Halloween Horror Nights 2022 (USH): Reviews, Photos, & Videos

[Jaden]

Went on the 29th of Saturday, and I really enjoyed the hell out of it! Unfortunately I couldn’t get all mazes done so I had to sacrifice 2 mazes since I had done those in the past. Here are my personal rankings:

- The Weeknd: After Hours Nightmare (B+): Set designs looked really good, and the music remix really helped the tone and atmosphere of the maze. The Blinding Lights maze was my personal highlight, for me. However there were some areas that felt empty and could’ve used more scares. Lastly, I think songs like The Hills and House Of Balloons would’ve been great additions. I’ll admit, I’m a bit biased with this one as I personally love listening to The Weeknd’s music.

- UCM: Legends Collide (C): Yikes… this one felt understaffed the most. I had to watch a video to make sure I didn’t miss anything, and it turns out with my experience, I barely got any scareactors there. The whole walkthrough felt kind of awkward. The set designs did at least looked cool with some of The Mummy Props laying around. The music was at decent to listen to, and the Anubis stilt Walker looked amazing.

- Scarecrow: The Reaping (A+): This is so HOTY right here! Everything felt so claustrophobic and chaotic with the crows SFX and scarecrows jumping all over! Props to the scareactors for this maze, they went all out and made this house really memorable! My only problem was that I waited nearly 2 hours, which kind of killed the flow of my gameplan because my group wanted to eat. Though it was worth the wait.

- Terror Tram (B-): If it wasn’t for US and NOPE section, I probably would’ve given this a C+. Anyways, the first section felt really boring, and the costume designs felt really bland to me. I’m a little tired of Hollywood Harry, at the moment and hope to give him a break in the future. Jupiters Claim was what sold it for me. Walking through the NOPE set for the first time was a fun experience and the Tethered scareactors were the amazing! The bit were they look up to Jean Jacket as if it was some God they worship was awesome, and great to mesh the two IP’s together. Props to the scareactors!

La Llorona: The Weeping Woman (A+): I finally did it! After years of waiting as a kid since 2012, my wish came true. And I fricken called it! The maze really scared the absolute crap out of me. The narration really helped set the tone and made the walkthrough very frightening. The puppet and costume designs looked amazing, and got a lot of good scares. Set designs were wonderful as well, and I personally loved the stilt walker used in this one.

- Universal Horror Hotel (B-): Im actually intrigued with the lore behind this maze. A secret cult this a behind the hotel murders felt interesting to listen to. I thought the hanging maid in elevator queue was interesting as it felt like a set-up for the story of the maze. Unfortunately, the set designs felt really bland as there plenty of empty areas that would’ve benefited with extra scares. Not bad, but I felt more could’ve been added. The lore of this maze had me interested and would like to know more in the future.

- Horrors Of Blumhouse (C+): Freaky section felt so boring and the scares just didn’t click through with me. I felt like Black Phone was the only fun part of this maze. Black walls can be excused given the setting of the film, and the scares were much better there than the Freaky section. This whole maze should’ve just been Black Phone rather than including Freaky.

And now my rankings:
1st. Scarecrow: The Reaping
2nd. La Llorona: The Weeping Woman
3rd. The Weeknd: After Hours Nightmare
4th. Terror Tram
5th. Universal Horror Hotel
6th. UCM: Legends Collide
7th. Horrors Of Blumhouse

Sadly, Halloween and KKFOS had to be sacrificed, as my group was getting tired and they wanted to eat and go on rides instead, which took up a lot of time. And seeing as I’ve done those two mazes in 2015 and 2019, I was okay with skipping them. But hey, I finally got to do Jurassic World after 3 years of waiting, and it was really fun as a first timer!

Overall, the event was fun, but those wait times were a nightmare.The line for Halloween was the true horror, which was a major factor on which maze I should go for.

 

[viking_wizard_eyes]

OK, end of season reviews. Overall, this was a great year for HHN. Not everything was perfect and the crowds are crazier than ever, but the quality of the houses was high and the new features -- especially the Hogsmeade zone -- gave the event a much-needed spark. Hopefully they keep that progressive mindset and continue to introduce new elements next year.

The crowds really were a pain, though, and it kinda drove home the idea that a lot of the success with these houses depends on how smoothly your walkthrough goes. Amazing houses can be dampened by conga lines; weaker houses can get a huge boost from you moving at your leisure. My ratings kinda fluctuated up and down throughout the season for this reason, but I tried to keep sorta the core strengths in mind as I gave my final ranks.

