A definitive guide on the top houses at Halloween Horror Nights 2017

Before I get to my list I want to give a couple tips. Pre-purchase your tickets. Especially closer to Halloween they get more difficult to come by — they are significantly cheaper online than at the door. In addition, get there on time if not early. If you are one of the first in line to get into the park, you can often score a first position in line at some of the higher wait time houses. They are incredibly strict about line cutting and underage drinking, so don’t even try. It is the fastest way to get kicked out without a refund.

Also, huge shout-out to the guys who gave us their express passes before they left. It made this article possible. You all are the real MVPs.

#5: HIVE

Not only does this vampire-themed house generally have a shorter wait time, it is a relatively long jump-scare-filled adventure. Though it is not the most visually appealing house at the event, it still has Buffy the Vampire Slayer style vampires jumping out at you through windows, corners and even the ceiling. It is a great warm-up to start the night with. It isn’t the spookiest, but it's certainly a thrilling ride.

#4: The Horrors of Blumhouse

If you are a fan of Insidious, Sinister or the Purge franchise, you will likely love this studio-themed house. Much of the props and scenes in this house are quite visually satisfying, but focus on those too much and you’ll be jump scared by chainsaw-wielding purgers. This is probably the bloodiest house this year, so if you are squeamish it certainly isn’t for you.

#3: The Trick or Treat Scare Zone

For those of you who are new to this, Scare Zones are walk through patches of the park that are often necessary to go through in order to get to houses or rides. Most of them are simply visually cool, and if the costumed fiends notice you are scared they will attempt to further startle you. However the Trick or Treat zone is simply a step beyond the others. The massive trees are filled with glowing pumpkins — it's a beautiful and a visual masterpiece. Stare up too long, however, and you’ll be startled by a bloody child or zombie princess. I don’t get spooked particularly easy yet I got caught staring down the blade of a three-foot-tall child with a knife three inches from my stomach. Suffice it to say, I let out a “motherf*cker” shrill and jumped two feet back into my friend.

#2: Scarecrow, The Reaping

If you are looking for the best jump scares in the whole park, this is by far the house you are searching for. Scarecrow is the newest edition to the few original Universal houses, and they have outdone themselves. With a cast of over 25 scarecrow-garbed individuals, the jump scares never stop. Scarecrow is set in an abandoned depression-era farm, and even the long line for the ride is set in a cornfield. This cornfield continues into the house — creating a claustrophobic path where the scarecrows can jump out from anywhere rather than pre-selected, predictable holes in the wall. Your heart rate never drops, and it all culminates in a dash across an open area while being chased by dozens of scarecrows. Not only is this house just terrifying, the costumes, scenery and unpredictable mayhem cause it to be the biggest adrenaline rush you’ll have the whole night.

#1: The Shining

While you might stand in line for two or more hours for this house, I would argue it is well worth it. Even if you have never seen the movies, this house is an artistic replica that makes you feel trapped inside the iconic hotel. The set and props are likely the most detailed in the entire park, so visually this house takes the cake. However, I think what made this house truly excellent is it’s rhythm. It allows you to take in the scenery and then shocks you. Next, it lets you settle, watch the psychologically horrific visuals and then WHAM — an axe murderer slams down right behind you. It repeats this process of up and down that plays with your expectations and adrenaline, making it a truly excellent haunted house.

A Couple of Other Notes:

Many of the other Universal attractions are still open, so you can take a break from horror to crush your comrades in Men in Black: Alien Attack, or enjoy the Rockin’ Roller Coaster. Sometimes a decrease in pace is exactly what you need after intense houses.

Unless you are a huge fan of the franchises, don’t waste your time with the SAW house or the Ash vs Evil dead house. Neither are particularly scary, and they don’t succeed at anything else either. SAW is just a gory display of people being mauled by various fake-looking traps. It additionally has a shrill scream track that gave me a headache two minutes in. Ash vs. Evil dead is based on a comedy/horror Starz TV show, and fans have hotly anticipated the house adaption. Unfortunately it neither delivers on being funny or scary, with predictable jumps and actors who don’t nearly play up the comedy enough.

Halloween Horror Nights is open until November 4th, and it is definitely worth every penny to go with your friends. It is also the perfect distance to drive to and from Gainesville for a day trip.