With last night’s opening of Halloween Horror Nights 32, the spooky season is officially underway! As huge Universal and haunted house fans, we were so excited to attend the first evening of this fan-favorite event. As you prepare for your trip to Dr. Oddfellow’s Twisted realities, check out my (spoiler-free) opening night house rankings for HHN32!
*This list represents my (Krysti’s) opinions of the HHN32 houses and my opinions only. I can’t speak for any other member of the Freaks of HHN team.*
10. Stranger Things 4
As a big Stranger Things fan, I was really surprised to find this house so low on my opening night list. While I enjoyed encountering the infamous Vecna and reliving some of my favorite moments in Season 4, I can’t ignore that it was literally impossible for anyone unfamiliar with the property to follow any piece of the complicated storyline. Because of this, in my opinion, pretty vital piece – Stranger Things 4 simply can’t climb any higher on my list.
9. The Exorcist Believer
Filled with some pretty gross smells and unnerving imagery, The Exorcist Believer was a very well done IP house. While I didn’t completely understand the story, I feel confident I’ll grasp more details on subsequent runs. If you enjoy this type of subject matter, you’ll probably really loved this house!
8. The Darkest Deal
It was honestly very hard to rank the rest of the HHN32 houses. I loved them all so much, I wanted to give them all high rankings and lots of praise. But that’s not the point of this article, so I’m putting The Darkest Deal at number 8!
Featuring one of the most well organized stories of the year, The Darkest Deal was a memorable house with awesome special effects and a great facade!
7. Chucky Ultimate Kill Count
Speaking of great facades, Chucky Ultimate Kill Count featured the most impressive facade of the whole season. Plus, the queue includes a preshow video explaining the character of Chucky and the overall concept of the attraction. I don’t really enjoy the Chucky movies, but I liked this house a lot more than I originally expected.
6. The Last of Us
Full disclosure: I don’t care for The Last of Us TV series (I know I’m probably the only one in the world that feels that way). That being said, I thought this house was incredibly well designed and laid out. The story was easy to follow, and attraction was full of exciting scenes and terrifying fungus monsters!
5. Dueling Dragons Choose Thy Fate
Wow! What a breathtakingly beautiful house – full of mythology and Universal Orlando lore. I loved the sets and costumes. While I won’t give anything away, I will tell you that there is an unexpected twist that HHN fans will simply adore.
4. Dr. Oddfellow Twisted Origins
WE HAVE AN ICON! Dr. Oddfellow is a satisfyingly sinister character, and walking through his twisted carnival is a memorable (and terrifying) experience. I loved this house’s optical illusions and special effects.
3. Yeti Campground Kills
I love a good Yeti house, and this attraction did not disappoint! Filled with awesome scares, detailed sets, and a fun, campy energy – I LOVED this house!
2. Bloodmoon: Dark Offerings
Honestly, this house was pretty low on my pre-event hype list, but the incredible beauty and super-detailed sets won me over! In fact, the first thing I said after finishing this house was, “Bloodmoon is this year’s Dead Man’s Pier.” That should tell you everything you need to know.
1. Universal Monsters: Unmasked
Okay, look – I may be a bit biased. I have been practically obsessed with The Phantom of the Opera since I was 12 years old (so over two decades). And it felt AMAZING to see him so fantastically and horrifyingly represented in this house. That being said, I do believe Universal Monsters Unmasked is a great house – filled with gruesome scenes and special effects.
Halloween Horror Nights 32 Runs Select Evenings Until November 4!
Wow! With an original icon, a brand new Universal Monsters house, and unique IP’s; I believe Halloween Horror Nights 32 features one of the strongest line ups we’ve ever had! Plan your spooky evening now at halloweenhorrornights.com.
What are your opening night house rankings for HHN32? Let us know in the comments!
