Let's get a preview of Universal Orlando's 2014 Halloween Horror Nights

September 9, 2014, 11:16 AM · The stage is set for Halloween Horror Nights 24 and last night I got a little taste of what this year is all about. This year there will be a mix of both IP [Intellectual Property] houses and scare zones as well as some originals. HHN 24 will include houses for Halloween, The Walking Dead: End of the Line, AVP: Alien vs. Predator, From Dusk Till Dawn, Dracula Untold - Reign of Blood, Dollhouse of the Damned, Giggles & Gore Inc., Roanoke - Cannibal Colony. HHN 24 will also see the return of scare zones in the streets including: The Purge: Anarchy, Face Off - In the Flesh, Bayou of Blood, and MASKerade: Unstitched. Also returning this year are The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and what Halloween Horror Nights would be complete without it, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure will also be back.

Houses

Halloween - Based on the 1978 film by John Carpenter, takes you right into the film and you’ll be lucky to escape without running into Michael Myers, which of course you won’t be able to accomplish. We had the opportunity last night to go on a walkthrough of Halloween while it was still in technical rehearsal. Oh boy did it not feel like a Technical Rehearsal; it felt like being the first to go live this nightmare on opening night. The timing of all the effects and scare actors in this house was impeccable. Michael Myers really comes out of no where in some unexpected places which even got me a few times. I can’t say that for some houses of years past, but if all houses this year are as good and better as Halloween, then I can for sure say everyone is in for a treat and this could be the best HHN to date.

Halloween

The Walking Dead: End of the Line - Back for the 3rd year, this years House will be completely set in Season 4 of the Walking Dead. Michael Aiello described this as “the biggest maze we have ever produced for Halloween Horror Nights.” The facades are said to be huge, and will tackle all the different environments the survivors of season 4 split off into. The house will begin at the prison, which was also where last year’s maze ended, and you go through all of season 4 including the Big Spot, the Caved in Tunnel, and end up in the Terminus.

The Walking Dead: End of the Line

Giggles & Gore Inc. - Evil clowns aren’t born, they are made. Set inside of a factory, evil clowns will be smashing people, ripping throats out, throwing people into wood chippers and stuffing the pieces coming out of it into stuffed clowns.

Giggles & Gore Inc.

Dollhouse of the Damned - Inside this house a little girl has setup her dolls and begins to torture people. Every type of doll will be in this house….with a twist. Nothing will look like dolls we are used to seeing. Everything from mutant super muscular babies crawling around, to porcelain dolls and marionettes will be contorted and twisted. Even HHN Creative Director Michael Aiello said that "it’s really freaky," and this is "the one maze this year that even I am walking through and going… eeeeh, I don't know about this." It will for sure be one bizarre house.

Dollhouse of the Damned

Roanoke: Cannibal Colony - Every couple of years there is a house that takes place in something historical. This year we will visit the Roanoke colony, which no one knows for sure what happened there and why it disappeared. Until now that is, of course in HHN fashion, we are told what happened. Well of course people ate each other. This maze will feel like old Horror Nights and have an old school feel to it. People have started eating themselves and others, and will be in all sorts of stages of decay. There is a surprise ending to this one.

Roanoke: Cannibal Colony

From Dusk till Dawn - Based on the TV series, this maze plays in the last 3-4 episodes of the show. Set in Mexico inside the "exclusive" bar, you will encounter everything from the vampires, the Culebras, to the Gecko brothers.

From Dusk till Dawn

Dracula Untold: Reign of Blood - In collaboration with Universal Pictures, Dracula Untold will be brought to life. This is the re-imagining of how Vlad became Dracula. The maze is located inside of a Gothic castle and is completely set in the story of the upcoming film. Which because of this unique partnership, the release date of the film was actually moved up by a week to October 10th so that people can see the film and experience the maze at Halloween Horror Nights.

Dracula Untold: Reign of Blood

AVP: Alien vs. Predator - In partnership with Fox, Universal is telling it’s own story of AVP. In similar fashion as the werewolves in An American Werewolf in London last year, the Aliens will all be puppeteered and they are all over the maze along with Predators being all over the maze. This maze is set inside one of Weyland-Yutani’s secret facilities where bio-weapon research had been done. Michael Aiello said "this will be one of the most detailed mazes that we have done in a long time."

AVP: Alien vs. Predator

Scare Zones

MASKerade: Unstitched - The setting is a grotesque gothic ballroom with a giant chandelier hanging above and giant candles marking the entrances. Set between Despicable Me and Shrek 4D, this scare zone will welcome people into the park.

MASKerade: Unstitched

Bayou of Blood - Located inside Central Park, this zone recreates a Louisiana bayou. This will mark the first time that HHN has tackled Voodoo. Similar to past years where pumpkins that were synced to the lighting and music lit the area, this year it will be lit up by hundreds of ornate jars. Every hour there will be a human sacrifice ritual performed by an evil Voodoo Priestess.

Bayou of Blood

Face Off - Many of the contestants of the SyFy TV show had their start as make up artists at Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights, including Season 5 winner Laura Tyler. Located on Hollywood Blvd, this scare zone will bring 10 of the Face Off creatures to life. Every 45 minutes there will be five different characters from the show gracing the streets.

Face Off
Face Off contestant Doc with his finished creature

The Purge: Anarchy - Located in the New York section of the park, this zone will take elements from both films and recreate them in the streets. With the announcement of the annual Purge over the emergency broadcast, everyone (scare actors) has been given the right to purge.

The Purge: Anarchy

Michael Aiello gave us a little overview of the event:

Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights 24 begins September 19th and will run on select nights through November 1st. Tickets and more information are available on the official website, HalloweenHororNights.com/Orlando.

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Replies (3)

September 9, 2014 at 1:27 PM · Great info, looks like another solid event.

"and what Halloween Horror Nights would be complete without it, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure will also be back."

Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood: /inhales deeply /exhales slowly /backs away

September 9, 2014 at 3:15 PM · Looks like a solid group of houses. What surprises me is that it appears from the descriptions that there won't be a 3D house, which I am completely fine with. Most of the 3D houses from prior years (minus Penn and Teller) have been disappointing.

So I guess someone on the HHN design team paid a visit to Busch Gardens Tampa last year? I'm certain they didn't come up with the idea of a Voodoo-Louisiana Bayou scare zone theme on their own.

Here's a good strategy for Bill and Ted because whether you like it or not (me these day=not) you're going to watch it at least once. Go to one of the shows midway through the night (most people haven't had enough time to get lit up yet). Sit on the top row of the theater (I'll be there). Leave immediately after the show is over (quick escape).

Other than that, I'm excited to visit again this year.

September 10, 2014 at 6:45 AM · I watched the Face Off episode last night that revealed the winning design for the HHN challenge (the "Chum Monster" was pretty good too, but would not have played well under poor lighting conditions common at HHN). The contestant that won delivered what I felt was the best overall design, but I think they could have provided a little better guidance for the challenge to force the contestants to focus on the spirit of HHN, and not the goofy B-movie spoofs. Most of the characters were just not that scary, but I hope the previous contestants' creations will raise the bar for this scare zone.

I'm really looking forward to the event, and will be attending HHN in Orlando on October 22 solo if anyone out these is interested in joining me (my wife is not fond of Halloween events, and my 4-year old is obviously too young for HHN).

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