Now I don’t know if you know but Halloween Horror Nights isn’t all about being scared out your mind… Well it is but there’s also a lot of new food to talk about during HHN. So much so that I think it deserves its own blog!
You can find new and returning fan favourites including food and drink inspired by Ghostbusters, Stranger Things and more.
Stranger Things Food and Drink
Starcourt Mall – Located in tents outside Monster Cafe and Finnegan’s.
Get a taste of the Starcourt Mall with a variety of dishes inspired by iconic mall dining. Enjoy Grilled Street Corn and Nachos Queso Fundidio from Ole Amigo. Grab a bento box with an Orange Chicken Bao Bun, Szechuan Beef Pot Stickers and fried Wonton Chips, complete with ginger soy dipping sauce from the Imperial Panda. Or head over to Hawkins Heroes for a Turkey or Veggie Hero.
You can also grab dessert with chocolate dipped bacon on a stick and Pumpkin Patch Mini Donuts.
Merrill’s Mini Pumpkin Doughnuts
Located in the tents outside Finnegan’s
Here you’ll get 11 mini doughnuts on a bed of cookie crumbles with a colourful frosting drizzle.
Triple Decker Extravaganza
Located in the San Francisco Bakery
This one is a fan favourite from last years Stranger Things food that has returned to tickle your tastebuds once more..
A stack of delicious waffles, whipped cream and candy .
Sony Pictures Ghostbusters Ghost Trap Popcorn
Located at many popcorn carts
The perfect snack to fuel you on the go – a popcorn bucket inspired by the containment unit for ghosts for the proton pack from Sony Pictures Ghostbusters.
Syrups and Waffles
Located at Gramercy Popcorn and Production Central Veranda
Photo: insideuniversal.net
This is a drink that has returned for its second year, complete with maple flavours and teeny tiny waffles on top.
More ‘eats and treats’
S’mores Fries Located at KidZone Pizza Company
Sweet potato fries, marshmallow, chocolate chips and cracker crumbs.. personally i’m unsure on this one!
Pizza Fries Located at KidZone Pizza Company
These are more up my street and a huge hit with HHN fans and i don’t really think it needs any more explaining than it’s pizza… on some fries!
Twisted Taters
Those mouth-watering potato swirls with your choice of sour cream & chive, garlic parmesan, seasoned salt, or salt & vinegar.
Candy Corn Located at Gramercy Popcorn and Production Central Veranda
A Classic Halloween Candy in a sweet slushie!
There are also four signature drinks this year inspired by classic 80s beverages, plus four souvenir cups to collect. (The souvenir cups will be a staggered release with a new one becoming available on a weekly basis)
Twilight Gateway – Tequila, watermelon schnapps, pineapple juice, orange juice and grenadine.
Vampires Curse – Spiced rum, fruit punch and sour mix.
Saturn – Gin, Falernum liqueur, passion fruit puree and sour mix.
So that’s a round up of some of the food and drink you can indulge on at HHN29. Need more info about the houses, scare zones and shows at this years HHN? Then check this out.
Today Universal Orlando have confirmed that they are adding an extra event night to this years HHN29. Monday the 21st October at Universal Studios is now going to be full of zombies, vikings, monsters, ghosts, killer klowns and more and what’s even better is that if you already have a 2 night HHN ticket or a Frequent Fear pass the date it automatically included!
I think it’s fair to say that HHN29 is now in full swing with 7 event nights now under the belt and tonnes of reviews stating that this is the best HHN ever. If you’re a little late to the party then keep ready as i’m going to re-cap on everything we know..
Oh and I nearly forgot to mention that our very own Gavin visited HHN the other week so I asked him to give us his favourite Scare Zone and House..
Gavin’s Favourite House: US – “This was the scariest house i’ve ever been in at any Halloween Horror Night event, and i’ve been to a few!”
Gavin’s Favourite Scare Zone: Zombieland – “My favourite Scare Zone because it gets your heart racing and you can laugh at all the unsuspecting passer by’s.”
Now I just want to add that it takes a lot for Gavin to be scared (or so he says) so for him to say that US is that scary must mean something!! Me and Teresa couldn’t even watch the promo video for US without being terrified!! :O
Don’t forget that some rides and attractions are still open during HHN!!
