Universal Studios Hollywood went in a different direction this year with Halloween Horror Nights and that’s definitely a plus!  Universal focused more on horror movie icons in previous events including Chucky (Child’s Play), Freddy Krueger (Nightmare On Elm Street) and Jason (Friday The 13th).  That sounds good in theory for mazes but when you see the characters every 10 seconds, it becomes predictable and not scary at all.

For this year, Halloween Horror Nights still focused on scary movies but instead of having a horror movie icon be the centerpiece, they focused on memorable movie scenes that left you guessing what’s coming up in the next room.The mazes looked more grimey and felt more real which made it more scarier.  It didn’t look too professional and clean, which was the major setback from previous Halloween Horror Nights.

With positive changes, comes the bad.  Bill & Ted’s Excellen Adventure show was a dud.  The dance choreography is still awesome but I barely laughed and the story didn’t even make sense at all.  I’ll talk more about it below for the review.

Before I get to the reviews of the mazes & attractions, here are some tips to make it an enjoyable experience:

1)  Get fast pass – Depending on which day you go, it’s about an extra $25 to get in front of the line without a long wait.  I went on opening night which isn’t usually busy but I was surprised how packed it was this year.  The shortest line was around 45 minutes long and the longest being 90 minutes.  You don’t want to waste your time waiting in line and missing out on other mazes.  Plus standing in line will just make you lose your energy

2) Wear comfy shoes –  I wore Converse and that tore me up.  My feet were hurting by the end of the night.  Wear tennis or basketball shoes that has good thick soles.  Universal Studios Hollywood has a lot of walking and stairs since there’s a lot of hills.  Take care of your feet so you can run away from the monsters!

3)  Early, early early! – Get there early so you won’t have to rush checking out all the attractions.  You can take a rest if you’re tired in between the mazes.  Also the earlier date you go before Halloween, the less people there are.

4) Plan ahead – Before going, decide which mazes you’re most interested in and have back up plan just in case those mazes have the longest lines.  Also make sure to check what time the show starts and the closing time for the tram tours.  By knowing the schedule ahead, you’ll know if you have an extra time to take a rest or squeeze in one extra maze.

Mazes:
I’m going to review them from best to worst, along with the wait time (this will vary depending on what day you go but hopefully it’ll give you an idea which mazes were the most popular).

1)  Alice Cooper: Welcome To My Nightmare

This maze reminded me of a creepy bayou.  It has everything from giant snakes to decapitated heads.  I loved the environment, the dark green lighting really added to the experience because it felt like you’re around a swamp, especially the first part of the maze.  The best part of the maze was uncertainty because it comes from a rock legend.  I knew there were going to be snakes but I didn’t know what else he would’ve bring to the maze.
Wait time: 90 minutes
Grade: A

2)  La Llorona

This is based on a Mexican folklore about a mom drowning her kids.  I was already scared from the get go as you enter a church.  What I loved about this maze was that it told a story.  Instead of just scares, there’s a fluidity to the experience as you go to a Mexican village.  Those girls in white long robes scare the heck out of me and they appear several times in La Llorona.
Wait time: 35 minutes
Grade: A

3)  Hostel Hunting Season

This would’ve been my favorite maze but it reminded me too much of Saw from the previous 2 years at Horror Nights.  It’s even at the same location.  This maze is actually more cool than scary because you’ll see memorable scenes from both Hostel movies.  They’re really well made and they’ll get you once you’re focused on the set piece and you don’t expect someone else to jump right in front of your face.
Wait time: 80 minutes
Grade: A-

4)  The Thing Assimilation

Never saw the legendary John Carpenter flick but after going through this maze, I want to check it out now.  You’re stuck in a experimental lab in the snow.  Weird creatures start popping out and next thing you know, several people are becoming like the monsters.  Once again, this told a story as I went through the maze and I like that.  It adds depth to the experience and makes you look forward to the next scare.  The monsters were really well done and looked nasty.
Wait time: 75 minutes
Grade: B+

5)  Wolfman: The Curse Of Talbot Hall

This maze had long hallways and corridors so it fits the Victorian era of the Wolfman.  The maze wasn’t that spacious though so you can already tell where the monsters are hiding.  They put up other characters because if it was just Wolfman it would’ve been boring.  There wasn’t enough scares and there’s a lot of walking.
Wait time: 30 minutes
Grade: B-

6)  Rob Zombie: House Of 1000 Corpses 3D

Probably my least favorite because I already experienced it last year.  It’s pretty much clowns and dudes in wife beater trying to kill you.  It’s too bright to be scary although this maze gave me the biggest jump because I didn’t expect it at all.  The 3D effect works but it’s not something that’s really worth checking out.
Wait time: 60 minutes
Grade: C+

I had fun with the majority of the new mazes this year.  It probably helped that 5 of the 6 mazes were new and Universal took it to a new level with its design.

Other attractions

Terror Tram: Scream 4 Your Life
I thought this was going to be boring because when you think of Scream you think of the comedy, Scary Movie.  It was actually pretty entertaining.  You visit the set of Stabbed, the movie in the scream franchise.  People start dying and you walk through Universal’s backlot.  It’s not scary but it’s cool trying to see where the killer will pop out because there’s so many possibilities.  This is a long walk as you get out of the tram and walk for about 15 minutes.  So make sure you’re prepared for it and bring water.  Towards the end of the walk, you’ll encounter mean spirited zombies that wants to bite you.
Wait time: 35 minutes
Grade: B+

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure Show

This was a disappointment.  I enjoyed this show before but this year was just a total letdown.  The jokes weren’t funny and there wasn’t even a story.  It just had a bunch of pop culture characters making fool of themselves.  It was so obvious that no one really laughed.  They even had a Leslie Chow (Ken Jeong) impersonator with corny lines.  Worst of all was that he didn’t even look like the real actor and he looked more like Bruce Lee.  The dances were still impressive but it lacked the fun factor because of the lame jokes.
Wait time: 30 minutes
Grade: C-

Overall
Universal delvered this year with Halloween Horror Nights.  It’s obvious to say that they really focused on the new mazes.  The mazes were fun, cool and scary.  The props and costume are well done and weathered enough that it looks authentic.  I’d skip Bill & Ted’s show and focus on at least 3 mazes and the tram tour.  The rides such as Jurassic Park, The Mummy and Simpsons are open during the event but I’d suggest skipping those because they’re available anytime.  Focus on what you came for: scares!

Overall grade: A

• Tweet