Here is the ranking of haunted houses for Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights 2024

ORLANDO, Florida. – Halloween Horror Nights 33 has taken over the Universal Orlando Resort and brings with it 10 haunted houses, five horror zones and a live show.

While fans can expect to be confronted with plenty of angst, some houses deserve praise for the humor they display.

Below you'll find short and concise reviews and my official house rating based on horror, creativity, and memorability.

10. The Museum: Deadly Exhibits

Summary: “They decide to visit the Folklore Museum's new exhibition, 'The Rotting Stone,' when something evil escapes from within, destroying everything in its path.”

Review: A night in this museum takes a morbid turn thanks to the latest exhibition expansion. I found the museum staff provided the most fright, as opposed to the inanimate objects possessed by an ancient artifact. I'd say the most creative moment comes from the surprises hidden in some of the walls. Overall, though, it was the least memorable house of the series for me.

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9. Large candy factory

Summary: “You have been invited to chaperone a trip to a candy factory. But this sweet trip soon turns into a fiasco when the children are turned into candy-coated killers with sharpened candies by free samples.”

Review: This house was one I had marked on my list of expected houses. If you're familiar with the “Sweet Revenge” scare zone that appeared in HHN 31, this house is the prequel. The house had a “how the sausage is made” vibe to me, only with candy. As mentioned in the description, the guests play the chaperones in a candy factory where the children are poisoned and then become murderers. There's a lot going on, and while the plot hits many of your senses (the smell of sugar cookies when you first walk in), it was a sugar overdose. I recommend looking for the guest-activated trigger, aka the big red button, which is a guest-activated device.

8. Monstruos: The Monsters of Latin America

Summary: “Beware! With La Muerte as your guide, you will beg for mercy from these three fearsome monsters: the bloodsucking Tlahuelpuchi, the owl-faced witch La Lechuza, and the bone-tearing El Silbón.”

Review: It was a hit at Universal Studios Hollywood last year. The only way to make it even bigger and better was to bring it to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando. To stay true to the Latin American theme, the dialogue in the house is in Spanish. There were some scary aspects, particularly the giant La Lechuza, which I'm told is the largest animatronic ever used. Monstruous was the last house of the night, and the one before it was my favorite overall, so in a way it wasn't fair that Monstruous followed.

7. A quiet place

Summary: “If you make a noise, you won't last long. Monstrous creatures will hunt you as the world of the first two films comes to terrifying life..”

Review: The sci-fi horror film was groundbreaking, particularly in its use of silence and sound to tell the story of the Abbott family navigating a post-apocalyptic world. Overall, Universal did a good job of incorporating these elements throughout the house, including the use of American Sign Language. You hear the creatures, but don't know how close they are lurking. The sound of an occasional baby crying, rushing water, even a white noise. It was almost pitch black upon entering, and although the darkness is used to amplify sound, the overall experience was too gloomy and made it hard to make out the ghosts. I found the humans provided more scares than the aliens.

6. Triplets of Terror

Summary: “You're invited to the Barmy triplets' birthday party. But beware, they're celebrating by reenacting their family's murders. Prepare yourself for a bloody meeting.”

Review: Harmony, Junior and Melody are celebrating their birthday party. The story begins with guests entering the Barmy family's house on March 3, 1984, where the triplets have just slaughtered their family during their ninth birthday party. Then the house jumps to the present day in 2024, where the triplets are out for blood again. This house has a good, spooky vibe and is by far the bloodiest house at the event this year.

5. Goblin Festival

Summary: “Visit a goblin village where hordes of bloodthirsty goblins, orcs, hobgoblins and witches would gladly eat you for dinner.”

Review: This theme was developed by a long-time member of Universal's creative team, but was shelved for a long time – until now. Leprechauns of all shapes and sizes gather for a Thanksgiving-like feast. In a series of haunted houses that are mostly slashers, I liked a dose of fantasy. You really get that feeling when you go inside and mythical Irish folk music plays. Overall, I found this house more amusing than scary.

4. Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodline

Summary: “All female. All fearless. All deadly.”

Embark on an epic battle as Saskia Van Helsing and the Bride of Frankenstein face off against Dracula's daughter and her monstrous experts.

Review: It's a girls' fight on a girls' night. Led by an all-female cast of classic Universal monsters, this house had a ton of good jump scares. On one side you have the hunter and on the other the hunted. Who will survive? Pay close attention to the end of the walkthrough to find out. I was impressed by the amount of jump scares in this house. I can't help but think that part of the reason for this house is to get us even more in the mood and get us talking about Dark Universe at Epic Universe.

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3. Battle film 2

Summary: “If you're in the mood for a B-movie horror marathon, head to the Carey Drive-in. Scream your way through scenes from monster movies, grindhouse gore, spaghetti westerns and more.”

Review: We love movie sequels and haunted house sequels too. Guests who know Slaughter Sinema from Halloween Horror Nights 28 will have a blast here. Similar to a regular movie theater experience, guests start at the snack bar and then see scenes from various B-movies, including a not-so-merry Santa from Killer Kringles and Heavy Metal Hell 3-D featuring a skeletal metal figure with a bright pink mohawk. The best moment happens in the strip club, trust me. I give this film the title of Best Original House of Halloween Horror Nights 2024.

2. Insidious: What’s Next

Summary: “Enter The Further, for demons seek to trap you. The red-faced demon will lure you into his lair. KeyFace will solve your fears. And more.”

Review: If you have to wait in that line for a long time, be aware that you're in for the longest tour of the row of houses. Universal has revived the Insidious franchise and this house gets five stars for scares as each room features quality haunted stories from residents of the Further. I didn't even have a good interaction with the red-faced demon like I had hoped, but the room full of mannequins (some alive, some not) certainly left an unsettling feeling.

1. Ghostbusters: The Ice Cold Empire

Summary: “An ancient artifact has released a terrifying new creature, Garraka. He will freeze you. Only the Ghostbusters can stop you from being frozen.”

Review: As a Ghostbusters fan, the question wasn't “if” I'd like this house, but “how much?” – similar to the “Ghostbusters” house from Halloween Horror Nights 29. While I like the latest installment in the series, I didn't like it nearly as much as this haunted house the film is based on. It's advisable to watch the film beforehand, as it accurately portrays the sequence of events of “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.” I loved learning lesser-known facts about some of the props, including the Ecto-1 used, as it's one of only 25 in the world. Some Ghostbusters purists might be offended to learn that it had to be cut in half. Either way, this house is Poltergeist perfection, and fans will enjoy throwbacks to previous films, including a little season of evil.

Click here for a complete guide to Halloween Horror Nights 2024 including ticket information, dates, shows and scare zones.

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