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How Scary Is Halloween Horror Nights? | Our Review & Experiences

If you're on the fence about attending Halloween Horror Nights it's probably because you have concerns about just how scary the event really is!

Our Halloween Horror Nights Scariness Guide will walk you through our thoughts on how scary Halloween Horror Nights is, as well as some helpful comparisons to other Halloween events!

Questions We'll Answer About Halloween Horror Nights:

  • How Scary Is Halloween Horror Nights?
  • What Is The Best Age For Halloween Horror Nights?
  • Can You Avoid Being Scared At Halloween Horror Nights?
  • How Scary Is Halloween Horror Nights Compared To Other Events?

 Halloween Horror Nights Entrance

How Scary Is Halloween Horror Nights?

It's important to note that Halloween Horror Nights changes themes every year which means different haunted houses, scare zones, and shows.

This of course means that some years will be scarier than others at Halloween Horror Nights, but we've never been to a Halloween Horror Nights when the event wasn't scary.

In recent years Universal has invested more and more in this incredibly popular event with intricate sets, elaborate costumes, and impressive special effects which make the event so much cooler, but also... scarier! 

On average, we rate Halloween Horror Nights an 8 out of 10 on the scariness scale!

Family getting scared at Halloween Horror Nights

While you may be able to find small-scale Halloween events across the country that will be scarier than Halloween Horror Nights, no event can really compare to the combination of scale, quality, and scariness that Halloween Horror Nights delivers.

Each year Universal has a variety of unique haunted houses at Halloween Horror Nights with themes ranging from Stranger Things, to the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and even Dracula.

Each house has a different level of scariness!

Clown with fire effect in the background

Some haunted houses will be filled with jump scares and gore while others may just create a creepy environment that will less so downright scare you, but will leave you on edge and unsettled throughout! 

All in all, it's very hard to not get scared at Halloween Horror Nights if you're going to experience a lot of haunted houses and scare zones. 

While some houses are much more tame and less scary, a large majority of the event, in our opinion, will be downright terrifying! 

Two women getting scared

What Is The Best Age For Halloween Horror Nights?

While Halloween Horror Nights doesn't have a clear age limit policy, they do recommend no one under the age of 13 attend the event.

However, is that guidance good to follow? Absolutely!

We recommend even waiting until your child is 14 or 15 before taking them to Halloween Horror Nights unless they are genuinely interested in the event.  

La Llorna Haunted House Exterior

Halloween Horror Nights is very intense and some of the haunted houses have a lot of adult themes including murder, gore, and cannibalism which may be too much for some 13-year-olds to handle. 

If your child happens to love scary movies and may have tried some smaller haunted houses in the past then they may be ready for Halloween Horror Nights!

However, we've seen that many times 13 years old is just too young to enjoy the event so we'd recommend waiting just another year or two before taking your child.

Spooky atmosphere at Universal Studios Hollywood

Can You Avoid Being Scared At Halloween Horror Nights?

Many people want to go to Halloween Horror Nights to enjoy the atmosphere and see the elaborate sets and costumes, but avoid being scared.

Unfortunately, it's really really difficult to attend Halloween Horror Nights without being scared.

You may be able to stay a safe distance from some of the scare zones to observe the action without getting scared, but you do always run a slight risk of an actor coming up to you.

With some careful planning and being strategic about where you stand from a distance, you can somewhat avoid being scared at a lot of the scare zones 

Halloween Horror Nights Alien Scareactor

When it comes to the haunted houses though, there is no way to avoid getting scared.

If you're looking for a way to see what's inside the haunted houses without getting scared then you'll have to stick to watching YouTube videos or looking at photos.

It's nearly impossible to not get scared at any of the haunted houses - we don't recommend trying this! 

Mel's Die In

How Scary Is Halloween Horror Nights Compared To Other Events?

As mentioned earlier in this guide, we rank Halloween Horror Nights an 8 out of 10 on the scariness scale.

Popular events at other theme parks such as Oogie Boogie Bash at California Adventure, Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom, and Brick-or-Treat at Legoland aren't scary at all and WAY less scary than Halloween Horror Nights. 

We'd also rank Halloween Horror Nights over Knott's Scary Farm by a decent margin as well when it comes to scariness, though both are great events!

Vampire Hippy ScareZone

Fright Fest at Six Flags Parks isn't nearly as elaborate as Halloween Horror Nights but packs in plenty of scares. We'd still put Halloween Horror Nights as a scarier event!

The margin of scariness gets smaller when compared to events such as Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens. 

Howl-O-Scream is another event that isn't as elaborate as Halloween Horror Nights but they've always done a great job with jump scares and other elements to give you a good scare. Halloween Horror Nights just edge it out though on the scariness scale! 

 

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