On select nights from September 15th through November 4, 2017, you’ll have the chance to explore NINE terrifying haunted houses to play in! You’ll stumble upon FIVE scare zones throughout the streets where creatures lurk around every turn scaring the life out of you. You'll get the chance to enjoy TWO truly outrageously funny live shows, and experience many of the park’s most exciting rides and attractions too!
Let's talk about the SCARE ZONES and SHOWS as described by Blake Braswell, Show Director of Scare Zones at Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights, and Jason Horne, Show Director with Creative Development at Universal Orlando Resort.
Streets of Halloween Horror Nights. By: Blake Braswell
Trick 'r Treat First up, it's time to make sure everyone understands the rules of our haunted holiday. Get a proper Halloween education in our Central Park scare zone inspired by the film Trick 'r Treat. We're excited to have Sam visit and make sure we follow the rules of Halloween.
As a longtime fan of classic horror anthology films, Trick 'r Treat is a favorite of mine that pays perfect homage to that genre. In this zone, you'll have the opportunity to come face-to-face with several characters from the film, and learn for yourself what happens when you don't follow the rules.
The Purge Next up, we have a returning story to our New York streets with The Purge. This time, our approach was to create a zone that showed how we think the events of a Purge night might play out in our streets.
There are some fan favorites returning such as our auction and a very polite gentleman. We also have some new surprises in store. For example, how do you clean up all the mayhem on the streets during a Purge night? Visit the clean-crew up crew with their trusty wood chipper to find out. Just don't get too close…
Altars of Horror Near the front gate, on Avenue of the Stars, we have our Altars of Horror. For me, this zone is very exciting because we're bringing something to the streets for our horror fans that we have never done before.
In this zone, we're taking some of the larger than life characters featured in this year's houses, and letting them have their own scare zone. A lot of work goes into bringing these iconic film characters to life in our houses. Now you'll have the opportunity to get an even better look at them.
Invasion! Set in a time decades ago, our docks in San Francisco find themselves the victim of an INVASION! Visitors from far beyond have crashed their vessel, and are now wreaking havoc on the streets of San Francisco.
They aren't just here to destroy; these invaders are also on a mission to learn everything they can about us humans. Careful, or you may find yourself on the experiment table at the mercy of an alien scientist.
Roaming Hordes Lastly, no Halloween Horror Nights would be complete without roaming hordes. This time, it's the smell of the greasepaint, the roar of the chainsaw. Unhappy with how popular culture has made clowns scary, this grotesque gang of gigglers has risen from the grave, determined to show the world that if you want scary clowns, they're going to make sure you get your worst nightmare.
The scare zones are the perfect place to "people watch!" To see grown adults get scared to death makes me laugh every time. They make it pretty difficult to get around the park WITHOUT running into something frightening. I love it! You never know what's lurking around the corner or behind a tree. I may or may not have been scared a few times.
I can't wait to see all the new and a few returning scare zones this year. I'm most excited for "Trick 'r Treat" since in my book a classic horror movie.
ACADEMY OF VILLAINS: AFTERLIFE will be returning to put on an all-new killer performance. This group of powerhouse artists will make you bear witness to what happens after we leave this life. They're going to give you one mind-blowing and shocking dance performance that will escort you from this world to the great beyond.
Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure 2017: The Farewell Tour
By: Jason Horne
Bill and Ted are ready to rock at Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights before they move on to their future adventures. After 26 years of Excellent Halloween Adventures, these pop-culture icons are bringing their Farewell Tour to Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights. Party on as the phone booth lands one more time at Universal Orlando.
Over the years, this show has morphed and shifted to fit with the changing tides of pop-culture. But at its heart, it has remained true to its nature. The Wyld Stallyns, from San Dimas—and their time-travelling phone booth—find themselves in the middle of pop-culture-parody chaos and must somehow save the world yet again.
But now the time has come for these most outstanding dudes to find adventure in other places and other times.
On a personal note, I've had the pleasure and privilege of writing for and directing Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure for the past 7 years. It goes without saying that this show means a lot to me. Working on Bill and Ted's has become one of the most enjoyable parts of my year—and they have meant a lot to so many people.
Since 1992, hundreds of talented individuals have worked on its production and numerous performers have graced its stage. It also means a lot to the fans. Wyld Stallyn fans are loyal, supportive and the central reason the boys have had so many adventures.
The "Farewell Tour" gives us the perfect opportunity to give Bill S. Preston, Esquire and Ted "Theodore" Logan a proper sendoff. This year's show is everything you'd expect from Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure. It's relevant. It's ridiculous. It's irreverent. It's edgy. And at the end of the day… it's just a good time.
Years from now, we'll look back at all of the unrestrained joy this show provided for so many of us. And honestly, there may never be anything quite like it again.
So, join us this Halloween. We'll laugh. We'll dance. We may shed a tear or two. We'll take with us some most triumphant memories.
And we'll never forget Bill and Ted's simple mantra which still rings true today—"Be excellent to each other."
I'm extremely sad that this is the last year for "Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure!" It's funny and has become a family tradition to see it every night we attend the event. I grew up watching the Bill & Ted movies and love the "dry" humor the show brings to this scary event. Universal Orlando Halloween Horror Nights is NOT going to be the same without it.
Stay tuned for more updates as we're getting very close to opening day for the event.
My name is Leigh Saleh. I’m a Travel Agent with Amazing Magical Adventures. I’m a Universal Orlando Specialist, SeaWorld Parks Specialist, Legoland Florida Specialist and a Disney Destination Specialist as well as many more destinations including cruise lines. Email me today at leighsaleh@amazingmagicaladventures.com to book your next “Magical” family vacation to your favorite destination.
You can also visit my Facebook page for more details, and updates on special offers to your favorite travel destinations. You will also find a ton of pictures from Walt Disney World,Disney Cruise Line, SeaWorld, Universal Orlando, and Legoland Florida.
**Some photographs are from personal visits to Universal Orlando. The Official photographs and Youtube video provided by Universal Orlando**
For more stories from Blake Braswell and Jason Horne you can visit the Universal Orlando blog.