Today Universal Orlando Announced the dates for Halloween Horror Nights 2020
Running on 39 select nights from September 10th to October 31st, Halloween Horror Nights returns in 2020. This run will feature reduced length but only marginally shorter amount of actual event dates. (Due to Halloween falling on a Saturday). The run length will feature more Wednesday night dates from the events second week with the opening weekend starting on a Thursday. Universal have in recent years added extra dates during the event. Check out the calendar below.
The 30th anniversary year will feature the following according to Universal’s press release.
On the heels of this year’s wildly-popular event, Universal Orlando Resort has revealed the dates for Halloween Horror Nights 2020 – the 30th anniversary of the world’s premier Halloween event. All-new scares, plus re-imagined haunts inspired by the past, will invade Universal Studios Florida for 39 select nights from Thursday, September 10 – Saturday, October 31, 2020.
Universal also state similarly to 2019, the event will include 10 haunted houses, 5 scare zones and live entertainment.
Re-imagined haunts inspired by the past…
The fact that 2020 is the 30th year of Halloween Horror Nights and the press release states that some houses will be re-imagined for the event means we could be seeing a similar set up to Halloween Horror Nights 25 in 2015. The first ever icon Jack the Clown returned after 4 years without an icon for the event and fan favorite houses returned with a twist.
The main anniversary house for the event was Jack Presents: 25 Years of Monsters & Mayhem.
This house featured fan favorite scenes and characters from the previous 25 years of the event, though the main scenes focused on the last 10 years. Some of the previous houses featured in mega house were:
- The Hallow (2008)
- Scary Tales: Once Upon a Nightmare (2008)
- The Forsaken (2011)
- Screamhouse (2002)
- Dead End (2012)
- Legendary Truth: The Wyandot Estate (2010)
- Universal’s House of Horrors (2012)
- Castle Vampyr (2004)
- Gothic (2012)
- Nightingales: Blood Prey (2011)
- Havoc: Dogs of War (2010)
- Psychoscareapy: Home for the Holidays (2007)
- Leave it to Cleaver (2009)
As you can see from this most of the houses were fairly recent favorites.
Other re-imagined returning houses featured at the 25th event were a mashup between the Body Collectors visiting the Shadybrook Asylum in Body Collectors: Recollections. RUN: Blood Sweat and Fears was last at the event in 2006 but had a new story line. For the first time ever at the event in 2015 was a complete copy of a fan favorite house almost scene for scene. An American Werewolf in London won house of the year in 2013 and the creatives brought it back for 25 due to its popularity.
The scare zones also featured throwbacks to previous years in Scary Tales: Steampunk, All Nite Die in Double Feature and a previous Icons scare zone. For a more in-depth look take a look at the Horror Nights wiki.
Based on the 25th anniversary format what could we see at Horror Nights 30?
If there were to be another anniversary house what scenes would you like to see in a mega house?
If we rule out American Horror Story, The Walking Dead and Stranger Things lets take a look at what we think the most popular houses there have been since 2012. (2012 was the latest a house featured in the 25th anniversary house)
2013 – HHN 23
Most popular by far was American Werewolf in London, with Cabin in The woods also being popular. American Werewolf in London probably wont return for the 30th though.
House Line Up-
- The Cabin in the Woods (Soundstage 21)
- Resident Evil: Escape from Raccoon City (Soundstage 21)
- An American Werewolf in London (Soundstage 22)
- Evil Dead (Soundstage 24)
- Havoc: Derailed (Disaster! Queue)
- Urban Legends: La Llorona (Sprung Tent 1)
- Afterlife: Death’s Vengeance (Sprung Tent 2)
- The Walking Dead: No Safe Haven (Parade Warehouse)
2014 – HHN 24
This year Halloween took the most popular IP with Giggles & Gore and Dollhouse of the Damned being the favored originals.
