American Horror Story teams with Universal's Halloween Horror Nights

As reported over at Blastr.com, Universal theme parks are getting a double dose of horror this autumn as FX’s anthology series American Horror Story teams up with Halloween Horror Nights in both Orlando and Hollywood.

Announced in a press release yesterday, the annual event at Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood will include a maze featuring chapters from the “Murder House,” “Freak Show,” and “Hotel” seasons of creator Ryan Murphy’s show.

According to the release, the temporary attraction, opening Sept. 16, will expose guests to “twisted scenes from Murder House” where “evil spirits that possess the Harmon estate” and “decades of the tortured dead who previously resided there” will be unleashed.

The release continues:

“In Freak Show, guests will join a troupe of biological misfits in a sinister sideshow where they’ll be stalked by the murderous and deformed Twisty the Clown. Finally, guests will succumb to the warped desires of The Countess after checking in to the haunted Hotel Cortez, conceived from the beginning as a torture chamber for its customers.”

John Murdy, Creative Director at Universal Studios Hollywood and Executive Producer of Halloween Horror Nights, said AHS has been the “number one requested maze” from our guests.  Michael Aiello, Director of Entertainment Creative Development for Universal Orlando Resort, commented, “It's that constant evolution that makes this popular series a perfect fit for Halloween Horror Nights – and we can’t wait for our guests to experience some of the horror they’ve seen on the show."

The opening of the attraction also coincides with Season 6 of American Horror Story, which kicks off Sept. 14. Meanwhile, AHS joins Halloween Horror Nights mazes based on other successful horror properties The Walking Dead, The Exorcist, Krampus, Halloween II, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, as well as Freddy vs. Jason in Hollywood. Entering its 26^th year, Orlando’s HHN event will also include The Repository, an “immersive paranormal virtual reality experience.”

Check out the trailer for the attraction below, and let us know if you will be headed to Orlando or Halloween for HHN. 

-Aaron Sagers

New 'From Dusk Till Dawn' Maze Coming to Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights

Halloween Horror Nights just got even more bite! Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort has teamed up with Robert Rodriguez to bring a "From Dusk Till Dawn" maze to their annual event. The supernatural series airs on the El Rey network, Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET. Do you think you're a match for the Culebras and Santanico Pandemonium? Check out the complete details from the press release and then the video announcement. If you plan on going, make room in your suitcase for us!

Release:
From cult horror film to breakthrough television series on El Rey Network, “From Dusk Till Dawn” will add terrifying maze to its credits when filmmaker Robert Rodriguez’s acclaimed supernatural show debuts as a menacing new “Halloween Horror Nights” experience at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort, beginning Friday, September 19.

'The Walking Dead' Returns to Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood's 'Halloween Horror Nights'

Is it fall yet? We're starting to get in that autumn mood and thinking about Halloween certainly helps. To help us out, the good folks at Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood will be bringing back "The Walking Dead" to their Halloween Horror Nights events. Fans will get to experience all new, terrifying mazes inspired by the fourth season.

Here are the complete details from the release. Let us know if you plan on attending!

After rave reviews from fans on both coasts, Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood are bringing back AMC’s “The Walking Dead” to Halloween Horror Nights for an unprecedented third consecutive year. Horror-hungry fans will experience all-new terrifying mazes inspired by Season 4 of the critically-acclaimed, Emmy Award®-winning television series.

Universal Orlando Announces Dates for "Halloween Horror Nights 24"

Returning for its twenty-fourth year of terrifying the public, Universal Orlando has just announced the official dates for "Halloween Horror Nights 24."

This year they are promising the more nights than ever before, as well as horrifying experiences based off of some of the biggest names in pop culture and horror. On 28 selected evenings, September 19 through November 1, guests will be able to explore 8 terrifying haunted houses, wend their way through bone-rattling street experiences that feature "scareactors," as well as enjoy 2 live shows and have some heart-racing fun of a different variety on the parks rides and attractions.

Event nights are as follows:
September 19, 20, 25, 26, 27 and 28
October 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30 and 31
November 1

Along with more information, ticket packages will be going on sale soon. Keep checking back here for all of the latest info and prepare to get your scare on this fall in Orlando!

-Nowal Massari

Exploring Fear & 'The Walking Dead' At Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights

BY AARON SAGERS


The Halloween screams don't end after Oct. 31 for the creatures, and creature creators, at Universal Studios Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights. While you may be removing gooey fake blood, latex or fangs after a long night of candy corn and cocktails, the scares continue at the 23-year-old event in Central Florida.

Running through Nov. 2, Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights (HHN) - which has a counterpart at the Universal Hollywood in California - has consistently ranked at the top of lists of best haunt. In fact, HauntWorld, a magazine for professional owners and operators of Halloween attractions, called it "simply the king of all Halloween theme parks."