Transformers The Ride – 3d Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit Revenge of the Mummy Men in Black Alien Attack The Simpsons Ride Fast and Furious Supercharged Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit
Have you been to HHN yet or are you visiting this year?? We’d love to know your favourite houses!!
On Monday Abby and Gavin were invited to a secret event in London to discuss all things Halloween Horror Nights with Patrick Braillard, Creative Development Show Director and Writer at Universal Orlando.
Here’s what happened;
We’d like to thank Patrick for the opportunity to interview him and the energy he brought even though he was horribly jet lagged.
You know that one bloke in your office who’s proper smug cos he happened to guess 1 Halloween Horror Nights house correct in 10 years… well that guy today is Gavin who on OAT Live 44 correctly stated that Universal would have a Ghostbusters House this year and today its confirmed.
Ghostbusters for those of a certain age is iconic and fits perfectly into this years theme which is the 1980’s.
Here’s what Universal had to say;
Celebrating its 35th anniversary, you’ll jump through the movie screen of the original 1984 film and walk through some of your favorite scenes like the New York Public Library, the Temple of Gozer and more.
In this haunted house, you’ll be transported to the streets of New York as the rift between worlds opens, releasing ghoulish spirits, hideous specters and ectoplasm-dripping phantasms in every shape and size. Come face-to-face with the voracious Slimer, the all-power Gozer the Gozerian, Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man and more.
Peter, Ray, Egon and Winston will have to save the day as these paranormal creatures materialize in unexpected places – but will their proton packs be enough?
It seems a long time since we last got a little taste of what this years Halloween Horror Nights will bring us, so I was delighted to be informed that today Universal have confirmed that Yeti: Terror of the Yukon is the next house to be revealed.
Here’s what we can expect;
Deep in the remote tundra of the Yukon, loggers and trappers seek refuge from the frigid grip of an arctic blizzard. But out in the darkness, a terror lurks far more dangerous than the deluge of snow and ice. These unfortunate souls have intruded into a territory that is haunted by their worst nightmares. Enter a logging camp that’s been torn apart, floors caked with snow, bones and gore. Right outside, screams are frozen on the faces of those who fled the towering monsters only to succumb to the elements. But there is no escape from beasts as brutal as the winter.
Just when you thought the only thing to fear was the elements, an icy terror will descend over you. Cringe at the trail of blood leading to caves none have lived to see. As you enter the labyrinth of caves, you’ll hear the screaming echoes of those who couldn’t escape the inevitable. If you survive long enough to see the end, you’re likely to find the remains of those who came before you and meet their same demise. You’re in Yeti territory now. They’re stone cold vicious and will stop at nothing for a taste of blood. If the cold doesn’t get you, they will.
Don’t forget Halloween Horror Nights is running from the 6th September to the 2nd November for you to experience 10 haunted houses, 5 scare zones, live entertainment and more!
Universal have confirmed that Dracula, Wolfman, Frankenstein and more will be making an appearance at Halloween Horror Nights 29. Yey!!!!
Here’s what Universal had to say;
In this all-new haunted house the world’s most terrifying monsters unleash havoc – thirsty for anything and everything in their paths. As you try to escape to safety, you’ll step into each monster’s domain – but beware – they refuse to let anyone get out alive…
Come face-to-face with Dracula in his gothic castle, the Wolfman in a dark Bavarian forest, and the man-made monster within Dr. Frankenstein’s lab. And if you survive them, you still may encounter the vicious Creature of the Black Lagoon, the ancient evil of the Mummy and more.
We thought we’d be getting Halloween Horror Nights news yesterday and when it didn’t come we were all a little glum… so when we got this confirmation today we did a little spooky dance in celebration.
Here’s what Universal had to say about Nightingales: Blood Pit;
Imagine yourself transported back to Ancient Rome where a ruthless emperor reigns and gladiatorial games are put on for bloody entertainment. Add in bloodthirsty creatures and you’ll find yourself in the middle of Nightingales: Blood Pit – an all-new haunted house at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights.
Here’s what you need to know about the next chapter in this fan-favorite original storyline of the nightingales.
Story
Ancient Rome is suffering its worst drought in centuries. The ruthless emperor has declared the gladiatorial games to continue nonstop until the rains return. The gruesome bloodshed of the games is horrifying enough, but then come the creatures.
