The Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights 2018 Mazes Ranked
One of my favorite things to do during the Halloween season is go to as many haunted attractions as I possibly can. For years I've enjoyed going to Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights. It's one of my Halloween traditions and this year I had the opportunity to go on opening night this year, which was a first for me.
In my opinion this is probably one of the best Halloween Horror Nights productions that Universal Studios has put on in a long time. They really upped their game with some of the mazes and delivered something that Halloween and horror movie fiends are going to enjoy the hell out of.
I thought it would be fun to rank the mazes that were on display this year so that if you do decide to go you'll know what to check out. The lines to get into these mazes are super long so if you want to make a prioritized list of what mazes you should hit up first, here's my list.
Trick 'r Treat
This is my number one favorite Halloween movie of all time and they did an awesome job bringing the horrifically fun elements of the film to life in maze form. This was the maze I was most excited about and it delivered the good!
Experience Halloween night like never before with Trick ‘r Treat, the anthology horror film from writer/director Michael Dougherty that has become a modern horror cult classic!
It is said that Halloween is the night when horrifying creatures roam free, but there are rules devised to protect us from their evil. Every year, one small town is taught a terrifying lesson: that some traditions are best not forgotten.
Welcome to Warren Valley, Ohio—a sleepy suburban community that masks many dark secrets. A bloodthirsty visitor has come to uphold the sacred traditions of Halloween and is itching to punish rule-breakers with bloody acts of vengeance! When the tricks and treats of Halloween turn deadly, you must attempt to survive the scariest night of the year. You either live by the rules, or you die by them.
Poltergeist
Here's another one of my favorite horror movies and seeing some of the crazy terrifying moments from the film come to life right before your eyes is an exhilarating nightmarish experience! Everything from the meat crawling across the kitchen counter to the guy clawing his face off. Then, of course, there was that damn clown all over the place!
Based on the classic 1982 film by director Tobe Hooper and producer Steven Spielberg, Poltergeist will take you inside the iconic ghost story that set the bar for paranormal thrillers ever since.
After moving to their new home in sunny Southern California, the Freeling family discovers that dreams can come true—and that nightmares can too…
One stormy night, their youngest daughter, Carol Anne, begins talking to strange, ghostly voices through a dead signal on the television set. When Carol Anne disappears, the family slowly comes to realize that she has been abducted by vengeful spirits occupying the spectral plane between the world of the living and the realm of the dead. What the Freeling family doesn’t know, is that their house was built over an old cemetery and they are in mortal danger!
Stranger Things
With the popularity of Stranger Things, this maze had the longest line at the event, but it's totally worth it! The maze sells the story of the first season of the series and you've got the Demogorgan chasing after you all the way through it. There were a lot of cool elements in this maze that fans of the series are going to love.
Step inside the hair-raising world of Stranger Things and prepare to brave the Upside Down of this pop culture series phenomenon!
Journey to small town Hawkins, Indiana—a seemingly peaceful community with dark, unnerving secrets. When a young boy goes missing near a secluded government laboratory, his faithful friends begin a quest unfolding a series of increasingly bizarre and frightening events. With the threat of flesh-eating creatures in the shadows and the help of one very strange little girl, their world is about to be turned “Upside Down”!
Universal Monsters
I wasn't quite sure how this one would turn out but it actually turns out pretty awesome! They did a great job with the creature designs and setting. Maybe the film producers should pay attention to this because if they made their movies based on what I saw in this maze, they might actually end up being pretty good films!
Inspired by Universal’s legendary horror films, the Universal Monsters maze—featuring an original score produced and composed by GRAMMY® Award-winning musician, SLASH—will shake horror fans to the core with a petrifying modern rendition.
After decades of rot and decay as they lay mouldering in their graves, the Universal Monsters’ disdain for the living has risen to a bloodthirsty, all consuming level! Invade their eternal resting place and witness the bone-chilling resurrection of Frankenstein’s Monster, Dracula, The Phantom of the Opera and The Wolf Man, among others. As they rise from the dead, thirsty for revenge, you will fall victim to the terrifying images and stories that helped invent the horror film genre.
