It’s time again for another look at our “Unmasking the Horror Tour” experience at Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights 25.
If you’ve just joined us, we’ve already taken a look at “Body Collectors: Recollections” and “Freddy vs Jason.” Now it’s time for our third house of our 6 (+1) house tour: “Jack Presents 25 Years of Monsters and Mayhem”.
This house is a fantastic trip down memory lane pulling in memorable moments from the past 15 years of Halloween Horror Nights mazes, addling the classic Universal Monsters that started it all, and throwing in a good dose of the event icon Jack the Clown.
SPOILER ALERT. Before I continue, I want to give an extremely necessary warning: the rest of this article will set the stage for an experience walking through the house and the story of “Jack Presents: 25 Years of Monsters and Mayhem” with the addition of pictures and a photo gallery. If you have not yet experienced this amazing house and do not want any spoilers in way of description or photos, stop reading this article now!
Full tour picture gallery below the following description:
This house starts off with one the most colorful, well planned, eye catching facades of all of the attractions at Halloween Horror Nights 25. A giant entry way with Jack the Clown manically laughing at you and spinning towers paying homage to icons of the past, and a couple of fan favorite “lost” characters.
After entering we’re in the woods and the first blast from the past arrives in the form of 2001’s ScaryTales version of “Red Riding Hood” – in this version the fair maiden took care of that nasty wolf herself as we see remnants of their altercations.
We’re led into the small nearby cottage and find the tale of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, though in this telling, the bears get the jump on Goldilocks and find her “just right”.
From there the tilted floor is the first clue that we are on the doomed ship from 2011’s “The Forsaken”, the 4th ship from Christopher Columbus’ fleet that attempted to mutiny, and paid with a gruesome demise.
Off the forsaken and into the “Scream House”, the icon house of 2002’s Islands of Fear Icon “The Caretaker”.
Out of the Scream house we go down a long hallway – scrim walls on one side that light up and reveal floating ghosts, painting and light effects on the other where scareactors await, and overhead a curious spirit gliding above the ceiling.
Out of the hallway and into the world that started it all for Universal Studios and for the genre of Horror Movies – The Classic Monsters.
Frankensteins’s monster, the Wolfman, Bride of Frankenstein, Phantom of the Opera, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and the Mummy all make an appearance in their own personalized showcase for this silver anniversary event:
From there we continue our scream down memory lane and we enter a room for 2004’s “Castle Vampyr” – possibly the most memorable room for some as it’s the bed chambers of the seductive brides of Dracula.
We move along and, peering down at a mirror effect making us believe we’re not high up in the castle as the weeping angles of 2011’s “Winter’s Night: The Haunting of Hawthorn Cemetery at there to greet (and likely scare) us.
Turning the corner we enter the WWI era as we are treated to scene from 2011’s “Nightingales: Blood Prey”
Out of the trenches into the chaos of chains, chainsaws and genetically engineered soldiers gone a muck in a scene from 2000’s “Havoc: Dogs of War”
From here we the house takes an interesting turn as 2 of the more tongue-in-check houses of the past are mashed up into one scene: 2009’s “Leave it to Cleaver’s” walk-in cooler is decorated with 2011’s “H.R. Bloodengutz Presents: Holiday of Horror” Christmas set:
Before entering the next full room, there’s a bit trickery on our left in the form of a makeup table and “mirror”. The mirror is actually an opening in the wall with the same décor on the opposite wall giving the illusion of a reflection. When you turn to take a good look at yourself, you’re greeted by a scareactor dressed as Jack the Clown in the opening.
As a finale – inside the building at least – there is a room with A LOT of Jack the Clowns beneath a circus tent.. A few real, but most mannequins to hide the location of the real jacks.
From there we head outside. After a long walk the attraction seems to be over and we get see two showcases of props from Halloween Horror Nights past. Just as we’re taking a look at the great details of the display, the lost icon Eddie jumps out with a chainsaw, pushing us back to the second display were Leave it Cleaver’s mascot “Meaty Meetz” is waiting, chainsaw in hand.
All in all a really fun house. A great walk down memory lane for any longtime Halloween Horror Nights attendee. As with all the houses on this tour, the tour once again enhances the entire experience of these fantastic attractions. More than just highly recommending them, I almost say you really need to do the tour at least once in your Halloween Horror Nights annual pilgrimage.
Unmasking the Horror Tours are still available as of the posting of this article.
To learn more, visit the Halloween Horror Nights RIP Tours page at: http://www.halloweenhorrornights.com/orlando/rip-tours.html
For more on Halloween Horror Nights and to purchase event tickets and add ons, visit the Halloween Horror Nights website at: http://www.halloweenhorrornights.com/orlando/
For more great Halloween Horror Nights coverage, check out “The Catacombs of Halloween Horror Nights” podcast at: http://www.neozaz.com/category/podcasts/halloween-horror-nights/
First time at Halloween Horror Nights? Check out our First Timer Tips episode of That Catacombs of Halloween Horror Nights podcast at: http://www.neozaz.com/cohhn-first-timer-tips/, and our First Timer Tip article at: http://www.neozaz.com/hhn-tips/.
For more information on the full line of attractions and events at Halloween Horror Nights 25, check out our Full Line-up article at: http://www.neozaz.com/hhn25-the-full-line-up/