Rules You Should Know Before Visiting

Are you the over-anxious planner of your group? Do you secretly despise all your chaos goblin friends who barrel into events with zero awareness? Since you’re here, I’m going to assume you’re the former, and for the record, you’re about to listen to someone who’s the latter. People can change, and I’m trying to reform my goes-to-concerts-with-the-wrong-sized-bag ways.

I’m here to help you prepare for Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights: a glorious celebration of all that is ghoulish, chainsaw-happy, and driven by our favorite intellectual properties. It’s an extension of Universal Orlando and Universal Hollywood, so if you know those rules, you already have a head start. Halloween Horror Nights introduces a bit more mischief into the fold, but it’s still a Universal Studios theme park territory. Think of it like any average visit, except this time at night, and with “Murder Crowz.”

Let’s start with the basics. For those who don’t know, Universal Studios shuts down its normal operations and reopens at 7 PM for Halloween Horror Nights. Speakers start playing familiar sounds of autumnal eeriness, scare actors begin to roam their Scare Zones, and the park stays open until 1 AM or 2 AM (depending on the date). You can buy specific ticket packages that will get you into the park 1.5 hours early, or splurge for an “After 2 PM Day/Night” combo package, but for your General Admission needs, doors open at 7 PM and assume you’ll be ushered out around 1 AM (if your legs last that long).

As an avid Halloween Horror Nights attendee, I know crowd sizes are a yearly gamble. In 2023, even with a Universal Express pass that granted me priority access to houses and shows, my group barely finished checking off every attraction right as the park closed. Some express lines still came with 30ish-minute waits. This year was much different, as we finished a little past midnight after starting an hour and a half after Halloween Horror Nights opened. I’d still stress the Unlimited Pass for guests who might only have a single night to conquer everything because General Admission will come with some hefty waits — but that’s just my recommendation. You should closely sort through the ticket packages to determine what best suits your needs.

Upon entering the park, attendants will instruct you to dispose of any outside food and drink. Don’t worry — the park has plenty of concession stands and restaurants still operating for Halloween Horror Nights. Even better, there’s a specific menu catered to Halloween Horror Nights with toasty Stay-Puft marshmallow s’mores treats or Leatherface’s BBQ. Other regular eateries, like most of the Simpsons area’s offerings, Three Broomsticks, or the Jurassic Cafe, are also available for those who are fans of the everyday Universal Studios fare. Options are still plentiful, so don’t fret if you miss eating dinner beforehand.

Can you drink alcoholic beverages during Halloween Horror Nights? Absolutely! Universal Studios understands you might require some liquid courage to venture into their haunted houses, but they do require one valid ID to be shown for one drink. There’s no ordering rounds for your buddies and losing track of how many drinks you’ve imbibed. You never want to be the drunkest person at Halloween Horror Nights. Drink responsibly as you take a dance break at The Weeknd’s themed bar in the lower lot, hit up Isla Nu-Bar for their yummy “Die-Tai” cocktail with gummy skulls, or check out the Dia De Los Muertos Plaza for margaritas and Modelo. Party with the dead — but don’t become a zombie.

As for costumes, Universal Studios has plenty of restrictions because there’s a danger of being mistaken for scare actors. You might be tempted to dress in character if you’re a Chucky superfan or wear your ickiest Leatherface mask into his namesake maze this year, but that will not fly. In addition, this is a public theme park — not some Greek Life backyard Halloween party where everyone’s competing to see who can be the most scantily clad [insert profession of choice]. There’s a pretty involved list of requirements that you should carefully read if you plan on cosplaying or putting together even the vaguest costume. 

Universal Studios is a family-friendly environment, and they reserve the right to refuse entry if they deem your attire inappropriate for either being too gruesome or too revealing. Guests must be fully clothed (you heathens), including shoes and shirts. You also can’t wear anything that makes you look like a Universal employee or emergency personnel (law enforcement, the military, servers, etc.). Refrain from getting elaborate ideas about face paint or prosthetic makeup, too. Face painting is only permitted if it covers no more than one-half of the face (applied vertically only) unless you pay for face painting from a Universal employee, while prosthetic makeup is a total no-no. Save that effort for some fancy producer’s party in Beverly Hills.

While service dogs are admitted to the park, they may not wear anything or be part of your costume (as adorable as they might be). Also, don’t be a dingus and try to bring in weapons — you’re not making it past the security check. You have to physically be able to fit through the metal detectors in whatever you wear, so ditch the stilts and inflatable dinosaur suit even though it’d make a great Jurassic World: The Ride photo. It must be abundantly clear that you are a guest and not a scare actor; we don’t need a “Hell Fest” scenario in real life. These all seem like common sense regulations, but what about that one hyped friend who wants a picture dressed as the Grabber with one of the actual scare actors dressed as the Grabber? You, the responsible friend, can shut that idea down now.

Regarding how much of the park you can explore, it will be clear which areas you can traverse. Directories will all have specific Halloween Horror Nights instructions, since some mazes are tucked away behind parking structures where typical daywalkers aren’t allowed. You’ll have a free-enough reign of the park, including most rides that Halloween Horror Nights patrons would be interested in riding. That’s one of my favorite parts about Halloween Horror Nights: seeing no line for Revenge of the Mummy and sneaking in a cheeky dark coaster session. Or maybe there’s a heat wave when you’re attending, and you need a quick splashdown soak — Jurassic World: The Ride can help there. It’s all included in your park ticket, so I’d suggest taking advantage of the shortened ride queues during Halloween Horror Nights.

If you have any nervous members of your group who worry about how far scare actors can push their professional duties, you can assure them that performers cannot touch the guests. Los Angeles has haunted houses where you can become part of the narrative with permission, but Halloween Horror Nights is no such event. Universal Studios doesn’t need that liability, nor do the scare actors need to worry about physical altercations with unruly or reactionary guests. Halloween Horror Nights is a safe space for horror lovers to immerse themselves in the joys of being scared silly — I mean that literally. You should be laughing as much as you’re screaming. Scare actors aren’t trying to make your experience miserable; their job is to enhance entertainment while respecting boundaries.

As far as explicit Halloween Horror Nights rules, those are the heavy hitters. Standard park regulations are still in play, such as how bags, backpacks, and purses are allowed, but bags with wheels are not. Halloween Horror Nights may seem like a gathering of the damned, but its policies are meant to protect guests and staff from any avoidable nightmares. With proper awareness, you’ll have no problem enjoying your visit to the fullest and with minimal frustrations.