Halloween Horror Nights has kicked off at Universal Studios Florida, bringing 10 incredible haunted houses back to the park. This year’s lineup is horrifyingly great from top to bottom and experiences will vary as the event goes on. However, based on the first weekend of the event, I am going to try to rank the 10 haunted houses at Halloween Horror Nights 32 at Universal Studios Florida.
10. Chucky: Ultimate Kill Count
This year’s lineup of houses is really strong, but if I could split them into two groups, it would be “nine great houses” and “Chucky.” This house isn’t bad by any means. There’s plenty of humor and fans of the popular franchise – whether it’s the many films or the Syfy series – are sure to find things they love about it. That being said, it’s just missing that ‘wow’ factor that would put it over the top. Guests are greeted by an animatronic Chucky as they enter, which is really cool but just leaves me wanting more. This isn’t a true skip, because there are none of those at this year’s event, but if you’re pressed for time, I wouldn’t make this one a priority.
9. Universal Monsters: Unmasked
The Universal Monsters are back again… kind of. It’s actually an all new set of monsters this year and not the usual suspects like Dracula and the Wolfman. This house provides some beautiful scenes and homages to the classic films. The Phantom of the Opera gets the majority of the spotlight and I would have liked to see a transformation from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde, but those are my only nitpicky complaints. The Invisible Man is done very well in this house and the huge open scenes will leave you wondering where the next scare will be coming from.
8. The Exorcist: Believer
Every year there is one house in the lineup that is dubbed “the scary house.” Unsurprisingly, The Exorcist is this year’s early pick. While it’s not the most intense house in recent years (it’s not quite on the level of Poltergeist or Scarecrow), there are plenty of great scares in this one. The only knock against it is the smell. HHN houses will often use scents to further immerse guests in their surroundings. It certainly works very well for that purpose, but it’s not exactly something that makes you want to come back again and again. This house also has the unique feature of being based on a film that has not yet been released. If you’re looking forward to that movie, you’re going to want to see this house.
7. The Darkest Deal
Now we’re getting to our first original and the creative team really knocked these out of the park this year. While the concept of a musician selling his soul to the devil may not seem like all that scary a concept, you can never underestimate those two tent locations in the back corner of the park. This house keeps up the tradition of the tents providing some of the most intense, close-quarters experiences at the event. There are some really great effects in this house and plenty of scares. Timing is everything when it comes to Halloween Horror Nights, but it is almost impossible to get through this house without getting at least one good scare.
6. YETI: Campground Kills
A returning favorite, HHN fans loved the YETI house of HHN29 in 2019. This house delivers all the same humor and scares and of course, those gigantic yetis. This one isn’t quite as impressive in terms of the scenery as its predecessor, but it does manage to get you closer to the massive monsters and calls back to a lot of the same gags. Be sure to check out some of the details in this one as there is plenty to see. Just don’t forget to keep an eye out for the next yeti as well.
5. Stranger Things 4
The big draw at this year’s event, Stranger Things 4 certainly does not disappoint fans of the hit Netflix series. It’s not even close to being the scariest house – if you do Exorcist after this one, you may be a bit caught off guard – but it perfectly recreates several of our favorite scenes from the fourth season of the show and throws (almost) all of your favorite characters in there. Again, there are some great effects in this house and they definitely managed to do some things I didn’t think they could. Plus, what Stranger Things fan doesn’t want to come face to face with Vecna.
4. The Last of Us
The other big draw at this year’s event, this house perfectly brings the beloved video game to life. And yes, if you were not aware, this house is based on the video game and not the hit HBO series from this year. While the game and show are very close and you will certainly understand what’s going on if you haven’t played the game, there may be a few brief moments where you find yourself saying “I don’t remember that.” That being said, those who have played the game will feel liked they’ve walked right into it. It’s not the scariest house, but the cast does an unbelievable job of bringing the infected to life and that can give some really creepy vibes. Again, there are some great effects in this house as well, with one scene in particular really putting it over the top.
3. Dr. Oddfellow’s Twisted Origins
This one gets the HHN nerd bump. Diving into the lore of this new HHN icon is very exciting for those of us who have no social life and instead spend our time reading theories about Jack the Clown. However, anyone can enjoy the nightmarish circus that is this house. Again, this one is located in one of those back corner tents, so you know it’s going to be on the scarier side. There are tons of close-quarters scares and due to the cluttered circus tent setting, you never know where they’re coming from. Keep your eyes open for all kinds of HHN easter eggs if you’re a big fan, but otherwise, just enjoy the creepy environment.
2. Blood Moon: Dark Offerings
I am happy to admit I was wrong on this one. When the lineup for this year’s houses was initially announced, this was not one of the houses I was looking forward to. The idea of a colonial era kill cult just didn't seem to have much potential to me. And here we are. This is one of the most impressive scenic houses and, just depending on your timing, it has the potential to be one of the scariest as well. There is one room in particular in this house that, when it hits, it is one of the most terrifying experiences in this year’s event. And yet, you can still find yourself getting lost in the detail. Whether you’re looking up at the blood moon or watching a man seemingly 4 stories up ringing a bell, you are transported for this house.
1. Dueling Dragons: Choose Thy Fate
Going from one I was not excited for to the house I was most excited for – Dueling Dragons: Choose Thy Fate is my early pick for best house at HHN 32. This is a unique house in that it doesn’t exactly scream horror. It transports guests to a fantasy realm for a battle between two wizards who are after Merlin’s spellbook. There are some incredible visuals and just about every scare in this house includes some kind of lighting effect. It’s far from the scariest house but it is very impressive in both story and appearance. Throw in the fact that you actually get to choose your own path in the end and you’ve got a house you’re going to want to experience every single time you’re there. Oh, it also helps that the house ties into the lore of Universal’s Islands of Adventure as well. They really know how to get us nerds to buy in.
Halloween Horror Nights 32 is going on right now and runs on select nights through November 4th at Universal Studios Florida.