- From Dusk Till Dawn (Soundstage 22)
- The Walking Dead: The End of the Line (Soundstage 25)
- AVP: Alien vs. Predator (Soundstage 24)
- Dracula Untold: Reign of Blood (Soundstage 24)
- Giggles & Gore Inc. (Disaster! Queue)
- Dollhouse of the Damned (Sprung Tent 1)
- Halloween (Sprung Tent 2)
- Roanoke: Cannibal Colony (Parade Warehouse)
2015 – HHN 25th Anniversary
This year by far the most popular was the Monsters & Mayhem house. This is why we think another house will feature like this at the 30th. Insidious was a great house as well as Freddy vs Jason. Due to Warner Brothers attempting to do their own haunt it remains to be seen whether we could have this back for the 30th.
- Jack Presents: 25 Years of Monsters & Mayhem (Soundstage 21)
- An American Werewolf in London (Soundstage 22)
- Freddy vs. Jason (Soundstage 24)
- Body Collectors: Recollections (Soundstage 24)
- RUN: Blood, Sweat and Fears (Disaster! Queue)
- The Purge (Sprung Tent 1)
- Insidious (Sprung Tent 2)
- The Walking Dead: The Living and the Dead (Parade Warehouse)
- Asylum in Wonderland 3D (Shrek Theater)
2016- HHN 26
American Horror Story was the hit house of the year, now owned by Disney it’s unlikely this house would return for 2020. The Exorcist, Halloween and Krampus were all popular IP’s. The anniversary house in 2015 only featured original houses apart from the Universal Monsters.
- American Horror Story (Soundstage 19)
- The Exorcist (Soundstage 22)
- Ghost Town: The Curse of Lightning Gulch (Soundstage 24)
- The Walking Dead (Soundstage 24)
- Lunatic’s Playground 3D: You Won’t Stand a Chance (MIB Tent)
- Tomb of the Ancients (Sprung Tent 1)
- The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Sprung Tent 2)
- Halloween: Hell Comes to Haddonfield (Parade Warehouse)
- Krampus (Shrek Theater)
2017 – HHN 27
American Horror Story was again the most popular house this year. SAW was a greatest hits of the movies house and also featured long lines. On the original front, Scarecrow: The Reaping won house of the year and was massively popular. The Hive was a last minute addition due to an IP failing to reach an agreement. Dead Waters was a beautiful house but quite short.
- American Horror Story: Volume 2 (Soundstage 21)
- The Shining (Soundstage 22)
- Ash Vs. Evil Dead (Parade Warehouse)
- SAW: The Games of Jigsaw (Shrek Theater)
- The Horrors of Blumhouse (MIB Tent)
- Hive (Sprung Tent 2)
- Dead Waters (Soundstage 24)
- Scarecrow: The Reaping (Sprung Tent 1)
- The Fallen (Soundstage 24)
2018 – HHN 28
Stranger Things was regularly seen with the longest lines this year but the best house was Poltergeist. Slaughter Sinema and Dead Exposure were incredibly popular IP’s for different reasons.
- Stranger Things (Soundstage 22)
- Dead Exposure: Patient Zero (Sprung Tent 1)
- Trick ‘r Treat (Parade Warehouse)
- Slaughter Sinema (Sprung Tent 2)
- Carnival Graveyard: Rust in Pieces (Soundstage 24)
- Seeds of Extinction (Second Parade Warehouse)
- Poltergeist (Soundstage 25)
- Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (Shrek Theater)
- The Horrors of Blumhouse (MIB Tent)
- Scary Tales: Deadly Ever After (Soundstage 24)
Out of the houses from 2012 to 2018 what do you think would make a good house in 2020? A mashup of some of the originals in an anniversary house? The return of the Icons? A mega Stranger Things house featuring seasons 1,2 and 3?
It should also be noted that in 2005 the Icon Terra Queen was sacrificed on the final night of the event with rumors that she would return every 15 years. Horror Night’s 2020 falls on that 15 year cycle… Could we see the Terra Queen return? Stick with us for more updates as we get them.
We personally think Scarecrow: The Reaping should return in some form as well as our favorite Jack The Clown for another season of Fear.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Be sure to check out the first of our two part review of Horror Nights 29 here.
We will see you next time.
