Universal Studios Hollywood Screams Back To Life For Halloween Horror Nights 2021

Let’s face it 2020 sucked and 2021, ain’t doing much better. 2021 though, has a leg up on 2020. At least this year, we get Halloween Horror Nights…or do we?

Don’t get us wrong. Screams, cries, and laughter filled the night air on September 9th when Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios kicked off. We were there and experienced all the madness that was needed. YEP, 2021, needed this win. We call HHN a win due to the simple fact that, even though Covid guidelines were being followed(yes, we were wearing a mask and so was staff) people were out in droves to be scared again. It felt right.

The seemingly peaceful gas station is hiding a killer. - Photo by Raelene Corona

We received our passes for the evening and made a mad dash to the first maze we saw, Halloween 4!(Using the Waterworld show que). From the gas station Michael Myers attained his jumpsuit after killing the owner, to Jamie Strode replicating her uncle’s killer instinct, this maze covered it all. HALLOWEEN 4 and lets face it, every time HHN and John Murdy (Creative Director) utilize the franchise, they KILL it…literally. Walking through the various carnage that Michael had bestowed upon the folks of Haddonfield, the smells, sounds, and even screams welcomed you back to Halloween and made us remember that the boogeyman, was indeed real.

Halloween 4: The Return Of Michael Myers

3 Out 5

Pros: Set Design, Soundtrack, Costuming, Cool Ending.

Cons: Timing Of Scares, Shortened Maze Length.

Next up, we traveled to the Terror Tram and The Forever Purge that awaited us. One thing about this years Terror Tram, it felt a bit shorter than years past. There was no sheet maze next to the “Psycho” house. The props were scarce as well considering the big to do Universal used to do when The Walking Dead was featured on the Terror Tram. When you got to the War of The Worlds area, you only walked through one small path behind much of the carnage and do not get good looks at the houses on the street like years past. Scare actors were sprinkled throughout the area but many were so grouped together, it felt more like a hang out than a maze.

A Participant in The Purge begs you to have a seat and enjoy the show. - Photo by Raelene Corona

Terror Tram: The Forever Purge

2.5 Out of 5

Pros: Set design, Sound, Makeups and Scare Actors Were On Point.

Cons: Very Short, Not Enough Areas for Scare Actors To Utilize, Too Many Scare Actors At The End.

As we headed back upstairs to the upper lot of Universal, the sun had set and more screams filled the air. A decision had to be made, do we take on Reagan and the demon Pazuzu in The Exorcist or battle the Hewett Family and Leatherface in Texas Chainsaw Massacre? Being the thrill seekers we are, we said screw it and did both!

A hitchhiker greats you and begs you to come in for “Dinner” at The Texas Chainsaw Massacre entrance. - Photo by Raelene Corona

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was probably the most detailed of all the mazes. Each room you were taken into could have been an actual room in the Hewett family home. From chicken bones to pig innards(at least we hope) and of course, meat hanging from hooks, the maze was a masterpiece of set design from start to finish. We do have this warning though, if smells bother you, this maze stunk to high heaven! Maybe some of the meat was rotten…

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre:

3.5 Out Of 5

Pros: Set Design, Props, Smells, and Maze Length.

Cons: Too Much To See And Not Enough Time, Same design as years previous just with added or changed decorations.

The Exorcist was next and we were super stoked for this one and boy were we right to be! John Murdy and crew really brought it this year for the Exorcist. From the design of the maze to the different scares throughout. The Exorcist maze even scared this hardened HHN fan a few times. (Yeah I admit to jumping at least once). The best scare comes when something that, through most of the maze is a prop, ends up being a real person at the end and terrifies the living snot out of you before exiting. Oh did we forget to mention the smell of the maze? Lordy, it reeked like blood, vomit, stool, and every other bodily fluid you could think of. The set pieces that weren’t covered in green puke were beautifully designed and placed as well.

THE EXORCIST

4 Out Of 5

Pros: Super realistic props and design, epic scares throughout maze

Cons: Maze Length could have been better, ending scare was a repeat of previous years.

The lower lot was super packed with folks of all ages screaming and being chased by various chainsaw wielding fiends. We didn’t get a chance to try the B.B.Q pop up next to Panda Express for Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The line was super long but many seemed super happy when getting their orders.

As the night crept on we decided to venture to one more maze but to get there…that was a mission.

The placement of both The Haunting of Hill House and Pandora’s Box could have been better. You have to go through all of Harry Potter land, down a huge hill and make a right to another area in the lower lot and THEN you’ll see the mazes. We only checked out The Haunting Of Hill House because of this.

The façade for the entrance to the maze was a bit laughable compared to Florida’s elaborate entrance and full replication of the mansion. This feeling of disappointment would soon vanish as we stepped inside. From the walls to the cobwebs, John Murdy and crew made you feel like you were walking in a haunted house. Through the entire maze, “The Broke Neck Lady” follows you and hunts you down with the other entities that inhabit the house. Truly for the space given, The Haunting Of Hill House racks up some good scare points.

The Haunting Of Hill House

3.5 Out of 5

Pros: Design, Makeup’s, and Sound

Cons: Distance from park, weak entrance, no real last scare.

This brought our 17th in a row( yep we love HHN) Halloween Horror Nights to an end. Unfortunately, we were unable to check out The Bride Of Frankenstein and Pandora’s Box but hope to attend later in the season.

The park was done up right from start to finish and we highly recommend a trip before October. In fact, here are a few tips for HHN 2021 we think you should follow.

1. Wear Comfortable Shoes (This is essential considering the literal hiking you will be doing.)

2. Buy Express Pass( The only way we were able to hit all these mazes in one night.)

3. Eat Before You Go(Food and Beer are pretty pricy during the event.)

4. Scare Zones( Sorta weak this year, not much to see.)

5. Buy Tickets for Thursday or Sunday’s(Less people and lines move a bit quicker.)

   We will have a full gallery of images up shortly for our trip to HHN 2021. The event takes place on select dates from now until October 31st and can be purchased HERE.