2022 Universal Horror Nights: The good, the bad, and the scary

Kim Flores, Historian, Staff Writer

The thriller event of the year, Universal Studio’s Horror Nights, always manages to put on the most terrifying nights for its guests. Universal Horror Nights first premiered their event on September 2, 2022 and it ends on October 31, 2022. There is no better place to go for a scare than to Universal Horror Nights.“

“This year, we’re just kind of going mad,” said John Murdy, Universal Studio Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights creative director said.

Thousands of adrenaline junkies line up every year to get the scare of their lives. Imagine…monsters running at visitors, chasing them around the park, with absolutely nowhere to hide.

The word this year is that Horror Nights have been the most terrifying year yet. Due to the pandemic, these last 2 years have restricted the staff to put on a good show for the guests. There were lots of uncertainty in putting it on in 2021 but 2022 is here and it’s gone wild.

This year there’s been some new additions to the mazes like “The Weeknd: After Hours Nightmare.” Some franchises like Halloween and Killer Klowns from Outer Space are still continuing to put on a show, and fans love them. Although some people didn’t enjoy the new maze featuring The Weeknd, some people thought it was interesting.

¨It was not scary, but it was unique. The music was really good,” said Tino Lozano.

The nerves rushing all over your body, and the sweaty palms, all that is heard while waiting for your turn is insufferable screams coming from the mazes. The mazes always get visitors terrified since the scares are always unexpected.

“I could not stop screaming and running away from the monsters!” said Leviticus Staggers (11).

As you walk in there is nothing but darkness, you squeeze your partner’s arm in fright, screaming in their ear as the monsters scare the living soul out of you.

“It was definitely more scary than last year because this year they had more monsters and more like people scaring you than last year and they kind of put more energy towards it,” said Frida Flores (9).

There’s not a better feeling after finishing each maze knowing you were successfully able to go through it without running out in tears. The weaker always tend to run away from the monster, making them chase them around the park. It’s advised to keep calm and don’t let them get a big reaction from you.

Another recommendation is to start with Halloween and Scarecrow: The Reaping, if you get there early you can cut up to 2 hours of line. And if you simply don’t like waiting in line, the express pass is the best you’re gonna get. The scarecrow maze is one that stands out the most. It was described as the darkest, scariest, and it even had a different smell than all the others. The Michael Myers maze never fails to scare the people.

“In one of the scenes the walls were all mirrors with a lot of Michael Myers lined up waiting to jump at you,” Lozano said. Lozano thought that the freight train was “whack” but he was really intrigued by the lit-up Harry Potter Castle.

The music and makeup is what makes the Universal Studios effect, it makes the experience more realistic. Everything is unexpected there. The terrors are endless and you are in for the time of your life. Would you survive a night in the Universal Horror nights?