Halloween Horror Nights (Orlando)

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Halloween Horror Nights is one of the largest Halloween events in the U.S., presented annually at Universal Orlando Resort.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Haunted Houses, Shows, and Scarezones 1.2 Event Icons 1.3 Islands of Adventure 1.4 Event Phrases 2 Fright Nights (1991) 3 II (1992) 4 III (1993) 5 IV (1994) 6 V: The Curse of the Cryptkeeper (1995) 7 VI: Journey Into Fear (1996) 8 VII: Frightmares (1997) 9 VIII: Primal Scream (1998) 10 IX: Last Gasp (1999) 11 X: You don't know Jack (2000) 12 XI: I.C.U. (2001) 13 XII: Islands of Fear (2002) 14 XIII: The Director will see you now. (2003) 15 XIV: What's Your Breaking Point? (2004) 16 XV: Tales of Terror (2005) 17 XVI: Sweet 16 (2006) 18 See Also 19 References 20 External links

[edit] History

Halloween Horror Nights began at Universal Orlando in 1991 under the title "Fright Nights" but was re-christened Halloween Horror Nights in 1992, advertising it as the "second annual." It began as a 3 night event but has since evolved into a 19-night scare-a-thon spanning late September through October 31. In the past, event nights took place on November 1 and 2, depending on the calendar days since Friday through Sunday were the prime event nights. An occasional Wednesday occurs during what scare-actors (the park's hired actors whose job is to scare people through a given role) dub "Hell Week", known for its large crowds and the increase of alcohol related incidents.

From 1991-2001, the event was held at Universal Studios Florida. Halloween Horror Nights moved to Universal's Islands of Adventure (IOA) in 2002. In 2004, the park experimented with a dual park format, which opened parts of both parks. Guests were funneled through backstage areas and the soundstages, where most of the haunts are built. In 2006, the event made a return to Universal Studios Florida.

Each year's event, though unique, has certain characteristics in common with other years. These include haunted houses, shows, scarezones, event icons, and event phrases.

[edit] Haunted Houses, Shows, and Scarezones

"Horror Nights" began in Orlando with one haunted maze and various musical and magic acts. That number has since grown to include seven houses, a new version of the Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure with each year and several new and imaginative set pieces.

The haunted houses are the signature attractions at the event. The houses are located in various places in the park, including soundstages, attraction queue lines, and sometimes in the attractions themselves. For example, the former Kongfrontation building, currently home to the Revenge of the Mummy, was actually used as a scarezone/party zone complete with live actors. Guests were allowed onto the previously closed floor of the attraction which was a re-creation of 1976, New York City. In 2005, Poseidon's Fury was converted into a haunted maze and remained closed during the day. The JAWS Attraction utilized actors for one event.

Scarezones are strips of the park redressed to appear ominous or threatening. Perhaps most intriguing is the use of an open space, and the tactics necessary to produce a scare in such an environment. The chainsaw has always been a staple, and scare-actors make use of the area around them with frightening result. Scarezones were first utilized during HHN IV.

Starting during HHN II and continuing since, the event has featured Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure, based on the characters from the movie. The park features at least one other show based on the theme of that year's event, such as "The Arrival" from 2006. The event also held the Festival of the Dead Parade annually, starting with HHN VI and continuing until the event moved to Islands of Adventure.

[edit] Event Icons

Halloween Horror Nights has amassed a slew of "icons"- characters with large back stories that have often involved the event's theme, houses, or scarezones. Predominantly they have been used for promotional materials and merchandise.

The first unofficial mascot was the Cryptkeeper, from TV's "Tales from the Crypt", a series popular at the time of his first event appearance: "HHN V: Curse of the Cryptkeeper"

The Cryptkeeper returned the next year, but didn't return after as the series had been cancelled. Universal would then begin to create and use original mascots starting with HHN X.

• Jack Schmidt - The first, original character developed by the creative team. Schmidt is an evil clown and mass murderer who spent years on the circuit of sideshows, luring small children and women to their deaths through his circus acts. His first appearance was for HHN X, although his first maze appearance was HHN XVI in "Psychoscarepy: Maximum Madness".
  

• Albert Caine - More commonly known as "The Caretaker", he was a surgeon turned mortuary owner who experimented on the sick or poor to steal their souls. His haunted mazes were "Screamhouse", "Screamhouse Revisited", and "Screamhouse Ressurection" from HHN XII, HHN XIII, and HHN XVI respectivly.
  

