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Halloween Horror Nights has become one of Universal Orlando’s biggest annual events, drawing horror fans to Universal Studios Florida for elaborate haunted houses, scare zones, and live entertainment. Each year, the resort combines original concepts with attractions inspired by some of the biggest names in horror.
Credit: Netflix
The event is celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2026, with Jack the Clown and Dr. Oddfellow returning as its central characters. This year’s lineup includes 10 haunted houses, two live shows, and several scare zones, with festivities running on select nights through November 1.
Among the biggest attractions is Stranger Things 5, which marks the Netflix series’ fourth appearance at Halloween Horror Nights. Previous houses debuted in 2018, 2019, and 2023, bringing the horrors of Hawkins and the Upside Down to life with elaborate sets, monsters, and familiar scenes.
Historically, Stranger Things has been one of Universal’s biggest crowd-pullers. Its previous haunted houses regularly attracted long lines, with fans eager to experience the Netflix series beyond their television screens.
This year, however, things appear to have changed.
Credit: Netflix
‘Stranger Things’ Struggles To Draw Its Usual Crowds
Despite the franchise’s previous success, guests have reported unusually short wait times for Stranger Things 5 at Halloween Horror Nights 2026.
According to some visitors, the house has consistently posted some of the lowest waits at the event, a surprising development considering the lengthy queues generated by previous installments.
The house focuses on the fifth and final season of Stranger Things, which premiered on Netflix in late 2025. Guests join Eleven, Mike, Dustin, Lucas, and the rest of the Hawkins gang for their final confrontation with Vecna and the Upside Down.
Along the way, visitors encounter Demogorgons, the Mind Flayer, and recreations of key locations from the series. These include the Wheeler family home, Hawkins National Laboratory, the MAC-Z military base, and the Abyss.
Credit: Netflix
Universal developed the house in partnership with Netflix, with identical themes also featured at Universal Studios Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights. It was announced in June, several months before the event began.
However, the show’s final season received a mixed response from viewers, with some criticizing Eleven’s ambiguous ending, Vecna’s defeat, and questions left unanswered by the series finale.
One fan has even suggested that the controversial conclusion could explain the attraction’s shorter queues.
“Given that the house is also one of the lowest waits in the event consistently, it’s safe to say Stranger Things is out the door and not many people are enthusiastic about what happened with that final season,” they wrote on X.
Universal hasn’t confirmed that the attraction is experiencing lower attendance than expected. However, the resort has now made a major change to another part of its Stranger Things offerings.
Universal Orlando Slashes ‘Stranger Things’ Prices by 50%
Universal Orlando Resort has reportedly reduced the price of all Stranger Things merchandise by 50%, despite Halloween Horror Nights 35 still having more than three weeks remaining.
Inside Universal shared details of the discounts on X on October 9, revealing that a wide range of products inspired by the Netflix series are now available at half their original prices.
The sale includes Stranger Things sweatshirts, varsity-style jackets, Demogorgon plush toys, slippers, and other themed accessories.
The scale of the discounts is particularly notable considering that Halloween Horror Nights merchandise typically remains on sale throughout the event, with larger clearance reductions often associated with the end of the Halloween season.
All Stranger Things merchandise is now available at 50% off. #HHN35 @HorrorNightsORL pic.twitter.com/MEvUEqY6ud
— Inside Universal (@insideuniversal) October 9, 2026
However, Stranger Things isn’t the only franchise receiving discounts. Guests have also reported reductions on select merchandise inspired by Ozzy Osbourne, Sinners, and the Chucky x Hello Kitty collaboration.
The reported 50% discount is still larger than the 30% reductions guests have spotted on some of those other products.
It’s unclear whether the decision reflects weaker merchandise sales. Universal hasn’t publicly explained the reasons behind the discounts, and there are no confirmed sales figures showing how this year’s Stranger Things collection has performed.
The resort has invested heavily in the franchise for Halloween Horror Nights 2026. In addition to the haunted house, Universal Studios Florida debuted Stranger Things: Return to Hawkins, a nighttime lagoon show celebrating the series’ 10th anniversary.
Unlike the haunted house, the show covers all five seasons, using water projections, lighting effects, and music to revisit memorable moments from the Netflix series.
Universal has also introduced themed food inspired by the franchise, including Upside Down Chicken & Waffles, as part of a menu featuring more than 50 Halloween Horror Nights food and beverage offerings.
Elsewhere, guests can experience houses inspired by Sinners, Hellraiser, Evil Dead Burn, and Ozzy Osbourne, as well as original attractions such as MADLANDS: Caged Cannibals, INVASION: Alien Abduction, and CYBERGORIA.
Have you been in this year’s Stranger Things house?
