion

Our first stop was the Red Coconut Club, which had received a fun Halloween makeover combining traditional neighborhood decorations with an extraterrestrial invasion. It was an unusual combination, but that was exactly what made it interesting.

The club features two floors, each offering a completely different atmosphere. On the main floor, we entered through what appeared to be a living room before making our way into an outdoor Halloween setting, complete with a corn maze, pumpkin patch and houses decorated for trick-or-treating. There was even a giant moon overlooking the neighborhood and a cow casually grazing on the grass.

Upstairs, however, things took a completely different turn. Suddenly, we were aboard an alien spaceship, complete with cosmic-themed drinks at the bar and an alien abduction scene. One of my favorite details was the balcony overlooking the Halloween neighborhood below, making it feel like we were watching the invasion unfold from above.

Overall, I thought it was a clever concept and a fun way to start our evening. It wasn’t a haunted attraction, but the playful combination of Halloween and science fiction made it worth exploring.

Exploring CityWalk

After leaving the Red Coconut Club, we continued exploring CityWalk and checking out what had changed since my last visit. We spotted the recently opened Fat One’s and Five Guys, which had replaced the former Burger King location.

We also stopped at the Universal Legacy Store, where I enjoyed seeing the updated displays and merchandise. The Universal Horror Unleashed and Epic Universe collections especially caught my attention, along with the photo opportunities scattered throughout the store. As someone who loves theme parks and horror, it was definitely worth a stop.

With our CityWalk exploration finished, it was almost time for the main event.

The Opening Scaremony: Welcoming the Victims

As 6:00 p.m. approached, the anticipation started building. Halloween Horror Nights was scheduled to open at 6:30 p.m., but we managed to get fairly close to the entrance in hopes of getting inside a little earlier.

While our view wasn’t perfect, we caught glimpses of Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow welcoming guests into the park. Or should I say, their next victims?

I’ve always been a huge fan of Jack the Clown. His twisted personality, mischievous behavior and love for chaos represent everything I enjoy about Halloween Horror Nights. Seeing him again was definitely one of the highlights of my return.

Fortunately, the gates opened earlier than expected, giving us another opportunity to see both icons as we entered. We continued through Minion Land, where signs representing this year’s haunted houses were on display. After months of following announcements and counting down the days, seeing everything in person felt surreal.

The wait was finally over. Halloween Horror Nights had officially begun.

Into the Scare Zones

After being welcomed by the delightfully demented Dr. Oddfellow and Jack the Clown, it was time to step deeper into the chaos and see what Halloween Horror Nights had waiting in the streets.

Infernal Carnival of Nightmares

What better way to start than with Infernal Carnival of Nightmares along Illumination Boulevard?

This was essentially our introduction to the larger theme of HHN 35, bringing together characters and icons connected to the event’s long history. Monsters roamed the area while familiar faces from Halloween Horror Nights appeared throughout the carnival. It wasn’t the largest scare zone of the night, but it did exactly what an opening scare zone should do: get those goosebumps going and prepare you for the terrifying night ahead.

After all those years away from HHN, walking through an area filled with callbacks to the event’s history was a pretty fitting way to begin.

Downtown Clowntown

As we continued toward New York, things quickly became a lot more colorful — and much more dangerous.

We had entered Downtown Clowntown, where the streets had been completely overrun by clowns. Considering how much I love clowns at Halloween Horror Nights, this was definitely one of the scare zones I had been looking forward to.

The Killer Klowns from Outer Space had arrived and were apparently still looking for victims to turn into cotton candy fuel. I got to see Shorty again, along with Fatso, Biggie and one of the female Klowns. Seeing these characters roaming HHN again immediately brought back memories of the Killer Klowns scare zone from HHN 28.

But the Killer Klowns weren’t alone. Downtown Clowntown was packed with different types of clownfolk, including flashers, pranksters, puppeteers, floaters and plenty of other bizarre creations roaming through the streets. Everywhere you looked, there seemed to be another clown waiting to cause trouble.

