{"id":401357,"date":"2026-09-16T10:08:15","date_gmt":"2026-09-16T10:08:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/401357\/"},"modified":"2026-09-16T10:08:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T10:08:15","slug":"35-years-in-halloween-horror-nights-brings-feels-flavors-fear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/401357\/","title":{"rendered":"35 years in, Halloween Horror Nights brings feels, flavors, fear"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019ve been attending Universal Orlando\u2019s Halloween Horror Nights<\/a> since long before I started writing about it.<\/p>\n

I have memories of ducking into Revenge of the Mummy for an impromptu ride when the inevitable downpours of the September season struck.<\/p>\n

I remember telling my companion (not a coaster fan) that Revenge of the Mummy was \u201cjust a dark ride\u201d to get him in line, as he balked at the monitors showing clips of folks on the ride.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat looks like a roller coaster,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not,\u201d I reassured him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis really seems like a roller coaster,\u201d he said, navigating the lap bar into place.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, it\u2019s kind of a coaster, but it\u2019s not like there are inversions or anything,\u201d I said. \u201cWait \u2019til you see the scarabs!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ThoughThough I miss the days of Halloween Horror Nights’ naughty nurses with their blood bag beverages and syringe “shots,” I can still enjoy the strategic blackouts on the Mel’s Drive-In sign every year. (Courtesy Lisa Wilk\/TasteCookSip.com)<\/p>\n

Thunder boomed ominously outside.<\/p>\n

\u201cSee?!\u201d I said, gleeful. \u201cWe\u2019re not getting wet!\u201d<\/p>\n

It was glorious. For me, anyway.<\/p>\n

But he lived. We took selfies with pharaoh hats and headbands in the gift shop.<\/p>\n

I recall with fondness the naughty nurses hawking boozy blood bags and syringe shots. I miss them.<\/p>\n

And on more than one occasion, cry-laughing, \u201cJackass\u201d-style, as the park\u2019s most dedicated chainsaw clowns scared guests so effectively that they actually fell down. Or, even better, knocked *other* people down trying to get away.<\/p>\n

If you were a fan of the \u201cBill & Ted\u201d show era, you\u2019re laughing along with me. I miss that, too.<\/p>\n

First look, eek and ick: Halloween Horror Nights 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

I still have a favorite house: 2009\u2019s \u201cSilver Screams,\u201d and its gorgeous vintage theater facade. Inside: vignettes repping films classic and contemporary, \u201cPhantom of the Opera\u201d and \u201cShaun of the Dead\u201d among them.<\/p>\n

In fact, I was so enthralled walking through The Pit sequence in the \u201cArmy of Darkness\u201d section that the scareactor playing Ash jump-scared me better than any other, before or since.<\/p>\n

Good times.<\/p>\n

And so last week, as I strode through the streets of San Francisco, appropriately foggy after the rain, I had a weird epiphany. I haven\u2019t missed a HHN in ages, and yet, it felt like I had forgotten how much I love it.<\/p>\n

\"NoNo surprise, the Ozzy-themed Prince of Darkness cake (carrot cake with cream cheese mousse, coated in black ganache with a chocolate bat) has been a runaway hit this year. (Courtesy Lisa Wilk\/TasteCookSip.com)<\/p>\n

Maybe it was all the Ozzy shirts from tours long past, worn by fans who\u2019d come to pay tribute to the late rocker via the Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness house. Maybe it was the house vibe at Club Horror. More likely, it was the chocolate bat I\u2019d blissfully decapitated before falling headlong into the sugar-rimmed Ultimate Sin-amon cocktail.<\/p>\n

There have been a multitude of unexpected stamps on my bingo card this year. To this, we can add enjoying a batched, bright-red, cinnamon whiskey drink at a theme park \u2014 especially in a souvenir cup that doesn\u2019t light up.<\/p>\n

I miss the light-up cups even more than I miss the nurses.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Ultimate Sin-Amon and Black Rain cocktails from the Ozzy bar. The latter features Cazadores Caf\u00e9 tequila, ruby port, cold brew, and cold foam. (Courtesy Lisa Wilk\/TasteCookSip.com)<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t take anyone on the food and beverage team to task over this, though. Especially not Jens Dahlmann, vice president and executive chef of culinary operations at Universal Orlando Resort, leader of the visionaries who bring such foodie festivity to the paper boats and themed containers that so delight guests.<\/p>\n