Which are:

1. La Llorona: Every single thing about this one works exceptionally well, even if you happen to catch a bad run. The immersive design to the soundscapes to the overall tone/atmosphere. And then those times you do get a solid run, it's just hit after hit after hit. HOTY hands down for me, personally. (A)
2. The Weeknd: Somehow never got a bad walkthrough with this one. It was awesome each time. The performers in here were top-notch and I loved how distinct each section was. My favorite single-scare of the year is the headless Weeknd that jumps at you from the floor. Got me so bad the first time and creeped me out each time after. I also loved how they managed to give this a party atmosphere while still keeping the scares high. Just great. (A)
3. Universal Horror Hotel: If someone had told me at the start of the season that this would make my top three (or that my top three would be all originals!), I woulda called them nuts, but it just kept rising every time I hit it. I think it's because the first time I went through, I was expecting it to just overlay TWD's infrastructure, and I felt distracted when it wasn't. Subsequent walkthroughs really revealed how much consideration went into laying this one out, and I actually think it has some of the best scenic of the whole event. That section with the long hallways really feels like you're in a dingy hotel. I also really loved the story, especially the allusions to H.H. Holmes. Very pleasantly surprised by this one. (A)
4. Halloween: I know everyone is sick of Michael at this point, and I'm officially ready to move on now too, but this is the best Halloween house we've had in a long time, probably since the 2015 version. The cast in here was stellar, and every room had something iconic to experience, which was good because the operations in here really struggled at times⁠–⁠got some really rough logjams in here. But the clean runs are just supercharged and good reminder of why I love the IP houses. It's still so cool to see these things brought to life. (B)
5. UCM: Legends Collide: Amazing design in here, and yes that triple scare at the end is one of the best things in this year's event. But I don't know what it is about this house compared to the last couple iterations that just makes feel like it's missing something? And it's not the story -- having done both Hollywood and Orlando, you can experience this one without having to do Orlando (and vice versa). But still, there's an essence here that's missing, just not sure how to put my finger on it. Lots of points though for the design and some really great scares, like I mentioned. (B-)
6. Blumhouse: Freaky portion is B+/A material for me. I loved how they executed the "body swap" moment from the film -- a moment where you're scared one second and genuinely laughing the next. Plus, the shop room scene is an all-timer -- I got absolutely drenched in that room during on one of my walkthroughs. It must have been a malfunction of some kind because I was nearly dripping wet, but I didn't care at all, it was perfect. Then, of course, Black Phone tanks it with a C execution, but I kinda came around on the minimalist nature of it (though maybe I'm being generous). Splitting the difference with my final score. (B-)
7. Scarecrow: Easily my most controversial take, but this one did not do it for me no matter how many times I tried. It felt like last year's TCM to me, right down to the farmhouse aesthetic, the smells, and the scares. Points go to the bird-poop room and also the final room -- top five scare of the whole event came in that room during my second walkthrough. I nearly fell over! The rest, though, just felt so generic. "Monster scarecrow comes to get you." Okay? Not for me. (C+)
8. Terror Tram: I love any opportunity to be on the backlot, especially for this event, but the Hollywood Harry thing is so lame and generic. I'm so done with clowns. Thank God for the Jordan Peele section, which is really fun. They must have brought back a lot of the actors from 2019 because that cast was on-point each time. They should have found a way to just make the whole tram experience Peele-related because yeah -- really hoping this is the last we see of Hollywood Harry. (C)
9. Killer Klowns From Out Space: Look how they massacred my boy. (D+)

 

[chris.g]

^ So glad I’m not alone on the Scarecrow take. It is by no means a bad house but it is very very basic! It’s what the HHN standard should be and people are praising it because they haven’t been used to that in a while lol.

 

[viking_wizard_eyes]

^ So glad I’m not alone on the Scarecrow take. It is by no means a bad house but it is very very basic! It’s what the HHN standard should be and people are praising it because they haven’t been used to that in a while lol.

I also think there's this aspect where all we in Hollywood have heard is how incredible this maze specifically is. Like, Scarecrow is held up as one of the all-time great Orlando houses and people always cite it when talking about how much better Orlando is than Hollywood, but I think if you take a step back and look at this house objectively without having all that background noise, you'll see that it's not really doing anything that our houses don't also do.

Maybe our version is sort of a "diet" version of what they got, idk. I'd have to go back and watch some walkthroughs to compare. But as it stands now, I think Scarecrow is as middle-of-the-road as it gets.

 

[MikePat]

My final haunt of the season this year took me to HHN Hollywood! Even though the scare zones lack identity, there's a stunning mix of fantastic atmospheres from areas such as the After Hours lower lot experiences and the Dia de Los Muertos festival. The death eaters were fanatically well-staffed, creating this chaotic nature to Hogsmeade. I have to stay overall; this year is a step in the right direction for Hollywood.

The crowds were wild, especially in certain areas, but I have spoiled these crowded areas thanks to my RIP Tour. I recommend it if anyone has the money, as it provides excellent food, relaxing lounges, and unique experiences.

