Universal Orlando today released a short video chat with T.J. Mannarino, Director of Art and Design in their Entertainment Department. Mannarino is of the many creative minds that bring to life the horror that guests experience each year at Halloween Horror Nights. Mannarino has played a key role in making Halloween Horror Nights 20 come to life in 2010.
Related: Halloween Horror Nights 2017 dates revealed, tickets on sale now for Universal Orlando
But this isn’t the first time frequent visitors of Inside the Magic have heard from Mannarino. We talked with him at the Entertainment Designer Forum in April, where he (along with other creatives) advised those interested in pursuing a career in theme park design. More recently, we spoke with Mannarino and two of his co-designers to learn more about Halloween Horror Nights 2010.
Related: Halloween Horror Nights 2010 house-by-house review and guide for Universal Orlando
Mannarino previously worked at Universal Studios throughout the years of Halloween Horror Nights and many years ago when the theme park was home to Nickelodeon Studios where he helped on classic game shows including “Double Dare” and “Legends of the Hidden Temple.” But it seems that the scares of Halloween have won out over the screams of kids being slimed as Halloween Horror Nights enters its twentieth year and Nickelodeon Studios is no more (at least not in Orlando). It’s too bad – I’d love to see a scare zone filled with that famous “gak.”
Halloween Horror Nights XX runs from September 24-25 through September 30-October 1-3, 7-10, 14-17, 20-24, and 27-31.