Remember when Joey put The Shining in the freezer so he could stay safe? I’d be willing to bet this year’s Halloween Horror Nights 27 would scare the pants off of him. The Shining is just one of the heart-stopping haunts you’ll find waiting for you at Universal Studios Orlando. This year there are 9 houses, 5 scare zones and let’s not forget Bill and Ted’s farewell tour. Like every year it is a can’t miss event so keep reading while I tell you about my favorites and moments you can probably skip.

Tim and I visited Halloween Horror Nights 27 about two weeks ago and were frightfully amused by the evening. Being a huge fan of Blumhouse I couldn’t wait to get inside the Horrors of Blumhouse haunt. Tim was as always itching to see what they did with American Horror Story. It seems however that each year our favorite house is one of Universal’s original ideas (or intellectual properties as they call them).

Halloween Horror Nights 27 Houses

Horrors of Blumhouse

It seemed to me they tried to fit way too much into this house. It was still scary and Insidious and Sinister were spine-chilling, by far the scariest house of all. However, I could have gone for a house with just Sinister all the way through. Don’t skip this one by any means, but be prepared to take in a lot all at once.

 

The Shining

You know what they say about all work and no play and they are keeping Jack busy. So busy in fact he’s about the majority of the scares in this house modeled to look like The Overlook Hotel. We see the twins, the woman from the bathtub, Wendy and more of the characters but there is a ton of Jack. I personally could have done without this house but Tim really liked it. I think if you are a big fan of this book or movie it is one of those magical moments to see the hotel come to life. Universal did a fantastic job with the decorating. I just think they spilled a bit of blood…

American Horror Story

14 rooms of memorable frights. They cover a few seasons in this house, I believe Coven, Roanoke, and Asylum. This house is always a favorite because of the way they bring the story to life. I felt like I was inside that Roanoke house in more than one moment. It’s the one house where I can’t look away from the scares, even jump scares. No matter how much they freak me out I want to see if they nailed the room or the costume. Of course, the creative team at Universal Orlando always does.

Dead Waters

This is an intellectual property created by the team at Universal. I wanted to do this house twice and so did Tim but there wasn’t time. The house sinks and the floor will get soggy y’all! It’s a Voo-Doo style house so if this isn’t your cup of tea you might want to sit it out. Plenty of skulls and chanting.

Scarecrow: The Reaping

If you aren’t terrified of scarecrows like Moi this may not bother you as much as it did me. Basically, these scarecrows come up from the earth and scare your pants off. I don’t like bag headed creatures of any sort that are meant to scare away birds. No matter how they are supposed to look they give me goosebumps. Remember in Jeepers Creepers when the lady says “That’s not my scarecrow.” I lost it. One of the scariest movie moments for me. The scarecrow house is all depression era with the dirt and the sadness. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

These are the houses I think you should visit if you must choose. A few people have asked me about Saw and I’ll just be honest and say I think they took a wrong turn with this one. It wasn’t a favorite of mine. I didn’t find it especially scary or interesting to look at. However, my friend loved it so please make educated decisions after reading your map or the Halloween Horror Nights 27 website.

Scare Zones

As you walk through the park you find yourself stalked by the scareactors in each scare zone. Some are better than others. This year they did such a good job and it is hard to choose which to venture through. I would not miss The Purge and please leave yourself time for an auction. Just trust me. It’s something I’ll remember forever. After that, I personally love Trick r Treat with little Sam. I mean what isn’t to love about that rule following demon? He and his friends will kill you if you don’t follow the rules of Halloween so be sure to brush up before the day comes. Invasion! is a can’t miss creative masterpiece. An absolute work of art. Not as much scary (okay kind of scary) as it is impressive.

Bill and Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure

Although I’ve recently been hard on our good friends Bill and Ted I hate to see them go. But they are leaving after about 26 years. I’ve been lucky enough to see a large percentage of these shows and it’ll be a shame for their hijinks and hit music to move on. Make sure to leave time for their farewell tour which I promise isn’t all about Donald Trump, which I feared. He’s part of it but not all of it. There are many other phenomenal pop culture icons to enjoy and a special video at the end.

I’ll never stop stressing the importance of Halloween Horror Nights Express so that you can get the most out of your evening. These lines get to be 120 minutes+ long. If you have the ability gather a group of friends and do a private tour, that’s the best way to see the park. Even better, purchase a Frequent Fear Pass so you can visit over and over throughout the month and a half the event is open. It is worth every penny.

I look forward to Halloween Horror Nights every year and Halloween Horror Nights 27 is no different. I was in no way disappointed and I don’t think you will be either. Go into each house with an open mind and a deep breath and be prepared to scream, jump and be scared. I certainly was.

*Thank you for the tickets Universal Studios!