Universal Orlando Resort kickstarted Halloween Horror Nights this year with an exclusive Premium Scream event before the official season began. We purchased tickets and attended the full night so we could share an honest review of the value.
For comparison, we also attended the event on multiple nights with regular admission. Now that the event has been underway for a few weeks, we’ll break down the Premium Scream experience versus what guests can expect on a regular event night.
Halloween Horror Nights Premium Scream Event
What is Premium Scream Night?
Premium Scream Night was a one-night, limited-capacity event with the standard Halloween Horror Nights offerings and some bonus perks. The ticket did not include admission to the parks during the day, nor did it grant access to any other night of HHN. It was held on August 29, 2024 — one day before opening night.
What Did Premium Scream Night Include?
Premium Scream Night was held from 6:30 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. These are the regular event hours for HHN33. Stay and Scream was not an option that day, so guests had to exit the park at close and wait outside the gates of Universal Studios Florida until the event began. That also meant there was no early access to the houses.
All the houses, scare zones, and entertainment were available. Food and non-alcoholic beverages, self-parking, and a souvenir lanyard with event credentials were also included.
How Much Did Premium Scream Night Cost?
The Premium Scream Night ticket was $350 plus tax. Universal Orlando Annual Passholders could get a discounted price of $325 plus tax.
The Premium Scream Night Experience
Parking and Entry
We got to Universal around 5:30 p.m., since we didn’t know what to expect. Instead of scanning our Annual Passes, they scanned our Premium Scream tickets at the parking kiosk. Just like Prime Parking, a little paper flag was tucked under our windshield (and it was orange, you know, for theming).
They directed us to the fourth floor of the Jurassic Park section of the garage. It was a convenient location directly by the escalator down to the attractions level. When we first arrived, there were only a handful of other vehicles, though by the time we actually left the garage, plenty more were pulling in.
With no Stay and Scream, everyone was outside the gates. Some waited by the turnstiles, but we (and many others) stayed in the center to watch the Opening Scaremonies. We risked a long entry line to do so, but the lines moved so quickly that it didn’t matter. The Scaremonies started at 6:00 p.m., and we were let into the park around 6:07 p.m.
Each guest was given a souvenir lanyard and event credentials upon entering. Like a regular night, SINIST3R and SURR3AL stayed up on the catwalk for a while, talking to guests and making vague threats.
Food & Beverages
The back of the lanyard had a QR code to scan. Upon entering, we were told that it would give us specifics about the complimentary food and drinks, but it actually just led to the regular Halloween Horror Nights menu webpage without any further information.
The Team Members were unsure about what was included, though they believed “everything from the booths.” As we made our way around the park, signs directed guests to some of the regular venues as well, which were operating with limited menus.
We had a few items from around the park, mostly from the themed booths for the event. Neither of us are foodies, so we didn’t spend a lot of time on food. We had the Say “Cheese” Burger from Triplets of Terror, the Harissa BBQ Turkey Wing and Goblin Pie from Goblin’s Feast, and the Sour Cherry Lemonade Boba from Major Sweets Candy Factory.
This was only the second night of fully operating these venues (the night before was Team Member Preview), and by the time we returned to review the full list of specialty food and drinks on Saturday, they had already made adjustments to the dishes. You can compare our photos above to the ones in our full review.
We also ended up at Mel’s Die-In at the end of the night for fries and a vanilla shake, since most of the themed booths ran out of food and non-alcoholic drinks before midnight. We had hoped to try the Mini Stay-Puft S’more, but also knew that given its cute appearance, it would probably be a hot ticket item. If we had cared more about trying food, we would have prioritized that, but we were there for the houses.
Houses
Our first house of the night was The Museum: Deadly Exhibits, for which we waited about 12 minutes. That was the longest wait of the night. Everything after that initial rush of guests into the park was posted at five minutes, but it was really just how long it took you to walk the queue.
The highlight of the night, and the biggest draw for me personally, was that instead of the usual never-ending conga line of people going through the house, it was just your party. That meant stumbling through the houses with no one in front of you to follow, hitting every scare, and not being as rushed as usual. Yes, we had to keep moving, but we could move slower than we usually would. The experience was so much better than a regular night.
Unfortunately, instead of highlighting a perk of the special event, it really just showcased how good things could be.
Is Halloween Horror Nights Premium Scream Worth the Price?
My short answer is no.
The long answer is more complicated than that.
There is a market here. There is a group of people that would find a value. Is it a big enough market to make the event worthwhile for Universal? Probably not. We have heard the event did not sell as well as Universal hoped, despite the last-minute marketing push.
What Makes it Worth It or Not?