• Paulo Ravinski (Paolo back in HHN XII)- More commonly known as "The Director", he is a snuff film director whose passion was making movies where realism went beyond special effects. Commercials featuring the character and the tune "You Oughta Be in Pictures" were used to advertise HHN XIII. The Director could be found in the "All-Night DIE-In" maze, which returned for HHN XVI, and also hosted his own show for the event, Infestation.
  

• Elsa Strict - More commonly known as "The Storyteller", she is an old lady who introduced guests to the world of "Terra Cruentes", a whole world ruled by an evil monarch known as the Terra Queen. Not much was given to her in regards to back story, seeing as a conflict between the advertisement and creative staffs prevented her from seeing much attention beyond the promotional materials. She was seen murdering a young man in the television adverts through various ways, including a bed of nails, and in a stage show at HHN XVI, pulling out his tongue with clamps. She appeared in the "Dungeon of Terror Retold" maze at HHN XVI.
  

Unused Icons:

• Eddie Schmidt - Jack's chainsaw-wielding, horror movie-loving younger brother. He was meant to be used during the event in 2001, but was ultimately dropped due to the September 11, 2001 attacks, deemed to be too extreme at the time. He would later make appearances in 2004, as one of the four icons featured in Horror Nights Nightmares, and in 2006, as the main character of his own house, Run: Hostile Territory.
  

• Cindy Caine - The young, equally-insane daughter of The Caretaker. She was dropped from the 2002 event due to a rash of kidnappings and because the creative team thought she might have not gone well with the marketing side of HHN. The main theme for ScreamHouse: Resurrection during HHN XVI were the Caretakers' followers looking for Cindy. During HHN rehearsals, the followers would yell Cindy's name asking people if they had seen her, but producers dropped the idea on employee preview night when guests were confused as to who Cindy was.
  

[edit] Islands of Adventure

When the event moved to Islands of Adventure for HHN XII and the years after, new opportunities arose along with new complications. Every island of the park was to be converted into a scarezone with its own house. However, Seuss Landing is used with express permission from Audrey Geisel, widow of Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss), who approved of its construction and the attractions within and has rights over what occurs during the events. It is said that the park was restricted to simply darkening this section of the park and playing the music backwards. Strobe lights and fog were inserted in some sections, but under no circumstances could characters be seen in any ant-thetical manner. In fact, actors were strictly prohibited up until 2005, when the park put cloaked characters in the streets on Friday and Saturday nights only.

Marvel Superhero Island was first used as a scarezone in 2002. In its incarnation, "Island Under Siege" it would be taken over at night by the Marvel villains. The Superheroes were either dead or had been defeated, while Carnage, Scream, the Punisher, an army of chainsaw gangs and scarred police officers roamed the streets. Flamethrowers, broken-down cars, and junkyard debris littered the streets. The main attraction was "Maximum Carnage", Carnage's haunted maze. The island came under fire for its portrayal of the heroes. Props implying that well known superheroes had died upon them inside the Maximum Carnage attraction were used. The portrayal of villains was perhaps another. For whatever reason, Universal has not focused the island on its Marvel heroes since, and instead used the area as a generic cityscape with bikers, mutated residents of a toxic spill, and more innocuously, a party zone with stilt walkers dressed as Dracula and Frankenstein.

[edit] Event Phrases

Each year, except for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th, Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights has had its own unique subtitle and/or marketing slogan.

• Fright Nights - Dying for a good Halloween Party?
• HHN V - The Curse of the Crypt Keeper
• HHN VI - Journey into Fear
• HHN VII - Frightmares (You'll never sleep again)
• HHN VIII - Primal Scream (The last scream you'll ever hear)
• HHN IX - Last Gasp
• HHN X - Not afraid of the dark? You don't know Jack...
• HHN XI - I.C.U. / Jack's Back
• HHN XII - Islands of Fear (Your time has come.)
• HHN XIII - The Director will see you now.
• HHN XIV - What's your breaking point?
• HHN XV - Tales of Terror (No one will live happily ever after)
• HHN XVI - Sweet 16 (Horror comes home)

[edit] Fright Nights (1991)

Fright Nights started Halloween Horror Nights off. The event featured only one haunted house, but many shows special to it.

