Credit: UniversalFor a long time, Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios has been considered the gold standard when it comes to theme park Halloween events. However, Knott’s Scary Farm in Buena Park, CA, not only did it first, but it’s also an overall better experience.
From Orlando to Los Angeles, Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios has been the theme park Halloween event to beat. Not only does it feature movie-quality houses and incredible merchandise, but the park is also home to some of the scariest monsters in film history, like Michael Myers from Halloween (1978) and all of the Universal Monsters.
While this proved to be another exceptional year, some parts of Horror Nights felt a little off. Fortunately, Universal isn’t the only game in town, with SeaWorld featuring Howl-o-Ween and Six Flags’ always-popular Fright Fest. However, the best Halloween experience belongs to a single park located in Buena Park, CA: Knott’s Scary Farm.
Knott’s Scary Farm Blows Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights Out of the Water
This was easily Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood‘s best year in a while, but that’s still nothing compared to Knott’s Scary Farm’s 50th anniversary. Having been a big fan of Knott’s Berry Farm and married to a fan of Horror Nights, this was my first time going to the original Halloween Haunt. And I was blown away.
Everything about the experience was wonderful, from the food to the mazes to the Scare Zones. And even though I had a great time at Horror Nights, it’s clear that Knott’s Scary Farm is the superior event this year.
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But instead of using this as a time to drag the Universal event, it felt more prudent to look at the broader elements Scary Farm employed that made it feel better overall.
So, here are some lessons that Universal Studios Hollywood can take from Knott’s Berry Farm to improve their already wonderful event.
Properly Utilize the Park’s Space
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One of the biggest complaints this year at Halloween Horror Nights is the crowds. More than ever, people are flocking to the event. And they should! It’s a ton of fun. However, it didn’t feel like Universal Studios was fully ready for the amount of people attending this year.
In Universal Studios Hollywood, the lower lot has been shut down multiple times due to too many people waiting in line for the Stranger Things 4 and The Last of Us (2013) houses. Suddenly, hundreds if not thousands of people are being forced into the upper lot, causing more congestion there.
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Knott’s never had this problem. While this may be due to having fewer guests and more open spaces, Scary Farm never felt overcrowded. This is largely because the mazes are spread out throughout the amusement park, and there is plenty to do between them, like the Scare Zones and interactive elements with the Conductor’s Lantern.
On top of this, their mazes never felt too crowded either. Yes, you would still conga line your way into the maze, but the groups would quickly spread out because of the pacing inside each maze
Increase the Scare Zones
A big disappointment at Halloween Horror Nights in Hollywood was the lack of Scare Zones. Throughout the whole theme park, there were only two Scare Zones right near the entrance, and they were so close together that they might as well have been one zone.
Meanwhile, Knott’s Scary Farm had five, and all of them were intricately themed and a blast to walk through. Of course, there were the standard creepy clowns of Carnevil, but there was also the prohibition-themed Gore-ing 20s and the beautifully costumed medieval horror that was The Gauntlet. These zones and the Scare Actors populating them made the whole experience feel like a blast. And speaking of Scare Actors…
Give the Scare Actors More Freedom
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Universal Studios has a Scare Actor problem. While the actors at Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood were fantastic and got some incredible scares, you could tell they were limited in what they could do. This is especially true in houses where every character seems to do the exact same motion.
This is absolutely not the case at Knott’s Scary Farm. Wherever you go, the Scare Actors get right up in your face and interact with you directly. Whether you’re walking through the fog of Ghost Town Streets or through a crowd of crazed clowns, every single Scare Actor will take on anyone not wearing a “No Boo Necklace.” And honestly? They’ll probably still get them, too.
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Some of the best examples of this was in the Carnevil Scare Zone, where the actors were allowed to get especially creative. One character had a leaf blower, and he would blow wind into guests’ hair. Another slid straight into a group of people, causing one guest to literally have to jump over him.
And they’ll talk to you! It’s not uncommon to have a full conversation with a character. You can see many of these particular interactions on YouTube and TikTok, making Scary Farm feel truly unique. That will never happen at Halloween Horror Nights; it’s far too controlled. And they could benefit from letting loose a bit.
Longer, More Immersive Mazes
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At Horror Nights Hollywood, this has been one of the best years for houses in a while. The houses based on franchises were immersive and fun, while the original mazes were beautifully creative. But they didn’t always feel like they were operating at 100%.
For one, there were multiple moments where there were black-clothed hallways between different scenes, and scare actors were flat-out missing. For example, I went through the Stranger Things 4 house twice on different days and never ran into Eddie Munson. I didn’t even think he was in the house until I saw replay footage online.
Knott’s Scary Farm never had this issue. Every transition was themed around the maze you were in. For example, Cinema Slasher actually took you through multiple movie theaters into the films. And instead of missing things because of a lack of people, my wife and I missed things because there was so much happening. Afterward, we got to share the stuff we saw that the other person didn’t. That’s fun!
Finally, Scary Farm brings in more interactive and immersive elements. Both parks utilize visuals, sounds, animatronics, and smell to great effect, but Knott’s utilizes multiple other elements. There was a moment when a ship was rocking back and forth like it was at sea and another oceanic component where a laser created a lake of fog around you. With the amount of money at Universal’s disposal, there’s no reason they cannot create similar effects.
Universal Studios Won’t Make Any Changes
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All of these changes would absolutely make Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios a stronger event. However, it is more than likely that nothing will be done, and it mostly comes down to an old saying: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Universal is already making buckets of money from Horror Nights, and if they don’t need to make any changes, they won’t. And this isn’t even saying that Universal Studios is bad; it just can be better. And Knott’s Scary Farm is the gold standard for what a theme park Halloween event can be.
What is your favorite Halloween theme park event? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!