If your idea of Halloween involves the frightening, the gory, and the all-around scream-inducing, look no further than Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights for your perfect Halloween vacation. The mega-popular fall event is returning at Universal Orlando Resort, promising to deliver just as many screams and laughs as in years past.
Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights runs on select nights from August 29 through November 2, 2025. The event is recommended for teenagers and adults and is not suitable for children under 13. If you’re as excited as we are, then you’re going to want to keep reading because we’re sharing all of the devilish details of this year’s Halloween Horror Nights.
Haunted houses at Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights 2025
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando will feature 10 new haunted houses this year. These haunted houses feature both original stories and fan-favorite horror properties from the NBCUniversal umbrella of brands. Here’s the full lineup confirmed for Orlando in 2025:
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- Five Nights at Freddy’s
- The Horrors of The Wyatt Sicks
- Terrifier
- Jason Universe
- Fallout
- Hatchet and Chains: Demon Bounty Hunters
- Dolls: Let’s Play Dead
- Grave of Flesh
- Gálkn: Monsters of the North
- El Artista: A Spanish Haunting
Scare zones at Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights 2025
In addition to the haunted houses, Universal Orlando will feature four scare zones at Halloween Horror Nights. The scare zones are open-air walk-through experiences that give you a little more elbow room but just as much fright. The four scare zones this year are:
- The Origins of Horror
- Masquerade: Dance with Death
- The Cat Lady of Crooked Lane
- Mutations: Toxic Twenties
Universal Orlando will also debut a new show called “Nightmare Fuel: Circus of Decay,” described as a circus that has turned into a never-ending nightmare. The show will feature pyrotechnics, illusions, and aerialists, set to a twisted soundtrack. “Haunt-O-Phonic: A Ghoulish Journey” takes place in the lagoon in the middle of the park each evening and tells spooky ghost stories through water screens. Just beyond the lagoon, Mel’s Drive-In turns into Mel’s Die-In, which is hosted by zombie car hops.
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The fan-favorite Halloween Horror Nights-themed Tribute Store will return this year. This time, the store will be themed as a museum filled with ancient artifacts. If you dare to venture in, you can see and buy themed merchandise and treats. Don’t forget to take a good look at each room too; the details in these spaces are always impeccable. Also returning to Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando in 2025 is Dead Coconut Club, themed this year as a witch coven, at Universal CityWalk, where you can grab a drink between scares.
Planning a Universal Orlando vacation during Halloween Horror Nights
Thinking of braving the fog and attending Halloween Horror Nights this year? Single-night tickets begin at $86 per person. Halloween Horror Nights offers its own type of Express Pass that allows you to skip the regular line at each haunted house once per evening. Participating rides and attractions are included in this Express Pass as well. Single-night Halloween Horror Nights Express Passes start at $180.
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Multi-day tickets: Frequent Fear Pass
If you don’t think you can accomplish everything in one night, or plan to visit multiple times throughout the season, you may want to consider a Frequent Fear Pass. These multi-day tickets give you access to a select number of evenings at Halloween Horror Nights. There are four tiers of multi-day tickets to choose from:
- Halloween Horror Nights Rush of Fear Pass grants you access to up to the first 18 event nights. Starts at $200.
- Halloween Horror Nights Frequent Fear Pass grants you access for up to 30 nights from August 29 through November 2, and starts at $250.
- Halloween Horror Nights Frequent Fear Plus Pass grants you access for up to 40 nights and starts at $300.
- Halloween Horror Nights Ultimate Frequent Fear Pass grants you access to every night of the event. You’ll also receive free regular parking after 5:00 p.m. on all event nights. Starts at $420.
Hotel, ticket packages, and more
If you’re visiting from out of town, Universal Orlando offers a number of hotel and ticket packages when booking a stay during Halloween Horror Nights. You can “Stay and Scream” and save up to $200 on your visit. The offer includes hotel accommodations, admission to all three theme parks, and one-night event admission. Universal Orlando also offers a “One-Night Halloween Horror Nights Hotel and Ticket Package” that includes accommodations and one-night event admission.
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Florida residents and Universal Orlando Passholders looking for a deal can book select hotels with a discount of up to 40 percent. Tickets to Halloween Horror Nights are not included with your hotel stay, but with all of the savings, you can add an extra night of screams onto your itinerary.
But beware! According to Universal, the fog has spread to all eight Universal Orlando hotels this year. Each of the hotels will have creepy Halloween decorations in the lobby, which make for great photo ops. And some of the hotels even have specialty drinks and themed late-night bites available to try.
In addition to hotel and ticket packages, Universal is also offering a number of add-ons to enhance your Halloween Horror Nights experience in 2025. These include V.I.P. (or “R.I.P.” as Universal likes to call them) tours, daytime lights-on private tours, and more.
Six tips for getting the most out of Halloween Horror Nights
No matter when you plan to experience thrills and spine-tingling chills at Halloween Horror Nights this year, you’ll want to be armed with these helpful tips.
Know when to arrive
Arriving at Universal Studios Florida at the right time is the key to getting the most out of your night at Halloween Horror Nights. If you don’t have early entry access, try to get to the park’s front gate by 5:00 p.m. This will ensure you’re near the front of the line to make the quick walk to your first house. If you’re staying at a Universal Orlando Resort hotel, try to get to the dedicated hotel guest entrance by 6:00 p.m. These lines are often shorter, and you won’t have to wait with people who are only showing up for the night.
Save the Tribute Store for during the day
While it may seem tempting to go into the Tribute Store during Halloween Horror Nights, skip the walk-through during the event. Instead, use your time in the parks outside of the separately ticketed event to walk through the shop. This will give you more time for houses, shows, scare zones, and more during Halloween Horror Nights.
Buy tickets in advance
You should always buy your tickets in advance. Throughout the season, there are often nights when walk-up tickets may not be available due to high crowds. Buying your ticket to Halloween Horror Nights before your arrival will ensure you can enter the park and enjoy all the screams.
Bring earplugs and sunglasses
One tip I’ve learned from past Halloween Horror Nights events is to bring earplugs, especially for those who are sensitive to sounds but still want to have some thrilling fun. Earplugs are easy to find online. I like the ones that are connected via a small cord, so I don’t lose them. These are great to wear through houses, scare zones, or even shows that can be louder than expected, and muffle some of the noise. Sunglasses are also a big lifesaver, as flashing lights and going from day to night as you walk into houses can be a little disorienting.
Eat early
Just like any other theme park event with an additional entrance fee, I always recommend eating early, especially if you’re only going to go to Halloween Horror Nights one time this year. You won’t want to waste time going to a busy quick-service or long table service meal. I like to have a big late lunch between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. at my hotel or at CityWalk, then grab a snack or two during the event. All over the park, you can find haunted house-themed snack stands, so be sure to try one of the scary good treats that match the theme of your favorite maze.
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Know your limit
When it comes to scary things, you should know your limit. We’re all scared of something, from spiders and creepy clowns to witches and monsters. If you feel yourself getting overwhelmed, take a moment to find a quieter place in the park to reset. A good spot to do this would be in regular attraction lines or even in a bathroom.
And if you’re really scared of Halloween Horror Nights but still want to gather your scream team for a fun night, consider buying one of Universal Orlando’s new “Deathly Afraid” necklaces, which acts like a sign for scare actors that you want less direct interaction with them. While the necklace does not guarantee that you won’t be given a fright by one of the scare actors, it does help with getting fewer scares. Just know that the necklaces only work in scare zones and will not be effective inside houses.
