The Ultimate Guide to Universal Halloween Horror Nights Orlando 2022 (2023)

So here we are, delving into one of my all-time favorite places in the theme park world,Universal Studios Orlando Resort! Three epic theme parks (with another in the works), seven on-site hotels, and special events like Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights!

Photo courtesy of Universal Studios

In this article, we'll focus on how to properly enjoy an annual event that has consistently become the most popular resort-wide offering! Universal Halloween Horror Nights 2022 will run from September 2nd to October 31st.

We're talking ten unique top haunted houses, five Scare Zones, countless rides and attractions that stay open during the event, themed shows, and thousands of guests soaking up the atmosphere wearing their own park costumes!

It's the top of the mountain when you consider Halloween events offered by theme parks across the country. I'll tell you exactly why this is and some tips and tricks to maximize the fun.

Let's start over...while the sun still shines!

What to expect

There are a few ways we can make a trip to Halloween Horror Nights. The easiest way is to buy a ticket to the event, arrive before 18:30 and have fun!
But is this the best way? In my opinion absolutely not.

To give you an idea of ​​how I developed my views, Universal Orlando was my home park (along with Disney World) for about 16 years. I was what you call a local. Even though we lived about 3 hours away in the Ft Lauderdale area, that's close enough to visit these parks several times a year.

Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) is so important to Universal that thousands of people will travel from far and wide to attend the event. It's also so good that millions of Floridians consider this an absolute must every year.

It's not a bad thing for Florida residents to get extra deals just because they're out of state! I know this from experience. If you live in Florida, don't forget to check out the special offers made just for you!

With so many people prioritizing this particular event, planning is key! Not planning is planning to fail. That's my motto. Well, it's actually Albert Einstein, but we sure can use it here, especially when we're trying to figure out the potential madhouse that Universal Orlando can be during Halloween Horror Nights!

So, let's get you all used to what it really looks like before we get down to the plan of attack.

Where exactly is Halloween Horror Nights?

First off, it's good to know that the Halloween Horror Nights event takes place at one of the three theme parks you'll find here. It takes place in the park called Universal Studios Florida.

But I thought that was the name of the whole place. Well, it's only one of three parks that also bear that name. The other two parks have been namedIslands of Adventureand the water park,volcano bay.
This is not as confusing as it may seem at first, but we need to be aware of it from the beginning.

Universal Horror Nights are held specifically in the Universal Studios Florida area of ​​the resort.
One of the biggest mistakes people make is assuming that a theme park ticket includes admission to Halloween Horror Nights. IS NOT!

Every night around 5:30 p.m. of the Halloween season, Universal staff begins escorting people out of the park who also do not have tickets to the evening event with them. Therefore, it is extremely important that you purchase your entry to the Halloween Horror Nights event in advance.

We'll break down prices and options to choose from a little later, but coming to Halloween Horror Nights without a specific ticket to an event can lead to long waits in long lines or worse. Denial of admission!

It's rare, but I've known people who were turned away because the capacity was filled. What could be worse than excitedly making the trip to Universal for the Halloween event, only to be told you can't get in?

They make it very easy to buy tickets online. Go ahead and do that to remove all potential problems from the start.

If you're traveling from further afield to experience this amazing event, it might be a good idea to make a full day or weekend of it.

My favorite way to do this whole creepy party thing is to indulge in fun. There are many advantages to seeing this as a slightly longer trip than just a night of spooky fun.

Here is my recommendation.

This is even better if you've never been to UniversalOrlandoearlier, but it works just as well as you. When we make the trip, we make it worth it!

Where to stay - stay on site

The first thing I do is figure out how to get as much as possible out of this place. With Halloween Horror Nights taking place at Universal Studios park, I want to spend the daylight hours at Islands of Adventure if I can.

This is the park where the two newest world-class roller coasters,Hagrid's Magical Creatures motorized roller coasterInDe Velocoaster, is!De Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spiderman, SeHarry Potter's Forbidden Journeythey are all on that side of the property!