Houses^[1]

• Dungeon of Terror (Jaws Queue) - Travel through a roadside haunt of gore and terror.

Shows

• Beetlejuice Dead in Concert! Featuring the Ghostbusters! (New York Library)
• Chainsaw Massacre (New York Streets)
• Dr. Death (New York Streets)
• The Human Pincushion (New York Streets)
• Magical Mania (New York Streets)
• Madame Kuszel - Gypsy Fortune Teller (New York Streets)
• Cobra Woman (New York Streets)
• Dragon Breath (New York Streets)
• Starshower (Hollywood)
• Paul Revere & the Raiders (Hollywood)
• Monster Mardi Gras Costume Contest (Hollywood)
• Prince Dragon (Amity)
• Iron Belly (San Francisco)
• Dr. Frankenstein's Theater Featuring Mistress of the Night, Frankenstein and Dracula (Beetlejuice Stage)
• The Human Impaler (San Francisco)
• The Gravediggers (World Expo)
• The Pendragons (Animal Actors Stage)
• Universal Science Band (World Expo)
• Beetlejuice Graveyard Tours (World Expo)

[edit] II (1992)

Halloween Horror Nights II featured the introduction of two staples of the event: Robosaurus (at least for the early years) and Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure. Although this event was named the second, the original was not Halloween Horror Nights, but Fright Nights. During this event some of Universal's rides and attractions were given scarier names and back stories to go along with the theming.

Horror-fied Attraction^[2]

• Tramway of Doom (Kongfrontation) - Darkman haunts New York.
• Terror Underground (Earthquake) - A blood-filled tour.
• Voyage into the Unknown (Back to the Future) - A deadly voyage.
• Alien Forest (E.T. Adventure) - Escape from a ghoulish forest to an alien world.

Haunted Houses

• Dungeon of Terror (Jaws Queue) - A cast of ghouls haunt the halls of this dungeon.
• The People Under the Stairs (Soundstage 23) - A trip through a cryptic movie set.

Shows

• Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (Wild West Stage)
• Robosaurus (New York Streets)
• Carnival of Horror (Hollywood) - A one-night costume contest.
• Thunderdome (Hollywood Streets) - An evil army and its barbaric queen terrorize guests.
• The Pendragons (Animal Actor's Stage) - A magical act by this team of illusionists.

[edit] III (1993)

Haunted Houses^[3]

• The Slaughterhouse (Nazarman's) - A blood-filled house.
• The Psycho Path Maze (Bates Motel) - Enter into the Bates Motel and relive the horror.
• The People Under the Stairs (Soundstage 23) - A haunted house where the walls are alive.

Shows

• Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure II (Wild West Stage)
• Robosaurus (New York Streets)
• Hex-Maniacs (New York Streets) - A magical show featuring illusions, including a cremation.
• Human Blockhead (San Francisco)
• Crossbows of Death
• Burn and Bury (Animal Actor's Stage) - Traveling burial show.
• Rock Inferno Featuring Herb Williams and Gibraltar (Hollywood) - Ghouls dancing and rocking out the night.

[edit] IV (1994)

Halloween Horror Nights IV marked the first use of a scarezone at Halloween Horror Nights. The scarezone was created to centralize the scareactors to create better scares and safer environments. This marked the last time Robosaurus would appear at the event for twelve years.

Haunted Houses^[4]

• The Bone Yard (Boneyard) - Guests enter the catacombs of an excavated insane asylum.
• Dungeon of Terror (Earthquake) - The guests are poised to become the newest victims of the dungeon.
• The Psycho Path Maze (Bates Motel) - Guests check in to the Bates Motel, but may leave like Mrs. Bates.
• Hell's Kitchen (Nazarman's) - Guests are chased by demonic butchers.

Scarezones

• Horrorwood (Hollywood) - This centralized scarezone featured the Chainsaw Drill Team, The Lizzie Borden Band and Axe Corps, and many others.

Shows

• Bill and Ted Meet Timecop (Wild West Stage)
• The Devil and His Showgirls (New York Streets) - A satanic musical revue.
• The Price is Fright (Animal Actor's Stage) - Beetlejuice hosts the wildest game show in the world.
• Robosaurus (New York Streets) - The monstrous machine.

