A Guide To #HHN Orlando Stay & Scream
Updated: Aug 26
A Guide To Stay & Scream
For Universal Orlando's
Halloween Horror Nights
Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights is a separately ticketed event that operates on select nights in late August through early November. Halloween Horror Nights currently takes place in the Universal Studios Florida theme park at Universal Orlando Resort.
You must purchase a single-night ticket or a multi-night ticket for the evening event in order to attend Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights. The purchase of a day ticket to Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure or Volcano Bay DOES NOT INCLUDE entrance into Halloween Horror Nights!
The current operating hours of Halloween Horror Nights 33 (2024) are 6:30 PM to 2:00 AM on all event nights. Universal Studios Florida closes at 5:00 PM in order to prepare for the evening event.
There are 3 ways to enter Universal Studios Florida for Halloween Horror Nights:
•The first way is to arrive after the park closes at 5:00 PM and wait in line outside the park arches for the event to open at 6:30 PM. You need valid admission to Halloween Horror Nights for this option. (Guests of any Universal Orlando Resort Hotel can use a special guest entrance for Halloween Horror Nights. The entrance is located to the left of the arches just past Rip Ride Rockit. A hotel key card is required for access. The dedicated entrance is available from 6:30-7:30 PM on event nights.)
•The second way is to already be INSIDE the park prior to 5:00 PM closing because you purchased a day pass or have an annual pass that includes daytime admission to Universal Studios Florida. After you use your day admission ticket or UOAP, you will be able to stay in a Stay & Scream holding area location inside the park from 5:00-6:30 PM. You will not need to exit the park at closing time! You will need valid admission to Halloween Horror Nights for this option. They will check for your Halloween Horror Nights ticket prior to allowing you to enter a Stay & Scream holding area!
•The third way is to purchase a Halloween Horror Nights Scream Early ADD-ON ticket in conjunction with your Halloween Horror Nights evening ticket. This ADD-ON ticket allows you to enter Universal Studios Florida at 3:00 PM so that you can grab a spot for Stay & Scream prior to park closing at 5:00. (This is basically a discounted day ticket to Universal Studios Florida because you get access to USF from 3:00-5:00 PM.) You will not need to exit the park at closing time & can hang out in a Stay & Scream holding area from 5:00-6:30 PM. You will need valid admission to Halloween Horror Nights for this option. They will check for your Halloween Horror Nights ticket prior to allowing you to enter a Stay & Scream holding area! YOU MUST BE IN THE PARK PRIOR TO 5:00 PM OR YOU FORFEIT THE SCREAM EARLY TICKET!
There are great benefits to being in the park prior to the 5:00 PM closing time and taking advantage of the Stay & Scream holding areas from 5:00-6:30 PM!
•You do not need to wait in longer lines outside the park.
•You will be closest to haunted houses that open early near the various Stay & Scream holding areas. You’ll be able to hop into those haunted house lines prior to the crowds from the front of the park reaching them!
•You will have access to drinks, bars, and food while you wait!
•You will have access to restrooms.
•You may have areas of shade and cover from rain in some areas of the various Stay & Scream locations.
The Stay & Scream Holding Area
locations for
Halloween Horror Nights
2024 are:
💀
•TODAY Café Stay & Scream Area
(Enter to the right of TODAY Café)
Note: The TODAY Café may not be open for service while you wait in the area. This area DOES NOT offer direct access to queues for any early haunted house access.
You can catch a glimpse of HHN’s nightly ‘Opening Scaremonies’ from this area.
💀
•New York/Delancey Street Stay & Scream Area
(Enter at Minion Café)
Note: Finnegan's Bar is available for walk-up service in this Stay & Scream zone.
You will find dedicated lines leading to the early-entry houses you can access from this holding area.
This holding area releases to early entry for the following haunted houses:
Soundstage Houses:
🔴Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
(Opens at 5:15)
🔴Insidious: The Further
(Opens at 5:15)
🔴A Quiet Place
(Opens at 5:30)
Fast & Furious Queue House:
🔴Major Sweets Candy Factory
(Opens at 6:00)
(Note: The remaining soundstage house, Triplets of Terror, opens at 6:00. It does not have a dedicated early access line. You can proceed directly to the standard queue for this house when it opens.)
💀
•World Expo Stay & Scream
(Enter at Lombard’s Landing)
Note: The Simpsons area is NOT available for Stay & Scream during the 2024 event & this holding area will not lead you to Springfield!
You will find dedicated lines leading to the early-entry houses you can access from this holding area.
This holding area releases to early entry for the following haunted houses:
Sprung Tent Houses:
🔴Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines
(Opens at 5:45)
🔴Goblin's Feast
(Opens at 5:45)
(Note: The remaining tent houses, The Museum: Deadly Exhibits & Slaughter Sinema 2, open at 6:00. They do not have dedicated early access lines. You can proceed directly to the standard queues for these houses when they open.)
•Dedicated UO Hotel Guest Entrance
6:30PM-7:30PM
Note: This entrance is for guests who are staying at any of the official Universal Orlando hotels.
The scanning location is outside the park at the EXIT TURNSTILES all the way to the left of the arches of Universal Studios Florida.
Universal Orlando Resort hotel guests enjoy exclusive use of this resort-designated entry into Halloween Horror Nights 33 every event night from 6:30pm until 7:30pm.
Resort hotel guests must show their valid hotel room key card and Halloween Horror Nights admission ticket at the designated entrance at Universal Studios Florida.
(Locations & early entry houses are always subject to change/adjustment.)