The Nightingales
As the blood soaks into the earth, the nightingales feed on the dead and dying. The nightingales are a grisly race of creatures that have been here since the dawn of time. You may think you’re familiar with their past feeding frenzies, but you haven’t seen them like this. You’ll try to survive alongside the gladiators as the ravenous nightingales tear into their victims and notice that fresh blood has come into their midst…
Nightingales: Blood Pit joins Stranger Things for this year Halloween Horror Nights which will offer 10 haunted houses, 5 scare zones, live entertainment and more. You can grab your tickets for this award winning event at Orlando Attraction Tickets.
Every year I put on my thinking cap, enter a darkened room, pop on some soothing music and make predictions on what I think Universal will do for Halloween Horror Nights. 2 years ago i got 3/6 correct and last year i got 2/6 correct so let’s hope this year is a bit better!
Universal have confirmed that HHN29 will have 10 all-new elaborately themed haunted houses and five scare zones. So here are my guesses at what might be awaiting around a Universal corner waiting to scare the bejesus out of us.
Last year half of the houses were original IP and the other half were based on films/series. I’m 99.9% sure that it’s going to be the same again this year and obviously it will be mega hard to try and guess original IP but here we go..
Stranger Things 2
A massive hit last year, I think that people are pretty much assuming we’ll see a house based around Season 2. Season 2 of Stranger Things was applauded for being more horror based than the first series but I have a few reasons why I think we may not see a Stranger Things series 2 house.. It doesn’t hold the title of the worlds scariest concept and HHN is renowned for being TERRIFYING, although Universal do throw out a couple of surprises now and again and Stranger Things was pretty much an anomaly house. As the series has such a huge fan base of course it was going to be a big hit but in my opinion it’s the sort of concept for a house that once you’ve done it once you don’t need to do it again?
With that being said, anyone who didn’t get the opportunity to do it last year would likely jump at the chance to be able to get another opportunity to enter the upside down (me included!) but how much different could they really make it.. it’s the same characters, same demogorgans etc but all in all I do think it is a strong contender. Especially due to the fact they extended the house to run past last years HHN!
Probability: 8/10
The Thing
This one is a bit of a long shot, it was a house in 2007 in Orlando and 2011 in Hollywood and the fact I had to google that must mean that they weren’t very memorable houses, right? I do however actually think it would work really well as a house with all the technology Universal now have compared to 8 and 12 years ago! A loud, dark, blizzard like climate with The Thing chasing you around becoming its latest victim through each scene is pretty cool I think? There isn’t any plans for another re-make as far as I know so in my opinion Universal would need to be a bit desperate to go with this house seeing as there are strong rumours of it being 50% their own IP this year.
Probability: 3/10
The Haunting of Hill House
This series is destined to be a HHN house! For one, it’s set in a house anyway so accurate surroundings will be easier than say, Stranger Things where the creative team had to make visitors feel like they were walking through different locations from the series. The interior of the house is perfect too.. with a beautiful two-story entrance hall, a basement, and a labyrinth of rooms. When this series came out on Netflix it was all anyone really talked about and if you haven’t watched it already then what are you doing reading this?! Get watching! We know how well Universal working with Netflix went last year so this is a massive possibility (and I really hope it happens!)
Probability: 7/10
Pet Sematary
There is a remake of Pet Sematary coming out this April (based on the novel by Stephen King) and the trailer is absolutely terrifying and what does that mean? It would make a fabulous HHN house! If you’re not familiar, the Creed family discover a mysterious burial ground hidden deep in the woods near their new home. A perilous chain reaction of events unleashes an unspeakable evil with horrific consequences. In my opinion this would be a super scary house and Universal have worked with Paramount in the past so is a possibility!
Probability: 7/10
Blumhouse or Halloween
Okay I understand this is kind of a cheat one but i’m so stuck so i’ve bundled them together. Blumhouse is a fan favourite (apart from last year where it sort of got swamped by all of the other massive IP’s) In HHN28 we got Happy Death Day & Purge and i’m thinking this year we might get a Blumhouse house featuring Halloween or just a Halloween house on it’s own. I’ve previously spoken about why I think we’ll see another Halloween house. Basically, the new Halloween movie wasn’t featured in last years house and that is likely to be because they didn’t want to show spoilers. HHN28 began on the 14th September and the movie was released on the 19th October meaning Universal would have either spoiled main parts of the movie or not have been able to include them.. neither are in Universals nature. Also, right at the end and I mean RIGHT at the end of the movie you can hear Michael breathing and then the ‘Universal parks and resorts’ logo appears which could possibly mean the film will feature.