[edit] V: The Curse of the Cryptkeeper (1995)

Halloween Horror Nights V marked the first use of an icon at Halloween Horror Nights: The Cryptkeeper. The Cryptkeeper added a new sense of horror to the Dungeon of Terror.

Haunted Houses^[5]

• Cryptkeeper's Dungeon of Terror (Earthquake queue) - In a maze with no escape, guests are posed to become the next victims.
• Universal's House of Horrors (Soundstage 23) - Guests meet Hollywood's horror film legends which are back from the grave.
• Terror Underground: Transit to Torment (Nazarman's) - A journey through the subways of New York with creatures of the underground.

Scarezones

• Midway of the Bizarre (Amity) - A ghoulish carnival.
• Horrorwood Blvd (Hollywood) - Scareactors abound.

Shows

• Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure IV (Wild West Stage)
• Rock of Ages (New York Library) - A rock-and-roll revue with crypt jams.
• The Price is Fright (Animal Actor's Stage) - Beetlejuice hosts the wildest game show in the world.

[edit] VI: Journey Into Fear (1996)

Halloween Horror Nights VI marked the return of the Cryptkeeper, the icon from 1995. The Cryptkeeper's house was his Studio Tour of Terror

Haunted Houses^[6]

• The Cryptkeeper's Studio Tour of Terror (Earthquake queue) - The Cryptkeeper leads guests through a monster-filled studio tour.
• Universal's New House of Horrors (Soundstage 22) - A wax museum where the exhibits of Universal's classic monsters comes to life after a lightning strike.
• Toy Hell: Nightmare at the Scream Factory (Nazarman's) - An abandoned toy factory where the toys are alive.

Scarezones

• Midway of the Bizarre (Amity) - Sideshow acts, games, and a ghoulish carnival dominate this area.

Shows

• The Cryptkeeper's Festival of the Dead Parade
• Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (Wild West Stage)
• Welcome to My Nightmare (Hollywood)
• Ticks, Treats, and Trances (Animal Actor's Stage)

[edit] VII: Frightmares (1997)

Haunted Houses^[7]

• Tombs of Terror (Earthquake queue) - A journey into a New Orleans cemetery with vampires, mutants, and maniacs with chainsaws.
• Universal's Museum of Horror (Soundstage 22) - A museum where Universal's monsters come to life.
• Hotel Hell (Nazarman's) - A trendy New York hotel, which is home to ghosts, phantoms and demented staff members.

Scarezones

• Midway of the Bizarre (Amity) - Sideshow acts, games, and knife-wielding clowns dominate this area.

Shows

• Festival of the Dead Parade
• Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure VI: The Final Frontier (Wild West Stage)
• Frightmares (New York Streets) - Ghouls and monsters in a rock-and-roll revue.
• Abra-Cadaver (Animal Actor's Stage) - Evil magicians take volunteers from the audience for their demented acts.

[edit] VIII: Primal Scream (1998)

Haunted Houses^[8]

• Hell's High (Nazarman's) - A trip through a high school where a slasher film is being shot. However, when filming stopped, the villains kept going.
• S.S. Frightanic (Earthquake queue)
  • Fear in First Class - An exploration of the staterooms and ballrooms, haunted by former passengers.
  • Carnage Crew - An exploration of the bowels of the ship and its crew.
• Museum of Horror (Soundstage 23)
  • Chamber of Horrors - Guests meet famous Universal movie monsters like Dracula and The Wolf Man.
  • Unnatural History - Museum exhibit where present-day horror films come to life.

Scarezones

• Midway of the Bizarre (Amity) - Sideshow acts and haunted games populate this area.

Shows

• Festival of the Dead Parade - Annual parade showcasing the event.
• Horrorpalooza - A musical review with characters from horror films.
• Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure: Dial "E" for Excellent! (Wild West Stage) - Follow the pair through movies and television shows.

[edit] IX: Last Gasp (1999)

Haunted Houses^[9]

• Psycho... Through the Mind of Norman Bates (Soundstage 23) - Experience the chillingly violent images that torment Norman's soul. For heavens sake, DON'T GO IN THE SHOWER!
• Insanity (Soundstage 23) - Revenge-crazed inmates are running the asylum!
• Universal's Creature Features in 3-D (Nazarman's) - Put on your 3-D glasses, as some of Hollywood's worst nightmares literally jump off the screen of a neighborhood movie theater at Florida's first ever 3-D haunted maze.
• The Mummy (Earthquake Queue) - Navigate the depths of a mysterious Egyptian tomb and face ancient priests who want to make you a permanent resident.
• Doomsday (Earthquake Queue) - Go on a journey through the warped underground of New York City as the impending arrival of the Millennium brings out the worst in the city that never sleeps.

