Meet Nikki from 'Obsession,' bring earplugs and don't try to do it all: How to make the most of Halloween Horror Nights, according to superfans

Spooky season kicks off in September — right as Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights gets underway in Orlando and Hollywood.

The annual event, which features walk-through haunted mazes based on iconic horror franchises as well as original concepts, isn't for the faint of heart. Take a stroll through the park, and you're likely to find yourself face-to-face with a masked scare actor holding a chainsaw, an evil clown on stilts or, as is new this year for Hollywood, even Nikki from Obsession .

But as any Halloween Horror Nights superfan will tell you, it's not just the thrills and chills that make the events so intense: It's also the lines and crowds. Alas, they're a necessary evil if you want to experience the 10 mazes at Orlando's event, and eight at Hollywood's . This year, both theme parks include houses based on Sinners, Stranger Things and even the late Ozzy Osbourne .

Theme park influencers and Halloween Horror Nights enthusiasts say it's crucial to follow these tips to get the most out of your experience. Here's what to know. 

Show up on time — and, ideally, show up early

Orlando kicks off the official event at 6:30 p.m., while Hollywood opens at 7 p.m. — but if you're eager to reduce your wait times, you may want to consider getting in earlier.

That's because both parks offer ticket options that provide early access to select haunted houses, before the official event begins and the largest crowds arrive. Given how many houses there are — and how waits can climb to more than an hour during peak periods — it may be worth paying extra for more time.

In Orlando, you can purchase a "Scream Early" add-on to your Halloween Horror Nights ticket. It starts at $70, depending on the date, and allows you into the park at 2 p.m., with at least three haunted houses available before the event officially begins.

In Hollywood, you can purchase an Early Access add-on to enter select haunted houses beginning at 5:30 p.m., which, depending on ticket date, may cost you only $20 more than a traditional ticket. 

Alternatively, you can grab a Day/Night ticket, which allows you into the park at 2 p.m. and also allows you early entry to Halloween Horror Nights. 

Juliet Nuzzo , a creator who specializes in theme parks and fandom culture, tells Yahoo, "You can get major value out of the bonus hours here and lines will be dramatically shorter than the rest of the evening." 

Not interested in a ticket add-on? Just make sure to get to the parks on time — which, yes, means early. "Arriving right at the official start time will leave you stuck in long entry lines and will have you missing a ton of the action," Nuzzo says. "Lines will be long for the parking lots and at the front gate. Aim to arrive an hour before the event start time to ensure you get every minute of the action."

Or, consider the Express pass

Even with early entry, there's no guarantee that you'll see every maze, show or character you're eager to run into in the park. If you're a Halloween Horror Nights completionist, consider the Express pass, which many enthusiasts swear by, as it allows you easy, one-time access to every house. 

"I always recommend buying Express," Celeste Marquez, a horror content creator who makes videos under the name Spooky Celeste , tells Yahoo. "I think that's the sweet spot of money versus what you get out of it." 

But it will cost you. In Hollywood, the Express pass includes admission and starts at $259 per person. In Orlando, however, it's a separately purchased add-on and starts at $199 per person. Prices vary by date, so check the parks' booking sites for current rates.

"Express is pricey, but it will ensure you will be able to do every house at Halloween Horror Nights in a single evening and on your timeline," Nuzzo says, noting that without it, or a particularly excellent strategy, it's "unlikely you'll be able to do every house at the event in one night."

And theme park and horror content creator Jake Stewart tells Yahoo that for big Halloween Horror Nights fans in Hollywood, you can upgrade to the Express Unlimited pass, which lets you go through each house more than once with your Express pass. "The houses can be kind of fickle sometimes," he says. "Sometimes you go through a house and you might miss some scares, and if you only have the one-time express, then that's your one time to see the house, and it might not be the best experience."

Pack appropriately 

Anyone who has attended Halloween Horror Nights knows how important it is to come prepared. You'll be walking a ton (Hollywood, which is a multilevel park, also has a lot of stairs to conquer), so wearing comfortable shoes you know won't give you blisters is crucial. 

Marquez also recommends bringing an extra jacket if you're attending the Hollywood event, as temperatures can drop significantly later in the night. 

