Ahh, it's that time of year again, friends. It's my FAVORITE time of year to be exact. It's when pumpkins start appearing in grocery stores and you can smell that cinnamon broom from a mile away. Halloween is my favorite holiday. We'll just call it a season at this point because I likely have more Halloween decor than Christmas decor.

One of my favorite parts about Halloween is that I get to visit the annual Universal Studios event Halloween Horror Nights. Entering into its 33rd year, this annual scare-fest is back and BIGGER than ever. I was lucky enough to get a "shriek" preview this past weekend and let me tell you, these haunted houses are not for the faint of heart. I'm looking at your Insidious.

Just some preemptive information for everyone before we dive into the thrills and chills:

When is Halloween Horror Nights?

Running on select nights from August 20, 2024 through November 3, 2024.

What rides are open during Halloween Horror Nights?

The Mummy (a fan-favorite of mine), Men In Black, Rip It Rocket, and Diagon Alley in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

So here is what to expect at Halloween Horror Nights this year:

You HAVE to try all of the food.

Halloween Horror Nights 33 at Universal Studios Orlando features a thrilling array of food offerings that are just as creative and spooky as the event itself. This year's menu is themed around the various haunted houses and scare zones, offering both unique dishes and familiar favorites with a terrifying twist.

For those seeking plant-based options, the Heart "Beet" Tostada at the Monsters of Latin America kiosk is a hit, offering a flavorful vegetarian dish with beets, hummus, and vegan feta on a crispy tortilla. Another vegetarian option is the Vegan Walking Taco at the Slaughter Sinema 2 kiosk, made with vegan chili, vegan sour cream, and vegan cheddar cheese on Fritos.

The desserts and sweet treats always reign supreme, getting more and more innovative each year. With various kiosks throughout the park, you'll have to be on the hunt for which delicious dessert is offered where.

For example, one of the standout items this year is the Mini Stay-Puft S'more from the Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire kiosk, which features a marshmallow man paired with a chocolate bar and graham cracker. People have been going CRAZY for this flambeed little marshmallow man.

These haunted houses are cooler than ever before.

Of course, it wouldn't be Halloween Horror Nights without some incredible haunted houses. I've said it before and I'll say it again - the level of detail and attention that goes into every haunted house is unparalleled. For me, I wish I had at least three chances to walk through every house, because the first time I'm so focused on the jump scares, I barely look around. But after that initial scare, I'm able to see exactly what these storytellers and artistic minds have created - it's a living movie for each and every guest.

The first house I ventured into was A Quiet Place. Based on the popular film franchise, this house immerses guests in a post-apocalyptic world where staying silent is key to survival. As you navigate through various locations in the movie, monstrous creatures hunt you down at the slightest noise.

Another favorite haunted house for me was Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines. This house features a showdown between famous monster huntress Saskia Van Helsing and Dracula’s daughter. The Bride of Frankenstein and the She-Wolf also make appearances, promising a fierce battle of bloodlines.

But perhaps the coolest part about this haunted house was the fact that it features an all-female monster story, a female showrunner, AND an Emmy-award-winning female composer. How neat is that?!

A few other haunted houses worth mentioning include:

Slaughter Sinema 2: Fans of B-movies will enjoy this house, which takes you through scenes from various creature features, grindhouse horrors, and more. It’s a scream-fest that pays homage to the campy horror films of the past.

Goblin’s Feast: Enter a goblin village where you’re the main course at a lavish feast. Beware of goblins, orcs, hobgoblins, and witches as you try to escape the banquet.

Major Sweets Candy Factory: What starts as a sweet tour of a candy factory quickly turns sour when the kids on the tour are transformed into candy-coated killers.

The scare zones are not for the faint of heart.

Want to walk through the park and NOT get scared? Good luck. The jump scares aren't solely in the haunted houses. They are in the five different scare zones as you wander through the park. Torture Faire was perhaps the most terrifying, as it highlighted a medieval-themed torture zone, where guests were witness to some truly gruesome Renaissance-style torture devices.

Another incredible work of art in terms of scare zones was Demon Queens. Walk through a hellscape dominated by four merciless queens loyal to SURR3AL (more on this later). This zone is filled with fanatical followers and nightmarish imagery, making it one of the most visually striking and haunting experiences of the night.

It's a choose-your-own-adventure theme throughout the park.

What was ultra-cool about the theme this year for HHN 33 was that it's a choose-your-own-adventure theme throughout the park. As soon as you step onto the grounds, you have a choice between which path you want to take: SINIST3R, representing visceral horror, or SURR3AL, embodying unearthly terror. This split decision sets the tone for a night of fear.

These two nightmare creatures made an appearance before we walked the park and explained their purpose for the season. SINIST3R and SURR3AL are the dual forces behind the event's most intense scares, serving as thematic pillars that split the experience into two distinct, terrifying paths. SINIST3R represents the raw, visceral horror aspect of Halloween Horror Nights. This side of the event delves into primal fears and physical torment, where the horror is direct and brutal.

In contrast, SURR3AL focuses on the otherworldly and the psychological. This path dives into nightmares ripped from the darkest corners of the mind, where reality warps and shifts in unsettling ways.

Which side will you choose?

Best House Award: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire

And the award for the best haunted house of the night goes to...

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire! In this "chilling" house, guests can join the Ghostbusters as they battle a new icy threat in New York City. While this does focus more on the most recent Ghostbusters film, you'll be pleasantly surprised to see some familiar faces throughout the house.

This haunted house wasn't as scary as, say, Insidious: The Further, but what made it a favorite for me was the nostalgia factor. Growing up with Ghostbusters, it was nice to see Slimer wreaking havoc as usual or the proton packs saving the day. Plus, fun fact: there are only 25 Ghostbusters cars in the world, and Universal Studios cut theirs in half for this haunted house.

All in all, this year at Halloween Horror Nights, Orlando was one for the books. Have you already checked out HHN 33? Share your favorite parts of the park in the comments section!

Want to read about last year's Universal Studios HHN event?

Note: I was given entry to Halloween Horror Nights and an overnight stay at Universal Studios Aventure Hotel in return for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own and not influenced by the developing company in any way.