Universal's Halloween Horror Nights Opens

It's Friday the 13th. For the first time this year in California, it rains. And, of course, it decides to rain, literally, ten minutes before Universal's Halloween Horror Nights opens. Dripping wet, my father and I check into the press check-in for a night of horror and close encounters with the Director.

Since August, Blogcritics has been covering Universal's Halloween Horror Nights. We covered the auditions for the scariest creatures around. We also showed you how to find out about the evil director's plans, which were available on YouTube. Naturally, we couldn't wait until Friday the 13th when it began.

Universal Halloween Horror Nights is open for seven nights. Since two of the nights have passed, you only have five more chances to check it out—October 20, 21, 27, 28, and 31. Tickets are $34-39 per person. The event is in both Hollywood and Orlando.

Universal Halloween Horror Nights begins at seven and keeps some of the best rides open late. The fairly new inside roller coaster, The Mummy, is running. Jurassic Park is open if you want to freeze in the cold (of course, freezing to us California Girls is 60 degrees), but you'll have to ride it in the dark. Terminator 2: 3D is waiting for you. A special maze opens called the Asylum, rumored to have over 20 dead ends. It was supposedly good, but it was an 80-minute wait, so I passed.

Water World AKA "Slaughter World" is playing. Other awesome shows were running—"Chucky's Insult Emporium," "Carnival of Carnage," and "Fear Factor: Dead Celebrity Edition."

Perhaps the biggest thing is that, for the first time, in ninety years, tourists could get off the "Terror Tram" and walk around Universal's backlot.

Overall, I was impressed by Halloween Horror Nights, but the Terror Tram needed work. I like the idea of people being able to get off the tram, but it wasn't worth it. You wait in line for an hour. Finally, you get to the front of the line, and are shoved onto a tram. You aren't even on it long enough to watch a five minute video on the Director.

You're pushed off the tram where you get to walk the Psycho House and the War of the Worlds set. I had a pedometer on and it proved that the area you walk is about a quarter of a mile. Then you get back on the tram and go on a route that "hasn't been used in years," even though you can see it's the tunnel used during the day for the Mummy part of the tour. You can even see pictures of the mummy on the side of the wall. You come in a close encounter with the Director and, shockingly, you get away.

The Terror Tram was disappointing. The encounter with the Director was not at all scary. They make it seem like you get to explore the whole entire lot when you barely get to do anything. I liked the idea of being able to get off and explore, but Universal needs to seriously redo it, because I know I was not the only one who did not enjoy it.

Article Author: Maddy Pumilia

Maddy (Formerly CallmeMaddy) is going to start her Freshman year at Cal State Northridge to study journalism this fall. She has a twin and loves the Pittsburgh Steelers. She has a radio show (part of the BC Radio Network) on Wednesdays at 5 PM available at BlogTalkRadio. …

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