Eager to dress up? At the Orlando event, costumes are only allowed during Premium Scream Nights . In Hollywood, you can wear a costume as long as it falls within the Universal Studios code of conduct policy and does not make you look like you are an employee of the park. Masks that partially or fully cover one's face (unless worn for medical or religious reasons) are not allowed. No mock weapons are allowed, either. 

Yahoo writer Kelsey Weekman, who once tracked her heart rate through all the mazes at Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando, also recommends a secure bag. "If you lose something because you're unexpectedly spooked in one of the houses, it may be gone forever," she warns. 

Nuzzo also recommends earplugs. "They're a game changer when walking through houses since they lower the overall sensory load and they've saved my life at this event more than one time before," she says. 

Theme park content creator Nayeli Alvarez seconds the earplugs: "From the moment you step in, there are chainsaws nonstop, and they're so loud," she says. "If they're right next to you, they can hurt your ears. So I'd recommend earplugs for anyone — there's really no shame in it!" 

Create a game plan  

Halloween Horror Nights enthusiasts all stress that it's important to come up with a game plan before you head to the park. 

Want to prioritize seeing as much as possible? Popping into the first house you see may leave you stuck in long lines all night. 

"One general tip for beating the crowds is to work your way from 'the back of the event' forward," Nuzzo says. "Many people will stop and hop in line at the first houses they encounter, meaning these lines fill up the fastest. Your best bet is to head to the end of the park — or the Lower Lot in the case of Hollywood — and work your way back to the front of the park. This will save you valuable line time."

Stewart says it's also a good idea to know which houses are expected to have the longest lines. This year, that will likely include Sinners at both parks, since it's a new attraction based on a popular movie. If you see the line is particularly short, it may be worth hopping in.

Marquez says it's important to know what you want to prioritize before you go into the park as well, as special merch and even food items will sell out later in the night. (I'll forever mourn The Ghostbusters Stay Puft Marshmallow Man s'more that was sold out by the time I arrived, and I'm personally eager to try this year's Sinners -themed dessert, Pecan and Whiskey Bread Pudding.)  

Don't feel like you have to do everything 

Without an Express pass, it's difficult — and, according to the creators I spoke with, essentially impossible — to fit in all the mazes, shows and scare zones the night has to offer. That's why knowing what you're okay with skipping is helpful. Marquez notes that Hollywood's The Purge: Dangerous Waters stunt show may be a highlight for first-timers, but it's also the same show year after year. 

Stewart also says that The Purge show, while cool, is quite time-consuming. "I'd say it eats up at least 40 minutes of your time because you have to wait at least 20 minutes before the show starts, and then the show itself is 20 minutes," he notes. 

There are also certain houses that have appeared before at Halloween Horror Nights, such as the house based on the 1988 cult classic horror movie Killer Klowns from Outer Space . " Killer Klowns has been there in 2019 and 2022. So if you've been either of those years, that's also a full repeat house that you'd be able to skip," Stewart says. 

Don't focus strictly on the mazes 

It can be easy to get swept up in the rush to get to the mazes, especially if you don't have an Express pass and find the queues are filling up. But walking around the park is a spooky experience in itself. Nuzzo recommends popping over to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, where there are Death Eaters roaming around. 

"Interacting with them is top tier and so fun — they use their very intimidating presence to interrogate unsuspecting Hogwarts visitors and it's genuinely a blast," she says. 

And for those attending Hollywood's event, Nuzzo says to keep an eye out for Nikki from Obsession , who will be roaming the park. Each night, the official Halloween Horror Nights social media accounts will release a new code that lets you interact with the character wearing a black, bloodied dress. If you find her and share the code, she may gift you something, Nuzzo says. 

Warm up to the scares — and take breaks

Alvarez says that she used to skip Halloween Horror Nights entirely because she found the experience too frightening. Now, she happily attends but says she prefers to start with things that are a little less scary when she gets to the park, like popping into an area with a few scare actors to get acclimated before diving into a house. 

"I always do it every year just to kind of set the tone," she says.  

She also says that people who are nervous should avoid doing the scariest house first. This year, Alvarez says that she's heard that the Sinners house is the scariest. "The least scary is probably going to be Stranger Things ," she says.