Halloween Horror Nights 34 (UOR) - Reviews, Photos, & Videos

[HHN Yeti Lover]

Finally went to HHN. I did 5 nights, and I have to say this year is extremely busy, and they need to add the 11th house badly next year. I think it will benefit from an 11th house and two more live shows or have the RIP Tour go somewhere else so we can get the horror makeup show or Bourne Spectacular open and another attraction because of Rockit being closed. Those wait times were astronomical, but I really enjoyed this year. I think it’s a really good year. I would probably rank it right after 32. I don’t think it’s as good as 29 or 32, but it’s up there.

HHN 34 Review:

Jason Un1v3rse:
I really love this house. They have almost every iteration of Jason, and he is everywhere. I don’t think Jason is scary, but I could see how this house could be terrifying for people because it’s relentless and makes the best use of this location. The second part is intense, and they get in your face with double, triple, and multiple scares. I loved this house. The houses definitely received a big budget this year, as evidenced by the phenomenal set design and scenic work. However, many of the houses are too bright and should be darker to make them scarier. 10/10.

Dolls: Let's Play Dead
Another personal favorite. I do think this is one of the best houses at the event. This house is helmed by a SICK, demented little girl named Lyla, and her creations are reminiscent of Sid's from Toy Story, but still somehow worse. There are decapitated rats, burnt toys, toys turned into spiders, and all. This girl is sick, and even though it suffers from being too well-lit and bright, these dolls are creepy, and this house has some great scares. I love pressing all the guest-activated triggers that do multiple things, including spraying air at my friend Alex, who is a scaredy-cat. 10/10.

WWE Presents: The Horrors of Wyatt Sicks
I am not a WWE fan, so I had this at the very bottom of my hype list. I know a little stuff, but I have to say I am now a fan. This house is a lovely tribute to the late Bray Wyatt, and I am so glad I got to experience it. It's going in my all-time favorites. I loved going backstage at Raw and seeing the carnage and recreation of their debut and all the WWE Easter eggs, production props, and supplies. I think that was a wonderful way to start before we dive into each character's own world or fantasy. It is truly an amazing house and a must-do, even if you don't care about WWE. 10/10.

Grave of the Flesh
I may be a little biased because this was my most anticipated. I love weird and creepy stories and ideas. On the ParkStop Podcast, Alicia Stella commented that this house was David Cronenberg-esque, and I believe that's why I love it so much. This and another house do this body horror element, where you enter someone's body and intestines. It's kind of poetic and beautiful in a way, and the basis of this house is what happens when you die, and as we descend into death and the afterlife, we become particles and antimatter in this weird, strange world that feels like something out of a Jules Verne story. It felt exactly like Journey to the Center of the Earth, except you start in this beautiful, lovely-smelling cemetery. 10/10.

Five Nights at Freddy's
The Jim Henson Creature Shop did their big one with this one. The animatronics and puppets are so beautiful and fluid. They are creepy in person, and I don't want to spoil anything, but this was one of my favorites, and I hate that I only got to do it twice. 10/10.

Terrifier
If we look at the books and specs, this might be the best house, as much as I hate to say it. Art the Clown and his scare actors are incredibly talented, and the set design is amazing. It's disgusting; there's a lot of water effects and sprayers all over the house, and the Christmas hallway is stunning and perhaps my favorite HHN scene ever. You feel both happy and uneasy when you see the flashing Christmas lights, and now I want a Christmas house. The wet path was a fun, unique idea; however, the dry path is rather unimpressive. With the exception of the poop monsters, flesh odors, and poopy, foul-smelling restrooms, it was a fantastic house, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. 10/10.

El Artista: A Spanish Haunting
I really wanted to love this house, but for it to be the icon house, it was missing a little something. I wish it were scarier and darker, because it has a phenomenal story, but I never felt like I was in danger. Some of the creatures are beautiful and elegant, and that may be the point, because it is art. It felt like the twin sister of Dead Man's Pier, with its beautiful sets and the ability to see scenes from other sets of the house, a huge recurring theme this year. It's good, but I overhyped it, and it didn't feel like an iconic and leading theme house. 8/10.

Fallout
A perfect recap of the show. I really liked this one and didn't get the hate. Was it scary? No. It was just a wonderful recreation of the show, which could use some better scares. It wasn't terrible, but that shower curtain of the wasteland makes this house lose half a point for me because it could've been done so much better. 7.5/10

Gálkn: Monsters of the North
I had the same problem as El Artista with this house. I think it's a good house, but it's missing a little something, and I wish it was scarier. This house could use some more scares because it definitely has that feel. One scare got me really good, and the set design is phenomenal. It felt like the child of the Isle of Berk and Goblin's Feast. 7.5/10

Hatchet & Chains: Demon Bounty Hunters
Just like El Artista and Galkn, there are some great ideas, but I just feel like it could've been executed a little better. I wish we saw more of the demons ripping people and animals open to possess them by jumping in their mouths. I hated the smell of this house, but I love a good western theme. I just feel like it's too bright, and being able to see other scenes doesn't work well for this house. You want it dark and claustrophobic. Overall, still a great house that I enjoyed, but it wasn't what I expected. 7/10


Shows:
Nightmare Fuel: Circus of Decay
Hey, I actually liked this, but I do feel like they toned down the sexiness. Also, the story is kind of meh. 8/10.

