Are you ready to relive the most wicked top 10 Halloween Horror Nights scare zones of all time in Orlando?
Another HHN season has risen with the sun and is gracing us with fantastic scares, immersive and fantastical storytelling, and ultimately a great time full of memories for all who come.
Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando is renowned for its amazing houses, whether it be IP-based or original.
Over the past 30-plus years, thousands have come and explored what Universal Creative has cooked up for us.
But today, I decided to give the scare zones some well-deserved and twisted adoration.
We will not only be talking about Halloween Horror Nights scare zones but the top 10 of all time, for now!
Here I will touch on their backstories, their debut years, and what makes them favorites for the HHN community.
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10. Purge: Anarchy (2014)
Starting off strong with Purge: Anarchy, this scare zone debuted in the New York section during Halloween Horror Nights 24.
It was based on The Purge, which came out in 2013, but mainly focused on its sequel of the same name, which debuted in 2014 to tie in.
Why We Love This as The Top Halloween Horror Nights Scare Zones
The scare zone featured both purge participants and victims. Within the zone, you could see Big Daddy and his minions, smiling mask purgers, fox mask girl, cat mask purger, and the old elegant woman and gentleman.
While the movie wasn’t considered a success and technically takes place in the greater Los Angeles area, this scare zone would go on to win scare zone of the year.
Mostly due to its phenomenal scare actors and truly realistic scares.
It was dark, chaotic, and twisted.
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9. Lights, Camera, Hacktion: Eddie’s Revenge (2021)
One of the great pieces of lore from Halloween Horror Nights that was very little explored up until recent years, was Eddie. Eddie is Jack the clown’s brother who was left behind in a part of Jack’s story.
This scare zone was featured during Halloween Horror Nights 30, which was an anniversary year that was delayed by one year due to the global pandemic.
It served as a “Best of Scare Zones” and “Eddie” highlight scare zone.
It’s a sequel scare zone to “Lights, Camera, Hacktion” which debuted in 2009. It was located in the Hollywood section of the park near the entrance to the park.
Why We Love This as The Top Halloween Horror Nights Scare Zones
In this scare zone, we have the return of Eddie, who is making a motion picture of his very own!
However, the catch is that the monsters are very real that we encounter. Creatures from HHN past are here to make their big screen debut.
Scare zones of the past are represented in the zone including:
- Treaks and Foons
- Fractured Tales
- Saws n Steam
- Fear Revealed
- The Coven
- Grown Evil
- The Legions of Horror
- MASKerade: Unstitched
- Vamp ’55
- Dead Man’s Wharf
- Cheersaws
- Invasion
- Scary Tales: Deadly Ever After
- Vamp ’85
- Twisted Tradition
- Chainsaw Carnies
- Vanity Ball
- Vikings Undead
A few from this zone will make their appearance on our personal list later on.
This zone was popular due to the fact that it brought back classic favorites from HHN past. It would end up winning Scare Zone of the Year after its run.
8. Vamp ’85: New Year’s Eve (2018)
A cult favorite over the years has been the Vamp scare zones for Halloween Horror Nights.
There have been a few versions of this scare zone, cultivated over different time periods.
Vamp scare zones are beloved due to the creativity of embracing the time periods in which they take place, the immersive set pieces, and the fantastic scare actors.
Vamp ’85 especially has been remembered as a good scare zone, located in the New York section of the park.
This scare zone is a sequel to “Vamp ’55”, which debuted in 2016. The story features vampires ringing in the New Year on the evening of December 31, 1984.
There was a whole story that encompassed Vamp ’55 and ’85 by Blake Braswell called “Getting Ready for the Party.”
Why We Love This as The Top Halloween Horror Nights Scare Zones
The zone featured vampires dressed up as punks, metal heads, material girls, and lookalikes including Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury.
Every 20 minutes the ball would drop and the vampires would proceed to chase guests walking through.
What made it extra special was the Vamp DJ spinning top hits of the era! Surprisingly, this one did not win Scare Zone of the Year.
