Halloween Horror Nights 26 (Universal Studios) - House Review

Being in Orlando, I'm told by many locals that Universal's Halloween Horror Nights is a must. I've been to many Halloween events in my time (RIP 13 Floors in Delaware) so I felt like I was pretty prepared. Not only was I used to house walkthroughs, but Universal just has a continuous line of people file in... how could that possibly be scary? Without giving much away, be forewarned that the houses are indeed terrifying and well worth the dough considering you get 9 houses, a handful of Studios' rides stay open, two shows (which I'm not reviewing) and 5 scare zones. Here's how I rank them:

1. American Horror Story

We hit AHS first as we knew it'd be the most popular (new house and TV show currently in a new season). Wait was about 60 minutes. AHS house covers Season 1 - Murder House, Season 4 - Freak Show, and Season 5 - Hotel. Wait, no Season 2 - Asylum? Figured that'd be an obvious choice. Maybe want to tailor to the PC crowd staying away from mental institutions. This house is the longest Horror Nights' house and, without a doubt, the scariest house I've ever walked through. Oddly enough, it's scarier than its source material. We get more of the scarier characters (Twisty, etc) instead of the main less scary ones. We have some iconic scenes that also incorporate some jump-scare tactics. You think it sounds silly, but in this instance works very well. Do you need to be a fan of the show? Not at all.. you may not recognize some faces, but it'll still be memorable and possibly create enough intrigue for you to check it out. CAN'T MISS, HIT EARLY

2. The Walking Dead

Based on another hit show, waited about 40 minutes for this one. Usually Walking Dead is a scare zone I'm told, so turning it into a house this year just seemed excessive. As a first timer it didn't matter to me. Not many characters pop up into this house... not like it's necessary. You're being overrun by zombies, who cares that there's no development. Standard jump scare, but I put this up at number 2 due to the best ending at Horror Nights. CAN'T MISS

3. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre

A great dilapidated house set in the queue as you walk through fog and into the tent structure that houses Chainsaw. You're in an old barn house with creaky doors and windows. This house is king for anyone who fears the murderous psychopath with a chainsaw and creepy mask. Great classic haunted house set design, reminded me of all the old slaughterhouse style houses. Wait did I say Walking Dead had the best ending? Well this one is either tied or close second. Can't beat the use of fog here. Third most popular house at 50 minutes. CAN'T MISS

4. Tomb of the Ancients

Wow, an original Horror Nights' house all the way up at number 4? You bet, Tomb of the Ancients definitely stands the test of time. Since there's not really any discernible story line like the first three, we figured it wouldn't be nearly as good. Wrong. The tomb is pretty short, but it's narrow as hell and packs a lot of punch in a short time. The wait was only 10 minutes here. I'm guessing this is due to location and unfamiliarity (it's located in the back near ET). But has solid ability to be repeated if you have time.

5. The Exorcist

The Exorcist, with AHS, are the new kids on the block. When I heard they were doing this, I was kind of confused... how would they create a haunted house based on a movie that took place in one room? Enter the idea of looping the room and connect it with corridors, awesome idea. Despite the ingenuity, I think The Exorcist lacks in the scares department. I guess it makes sense since many think the movie wouldn't hold a candle to today's horror. Also felt like the house was unfinished at the end? Not sure, I think this and Lunatics are pretty interchangeable. House is very popular due to being new, would try to hit early. Second longest line at close to an hour.

6. Lunatics Playground 3D

Put on your 3D glasses and hop into the playground of Chance, our clown host with the most. She pops up in several places inside this acid trip of a house though she, herself, provides minimal scares. The added bonus of the 3D house is that objects (or people) appear closer than they actually are which provided me with some good jolts. The insane tunnel effect in the beginning is always a fun time but think it hits the capacity of the house a little bit due to people falling over. Wait of 35 minutes.

7. Ghost Town: The Curse of Lightning Gulch

I put Ghost Town at number 7, but I assure you it's a lot better. It's just not given enough length. The set design is the best of all of Horror Nights by a mile. When it opens up into the actual Ghost Town part of the house with rain coming down and lightning, it's incredible. A lagging middle portion has me put it down here, not enough smart scares I thought. There is one great scare that had me and a friend laughing all the way home after we got out. I'll let you figure out what it is on your own! Wait times can be a half hour due to proximity to The Exorcist but generally it's pretty slow. CAN'T MISS (for scenery)

8. Halloween: Hell Comes to Haddonfield

The title of this house is a little misleading. The house actually uses the plot of 1981's Halloween 2 as its driving force. I remember seeing it as a kid and wanting to never sleep again. That kind of terror didn't really come through in this house. Decent pop-out scares but none clever enough to really generate anything memorable (except maybe Jamie Lee Curtis scare). Can only really do so much with Michael Myers if he's not chasing you down the street. Thought the beginning closet had potential to be one of the biggest scares, but nothing. Oh well. Regardless, short wait times make this an OK house to start off at if lines are huge in other places. Located next to Tomb of the Ancients near ET.

9. Krampus

I'll probably get some flack for putting Krampus last, but I could really not get into it. Maybe it's because I'm not really familiar with the tales, but many were raving about this house to me. Set design was more open than the others as you walked through rooms of a house during Christmas time. Added bonus was someone was literally baking gingerbread in the kitchen so you can just stand there all day and sniff it in. Generally, Krampus has a long line due to location (across from American Horror Story) so would recommend saving it for very end.

As far as scare zones are concerned, Deadman's Wharf in front of King's Cross has awesome lighting effects, costumes and set while Lair of the Banshee has best characters, scare tactics and fog. I'm not sure what the scare zone is in front of the Simpsons, maybe a prototype for next year? Featured dead cheerleaders and hillbillies with chainsaws.. so strange.

All in all, my first Horror Nights was extremely memorable. The best and most efficient haunted houses I've been in with scenes and scares that'll last me well into next year's event. Would recommend for anyone over 14. And wouldn't recommend for parents who want to traumatize their kids... plenty of those you'll find.