Guests Slam Universal Experience, Call Event "Trashy"

Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) is one of the most popular events of the year at the Orlando theme parks. Found at Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood, the event draws in thousands of people throughout September and October as they celebrate the Halloween season.

While the Disney parks offer their own family-friendly Halloween events, with Disneyland offering Oogie Boogie Bash and Walt Disney World offering Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, Halloween Horror Nights is an event for the older crowd. Each year the event offers approximately 10 different haunted houses and five scarezones for guests to explore to get their fill of terrifying spooks.

Horror Nights is a separately ticketed, after-hours event. The theme of the event changes each year as do the houses and scare zones, and this year was no different. Featuring houses inspired by Netflix’s Stranger Things, Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us video game series, the SyFy series Chucky, and several original ideas, this year has reportedly been busier and more crowded than years past.

In fact, for the first time ever, Frequent Fear Passes have completely sold out for the remainder of the event. Guests looking to attend Halloween Horror Nights can either buy a one-night pass, a Rush of Fear Pass, which would allow guests to visit on several nights throughout September, or a Frequent Fear Pass, which allows guests to visit several nights throughout September and October.

Although one night tickets are still available on select dates throughout October, the news that the Frequent Fear Pass had sold out for the first time ever shocked many people. However, that news is in line with other reports from social media and attendees.

According to guests that have visited HHN this year, the event has been full of crowding issues, long wait time, and even longer with an Express Pass. Normally, the Express Pass allows guests to skip the standby line, similar to a Lightning Lane at Disney, although reports this year have claimed waits of up to several hours, even with an Express Pass.

Other complaints for this year have been overall guest attitudes and treatment of team members and scare actors, as well as recent report of guests blasting music throughout the event. One of the things that makes Horror Nights so entertaining is its immersive theming. Since the event is after hours, the park is essentially transformed from day to night, and includes things like music, lighting, and other sensory changes.

However, according to @craftyashley_ on X/Twitter, they’ve encountered guests playing their own music in several of the scarezones, which rely on sound cues and music for both guests and scare actors, as well as blasting music throughout general areas of the park.

“What the heck is with the people carrying Bluetooth speakers through HHN blasting their own music through the scarezones? Their music is louder that the scarezone music. And this isn’t the first time I’ve seen it this year. It’s so bizarre.”

What the heck is with the people carrying Bluetooth speakers through HHN blasting their own music through the scarezones? Their music is louder that the scarezone music. And this isn’t the first time I’ve seen it this year. It’s so bizarre.

— Ashley is a Barbie Girl 💖 (@craftyashley_) September 14, 2023

A comment from @twilightxroze asked, “between this and the teenagers acting mental in house lines WHAT IS IN THE AIR.” Presumably, this is in response to several recent reports about scare actors being attacked and harassed in the houses at Horror Nights. However, most of the other comments were full of people who had either experienced a similar issue, or people calling for speakers to be banned from the parks.

“Hope people are going to Guest Services to complain about this issue or posting it on here. If nothing is said, probably nothing will be done,” said @DeanAckley. “Yeah, this needs to be banned. Totally disrupts the theming and is just generally super annoying,” stated @BanjoZac. “I’m really glad I didn’t witness this when I went. Some people are so trashy I stg,” commented @ImJustAChairTho.

However, one user took it upon himself to ask Universal Orlando what their speaker policy actually is. @MattHiers reached out, asking “@UniversalORL #askuniversal Does security allow guests to bring their own bluetooth speakers in the parks? Guests are playing their own music in Scarezones and throughout the park.”

While the Universal account responded saying they would reach out via DMs, Matt followed up on his comment stating that, “Universal DM’d me back. Security policy (supposedly) does not allow bluetooth speakers in the parks.”

Universal DM'd me back. Security policy (supposedly)
does not allow bluetooth speakers in the parks.

— Matt (@MattHiers) September 14, 2023

Unfortunately, it seems as though speakers are still getting past the security checkpoints even if they’re supposedly not allowed. Guests playing their own music in the parks, especially during something that relies heavily on immersive theming, is disappointing for the other guests there to experience the event in its entirety.

If you experience another guests disrupting others, you can find a Universal team member or security member and let them know what happened. You can also inform guest services or fill out the Guest Experience Survey to let them know if you’ve experienced something like this. At the end of the day, Halloween Horror Nights is a wildly popular event for thousands of people throughout the Halloween season. Please be kind and courteous to other guests, scare actors, and Universal team members.

Have you had a negative experience at Horror Nights this year? Let us know in the comments below!