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7. Sweet Revenge (2022)
This zone comes from 2022 during last year’s Halloween Horror Nights event and left quite a fun impression on everyone.
Visitors loved its backstory and tie-in to the event as a whole and Tribute Store.
The zone was located in New York and focused around an evil candy maker who turned all the children of Hollow Hills in 1954 into crazed killers with his sweets.
The candy maker owned Major Sweets Candy Company and the horror takes place during the town’s annual Halloween party parade.
Why We Love This as The Top Halloween Horror Nights Scare Zones
The children drooled chocolate as they attacked everyone in their paths. Meanwhile, the parade crashed all about the streets with guests having to make their way through the chaos.
The zone featured 3 parade floats, Major Sweets’ van, and various show moments. The scare actors featured the children and victims warning you not to eat the candy.
Amongst the scare actors included Major Sweets and Miss Treats who would occasionally orchestrate the chaos and Mayor and his daughter presenting the key to Major Sweets, with a twist surprise.
Many of the floats were reused from Mardi Gras event floats and some of Major Sweets candy could be purchased in the tribute store.
And visitors found this scare zone’s actors really creepy and creative along with the show moments on the floats and on the ground.
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6. Graveyard: Deadly Unrest (2022)
Another zone from Halloween Horror Nights 31 is Graveyard: Deadly Unrest.
It was said that a dark storm descended upon a cemetery and awakened sleeping spirits. Unfortunately, there’s no escape for the living.
The zone would be the winner of the Scare Zone of the Year Award. It was very popular due to its eerie scare actors and their costumes and beautiful set pieces.
Many pieces were repurposed from previous houses and scare zones.
Why We Love This as The Top Halloween Horror Nights Scare Zones
Guests would enter the Hollywood area, or the Nettlewoods Cemetery which sits abandoned.
It features two main characters, Death and Sleep, who are brothers. They would stand guard at the gate as guests worked their way through the deep darkness of mausoleums and tombstones.
The entrancing scare actors, most popular being the ghost twins, truly and ironically brought the zone to life!
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5. Vanity Ball (2019)
Vanity Ball was particularly beloved at Halloween Horror Nights 29 by everyone!
This zone, located in the Hollywood area, is where mutilation was considered beauty. Blade-wielding artists sliced and diced willing participants into startling living works of art.
Going under the knife in this zone took on a brand new meaning!
Here guests would find rival plastic surgeons Dr. Plasmare and Dr. Metamorph, along with hosts Madame and Maestro as participants put on the show of their lives.
Fashion is key and beauty is pain as they are always looking for new parts and works of art.
Why We Love This as The Top Halloween Horror Nights Scare Zones
You would find people going from the operating table straight to the runway at one end of the scare zone.
While the less desirable were left on the outskirts, occasionally crashing the runway.
The show was known for its queer representation undertones, replicating some ballroom culture and the hosts speaking of inclusivity and acceptance that reflected the community.
4. Vamp ’55 (2016)
Of course, the original Vamp scare zone would make an appearance on our list. The one that started it all!
Located in the Hollywood area, we find ourselves at Hollywood High School’s 1955 homecoming parade.
It gets crashed by some fanged greasers who turn the place upside down. For similar reasons mentioned for its sequel, Vamp ’85, it was a very popular scare zone.
Why We Love This as The Top Halloween Horror Nights Scare Zones
It replicated aspects of the era very well with its fun set pieces and music. Its story ties in with Blake Braswell’s “Getting Ready for the Party” with thrilling detail.
Vampire scare actors included :
- School girls
- Ice cream man
- Cheerleaders
- School boy
- Principal
- Homecoming queens and princesses
- Jocks
- Popular girl
- Teacher
- Bowling team member
- School band
- Greasers and bikers
- School nurse
This zone would be later featured in “Lights, Camera, Hacktion: Eddie’s Revenge” for Halloween Horror Nights 30.
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3. Asylum in Wonderland (2008)
This zone ties in with the 2008 icon for Halloween Horror Nights, Bloody Mary. This would be her version of the classic tale “Alice in Wonderland.
