Halloween Horror Nights 29 (Universal Studios FL)

'Tis the season! Last year saw strong houses in Stranger Things, Poltergeist, Slaughter Sinema and Dead Exposure: Patient Zero. This year, we return to Hawkins with Seasons 2 and 3, go cross-country from NYC Ghostbusters to California's Us, and have a few offerings of Rob Zombie with House of 1000 Corpses and a scare zone. Let's start off with shows.

Academy of Villains is back again on the Fear Factor stage. I was actually a bigger fan of last year's show with the tight ropes.. this one fell flat for me with a ball dancer as one of the main attractions? Felt like the choreography was even lacking compared with years past? Not sure, but I'll do a second viewing at the end of the season. If anything like the first viewing, going to call this year's Jekyll and Hyde production a dud.

Mayhem Marathon is a night-time show that utilizes the newly installed fountains in the middle pond. Like Animal Kingdom, they use water as a projection backdrop showing off clips of the horror movies you'll encounter at this year's event. Maybe my eyesight is going bad, but I can't seem to see any water projections clearly ever. The music was nice, but Universal tends to not create any cohesion like Disney does. It'll just be main themes disjointed throughout a show with clips showing on water with some sparse pyro. Meh see it if you want to take it easy for 20 minutes. I did get to enjoy the cool Ghostbusters light-up drink during it though! Highly recommend getting the concoction in Starcourt with the pineapple and gin.

5. Anarchade

A futuristic dystopian 80s arcade? This scare zone is more of a photo op for the EDM ladies on stilts. What I like about the upfront scare zone is the interaction between actors and people using the Shrek line for whatever house. Last year it was a little tough for these guys to move around with the costumes they had, but this year they are much more lightweight and flexible.

4. Vikings Undead

This area was used for the famous Trick 'r Treat scare zone. This year, think it's too many large props that cut the circulation tremendously. People have fascination with the vikings that are eating raw meat for some reason, literally 5 people deep looking at these scenes that are somewhat uninteresting. Costuming is great though, and they do a decent job getting people.

3. Rob Zombie Hellbilly Deluxe

Not familiar with the album, but the set is excellent. Not remotely scary, but it rocks so who cares?

2. Vanity Ball

This was a close call between this and the number one. Vanity Ball is filled with people obsessed with overdoing plastic surgery. It seems like it could be a real thing in the future! The actors in it are fantastic, sassy as all hell (one told Britt to 'get out of my way please!') as he strutted down the street. Huge fashion runway in the center for a show that is actually MC'ed. Well done!

1. Zombieland Double Tap

Mostly a throwback to the first Zombieland complete with drop tower scene, Zombie Kill of the Week, Beware of Bathrooms, and Tallahassee's obsession with Twinkies. Zombies always seem to work in scare zones considering they blend in with regular people. As an added bonus, be on the lookout for Bill Murray pretending to be a zombie so he can avoid being recognized! Great attention to detail!

We're back with 10 houses this year. Let's start at number 10..

10. Stranger Things, Seasons 2 and 3

OMG what?!! How is one of the top houses from last year all the way down at the last slot on the list? Easy... scares. This house lacks them sadly. Even scenes when they could be implemented such as the room where El is closing the gate with Hopper, they're not. Universal advertises the largest puppet ever in HHN history. Who cares if you're not using it to scare the crap out of people? Disappointing house, questionable casting, great scenery.. but that's exactly the problem. It became a house of living scenes from the show instead of being scared by scenes from the show. C-

9. Yeti: Terror of the Yukon

This house set is incredible, but the scares are telegraphed. It does have one of the best kill scenes in recent memory, but that wasn't enough to bump it up the list for me. Would have liked some fake snow as well. C+

8. Ghostbusters

What?! Another marquee house this low?! Afraid so, there are so many missed opportunities in this house. Could have created a long hallway scare for a tall Stay Puft to walk through a model NYC street. Not to mention one of their 'scares' is Ray talking about Slimer being a class five vapor whatever. This house was also one of the shortest for some reason. Really wanted to like this house since it's one of my favorite movies, but after 3 runs got tiresome. C+

7. Us

Of the big three houses, this is the best. It's long and memorable, but limited on jump scares. Because of that, by the third run everything was easily recognizable. The Tethered scene at the end is a great scene, as well as the mirrors. B

6. House of 1000 Corpses

Didn't care for the movie, think Rob Zombie is a fraud of a filmmaker. But this house is a fantastic house of horrors. Captain Spaulding is cast perfectly, the underground scenes are scary as all hell and it's absolutely deafening inside. The exterior set is even incredible! Onto the top 5! B+

5. Depths of Fear

I hated this house opening weekend, was absolutely my number 10 and nothing came close to how bad it was. Over the next few weeks, improvements seemed to be made. More human characters were added and this went from an underwater mining corporation between overrun by campy fish people to a corporation with human workers being overrun by some mysterious ailment. The fish people were reduced to the shadows were silhouettes would create more anticipation to introduce a human scare elsewhere. Great diversions and great improvements! B+

4. Killer Klowns from Outer Space

Of course this is up high, it's awesome! For as short as it is, this house has everything I needed from the movie including a giant puppet Klownzilla (which for the record is way better utilized than the Mind Flayer). The ending could be a little stronger with the center Klowns being used as decoys to scares on the outside, but I'm not terribly picky. Definitely the most fun house of the year! A-

3. Universal Monsters

We hit every classic Universal monster in this house. A favorite scene is the hunchback with some cool bell toll effects. Dracula is especially intense, Frankenstein a little disappointing, Wolfman solid. Get a nice surprise at the end, sets are incredible. Great top 5 house! A

2. Nightingales: Blood Pit

Apparently this is a follow-up to years prior. Blood Pit is in the same location as Scarecrow, one of the most intense houses in HHN history. Nightingales does not disappoint. Britt calls it this a '10% house' (where she keeps her eyes open for 10% of the house). It's super intense, with the nightingales popping out of every tiny spot they can. The halls are so tight, every piece of the action is in your face. This house has my Scare of the Year. It includes a lion diversion if timed properly, keep your eyes open! A+

1. Graveyard Games

This house has it all! Beautiful set design, comedic effect in the beginning of the house, great jump scares, awesome costumes. It even follows a storyline of teens tagging a graveyard and getting their comeuppance. Felt like this house was one of the longest too. Only thing this was lacking I thought was an ending with a pop. Other than that, would call it house of the year! A++