Back in the “good old days,” you could scan into Universal Studios Florida at 4:58 p.m., post up in a Stay and Scream pen, and have four (or more!) houses done before the event started for the night. Knocking the rest out by the end of the night was no problem, even if the waits for the big IP (Intellectual Property) houses got long. I remember some years we would do all the houses, enjoy the zones, and watch both shows (remember when we had more than one show?).
That’s often not possible anymore. The event’s popularity has skyrocketed over the last few years, resulting in long waits for most houses. That’s not to say it’s impossible to do all ten houses in one night without Express Passes — we did it last year.
The event’s biggest appeal is the opportunity to experience the houses with limited-to-no wait. So how do you put a dollar value on that?
By comparing it to the other options. We’re looking at this assuming a guest is going to take advantage of Stay and Scream, which allows you to stay in the park after closing and get early access to houses. It’s included with regular park tickets to Universal Studios Florida and Universal Orlando Annual Passes.
Let’s Do the Math
For the sake of this example, we’re going to use the starting price before tax and without discounts to compare to the $350 tag on Premium Scream. Let’s compare some of your other options to the value of the Premium Scream night.
Versus a Single Night Visit
A single-night ticket starts at $82.99. Express costs at least $179.99. If you want to make sure you can do each house at least once and you don’t care about entertainment, you’re better off spending the $262.98. If you don’t care if you miss out on some houses, the single-night ticket is the obvious winner.
Best value? Single night admission + single night express.
Best experience? Premium Scream night.
Versus an R.I.P. Tour
A non-private R.I.P. Tour, which is a guided tour of the event with up to twelve people per group, offers priority access to each house once, and often, you can also see Nightmare Fuel with priority access. These tours are fast-paced, with not a lot of time for lingering, but they do include snacks before your tour kicks off. The price for a non-private R.I.P. Tour starts at $399.99.
This puts the tour at a higher price point than Premium Scream night. If you choose Premium Scream over R.I.P., you lose out on having a tour guide. If you like to get the backstories and fun facts from the guide, you may not consider the $50 savings worth it.
However, if you’re someone who doesn’t care or someone who already knows the info, Premium Scream offers a chance to do the houses more than once and eat throughout the night at no additional cost.
Best value? Premium Scream.
Best experience? That depends on your touring style. Foodies, or those who want to do houses multiple times, will want to choose Premium Scream. Those who want a casual night or insider information? Choose an R.I.P. Tour.
Versus a Multi-Night Ticket
There are several options for multi-night tickets, but before we even look at the numbers, I’ll tell you my vote: the multi-night ticket is a better experience than Premium Scream. I, personally, would rather go multiple nights than pack everything into one night, regardless of how short the lines are. There’s not really a benefit to doing both, either. It’ll just cost a pretty penny.
But I said we’d do the math, so here’s the math. The multi-night ticket options are:
- Rush of Fear (includes the first 18 nights of the event) – $179.99
- Frequent Fear (includes 30 nights, no Fridays or Saturdays) – $239.99
- Frequent Fear Plus (includes 40 nights, no Saturdays) – $289.99
- Ultimate Frequent Fear (includes all event nights) – $399.99
The only multi-night pass that costs more than Premium Scream is the Ultimate Frequent Fear, which gives you access to every single night of the event. With any of these passes, you could easily knock out the houses without long waits over the course of the season, whether you use Stay and Scream for early access or come late and take advantage of smaller crowds past midnight.
If you’re staying in Orlando for a longer period or you’re a local, there’s no reason to pay $350 for one night when you can get 40 nights for cheaper.
Best value? Multi-night ticket.
Best experience? Multi-night ticket.
Overall Thoughts on Halloween Horror Nights Premium Scream
We had a great time at Premium Scream night, and I can see where it makes sense for some visitors to choose it.
Pros
- Short wait times
- Less crowded
- Free themed food
- Free non-alcoholic beverages
- Smaller, pulsed groups instead of conga lines through the houses
Cons
- Ran out of food early
- Cost more than most multi-night passes
I kept saying, “Tonight cost more than our other 18 nights.” Ultimately, I think that’s why it’s a “no” for me. We’re not going to be happy with one night at HHN, and if we’re buying the multi-night pass, Premium Scream really doesn’t have value. Again, I’m not a foodie, so there was no appeal there. It was great to do all the houses twice at our own pace. Having done a private R.I.P. Tour before, I would choose Premium Scream over that. But instead of a multi-night pass? Not a chance. And as a regular guest, I wouldn’t pay for both again.
Universal hasn’t said anything about Premium Scream since the event night, so we don’t know if it will return as an option in 2025. If it does, we hope this review helps you decide the best value for your money and what you want out of the event.
Until then, we’ll see ya in the fog.
Looking for more Halloween Horror Nights 33 coverage? Check out our full guide to this year’s event for all the details, reviews, and more.
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