Many of the best rides at Studios Park are still open during the Halloween event. So while we could just as easily spend the day there, we have plenty of opportunities to enjoy walks likeDe mummie, Rip Ride Rock It, SeThe transformerwhile we are there at night.

Playing all day and night at both theme parks is best served by staying on-site at one of their hotels. As I said before, there are seven hotels locally to choose from.

Sure, there are tons of rooms in the Orlando area and you might be able to find a better deal there, but there are serious benefits to staying where we are.

Hotels locally offer different price ranges to suit a wide range of budgets, but I'll jump straight to the top to explain the benefits and how they really save you money if you commit to the right things.

There are three "Premium" hotels on the property that sometimes seem a little out of reach, but let's break them down a bit to see the truth.

Universal Loews Royal Pacific, Portofino Bay & Hard Rock Hotel

These premium hotels happen to be the three original hotels that Universal built for us. They are theUniversal Loews Royal Pacific,Portofino Bay, andHard Rock Hotel. All three offer the same benefits, but they are not created equal. Sure, you may prefer one theme over another, but let's dive into the details.

Universal uses a pricing method to encourage you to believe that one is better than the other. Is not. They want you to believe that theLoews Portofino-baaiis the best you can get and that theRoyal Pacifica Hard Rock can bite.

For one, thePortofino Bay Hotelit's the farthest from the premium hotels, but they just don't offer anything to justify the $50.00 extra per night over the other two.

The rooms, restaurants and staff are good, but not better than the other two hotels.

So let's commit toRoyal Pacific Hotel, which is approximately $312.00 per night. When you compare that to $132.00 per night for Cabana Bay, you might think it's an easy decision to choose the latter.

Well, what if I told you that theRoyal Pacificdid it come with the Unlimited Express Pass for all guests in the room? This costs $109.00 per person and can easily change the entire park experience.

It would cost $440.00 for a family of four for this allowance. If you add that to the $132.00 for the room, you've saved about $250.00 just by staying in a nicer, more comfortable hotel.
Combine that with beautiful river transportation almost right in front of the theme parks and it makes a lot of sense to start that way. Cabana Bay uses a bus system, which takes you there, but misses out on the really fun aspect of the river ride.

Now we can enjoy Islands of Adventure during the day before freshening up for the big Halloween festivities at the other theme park!

This idea will pay off very well at the end of the night. Walking or taking the riverboat to the hotel at 2am is fantastic compared to the idea of ​​getting in the car to drive home! (I did too. It stinks)

Arriving at Halloween Horror Nights

(Video) The ABSOLUTE GUIDE to Halloween Horror Nights 2022 at Universal Orlando

Okay, so we have our Halloween Horror night tickets and our room, we've had a great day skipping the lines at Islands Of Adventure, and we're ready to head to Universal Studios Park for a night of ghosts and goblins. (Tips for dinner later)

The first thing we want to remember is that the festivities take place every night from 18:30 to 2:00 in the morning. In my experience, there are two waves of people taking advantage of this time frame.

There is the first crowd that shows up at 6:30pm, which is most people trying to jump into all the haunted houses and attractions. Most families can also be found here.

Then there's the creepy, creepy late-night crowd. Lots of teenagers and people dressed in costumes start showing up in large numbers around 8-9pm. and stay until closing.

I've been on both teams (never wore the suits though) so I have experience with what both ends of the spectrum have to offer.

Lots of people show up early and stay late, but you'll see the crowd change if you stay long enough. It can increase the creepiness if you do it after midnight, Creeeeepy time.

Walking through the gate with your tickets is the first time you notice how good it was to get our tickets in advance. As you walk, there will still be crowds of people waiting to buy their tickets.

It happens every year.

**If you took my advice and stayed at an on-site Universal hotel, there's another nice little perk for you. As you walk up to the ticket gate, look all the way to the left.

Here you will see the designated entrance for hotel guests on site. This can sometimes save quite a bit of time and avoid the crowds trying to enter the park. Don't forget this!

Tips - Plan of Attack - Part 1

Let's assume we're part of the initial crowd and try to get ahead right away.

Walking through the entry gate is the last time you won't be exposed to creepiness, so soak it all up now. Prepare to go through one of the first twoZones of Terrorright off the bat.

