Mutations: Toxic Twenties (HHN 34)

[Brian G.]

new Inside Universal t-shirt just dropped

 

[WryNewsie]

Thread 'Mutations: Toxic Twenties (HHN 34)'

Jul 17, 2025

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Mutations: Toxic Twenties scare zone announced for Halloween Horror Nights 34 at Universal Studios Florida

Universal Orlando has announced Mutations: Toxic Twenties, a new original scare zone that will be featured at Halloween Horror Nights 34. Universal did not share much information outside of a summary of the zone's synopsis: "In a 1920s neighborhood, a BzzzCon truck with radioactive cargo crash

www.insideuniversal.net

• Brian G.
• Replies: 30
• Forum: Scare Zones & More

• 

While the zone's a cool concept.....Anyone else hoping HHN social media got the company name wrong? Bzzzcon's practically an institution now. Who's BuzzCon?

Very interested in this! This definitely seems to have a more campy tone - wonder if this is our "music" zone with a bunch of roaring twenties tunes.

I would think that would likely be the Masquerade. Assuming we're excluding San Francisco with their DJ.

 

[Brian G.]

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[Jake S]

it has been acquired

 

[Lucky Planet]

I am afraid Disney beat them to the punch as far as mutated gangsters:

View attachment 27327

yeah I'm not that excited about this zone. it sounds silly. unless the costumes or make up are really good.
this could be really cheesy.

 

[Kichkinet85]

 

[GAcoaster]

 

[GA-MBIT]

While I like individual ideas here, the sum does not live up. It's not quite campy enough, not weird enough, not scary enough. For a relatively high concept idea zone like this, it ends up feeling unfortunately generic. It's basically a zombie zone, with rather middling energy. I think the costumes are a pretty major factor in this. I'm really not a fan of the "Green Bubble" makeup; it just isn't really that interesting or scary. It's very basic. It's also strange to reuse a decently major character design from the Major Sweets house last year as a generic monster mask.

The Bug House™ tie-in is fun, but doesn't actually amount to much. I kinda wish this zone leaned closer to the "leaked" concept from around early summer, where it was closer to Seeds of Extinction plant monsters taking over a NYC bank heist. That would give it a more interesting and imposing visual identity that this zone really lacks currently.

I appreciate that this zone uses the New York land itself as part of the theming, rather than deemphasizing it like other zones have done. The projection mapping slime is decent fun. It is also really weird and cool to see that very north-west part of the land completely dim, as opposed to every other year with multiple house entrances, tribute stores, and Rock-It zipping through.

 

[Timchat2]

Well said. I've been trying to figure out why I felt so neutral about this zone.

 

[queenmetroid]

At their annual Knott's Scary Farm reveal, the head of entertainment at Knott's made a few wisecracks about Orlando doing this zone, and after seeing it last night, I can't help feel he was correct.

For me, Knott's did a better job with this concept. Their take feels fun and lively, or the way you'd expect a Roarin' 20s zone to be. The live band, the dancing, the character work; the quiet wink and nod tie in to the maze nearby. It all works seamlessly. Not only do I agree with GA-MBIT, plus there's no reason to be at that corner of the park with no maze entrances or Tribute Store there. It's pretty lifeless. It's made worse by the fact that's there's not really a major stage show to draw a crowd like the Purge, Torture Fair, or Seek & Destroy. (Unless I missed it, which would underscore my point.)

I missed any meaningful fun interactions and world building with the characters. No knock on the quality of the zone, but it probably should have been more Vamp 85 to work in terms of execution, especially this year.

 

[Lucky Planet]

While I like individual ideas here, the sum does not live up. It's not quite campy enough, not weird enough, not scary enough. For a relatively high concept idea zone like this, it ends up feeling unfortunately generic. It's basically a zombie zone, with rather middling energy. I think the costumes are a pretty major factor in this. I'm really not a fan of the "Green Bubble" makeup; it just isn't really that interesting or scary. It's very basic. It's also strange to reuse a decently major character design from the Major Sweets house last year as a generic monster mask.

The Bug House™ tie-in is fun, but doesn't actually amount to much. I kinda wish this zone leaned closer to the "leaked" concept from around early summer, where it was closer to Seeds of Extinction plant monsters taking over a NYC bank heist. That would give it a more interesting and imposing visual identity that this zone really lacks currently.

I appreciate that this zone uses the New York land itself as part of the theming, rather than deemphasizing it like other zones have done. The projection mapping slime is decent fun. It is also really weird and cool to see that very north-west part of the land completely dim, as opposed to every other year with multiple house entrances, tribute stores, and Rock-It zipping through.

At their annual Knott's Scary Farm reveal, the head of entertainment at Knott's made a few wisecracks about Orlando doing this zone, and after seeing it last night, I can't help feel he was correct.

For me, Knott's did a better job with this concept. Their take feels fun and lively, or the way you'd expect a Roarin' 20s zone to be. The live band, the dancing, the character work; the quiet wink and nod tie in to the maze nearby. It all works seamlessly. Not only do I agree with GA-MBIT, plus there's no reason to be at that corner of the park with no maze entrances or Tribute Store there. It's pretty lifeless. It's made worse by the fact that's there's not really a major stage show to draw a crowd like the Purge, Torture Fair, or Seek & Destroy. (Unless I missed it, which would underscore my point.)

I missed any meaningful fun interactions and world building with the characters. No knock on the quality of the zone, but it probably should have been more Vamp 85 to work in terms of execution, especially this year.

it was kinda similar with the Spirits of the Coven house, this concept is just not that cool.
I don't know who loves this concept at universal creative but it seems like it hasn't worked twice, either as a house or now a zone.

Spirits of the Coven wasn't identical or anything but it shared some of the same problems.