Halloween Horror Nights - There and Back in 24 Hours
Now that July 4th has passed, it’s officially SPOOKY SEASON! It’s not just me saying that either. There have been code oranges spotted at multiple retailers already selling spooky décor as well as Halloween countdowns appearing on social media. If that still isn’t enough to convince you we are in the throes of spooky season, then let Universal Studios announcing eight of their haunted houses for 2026 be the icing on the spooky cake. That’s right, misadventurers, it’s time to plan a 24 hour whirlwind trip to Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) at Universal Studios Orlando.
What is Halloween Horror Nights?
I won’t go into a lot of detail here because you can find more in-depth information on the Universal website, but if you have a love of haunted houses and all things spooky, then HHN is your wet dream. This is an event they do every year featuring 10 themed haunted houses that do not disappoint. Menus are created with food to match some of the themes and there is merchandise everywhere. Characters are also usually walking around trying to creep you out and, trust me, they are good at their jobs. While the menu has not been released yet for 2026, eight of the ten haunted house themes for 2026 have been announced and you can check them out here.
To HHN and Back in 24 Hours
When we plan a trip to HHN, it is strictly for HHN and not for the park itself since we’ve been there done that before. So last year we decided to get tickets to HHN and go for one night. I will tell you our experience and how we did it so you have a rough idea of how to do it for yourself. First, we had to pick a night for HHN and get tickets……plus express passes. I know, I know, they’re expensive, but without them you will only get to see 2-4 houses in one night with how long the wait times get. We knew we wanted to see all of the houses if we were making the effort to fly over there and the express passes were completely worth it. Enough that I would call them a requirement for an overnight trip, not a suggestion. Once we had our tickets bought for the event, we started looking at hotels. Do your own verification, but I can tell you it was cheaper for us to stay outside of the park, rent a car and pay for parking than staying inside the park.
So what did that 24 hours look like when it was time to go? Our flight left Houston around lunch time and we arrived in Orlando a few hours later. We picked up our rental car and went straight to the hotel to check in and drop off our bags. There was some time to kill before the gates opened for HHN so we just chilled in the hotel room until it was time to head to the park. The cost for parking was $20, but very easy to navigate since they always have people in the parking ramp directing traffic. Once we made the long (long) walk into the park and got through security, we were sequestered into a “waiting area” until the HHN gates officially opened. We went in early October and it was still blazing hot. With everyone packed in that waiting area like sardines, I will tell you it was not pleasant, but it didn’t last long.
We navigated through the park hitting all ten of the houses and trying all of the food options that were vegetarian friendly. Shopping for merch was also a must since the stores have AC and I wanted something with a specific character on it. The park closed at 2AM, but we left a little before that since we had seen all of the houses and tried all of the food, not to mention we were sweaty AF and ready to get some rest. After getting back to the hotel, we showered and then slept until we had to get up to check out of the room. We went straight to the airport to return the rental car and catch our flight home. Just like that we were back home that evening. It was a whirlwind and truly exhausting, but so much fun and well worth the money and effort for us to go. Whether it’s worth it for you is a question only you can answer.
Let me be clear, this was not a “cheap” 24 hour trip, but it was much cheaper than trying to go for a few days and visit all of the parks while staying in a park resort. Total price for this trip with flights and everything was around $1300 (for 2 people with express passes) to help put it in perspective.
Other Things to Know
some of the hotels near the park offer free shuttle services so you could potentially forego a rental car altogether, but make sure the shuttle runs late enough to get back or you will end up paying for a very expensive ride share
the park does have accommodations for those with disabilities, including POTSies like myself. I did not use any of the accommodations, but you can find more information about what is available here.
Don’t cut it too close with flight times to Orlando. Make sure to leave some downtime in case your flight gets delayed.
Buying the refillable cup in the park gives you the most bang for your buck since you get unlimited refills at any of the refill stations scattered around the park
No matter when you go, plan for it to be hot. Very hot. You will be sweaty. Thankfully some of the lines have fans blowing so you can get some air movement, but it’s not necessarily cool air. Wear cool/light clothing and stay hydrated.
I compare walking around Universal to walking around the Las Vegas Strip. Nothing is as close as it seems and the walk to and from the parking garages is honestly the worst part. Wear comfortable, but breathable, shoes.
Please let me know if you have any questions about this trip or how you can plan your own. Have you been to HHN before? What did you think? Also, I know there are no pictures included here, but we literally didn’t take any. If you have been to HHN in the past then you know the priority is staying alive in that heat and making sure there is no evidence of how truly horrible you looked and felt by the end of the night. Still worth it!
Until Next Time,
Happy Haunting