And for a second year in a row, the "king" of haunts has partnered with the ruler of cable television, AMC's series "The Walking Dead," to create a zombie-ridden experience. Although this year the scream team has expanded to include park-wide "scare zones" where so-called "Walkers" from the show will terrorize guests as they explore the movie-set streets - and wander through scenes from the first three seasons of the mega-hit show. Also, "The Walking Dead: No Safe Haven" haunted house, or maze, allows those guests to visit the disturbingly accurate prison and town of Woodbury from the show.

Universal Orlando Unveils Halloween Horror Nights Interactive Web Video

One of things that makes me proud to be from Orlando, Fla., is Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando. The 23 year-old Halloween attraction is such a high-budget, masterfully produced experience, and it's just so Orlando. Anyhow, the attraction is going strong this season, and will be running through Nov. 2, and what makes this year so unique are sets that allow you to walk through "The Walking Dead," "Cabin In The Woods," "An American Werewolf In London" and the "Resident Evil" game and more.

But if you can't make it down to O-Town, Universal has kindly offered up this interactive Web video that allows viewers the opportunity to explore the scary collections of eight all-new haunted houses.

Check it out, and if you can, book a ticket to my hometown for a great experience.

-Aaron Sagers

Universal's 'Halloween Horror Nights' Adds 'Resident Evil' Attraction

Courtesy: ign.com

Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights 23, just got even more terrifying with the addition of the ever popular survival horror video game, "Resident Evil."

The roster for this years HHN23 is now officially complete, and will have guests going through some of pop culture's most ghastly and recognizable names. Some of the other haunted houses will include "An American Werewolf in London," "The Cabin in the Woods," "Evil Dead," and AMCs "The Walking Dead."

In a Universal Orlando/Hollywood Horror Nights first, the entire street experience will be devoted to "The Walking Dead," making all the "scare zones" throughout the park based around a successful television show.

‘The Walking Dead’ Experience Comes to Halloween Horror Nights

In addition to their other scares, Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort is bringing The Walking Dead to their parks this Halloween. Season Three of the AMC series will be the inspiration for the new attractions and guests can expect an authentic and disturbing experience.

“Halloween Horror Nights” starts on Sept. 20 and not only will you be able to experience new mazes that take you through the West Georgia Correctional Facility, but also through walker-infested woods and into Woodbury.

As if that wasn’t terrifying enough, we’ve learned from the press release that, “Universal Orlando is also dedicating its entire ‘Halloween Horror Nights’ street experience to The Walking Dead – making this the first time ever that all of the scare zones throughout the park will be themed after a hit television series.  Guests brave enough to walk the streets of Universal Studios Florida will encounter iconic scenes from all three seasons of the hit show - including the perilous city of Atlanta and Hershel’s dismal barn - and fleets of blood-thirsty walkers who are hungry for their next victim…”

According to Michael Aiello, Creative Development Director for Universal Orlando’s Entertainment team, “The goal is always to surround guests with authentic and terrifying experiences. The combination of The Walking Dead themed street experiences and the haunted maze will make it difficult for our guests to escape the hordes of ravenous walkers they’ve seen on their television.  The moment you pass through our gate, you become a survivor fighting for your life.”

If you’re brave enough to take on hoards of walkers, check out their website for more information about “Halloween Horror Nights” at either Universal Orlando Resort or Universal Studios Hollywood.

The Walking Dead returns for Season Four on Sunday, October 13 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

-Larissa Mrykalo

Check into 'Cabin in the Woods' at Universal Orlando this Halloween

This Halloween, Universal Orlando Resort is bringing the Joss Whedon meta-horror The Cabin in the Woods to life at Halloween Horror Nights.

The new attraction will be run from Sept. 20 to Nov. 2 for select nights. According to a press release, the collaboration between director and co-writer, Drew Goddard (Cloverfield) and Lionsgate will “deliver a movie-quality haunted house experience that’s authentic to the film and places guests in the middle of an ancient fight for survival.”

Produced by Joss Whedon (The Avengers), Cabin is about five friends looking for a fun weekend getaway that results in them becoming pawns in a horrific sacrificial situation to save the world.

Halloween Horror Nights Orlando begins ... Now!

Tyra Banks &"Lady Luck," photo by Kevin
Kolczynski, Universal Orlando Resort 

Let the fear begin - again.

For 25 nights, beginning tonight and going through Oct. 31, Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights returns. This year, guests will once again face their biggest fears at eight haunted houses and six "scarezones" at the Central Florida theme park.

For their lucky 21st year, the horror hostess is Lady Luck (shown here with Tyra Banks) who "transforms from a tempting seductress to a bloodthirsty beast." According to the folks at Universal, Lady Luck "awaits those brave enough to challenge her and take a chance."

But beyond testing Luck, guests will have plenty of other opportunities to be frightened in the following terrifyingly themed areas (after the jump):