Haunt-O-Phonic: A Ghoulish Journey
Dude, we are so back. This show is just amazing. Those fountains are very enticing and powerful. In keeping with the usual Halloween theme and symphony of Halloween classics, this adorable little tale and lagoon show is a perfect fit. It is nearly as incredible as the first Marathon of Mayhem, and I was genuinely amazed. I adored it. 10 out of 10.

Scarezones & Experiences:

1. The Cat Lady of Crooked Lane
2. Origins of Horror
3. Mel’s Die In
4. Mutation: Toxic Twenties
5. Masquerade
6. Club Horror

 

[TheCodeMan95]

Finally went to HHN. I did 5 nights, and I have to say this year is extremely busy, and they need to add the 11th house badly next year. I think it will benefit from an 11th house and two more live shows or have the RIP Tour go somewhere else so we can get the horror makeup show or Bourne Spectacular open and another attraction because of Rockit being closed. Those wait times were astronomical, but I really enjoyed this year. I think it’s a really good year. I would probably rank it right after 32. I don’t think it’s as good as 29 or 32, but it’s up there.

My friend, I'll be right there with you in the 2026 spec thread banging the drum for an R-rated Horror Makeup Show.

 

[srbmarc]

Just got home from my trip. We did 3 nights, with Friday being our first time doing R.I.P. Tour and doing both Saturday and Sunday with Express. We went through each house once every night.

House Rankings:

1. Terrifier - I'm a huge fan of the franchise and they nailed this house so well. The effects, the scare actors, the scenery were all top notch. I did the wet path all 3 times. 10/10

2. El Artista - Not as creepy as last year's Insidious house, but I definitely felt uneasy going through this. The paintings and drawings on the walls were so unnerving. The story was great, and I almost got taken out by the stilt actor in the very beginning. 9/10

3. Dolls - In my opinion, this felt like the most "original" house in years. I loved how they played with scale and the sets and props were amazing. I'm not a huge fan of using screens in the houses, but this was done really well. 9/10

4. WWE - I'm a casual wrestling fan so I was aware of Bray Wyatt's legacy and knew the lore of the Wyatt Sicks. That said, I didn't know what to expect going into this house, and I was really impressed. The story of being backstage and seeing the group taking out their enemies was brilliant. The music was creepy and fun, and you can tell the cast was way into it. A beautiful tribute to the late Bray Wyatt. He would've LOVED this house. 8/10.

5. Hatchet & Chains - It wouldn't have been my first pick for a Slaughter Sinema spin off (shout out Blood and Chum!), but this was a fun house. The theming was top notch and so were the effects (the "smoke" coming out of the bullet holes in the wall? *chef's kiss*). This also had my vote for best A/C in a non-soundstage house. 8/10

6. Galkn - When this house was first announced, I thought this was gonna be the annual "snowy/wintery" house and I was disappointed that it wasn't. Still, the sets were gorgeous, and I loved going through the "belly of the beast". 7/10.

7. Jason Universe - Our R.I.P. guide said this was the scariest house and he saved it for last because it would give us nightmares. Maybe he was overselling it just a tad? Definitely not the scariest of the year, but the scare actors were on the ball. The final hallway was INCREDIBLE and was one of the best parts of the event. 7/10.

8. Grave of Flesh - Our R.I.P. guide told us this house has been having major staffing issues since day 1. Apparently scare actors have been leaving constantly because the costumes/masks are too much to work in. We definitely could tell on Friday because there were hardly any in our first time through the house. Saturday and Sunday were a little better. The first room with the open grave above you is one of the creepiest things I've ever seen in HHN. The rest of the house was just okay. Gave me vibes of Darkest Deal from a couple years back, which I really enjoyed. This one, not so much. 6/10.

9. Fallout - I was very excited for this house when it was announced. I thought they did a fantastic job re-telling the first season. The cast looked very much like the characters from the show and the costumes/props were stellar. The biggest problem was this house wasn't scary at all. It felt more like one of those activations they'd do at Comic Con. 5/10.

10. Five Nights At Freddy's - If I was a fan of the franchise, I'm sure I would've been more blown away. Don't get me wrong, the animatronics were really impressive. Our R.I.P. guide told us this was the most expensive house ever done at HHN and it took 2 years to put it together, and you can tell. It's all very well put together. My main concern is when you're working with animatronics of that size, it's nearly impossible to hide them and you lose a lot of the scare-factor. For a series that relies on jump scares, they just weren't there for this house. 5/10.

 

[RGMick77]

This is my review from my experience visiting during Week 2 of the event.