I did not experience the show, but Terror Tram was great this year. Jupiter's Claim made the experience great and the Halloween party prior was enjoyable especially compared to The Purge last year. As for the haunted houses, out of the years I have been attending Hollywood (2016, 2021), this is my favorite bunch. Here are my rankings:

1. The Weeknd: After Hours Nightmare
2. Scarecrow: The Reaping
3. Halloween
4. La Llorona: The Weeping Women
5. The Horrors of Blumhouse
6. Universal Monsters: Legends Collide
7. Killer Klowns from Outer Space
8. Universal Horror Hotel

Overall, I enjoyed my time in Hollywood more than Orlando simply because the experience was a delightful improvement.

Here are some photos I took:

 

[DTH]

^ So glad I’m not alone on the Scarecrow take. It is by no means a bad house but it is very very basic! It’s what the HHN standard should be and people are praising it because they haven’t been used to that in a while lol.

While I am on the "liked it" majority side, I will side with you guys on totally understanding where you're coming from. While I do like the maze, I also think it's just grasping at straws because of the overall quality of the event isn't necessarily very high this year from a creative stand point. The maze is very basic and I have a hard time giving it anything over an A-, and I usually grade on a curved scale based on the best of the year. I just can't bring myself to go anywhere near higher than that because the maze never evolves into something more nightmare-ish. I feel like the final scene was just the tip of the iceberg for where this maze should've been more towards the middle. There's some good scares in here, especially in multiples, but none of them are genuinely surprising or terrifying. It definitely needed more inventive spots for scarecrows to pop out of other than doors and boo holes with a sheet in front of it. The cast was always giving it everything they got though.

So yeah, it's a basic maze in a mediocre year. So by that metric, it's the best (for me). I don't think any of the other mazes did anything necessarily better (although I LOVED Hotel on my first run through). And there's definitely a whole lot worse at the event. I really hope next year they knock it out of the park with the mazes and do something more inventive with the scare tactics.

Here are some photos I took:

Dude, great photos, would love to see more!

 

[MikePat]

Dude, great photos, would love to see more!

Thank you so much!

As upon your request...

 

[Rub]

Now that HHN 2022 is officially done, time to give my final rankings and reflection of the entire event.

8. KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE
Nothing about this version of Killer Klowns resembled the legendary 2019 maze. The scares were lacking, the atmosphere wasn't there, and the scareactors were not giving it their all. The ending is still disappointing. (D-)

7. UNIVERSAL HORROR HOTEL
I loved the pre-show for this maze but it felt too generic. The scares were easy to identify and expect as most of them came from behind hotel doors. I liked the idea and concept, but the execution wasn't amazing. (C-)

*TERROR TRAM*
This is where the Tram falls this year. The NOPE sets are amazing and eerie, but the rest is too generic and spaced out without good scares. Average at best.

6. UNIVERSAL MONSTERS: LEGENDS COLLIDE
This is by far the worst of the Universal Monsters mazes we have had at the event. The black wall section in the middle completely cuts the rhythm of the entire maze. The double and triple scares are intense, but they are too far and few. Unlike the other Monsters mazes, the story in this one was nonexistent. This maze in particular also felt too short in length. (C)

5. HALLOWEEN
Michael Myers needs a break from this event for a few years. Having said that, this maze is the best version of Halloween we have got in a while. Great scenes, sets, and Myers was always popping out from all corners. The closet scene is one of the best scares of the event. (B)

4. THE WEEKND: AFTER HOURS NIGHTMARE
I loved the music and the scenes from the music videos too. The sets were nothing short of jaw-dropping, but the scares were lackluster. It felt too much like a party rather than a horror nights house. I do think that this is the best SS29 house we have had at the event. (B)

3. THE HORRORS OF BLUMHOUSE
Freaky is amazing. It should have had its own maze because Black Phone is slightly underwhelming, but still has its moments. Lots of cool moments in this maze and definitely one that I kept on wanting to go through over and over again. (B+)

2. LA LLORONA: THE WEEPING WOMAN
Fantastic maze. The imagery and costume design was one another level with its creepiness. I felt shivers down my spine upon entering this maze every single time. I do wish the second half after the lake scene had more scares, but this maze is amazing nonetheless. (A)

1. SCARECROW: THE REAPING
This maze was by far the scariest of the entire event. The first rooms are brilliantly made with their immaculate design and sets. Then, the scares ramp up and come at you from every side. The scaarecrow designs were fantasic, and the ending cornfield scene was great too. The rookery worked well and this maze kept people screaming every moment. (A+)

These are some major takeaways from this year's event:
-mazes were getting conga-lined too frequently, and it takes away from the experience immensely
-sets improved, but scares need to increase as well
-scare zones are horrible and need a complete change (add more in lower lot, don't merge them, have more actors, etc.)
-terror tram needs to go as well (it eats a lot of people but is mediocre; replacing it with a maze would be ideal)
-crowds are insane and capacity needs to be reduced somehow
-food options are great, even the themed food choices
-wizarding world is phenomenal
-added interactive zones/areas were great and Weeknd bar was a brilliant idea
-Jabbawockeez needs to go and we need a better show
-all of the open attractions keep people busy and are fun