In fact, the goodies we\u2019re tasting this year began taking shape more or less when the 2025 season wrapped up.<\/p>\n

\"II fully expected to enjoy biting chocolate bats at this year’s Halloween Horror Nights. But a cinnamon whiskey-based batch cocktail? An entirely delightful surprise. (Courtesy Lisa Wilk\/TasteCookSip.com)<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s every year,\u201d says Dahlmann. \u201cBut especially in 2026, because we are celebrating 35 years of Halloween Horror Nights. We kind of had to step it up a little bit more, and in partnership with our entertainment and operations partners, we\u2019ve dreamed up a very craveable, scary, delicious feast. Lots of treats for our guests.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCraveable,\u201d in fact, comes up more than once as Dahlmann and I go through the rundown of goodies, whether subtly or obviously themed.<\/p>\n

I can never taste everything, but I went with a mental checklist \u2014 plates that grabbed me visually, ingredients that naturally drew me. And I\u2019m never beyond taking recommendations from the man with the stamp of approval in his hand or from the guests\u2019 top-picks roster.<\/p>\n

\"EvilEvil Dead: Burn inspired lots of spicy eats. The Lasagna Burn pot stickers were among my favorite festival bites. The layered Szechuan-style pork dumplings come topped with chili crisp. It’s ample, delicious and fantastic for chasing cocktails as you roam the park. (Courtesy Lisa Wilk\/TasteCookSip.com)<\/p>\n

It was one of Dahlmann\u2019s own favorites this year that I\u2019d dig into first, and likely the one I\u2019d place at the top of my sample stack: the pot-stickers lasagna, a contained-yet-fiery feast that came courtesy of this year\u2019s \u201cEvil Dead: Burn\u201d house.<\/p>\n

This one clocks in at $10.99, but with three hefty, ground pork-stuffed dumplings, I felt wonderfully stuffed, too \u2014 and it\u2019s just what the doctor ordered if you plan on consuming alcohol as you cavort.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just love dumplings,\u201d says Dahlmann. \u201cAnd love Szechuan-style cuisine, so this one is right up my alley.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mine, too.<\/p>\n

The \u201clasagna\u201d distinction comes from the layering of these delicate but ample wontons. A smattering of chili crisp on top fulfills the promise of the burn.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Hellraiser-inspired Pinhead’s Skin & Meatballs (torn pasta with spicy pork and beef chunks in marinara) sounds less appealing than it looks. (Courtesy Lisa Wilk\/TasteCookSip.com)<\/p>\n

\u201cHellraiser\u201d hit theaters when I was 17, an impressionable age for burgeoning horror fans to absorb its insane practical effects and body horror. It was my favorite house this year (nostalgia for the win!), and though I didn\u2019t partake of Pinhead\u2019s Skin & Meatballs dish ($11.99), it\u2019s one that delivers the camp it should.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis one was definitely pushing the boundaries a little bit,\u201d Dahlmann laughs, noting that the most horror-centric foodies will appreciate it. \u201cIt\u2019s an intense house. They\u2019re tearing the skin, the flesh, from the bones, and so we kind of went deep. It might be too much for some guests.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"El'sEl’s Battery Jerky draws its inspiration from “Stranger Things,” Season 5. A themed can recharges Halloween Horror Nights goers with mac and cheese and battery-sized hunks of beef jerky. There’s garlic bread at the bottom. (Courtesy Lisa Wilk\/TasteCookSip.com)<\/p>\n

It looks pretty good, actually. If you don\u2019t think about the inspiration too much.<\/p>\n

\u201cTorn pasta sheets are blanched to a very soft texture,\u201d he explains. \u201cIt sort of mimics skin. And then we pair it with housemade spicy meatballs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ozzy fans were out in droves, paying respect to the legendary metal monster who passed away in July of 2025. The tributes run deep park-wide. Food and beverage is no exception.<\/p>\n

The Prince of Darkness cake has been about as alive on social media as it gets, with fans and influencers doing what comes naturally: biting the head off the chocolate bat that tops this delicate pastry.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Ozzy Osbourne pairing: Prince of Darkness cake with Ultimate Sin-amon cocktail. (Courtesy Lisa Wilk\/TasteCookSip.com)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a carrot cake,\u201d Dahlmann explains. \u201cThough to look at it you wouldn\u2019t know. Carrot cake, cream cheese mousse icing that\u2019s very fluffy, and it\u2019s coated in a dark chocolate shell.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dahlmann said the team did their research.<\/p>\n

