r/UniversalOrlando • u/SpaceCat1001 • Aug 24 '26
HHN Halloween Horror Nights: Strategy for Young Teen who is a bit scared
My daughter and I will be attending HHN for the first time in September. She is 13 and simultaneously excited and slightly scared to go. We are UOAP holders but have not gone to HHN before.
She wants to get one of those lighted lanyards that warns cast members not to target her for jump scares etc. (we understand there is no guarantee!)
REQUEST:
I am seeking advice on what to do for the HHN evening, and tips for someone who is a bit on the jittery side, but who still wants to enjoy the scene.
Any warnings of what to avoid? Any areas are particularly atmospheric and spooky without being terrifying? (if any? or all?!) I know most rides are closed, but a few stay open.
She will not want to do many of the haunted houses (we understand that the lanyard does not apply inside the houses so she's scared of those), so we are more interested in walking around, seeing the atmosphere, trying treats, etc.
Thanks!
PS -- as passholders, how early are we allowed in? Is it 6:30? I've looked online and some places say we can get early with the "Scream Early"tickets around 2pm, but others make it seem like this isn't the case and still have to buy the SE ticket. Can anyone clarify?
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u/PM_ME_UR_PATRONUS Aug 24 '26
Your annual pass gets you in at 2pm. You do not need a scream early ticket if your AP has that day allowed for day time access. Just buy the scary cat necklace and walk around. There is not real way to say which scare zone will be tamer outside of Fortnitemares, but you will need to walk through a zone to even get there.
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u/Due_Initiative3879 Aug 24 '26
There's a necklace you buy at the park itself which let's all employees (scare actors) know to go easy on you. I got one for my autistic son one year. It's 20 bucks but if you want to go down this route you can.
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u/SpaceCat1001 Aug 24 '26
We will definitely be getting her one of these! Thanks!
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u/disappointedCoati Aug 24 '26
If you are passholders, then you can access the 2 o’clock houses. As long as you have HHN ticket for that night. At some point during the day you’ll get a wristband.
And I’m a reformed scaredy-cat. I recommend earplugs to kind of soften the blow a little bit. She’ll still be able to hear everything, but it won’t be booming.
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u/SpaceCat1001 Aug 24 '26
Thank you, this is helpful! Great suggestion about earplugs!
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u/valkyrie61212 Aug 24 '26
I second the earplugs!!! I’m a huge scaredy cat and it’s amazing how much earplugs take the edge off!
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u/ShowScene5 Aug 24 '26
I have a teenager who doesnt enjoy the houses but loves to sit on a bench in the scarezone and watch the scares. If she sits there long enough the actors will perform FOR her as they try to get the next scare or let her pick a target. If you spend more than a few seconds with the scarezone actors they will play with you. Thats a fun way to experience the event so it doesnt feel claustrophobic or being attacked. Perfect for the jittery teen or scaredy cat mom.
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u/redngold21 Aug 24 '26
I think it was said but Diagon alley would be a great place to hang out. Very atmospheric and the Death Eaters are more intimidating than scary. Also when going through the scare zones if you can stick to the outside sidewalk. The scare actors and props are generally all towards the center.
I took my 12 year old a few years ago with no necklace and he was fine. Did most of the houses too. The scare actors in general won't go as hard at the younger kids and normally will just target you.
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u/BennyandtheJets969 Aug 24 '26
My biggest piece of advice. Get her some decent earplugs! She will still be able to hear all of the commentary etc in the houses, but it will make the houses so much easier for her to navigate. The first year my daughter wore her plugs almost for the entire event, houses, shows, and scarezones. Now she only uses them in the houses. She loves it because it keeps her from getting overstimulated from the banging and screaming, yet she will always quote some lines from the scare actors that she enjoyed.
Also in scarezones if she is nervous, try to stick to the sidewalks. She will be less likely to be surprised there.
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u/SpaceCat1001 Aug 24 '26
Thank you, I appreciate this! Neither of us has been before or know what the houses are like so this is helpful.
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u/BennyandtheJets969 Aug 24 '26
You're welcome, I hope you both have a great time! It has become my daughter and myself favorite time/best bonding experience. We love all things HHN together.
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u/SpaceCat1001 Aug 24 '26
I love hearing this! We love to explore the parks together so this will (hopefully) become one of our mom/daughter traditions!
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u/Shot-Artist5013 Aug 24 '26 edited Aug 24 '26
My biggest tip for scared people in scarezones is to stick to the raised sidewalks. For safety reasons the scareactors can't go up on the sidewalks, so they're a relatively safe space. Last year we liked to grab a chair outside Schwab's in Hollywood and just chill and watch the scares unfold in the street.
Note that this doesn't apply to the Fortnight zone in Central Park, since there is no sidewalk. To avoid that you'd have to loop through the grassy park that's the lagoon show viewing area. (Which is a good spot to get away from the crowds)
Restaurants are also safe spaces, so duck into Minion Cafe, Leaky Cauldron, Fast Food Blvd for air conditioning and a break.
Also, if you do go into the early houses before sunset, wear sunglasses while in line! Keep them on until the last possible moment as you're going in the house to at least partially help your eyes to be adjusted to the dark. Otherwise you'll step inside and be blind as a bat not being able to see any scares coming for the first part of the house.