Art the Clown also had his own section of Clowntown, although unfortunately he wasn’t around when we passed through. I can only assume he was busy murdering other park guests — or perhaps doing laundry before another round of slaughter at Halloween Horror Nights.

The Little Pale Girl was there, though, wandering around and being exactly as unsettling as you would expect. She doesn’t have to do much to be creepy. She just is.

Overall, Downtown Clowntown was a lot of fun and definitely delivered on the chaotic clown atmosphere.

Something Smells Good…

As we continued walking, something suddenly smelled pretty good. Naturally, we followed our noses toward Mel’s Drive-In, where we spotted what appeared to be servers on roller skates out front.

Cool.

Wait…

 

Those weren’t normal servers.

The carhops had become zombies, serving up corpse shakes, body-part BLTs and whatever other questionable specials were on the menu that evening.

Yeah… maybe we weren’t that hungry after all.

Run!

Sideshow of Decay

From there, we made our way onto Hollywood Boulevard and entered Sideshow of Decay, where Cindy Caine and The Caretaker had taken over Dr. Oddfellow’s twisted junkyard.

This scare zone ended up being one of the biggest surprises of the entire night for me. The area was packed with relics and characters from Halloween Horror Nights history, making it feel almost like walking through a graveyard of HHN’s past. One of my favorite surprises was seeing Bone, the Grim Reaper from HHN 27, again.

There were also plenty of great set pieces throughout the zone. One of the funniest moments happened near the walrus cage. The creature managed to lure Brant in for a photo opportunity, but little did Brant know that he was walking straight into a trap.

Got him.

What surprised me most was how much I ended up loving this scare zone. Even with my obvious weakness for anything involving clowns, I think Sideshow of Decay may have been my favorite scare zone of the night.

It was filled with HHN history, characters, scares and little details everywhere you looked. There was simply a lot to take in, and somehow the whole thing just felt right.

FORTNITEMARES

As we headed toward the back of the park, Central Park had been transformed into FORTNITEMARES, inspired by the massively popular Fortnite video game.

I’ll admit right away that my Fortnite knowledge is pretty limited. I know what the game is and understand how popular it has become, but Brant definitely knew more about the characters and storyline than I did. As we walked through the zone, he helped explain some of what we were seeing, which made the experience a lot more interesting.

The area was filled with creatures and characters battling throughout the environment, including a huge purple monster and zombie-like enemies. Even without knowing every reference, the overall concept was easy enough to understand: we had basically stepped straight into a Fortnite battle.

Then we reached Springfield and saw the Battle Bus.

That was the moment everything clicked. Seeing such an iconic piece of the game sitting inside Universal Studios really made the scare zone feel like Fortnite had suddenly spilled into the real world. Even as someone who isn’t a big Fortnite player, I thought it was wild to see.

Haunted Houses

With several scare zones already behind us, it was finally time to start tackling the main attraction: the haunted houses.

Hellraiser

Our first haunted house of the night was Hellraiser.

The posted wait was only around five minutes, while Sinners next door was already sitting at approximately 55 minutes. That made the decision pretty easy.

Thankfully, I had watched all three original Hellraiser movies beforehand, because this house is based on the original trilogy. That preparation definitely made the experience more enjoyable. I knew the characters, understood the mythology of the puzzle box and was especially looking forward to seeing Pinhead, Chatter, The Engineer and the other Cenobites.

The house starts strong with Frank Cotton opening the box before pulling you deeper into the story. From there, you eventually reach one of my favorite moments: walking through the transformation of the puzzle box itself. The lighting effects made it feel as though the box was activating and unfolding around us.

Universal absolutely nailed that effect.

Once inside, the house moved through recognizable scenes from all three films. I especially appreciated the use of the Labyrinth, which played such an important role in Hellbound: Hellraiser II. We even saw the sequence showing how Elliot Spencer ultimately became Pinhead.

And yes — The Engineer was in there.

It was smaller than I expected, but seeing that creature represented inside an HHN house was still awesome.

