With Halloween Horror Nights a only a few months away, many avid parkgoers have started working on stocking their carabiner clips in anticipation of one of the park’s newest yearly traditions.
Within the last few years, parkgoers participating in Halloween Horror Nights can be seen carrying massive clips full of Kandi Bracelets, or wearing a variety of Kandi bracelets on their wrists; a practice that has been popular at EDM and music festivals since the early 2000s, this showcase of creativity has recently bled into the Halloween Horror Nights community with the introduction of guest-made trading bracelets each featuring their own spooky themes!
What is Kandi?
Kandi bracelets are a type of handmade friendship bracelet often made from plastic Pony beads, Perlers, or Heishi beads, which can and often do include charms, letter beads, and other eye-catching design elements that tie them to the culture of Halloween Horror Nights. While Kandi trading isn’t an official part of any particular Halloween Horror Nights year, theme, or icon, many fans take to the streets of Universal Studios after dark to trade unique bracelets often themed to the year’s event with one another.
With such a sharp rise in Kandi Trading, it’s unsurprising that many avid Halloween Horror Nights fans may still be looking to get on the bandwagon of this fun little tradition that’s emerged organically within the parks; if you’re looking to trade Halloween Horror Nights bracelets this year, here’s what you should know:
- Get Creative!
- With such a rich history of Halloween Horror Nights over the last thirty-four years, there’s a bottomless well of houses, scare zones, characters, and concepts to choose from! Many guests making bracelets will be eager to make new tradeables based on current-year concepts, but there will be fans for every Halloween Horror Nights Bracelet you can make! Don’t be afraid to be as wild and colorful as the event itself when choosing your beads, and remember – there’s no wrong way to create!
- Don’t Harass Other Guests
- As excited as we all are to trade our lovingly-made bracelets, respecting other guests still comes first! We’re all Halloween Horror Nights fans, but most guests that you’ll meet on the streets of Universal Studios are still strangers. Remember to be respectful, kind, and if someone is not willing to trade, it’s not the end of the world! Never trade personal information with strangers, and only share social media with people you trust!
- Respect Park Guidelines
- With the indefinite pause on crafting hides at Universal Studios, it’s important now more than ever to respect the park guidelines. Trading for fun with strangers is one thing – but selling anything in-park is not permitted. Promotion of businesses, websites, political messages, or religious texts through externally-organized events like the Kandi Trading is also discouraged. Trade Kandi for Kandi – avoid sticky situations by turning down anything offered that isn’t a hand-made bracelet, necklace, or other handmade Halloween Horror Nights themed trinket. Do not hide your bracelets in restricted places like lockers or gift shops. Exercising reason and good judgement can go a long way in making the experience of trading bracelets safe and enjoyable for everyone involved!
While Kandi trading has certainly been growing in popularity over the last few years at Halloween Horror Nights, it might not appeal to everyone – and that’s okay! At the end of the day, parkgoers love Halloween Horror Nights for what it is, not what we can get out of it. Whether or not lugging around a carabiner full of plastic bracelets is your style or not, all Halloween Horror Nights guests find community in our shared love of all things ooky and spooky. So whether you decide to hop on the bandwagon or enjoy the event like a classic parkgoer, rejoice in the knowledge that no matter who you are, you’re gonna have the pants scared off you this year at Halloween Horror Nights!