There is no way to avoid them. The good news is that these tend to be on the softer side, but I met these two shiny girls right in the first ScareZone. It happens to be one of my all-time bugaboos, so it can get scary for you right away too!

When you enter, you have three options. Walk straight and head towards the New York skyline, turn right and onto Hollywood Boulevard, or head to your first haunted house right at the entrance.

Most people want to jump right into the first available haunted house, but that's not always the best idea. It keeps you with most of the crowd and you can get stuck while the rest of the park fills up and fills up fast.

My suggestion, especially since we are early, is to go right past the first house, which is "Block-horror hell”, in 2022, and return to some of the priority houses.

Priority houses

Priority Houses are those that deal with popular IP (Intellectual Properties).Stranger things,Friday the 13th, Rob Zombie, and so on.

In 2022, HHN-31, we are looking at IPs likeThe Weeknd - After Hours Nightmare,The Horrors of Blumhouse-Freaky & Black Phone, Classic Monsters-Legends Collide,InCarnival!

It's not like these houses are always better than Universal's original creations every year, but they're bound to have the longest lines all night.

If we go right past that first house at the entrance, we can get to Halloween and maybe a Universal Original house calledGhosts of the Coven. Hitting these houses separates you from the pack and allows you to move through the houses at a slightly slower pace than when it's actually crowded.

From there, it's a stone's throw from a number of attractions to dive into. Exit the Halloween house and turn left towards New York. Immediately you come across two other houses,Chupacabra partyInDead Man's Pier.

These are both Universal originals and are in the perfect spot to get in before the crowds catch up with you.

The indoor roller coaster,Revenge of the Mummy, is here, as our second ScareZone,Candy Mutants Sweet Revenge. This is one of the most terrifyingly crowded areas and is always one of my favorite spots in the entire park during HHN. Located near the Revenge of the Mummy ride you will find itTribute-winkel for Halloween Horror Nights.

To keep with the theme of maximizing Halloween festivities, I suggest visiting the Blumhouse themed haunted house not far away in the Fast and Furious/San Francisco area of ​​the park.

Walking the park's outer path will take you to most of the fun things to see and do, but it's really up to you to prioritize from here. Cross the park to reach the two IP-themed houses near the Kid Zone section, or continue the loop around the back of the park.

There is plenty to do and see at the back of the park. So the logic to continue the loop is strong. Here you will find bothInsects: eaten aliveInDescendants of Destructionhaunted houses. Both are universal original creations.

But you might want to do it differently. And for those who do, let's look at another plan of attack that might work even better than the first one I offered!

Tips - Plan of Attack - Part 2

Okay, let's go back and up to the gate.

When we go in, we follow the same straight path for a while, but when we get to the left at the Universal Store, we are now stuck hard.

There will also be a few people headed that way, but most of the crowd, especially the inexperienced, will be drawn in by all the ghosts, houses, demons, and excitement right in front of them.

We'll fight that urge and move to an area that will be much less crowded in most cases. Of course, the entire park will fill up pretty quickly as the evening progresses, but for now we're trying to give ourselves the best chance to experience as many as possible.

When we make that right turn, we'll head down Hollywood Blvd and into what is traditionally one of the dark ScareZones. The theme seems to be 2022Graveyard: Deadly Riots.

Graveyard: Deadly Riots

Enjoy the ScareZones, but don't wait too long before we hit the houses. He'll be there all night. We want to get to priority homes as quickly as possible.

If you go past Mel's Die In (usually Mel's Diner), you'll enter another new ScareZone. During the day, this might be the prettiest part of the park, but during HHN, it's probably the creepiest of all the ScareZones.

Walking under the trees of the Central Park area, there is an added element of dread when you step inside. Even the spirits know it. This area contains more hiding places and places that you cannot see completely. They use it well and it blends perfectly.

Again, we want to get past all the crowds as quickly as possible when we get to the next intersection, right in front of the Universal Animal Actors building.

We turn right here to go straight to two of the priority houses!

