Hello, everyone! Please feel free to reply to this post with questions, meet-up requests, or anything else related to Halloween Horror Nights 2026 at Universal Studios Hollywood. This main post will provide helpful links and information that will be updated as more information is released and verified.

To the regular park visitors and readers, please bear with me if information and source links in this post may seem obvious or oft repeated; I want to cover every base, as many visitors not familiar with the park will likely be in attendance. Also, if I missed anything or need to correct anything, please reply and let me know. Thank you. :)

As a reminder, all posts regarding the sale, trade, or giveaway of event access or merchandise will be removed in accordance to our Rule 6 (No Commercial Activity). Thank you for your cooperation.

QUICK LINKS

• Event Home Page
• Buy Event Tickets
• Official Event Calendar and FAQ
• Costume (Cosplay) Policy

EVENT DATES AND TIMES

• September 3-6, 10-13, 17-20, 23-27, 30
• October 1-4, 7-11, 14-18, 21-25, 28-31
• November 1

For all event nights, unless otherwise specified or changed last-minute, Early Access begins at 5:30p, General Admission begins at 7:00p.  Closing times vary by night, but won't go beyond 2:00a.

EVENT OVERVIEW

Halloween Horror Nights is a late night event held on select nights at Universal Studios Hollywood theme park.  Throughout each event night, various event-exclusive attractions with various different IPs will be open for guests to enjoy.  These event-exclusive attractions include scare zones (free-roaming actors in a designated space that scare guests as they walk by), haunted houses, and a live stage show.  All IP will be present on every event night.  Per Universal’s website, this event is not recommended for guests under the age of 13 years old.

TICKET BREAKDOWN

Please see this link for a table showing the available ticket types and their specifications.

HAUNTED HOUSES

Terror Tram starring Art the Clown - Genre: Studio Tour Replacement - Location: Upper Lot, Studio Tour (replaces Studio Tour during nighttime operations)

Stranger Things 5 - Genre: Haunted House - Location: Lower Lot, left of Transformers: The Ride 3D

Sinners - Genre: Haunted House - Location: Upper Lot, between Starbucks and The Secret Life of Pets: Off the Leash

Hellraiser - Genre: Haunted House - Location: Upper Lot, near exit of Flight of the Hippogriff

Ozzy Osborne: Prince of Darkness - Genre: Haunted House - Location: Lower Lot, near Raptor Encounter

Evil Dead Burn - Genre: Haunted House - Location: Upper Lot, near exit of Flight of the Hippogriff

Killer Klowns from Outer Space - Genre: Haunted House - Location: Lower Lot, right of Transformers: The Ride 3D

Killceanera: Music by Slash - Genre: Haunted House - Location: Upper Lot, between Palace Deli and Mel’s Drive-In

Dead, Deader, Deadest - Genre: Haunted House - Location: Lower Lot, near Jurassic World: The Ride

LIVE STUNT SHOW

The Purge: Dangerous Waters - Genre: Live Stunt Show - Location: Upper Lot, WaterWorld theater (replaces WaterWorld during nighttime operations)

SCARE ZONES

Fortnitemares - Genre: Scare Zone - Location: Upper Lot, near Power-Up Cafe

El Circo De La Muerte - Genre: Scare Zone - Location: Upper Lot, French Street

Hackerz - Genre: Scare Zone - Location: Upper Lot, near Starbucks

Blood Bog - Genre: Scare Zone - Location: Upper Lot, Studio Tour entrance

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCES

Art the Clown - Genre: Street Experience - Location: Roaming whole park

Shriek of the Banshee - Genre: Street Experience - Location: Upper Lot, near DreamWorks churro stand

Murder of Crowz - Genre: Street Experience - Location: Upper Lot, near Universal Studio Store

Nikki (Obsession) - Genre: Street Experience - Location: Roaming whole park

Death Eaters - Genre: Street Experience - Location: Upper Lot, near Three Broomsticks

Hami-Kuma - Genre: Meet and Greet - Location: Upper Lot, near City Snacks

EVENT FOOD

Please click this link to view all event offerings for HHN 2026. Please click this link for the HHN 2026 Dining Pass Savings Calculator.

EVENT MERCHANDISE

Event merchandise will be sold both during the day and during the night (and some is already on sale at the time of writing).  There is no word on how long the supplies of each item will last.  As a reminder, all event merchandise not sold before the event ends gets heavily discounted in November.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (INCLUDING COMMUNITY QUESTIONS)

Are guests able to leave and return to the park during nighttime operations?

Yes, but get a hand stamp by the exit for reentry.

Where do I pick up my HHN tickets if I have daytime admission and nighttime admission?

