How do I get the most out of Universal's Halloween Horror Nights? 5 tips for fun, fright

I am a big wimp when it comes to anything scary.

When I told Neil Druckmann, co-studio head and head of Creative at Naughty Dog, he whispered: “Can I tell you a secret? So am I.”

His admission may come as a surprise considering Naughty Dog’s beloved and critically acclaimed post-apocalyptic video game "The Last of Us" has been turned into not only a hit HBO show and comic book series but also an immersive haunted house at Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights. “I’m never in the front for these things,” he added with a laugh.

Mike Aiello, Universal Orlando Resort’s senior director of Entertainment Creative Development and an HHN mastermind, confessed he even gets spooked sometimes. “There's one room that has just a moving body the entire time,” he said. “I'm constantly weary of it, and I know it's an effect. It's ridiculous.”

Sitting across from them inside Universal Orlando’s Last of Us haunted house by day, I could laugh right along, but you would never catch me leading the way at night. I would be the one ducked behind friends, shielding my eyes.

Heading into Halloween Horror Nights 2023, I was definitely scared, but I wasn’t worried after my first foray last year. You don’t have to be a horror fan to enjoy HHN, but scaredy-cats and thrill-seekers alike do need a plan, especially if they have only one night.

Halloween Horror Nights 2023: Every house, scare zone and more

1. Summon your scream squad

One of Halloween Horror Nights’ slogans is "Never go alone." You don’t have to tell me twice.

Thankfully I had a scream squad of friends who kindly looked out for me opening night alongside our gracious R.I.P. Tour guide Dani. They cheered me on, let me cower behind them and never once judged me for sitting anything out.

Whether or not you need the support, you’ll have more fun surrounding yourself with friends or family, especially since the vast majority of your time will not be spent in houses but in lines or hanging out, enjoying the vibe.

2. Don’t try to do it all

Locals and die-hard fans who purchase multi-night tickets may be able to experience everything HHN has to offer slowly over time, but no one can see it all in one night.

You can fast-track access with a private R.I.P. Tour, which ushers you to the front of the lines, an Express Pass, which offers expedited lines, or a Scream Early ticket or Early Access ticket, which lets you into the park early. Or you could simply luck out on a slower night. But even if you hit every house, there’s so much to see that it would take multiple walkthroughs to absorb it all.

“You're going through it relatively quickly, and it's surrounding you 360 degrees, and you only look in one direction at a time,” Druckmann told USA TODAY. “So you might see this one detail, but miss the one on the opposite side.”

“Being able to experience it more than once is a part of the experience,” Aiello said.

Beyond the houses and scare zones, HHN also offers event-exclusive live entertainment, food and drinks, and select attractions with significantly lower wait times than usual.

Pick a few priorities.

3. Appreciate the artistry

A big thing that sets Halloween Horror Nights apart from other haunted happenings is the movie studio production level of its stories, set design, characters and costumes. The Last of Us house is a prime example.

“It really feels like you’re in the game,” Druckmann said.

Fellow fans will notice the house features the voices of the game’s original actors and numerous Easter eggs.

“As soon as fans walk into this experience, they're going to immediately know the love and passion that went into it,” said Aiello, who has been a "Last of Us" fan from the beginning.

“In the opening convenience store – it’s not featured, there isn't a spotlight on these things – but there's like the brick that Ellie uses,” Druckmann said. “There's a box of ammo straight from the game. The next room has this workbench that players will be completely familiar with. Again, there's no spotlight on it, but if you know, then you know.”

Guests who don’t know can still appreciate the experience.

“It is scary. It is aggressive. There is a tension,” Aiello said. “Those core values are inherent in this and all of the haunted houses that we produce.”

4. Know your limits

Even if you enjoy a good scare, there may be some things that just rub you the wrong way. If spiritual stuff creeps you out, you may want to avoid The Exorcist: Believer on both coasts. If clowns are your weakness, maybe stay away from Dr. Oddfellow’s Twisted Origins in Orlando. If bugs aren’t your thing, perhaps skip Terror Tram... The Exterminatorz at Universal Studios Hollywood. There’s no need to trigger yourself and ruin the rest of your night.

I tried four out of the 10 houses in Orlando, and even then, all I really saw were the back and feet of the person in front of me. The scare zones felt much more manageable out in the open, though a scare actor or two did catch me off guard in the event's famous fog.

5. Stay late

HHN runs all the way until 2 a.m. in Orlando and 1 a.m. or 2 a.m. in Hollywood, depending on the date.

Crowds tend to thin out toward the end of the night, so guests who stick it out are rewarded with shorter lines. The waits for several haunted houses hit 100 minutes or more for much of Orlando’s opening night but dropped way down by the time my companions and I headed out at 1:30 a.m.

We would have had more than enough time to circle back to a haunted house or two, but I'd had enough excitement for one night.

“You’re going to be fine tonight, I promise,” Aiello had told me hours earlier. He was right, but I didn’t want to push it.

The reporter on this story received access to this event from Universal Orlando Resort. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of reviews.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Halloween Horror Nights tips for scaredy-cats, thrill-seekers alike