By Angie Orth. Posted October 07, 2015 at 05:45PM on “UO Close Up,” the official Universal Orlando blog:
Fall is an ideal time to experience Universal Orlando Resort, especially for Florida residents. The kids have gone back to school, the weather is cooling down and Halloween Horror Nights is back for a 25th year of professionally scaring people half to death.
This year, they’ve resurrected classic characters and brought some new ones to life, too, with nine unbelievably detailed houses, two live shows and freaky scare zones throughout Universal Studios.
There’s a lot to see and sometimes lines can get long on peak nights. That’s why I love to get an RIP Tour. You’ll get a personal escort to the front entrance of each maze and seats in the VIP viewing area for Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure show. RIP guides are armed with all the gory details about the past 25 years of Halloween Horror Nights, so it’s sure to be a night full of history and horror—and no waiting in line!
Since Halloween Horror Nights is a late-night event, I recommend making a weekend out of it and staying at one of Universal’s four on-site hotels. Trust me, after running from clowns with chainsaws all night—you’ll be dead tired.
When I went to Halloween Horror Nights, I stayed at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, and thanks to the convenient water taxi at Universal CityWalk, I was safely in my cozy room minutes after leaving the front gates of Universal Studios.
In addition to Portofino Bay Hotel, the Hard Rock Hotel and Loews Royal Pacific Resort provide shuttle and water transportation to and from CityWalk. The newest hotel, Universal’s Cabana Bay Beach Resort, offers convenient bus transportation. There’s nothing like skipping the hassle of driving home and almost instantly jumping into bed after a terrifying night. Do not disturb—that includes you, scare-actors!
For the true fanatics, just one night of terror is never enough, so consider the Frequent Fear Pass. It’s perfect if you’re staying all weekend and want to experience the mazes, scare zones and shows again and again.
All that screaming and running from monsters works up an appetite like nothing else, so you’ll definitely want to check out CityWalk for some one-of-a-kind dining experiences. Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food, Hot Dog Hall of Fame and The Cowfish have opened in the past year and they are not to be missed! My personal favorite – The Cowfish – is the only place to try some burgushi. It’s burgers and sushi!
As always, staying on-site makes sense if you want to explore more of the two parks, because when you stay at one of Universal’s four hotels, you receive Early Park Admission into select areas of the park.
Fill your day with all the thrills and excitement of two theme parks, grab some refreshment and get ready for a night of terror.
If you need some down time to mentally prepare, you might want to take advantage of the luxurious pools at the resorts. Take the afternoon off of thrill rides, and just soak up that autumn sun you can only get in Florida. Have a drink, take a dip and try not to think about the scary zombies you will be encountering that night…
I know what some of you are thinking, “Halloween Horror Nights is way too scary for me!” But don’t worry! There are areas in the park where there are no scare-actors or haunted houses, so it’s still possible to have a great time with die-hard Halloween Horror Nights friends. Duck into shops and attractions or grab a ride on Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit—there’s plenty of non-scary fun to be had.
So, pack a bag for the ultimate Halloween Horror Nights weekend getaway—and bring a friend who isn’t a big scaredy-cat. You know, so you can hide behind them!
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