Halloween Horror Nights 35 is upon us. For two nights, Universal Orlando Team Members have an opportunity to experience the event during UOTM Preview. It’s an exciting time for Team Members, by Team Members.
This is the fifth year I’ve asked UOTMs to rank the houses once they’ve finished preview night. Each year the number of respondents is different, but I’m always hoping for more year over year. This year was only 18, so I’m obviously hoping for more next year.
There is absolutely nothing scientific about this and it’s always done in fun. I know we all look at the lineup and try to decide what we think we will like the most. We try to figure out which house will be the first to visit. I always find it interesting to think what the first people to experience them think.
If anyone provided comments on any of the houses, I will have them with that particular house below the photo.
Let’s get going! See how your thoughts before the event line up with these opinions.
10. INVASION: Alien Abduction – Make contact with horrors from worlds unknown in this haunted house, where a ship full of Grays have torn apart a remote homestead in search of fresh test subjects. (7.41 average)
- “Good house, coolest part was the feel of the house being lifted and watching the people in the house being lifted into mid air. Wasn’t really thrilled with the aliens, though.”
- “Really solid house. Good effects, good scares, overall good fun. Would do again. Also has a dash of whimsy and the aliens are fun.”
9. MADLANDS: Caged Cannibals – The animals might be gone, but animalistic violence is inescapable. Try to survive a defunct zoo that has become the deadly domain of warring cannibal factions in this haunted house. (7.17 average)
- “Very good. Loved the characters and design.”
- “Marginally better than Evil Dead but only because the sets felt more real. But the scent they use is gross, like fog juice mixed with car exhaust, and meh scares. Cashier at Universal Studios Store said a lot of TMs last night were putting it as their least favorite.”
8. Evil Dead Burn – An infernal force has taken hold of a family home, and it’s hungry for its next victim. Dodge Deadites hell-bent on bloodshed in this haunted house based on the new film, Evil Dead Burn. (6.88 average)
- “Hit all the movie points.”
- “Meh. Sets felt pretty generic, jump scares predictable. I had a couple good ones but only because they were immediately after some doorways. But outside of that I wasn’t terribly impressed. Most of my group wasn’t impressed either.”
7. Stranger Things 5 – Join the Hawkins gang for one last adventure. Try to survive an army of Demogorgons, face the Mind Flayer and defeat Vecna once and for all in this haunted house based on Stranger Things 5. (6.18 average)
- “Loved this because of what it was. The design was good. Did very good telling the story, but make sure to look up because there’s a lot going on.”
- “Never watched Stranger Things so I didn’t get the references. Very good house. Going through upside down for most of it. The scare resets timed really well for me and I got quite a few. Really good scares and some the sets were really nice, though nothing felt visually different from previous years. Still worth going again.”
6. H.R. Bloodengutz Presents: A Halloween Fright-Tacular! – Your favorite maître d’macabre returns to WKNB with a special Halloween scare-athon! Tune into this haunted house complete with ghouls, gore and all the frights that keep you coming back for more. (5.47 average)
- “Was a really good house. Had an old school svenghoulie vibe to it.”
5. Cybergoria – Awaken thousands of years in the future in this haunted house and brave a cold world driven by machines with a singular goal: to make you live forever, even if it kills you. (5.44 average)
- “Good house. Had a lot of alien vibes even though it was robots.”
- “Very loud, very dark. Super disorienting because you can’t actually see where you’re going. Probably better with a full conga line of people but you still can’t see around you. Some good scares, but was reacting more to shadows than costumes. Could be good if you could see it, but otherwise skip/ once and done. Note: A friend went through this house on night two and said it was great so maybe changes were implemented.”
4. Sinners – It’s opening night at the Smokestack Twins’ juke joint. But the blues become red when a hive mind of bloodthirsty vampires crashes the party in this haunted house based on the original film, Sinners. (4.50 average)
- “I really enjoyed this house. The house was done really well. The scare actors they had looked so close to the actual actors. Wish I could have heard more of the music. Again left me wanting more. But very well done.”
- “Cool vibe, scares were just okay so it could have been a bad run. Sets were pretty neat. Wouldn’t mind doing it again but not something I’d actively go after.”
3. Hellraiser – In this haunted house based on the original Hellraiser trilogy, enter a realm of pure pain where Pinhead and his tormented Cenobites derive their hellish pleasure. (4.388 average)
- “Just because it’s Hellraiser. The house is great. This was our 7th house going through but the first and only one to startle me. Pinheads everywhere and cenobites all over.”
- “Neither my friend or I remember going through the house but we know we did. I can remember parts of everything but almost nothing of this one. Hopefully others had better experiences.”
2. Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness – You’re in Ozzy’s world now. Bow at the throne of the Prince of Darkness in this haunted house inspired by the twisted mind of one of rock ‘n’ roll’s greatest legends. (2.93 average)
- “Loved the theming, the music, everything about it. The ending was the best part. Left you wanting to go through the house again. A very well done tribute to the Prince of Darkness.”
- “Very loud but kind of expected as his music is blasting the whole time like The Weeknd house a few years ago. Scares are ok but sets are gorgeous. Crazy Train in particular is top tier. Would do again if just for the vibes.”
1. Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control – Horror icons aren’t born. They’re made. Discover the unholy origins of Jack the Clown and enter Dr. Oddfellow’s universe as the two pit chaos versus control in this showdown decades in the making. (2.166 average)
- “Loved this one for its design. It told the story very well of Jack and Oddfellow. The design was great, brought you back to an old circus and then through what happened to Jack. All with a great scare at the end.”
- “Incredible storytelling, incredible effects. Definitely going to be a popular outside of being an icon house. Not as much Jack as I’d like. Lots of scares are easy to see ahead but it’s fun. Definitely the best house this year.”
I can honestly say that I thought the Jack and Oddfellow house would be number one. I only get one night this year, so it’s going to be one of the first I try to get to. What did you think would rank at the top?
You can check out what Team Members thought the previous four years below.
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