This will give us a nice jump on the crowds as we both enterThe Weeknd - After Hours NightmareandUniversal Monsters - Legends collidehouses. I went by this way when it opened and felt like we had the whole park area to ourselves...at one point.

From there we return to the main path and turn right again towards Springfield. There will be a fairly large area with little to do or see, but continue past the Simpsons attraction to reach two more haunted houses tucked away in the back of the park.

Now we make our way around the back in the opposite direction as the first plan of attack. We'll seeDescendants of Destructionhouse followed by theInsects: eaten alivehouse along this road.

Humorous haunted house

It's worth noting that Universal always has a haunted house that focuses on humor. Last year it was GhostBusters. A few years before that, it was a house based on Bruce Campbell's characters in the Evil Dead and Army of Darkness series.

Both were fantastic and considered by most to be the highlights of the night.

In HHN 31, this is the Bugs: Eaten Alive house. Early impressions are that it's hilarious and very well done.

Running back to the plan of attack 1, we will passLost road. Where is theEscape from Goldgraipwalk is located. This whole area is also horribly decorated. And while there are no haunted houses to visit inside. It can be a nice place to visit and take a nice walk while you are there.

We then return to the rest of the park through itCall the darknessThe ScareZone on its way toThe horrors του Blumhouse: FreakyInThe black phonehome.
Then we cross paths with the rest of the haunted houses. AsDead Man's Pier,Chupacabra Party, Halloween, SeGhosts of the Coven.

Depending on the wait times, I would prioritize Halloween here. Running away from Michael Myers in a replica of the house from the original movie is too much for me to pass up on something like Dead Man's Pier.

That said, if a house, regardless of theme, has to wait 20 minutes and Halloween has to wait 2 hours. I might choose to go up to the 20 minute house to experience it before preparing the longer line. That will have to be seen and decided when you get there.

It's critical to remember that Halloween Horror Nights is Universal's hottest event and it's packed. You don't leave there without bumping into and dealing with very large crowds.

It's just not real, so don't expect it. The whole idea is to use all available tools to be able to beat the crowd as much as possible. We want to experience the biggest Halloween deals possible at Universal.

It takes thought, attention, dedication and above all planning.

Now let's get into a sometimes controversial topic that could change the dynamic of the entire evening. The Express Pass!!!

To express or not to express

Okay, I've told you allUnlimited Express Passwhich comes with a stay at one of the top three Universal hotels. And that's fantastic, but it's important to know that it doesn't go over the Halloween Horror Nights side of things. I found this out the hard way about 5-6 years ago.

An Unlimited Express Pass for day use at both parks will cost you approximately $109.00. You can also get a one-time Express Pass (per trip) for about $79.00 per day.

Want to know how much the Halloween Horror Night's Express Pass costs? Hold on to your hat.
After paying the entry fee of $79.00 per person, you will need to deposit an additional $129.00 dollars per person for the HHN Express Pass.

This has caused online anger and backlash over the years, but Universal is unfazed. They know what they have and they know people will pay for it once they see how long the lines are getting.

I remember the first time I saw the Express Pass price. "Wait... is that MORE than the entrance?" that's what i said. Then, after a few choice words, I of course stubbornly refused to buy one.

It's not like I didn't have a good time without it. I did it. But I'd be lying if I told you I didn't think about this Express Pass all night. Each time, I stood in line for an hour and watched the Express Pass people walk and smile as they did (at least that's how I saw it).

I can tell you that while I hated the idea of ​​paying so much for the Express Pass, I never went to HHN without it again. As grumpy as I was, I was grateful to have it while I was there.

I still remember laughing with my friends as I made my way through the long lines. Not really of course. I am incredibly sympathetic to those waiting in line. I was them. Many times in fact.

So this is one of the biggest choices you have to make when planning your Halloween Horror Nights trip.

Spending an additional $516.00 for a group of 4 after paying for entry and hotel can be a tall order. I got it, trust me. But I like to think about such things because of the experiential value.

What can I afford and how much dedication do I have to make this a special event.

Let's see what we have done and what we get for it. This is for a group of 4 people.

