This is not a drill, Universal Studios Hollywood officially dropped their 2025 Halloween Horror Nights tickets, today! If you’re wondering which ticket is right for you, I am gently qualified to point you in the right direction. As a lover of Halloween, a frequenter of haunts, and someone that’s spent way too much of her savings at HHN, allow me to walk you through your ticket choices and the pros/cons.
Special note friends, the amount of people that visit Universal HHN in a single night is more than you would hope. There are not enough mazes, scare zones, and rides to keep this number of people busy, so no matter how you plan your night there will be some long lines ahead, especially on weekend nights and especially as you get closer to Halloween.
Halloween Horror Nights General Admission
Tickets starting at $77
This is your standard ticket. You get into the park when it opens and you wait in the line everyone waits in, aka the long line. This is the ticket I bought for years and would still make it on every maze once in a single night, usually a Saturday, BUT TIMES HAVE CHANGED.
Pros
-It is way more affordable than every other option
-You can literally go twice and it’s still cheaper than express
Cons
-These days, you may not get on every maze in a single night
-Maze lines can be as long as 2+ hours
-Friday and Saturday nights are guaranteed misery
-The closer you get to October, the closer you get to disappointment
Takeaway
You can still take the more affordable option, but mentally prepare yourself for some waiting. I cannot recommend enough to go early in the season and avoid Fridays and Saturdays. There will still be some waiting ahead, but everything is probably doable in a single night.
Halloween Horror Nights
Universal Express
Tickets starting at $229
This was a treat back in the day. This ticket gets you in the express line for every maze once. Me and my little express pass were straight to the front of the line passes back in the day, but fam once again, TIMES HAVE CHANGED.
My bestie and I got our express passes two years ago thinking we were fancy and while some lines were maybe a 15 minute wait, others were 40 minutes …or even more *insert sob emoji*. It is a tough pill to swallow when $200+ dollars doesn’t buy a more elevated experience, but see above for crowds.
Pros
-This isn’t the general admission line, so waits will be shorter
-You will likely get on all of the mazes in one night, even the busy nights, if you are willing to stay til close
Cons
-As stated above, this is not the “VIP” experience it used to be and lines can get surprisingly long
-You only get to use the express line once, so if you have a fav you want to walk through again, to the general admission line with ye
-Much like all of the tickets, crowds will be busiest Friday and Saturday nights and it gets busier the closer you get to Halloween, so your best bet is a Wed/Thur/Sun in September
Takeaway
If you can swing it, this is your best “cheaper” option (I say that with so much sarcasm). This is still so much money, but it’s a lot cheaper than the RIP tour and if you’re only going for one night, I wouldn’t recommend general admission, especially as you get closer to end of October.
Halloween Horror Nights
Universal Express Unlimited
Tickets starting at $269
Basically see above for Universal Express, but you get to access all of the express lines as many times as you want. You pay extra to avoid the “once per maze” express access.
Halloween Horror Nights
R.I.P. Tour
Tickets starting at $419
As our favorite baddie Parker Posey once say a la Victoria Ratliff, “I just don’t think at this age I’m meant to live an uncomfortable life,” and that is how I felt the one time I experienced the RIP tour. Express line exschmesh line, your tour guide walks you directly to the front. The only down side is not having enough time to take a picture in front of the maze because the line is so short.
Pros
-Literally everything
-Legitimate front of the line access to every maze/ride during the tour
-Front of the line access to every maze/ride AFTER your tour (just keep flashing that badge baby)
-A personal trolley that drives you to some of the further distance mazes
-All you can eat buffet and desserts
-A VIP waiting area at the front of the park while your group arrives
-Free water bottles throughout
-A tour guide to take you the quickest routes, give you so many fun facts, and genuinely enhance the experience
-VIP seating for the bar and food area above Jurassic World
-VIP seating for The Purge: Dangerous Waters
Cons
-Your entire savings, an arm and a leg, and your first born
-You are on someone else’s schedule, and while I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing, you can’t double down on certain mazes you like in the moment because you have to follow the group
After 2 pm
After 2 pm Day/Night tickets starting at $117
or
After 2 pm Day/Night Universal Express $299
True to its name, you can visit Universal Studios during the day starting at 2pm to experience some of the rides and you then get early access to Halloween Horror nights where select houses open at 5:30 pm.
Pros
-Early access to the HHN starting at 5:30 pm! This is a great chance to knock out 1-2 mazes before everyone else gets there and if there’s a super popular maze, head that way and wait for it to open
Cons
-Even in my very early 20s I would be so exhausted after a night at HHN, so adding on five extra hours for regular theme park adventures is crazy to me. Do you hate your feet?
Fear Pass
Frequent Fear Pass $179 up to 33 nights
or
Ultimate Fear Pass $299 all nights
Basically an “annual pass” for Halloween Horror Nights (except the annual is actually like two months). So you get general admission to Halloween Horror Nights, starting at 7 pm, save for blockout dates. If you’re worried about blockout dates, get the Ultimate Fear Pass as there are none!
Pros
-Pretty straight forward, you can drop by any night! Really get a chance to enjoy all of the mazes little by little, the scare zones, the shows, the special food offerings, etc.
Cons
-If you don’t live near Universal Studios Hollywood, that drive is a pain. Add in LA traffic during rush hour? Scarier than the jump scares.
-Parking is not cheap. Like $35 for the basic parking not cheap. So unless you have free parking from being an actual pass holder or know some other trick, that’ll start to add up.
Add Ons
Early Access $15
True to its name, you get early access! Specifically 1.5 hours of early access starting at 5:30 pm with access to select houses. No cons needed here, this is all pros and I think the best value. If you’re going, get early access.
Express Add On $152
See express ticket up above. This is that, but let’s say you buy a general admission ticket and regret it later, well just get this add on friend.
So What Should You Buy?
Worst case scenario is you buy regular tickets on an incredibly busy night and wait hours in line making it through only 2-3 mazes. It’s not ideal, but you’ll probably still have a great time. At the end of the day, no one does a haunt like Universal. Their set design is next level. Their make-up is next level. Their special effects are, you guessed it, next level. I go to all of the SoCal Haunts and Universal is still the best in my opinion.