A classic Islands of Adventure ride will come back to life at this year's Halloween Horror Nights. Universal today announced eight haunted houses for its annual after-hours Halloween event, completing the Orlando line-up.
Dueling Dragons: Choose Thy Fate leads the five original concept houses at Universal Studios Florida's event, presenting what Universal called "a horrific twist to a frightening, yet familiar tale and sinister battle between Fire and Ice."
"The great wizard Merlyn has been transformed into the Enchanted Oak, leaving a power vacuum. When two powerful warlocks invade his castle to steal his spell book, they are turned into dragons of fire and ice. Now guests are caught in the middle of their battle and are forced to choose a path and a victor," Universal said in its press release.
Dueling Dragons were the Bolliger & Mabillard inverted racing coasters that stood above the old Lost Continent land at Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure theme park before much of that land was converted into The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2010. The coasters were then renamed Dragon Challenge before being removed in 2017 to make way for Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.
Universal is also bringing back the Yeti for another original house, Yeti: Campground Kills. After stints in the Yukon and the Swamp, this time Universal's Yeti will be found in 1950s "blood-soaked campgrounds deep in the trenches of mountains where vicious, bloodthirsty monsters have returned with a vengeance."
Other original houses in Orlando this year will include the circus-themed Dr. Oddfellow: Twisted Origins, a colonial-themed Bloodmoon: Dark Offerings, and The Darkest Deal, where guests will be "selling their souls for fame." Okay, this one is set in Mississippi and based on the Crossroads myth, but with that name I was hoping for something with call-outs to demonic versions of Howie Mandel and Monty Hall.
Universal also revealed more details about the Chucky house that it announced at the end of last year's Halloween Horror Nights. Chucky: Ultimate Kill Count will appear in Orlando and Hollywood.
"A true sadistic killer, Chucky has been mired in the agony of disrespect he feels from his peers at not being taken seriously. Thus begins his quest to turn his haunted house into a living slaughterhouse by killing every person who enters," Universal said.
Other IP houses appearing on both coasts will include The Exorcist: Believer, inspired by the new movie from Blumhouse and Morgan Creek Entertainment and set in Haiti, and Universal Monsters: Unmasked, set in the Catacombs of Paris and featuring The Phantom of the Opera, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and The Invisible Man. Hollywood's version of the Universal Monsters house also once again will feature an original score by guitarist Slash.
These houses will join the previously announced Stranger Things 4 and The Last of Us houses on both coasts.
While that's all 10 houses announced now in Orlando, Hollywood has revealed only five of its planned eight houses. Look for more announcements from Universal Studios Hollywood on Sunday, when its Halloween Horror Nights Creative Director John Murdy presents at the annual Midsummer Scream convention in Long Beach.
Back in Orlando, Universal also revealed its five scare zones for this year's Halloween Horror Nights, all featuring Dr. Oddfellow: Dr. Oddfellow’s Collection of Horror, Dark Zodiac, Jungle of Doom: Expedition Horror, Vamp ’69: Summer of Blood, and Shipyard 32: Horrors Unhinged.
This year's show in Orlando will be Nightmare Fuel Revenge Dream, and the park also is offering a new food and beverage event leading up to Halloween Horror Nights' debut. Taste of Terror will offer guests a preview of select items that will be featured at this year's Halloween Horror Nights. The experience runs from 6:30-8:30pm on select nights starting August 10 and then through the 26th. The $159.99 price does not include park admission.
To save $4 a ticket off Universal's discounted online sale price for the Hollywood event, please visit our partner's Universal Studios Hollywood tickets. And to get three days free with the purchase of a two-day theme park ticket in Orlando, please visit the Universal Orlando tickets page.
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I highly doubt will have to choose between two paths but that would be very cool if we did. The logistics of that makes me doubt they could make it work but you never know! :)
it seems it'll be alternate pathways at the very end of the house, each of which will have alternate endings. there will be a total of four possible endings [I assume fire/ice win from the perspective of both fire and ice].
Orlando event sounds amazing. Sadly, Hollywood will rely too much on boring IP. Chucky...ugh...Exorcist:Believer...trailer is a total dud...Last of Us yawn...Stranger Things boring...
I am always happy with Uni Monsters, and the catacombs sounds like a very cool setting. Might have to make a trip back east!!
you realize those are the identical IPs offered at Orlando right? So, half the Orlando event?
Yes, but those 5 other houses sound fantastic! And a Dueling Dragons house? How amazing, and creative.
So far all of the houses in Hollywood are IP based, such a drag. Uni Monsters is always a welcome treat, but otherwise, not very interesting yet. Let's see if they announce anything else. Exorcist will likely be another dark room dark room dark room, scene, dark room dark room dark room, scene. Hoping for the best, but so far, meh.
I do like the $10 early access add-on, that's a treat.
Why would they do a Dueling Dragons House at USH?
Huh? I'm commenting on how they are doing such creative work in Orlando vs. what so far have been revealed to be less original work at Hollywood. I've been going to HHN since 2002, never missed a year, and since moving to Hollywood the differences are very noticeable. It's a shame.
But will you have to go through a metal detector in the queue for the Dragons house?
Hollywood hasn't announced its remaining line-up because Murdy is saving that for the Midsummer Scream show this weekend. Stay tuned for that.
Staying tuned! :D
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I wonder if the Dueling Dragons house will actually have alternate paths for guests to explore instead of different sides/paths of a larger finale scene (meaning you would have to go through twice to enjoy all it has to offer) or if it simply has a rotating storyline like last year's Universal's Monsters maze that changed the finale scene depending on which character came out victorious (that scene changed each night, so you'd have to visit multiple days to see the various endings). Also, if they're going to use 2 different paths, will they queue people in certain directions (meaning you might have to go through a 3rd or 4th time to get both sides), or if you can make that choice on your own?
The other original houses sound pretty generic, but that's usually where UC does their best work. If you're really into HHN along with the work and backstories of all the houses and scare zones, I highly recommend Universal's behind the scenes tours. I have gained an immense amount of respect and admiration for the cast, crew, and creative designers having done the RIP Tour on my past 2 visits to the event. The tour guides are highly knowledgeable, and give far more insight into the houses than you get from any of the Universal press releases.