Expense summary

• We paid $312.00 for a room at the Royal Pacific Hotel which gives us 4 unlimited Express Cards for the day. (saving us a total of $436.00).
• We had to buy four tickets to Islands of Adventure. These run $109.00 per person which equates to $436.00 (free when factoring in the unlimited Express card savings).
• We then picked up four tickets to Halloween Horror Nights which cost $79.00 per person. That's a total of $316.00.
• Then the big one, we chose to bite the bullet and purchase the HHN Express Pass for $129.00 per person. That alone is $516.00.

The grand total for this incredible day and night for our group of four arrives
1580,00 $.

Not what I would call cheap. But we will deliver an experience filled with as many memorable features as we can muster. Taking a trip like this once a year isn't so bad if you look at it through a certain lens.

Add to that you might be a team of 2. We can cut that in half. Or let's say we are a team of 4 but we all pay for ourselves. This will cost about $400.00 for this whole deal.

Not so bad now, right?

If we see what we actually get. The prize begins to take a back seat to the high level of fun and excitement we will experience.

• A stay in a really nice hotel, some rooms overlooking the parks.
• Riverboat transfers to and from the hotel and parks.
• Skip the lines all day for world-class rides. Like the brand new Velocicoaster, The Incredible Hulk Coaster, Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure roller coaster, Skull Mountain, Jurassic Park River Adventure, Hogsmeade, Forbidden Journey and many more.
• Exclusive access to the country's biggest Halloween event.
• Skip the lines at some of the most well-stocked and performed haunted houses in the world.
• During the evening event, some of the best rides and coasters at Universal Studios Park. Rides like Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, Transformers and Revenge of the Mummy!

Is this worth it? Only you can decide, but this is very good value for money. Honestly more than in most cases.

Now I'll add a few more items for you to consider. These are little-known but potentially essential tidbits you'll want to know before committing to a plan.

Should I bring the kids?

I live in Virginia and my home parks are Busch Gardens, Williamsburg and Kings Dominion. Both parks have a Halloween event, which offers something to keep younger kids safe from the scares. They have some kind of light up necklace that tells the ghosts in ScareZones not to mess with the kid wearing it.

The crazy guy running around with the bloody chainsaw will stop and pass the kid when they put this chain on.

Universal Halloween Horror Nights does no such thing.

They embrace the full scare factor with grunts and guts, shrieks of terror, and cringe-worthy monsters roaming around. An adult element was even added with half-naked women and tribal bounty hunter themed men wearing next to nothing underwear.

Very daring performances in the middle of the trails can be scary and exciting.

Universal does not recommend HHN for children under 13 and makes no apologies if the 5-year-old you decide to bring is injured. This is the real thing.

Experience the full creativity, skill and power of one of the most powerful film companies in the world trying to scare you. They know what they are doing and we have been warned.

Tips: plan of attack - 2.1

I want to explain why I recommended going to Islands of Adventure during the day and give you a serious advantage if you ignore this advice and go to the studios during the day.

First, I want to maximize the fun. I've been an intense theme park nerd since I was eight years old. Now they call me a Coaster or Theme Park lover. I have been there and done so many sought after places where rides and attractions are king.

The way I see it, we will spend about 7 ½ hours at Universal Studios park during HHN. Many of the best rides are still open during the Halloween event, so we can visit them in the evening if we wish.

From a maxing perspective, spending all day and night in the same park might be a little overkill. As much fun as a theme park can be, tedium sets in even in the best places.

Especially when Universal Studios sets up all day for the Halloween event, many of the props are already in place before the event begins. Crashed cars, bloody HELP US signs and the like are everywhere.

Immersing yourself in the scene all day, even without the ghosts, can lessen the impact later in the evening. I did this. It's real.

Walking into the studios after they have set the whole scene for us and when they are ready to experience the spooky side is a fantastic experience. Again, they are among the best in the world at this.

Experiencing the uniqueness of Islands of Adventure during the day can create a surprisingly different atmosphere for your nighttime visit to the studios. Fog machines, eerie lighting, actors and props are at their best when they're ready for you!

