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Universal Orlando just announced the dates for Halloween Horror Nights 2022 and I'm ready for it!
Halloween Horror Nights for 2022 consists of 10 haunted houses, 5 scare zones, 2 live shows and lots of good food on select nights from September 2nd-October 31st. Tickets start at $73.99.
CLICK HERE to get help booking!
Last year I took the opportunity while I was down there to do the R.I.P tour. This tour includes so many extras, it is well worth it for your first HHN. Keep reading to learn more about it!
R.I.P Tours 2022 include:
• Priority V.I.P. entry to haunted houses and participating park attractions (once per house, based on itinerary)
• Commemorative R.I.P. Tour credential, lanyard and pin (one each per guest)
• Complimentary Valet Parking (one (1) vehicle based on availability and advance purchase)
• Pre-Tour Reception in Cafe La Bamba
• Access to exclusive cash bar locations (must be 21+ with valid photo ID to purchase and consume alcoholic beverages)
• Universal Express Unlimited ride access (with R.I.P. credential) at all participating rides & attractions for the date of their tour (valid upon check-in at VIP Experience lobby to be used before or after tour during normal event operating hours; excludes Halloween Horror Nights haunted houses)
• Reserved seating at select event show(s) during the tour
When you book an R.I.P tour you have a dedicated check in time. Mine was 7:00pm, so I got to the park around 6:20. If you aren't doing R.I.P you need to get there early, or hang out in a holding area if you are staying in the park from that day to ensure you get in early to maximize your time in the houses.
When checking into your R.I.P follow the signs for a private entrance. This saves you so much time not having to wait in the main line.
You are then free to do what you want until its time to check in at Cafe La Bamba. The R.I.P tour also comes with express passes for rides. You can take this time to use it! Go hope on your favorites before making your way to Cafe La Bamba.
Cafe La Bamba can easily be found diagonal from Mel's Drive In. Once its your check-in time you can make your way to the blue umbrella and they will get you inside. They will let you check in about 10 minutes before your time, but not much before that.
We were given about 30 minutes to get some food and to meet our guide outside. The food was really good. There was a loaded mac and cheese that I had to get seconds on!
The fun started once we met our guide for the night!
Our group included 10-12 people. There were a few that booked together, but there were a lot of people like myself who were by themselves.
Our guide was able to bypass all the lines at the haunted houses (and these lines were crazy long!!) I think it would be very hard to get through all the houses in one night.
The houses change each year, but my favorites were Beetlejuice and The House on Haunted Hill. There are no cameras allowed in the houses themselves, but I wish I had some from Beetlejuice. The nostalgia was ON POINT. 10/10 for sure, and I hope they bring it back soon. Heres a few clips from the Scare Zones:
By 10:30pm we had already gotten through all the houses and scare zones and made two stops that were exclusively for R.I.P participants (with really cool drinks). We then made our way to the last show of the night "Nightmare Fuel."
THIS.WAS.AMAZING.
We had priority seating and was right at the small stage in the middle, and with perfect view of the main stage. We couldn't have had better seats.
The show was filled with magic, loud music, amazing dancers and FIRE.... lots of fire. Make sure getting to the show is a top priority if you are going to Halloween Horror Nights. Although I only have a photo from the show, you should really search the show on youtube and watch the one from last year. Its worth it!
After the show our R.I.P tour was over, but we still had about 30 minutes before the parks closed, so a few of us went off to ride The Mummy (and use our express pass!). If you are looking for an amazing photo op then you should head into Diagon Alley at the end of the night.
Final Thoughts on Halloween Horror Nights & the R.I.P Tour:
* HHN is a must if you love all things scary. Some of this isn't for the faint of heart, and this is isn't anything like Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party!
* The R.I.P Tour is around $250 per person. That is pricey for a family, but is great for someone who is by themselves or visiting as a group of adults. As someone who was there by myself it was the perfect way to enjoy everything Halloween Horror Nights had to offer and not be by myself for the night
If you are interested in booking a trip that includes Halloween Horror Nights make sure to contact one of our amazing planners to get started! Our services are 100% free for you to use.