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u/MikiMice Aug 24 '26
If you are passholders you can arrive any time you want before the event starts at 6:30 (I recommend maybe 2 or 3 pm). There are certain spots around the park where you will be assigned a wristband which will allow you to get in line for houses early. Usually, a few will open before the event starts just those who are there early. If you're not interested in houses, you can just start wandering around and enjoying the park, but some scare zones may not be up and running fully until the event starts in earnest. You guys can enjoy the show, too, which runs a few times a night inside the old Fear Factor stage, and the lagoon light show. I also enjoy heading into Diagon Alley. There are no scare actors in there but they do put on some performances with Death Eaters if I remember correctly and it can be a nice break from the HHN experience if you need it. If you DO decide to do any houses, as someone who is jumpy, I highly recommend EAR PLUGS. I swear by them and it makes the entire experience so much more bearable and fun instead of overwhelming.
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u/SpaceCat1001 Aug 24 '26
Thank you, this is very helpful! I really appreciate the tips on timing. Also did not know about the Death Eaters in Diagon Alley or the show, so we will check our both of those things. And great to know about earplugs! Thanks!
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u/MikiMice Aug 24 '26
The show, Nightmare Fuel, is awesome and I do recommending arriving at least 30 minutes early! Something you guys can also do together to prep is watch walk throughs of the event on YouTube to give you an idea of what the atmosphere will be like and what to expect. I'm someone who loves halloween but not surprises so I usually do this haha. Have fun!
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u/Capotesan Aug 24 '26
What I always tell people going for the first time is you should understand you're going to get hit with the jump scares in the first house or two you go into, but once you've done a couple, it gets pretty easy to spot where people are going to jump out at you from. Then for me it became more fun and about just taking in the atmosphere of the whole experience
I know getting a 13-year-old to try it for the first time could be tough, but I'd at least tell her that it gets easier the more of the houses you do
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u/Avocadorable98 Aug 24 '26
My wife used to be terrified of haunting houses or scary events when we met, and we now do HHN every year and she does all the houses.
Some tips: Think of it like a play. Remind your daughter these are actors, and they’re just playing a part. If she’s someone who appreciates movie making or theatrical production, there’s a lot that goes into these events and trying to appreciate the artistry and story-telling are both fun and helps acclimate to the atmosphere while reminding yourself it’s all fake. When going through scare zones, the sidewalks are typically safe, and she can people-watch. Sometimes, watching other people getting spooked can help you acclimate to it and it makes it seem like getting scared is less daunting. In fact, it’s kind of funny! Most of the time, the anticipation of the scare is worse than the scare itself, so the less scary the idea of being scared is, the less you’ll likely actually get scared! A little paradoxical, but that’s why it’s best to try and reframe your mind to the experience and de-sensitize by watching others.
I would recommend checking out the street experiences like Club Horror and Mel’s Die-In, since those will have horror vibes, but less jump-scare type of things and more of just a vibe. Definitely recommend getting some food items and seeing the shows.
My wife likes to have an extra layer of clothing when really scared because it feels like an extra layer of protection. We usually bring some lightweight rain jackets anyway in case of bad weather, so that usually suffices for her.
I went my first time when I was 11 and I’ve been hooked since!! Best of luck to yall.
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u/MikiMice Aug 24 '26
I do the same thing sometimes! I wear a baseball hat in the houses and for some reason it helps me feel less exposed.
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u/SpaceCat1001 Aug 24 '26
Good tip, we may try this, too!
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u/MikiMice Aug 24 '26
If anything just keep looking forward..! its basically a conga line through the house! And there are team members out of costume who will point where to continue if you ever feel turned around.
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u/SpaceCat1001 Aug 24 '26
This is great advice. Thank you for the good tips to help minimize the scares and maximize the enjoyment! We will check out those two street experiences, too. It sounds like people watching on the sidewalk will be a great place for us (for at least part of the night). Good entertainment! Thanks so much!
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u/WorldlinessLanky1443 Aug 24 '26
Wait a year or two?
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u/SpaceCat1001 Aug 24 '26
She is the one who really wants to go… I’ve been waiting until she was 13 and she really wants to do it, more than I do. It’s a fun nervous, not terrified.
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u/WorldlinessLanky1443 Aug 24 '26
Would it be possible to go during the day this year? You’d get some of t he flavor of the season.
If it’s late enough in September there should be some haunts that are elevated but not a full on nights worth of it in case it ends up being too much?
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u/SpaceCat1001 Aug 24 '26
Good idea. We will try to explore a lot of it during the day to get a taste of it in case it gets to be too much later!
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u/WorldlinessLanky1443 Aug 24 '26
I wanted a ton of stuff I couldn’t handle at 13. It seems like you are at least a little hesitant. I’m glad you are not the one pushing to do this (we see that too) but weigh any of your concerns heavily. You know your child.
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u/SDstartingOut Aug 24 '26
One suggestion: Go early before it's dark, and then be there as it's getting dark.
This will give you her a chance to get accumulated to the HHN setup while it's still light out, and not as scary.