Scarezones

• Midway of the Bizarre (Amity)

Shows

• The Festival of the Dead Parade
• Dead D'Illusions (Animal Actors Stage)
• Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (Wild West Stage)

[edit] X: You don't know Jack (2000)

Halloween Horror Nights X was the first of the events to feature an original icon. Jack, the evil clown took over for the event and part of the theming was based on his character, including a haunted carnival and a scarezone taken over by clowns. Jack's house for the event was Anxiety in 3-D.

Haunted Houses

• Anxiety in 3-D (Soundstage 22) - Enter the 3-D virtual reality of The House That Jack Built, and find yourself trapped in a malfunctioning 3-D video game.
• Total Chaos (Soundstage 22) - Wander through a top secret underground military base where captured aliens are on the loose and thirsting for blood.
• The Fearhouse (Nazarman's) - Try and make your way through a carnival where mirrored hallways, darkened corridors and hideous creatures make your escape unlikely.
• Universal Classic Monster Mania (Earthquake Queue) - Experience "reel" terror as classic movie monsters are transformed into hideously gruesome and grotesque abominations.
• Dark Torment (Earthquake Queue) - After riding Earthquake, you'll descend to the labyrinths of a nightmarish underworld where hordes of evil demons torment you at every turn.

Scarezones

• The Gauntlet (Boneyard)
• Midway of Dr. Morose (Amity)
• Apocalypse Island (New York)
• Clown Attack (Hollywood)

Shows

• The Festival of the Dead Parade
• Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (Wild West Stage)
• Jacked Up (Animal Actors Stage)

[edit] XI: I.C.U. (2001)

Halloween Horror Nights XI was a touchy event. Coming so close after the September 11 terrorist attacks on the US, Universal hurried to change the event to tone it down so it would be for accepting among the society at that time. Therefore the original mascot "Eddie" was scrapped at last minute. He was Jack's demented evil brother who led mass gangs of chainsaws, which explains the extreme amount of chainsaws during HHN XI. Eddie was replaced by the return of Jack. Taglines such as "Jack's Back" and “There's no more clowning around," were used. Anything graphic or violent was scrapped from the event, displaying no blood or gore. Names were changed left and right, everything from The Festival of the Dead Parade to the names of houses. Some original titles (which may still sound familiar) included "Bloodbath Underground" as what we knew as "Ooze Zone," modifications included red lighting being changed to green. "Scary Tales" was originally named "Terror Land," could you imagine a house at Islands of Fear named "Terror Land II?" "Nightmare Alley" was originally titled "Slasher Alley," and the most obvious change would be the Festival of the Dead Parade being renamed as "Nightmares on Parade."*^[10]

Haunted Houses^[11]

• Scary Tales (Soundstage 22) - Enter an abandoned carnival attraction and find yourself in a nightmarish fairy tale world where there's never a happy ending.
• Pitch Black (Soundstage 22) - A mysterious zone of darkness has appeared causing weird disturbances. It's up to you to investigate... if you dare.
• Superstitions (Nazarman's) - Explore a hidden warehouse filled with ancient relics and urban legends that will have you believing in the supernatural.
• The Mummy Returns: The Curse Continues (Earthquake Queue) - Based on the hit movie! Venture through a maze of tomblike corridors and dark caverns in the Temple of the Scorpion King, where danger lurks around every corner.
• Run (Earthquake Queue) - Become a guest contestant in a diabolical new game where there are no questions, no prizes, and only one rule - try to escape without losing your mind.

Scarezones

• Midway of the Bizarre (Amity)
• The Unknown (Sunset Blvd.)
• Nightmare Alley (8th Ave.)

