Firefighters, Police on Scene at Universal as Attraction Shuts Down Indefinitely

The incident happened last night during the hugely popular Halloween Horror Nights event.

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A guest who attended the Halloween Horror Nights 2023 event at Universal Studios Hollywood told Inside the Magic about the incident, which took place in the early hours of September 24, 2023

At approximately 1:23 a.m., the Evil Dead Rise haunted house — one of the many seasonal additions to the Universal resort — was abruptly closed down due to unforeseen circumstances. The guest, who had joined the queue an hour previous and were at the end of the projected 65-minute wait time, were halted at the entrance as Universal staff dealt with a situation.

Universal team members then let the waiting guests know that the Evil Dead Rise house was closed indefinitely, and there were reports, although not confirmed, of someone fighting inside the attraction.

Moments later, police and firefighters arrived on the scene, and the waiting guests were removed from the queue. As a result, all guests were handed a free Universal Priority Pass for one of three attractions: the Terror Tram, Monstruos: The Monsters of Latin America, or a return to the Evil Dead Rise house upon its reopening.

“My first Horror Nights experience was marred by irregular and spontaneous ride closures, unreliable line wait time listings, and unruly guests causing havoc within the attractions,” the guest told Inside the Magic.

While still enjoying the night overall, the guest went on to add: “It was also mega busy to the point that it felt like being in a tour group over a survival horror experience within some of the houses.” Universal Studios describes the Evil Dead Rise haunted house as a place “about to unleash unimaginable horrors on you and your scream squad.”

In terms of the crowding complaints, there have been similar reports of overcrowding at Universal’s leading Halloween experience in California, with high wait times and confusing logistics tarnishing the scare fest.

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood takes place on select nights from September 7 through October 31. A similar event can be found on the East Coast at Universal Orlando Resort’s Universal Studios Florida on select nights from September 1 through November 4.

Related: Ohio State Destroys Disney and Universal’s Halloween Events

Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood includes eight “terrifying” haunted houses, including Stranger Things 4, The Last of Us, Evil Dead Rise, Chucky: Ultimate Kill Count, Universal Monsters Unmasked, The Exorcist: Believer.

While Halloween Horror Nights is a historic part of the Universal vacation experience, this year, the park opened its newest land, SUPER NINTENDO WORLD. The land will also soon be making its debut in the Sunshine State as part of Universal’s massive Epic Universe expansion, an expansion that will also feature How to Train Your Dragon and new Wizarding World of Harry Potter areas.

Have you ever witnessed an event like this while attending a theme park? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!