\u201cCarrot cake was one of Ozzy\u2019s favorites,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not sure what Osbourne would think of the Ultimate Sin-amon cocktail I so enjoyed, but never in a million years expected to, but the theming at his bar was pretty spectacular.<\/p>\n

Drinks here go for between $10 and $19. My companion enjoyed the cold-brew-centric Black Rain as we headed back toward the Stranger Things-themed fare, stopping for shots for the couple for good measure.<\/p>\n

\"RememberRemember the Eggo waffles El was obsessed with back in Season 1 of “Stranger Things?” They’re back this year as the Upside Down Chicken & Waffles, a more sophisticated take. (Courtesy Lisa Wilk\/TasteCookSip.com)<\/p>\n

The lines said this franchise is still super viable. And that the F&B team knows what guests want.<\/p>\n

El\u2019s Battery Jerky ($16.99) comes in a cool souvenir can, inspired by the snack that Hopper hands off near the start of the final season, while the Upside Down Chicken & Waffles are an evolution of the Eggos young El enjoyed in Season 1.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was small then,\u201d Dahlmann says. \u201cBut now, she\u2019s a teenager, so the dish \u2014 it\u2019s a potato and cheese waffle with crispy chicken pieces \u2014 got a little more grown up, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dahlmann says the Battery Jerky (mac and cheese studded with battery-sized bits of beef jerky) is the hero item at the kiosk, though.<\/p>\n

\"Annie'sAnnie’s Juke Joint Catfish & Grits, another solid plate from the Sinners booth. It’s paired with the Slide-Guitar Smash, which features corn whiskey as its foundation. (Courtesy Lisa Wilk\/TasteCookSip.com)<\/p>\n

As an Oscar-winner, \u201cSinners\u201d almost needed to inspire its own winner menu items. They staked it hard, I am happy to report.<\/p>\n

Annie\u2019s Juke Joint Catfish & Grits ($11.99) and its adorable tiny Tabasco bottle, Chow\u2019s Southern BBQ Eggrolls ($10.99) and the Pecan & Whiskey Bread Pudding and its crunchy flake-salt dusting ($8.99 and an unlikely hit for walking around in the humidity) all smashed it.<\/p>\n

Ideal for mop-up and for fueling us to go another three houses.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bread pudding is probably the most popular dessert this year,\u201d Dahlmann said, though I\u2019d venture that the Meat Grinder Red Velvet, a gory confection if ever there were, is giving it a run for its money.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe massive Death By Cheese Stick was a newcomer last year but warrants a re-mention, as it’s still the number-one seller in 2026. Comes with spicy marinara and definitely big enough to share … and fortify. (Courtesy Lisa Wilk\/TasteCookSip.com)<\/p>\n

Last year\u2019s new kid on the block, the Death By Cheese Stick, is holding firm at No. 1 this year.<\/p>\n

The massive Death By Cheese Stick was a newcomer last year but warrants a re-mention, as it\u2019s still the number-one seller in 2026. Comes with spicy marinara and definitely big enough to share \u2026 and fortify.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re still king, but there are a couple of items on its heels,\u201d Dahlman says.<\/p>\n

\"MeatMeat Grinder Red Velvet: the name says it all. Disturbing, delicious and delightful for fans of Halloween Horror Nights’ gory, themed plates. It’s drizzled in raspberry “blood” and studded with puffed-rice “maggots.” Happy Halloween! (Courtesy Lisa Wilk\/TasteCookSip.com)<\/p>\n

We tried it, and it\u2019s easy to see why the hand-breaded log of a snack does well. It\u2019s pub food through a carny filter: walkable, shareable and, using Dahlmann\u2019s word of the season, craveable.<\/p>\n

And like so many other things at HHN: memorable.<\/p>\n

Find me on Facebook, TikTok, Twitter or Instagram\u00a0@amydroo<\/a>\u00a0or on the OSFoodie Instagram account\u00a0@orlando.foodie<\/a>. Email:\u00a0amthompson@orlandosentinel.com<\/a>, For more foodie fun, join the\u00a0Let\u2019s Eat, Orlando Facebook group<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Pictures: Halloween Horror Nights 35th anniversary at Universal Studios<\/a><\/p>\n

If you go<\/p>\n

Halloween Horror Nights, Universal Orlando\u2019s annual fright fest, will be held on select dates now through Nov. 1. Tickets: universalorlando.com\/hhn\/en\/us\/tickets<\/a><\/p>\n

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