ORLANDO, Fla. – Halloween Horror Nights 33 has taken over Universal Orlando Resort, bringing with it 10 haunted houses, five scare zones, and a live show.
While fans can expect to come face-to-face with plenty of fear, some houses deserve praise for the humor on display.
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Below are short and sweet reviews and my official house ranking based on scare, creativity, and memorability.
10. The Museum: Deadly Exhibits
Synopsis: “You decide to visit the new folklore museum exhibit, The Rotting Stone, when an evil escapes from within, destroying everything in its path.”
Review: A night at this museum takes a morbid turn thanks to the latest exhibit addition. I found that the museum workers provided the most scares versus the inanimate objects that get possessed by an ancient artifact. I’d say the most creative moment comes from the surprises hidden within some walls. Overall though, it was the least memorable house of the lineup for me.
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9. Major Sweets Candy Factory
Synopsis: “You’ve been invited to chaperone a field trip to a candy factory. But this sweet tour is about to turn sour when free samples transform the kids into candy-coated killers wielding sharpened candies.”
Review: I had this one flagged on my list of anticipated houses. If you’re familiar with the “Sweet Revenge” scare zone that made an appearance in HHN 31, this house is the prequel. The house to me had a “how the sausage is made” vibe, only with candy. As mentioned in the description, guests play the chaperones at a candy factory where the kids are poisoned and then become killers. A lot is going on, and while the storyline touches a lot of your senses (the sugar cookie smell when you first enter) it was a sugar overdose. I do recommend keeping your eyes peeled for the Guest-Activated Trigger AKA the big red button that’s a guest-activated device.
8. Monstruos: The Monsters of Latin America
Synopsis: “¡Ten cuídado! With La Muerte as your guide, you’ll be asking for mercy from these three terrifying monsters: the blood-sucking Tlahuelpuchi, owl-faced witch La Lechuza and bone-ripping El Silbón.”
Review: It was a hit at Universal Studios Hollywood last year. The only way to make it bigger and better was to bring it to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando. Staying true to the Latin America theme, the house dialogue is in Spanish, There were some creepy aspects, especially the massive La Lechuza, which I’m told is the biggest animatronic ever used. Monstruous was the last house of the night, and the one before was my favorite overall, so in a way, it wasn’t fair for Monstruous to follow.
Synopsis: “Make a sound and you won’t last long. Monstrous creatures will hunt you down as the world of the first two films comes to terrifying life.”
Review: The science-fiction horror film was ground-breaking, particularly in its use of silence and sound for the storytelling of the Abbott family as they navigate a post-apocalyptic world. Universal overall did a good job incorporating those elements throughout the house, including the use of American Sign Language. You hear the creatures but don’t know how close they lurk. The sound of a baby crying occasionally, rushing water, even a white noise. It was almost pitch black upon entry, and even though the darkness is used to enhance sounds, overall the experience was too dark and made it hard to pick out the haunts. I found that the humans caused more jump scares than the aliens.
6. Triplets of Terror
Synopsis: “You’re invited to the Barmy triplets’ birthday bash. But beware, they celebrate by recreating their family’s murders. Prepare for a gory gathering.”
Review: Harmony, Junior, and Melody enjoy a birthday “bash.” The story starts with guests entering the Barmy Family Home on March 3, 1984 where the triplets just slaughtered their family during their ninth birthday party. The house then jumps to present-day 2024 where the triplets are out for blood again. There’s a good creepy vibe throughout this house and by far the goriest house of the event this year.
5. Goblins Feast
Synopsis: “Visit a goblin village, where hordes of bloodthirsty goblins, orcs, hobgoblins and witches would love to have you for dinner.”
Review: This theme was created by a longtime member of the Universal creative team, but was shelved for quite some time, until now. Goblins of all shapes and sizes are gathered for a Thanksgiving-like feast. In a lineup of haunted houses that are mostly slasher, I liked a dose of fantasy. You really get that sense walking in with mythical Irish-folk-like music playing. Overall, I found this house more amusing than scary.
4. Univeral Monsters: Eternal Bloodline
Synopsis: “All Female. All Fearless. All Fatal.”
Get caught in an epic battle as Saskia Van Helsing and the Bride of Frankenstein go up against Dracula’s daughter and her monstrous mavens.
Review: It’s a girls’ fight on a girls’ night. Led by an all-female cast of Classic Universal Monsters, this house had a lot of good jump scares. On one side, you have the huntress, and the hunted on the other. Who will survive? Be sure to pay close attention to the end of the walkthrough to find out. I was impressed by the amount of jump scares in this house. I can’t help but think that a reason for this house is to get us all the more hyped up and talking about Dark Universe at Epic Universe.
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3. Slaughter Sinema 2
Synopsis: “If you’re dying for a B-movie horror marathon, head to the Carey Drive-in. Scream through scenes from creature features, grindhouse gore, spaghetti westerns, and more.”
Review: We love movie sequels, as well as haunted house sequels. Guests familiar with Slaughter Sinema from Halloween Horror Nights 28 will enjoy this one. Much like a regular movie theater experience, guests start off at the snack bar and then on through scenes from various B-movie films, including a not-so-jolly Santa from “Killer Kringles,” and “Heavy Metal Hell 3-D” featuring a skeletal metal character donning a bright pink mohawk. The best moment happens at the strip club, you just have to trust me. I give this one the “best original house” title of Halloween Horror Nights 2024.
Synopsis: “Enter The Further as demons try to ensnare you. The Red-Faced Demon will lure you into his lair. KeyFace will unlock your fears. And more.”
Review: If you find yourself enduring a long wait in this queue, just know you are in for the longest walkthrough of the lineup of houses. Universal brought back the “Insidious” franchise once again and this house gets five stars for scare, as every room delivers quality haunts by residents of the Further. I didn’t even get a good interaction with the Red-Faced Demon as I had hoped, but the room full of mannequins (some alive some not) surely left an unsettling feeling.
1. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
Synopsis: “An ancient artifact has released a chilling new entity, Garraka. He’ll stop you cold. Only the Ghostbusters can keep you from getting iced.”
Review: As a Ghostbusters fan, it wasn’t a question of “if” I’d like this house, it was “how much?” — much like the “Ghostbusters” house of Halloween Horror Nights 29. While I like the latest installment in the franchise, I didn’t like it nearly as much as this haunted house that the film is based on. It is wise to watch the movie beforehand, as the sequence of events of “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” plays out accurately. I loved learning little-known facts about some of the props, including the Ecto-1 used, as it’s one of only 25 in the world. Some Ghostbusters purists may be offended knowing it had to be cut in half. Anyway, this house is poltergeist perfection, and fans will enjoy throwbacks to previous films, including a little season of evil.
For a full guide on Halloween Horror Nights 2024, including ticket information, dates, shows, and scare zones, click here.
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