Shows

• Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (Wild West Stage)
• Dangerous D'Illusions (Animal Actors Stage)
• Nightmares on Parade
• Boogeymen (Pantages Theater)

[edit] XII: Islands of Fear (2002)

In 2002, the event was moved from the Universal Studios park to its adjacent sister park, Islands of Adventure. The year's mazes revolved around the imaginations of Dr. Albert Caine, also known as The Caretaker. Dr. Caine would lure his victims to his Victorian Manor (Scream House) to operate on them and find their soul. HHN XII was documented in the Travel Channel special "The Art of the Scare" , produced by Lightship Entertainment. It documented the mazes, special effects, and the overall feel of the event. It airs anually during October.

The Caretaker was not the original icon for HHN XII. Cindy, the demented little daughter of mortuary owner Paul Bearer, was originally the icon of the event. In the event's premise, every land would be ruled over by her "playthings"- Spider-man's nemesis Carnage, Nightmare, the Treaks and Foons, and The Grinch. Unfortunately, after a string of child abductions in the area, Cindy was abandoned and her father Paul Bearer morphed into Albert Caine. Caine was portrayed by actor Bryce Ward for publicity and television appearances, and an elaborate Opening Scare-a-monies which featured a victim being tortured by snakes and scorpions.

Although Cindy was not used, some of the ideas for the event, created around her character, were used. Every island in the park consisted of a scarezone. Guests entered in the Port of Evil (Port of Entry) where the Caretaker's minions greeted them and his victims were chosen in the Town Square of Tortured Souls (Port of Entry). The Treaks and Foons (Toon Lagoon), originally an idea for Cindy's character, were playful cartoonish characters that worked in pairs to team up on guests to create scares. Boo-Ville (Seuss Landing) was a land of darkness and strange music among the rest of the islands. The Island of Evil Souls (Lost Continent) was a land where ghostly creatures roamed. In JP Extinction (Jurassic Park) the dinosaurs have taken over and roam free. Finally, in Island Under Siege (Marvel Super Hero Island) the superheroes have been defeated and gangs of villains run free in the streets.

In the Caretaker's Victorian mortuary, ScreamHouse (Soundstage 20), his victims haunt guests who may soon become permanent residents. In Project Evilution (Triceratops Discovery Trail), a genetic experiment has gone wrong as human-dinosaur hybrids roam the jungle. Scary Tales II (Popeye Queue) brought guests into the pages of the most evil fairy tales ever told. In Fear Factor (Thunder Falls Terrace) guests enter into a maze of the television show where they moved through the darkness in rooms of insects, snakes, rats, and more. And finally, in Maximum Carnage (Carnage Warehouse), guests entered into Carnage's secret hideout with his gang of insane criminals ready to destroy everything in their paths.^[12]

Other attractions included:

Shows

• Town Square of Tortured Souls (Port of Entry)
• Fountain of Evil (Lost Continent)
• Studio 666 (Lost Continent)
• Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (Toon Lagoon Amphitheater)

[edit] XIII: The Director will see you now. (2003)

For its 13th year, the event's theme was based on the evil mind of the Director, a film creator who often did short snuff films in which his victims died on camera. The mazes were all "sets", and the Director himself hosted his own stage show, Infestation (Enchanted Oak Room), where guests were invited up on stage to live out their fears of creatures.. The event's commercials featured a cover of the song You Oughta Be in Pictures.

As with HHN XII, the scarezones were featured in each of Islands of Adventures themed lands. The Port of Evil (Port of Entry) served as a gathering point for guests to enter into the Director's world. Immortal Island (Lost Continent) was the battleground of the Ice and Fire Demons and their minions. Boo-Ville (Seuss Landing) was a darkened world where all the creatures are locked in doors. In Night Prey (Jurassic Park) intelligent creatures stalked guests through a tropical island. In Hide & Shrieeek! (Toon Lagoon) the cartoons came alive in a world of insanity. Finally, in Toxic City (Marvel Super Hero Island) guests walked through a quarantined city where toxic waste spilled onto the streets and mutated creatures lived.

The Director appeared in All Nite DrIvE-In (Soundstage 20), where he welcomed guests through the drive in theatre into the house from Halloween, Camp Crystal Lake from Friday the 13th, Hell's Furnace from A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Leatherface's kithcen from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. In ScreamHouse Revisited (Soundstage 20), guests enter the Caretaker's Victorian manor once again, where his victims try to make sure they never leave. In Psycho Scareapy (Jurassic Park Discovery Center), guests entered into Shady Broook asylum, where the inmates quash any hope of escape. In Jungle of Doom (Triceratops Discovery Trail/Camp Jurassic) bloodthirsty zombies chased guests after trespassing on the Burial Ground of Lost Souls. Funhouse of Fear (Thunder Falls Terrace) was a maze of optical illusions and maniacal clowns with no exit. Finally, Ship of Screams (Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Barges Queue) was an aging cruise liner whose decks were manned by a crew of ghosts.