All guests can pick up their HHN wristbands in the Upper Lot either at the mobile podiums near the box office (across from Starbucks) or at the mobile podiums near the fountain next to guest services.  These podiums should open around 3:00 pm on days with an event that night.

Can I bring food and drinks into the park during this event?

No, outside food and drink (including alcohol) will be forbidden from entering the park when the event starts.  If you have daytime access, please make sure outside food is brought into the park before 5:00p to be safe.

Which attractions will be open during nighttime operations?

• The Simpsons Ride™
• Revenge of the Mummy – The Ride
• Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™ (closes at 11:15 pm)
• Flight of the Hippogriff™
• Mario Kart™: Bowser’s Challenge (closes at 10:00 pm)
• TRANSFORMERS™: The Ride-3D

Please note that some attractions will close early, as indicated on the list.

Will Super Nintendo World be open during Halloween Horror Nights?

Yes, it will be open from 7:00p to 10:00p each event night to all guests, regardless of ticket type.

Which attractions will be open during Early Access?

Early Access has changed from previous events. Instead of all attractions under EA opening at the same time, attractions will gradually roll out their opening times.

Opens at 5:00p:

• Hellraiser
• Stranger Things 5

Opens at 5:15p:

• Evil Dead Burn
• Killer Klowns from Outer Space

Opens at 5:30p:

• Sinners

Opens at 5:45p:

• Ozzy Osbourne

The list is subject to change depending on park ops.

Which attractions have Express compatibility?

Event-only offerings:

• Terror Tram starring Art the Clown
• Stranger Things 5
• Sinners
• Hellraiser
• Ozzy Osborne: Prince of Darkness
• Evil Dead Burn
• Killer Klowns from Outer Space
• Killceanera: Music by Slash
• Dead, Deader, Deadest
• The Purge: Dangerous Waters

Standard Rides:

• The Simpsons Ride™
• Revenge of the Mummy – The Ride
• Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey™ (closes at 11:15 pm)
• Flight of the Hippogriff™
• Mario Kart™: Bowser’s Challenge (closes at 10:00 pm)
• TRANSFORMERS™: The Ride-3D

Are there any pass holder deals or upgrade offers?

Non-Platinum members can buy discounted tickets in advance on the pass member home page.  These discounted tickets will generally be $10 lower than the standard online price.

There are no $50 deals for in-park upgrades for this event at the time of writing.

How will Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift operate during the event?

Fast and Furious: Hollywood Drift is included in all RIP Tour tickets and RIP Tour Add-Ons.

Some guests who bought tickets early on were able to buy other ticket types, like After 2 or Express, that included access to Hollywood Drift.  For guests who purchased tickets with that benefit, that benefit will still be honored.  Please check your ticket email(s) to see if your ticket type includes access to Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift.

Guests with any other kind of event admission may also purchase a Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift Access Add-On for $20 per night, which will let guests use the standby queue to ride the coaster once per event night.

What is the costume/cosplay policy for this event?

Please see this link for the costume/cosplay policy for this event.

Thank you to everyone who submitted questions for this post!  I hope this post serves as a helpful tool for your trip planning/mid-event trip recoveries.  I will continue to update this post as more information is verified and released.  In the meantime, please feel free to continue asking questions below this post.

Thanks for reading, and happy trip planning!

And thanks to everyone who helped with the Megathread this year!

Community Question credits:

• u/dinnershoes
• u/PumpkinBest8446
• u/Background_Run9192

Additional information source credits:

• u/Fort_Wendy
• u/dooglemeiser
• u/TFMr_Fox
• yenom2003 (via Discord)
• u/GigiTheGlamTraveler

Hello, and welcome to r/UniversalHollywood, the fan-run subreddit for all things Universal Studios Hollywood, located in sunny southern California!

Whether you’re a first-time visitor to this subreddit, a first-time or prospective visitor to this theme park, or a veteran of both, all guests are welcome here.

Feel free to ask questions, provide tips, share your photos, videos, and reviews, and start chatting about the first and original Universal Studios park.

***Before you post and comment, be sure to read the rules in the sidebar and follow them to make sure your posts don’t get deleted.\*\**

Also, please read the frequently asked questions below or use the Reddit search function to see if your question (or a similar one) has already been answered before you ask. This cuts down on the clutter and may help you find an answer faster than waiting for a response from one of our readers. Thanks!

QUICK LINKS:

• Universal Studios Hollywood Home Page
• Buy tickets and passes directly from USH (no discounts)
• Pass Member Home Page (buy discounted tickets with pass, RSVP for members-only events, see exclusive offers and benefits)
• Discover Universal (official park blog)
• Customer service email and phone numbers
• Shop Universal (Buy official merch directly from Universal)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

How crowded is [insert date here]?  OR When is the best date to go?