HOUSES

1. THE WYATT SICKS - I’m not just saying this because I’m a fan of Bray Wyatt, but the costume designs fit perfectly inside a haunted house. Getting to see The Fiend and Uncle Howdy teaming up for scares was priceless. It also worked really well how each character got their own little world to hide out in.
2. EL ARTISTA - I always enjoy using a haunted manor as a setting for a haunted house. They also pulled out almost every trick they had for scares. If the scares were more intense, it could’ve taken the top spot.
3. TERRIFIER - As someone who couldn’t find a single character they liked in all 3 Terrifier movies, this house surprised me with how fun it was. Art was better utilized in this setting than anywhere in the movies.
4. JASON - The Friday the 13th movies are mostly cheesy fun and I’ll admit that it was my enjoyment of the movies that got this house ranked higher on the list. I enjoyed walking through the cabin setting from the movies, but the hallway of Jasons fell a little bit flat for me.
5. DOLLS - This house was a demented good time. I thought it was really neat to see the giant Lyla looking in the window of the house as she told her creations to kill you.
6. GALKN - I ended up needing to do the Unmasking Tour to really appreciate this house. The story was originally hard to follow, but once I understood what was happening, it was great. Also, the actors were very aggressive during my runs.
7. HATCHET AND CHAINS - The western setting didn’t work as well as I had hoped, but the cast elevated this with their performances.
8. FNAF - I never played the games, and I found the movie to be boring, but the concept of a haunted 80s pizzeria still works for me. What carried this was the incredible animatronics. However, it was not worth the insane wait times.
9. FALLOUT - This house missed a lot of the marks I need from the HHN experience. The story was jumbled, the dialogue wasn’t particularly quotable, the scenes weren’t convincing, and the scares were almost nonexistent. I enjoyed the show it was based on, so that helped it along a little bit.
10. GRAVE OF FLESH - In a year with so many stand-out house concepts, this house wasn’t very memorable. The interior design and the characters all felt repetitive. The story didn’t click for me either.

SCAREZONES

1. CAT LADY OF CROOKED LANE - We got to see the jack-o-lanterns in the trees of Central Park again and that was such a win. We also got a mini show with the cool Cat Lady house. And the random hallway of cat scares was a fun bonus!
2. TOXIC TWENTIES - The 1920s setting didn’t quite work for me, but I had a lot of fun interactions with the actors and the neon green slime looks great at night.
3. ORIGINS OF HORROR - I enjoyed seeing the gargoyles and statues come to life. The conservatory theming on the HHN truss was a great touch, too. The best entrance zone in years.
4. MASQUERADE - The actors were swarming everywhere and dancing around me pretty much anytime I walked through. The stages didn’t really give the actors much to do, however, and the scares were lacking.

SHOWS

1. NIGHTMARE FUEL - My lady and I always enjoy this show together. I wish I didn’t hate the uncomfortable Fear Factor venue so much, but the show is still just as good as it’s always been, so it’s worth to seeing at least once a year.
2. GHOULISH (remix) - It was great to see the lagoon come alive again! It adds a lot of atmosphere. I do wish it wasn’t basically a repeat of Ghoulish from 2022, but I’m only saying that because I was fortunate enough to see it before a hurricane ruined it that year.

EXPERIENCES

1. CHAINSAW CLOWNS - Holy crap the clowns were so fun to interact with! It really brought Springfield back to life this year.
2. MEL’s DIE-IN - It was great to see Mel’s be given a bigger role in the event. When the rollerbladers were out, it was so fun to watch their interactions with everyone.
3. CLUB HORROR - I don’t vibe with dance clubs, but at least it added some life to a spot that basically became a glorified photo op zone.

Overall, HHN 34 was a big bounce back from the previous year. The dead spots in the park were addressed. The lagoon show returned. The actors were more aggressive. The house concepts felt more intentional, instead of haphazard.


Final Grade: A

 

[Returning-The-Reaction]

My exhausted (note: not exhaustive) quick rankings. Subject to change...

1. Jason - Nostalgia points for reminding me of HHN 17's house, a bit. Better than FvJ, but I still prefer the original HHN house.
2. Artista - Beautiful. Wish the scare factor was dialed up.
3. Galkn - Atm, I can't point to anything specific that stands out, but I quite enjoy this one.
4. WWE - Feels more like an old school HHN house than most houses in recent years. This is a good thing, imo.
5. Terrifier - Potential to rise up my list, but can't justify higher than #5 at this point.
6. Five Nights - Scariest part, by far? Yeah, you guessed it... the wait times. Impressive design keeps it above my bottom 3.
7. H & C - A miss for me.
8. Dolls - Doesn't live up to hype I've heard.
9. Grave - Yikes.

Haven't been through Fallout yet. I don't really care for any of the scarezones. Strong dislike for Club Horror. Parkwide music is strong. Lagoon show was ok. Not planning on seeing NF.

This overall event will probably rank somewhere near the middle of events in my 18 years of attendance.