Universal Halloween. About This Page:

[AristoKat]

I'm thinking of taking a few days to enjoy Halloween at Universal. I have a few questions that maybe someone can help me with. 1. How are the crowds early in the week at the end of Sept./Begin, Oct.? 2. How much extra does the Halloween stuff cost? 3. Do ppl dress in costume/Is that required? Thank you.

[Shell_of_the_South]

Here's a few threads that discuss Halloween at Universal. Their Halloween activities are for adults only, very different than Disney's:

http://www.passporterboards.com/foru...universal.html

http://www.passporterboards.com/foru...questions.html

[Ashli]

Originally Posted by AristoKat

I'm thinking of taking a few days to enjoy Halloween at Universal. I have a few questions that maybe someone can help me with. 1. How are the crowds early in the week at the end of Sept./Begin, Oct.? 2. How much extra does the Halloween stuff cost? 3. Do ppl dress in costume/Is that required? Thank you.

1. Halloween Horror Nights have gotten very popular over the last decade or so, so weekend nights often sell out - or nearly - all throughout the run. Weekday nights are usually a little lighter, but they also close earlier, so you don't get as long in the park. If you have the opportunity I HIGHLY recommend buying an Express Pass. Lines for the houses can reach 60-90 min easily, and when we had the Express Pass last year we went in every house and on every ride AND saw the shows and finished it all still with 2 hrs left. Our longest wait for a house was about 15 min. From someone who has waited in those 90+ min lines (in the rain, no less ) I will never go without an Express Pass again. Pricey? Yes. Worth it? Double Yes!

2. The price depends on which night you go and whether you want an Express Pass as well or not. The official prices won't be out till the dates come out this summer, but they are usually around $70 for a ticket and around $70 for an EP. Halloween Horror Nights is a seperate event, so you need a ticket specifically for it, and you won't be allowed in the park until it is time for the event. (Usually 7pm)

3.Not only is dressing up in costume not required - it is NOT allowed at all. No masks, no costumes, nothing. They are very strict on this rule, as they don't want anyone being mistaken for a CM.

I've been to HHN many, many years starting in 1994. It is a really fun Halloween experience for adults. IMO, I wouldn't take a kid younger than....16 or maybe even 18 to it. It is VERY scary. (And that's coming from someone who first went at the age of 14. ) ** Those ages are just my opinion though. There is not a specific age limit set by Universal required for admittance - or at least there hasn't been any year in the past.

[AristoKat]

Thanks to both of you! Shell: I will be checking out those links! Ashli: Are all of the houses and shows during Halloween wheelchair accessible?

[jennie622]

Ashli is right, without an Express Pass, the night can be a bust! We went on a Sunday nite and the crowds weren't as bad but wait times for the houses were still ridiculous!! With EP, we walked right into all 8 houses!

I purchased a two day pass for Universal and we added on the Stay & Scream pkg and the HHN tix were only $35 each. EP were over $60 each.

One suggestion, if you plan on going to the parks during the day, go to US (or IOA if they move HHN over there) early and as closing nears, go to the Irish pub and grab some dinner. If you are in the park and have HHN passes, they actually scan your tix early and corral everyone into the area surrounding the pub and allow you to wait until the start of HHN. They opened one Haunted House early and let us in 30 minutes early!! We didn't have to leave the park and reenter (good thing since the lines outside the park were building rapidly).

Again, I also stress it is scary and gory and young children will probably be scared beyond belief. Alcohol is served throughout the park as well and while Universal doesn't tolerate any sort of rowdy behavior, it's very dark, foggy from the smoke machines and actors are jumping out everywhere!

If you are a big Halloween fan, this is the BEST event you can attend!!

As far as wheelchair accessible, some of the houses might be but the majority are very dark - some parts in complete darkness - with tight twists & turns, props hanging down and people are banging into each other in the darkness and huddling/clinging each other in fear. It could be very uncomfortable at a low level and I would imagine more of a hassle navigating than anything. Give Universal a call to verify.

[Ashli]

Originally Posted by AristoKat

Ashli: Are all of the houses and shows during Halloween wheelchair accessible?

That is a really good question. I don't know the definite answer, but my initial response would be No. As Jennie said, some of the houses have very tight passage-ways, corners, etc. and are very dark. I can't imagine trying to steer a wheel chair through the houses. For example, a few houses in various years have had a room you go into where there are a bunch of "things" hanging down from the ceiling. (Think punching bags, only furry and wet...yeah...ew.) They swing around quite a bit from the people who are walking through and trying to figure out how to get out of that room and who don't want those gross things touching them. I can imagine that would be a nightmare for someone in a wheel chair who is trying to avoid getting clocked in the face with one of those things. Those are just my impressions....Universal would be the only one who could tell you for sure the accessibility though. (As for the shows, I think they wouldn't be a problem for wheel chairs. They are held in the theaters with bleacher seating, but I'm sure that those have a wheel chair accessible area in the front/lowest row.)

[AristoKat]

Very disappointing. Doesn't sound like its worth going if I can't do the houses. Interesting too because I thought there was a law about handicap accessibility. I will call them then but if I cannot do the houses, I won't be going. I'm guessing that by law they can't deny me entrance to the houses if my husband is pushing a manual chair. Also, I can drive an ECV quite well, but they may say manual only. Disney is top notch at accomodating the disabled. I at least know that I can count on them.

[jennie622]

I actually googled HHN wheelchair accessibility to see if there were reviews. A few and none were rave reviews. There were some that did complain about the hard to navigate houses and uneven flooring. I'm sorry that they are not more accomodating.

I agree with you that Disney is way above and beyond other parks with accomodating guests with special needs.

[BarryH]

All HHN houses are handicapped accessible. It's not easy to navigate a wheelchair through the houses. I've seen it done, though. I was actually behind a wheelchair guest once in a house and it wasn't too bad, but it did slow down the line a little bit.