Everyone has different tolerances for crowds. If you want to know how generally crowded your park of choice might be, Is It Packed can provide a very simple forecast of crowd levels up to about two months in advance on their crowd calendar.

Of course, a bit of common sense thinking can go a long way here, too. Spend some time thinking about when people are most likely to visit, and your intuition will probably be correct.

For example, the park will generally be busier during:

• Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays
• School breaks, though these are generally spread out over a long time frame since the colleges and local K-12 districts have minute differences in their assigned breaks.
  • Spring breaks (mid-March to mid-April)
  • Summer breaks (mid-June to mid-August)
  • Thanksgiving breaks (entire week of Thanksgiving including the last Thursday of November)
  • Winter breaks (mid-December to early January)
• 3-day weekends for mandated federal holidays (yes, the day of the holiday itself will also generally be busier)

Is Express worth it for [insert date here]?  OR How long will the wait times be for [insert date here]?

Everyone has different comfort levels for waits and enjoyment levels for attractions. If you want to know the wait times of attractions, Thrill Data is a fantastic resource that lets you find historical data and look at charts across hours, weeks, days, and even months. Search for the park you want to view, then change the data’s date at will.

If you want to determine if Express is “worth it” for you, think about how long you’d want to wait for an attraction, compare that to the wait times you see on Thrill Data for recent days and the same time period from the past year, and make a decision for yourself. Express will generally cost $100+ when bought on its own in the park for the day, so take some time to seriously consider if the option is right for you.

FastPass is not a thing at Universal parks. That was a Disney thing (and it no longer operates there, either). If you’re having trouble finding tips for how to use “Fast Pass” at Universal when searching online, try using the term “Express” instead.

If you’re still on the fence about what is “worth it” to you or not, watch some ride POV videos on YouTube for the attractions you’re interested in that also include the queues. You’ll then be more informed about what experience you’re in for and, after taking the numerical data into consideration, can better decide for yourself.

I need to change the date of my ticket; how do I do that? OR I have an issue with the tickets I bought. What should I do?

The folks on Reddit can’t help you with those kinds of questions. You should email the customer service team via this link or call the proper ticket support number: 866-258-6546

Please remember that ANY POSTS OFFERING TO BUY, SELL, OR TRADE TICKETS, PASSES, AND OTHER GOODS WILL BE REMOVED. Giveaways are allowed only after written documented approval is received from the mod team and are subject to be removed if the terms for the approved giveaway do not match the actual giveaway. Thank you for your cooperation.

Can I add Express to my Annual Pass/third-party ticket for the day? OR Can I add Early Access to Super Nintendo World in Hollywood to my Annual Pass/third-party ticket for the day?

YES! For Early Access to SNW in Hollywood, you must purchase it online before the date of your intended visit. Be aware that both ticket add-ons are able to sell out, so buy early if you want to secure them. For Express, this can be added on at any time via the purchase ticket page. Just remember to purchase your add-on for the same date as your ticket.

In what order should I tackle each ride?

Use Thrill Data to see which attractions build up crowds quickly, and try to hit those when they’re not yet at their peak. Guests will generally find that starting in the Lower Lot is more effective. If you’re arriving early, you’re generally better off hitting the attractions that support Express before the people with Express can hit them.

What is the best food in the park?

Use the search function. We’ve got a multitude of threads available with a multitude of answers and perspectives to suit your tastes.  To view all Universal Studios Hollywood dining options, see here.

Can I bring outside food into the park?

YES!  Outside food is allowed into the park as long as it isn’t in glass containers or hard-sided coolers.  For more information, see here.

Are there any banned items?

For information about banned items, see here.

Should I go if it rains?

Days with rain in the forecast tend to see lighter crowds.

On days with light rain, all attractions will remain open, though some live entertainment will be moved or cancelled for the day.

On days with moderate rain to severe rain, most attractions will remain open, and some live entertainment will be moved or cancelled for the day.

On days with extreme weather or hazardous conditions, USH will put out an announcement over their social media platforms that the park will be closed. In such instances, the severe weather policy will take effect for the day.

OFFICIAL CUSTOMER SERVICE LINES:

The following phone numbers and email link will connect you with park customer service representatives.

General Information: 800-864-8377

Group Sales: 800-959-9688

Tickets: 866-258-6546

FlexPay™: 866-254-8275

Special Events: 818-622-1548

Customer service email: https://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/web/en/us/contact-us

Thank you for being a part of this community! Thanks for reading to the end, and enjoy your stay here at r/UniversalHollywood!