It’s finally here!
Fans of Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights event have been waiting with bated breath for the park to announce this year’s specialty food lineup. With only a few days before the official kick-off of this year’s event, we’ve waited longer than ever before for a look into the chilling world of culinary terror that Universal Orlando Resort is cooking up for guests this year.
Universal Orlando Resort has finally released this year’s specialty menu across both Universal Studios Florida and Universal CityWalk, giving guests a terrifying glimpse into what to expect from food booths across their landmark event this year. From the event staples like Twister Taters and Pizza Fries to this year’s devilish treats themed to each house’s unsettling innards, there will be no shortage of incredible food at this year’s event.
Universal Orlando Resort is offering – at minimum – forty uniquely themed food options across ten major dining booths themed to the incredible houses featured at this year’s event, as well as over thirty unique drink options, including some tasty non-alcoholic options for guests looking to stay dry this season!
One thing guests won’t have to be afraid of this year are their dietary needs – Universal Orlando offers a variety of vegetarian and vegan options, as well as allergy notices on the foods listed on the menu of items that was recently released for major allergens like nuts, shellfish, and gluten, allowing guests to make informed choices about what they’re consuming during this event.
With tons of delicious vegetarian and vegan options at this year’s event, guests will be able to indulge in all the frightful fun no matter what their needs are – and these items aren’t just for guests who structure their diets! Historically, the vegan options at Halloween Horror Nights have been some of the most flavorful dishes at the event, with plenty of savory flavors and exotic tastes at some of their most popular food booths.
At the Insidious: The Further food booth this year, guests will be able to indulge in The Red Door, a handpie filled with potatoes and onions. It’s the perfect treat for those looking to fill up while still roaming the park for maximum scares, and is one of this year’s vegan options!
The fan-favorite Korean Corn Dog also makes a reappearance at the Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire food booth in the New York area. Slimer’s Korean Corndog – the spiritual successor to last year’s wildly popular Cordiceps Corndog – features a Korean cheese dog with Fritos, coated with Cheetos powder, ghost pepper spice, sage derby cheese, and mozzarella.
If you want to sink your teeth into something sweet, the Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines food booth will be offering up The Bride’s Cake – a chocolate coated three-tier vanilla cake with a raspberry jam filling. This desert is another vegetarian option offered this year, and looks frightfully delicious with its chocolate coating and vibrant Frankenstein-green cake interior.
Or, if you’re looking for something that will sink its teeth into you instead, consider trying the Wooden Board Éclair from the A Quiet Place food booth!
For anyone who’s seen the film, this vegetarian treat is visceral, but an enticing option, with a spicy dark chocolate pastry cream filling this unique éclair, complete with a bloody chocolate plank.
For anyone who hasn’t seen this iconic scene from John Krasinski’s hit horror film: consider yourselves lucky.
As always, this year’s event features a wide variety of liquid courage – and even a little liquid luck, if you know where to look! – as well as a variety of non-alcoholic options for those brave enough to face Halloween Horror Nights without the additional help of the specialty cocktails this year’s event will offer.
From a Class-V Concoction from the Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire food booth to the return of the event-staple Ghoul Juice to the whimsical and non-alcoholic Sour Cherry Lemonade Boba courtesy of the Major Sweets Candy Factory, this year’s Halloween Horror Nights event will have plenty of refreshments to keep you going through the witching hour.
This year’s event also sees the return of the Souvenir Cups. For alcoholic beverages, guests can purchase one two options: either a 12 oz. single serve drink, or a 20 oz. Souvenir Cup – famously referred to throughout the event as ‘blinky cups’. These souvenir cups offer guests more drink, and naturally cost a little bit more, around four dollars extra on average. But refills for 20 oz. souvenir cups, on any eligible drink, only cost as much as the 12 oz. single serves.
For guests looking to try every drink in the park – or who find they have a better time at Halloween Horror Nights with a little help – these souvenir cups are a must. The refill price only applies to alcoholic drinks throughout the park, though, so buyer beware! While an excellent iterative souvenir for Halloween Horror Nights, expect to pay regular price (albeit, typically less) for single-serve non-alcoholic beverages.
While the houses and scarezones tend to be the main attractions for a haunt event like Halloween Horror Nights, there’s no denying that the specialty foods are in and of themselves a huge draw and an attraction in their own right, with just as much care and thought and artistry put into them as the sets and costumes. Theme Park Shark will keep fans up to date on new offerings and special perks throughout the parks as we near the start of this year’s event – but in the meantime, guests can check out the full released menu of specialty food and beverage items at this year’s event on Universal’s official page, [here].
