Common has been a fixture on this planet of monster films because the Thirties, bringing fictional creations just like the Wolf Man, Dracula and the Invisible Man to the large display.
These well-known monsters have been a mainstay at Common Orlando Resort because the park opened in Orlando in 1990, exhibiting up in sights just like the “Horror Make-Up Present” and the Revenge of the Mummy curler coaster.
It solely is smart that Common would drive full-throttle into the world of haunted sights by turning its total park into one. Common Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights started as a three-night occasion in 1991 (hosted by none apart from Beetlejuice himself) with only one haunted home.
Now in its thirty second yr, Halloween Horror Nights will run for a record-breaking 44 nights from Sept. 1 via Oct. 31, and if you wish to get the socks scared proper off your ft, you must plan forward. Well-liked dates, together with opening weekend and Halloween, promote out early. You should get your tickets now in case you don’t wish to miss out.
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All through the occasion’s two-month run, visitors can expertise a extra sinister aspect of Common Orlando. The occasion is held at the hours of darkness of evening after Common Studios Florida closes to daytime visitors, and the haunted homes, outside scare zones and reside exhibits function a terrifying counterpart to the family-friendly enjoyable that Common is in any other case identified for.
There is no such thing as a minimal age requirement for Halloween Horror Nights, however because of the intense nature and excessive gore, the occasion just isn’t advisable for youngsters below the age of 13. If you’re contemplating bringing children, use your finest judgment on whether or not or not they’re prepared for this occasion.
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Right here’s every thing it’s good to know earlier than exploring the darker aspect of Common Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights.
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2023 Halloween Horror Nights dates
This yr, Halloween Horror Nights will happen on choose nights between Sept. 1 and Oct. 31. The occasion is open each evening of the week besides Mondays and Tuesdays. The one exception is Oct. 31, which does fall on a Tuesday this yr.
The occasion begins at 6:30 each evening and sometimes operates till 2 a.m.
Haunted homes
There can be 10 haunted homes at Common’s Halloween Horror Nights this yr, although just one has been confirmed to this point. Homes are normally a mixture of authentic ideas dreamt up by the menacing minds at Common and popular culture horror favorites like “Halloween,” “Stranger Issues” and “Beetlejuice.”
The homes are scattered all through the park. The Common Orlando app features a map of the place they’re within the park. Some are in overflow queue areas for rides, some are in actual, working soundstages, and others are in massive tents that don’t look almost as scary on the surface as they do on the within.
To date, Common has solely introduced one in all this yr’s homes — a home impressed by everybody’s favourite killer doll, Chucky from the “Kid’s Play” franchise.
Scare zones
Along with the haunted homes, Common creates a collection of outside scare zones all through the park. This yr there can be 5 scare zones, and there’s just about no approach to get across the park with out going through the scare zones head-on.
“Scareactors” (it rhymes with “characters”) roam across the scare zones searching for unwitting victims to frighten, however they aren’t as scary as the homes. They’re extra more likely to shoot you an evil glare or comply with behind you a bit too carefully. Nonetheless, additionally they received’t hesitate to rev a chainsaw proper in entrance of you in the event that they suppose it’ll make you bounce.
Like the homes, every scare zone has a special theme, although none have been introduced but for this yr’s occasion.
Tickets
Should you do have a daytime ticket (or annual cross), Common normally retains small sections of the park open the place you’ll be able to have a drink and chunk to eat whereas they “flip” the park for that evening’s festivities.
You’ll have the chance to be one of many first in line for the homes when the park reopens for the night. In previous years, you would additionally pay a bit further so as to add on a “Scream Early” cross to get into the parks earlier than the gates open to different HHN visitors.
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Should you plan on visiting a number of occasions all through the occasion, Common additionally provides multinight passes.
Should you do wish to benefit from the parks throughout the day and at evening, trip packages can be found that embody resort lodging, park tickets and admission to Halloween Horror Nights. You possibly can even use your resort keycard to entry a devoted occasion entrance just for resort visitors.
