For guests with daytime admission to Universal Studios Florida theme park, the ability to “stay and scream” gives you a head start for Halloween Horror Nights (HHN). Some think of it as early park admission for Halloween Horror Nights. Guests without daytime admission may also purchase a special ticket to take advantage of this feature for $35/night. I attempted to cover the basics of “stay and scream” in a previous article. In this one, I will describe your options and locations using this advantage for the 2022 event.

This year with the closure of certain dining locations and attractions, the holding areas for people staying and screaming look different. Where you start your HHN evening determines which houses you get to enter early. For example, if you start at a holding area near front of the park, then you will be allowed to enter a house near front of park early. If you start in the back of the park, then you will be allowed to enter a house in that area first.

Stay & Scream Locations:

• Finnegan’s (New York)

Entrance to this holding area is between Starbucks and Louie’s Italian Restaurant.

This holding area released to the Halloween house and the Dead Man’s Wharf house on opening night. Some original information indicated that this would lead into Spirit of the Coven house, but that house is located a bit far away for this holding area. My advice would be to double-check before entering the holding area. Either way, guests would get an advantage to most houses with entrances in the New York area.

This area usually offers the most food options of the holding areas.

• Duff Gardens (Springfield)

Entrance to this area will be to the left of Central Park Crepes at lagoon show entrance.

This area always serves as a popular stay and scream area. Guests desiring to enter this holding area will get released to The Weeknd house or Universal Legends Collide house early. Based on lineup for this year, I anticipate this area drawing most of the crowds. You might want to consider lining up for this holding area a bit earlier than the others. Also, this holding area usually releases before the others.

Based on opening night, guests in this holding area will also be able to get a head start with either Descendants of Destruction or Bugs: Eaten Alive after their first house.

• Richter’s Burger (San Francisco)

Entrance to this holding area is between Chez Alcatraz and San Francisco Candy Company.

This holding area releases early to Horror of Blumhouse house. A special bar and lounge area has been created in this holding area.

• Production Central area

Entrance between Despicable Me attraction and the Universal Studios Store.

This holding area releases early to Hellblock Horror house.

Though procedure may change, on opening night, guests were placed in an area near the TODAY café at least to start. I suspect that pattern may change as the event continues though.

If getting to enjoy HHN, I wish you good luck with the weather. May all your runs through houses be good. Enjoy the spooky!