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Art the Clown and Jason Voorhees stalk Halloween Horror Nights

- WORDS: DARREN SCOTT

SPOOKY SEASON IS JUST DAYS away for the world's number one Halloween event, when Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights opens those gothic gates for its 34th year.

This year's Orlando lineup includes 10 haunted houses, four scare zones, two street entertainment areas, two live shows, a horror nightclub themed around a witches coven at Universal Citywalk and Halloween offerings at all resort hotels. Deep breath - there's also a tribute store that's bigger than ever before, a new series of podcasts, Halloween-inspired food, daytime “lights on” house tours and that’s still not all.

"A lot has changed this year - you're gonna feel it in the scare zones and all around the park. It's more immersive," Lora Sauls, one of the creative team at Universal, tells Red Alert about the afterhours event that transforms the theme park. "Our houses have upped their game in technology, but this year you're going to feel Halloween everywhere you go."

Sauls notes they'll be including additional street entertainment, including zombie carhops at a diner (“Two will be on roller skates!”); enhanced fog, scenic and lighting effects; roaming chainsaw hordes; and characters where people may not expect them. Oh, and a party zone called "Club Horror" with a DJ and dancers in full macabre makeup.

"We're really trying to ramp up what we have in the scare zones, we're really trying to impact the entire park."

In addition to five original houses - each worthy of its own movie - this year sees five recognisable franchises taking centre stage: Fallout, based on the videogame-inspired Prime Video series; the Blumhouse film of Five Nights At Freddy's; WWE Presents: The Horrors Of The Wyatt Sicks; Terrifier; and Jason Universe.