Halloween Horror Nights 2014

Horrifying Thrill

Halloween+Horror+Nights+2014

Story by Emily Vazquez and Gavin Sunderland, Opinion and Monthly Feature Editors

“This is your Emergency Broadcast System announcing the commencement of The Annual Purge. At the siren all crime including murder will be legal for 12 hours.” The eerie call is spread across the smokey, crowded, and adrenaline filled compound of Universal Studios as the sun begins to set. The anxiety sets in as the catwalk to the bustling City Place shortens.

“Stepping through the arch under [The Walking Dead sign] is the point where you realize what, exactly, you got yourself into.” says senior, Alejandro Sanchez.
For the past 24 years, Halloween Horror Nights has brought award winning haunted houses and terrifying scares to one of the most profitable cities in the United States. Universal Studios, Orlando, throws this massive terrifying block-party each year, in hopes of increasingly becoming impressive and lessening the boundaries between reality and nightmares.

The Walking Dead theme has been used consistently over the past three years, the most successful and popular amongst reviewers being last year’s presentation of Halloween Horror Nights. “Walkers”, or the name given to the undead in the hit television series, were set free around the park. In the past, the walkers scared patrons in specified “scare zones” throughout the park and also veered out of the zones to scare visitors when they least expected. This year, the scare factor took a surprising plunge; instead of a walker infestation, the streets were flooded with masked men and woman seen in the popular horror film, The Purge. Subtracting bloody faces and missing limbs, The Purgers used chainsaws, baseball bats, and hatchets. Other scare zones included Bayou of Blood, and Face off- in the Flesh, and these scare zones weren’t as spooky as past zombie infested ones.

Scare houses included themes such as Alien vs. Predator, Dracula, Dollhouse of the Damned, From Dusk Till Dawn, Giggles & Gore Inc., Halloween, and Cannibal Colony. The most popular attraction was The Walking Dead house, which broke the record for the longest scare house in Halloween Horror Nights History. It encompassed every aspect of The Walking Dead Season four. The longest wait time was for Halloween house, which was the chatter of the park. In every line for either a ride or a house, visitors were talking about how terrifying the Halloween house was.