California Coaster Kings was at the Opening Night of Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights 2015, and with Front of the Line passes visited every maze, every scare zone, and of course… the Terror Tram and the brand new JABBAWOCKEEZ show. In this particular review article, we’re looking at the 4 Scare Zones the event had this year. As well as the JABBAWOCKEEZ show and the Terror Tram!
- Exterminatorz – This Scare Zone is located at the entrance of the park and stretches to the Universal Plaza. The back story is pretty cool, after all the toxic waste that leaked into the sewage systems over the years, the pests grew into huge monster-like beings. Half pest half man, and are out to exterminate humans. This Scare Zone utilizes the famous flamethrowers that rise high over the Scare Zone’s end, and has a descent amount of theming. The costumes are great, there are plenty of different characters, several of which use chainsaws. We all know what that means. 😀 Overall, I’d say it’s one of the better two Scare Zones, due to it’s length, size, theming, and location.
- Dark Christmas – Loved the idea and theme, but it did fail to impress me as a whole. Which is due to its abnormally small size. The characters, though I wish there were more, were pretty creepy and jumped out at guests enough, but in a Scare Zone this small, you may want to go through a couple of times to actually get a few good scares out of it. The theming and music were definitely the highlights of this Scare Zone. We all know that distinct Christmas jingle, I loved it being turned into a horrifying situation. The street of the Scare Zone are wonderfully decorated with Christmas ornaments, and a few gruesome versions of it. Overall the theme is great, it’s just too short to truly experience what you may expect.
- Corpz – Located in the Paris section of the Upper Lot, this Scare Zone is themed after World War I. After the warfare of “the war to end all wars”, the lost generations of soldiers again rome the streets of Paris. The Scare Zone is filled with fog, and a good amount of actors, I’d say it’s a bit better than Dark Christmas, because it’s a tad longer. There’s not too much additional scenery, I felt. But it doesn’t make much of a difference with the setting of Paris. I wouldn’t say that the Scare Zone is a very strong one, but it was an enjoyable experience. 😀 It’s best to tackle both Dark Christmas and Corpz at once, by making a circle around the Halloween: Michael Myers Comes Home maze.
- The Purge – This Scare Zone is located on the Back Lot. The only way to get here is to take the tram that departs near the This Is The End – 3D maze. There’s no escaping this Scare Zone, as it’s the only path to the Crimson Peak maze, and the AVP maze. This Scare Zone is the biggest of the four at the event this year, and is themed after… well… the Purge. For those not familiar with the theme, it’s a ‘Government Sanctioned Event of 12 hours in which all crime is legal’, including murder. In other words, the actors are trying to kill you. The Scare Zone, though not too overwhelming as entire tram full of people gets through it at once, had plenty of actors, lots of fog, and a lot of scenery for actors to hide in. Though it didn’t compare to the mazes that awaited, I liked the Scare Zone.
- JABBAWOCKEEZ – The talented dance-group is this year’s only show at Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights, they perform 4 to 5 (perhaps even more) times a night, and are very entertaining to watch. There are though a few points I’d like to address: The show lacks a focus, though there’s something related to a dream going on, the scenes have either no, or poor, transitions. The show is sort of all over the place. The audience involvement is great, and the target audience of Halloween Horror Nights genuinely loves performances like this. The group is very talented, and it sure is impressive to see. Lastly, it’s not in any way related to anything Halloween-esque… I felt, but it was a fun, high-energy, show nonetheless.
- Terror Tram: Survive The Purge – Last but not least in this review section of Halloween Horror Nights 2015 is… The Terror Tram! This year the theme of the Terror Tram was: Survive The Purge. – Guests supposedly board the tram to go visit a watching-party of the Purge… Upon arrival at the WhoVille sets on the Studios’ Backlot… turns out you’re actually partaking in the annual Purge! Guests will walk over the Bates Motel set, past the Psycho House, over a hill, and then onto the plane crash-site of War of the Worlds. After which they’ll board the trams back to the park. This year’s Terror Tram, though filled with actors, was lacking a bit of ‘scariness’, I felt like I was just walking across the sets. I must say though, it’s very cool for any guest to be able to walk on some of the sets during Halloween Horror Nights, while there are a bunch of actors and additional scenery to create a unique experience. Though in general I liked the mazes better, definitely make sure to get on the Terror Tram during your visit. It’s long, (it’s quite a walk), it’s incredibly unique (can’t experience anything like at other theme-park events), and it’s cool to walk on the sets!
Thank you for checking out the JABBAWOCKEEZ, Terror Tram, and Scare Zones Reviews! We also published the Maze Ratings and Reviews, here! In addition, share your thoughts of the Scare Zones and the Terror Tram with us below! What’s your favorite?
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