If you’re like me, and all you do is sit around and watch horror movies, then chances are that you consider yourself “not easily scared.” You can watch any movie no matter the amount of gore, jump scares, or monsters in the film and even respect the effort that goes into each scene. However, to really see if I have the courage that I believe I do, I traveled to Orlando so that I could attend Halloween Horror Nights, an event dedicated to scaring the most unscareable people. 

Every year, Universal Studios celebrates Halloween by turning their park into a fear-infested land filled with scare zones, themed haunted houses, intense amounts of fog, and eerie music that ties it all together. The themes of 2021 included Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Haunting of Hill House, Bride of Frankenstein, Beetlejuice, HHN Icons, Welcome to Scarey, Case Files Unearthed, The Wicked Growth, Puppet Theater, and Revenge of the Tooth Fairy. Even though some of these houses were a bit out of the ordinary, they nevertheless were able to scare anyone who dared to enter. 

When I first arrived, I was so excited and couldn’t wait to get scared. My first house was Bride of Frankenstein, which was cool, but I can’t say that at any point I felt scared. But, I still had high hopes for the rest of the night.

Next, I went to Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and while I was still doing ok, the house itself was very impressive and I appreciated the jump scares I encountered while walking through. Right after that, I did both HHN Icons (which celebrates the original Horror Nights monsters) and Revenge of the Tooth Fairy, both very fun to look at but still I felt no fear. 

Then, after a bit of a walk, I entered Welcome to Scarey and if I’m being honest, it wasn’t my favorite. But, after doing the Wicked Pumpkin Growth house, my spirits were revived. That house was decorated amazingly and with pumpkins lit up everywhere, it went past my expectations. Puppet Theatre followed, featuring something new that I wasn’t expecting: smells. Each section in the house came with a new smell, from roses to makeup to popcorn. Even with having done over half the houses, I wasn’t scared once. But, there was still time, so I didn’t lose hope.

The last two houses were the ones I was most excited for: Beetlejuice and Hill House. They were both pieces of films I loved to watch and couldn’t wait to see how Universal was going to execute them. First was Hill House and I was so excited to see my favorite characters throughout the house. Knowing why they put certain things and what was happening made me feel happy, because it allowed me to enjoy what was happening while I was walking. However, I know what you think I’m about to say… and you’re right. I wasn’t scared! 

Then came Beetlejuice, and this house truly was something. It started off with a spinning room that made me feel like I couldn’t walk straight, and then led you into various rooms with a new Beetlejuice in each one. Now, this house wasn’t made to be scary and it wasn’t, but that’s what I loved about it. You were able to enjoy the house for itself and not worry about a scare actor popping out from behind a wall for the hundredth time. 

Overall, I loved this year’s Halloween Horror Nights, even without being scared. It was more than enough to watch my friends yell every couple of seconds while in a house because someone jumped out covered in blood again. Going through the scare zones filled with the actors was an adventure. Every turn was filled with another scare, and I enjoyed the unpredictability. 

I would give this experience a 9/10, and if you think you can handle the fear, go out to Orlando and see the transformed park for yourself… if you dare.