Guests would take a really rough trip through the insane mind of Alice. The zone would unofficially tie in with the Scary Tales house.
It was located in the Hollywood area and would eventually get its own house in 2015 called “Asylum in Wonderland 3D.”
The story takes place in Fear’s Realm called “The Mirror” where Bloody Mary would perform “Fear Therapy.” Characters from the story had peeked into the mirror and essentially gone thoroughly mad.
Why We Love This as The Top Halloween Horror Nights Scare Zones
Alice was based on Disney’s version and lucky guests could see Bloody Mary in the mirror when the lights flashed.
There was more than one version of the white rabbit as well including one with rotten teeth and one with some blood on their teeth.
You could find others like the Mad Hatter, the Caterpillar, the Tweedles, the Queen, and the checkerboard pieces.
It is said that the costumes and show moments, along with the icon tie-in and twist to the story are what truly made this zone popular for guests.
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2. Trick r Treat (2017)
Located in Central Park, this is still one of the most talked about scare zones of Halloween Horror Nights.
It’s also one of the few Intellectual Properties (IP) featured on this list, besides number 1, making it seem to this writer that guests prefer more originals than IPs.
However, this zone would go on to win Scare Zone of the Year in 2017 and come back as a full haunted house in 2018, due to its immense popularity.
Universal Creative worked with Michael Dougherty and Legendary Pictures to bring this cult classic anthology film to life at Halloween Horror Nights 27.
450 hand-carved pumpkins filled the Central Park trees and front porches from various characters from the film were featured.
This included Emma and Henry’s Mrs. Henderson and Rhonda’s houses in which scare actors also interacted with them from here.
Why We Love This as The Top Halloween Horror Nights Scare Zones
You would come across a pumpkin patch with a fire-breathing giant pumpkin head, Halloween decorations strewn about, and Sam statues, making it unclear who the real ones were.
Many scare actors played characters from the film and the zone is praised for its set designs and scare actor interactions.
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1. Killer Klowns from Outer Space (2018)
Following up, Trick r Treat as a scare zone, which would later become a house in its own right a year later, is not an easy feat to accomplish.
Yet Killer Klowns managed to not only do it but follow up with their own house a year later as well!
At Halloween Horror Nights 28, featured on South Street guests would come across the Terenzi Bros or the “Killer Klowns” from the film of the same name.
The film itself is a cult classic and made plenty of sense to eventually come to the event for horror fans and horror film lovers.
Why We Love This as The Top Halloween Horror Nights Scare Zones
The interstellar circus lands itself on the streets of USF and the invasion has begun.
Guests stepped right into the Big Top, where otherwordly clowns craft sweet treats not made of cotton candy, but of a human variety.
The joke was always on you in this circus of fear. If it wasn’t clear, the clowns are murderous aliens!
The film was considered a cult classic due to its kooky yet frightful nature which set them apart from scary clown films like “IT.”
Guests really enjoyed how wacky, delightful, and immersive the sets and scare actors were, making you feel as though you were right in the midst of the film.
Almost every clown was featured that was in the film and it would definitely walk out of the zone with a favorite!
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My Final Thoughts on The Scare Zones at Halloween Horror Nights
With many Halloween Horror Nights years ahead of us, we have rounded out our list of best scare zones ever, for now anyway!
Whether it was an original crafted by the incomparable Universal Creative or a team-up with some great Hollywood creatives, guests have found some truly beloved scare zones.
Some of which have spawned sequel zones, have returned for anniversary years, and have even become houses!
We can only imagine what is in store for us!
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Until next time, Happy Park Hopping Hipsters!
About the Author
Victoria is a professional solo traveler here to make your solo trips as stress free AND enjoyable as possible for you.
She has over 5 years of Disney and Non-Disney travel experience and was featured by POPSUGAR as one of the Top 50 Black Disney Creators you should follow.
She is a Proud Native to Baltimore, Md but always will call Disney World home. You can find her at Disney Tea with V.