Overall, I thought Universal did a fantastic job translating the practical-effects-heavy world of the original Hellraiser trilogy into a physical haunted house. The Cenobites looked fantastic, the environments were immediately recognizable and the entire experience felt appropriately dark, strange and unsettling.

Sinners

After escaping the Cenobites, we headed next door for Sinners.

The posted wait was still around 55 minutes, but this was also where I really started learning the value of Express Pass. This was my first time using Express at Halloween Horror Nights, and after experiencing it throughout the night, I can definitely see the benefit — especially if you’re only attending HHN for one night and want a realistic chance of seeing everything.

The house begins outside Club Juke, setting up the atmosphere before you head inside for what should be a night of music and celebration.

That celebration doesn’t last very long.

Once the vampires arrive, the party quickly turns into a bloodbath, and you’re essentially caught in the middle of it. The house recreated several recognizable moments and environments from the movie, allowing us to walk through the chaos instead of simply watching it unfold on screen.

There were some solid scares scattered throughout, but what stood out most to me was the feeling of physically stepping into the world of Sinners. If you enjoyed the movie, there’s something pretty cool about suddenly finding yourself inside Club Juke while everything falls apart around you.

A Quick Detour Through Diagon Alley

After surviving Cenobites and vampires, I received a message from one of my former coworkers who was working at Borgin and Burkes that night.

Naturally, we had to make a quick detour.

We headed into Diagon Alley, where Death Eaters were roaming the streets, before venturing into Knockturn Alley to visit the great witch of Borgin and Burkes herself, Marie.

If you’re ever wandering around Knockturn Alley and happen to see her, be sure to say hello.

Before leaving Diagon Alley, we also caught a wand battle between park guests and the Death Eaters. The combination of interactive wand effects, sound and environmental effects made it surprisingly entertaining to stand back and watch.

It was a nice little break from the haunted houses before diving right back into the horror.

Club Horror

As we made our way toward San Francisco, we passed through Club Horror.

And this one didn’t really work for me.

The area essentially featured a vampire DJ with dancers, and compared with some of the elaborate scare zones that have occupied this part of the park in previous years, it felt surprisingly empty.

I’ve seen this area used for memorable experiences involving Rob Zombie, Dead Man’s Wharf, Invasion, and more over the years, so Club Horror felt like a noticeable step down. It didn’t really capture the Halloween Horror Nights atmosphere I remembered and almost felt like something added late in the planning process.

Maybe others enjoyed the party atmosphere, but for me, it was pretty meh. There was simply too much incredible HHN history associated with this part of the park for Club Horror to leave much of an impression.

Cybergoria

Cybergoria was one of the original houses I had heard people raving about before our trip, so I was curious to see whether it could actually live up to the hype.

We headed toward the former Fast & Furious – Supercharged attraction, and honestly, it felt strange walking through a space that had officially become a defunct attraction. The last time I visited Universal, Supercharged was still operating — even if it was never exactly what I would call a top-tier attraction. Walking through the familiar queue again was almost nostalgic, especially seeing what remained behind.

As we got closer to the house entrance, Cybergoria started attacking more than just your eyes and ears. There was this rusty, bloody, metallic smell hanging in the air that immediately pulled you deeper into the experience. That was one of the moments where it felt like nearly all five senses were being activated at once.

Once we passed through the chamber, everything completely fell apart. Cyborgs were popping out from different directions, bodies were being torn apart and the entire facility had clearly spiraled out of control.

The story centers around humans entering a machine-induced cryogenic sleep in hopes of achieving immortality, only to awaken and discover that their cybernetic caretakers have begun harvesting human flesh and replacing it with synthetic parts.

What followed was pure chaos.

Cybergoria was loud, relentless, high-energy and packed with close-proximity scares. The combination of mechanical effects, cybernetic characters and grotesque body horror made it feel completely different from anything else we experienced that night.

It was awesome, and for me, Cybergoria was probably the strongest original house of Halloween Horror Nights this year.