Upgrades
Common provides quite a lot of add-ons and upgrades for Halloween Horror Nights. These embody:
- Halloween Horror Nights R.I.P. Tour: That is Common’s play on a VIP tour for Halloween Horror Nights. Your knowledgeable information will lead you to a precedence entrance at every home, sharing their in-depth information of the occasion alongside the best way. You’ll additionally get entry to a pre-tour reception with complimentary meals and a money bar, limitless Common Specific skip-the-line journey entry and a commemorative tour credential, lanyard and pin. Group and personal excursions can be found, and pricing begins at $299.99 per individual, which doesn’t embody the price of your Halloween Horror Nights ticket.
- Halloween Horror Nights Behind-the-Screams: Unmasking the Horror Tour: Two kinds of individuals would profit from the Unmasking the Horror tour. Those that are too scared to go to the haunted homes at evening and those that wish to dive deeper into the element of the homes. It is a lights-on tour that takes place throughout daytime hours. You possibly can select to tour three or six haunted homes, and costs begin at $119.99 per individual, plus tax, and $169.99 per individual, plus tax, respectively. Common theme park admission or Halloween Horror Nights tickets will not be required for this occasion.
- Halloween Horror Nights Specific Go: Common additionally provides an HHN Specific cross that permits you to skip the standby line as soon as per evening on the haunted homes and choose sights, just like the daytime Common Specific cross. Wait occasions for the haunted homes can climb as excessive as 90 minutes on busy nights, so this add-on is nicely definitely worth the cash. Pricing begins at $109.99 per individual, plus tax.
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Suggestions
Stay exhibits
Once we say that Halloween Horror Nights takes over your complete park, we imply it.
Except for the haunted homes and scare zones, there are two reside exhibits, themed food and drinks cubicles and unique Halloween Horror Nights merchandise. The Common Orlando app consists of occasions for reside exhibits. You sometimes wish to arrive not less than half-hour previous to showtime to get a great spot.
Find out how to get in early
If in case you have a daytime ticket, annual cross or the “Scream Early” add-on and a ticket for Halloween Horror Nights, you’ll be able to sometimes benefit from what’s unofficially known as “Keep and Scream.” When the park closes for the day to common visitors, you’ll be able to keep contained in the park in designated “holding areas” to be one of many first in line for the haunted homes as soon as the occasion begins for the night.
Suggestions for scaredy cats
Should you sometimes do not do the haunted home factor, you might be questioning in case you ought to even go to Common Orlando throughout Halloween Horror Nights. Should you aren’t fairly positive in case you can deal with it, there are nonetheless methods to benefit from the occasion.
As we talked about, the outside scare zones aren’t fairly as scary as the homes, so it’s a great way to tip-toe into the occasion. You can too spend your time taking part in carnival video games, consuming themed meals, driving curler coasters and watching the exhibits in case you want a break from the homes.
You can too e-book the aforementioned “Behind the Screams: Unmasking the Horror” tour to see the homes throughout the day with the lights on and with out the bounce scares. Seeing the homes with the lights on and getting the lay of the land, so to talk, could even provide the braveness it’s good to go to once more at evening.
Halloween Horror Nights merchandise
A lot of the merchandise is within the Halloween Horror Nights Tribute Retailer close to the Revenge of the Mummy coaster. The shop itself is a themed attraction, with a number of rooms stuffed with props and decor that make it really feel like a haunted home with out bounce scares.
You should buy the requisite hats and T-shirts, together with specialty masks, artwork and memorabilia. There’s additionally a whole room devoted to spooky treats.
Authentic characters
One of the vital fascinating issues about Halloween Horror Nights is the unique characters, that are nicely developed and appear to seek out their approach into the occasion yr after yr.
A information of those characters and the tangled net of lore surrounding the occasion isn’t essential to get pleasure from it, however there are a selection of articles on Common Orlando’s weblog that go “behind the screams” of the occasion if you wish to study extra.
We’ll report again after the occasion … if we survive.