BUT…

There is a super duper advantage if you want to ignore my advice and stay at the Studios park all day and night.

There is a gap to beat the lines in a big way. But it only applies to a certain group that chooses to face the day in a certain way.

If you have access to Universal Studios Park AND Halloween Horror Nights. AND you are already in the park when they start directing people for the HHN event, you can stay inside.

Correctly. You'll be one of the few to make the shots without having to wait in huge lines at the gates later that night. Even with our exclusive hotel entrance, there may still be plenty of time to get in.

This allows you to literally go to the haunted house you most want to live in and wait there for it to open. You can be the first in line.

This will not only allow you to get into a popular house without waiting. But you'll also be able to hop on to the next house or two before the lines get long.

For example, let's say we want to start the night with Michael Myers chasing us around the Halloween house. We complete this house and run right past the Fiesta de Chupacabra and Dead Man's Pier before most people are even in the park.

And many of them will have blockages on the first house they see at the front gate. That's what most people do and why I don't recommend stopping at this house first in any of my recommendations.

We call it a tourist house. We also follow this philosophy when visiting an amusement park. Most people run for the first roller coaster or ride they see. Leave them behind and run further into the park. You can finish this whole part before the mob gets there.

Then we can go where they just left!

It is the best!

So staying in the park gives you a serious advantage once you get to that part of the day. However, it is too great a sacrifice to make. This will be another idea to think about on your own.

It's good if you do. Make no mistake. But you risk missing out on a lot of great experiences during the day. Plus, you risk the theme park fatigue we talked about earlier.

The last scary tips

Okay, I know it's going to be a lot. And I also know this might confuse you a bit, but I'll give you one more tip before we figure out where to eat during this magical day of chills and excitement.

I've told you all kinds of ways to win over the crowd and save money. I also told you how to maximize the experience by spending a little more than you might have planned.

Well, let's stop all that waiting in line or staying in the wrong park all day.

Something is mentionedHet Scream Early-ticketwhich will overcome all these things for you. For just $35.00 per person, you can get a pass to enter the Universal Studios park around 4 p.m.

Why wouldn't I want to do that, you might ask? Well, that's another $140.00 for our group of four, and it sure could feel like we're paying extra at every corner.

The truth is, Universal has it all figured out. They put on a fantastic event and all we really need to do is pay the $79.00 entry fee to enjoy it.

But there are levels of fun that Universal appreciates. These levels can literally change the experience for you. Like I said before, they know what they have and they know exactly how to maximize profits.

That being said, what you get for your dollar far exceeds most, if not all, of the other Halloween events out there.

Want to hear another one?

I am not going to expand on this advice. Honestly, I never have. I know people who do, and swear by it.

It's a "when you know" kind of experience. The kind of experience that might well ruin other options for you.

From RIP-tour

This is calledFrom RIP-tour! (a creepy game on a VIP tour)

Let's imagine that we have a designated guide to take us around the park. Give us access to behind-the-scenes and historical facts. And be escorted to the front row at every haunted house, theme park and reserved seats at all shows.

This is the RIP tour.

Apart from all these. There is private access to the exclusive food and beverage reception before touring Cafe LaBamba and other venues. It's actually quite a package.

However, the RIP tour comes at a significant cost. This is the downside. It can cost up to $399.99 per person and does not include your HHN ticket.

That's about $1600.00 for our family of four in addition to the $320.00 we will pay to get into the park at night.

If we do the math and start taking out the Scream Early pass and the Unlimited Express pass, it's going to cost that price, but let's be real here. It's a whole different level of cost to join the RIP tour.

The good news? I've never heard, not once, that it wasn't worth it. If it's in your budget, I suggest you give it a try. I think I will when I get my next Universal HHN.

Where should I eat?

Islands of Adventure

We will have to eat everything on this excursion. This is obvious. But we have to ask a few questions before we do.

• How much do we want to spend?
• Deciding how much time to spend eating at an amusement park?
• How good should the food be?
• Do we value experience over value?

Why we chose to spend the day at Islands of Adventure. I will give you some very serious recommendations.