Back Into Downtown Clowntown

After escaping Cybergoria, we made our way back through Downtown Clowntown, this time after dark. The atmosphere was even better at night, with the lighting, fog and roaming clownfolk making the entire area feel much more alive — or perhaps dangerously alive.

We also managed to catch the final portion of The Chance Show, and it was great seeing Chance come to life again. Eddie even joined the madness, which made the whole thing feel like another celebration of Halloween Horror Nights history.

There was something strangely comforting about seeing those familiar characters back in the middle of the chaos. After being away from HHN for so long, moments like this really made the night feel like I was home again in the sweetness of horror.

Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control

The timing couldn’t have been better, because next up was the house I had probably been anticipating more than anything else: Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control.

I was freaking excited.

Jack the Clown, to me, is Halloween Horror Nights. He’s a diabolical, demented clown mastermind overflowing with chaos, gore and everything wonderfully twisted about this event.

The house takes you through the complicated relationship between Jack and Dr. Oddfellow, exploring Oddfellow’s control over his circus and the chaos that eventually grows between the two characters. Visually, I was blown away. The projection effects were incredible, especially the digital vortex sequence. Walking straight through it felt like being pulled into another dimension of HHN insanity, while the oversized Jack and Dr. Oddfellow heads popping out toward guests were another fantastic touch.

There were moments when I was almost too busy looking around to remember that people were trying to scare me.

One scene did confuse me, though. At one point, a badly mutilated version of Jack suddenly appeared, and I wasn’t immediately sure where that moment fit within his story. That’s definitely something I want to dig deeper into because apparently some very strange things were happening at Shadybrook.

I fully admit that I’m biased when it comes to Jack, so calling this my favorite house would be very easy. Still, I was trying to keep an open mind because there were plenty of nightmares left to experience.

Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness

Ozzy was ready to hear us scream, but before we could catch the Crazy Train — see what I did there? — we had to navigate one of the stranger queue setups of the evening.

Whether you had Express Pass or not, the entrance and exit routes around this section felt confusing, especially with the queue seemingly intertwined with MADLANDS: Caged Cannibals while still technically remaining separate.

Once inside, though, Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness became a fantastic tribute to Ozzy’s career. This wasn’t necessarily the scariest house of the night, but it didn’t need to be because the music and visuals carried the experience.

I recognized plenty of songs throughout the house, including “Crazy Train,” “Patient Number 9,” “Bark at the Moon” and “Straight to Hell,” among others.

What really impressed me was how Universal used the soundstage itself. Even though the building was shared with MADLANDS, the house felt surprisingly massive in places. They especially took advantage of the vertical space, including a fantastic moment toward the end where a larger-than-life Ozzy comes down toward you.

That was an awesome way to finish the experience and made the house feel more like a full-blown tribute rather than just another haunted maze.

MADLANDS: Caged Cannibals

After finishing Ozzy, it was time to walk all the way around the soundstage again just to reach MADLANDS.

At this point I had discovered my biggest complaint about HHN this year: the queues were a workout. Several houses were practically next door to each other, yet going from the exit of one house to the entrance of the next sometimes felt like completing a lap around Universal.

My advice before visiting Halloween Horror Nights this year is simple: skip the gym, because HHN is the gym.

MADLANDS: Caged Cannibals had an interesting concept. We entered a post-apocalyptic, abandoned zoo where extinct animals had essentially been replaced by territorial cannibal factions. Each faction had adopted the violent traits and behaviors of different zoo animals, and unfortunately for us humans, we were at the bottom of the food chain.

The sets were interesting and there were definitely some effective scares, but this was one house where the story didn’t completely connect with me. There was so much happening around us that I sometimes felt lost trying to understand exactly what was going on.

I enjoyed parts of it, but compared with the other houses we experienced that night, MADLANDS fell short. Ultimately, this ended up being my least favorite house of the evening.

Evil Dead Burn

Funny enough, Brant and I had watched Evil Dead Burn earlier that same day before heading to Halloween Horror Nights, and that ended up being perfect preparation. Having the movie fresh in our minds helped connect many of the scenes throughout the house, and Universal did a really good job translating the film into a haunted attraction.