Probability: 6/10
Killer Klowns From Outer Space
This has been really strongly rumoured for a house this year and I think that’s down to the popularity of the Scare Zone last year (and how director Mike Aiello is a HUGE fan of KKFOS) this isn’t really a thing that tickles my fancy but I did see the huge impact it had on HHN28 and the nostalgia it bought fans so I think it would be a real smart move.
Probability: 8/10
These have been really hard predictions, and I just have to throw these cheeky suggestions in.. Halloween Horror Nights starts on a Friday the 13th and of course Friday the 13th, could mean that Jason may be an icon at this years event seeing as we have the perfect date for him or maybe even a a special event on that day dedicated to the man himself? The last time there was a house featuring Jason was in 2015 when we had Freddy vs Jason so I think it’s about time he re-visited! Also last year, even with a probability of 0/10 I mentioned death eaters attacking in the WWOHP and i’m going to keep saying it until the day I die or the day it happens, whichever comes first. But with this years announcement of the dark arts light projection show I’m wanting it more and more!
As Warner Bros are now hosting their own Halloween event and due to the fact Disney have bought 21st Century Fox this years was a LOT harder. There is a lot of IP that is now a no-go such as: American Horror Story – I had the privilege of doing an AHS house in 2017 but we will not be seeing another one any time soon. Exorcist – this one has been done in the past too and not likely to be coming back. Jeepers Creepers – this film terrifies me! It would have made for a great house too! 🙁 Paranormal Activity – I’m sure Universal creative team can and have made concepts similar to this without needing the rights! Poltergeist – PHEW at least we got this house last year! Wrong Turn – weirdly one of my favourite film series so i would have loved to have been able to walk through a house based on this! Rocky Horror Picture Show – It’s sad to think that we won’t see anymore of this at Universal for the foreseeable future.
Another one we wont be seeing is Hellraiser which is another house that the hardcore fans of HHN have wanted for years! Horror Nights which is a twitter account for Hollywood HHN has basically confirmed that they cannot do a Hellraiser house. Booo. 🙁
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So there’s my 6 IP predictions.. I recently created some polls and asked some questions on our social media to get a feel for what the people really want. 😉 The first pic is a twitter poll that shows Halloween is a popular choice among the people but it was a really tight conclusion between the 4! I also asked the people of Instagram to send us their HHN house suggestions and here are some of the popular results: -Halloween -Insidious -IT -Haunting of Hill House -AHS Cult -‘More Stephen King’ -Us
Original House Ideas
Now thinking about what the original houses could be has nearly sent my brain into overload so I’ve had a brainstorm and here’s what I’ve come up with.. – A clown themed house, maybe even bring the chainsaw wielding clowns into their own house? – Scary Circus – a house featuring an asylum where all the deadbeat circus acts have gone to live out the rest of their lives.. Creepy huh?! – A Coven house.. a house full to the brim of witches who are out to seek justice from a wrong doing to one of their own. – A ‘Hollywood’ Themed house where you walk through some iconic scenes that have been twisted. Surely Universal could just slightly change the name and concept of each film scene and get away with this?? – A torture house, where every room forces the guest to walk through a different type of torture chamber and be a witness to some awful methods.
If those don’t make me seem messed up then I don’t know what will..
So there are this years predictions, what do you think we’re going to see at this years event?? The first house announcement was at the end of March last year and then we had announcements and info every month until Aug so hopefully we’ll be getting an announcement soon!
Everyone should know by now that we LOOOVE Halloween Horror Nights here at OAT and at any given chance we will speculate on anything we can that is related to the worlds best Halloween event!
Back when Universal confirmed that Rock the Universe was moving from early September to February we were hoping that the reason behind it was to do with more HHN dates and it looks like Christmas has come early! This was removed as quickly as it was added but luckily HHN Unofficial managed to grab a screenshot of the exciting information before it was removed..
Now there is a Friday the 13th in September and we did think that it would be a good day to start 2019’s HHN event but by the looks of it we can visit all our favourite horror characters even earlier.. from the 6th September! Yes that’s right.. the 6th! This would surely mean over 40 nights of scares, laughter and fun?! WOOO!