Other attractions included:

Shows

• Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (Toon Lagoon Amphitheater)

[edit] XIV: What's Your Breaking Point? (2004)

2004 was the first time since 1999 that the event didn't have an icon. Universal pushed for the event to take place in a condensed form in both parks. Portions of the parks were closed with only some attractions operating. The parks became so crowded, that Universal opened designated closed sections on Saturdays and Sundays to alleviate crowd control, and began inserting actors throughout IOA to fill the dead space.

Guests entered the event through the Point of Evil (Port of Entry at IOA). At Islands of Adventure guests were able to visit Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (Toon Lagoon Amphitheatre) and Disorientorium (Carnage Warehouse) where the lines between sanity and madness were blurred.

Two paths were open between the parks, each through a Scarezone: Field of Screams (Backstage behind Seuss Landing), a cornfield where scarecrows and other creatures come to life, and Fright Yard (Backstage path between Lost Continent and New York), an abandoned freight yard with scares behind every crate. These two scarezones formed a path past the soundstages which held the majority of the mazes: Castle Vampyr (Soundstage 23) a gothic castle filled with vampires, Ghost Town (Soundstage 22) where the inhabitants of Lightning Gulch died but still haunt the town, Horror in Wax (Soundstage 20) an abandoned wax museum filled with creatures from Universal Studios' past, and Hellgate Prison (Soundstage 20) a prison whose inmates are rioting and the warden is ready to execute.

The final two mazes, another scarezone, and The Festival of the Dead Parade were in Universal Studios. In Deadtropolis (Earthquake Queue), guests make their way through a zombie-infested city, while in Halloween Horror Night Nightmares (Former Hercules/Xena Showcase) the former icons and Eddie terrorized guests. The final scarezone was Midway of the Bizarre ( The Former Boneyard) a creepy carvinal of oddities.

[edit] XV: Tales of Terror (2005)

2005 was an important year for Halloween Horror Nights. Universal tied the event with an elaborate back story of how the land was ruled by an evil queen, and how each land worked for her. The story wove through each house and scarezone and depicted the roles of the various actors and how they worked for the queen.

As it went, the land of Terra Cruentus was a dark realm of middle-earthian and modern mythos. Guests entered through Terra Guard Run (Port of Entry at IOA), which was a melting pot of the people of Terra Cruentus. Characters from every island were featured, scaring guests as they entered. The Queen herself was a dictator who rode a motorcycle featuring wings and the head of a wolf/bull hybrid. She ruled from her Terra Throne (Port of Entry Landing), a twisted tree forged of blood and steel by the hard workers of the Cemetery Mines who are in Gorewood Forest (Jurassic Park). Her source of power was a blade, called the Terra Throne Blade, which was used during human sacrifices, which were needed to satisfy her and continue her rule over the land. The blade was forged in the Fire Pits (Lost Continent). The bodies of these sacrifices were given to the Body Collectors (Jurassic Park Discovery Center), who took them apart and kept only what could be salvaged. While the workers worked, the children of Terra Cruentus terrorized the Skool (Thunder Falls Terrace), especially around the Season of the Queen, a time of ritual in Terra Cruentus. While most of the realms worked, the realm of Iron Bone Gorge a.k.a. Blood Thunder Alley (Marvel Superhero Island) roared to life with passionate vice, as the demons inhabiting the world lured guests to celebrate the resurrection of the queen through drinking of the Bloodberry Wine and escaping to the local Demon Cantina (Carnage Warehouse), where guests could be terrorized by the vampiric assailants who drank there. Beyond "Maldakken Pass" (an area of vendors and derelict props) lay the "tests" of fear: Blood Ruins (Soundstage 22), Where Evil Hides (Soundstages 18 and 19), and Cold Blind Terror (Soundstage 20).

