By snoadmin
Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights began last Friday the 13th to a packed house of patrons dying to be scared. A line of eager guests formed hours before the gates even opened because, for the first time in Universal’s 93-year history, park guests would be allowed onto the famous Universal backlot.
The mildly popular theme park is the latest to cash in on a Halloween special event. On seven select days, guests attending the park will be treated to haunted attractions, cheap food and gross shows.
The event centers around the “terror tram.” The attraction follows a story of a Slovakian horror film director named Pavel Pranevsky, whose movies were so gory that he was banned from the studio. He refused to leave and is rumored to still be wandering the lot, looking for new cast members for his film.
Guests are allowed to disembark the tram and walk through a haunted walkway that incorporates some of the most famous sets Universal has.
Following a barricaded path, guests can walk through the Bates Motel set, past the “Psycho” house and through the “War of the Worlds” plane crash set.
The sets are filled with chainsaw wielding clowns, flesh-eating zombies and scary looking monsters that also make their way to the walkway so watch where you walk.
An even more frightening attraction is “The Asylum,” which is a walk-through maze that is dimly lit and filled with all sorts of scary things. The power has gone out at an asylum for the criminally insane and the inmates sought revenge on their keepers.
The maze is filled with creatures that pop at you, amazing special effects and many frightful sights. The rooms are so intense that guests may kiss the ground outside when they make it out alive.
“House of Horrors” is another walk-through maze, but it is less intense than “The Asylum.” This maze features the classic Halloween monsters like Dracula and Frankenstein. While there are still a good amount of surprises, it’s not as scary or intense as “The Asylum.”
In addition to the tram and mazes, Universal also has a selection of shows and rides that they have added a Halloween twist to.
“Chucky’s Insult Emporium” features everybody’s favorite child’s toy interacting with guests. He single-handedly picks out guests from the crowd and well … insults them. It’s good for a few good cheap laughs, but don’t miss anything else to see this.
“Carnival of Carnage” is a freak show. The carnies sword swallow, walk on glass, swing a soda can from their eyelids using fishhooks and a chain and eat some pretty nasty stuff. Skip this one if you’re squeamish.
“The Mutaytor” is a pretty good live music show. Using black light special effects, percussion, tribal dancers and a whole lot of fire, the group is fun to watch while you’re getting a snack. The troop features members of Oingo Boingo and Supertramp. They were also at Street Scene this year.
Most of the regular Universal attractions are open as well if you need a break from the terror. Terminator 2: 3-D is an awesome hybrid of a live actor/3-D movie. Jurassic Park is even scarier at night. The curse of Imhotep comes alive during Revenge of the Mummy – The Ride. The motion simulator Back to the Future – The Ride will be open on select dates.
If you get hungry in between scares, the park does have a few restaurants open. The food during Halloween Horror Nights is quite a deal for theme park food.
One impressive thing about the event was that there were monsters everywhere. From the second you walk in the gates to when you’re in line, the “scare actors” take their jobs very seriously and go all-out just for a single scare.
Even though there are so many creatures, Universal didn’t go cheap on its make up. Most of them have extensive prosthetics and movie make up, but they can still talk and interact with you.
Although Universal is lacking the quantity of mazes and rides that Knott’s or Disney has, you can definitely spend an entire night exploring the park. It’s a fun, fresh breath of air to people who are tired of the same Halloween events every year.
Halloween Horror Nights will continue October 20, 21, 27, 28 and 31. Tickets range from $34 to $49 and can be purchased in the Student Union at the ticket counter.
