Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios once again drew thrill-seekers to Orlando, Fla., for its annual collection of 10 haunted houses. Yahoo News reporter Kelsey Weekman, a first-time haunted house visitor, tracked her heart rate throughout the event to determine which attractions were the most frightening.
Weekman, whose resting heart rate is 73 beats per minute (bpm), described the night as a mix of terror, chaos, and adrenaline. She screamed, ran, and even lost her microphone while navigating through the park’s elaborate mazes.
10. Hatchet and Chains: Demon Bounty Hunters — 109 bpm
Set in a haunted Old West town, this house featured lava demons and decaying characters. Weekman reported that a staring figure caught her off guard, prompting her first jump scare of the night.
9. El Artista: A Spanish Haunting — 112 bpm
A Gothic Spanish mansion filled with cursed artwork. Weekman noted that the beauty of the house almost distracted her from fear — until her headband got snagged on a prop, triggering a moment of panic.
8. WWE Presents: The Horrors of the Wyatt Sicks — 118 bpm
Based on creepy wrestling characters, this house delivered unexpected scares. Weekman said a masked figure’s sudden lunge made her sprint to the exit.
7. Dolls: Let’s Play Dead — 125 bpm
A haunted toy-themed house featuring animatronic dolls and sudden noises. Weekman admitted she was startled when a yarn decoration brushed her neck, mistaking it for a snake.
6. Gálkn: Monsters of the North — 132 bpm
This Scandinavian-inspired maze combined eerie atmospheres with growling monsters. Weekman described multiple moments of screaming and laughing as creatures jumped from the shadows.
5. Grave of Flesh — 132 bpm
Designed to simulate being buried alive, the underworld-themed house triggered Weekman’s claustrophobia. The realistic sets and lurking flesh-eating monsters intensified the experience.
4. Fallout — 132 bpm
A post-apocalyptic maze based on a popular video game and TV adaptation. Weekman noted that skeletal figures caused her heart to spike, despite her initial focus on the house’s narrative.
3. Five Nights at Freddy’s — 142 bpm
Full of possessed animatronics and constant jump scares, this house left Weekman overwhelmed. Fog-filled hallways and sudden appearances of characters caused her to lose her microphone temporarily.
2. Terrifier — 143 bpm
The house inspired by Art the Clown featured graphic scares and intense scenes. Weekman reported that a mirror jump scare, combined with wet and smelly effects, made this attraction both frightening and chaotic.
1. Jason Universe — 151 bpm
The most terrifying house of the night. Weekman faced multiple encounters with actors portraying Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th. The constant surprises and machete-wielding figures pushed her heart rate to its peak.
Weekman concluded that Halloween Horror Nights delivers a high-intensity experience for horror fans, combining fear, suspense, and adrenaline in every haunted house.
