Halloween Horror Nights is back at Universal Studios and they’re going back to the classic horror icons for the mazes.  My favorite show, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure, has a new twist and I actually enjoyed it more than last year’s.

Before we start with the review, here’s some advice so you can have a great experience at Universal Studios:

1)  Bring water and don’t forget to drink! I brought water to the park but I forgot to drink it because I was so focused on the mazes.  So after 2 hours, I was already dehydrated.  Make sure to drink water constantly and refill your bottle at water fountains.

2)  Wear comfy shoes. Don’t wear sandals like my partner of crime did.  She almost twisted her ankle as we walked through the Tram Of Terror.  Universal has a lot of escalators so make sure to wear athletic shoes so you won’t get injured.

3)  The earlier the better.  This goes for both the date and time you get there.  As it gets closer to Halloween, more people will show up, which means longer lines for you.  Also be there when the gate opens and head out to the most popular maze, House Of 1000 Corpses 3D.  Go on the least popular mazes towards the end of the night when the line still won’t be too long for those.

4)  If you can’t get there early, get a fast pass. If you go on a Friday/Saturday, make sure to get the fast pass for an extra $30.  It’ll save you time lining up for the mazes and you’ll probably be able to check out all of them.  I went on opening night and some of the lines for the mazes were about 1 – 2 hours long.  The fast pass is also good for the rides and shows.

Maze Reviews

Just like the Knott’s Halloween Haunt’s review, we’re going to put them in the order from best to worst:

1) Saw: Game On – This was my favorite from last year and it’s still my favorite this year.  The maze attacks all of your sense as you smell rotten corpses, feel the chill of the freezer and get squirted with “blood.”  The “victims” in the maze are pretty good as they try to escape Jigsaw’s challenges.  This maze felt like you’re part of the movie because it’s so well done.  The scares were good and I jumped a couple of times because I didn’t expect it.  This had the second longest line of the night so I suggest going to this one early.

2) Rob Zombie’s House Of 1000 Corpses 3D – Unlike Knott’s, Universal gives you the 3D glasses for free.  You go through Captain Spaulding’s house as you see people being tortured and murdered.  The 3D effect was okay.  It didn’t really popl as much as I’d hoped.  The cool parts were seeing the characters from the movie and frightening you.  Keep in mind that this had the longest line so get here first!

3)  Friday The 13th: Kill Jason Kill – The coolest part is the beginning as you go through the woods and see Jason’s creativity.  Some of it are hilarious as well as brutal.  As you go through the maze, you’ll encounter more scenes from the Friday The 13th franchise.  Only problem with these mazes is that you can only get frightened by Jason so many times.  I wish they would add different creatures to mix up the mazes a little bit.

4)  Nightmare On Elm Street: Never Sleep Again – My favorite horror icon had one of my least favorite maze.  They made it really dark just like the movies but it backfired here.  You see the scares from a mile away because there would be a room usually with red lighting.  That means that Freddy will jump at you because you’ll see him.  If it’s jet black, that means there’s no scares because you won’t see him.

5)  Vampyre: Castle Of The Undead – Only go on this maze if you have extra time.  This maze housed Chucky last year but this time, it’s filled with vampires.  You go through vampires den but there’s nothing special about it.  I’m a fan of blood suckers but it just wasn’t scary, I think the narrow corridors limited the creativity of the maze.

Other attractions worth checking out:

Terror Tram: Revenge Of Chucky
This is pretty much the same ride as last year’s version.  The only difference is the video that plays on the tram.  The Chucky rap video is the best part of the tram.  I wouldn’t put this ride as a top priority if you’ve experienced it before.  But if it’s your first time, you definitely have to check it out because you get to walk through the studio backlot and passing through the Bates motel and War Of The Worlds set.  Monsters will be hiding as you walk through the sets and scare the crap out of you.

King Kong 360 3-D Experience
This is worth the ride if you’re a movie buff because you’ll pass some areas that the regular tram won’t take you.  Be warned, that the ride to Skull Island actually takes longer than seeing King Kong in action.  It was my first time checking out this ride and it’s pretty cool.  You wear 3D glasses once the action starts and the tram starts to shake, timed with the action on screen.  I won’t spoil it but the action is from a major scene in Peter Jackson’s flick.

 

 

Bill and Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure
Make sure to watch this funny show.  Bill and Ted encounter pop icons and make fun of them.  For this year, we get to see the cast from Glee, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, the old spice guy, Snooki and many more.  Last year’s show had a story and this time around, they focused on the musical numbers.  The story really isn’t there and it jumps all over the place but I’m glad Universal decided to go for more of the show’s strength: singing and dancing.  This is a very sexy show so you’ll see catfights and a lot of skin.  Don’t miss it!

Conclusion
Just like every year, Universal Studio’s production value is phenomenal, the costumes look authentic and the masks/make up are really well done.  Bill & Ted’s show is great and there’s plenty of attractions for first time goers.  The mazes aren’t too scary but they’re worth  going through because of the impressive “scenes”.  So if you have a date that gets scared easily, bring her/him here and you guys will have a blast!

Check out the vid below to see the funny reactions from the scared guests:

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