This past October I finally had the chance to go to Universal Studios Orlando to experience Halloween Horror Nights for the first time. About nine years ago, back when I was in high school, I was supposed to go to Halloween Horror Nights, but I was unlucky enough to break a toe running from a cockroach and therefore was out for the count that year.

This time, however, I was ready. I didn’t know what to expect exactly, as I had never been to a haunted house of any kind before. I knew beforehand that I wasn’t that big of a fan of getting scared, but I love Universal Studios in the daytime, so I figured, how different can it be at night?

My friends and I rented a four-bedroom villa at Villatel Orlando Resort, a relatively new resort-style property less than 10 minutes from the park. I was more than impressed with the villa; we had our own bedrooms, a spacious living room and kitchen with all of the appliances and utensils and ware, and our own pool. The villa was decorated in a sleek and modern style with luxurious touches.

© Villatel Orlando Resort

During the day (before we headed to the park that evening), we explored the rest of the resort and discovered a sprawling series of pools, a lazy river and some super-fun waterslides. (Yes, we are adults, but still kids at heart.) A pool bar with bites and drinks was also within easy reach, and we relaxed in the sun on some loungers before getting ready for the evening.

© Villatel Orlando Resort

A short drive later, when we got to the park, we waited at the gates, arriving early to snag a good spot. The first house we entered was The Terrifier, named after the horror film with a scary-looking clown. I’ve never been a horror movie person, and the second I entered the house, I realized quickly that I did not like it one bit. Funnily enough, it wasn’t the gory settings and props or even the costumes and masks of the actors; rather, it was the loud sounds synchronized with the jump scares. Yes, I screamed, and I also learned I have this bodily instinct to bring my left leg up to my chest as if that is going to do anything to protect me. I exited feeling relieved, only to have the dread wash over me once more when I remembered I needed to do this all over again … and again.

Our second house was A Spanish Haunting, and this one was actually scarier. The props and costumes weren’t as graphic as the previous house, and perhaps because of this, the actors got even more creative with their scares. Every one of my friends got frightened at least once in this house.

I finally announced that I couldn’t do another house, only to be tricked into the Fallout House. (I was lied to and told by my friends it was all animatronic, no actors involved.) Less scary, I still speed walked through the house with my hands clasped over my ears the entire time.

While the houses were definitely not for me, I thoroughly enjoyed the food and drinks. Halloween Horror Nights debuts limited-time dishes and drinks, changing each year to coincide with the haunted houses. I indulged in fried pickle spears with buffalo chicken dip, fried carrot cake, spaghetti and meatball pizza, elote corn on the cob, and popcorn chicken with marinara over popcorn.

And while my friends decided to go to a few more houses before close, I wandered around the park, unknowingly entering “Scare Zones,” where actors in costumes roam the streets and follow and chase visitors for a good scare. I quickly learned that if you walk fast and don’t look too frightened, the actors will prey on the groups of visitors huddled together and giggling instead.

Would I go to Halloween Horror Nights again? Perhaps. The food and drinks and creative decorations and “Scare Zones” were definitely worth it, but I may pass on the haunted houses next time.

— Aoife O’Riordan, associate editor