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© St. Petersburg Times, published July 8, 2002
After a 10-year run, Universal Orlando is moving its popular Halloween Horror Nights to the Islands of Adventure theme park for a 21-night run this fall.
"Because we have more themed environments there, we're treating this as an all-new event with new characters and five new haunted houses," said Michael McLane, spokesman for the Orlando theme park resort.
Universal created the Halloween nights as a slow-season attendance builder for Universal Studios Florida. Now the park commands full-day admission for the half-day event although advance tickets for Floridians are discounted to $39.95 plus tax. Faced with competition from other parks that now stage rival Halloween nights, Universal switched to a park with more thrill rides that appeal to a teen and young adult audience.
Universal plans to show the darker side of themed areas at Islands of Adventure with hundreds of new entertainers dressed to scare.
Mutant half-human/half-dinosaurs will be the theme in the Jurassic Park area. Lost souls and demons will lurk in the Lost Continent. Marvel Super Hero Island will house evil super-villains. Childhood nightmares will be brought to life at Toon Lagoon.
New settings are being built for old crowd favorites such as the Rat Lady, a woman who lets dozens of rats crawl over her in search of strategic dabs of peanut butter.
"We've eliminated the safe zones where you didn't have to worry about a scary creature sneaking up behind you," McLane said. "This time you won't be safe anywhere."