Each night of the event planted actors were brought up to the Terra Throne and sacrificed to the queen. Their blood was made into Blood Berry Wine. The actors were mutilated via special effects such as fake chainsaws and swords. If the crowd was not into it that night, actors were occasionally let go. Some guests panicked thinking it was real and asked the actors if they were "ok". On the final night the Terra Queen sacrificed herself.

The newest special effect introduced at HHN XV was a new "helmet" technology. For the Terror Mines (Poseidon's Fury) haunted maze, every 10th guest was given a hard hat with a light on it. As the guest and his group proceeded through the maze, the light would go out, change colors, strobe or stay normal. Sensors throughout the maze would designate what effect took place.

On busy peak nights, a portion of Universal Studios Florida was open for event-goers, which included a special chain link fence maze called Rat Run. On a platform above the maze stood Jack the Clown, heckling guests as they made their way through.

Other attractions included:

Scarezones

• North Hollow (Toon Lagoon)
• South Hollow (Peak-only Seuss Landing)

Shows

• Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure - (Toon Lagoon Amphitheater)

[edit] XVI: Sweet 16 (2006)

After four years at Islands of Adventure, the event returned to Universal Studios Florida for "Sweet 16". The 2005 Horror Nights website was removed and updated with a teaser page on July 1, 2006. On July 10, the official 2006 Horror Nights site went live. The official press release of the event was made on September 1, 2006. The site was fully updated the same day, revealing the complete roster of houses, scarezones, and shows.

The mazes represented what are said to be the greatest houses in the event's history. Many fans worried this idea was a cost effective way of just rebuilding past houses, however with the addition of subtitles to each house's names, Universal Creative signified that these would be revamped versions with new characters, new effects, and possibly a whole new look. Previous icons such as The Storyteller, the Director, the Caretaker and Jack the Clown have returned for the year's event by making appearances in the mazes. Also returning were characters such as Eddie and Darkness, along with the Chainsaw Drill Team, a staple of earlier Horror Nights. The Drill Team acts like a military unit as opposed to recent years where chainsaw scare-actors wandered through specific areas of the park separately.

The icons were all brought back from hell in The Arrival (Hollywood) by Darkness and his minions in order to take part in the event. The were all a part of Sweet 16: The Director's Cut (Studio Lagoon), where they discussed horror movies of the past. The Caretaker returned with his Victorian Manor mortuary in ScreamHouse: Resurrection (Soundstage 23), with the tormented souls of his victims. Jack was incarcerated in Shady Brook Hospital in PsychoScareapy: Maximum Madness (Soundstage 22), where he tried to incite a patient rebellion. The Director returned in his All Nite DrIvE-In: Take 2 (Soundstage 23), where he welcomed guests into his own sadistic version of four movies: Scream, Hellraiser, The Ring, and The Silence of the Lambs. The Storyteller appeared in Dungeon of Terror: Retold (Jaws Queue), where her whispers called guests deeper into hell. Other classic mazes to return were: RUN: Hostile Territory (Earthquake Queue), where Eddie and his gang terrorized the voyeurs of a torture house, People Under the Stairs: Under Construction (Left Tent in World Showcase), a demented house whose incomplete walls bleed, and Psycho-Path: Return of Norman Bates (Right Tent in World Showcase), a journey through the mind and nightmares of Norman Bates.

The Scarezones in the event revisited mazes and scarezones of HHN XIV. In Deadtropolis: Zombie Siege (New York), Zombies fought the military and their weapon Robosaurus for control over the city streets. Blood Masquerade (8th Avenue), an homage to Castle Vampyr, was overrun by vampires looking for new blood. Finally Harvest of the Souls (Sunset Blvd), an homage to Field of Screams, brought scarecrows, goblins and soul harvesters to life.

Other attractions included:

• Horror Comes Home (Hollywood) - An homage to creatures from past events as guests entered into the park.
• Bill and Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure (Fear Factor LIVE! theater)
• Chainsaw Drill Team (Touring the rear half of the park between Back to the Future and Beetlejuice, passing MIB and Jaws)
• The Rat Lady (With accompanying band)

[edit] See Also

• Halloween Horror Nights (Hollywood)
• Universal Studios Florida
• Islands of Adventure

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Halloween Horror Nights Official Site
• Universal Orlando Resort Official Site
• HHNVault - A comprehensive HHN Orlando fan site with complete history and photos, and a forum.