Speaking of Friday the 13th, I’ve had a little think about what houses we could be entering next year..
Could Jason be an icon at this event seeing as we have the perfect date for him or could there even be a special event on that day dedicated to the man himself? The last time there was a house featuring Jason was in 2015 when we had Freddy vs Jason so I think it’s about time he re-visited!
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that I think there is going to be a Halloween house again next year and in particular one based on the latest Halloween movie. Why? Well the new Halloween movie wasn’t featured in this years house and that is likely to be because they didn’t want to show spoilers. HHN28 began on the 14th September and the movie was released on the 19th October meaning Universal would have spoiled main parts of the movie or not include them.. neither are in Universal nature. Also, right at the end and I mean RIGHT at the end of the movie you can hear Michael breathing and then the ‘Universal parks and resorts’ logo appears which could possibly mean the film will feature.. Who knows? Only Mike Aiello and his team at the moment!
There has also been plenty of rumours that Stranger Things will return to HHN for a second year.. I really hope so seeing as I lucked out on this year! Plus the second season was awesome.
I’m going to keep the rest of my predictions a secret for now until me prediction blog early next year. 😉
Universal will most likely keep hush hush about HHN29 for as long as possible and the dates above have not been confirmed but be assured that we will be the first to update when there is any concrete information!
As Halloween Horror Nights has come to a close the creative minds behind this years event have shared their thoughts on a HHN that has gone down in Universals record books as the ‘hottest’ and most haunted houses ever created!
Firstly i’ve had a look on twitter and found what Mike Aiello : Senior Director Creative Development of Universal Orlando & HHN Orlando had to say.
I have chosen a few of my favourites:
Although it is sad that HHN has come to a close after another spectacular year we can now get excited and speculate on HHN29!! We’ve already had an idea that Netflix’s new show The Haunting of Hill House would make a great addition and Mike and his team are already considering IP’s and working on original content. Wooop!!
Universal posted some closing thoughts from the creative minds behind this year’s Halloween Horror Nights…
Charles Gray: Show Director.
“On the final night of the event, I like to say my goodbyes to not only cast and crew, but to the sounds of the event. I can see visuals anytime on social media or hanging on the walls of our Art & Design offices. But year after year, the audio tracks of Halloween Horror Nights have become a special memory for me.
I want the environmental sounds from Seeds of Extinction and the score from Carnival Graveyard to remain in my head.
I will walk through the haunted houses on the final night and absorb my favourite scares.
I will smile when I walk through Slaughter Sinema and hear a crazed kid scream, “I’ll eat your guts for dinner!”
I will snicker when I hear Loomis yell, “No! No! No!” into the night air.
Hearing, “They’re heeeere” that final time will induce some melancholy and a sense of pride.
I am so proud of what the entire team has accomplished this year. That pride extends from the tech teams to the scareactors. Everyone should be proud of the heart and soul they poured into this twenty-eighth year of Halloween Horror Nights. 2019 is already shaping up to be a year of surprises. See you next year.”
Blake Braswell: Show Director.
“The end of another Halloween Horror Nights has come. And as it fades away into the fog, I know this terror-filled beast will linger long in my heart. What this talented team of creators, designers, technicians and scareactors brought to life were some of the very first horror stories I experienced as a child.
I couldn’t be more proud to have played a part in this year’s event. I hate to see it go, but the tendrils of next year have already crept into our view, and I am thrilled for the screams yet to come.”
Patrick Braillard: Show Director.
“We are about to close the gates on another incarnation of Halloween Horror Nights. Soon the haunted houses and scare zones that you knew this year will disappear, making way for new experiences next year.
The beast that is Halloween Horror Nights is never satisfied with the status quo. It is always evolving, always changing. Sometimes that change is seen as growth—can you say 10 houses?! Sometimes it means welcoming a group of maniacs inside—Academy of Villains, can you feel me?!
But in all of that growth and change, there are things that remain as steady today as they were during our very first event—the passion. The passion of the teams that develop, operate, and manage the event (truly the best in the world). The passion of the scareactors, who are the lifeblood of the event. And of course, the passion of the incredible fans who devote their time and energy to the promotion of all things Halloween Horror Nights (sometimes that involves tattoos…).”