The first is about experience and quality. The number one restaurant in the entire park has to beMyths of the Lost Continentpart of the park. The theme is excellent and the experience and food are wonderful.

This restaurant has won best theme park restaurant 8 or 9 times over the years. He has the goods.

Although this is a bit more expensive, it won't break your doors. I thought the prices were reasonable for the lounge atmosphere I received.

Second, we're going to jump on the secret gem of the entire park. This is theFire hydrants Grill. People pass through this unassuming spot in the same general area of ​​the Lost Continent as Mythos.

It has a limited menu, but it's always good. It's always fast and about as cheap as the park. It has a menu from hummus with pita and kabobs to chili fries for $5.00. It's an interesting place that I highly recommend.

Between the parks - City on foot

Between our day at Islands of Adventure and our night at Halloween Horror Nights, we have a choice to make. Head to Moe's Southwest or Burger King's Whopper Bar for something that will get us down our throats quickly. Or take the time to enjoy a dining experience just on Universal's City Walk.

There's no shortage of options in Universal Studios Orlando's City Walk area. Nestled right between the two massive theme parks. City Walk has it allBubba Gump ShrimpUnpleasantMenchiesFrozen Yogurt. At unique restaurants like CowFish Sushi-Burger Bar or, my recommendation,The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium, SeSavory Feast Emporium.

Boy, that's a mouthful right there. (pun intended)

Perhaps the most unique of all at Universal, this restaurant is fun and delicious. With the big candy store out front, there's a chocolate theme throughout. They even weave this ingredient into many of their savory dishes.

Hot chocolate and almond and cocoa pork tenderloin appetizers sweeten a rich menu full of great choices.

It's also not a good idea to leave without getting one of their incredible shakes. These things are incredible! I can honestly tell you that I got the best shake of my life here. And that says something.

Universal Studios during the event

Although I recommend taking care of the food part before entering the Halloween event. Be as hungry as possible. It happens.

My thought is to try to fill up so I don't have to waste time on what I paid for. Haunted Houses, Rides and ScareZones!

If we get hungry while we're among goblins and demons, there are a few solid staples I'll let you know about.

The firstMel enterser... er, Mel is DYING. Excuse me. The burgers and fries here are always the same every time we go, and they are good. Relatively quick and cheap, this is one we've chosen quite a few times.

Another is a little out of contention. But if you plan to spend timeLost road.The Leaky Kettleit really is a unique treat that can definitely add some spice to the whole experience.

There are several quick service points throughout the park. Stop atSkinnybecause a quick cookie might be more what you're looking for. If so, you're going to have a few problems while you're there.

Complete

So there you go. Lots of potential to consider one of the world's truly epic Halloween events. I can't tell you if a particular plan will work for you and your needs. But it's good to have options.

The one thing I will never go without at an event like Halloween Horror Nights is a plan. It is the most important thing. Random searching probably won't yield the results you're hoping for if you're spending the kind of money Universal needs.

Once you have a plan, try to stick to it as best you can. Trust your research and commit. My family likes to playfully call me the amusement park tyrant. And I understand. There is a difference between anxiously dragging everyone into your plan and having the plan as a foundation to lean on. If you're in Orlando in September or October and visiting Walt Disney World, you should check out HHN31.

Either way, you'll be amazed at the spectacle that is the HHN31. I can almost guarantee it.

As long as you make it out alive!!!!

More family activities in Orlando to check out!

Visit the Kennedy Space CenterVisit the home of space travel in Florida with this interactive museum

Medieval dinner and showStep back into the time of knights with this 4-course meal and jousting tournament

Switch to the City Explorer passSave money on Orlando's top attractions

Sea Life Orlando-aquariumSee marine life up close at this amazing museum

Let the fun continue by visitingHalloween by Disneypleasure!

Learn more about family vacations in Florida

31 Best Things to Do in Destin

Florida Road Trip: 31 Great Places to Visit

14 Great RV Sites in Destin

Florida Keys Road Trip: 29 Must-See Places

21 fun things to do in Port St. Joe

Florida's 4 favorite beaches

The Ultimate Guide to Harry Potter World Rides

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