As a die-hard Universal Studios fan who has spent countless nights wandering the magical streets of Hollywood and beyond, I can confidently say that Halloween Horror Nights is the epitome of spooky season for me. The Terror Tram has always held a special place in my heart, being the only attraction where you’re dropped off into the heart of darkness on real movie sets.
The most thrilling time of the year is here – Halloween! And if you’re lucky enough to be in or near Hollywood, or even a local Californian like me, why not immerse yourself in the ultimate horror experience at Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights? This event offers an array of chilling creatures lurking around the theme park, making every corner and queue a nerve-wracking adventure. After my recent visit to HHN, I can’t help but rave about my unforgettable encounter on the Terror Tram, as well as suggest one improvement that could enhance the terror even further.
To start, what’s the Studio Tour Tram at Universal Studios Hollywood? It’s a popular attraction where guests can hop on shuttles and get guided through actual movie sets situated in the theme park’s backlot. As someone who frequently visits Universal Studios, I find this tour fascinating because it allows you to travel around iconic locations such as the clocktower from Back to the Future and Whoville from How The Grinch Stole Christmas.
Rather than taking the Terror Tram for a conventional movie tour, you board the shuttle and are instead transported directly to actual film set locations where frightening actors roam free. This year’s version is themed around Blumhouse, which was thrilling… however, I felt it overlooked a significant opportunity.
I’ve Braved A Lot Of Halloween Horror Nights Houses, But The Terror Tram Is Extra Scary
This year, when TopMob got the chance to attend Halloween Horror Nights, there was no question about it – I made a beeline for each and every haunted house to offer my personal rankings (and if you’re more familiar with Universal Orlando, those houses received ratings as well!). However, the Terror Tram experience fell into a special “bonus scare” category because it truly elevated the terror I felt above the other houses. To be honest, the Ghostbusters house gave me more of a fright than I anticipated, and the A Quiet Place haunt was downright chilling.
Instead of spending the entire duration in a regular setting, this year’s experience took an exciting twist by dropping us off on a movie lot reminiscent of the filming location for the iconic “Psycho.” While I knew to anticipate something unusual given past years’ similar events, the level of fear was still astonishingly fresh. My last encounter with the Terror Tram was during 2022’s “The Purge” edition, and revisiting it served as a reminder of just how well crafted that initial scare truly was.
What Happens At HHN’s Blumhouse Terror Tram
Once your adventure begins aboard one of the Studio Tour shuttles under the cover of night, a guide skillfully builds suspense to intensify the eerie atmosphere. As you travel in near silence, they abruptly stop the shuttle, leaving you stranded on a deserted road. That’s when M3GAN, the chilling AI-controlled doll from the 2023 film, appears to welcome you. Initially, she performs a solitary dance to haunting instrumental music while visitors disembark the shuttle. However, once you find yourself without an escape route, various characters from Blumhouse Productions suddenly emerge.
The aspect that truly captivates me about the Terror Tram is the sight and sound of chainsaws wielded by different characters as they lunge at you, following M3GAN’s comment, “This is where you run.” Honestly, most haunted houses at HHN don’t usually unsettle me beyond a few startling moments. However, during the Terror Tram experience, I genuinely experienced fear and a surge of adrenaline when that initial scene unfolded.
The scare actors cannot touch you, and most definitely will not harm you (it’s all entertainment around these parts), but with more room around the backlot, they bob and weave and get more confrontational, and it made me want to run and hide during the experience. From there, you move through the various Blumhouse movies featured like M3GAN, Happy Death Day and Freaky, which takes place at the actual Bates Motel (The Purge takes place at the plane wreckage from War of the Worlds). Yep, it really felt like I experienced something by the end of it, and was ready to hide at Super Nintendo World for a bit.
I’m Surprised Five Nights At Freddy’s Wasn’t Involved
Upon my departure, I was quite taken aback to discover that the Blumhouse-themed Terror Tram made no reference whatsoever to the Five Nights at Freddy’s series. You might find this surprising, given that it is Blumhouse’s highest-grossing film worldwide to date. Not only is there a second Five Nights at Freddy’s movie in production, but there seems to be no sign of its inclusion in a Blumhouse attraction.
Not only am I amazed by the widespread success of this franchise (it’s been a popular video game series for the past ten years), but its unique premise also makes it an ideal fit for a theme park like Universal Studios, particularly the Terror Tram attraction. If you’re unfamiliar, the game series centers around security guards who attempt to survive against malevolent robotic characters during the hours of midnight to 6 AM, originating from a fictional pizza restaurant chain similar to Chuck E. Cheese.
This year’s Terror Tram setup would have been exhilarating, with night guards leading us through a spooky backlot filled with terrifying figures who seemingly murder scare actors at midnight – an experience that would have been even more thrilling given it was a year after the movie achieved such a monumental success in cinemas.
It seems plausible that the absence of the Terror Tram incident might be related to a contractual dispute or financial disagreement between the game developers who license out the video game and the studio. Given Blumhouse’s existing relationship with Universal Studios, this predicament provided an opportunity for the studio to enhance the visibility of M3GAN ahead of its sequel, M3GAN 2.0, set to release next year, as well as The Black Phone, which also has a follow-up in development. It was gratifying to witness the recognition given to Happy Death Day, long anticipated for a third installment.
Hey there, Universe! Can you imagine the chills if Five Nights at Freddy’s were to take over the Terror Tram? It would be an unforgettable experience! Bring it on, I’m all set and eager for the jump scares!
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2024-09-30 16:07