Very early in the experience came one of those lines that instantly made everything click for me:

Kunda… Astratta… Montosse… Canda.

It’s such a simple incantation, but if you know Evil Dead, you also know that hearing those words usually means nothing good is about to happen. It’s a great line from the movie and somehow even creepier hearing it while you’re physically walking through the nightmare.

The tone was considerably darker than the Ash vs. Evil Dead house I remembered from HHN 27 back in 2017. It’s crazy realizing how long ago that was, yet I still remember some of those scenes.

Evil Dead Burn starts with the accident sequence from the beginning of the film before introducing Edgar, Will’s father, who continues appearing throughout the house. If you’ve seen the movie, you already know things don’t exactly go well from there.

I don’t want to spoil too much for anyone who hasn’t seen it yet, but the house does a great job recreating the movie’s disturbing atmosphere and escalating madness. It was dark, brutal and extremely well done.

This was a very solid house and easily one of the stronger movie-based experiences of the night. I loved it.

Stranger Things 5

And once again, the queue became part of the story.

Seriously, skip leg day before HHN.

Before entering Stranger Things 5, though, we stopped for one of the must-have photos of the night: the Halloween Horror Nights medallion. Normally, the medallion hangs above the famous entrance arch, showcasing what’s “playing” at Halloween Horror Nights that year. With the front entrance undergoing renovations, the medallion had been relocated near the Stranger Things house as a photo opportunity.

I’ve also heard Jack and Dr. Oddfellow occasionally appear there to take photos with their victims, although we didn’t catch them this time.

As for Stranger Things, I’ll admit that I’ve watched the series somewhat inconsistently over the years and hadn’t watched Season 5 yet. That certainly wasn’t going to stop me from entering the Upside Down.

I wanted Vecna.

I wanted Demogorgons.

And the house definitely delivered both.

I’ve experienced Stranger Things houses at previous Halloween Horror Nights events that I personally preferred, but this one still stood strong. Demogorgons appeared throughout the experience, including some absolutely massive versions that made fantastic use of the available space.

One scene in particular showed a Demogorgon attacking a vehicle while someone inside screamed for their life. At the time I didn’t fully connect everything, but that person was Will Byers, which made the scene make much more sense once I connected the dots afterward.

Some of the rooms were enormous, and Universal really took advantage of the scale of the environment, which helped make the Upside Down feel larger than life.

Then came the ending.

Poor Vecna.

After everything, watching him meet his fate almost made me feel bad for the guy.

Almost.

A Much-Needed Ice Cream Break

After mourning Vecna’s demise, it was time for something considerably less terrifying: ice cream.

We stopped at Freeze Ray Pops in Illumination’s Minion Land, where I grabbed Cookies & Cream. After walking what felt like several miles through haunted house queues, it tasted really, really good. It was cold, refreshing and exactly what I needed on a warm Halloween Horror Nights evening before heading back into the chaos.

Meeting HamiKuma

From there, we headed back toward Sideshow of Decay for the HamiKuma meet-and-greet.

Going into the night, I honestly didn’t know much about HamiKuma. I knew he was popular, but that was about it. Still, I was excited to meet him, and Brant and I ended up getting a group photo with the delightfully creepy bear.

Somehow, HamiKuma manages to land directly in that perfect zone between horrifying and ridiculously cute. As I’ve been writing this trip report and learning more about his lore, I’ve actually grown to appreciate the character even more.

He’s weird, creepy, adorable and somehow fits Halloween Horror Nights perfectly.

He wouldn’t share any candy with me, though.

Darn.

INVASION: Alien Abduction

As we made our way toward INVASION: Alien Abduction, we passed through FORTNITEMARES again, this time after dark. Like most scare zones, it really came alive at night. The colors, lighting and overall atmosphere popped much more once the sun went down, making the entire area feel more energetic and immersive than it did earlier in the evening.

