Halloween Horror Nights 2011 at Universal Orlando Event Review
Posted by Taylor Crenshaw on Wed, Oct 12, 2011 @ 09:19 AM
First Hand Review of Halloween Horror Nights 2011 at Universal Studios Orlando
Houses:
Depending on the year you go, houses at HHN can be hit-and-miss. Some years they have 10 houses, but only 3 are any good; some years there are only 6 houses, but each one will scare you half to death. This year, however, throws all that out the window. HHN 2011 provides 8 houses and only one that I have anything to gripe about. My personal favorites have to be The In Between (a “3D” house), Nightingales (set in the middle of WWI), and Nevermore (a nod to Edgar Allen Poe).
To avoid spoiling the In Between too much I’ll just say that it’s the scariest of all. Check it out—end of story.
Nightingales puts you in the trenches of a battle in WWI battle where, ironically enough, the nurses are bloodthirsty predators and (surprise!) you’re the prey. What I like about Nightingales is that it makes sense for your path to be narrow and rugged; it’s a trench in a WWI battle! It’s a very clever way to incorporate reality into the fantasy.
Last but not least on my must-see house list is Nevermore. As the name’s connotation implies, this house is themed around the brilliant literary works of Edgar Allen Poe. The house entrance is plastered with a collage of these works which, when viewed at a distance, form a portrait of Poe. The entrance of this house acts as a portal that thrusts you straight into a collection of Poe’s best-known stories. The rumor goes that they’ve been working on the Nevermore house for two years; the level of detail in the house seems to back that rumor up. Everything from The Raven, to The Tell-tale Heart, to The Pit and the Pendulum can be spotted throughout the house—each presented in their own style to truly exhibit the madness of Poe.
With as pleasantly horrifying as these houses are, I still have a couple small complaints this year. There are two houses that just seem empty. Saws n’ Steam and Winter’s Night aren’t bad ideas and they aren’t poorly executed houses; they just lack they detail and attention that it seems the other houses received. Check these houses out if you have time, but if you’re in a rush these are the two that you would want to pass on.
Scare Zones:
The scare zones have never failed to impress me and this year is no exception. HHN 2011 generously provides six scare zones to ensure you stay pumped not just in the houses, but while roaming the park between houses as well. Nightmaze takes first place as best scare zone for one reason in particular: innovation. The name is pretty self-explanatory. You’re walking through a very dark, very scary maze. Unlike a typical maze though, the walls in this maze shift all around. The effect is that you feel lost, confused, and vulnerable (it actually impressed me how vulnerable they made me feel—I had no idea where my next scare would come from). The maze walls may trap you in a small room for a few seconds or guide you back to where you started, and all the while there’s a scare behind each turn. The other scare zones were cool to be sure, but nothing stood out the same way that this one did.
Shows:
While some things this year stood out, one tradition was completely abandoned: The Rocky Horror Picture Show did not return this year and I, for one, am seriously upset about this. On top of that, Bill and Ted even seemed a little lack-luster this year. It wasn’t bad, and I chuckled at a few good moments but overall it left me wishing for a little more kick. In the greatest contrast, Death Drums was quite a lively experience. The drummers were talented and impressive, the beats hit hard, and the zombie dancers topped the show off just a hint of over-the-top comedy. My final verdict on the shows is this: Death Drums is easy enough to catch between houses and you won’t regret doing so. As far as Bill and Ted is concerned, if you have the time for it you’ll enjoy it, but it’s nothing to bend backwards over.
Halloween Horror Nights 2011 Worth the Trip?
I was utterly terrified that Halloween Horror Nights 2011 wouldn’t scare me at all, especially with the calamity they tried to skate by with last year. These fears proved to be ridiculous and unneeded. Halloween Horror Nights was terrific in spite of—or perhaps because of—last year’s event and I had a blast. I would definitely recommend going this year, but here is the most important part: The prices aren’t to die for (unless you book through us) and the park, though haunted, is no ghost town. Grab tickets for any night Sunday through Thursday—they’re cheaper and the park is much less crowded.
