With only a few day left until the start of Halloween Horror Nights, Universal Orlando invited us out for a chilling reception to get a sneak peek at some of the offerings that the nation’s premier horror event will be dishing out to its victims starting September 18th.
This year marks a special anniversary, as it’s the 25th year of nightmarish thrills and chills here in Orlando. A terrifying increase to its frightening haunted house lineup brings a total of 9 disturbing mazes, the largest in its entire history. Keep reading, if you dare, as we dive into some of the details around each of the houses and share a few photos that we hope wont keep you up all night.
VIDEO: Halloween Horror Nights 25 – Jack the Clown is Back
VIDEO: Halloween Horror Nights Universal Orlando 2015 Overview of All 9 Houses
For the preview event, we had the opportunity to experience this house. Though still in its dress rehearsal stage, nothing about the journey through the Lambert family’s Victorian house was natural. Once you enter the front door, that’s when the unexplained phenomena takes ahold of you. You venture beyond the house in a realm of supernatural filled with terrifying tortured spirits. With demonic entities like the woman in black and Red-Faced demon finding their way through the maze, they’ll stop at nothing to make their way into the world of the living… the very world you exist in; that’s if you’re still alive when you make it out.
Next we move on to the marquee house this year, presented by Jack himself; 25 Years of Monsters and Mayhem. This will be the largest maze of all the houses this year, and it’s a collaboration of feedback from guests and staff since the Horror Nights began. Former elements and scenes from some of the most talked about houses from the past 25 years have come back to haunt us once again.
A classic returns, An American Werewolf in London wreaks havoc in central Florida once again. This fan favorite was based on the John Landis horror film, and when it debuted it was one of the most fiercely immersive houses Universal had created up to that time. Now the wolves are back, and hungrier than ever with double the dose of ferocity. Try to make it out of this house with all your flesh intact.
In Asylum In Wonderland 3D, you’ll take a horrifying tumble down the rabbit hole with this Alice in Wonderland themed house. This maze brings back the immeasurable frights that only a 3D house could. As you journey down into the Wonderland world, you’ll be wearing the special glasses that help this house reach an intensity that’ll make you wonder yourself if you’ve gone a little mad. What realm did you stumble down, what twisted oddities will you encounter? There’s only way to find out, but not about tea will bring you back from where you’ll wind up at the end.
With Body Collectors: Recollections, the Body Collectors have returned, and they’ve descending upon Shadybrook Asylum to collect the human parts they require. Screams echo the hallways as a blizzard rages outside while sharpened blades swirl inside. This deranged group also bleeds over into the streets of New York with Psycotherapy Unleashed. There’s no escape from this house, because it’ll follow you wherever you try to run.
Does this one even need an introduction? Horror film royalty take center stage in an all out battle of evil vs. evil. Once you take your first step inside, you’ll find you’ve just entered on Elm Street and straight into the hell-bound nightmares of Freddy Krueger himself. If you surivie that far, you’ll them move on to visit Camp Crystal Lake. There, you’ll come face to mask with the demonic Jason Voorhees. Classic kills from the silver screen will be recreated in front of your eyes, or will it your be your turn to become the next iconic kill. Here, everyone is a victim as you fight to survive the wrath of these two characters that were built on the foundation of nightmares. In the end, you’ll find out who survives and who dies.
Who will be next to compete on the hit show that everyone’s dying to be on? With this house, you become the contestant on a brutal TV show where skilled assassins stalk everyday people, just like yourself. The goal is survival, but that’s not what gets the show their ratings. The more horrifying your death, the higher the ratings and that’s truly what its all about; there are no winners, only contestants coming in dead last.
The Purge moves indoors this year, as guests will attempt to survive the night as they are immersed in the film’s depraved world, where all crime is declared legal as part of the government’s annually sanctioned 12-hour Purge. Dozens of masked vigilantes will hunt the guests down, one by one, so once you reach the end of the maze.. do a count and see how many of your friends are left.
Lastly, the hit show is back, stronger and more infectious as ever. The Walking Dead maze will feature hordes of walkers and eerily recreate the scenes, settings and terror that guests have seen on their TV screens. The antics are up, and the bar has been raised with this years creation as guest will enter recreated scenes from season 5, including bringing them into the iconic flooded food bank. All who dare enter will be surrounded by hundreds of gallons of water as flesh hungry walkers attack from both sides. That’s just another twisted element to add to the cursed victims who unknowingly wandered in.
With so many options to choose from, the scares are immeasurable. A total of 9 haunted houses, 5 scare zones, 2 stage shows and access to 5 of the world class attractions Universal Studios has to offer.. it’s no wonder why this is the nations premier Halloween event.
Halloween Horror Nights runs on select nights from September 18th thru November 1st 2015. For more information and to purchase tickets, head on over to www.halloweenhorrornights.com/orlando and keep following Inside The Magic for more coverage of this epic anniversary celebration.