Once we reached INVASION: Alien Abduction, I immediately thought it had one of the best facades of any house this year. The barn setup looked fantastic and did a great job pulling you into the story before you even stepped inside. Unfortunately, while the facade was impressive, the house itself fell a little short for me.

The story follows an alien invasion involving creatures known as The Grays. You begin near the barn before eventually making your way into a family home, through bedrooms and other interior spaces, and finally into the backyard as the invasion continues around you.

The aliens were constantly appearing from different directions, and there were definitely some fun scares throughout, but compared with the stronger houses of the night, this one didn’t leave quite the same impression.

Still, I appreciated the classic alien-abduction concept, and Universal saved one final surprise for the exit. Just when you think you’ve escaped the Grays and made it safely back toward the park, be ready.

They’re still out there.

H.R. Bloodengutz Presents: A Halloween Fright-Tacular

After escaping the Grays, we headed toward H.R. Bloodengutz Presents: A Halloween Fright-Tacular, which featured another one of the most elaborate facades of the night.

Outside, you’re greeted by a Carey State Penitentiary bus arriving at the television station. Longtime Halloween Horror Nights fans will immediately recognize the significance of Carey, Ohio. Over the years, Universal has built an entire fictional history around the town, connecting houses, characters, institutions and storylines across multiple HHN events. Seeing Carey referenced again felt like a great little reward for longtime fans.

Inside, the house takes you through a series of different horror-film segments, almost like channel surfing through a twisted Halloween television special. There are around nine featured films represented throughout the experience, and even the Pumpkin Lord managed to make an appearance this year.

I loved it.

This wasn’t necessarily one of the scariest houses of the night, but it was incredibly fun and immersive. Every room seemed to offer something different, and the constantly changing themes kept the experience moving. It felt more like walking through an elaborate Halloween variety show than a traditional haunted house, and that made it stand out.

One detail that made the house especially meaningful came after learning that one of the scare actors who worked there had recently passed away after being involved with Halloween Horror Nights for several years. The HHN team created a tribute by placing a “Vamp ’85” football helmet on top of one of the televisions inside the house.

It was a subtle but heartfelt way to honor someone who had contributed to the event, and I really admired the team for including it.

One More Trip Through Hellraiser

With all ten houses officially completed, we decided there was one house worth experiencing one more time.

Hellraiser.

This time, we used Express Pass, which made returning much easier. And honestly, the house was just as good the second time through. I loved getting another chance to look at the practical-style effects, the Cenobites and the environments without being quite as overwhelmed by seeing everything for the first time.

There’s something about the visual style of those original 1980s Hellraiser movies that still works incredibly well, and Universal managed to bring that aesthetic into 2026 without losing what made it special.

It was absolutely worth doing twice.

Finally Finding Art the Clown

Earlier in the night, Art the Clown had apparently been busy elsewhere, so we headed back into Downtown Clowntown hoping we might finally catch him.

This time, he was there.

And naturally, he was going after another victim.

I’ve unfortunately watched all three Terrifier movies, and the third one is easily one of the goriest movies I’ve ever seen. Since Downtown Clowntown is out in the open, Universal obviously couldn’t recreate that same level of graphic violence in the scare zone, but they still found creative ways to capture Art’s twisted personality.

One of the best examples was a Christmas tree decorated with a decapitated head on top.

That’s Art the Clown for you.

Even without excessive gore, the props and staging communicated exactly what kind of character he is. The Little Pale Girl was still wandering nearby as well, and she remained creepy as hell every single time we saw her.

Stranger Things: Return to Hawkins

As midnight approached, we headed toward the lagoon for Stranger Things: Return to Hawkins, the nighttime water projection show.

The concept was essentially a celebration of the entire Stranger Things journey, using a special WSQK broadcast to revisit memorable moments, monsters and characters from across the series. Between the music, towering water screens, lighting effects and projections, the show turned the lagoon into one giant tribute to Hawkins and the Upside Down.

What impressed me most was how Universal incorporated projections onto the surrounding buildings. Rather than keeping everything contained to the water screens, the visuals expanded beyond the lagoon and gave the presentation much more depth.

