We recently had the opportunity to visit Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure to experience all of their incredible Halloween themed festivities. When it comes to Halloween, Universal truly goes above and beyond.
Although Universal’s annual Halloween Horror Nights event was canceled this year, Universal still has plenty of spooky activities and entertainment around the parks for guests to enjoy. For the first time ever, Universal has two haunted houses running daily, and trust us when we say these haunted houses are not for the faint of heart!
Haunted Houses
Revenge of the Tooth Fairy
A pop-up book about the tooth fairy seeking revenge on a little boy who refuses to give up his teeth. Universal describes this house as “a darker ritual to the innocent traditions of the tooth fairy”. Each room features gruesome depictions of unfortunate victims of the tooth fairy, many of them missing parts of their mouth or head, and we were impressed by how realistic some of them looked. We also suffered many jump scares as we went around corners to find the terrifying tooth fairy waiting to jump out at us!
The Bride of Frankenstein Lives
Derived from the popular “Universal Monsters” house from last year’s Halloween Horror Nights, this house is not quite as intense as the tooth fairy house, however it is thrilling in its own way. This creepy love story follows the bride of Frankenstein as she emerges from the shadows and does whatever it takes to revive her beloved Frankenstein. As you enter through a narrow hallway, the first room opens up to creepy castle ruins, where the Bride of Frankenstein lurks up above and screams for the loss of her true love. As we walked through the house, we witnessed the various ways she tried to resurrect him, including sacrificing three different Brides of Dracula to her schemes. Her victims repeatedly gave us quite the scare by lunging at us out of the darkness or screaming from behind a closed door. The detailed sets and horrifying costumes in this house made it a new favorite of ours!
Universal’s Scarecrow Stalk Scavenger Hunt
Inside Universal
If you’re looking for a less scary way to celebrate Halloween at the park, we loved Universal’s Scarecrow Stalk Scavenger Hunt. Simply request a free scavenger map at any merchandise location, and you’ll be on your way to hunting down 13 unique scarecrows and skeletons, hidden throughout the park. If you have a keen eye, you might even spot some fun Universal easter eggs. If you can find all 13 scarecrows, head to Studio Sweets or San Francisco Candy Factory to pick up a special reward. We had a blast hunting down each of these spooky creations!
Trick-or-Treating
If you are visiting the parks with little ones, or would like to skip the Haunted Houses all together, Trick-or-Treating is a great way to explore the park and still get in the Halloween spirit.
Children 12 and under can dress up in their favorite Halloween costumes and collect treats at 10 different locations throughout Islands of Adventure.
Special Trick-or-Treating bags are provided by Universal and each participating location will be designated by a pumpkin sticker on the door or window.
Halloween Horror Nights Tribute Store
This spooky shop is an attraction in its own right, featuring multiple themed rooms decked out with detailed decorations, Halloween-themed snacks, and, of course, plenty of Halloween Horror Nights merchandise. Once you enter through the castle ruins, you’ll find yourself wandering through iconic scenes from Beetlejuice, Dr. Frankenstein’s Laboratory, a creepy pumpkin-themed zone, and even a haunted Bakery. As you walk between rooms, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for posters from all 30 Halloween Horror Nights events. You may have to wait in an additional line to get into the Bakery, but it’s well worth it for a peek at their beating gummy hearts – you truly have to see them to believe them! There are plenty of other Halloween themed snacks located throughout Universal, such as “Franken Fried Chicken”, specialty donuts at Voodoo Doughnut, and spooky cocktails at the Skeleton Bar.
Although the parks are very different this year than they were last year, we had an absolute blast celebrating Halloween at Universal Studios. We are so excited to see what the Holiday season will bring in the next couple of months. Stay tuned and follow us on Social Media for more fun park adventures!
Are you planning a trip to the theme parks? You can reach us by phone @ (407) 636-2390 or by email at info@myviptour.com