Terror Tram
The Terror Tram is always fun because you get to walk around on the backlot with and have monsters jumping out at you. This year is was filled with evil bloodthirsty clowns, cannibals, scarecrows. It's set up around the Bates Motel set and the big crashed plane set from War of the Worlds.
Hollywood Harry, the phantom clown infamous for terrorizing the Universal Studios backlot, has returned to Terror Tram as host of an all new bloodcurdling experience. Brace yourself for the unspeakable horrors depicted in this demented rendition of Harry’s 1950s television show. As you journey through five spine-tingling bedtime stories, attempt to survive the chainsaw wielding monsters, bloodthirsty cannibals, rotten corpse scarecrows, homicidal clowns, and a merciless torture factory. You better get some sleep while you can because after you experience Hollywood Harry’s Dreadtime Storiez, you’ll never sleep again…
The Horrors of Blumhouse
This maze actually turned out a lot better than I thought it would be. The maze themes were for the film Truth or Dare and Unfriended and it actually offered up some pretty decent scares for a couple of films that weren't very good.
Blumhouse Productions is back again with new suspense-filled moments from Blumhouse’s Truth or Dare, Unfriended and a nightmarish surprise ending that will leave you screaming for more!
Enter the “Horrors of Blumhouse” film festival, where horror movies come to life. Pack your bags and get ready for the spring break trip of your nightmares. A group of college kids have unwittingly unleashed an ancient curse, forcing them to play a never ending game of Truth or Dare—but this time the rules are a little different; the stakes are life or death!
Next, enter the familiar world of cyberspace with Unfriended. A chatroom session amongst high school friends has turned into an endless night of terror! Exactly one year ago, fellow student, Laura Barns, committed suicide as a result of cyberbullying. When an unknown user assumes control over Laura’s online account, the group of friends attempt to expose the infiltrator’s true identity—forcing them to face their darkest secrets and lies. Soon they realize, this is no ordinary hacker. Let’s hope you make it out of cyberspace alive…
Halloween 4
This one had it's moments but for the most part it was just a lot of receptiveness of Michael Meyers jumping out everytime you turn a corner.
Fall victim to the silver screen’s most deplorable slasher with Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers. Based on the cult-classic horror film franchise, Halloween, this new maze will truly have you on edge…of Michael Myer’s knife that is.
October 30, 1988, a seemingly comatose Michael Myers is being transferred back to Smith’s Grove Sanitarium. It has been a decade since his last killing spree in Haddonfield, but the townspeople know pure evil never sleeps. Michael awakens and slaughters the medical personnel transporting him, escaping into the night. Fortunately, Michael’s former psychiatrist, Dr. Loomis, knows exactly where he is heading; unfortunately for you, no one is safe from Michael Myers…
The First Purge
I'm not a big fan of this franchise, but if you are you'll probably enjoy this maze. They did a decent job with it, there's just not a lot of interest there for me.
Get ready for The First Purge, a terrifying new maze that tells the story of how the blockbuster franchise all began. The New Founding Fathers of America (NFFA) have instituted the inaugural Purge, a 12-hour period on Staten Island, where all crimes, including Murder, are legal. Try to survive the NFFA’s experiment and make it through the night. Your government thanks you for your participation!
The Walking Dead
This is actually a year-around attraction. It's great! But since it's year around you really don't need to rush out and see it.
Enter the post-apocalyptic world of AMC’s “The Walking Dead”. Prepare to fight for survival in a fully immersive journey as you navigate through a world overrun by walkers with an insatiable appetite for the living. Follow in the footsteps of the human survivors as you battle your way through nightmarish iconic landscapes that bring the most popular cable TV show in history to life!
Do you plan on hitting up Halloween Horror Nights this year? If so, what mazes are you most excited about seeing?