It was really well done.

Even as someone who hasn’t followed every single episode of Stranger Things, I could appreciate how much effort went into celebrating the series and giving fans a chance to relive some of its biggest moments.

A Quick Ride on Revenge of the Mummy

After the lagoon show, Brant suggested we ride Revenge of the Mummy.

I was absolutely down for that.

With Express Pass, we waited less than ten minutes, which is pretty hard to beat during Halloween Horror Nights. It was great seeing Imhotep again, enjoying one of Universal’s best indoor coasters and, of course, ending things with Brendan Fraser still desperately asking for his coffee.

Some things at Universal should never change.

Halloween Horror Nights Tribute Store

Before calling it a night, there was still one more place we needed to explore: the Halloween Horror Nights Tribute Store.

Yes, technically it’s a store.

But calling it just a store doesn’t really do it justice.

The Tribute Store has become an attraction of its own, almost like a walk-through museum where merchandise just happens to be available along the way. Every year, Universal seems to find another way to outdo itself with the environments and storytelling.

This year’s experience was themed around Sideshow Obscura and the Infernal Carnival of Nightmares, with The Curator overseeing the strange collection of artifacts and oddities. The maze-like layout takes you through a ticket booth, artifact exhibition spaces, backstage areas belonging to monster tamers, animal feeding areas, a hall of mirrors and finally a creepy midway before reaching the end.

There was so much storytelling packed into the space that I could have spent much longer exploring every detail. I didn’t end up buying anything, but honestly, I didn’t need to. Walking through the store and taking everything in was enough.

I was also glad to see the Tribute Store back in its familiar location. After hearing stories about how it worked in the alternate space previously, returning to the original setup just felt right.

It was the perfect final stop before leaving the park.

One Amazing Night in the Fog

By the time 1:00 a.m. rolled around, we were spent.

We had completed all ten haunted houses, experienced Hellraiser twice, explored every scare zone during both daylight and nighttime, watched The Chance Show and Stranger Things: Return to Hawkins, met HamiKuma, rode Revenge of the Mummy and wandered through the Tribute Store.

It was one amazing night.

More importantly, after five years away from Halloween Horror Nights, it reminded me exactly why I had missed this event so much.

A huge thank you to Brant for helping make this night happen and for joining me on my long-awaited return to the fog. Hopefully, this won’t be another five-year gap. I would love to make this an annual tradition again and return for at least one night every year to get my much-needed Halloween therapy.

One thing is already certain: after experiencing Halloween Horror Nights with Express Pass for the first time, I completely understand the appeal. If I’m only attending for one night in the future, I’ll seriously consider investing in Express again. Being able to experience every house, revisit a favorite and still have time for scare zones, shows and everything else made a huge difference.

Final Thoughts: Back Where I Belong

After five years away, Halloween Horror Nights reminded me exactly why I fell in love with this event in the first place. It wasn’t just about completing all ten houses or seeing how many scares we could squeeze into one night. It was the atmosphere, the fog, the characters, the history, the ridiculous moments with Brant, and that feeling of stepping into a place where Halloween completely takes over for a few hours.

There were definitely some things I loved more than others, and the queue layouts gave us more of a workout than I expected, but overall this was an incredible return. Express Pass also made a huge difference for us, especially with only one night to experience everything. Being able to complete all ten houses, revisit Hellraiser, explore the scare zones, catch the entertainment, meet HamiKuma and still have time for a ride on Revenge of the Mummy made the night feel packed without becoming impossible.

More than anything, I’m just glad I finally made it back. Hopefully, this becomes an annual tradition again instead of another five-year absence. I already know I’ll be looking for my next dose of Halloween therapy once the fog starts rolling in again.

If you want to see exactly where all ten houses landed for me, be sure to check out my Halloween Horror Nights 35 Haunted House Rankings, where I break down every house from my least favorite to the one that came out on top.

Until next time, the fog can keep calling.

I’ll be listening.