I Went On My First Halloween Horror Nights VIP Tour & It's A Lot

No one does spooky season better than Universal Studios. At Halloween Horror Nights, fans can walk through immersive haunted houses inspired by movies and TV shows like Sinners and Stranger Things, dodge scare actors, ride coasters in the dark, and snack on whatever creepy menu items they've cooked up this year.

I’ve been going to HHN on and off since I was 13, and Universal always manages to make the event bigger and better. The catch? The lines are getting out of hand. If you go with a regular ticket, be ready to wait two to three hours for the most popular attractions. No joke — in previous years, I’ve literally watched full movies on my phone just to pass the time. It’s brutal, which is why I tell people that Express Pass is the way to go.

How The Ticket Tiers Break Down

General admission tickets for HHN 2026 at Universal Studios Hollywood start at $87 on select nights, but Express Pass jumps all the way up to $279 per person. It’s a huge price hike, but so worth it if you want to actually see everything before the park closes. Sure, it’s technically possible to hit every house and scare zone with just the standard ticket, but you’re basically sprinting for the full six hours.

If you want to skip the waiting games completely, you can step up to a VIP (or R.I.P.) ticket. This gets you right to the front of the line, ahead of everyone else including Express Pass holders, and comes with a bunch of additional perks, starting at $509 per person.

I’ve always stuck to Express, but I was recently invited by Expedia to enjoy a night of “un-adulting” — experiences inspired by childlike joy — by going on my very first R.I.P. Tour. Below, you’ll find my honest review of the extra offerings, and whether I think it’s worth the additional splurge for your night of screams.

How Much Faster Is R.I.P.?

With Express, your only real perk is a separate line for shorter wait times. But that doesn’t mean you completely avoid standing in a queue. Even with Express, I’ve still had to wait up to 15–20 minutes for some of the more popular houses. When you’re on the R.I.P. Tour, you get to skip all of that completely and head straight to the front doors.

Your Ticket Comes With A Tour Guide

The best part of the R.I.P. Tour is having a personal guide for the night. They escort you right to the entrance of each house and give you the full backstory before you go inside. This is super helpful if the experience is based on a movie, TV show, or original concept you haven't seen. They also point out hidden details and Easter eggs you should look for in the dark.

Your guide essentially maps out the perfect game plan to get through all of the houses and rides without wasting time. Plus, since Universal Studios is built on a giant hill, getting around can be exhausting. Instead of making you hike, your guide can call a private shuttle to ferry your group around the backlot. That was a game changer for me. I feel like I’ve lost hours of my life riding those massive Universal escalators up and down over the years. The trek from the Wizarding World to the backlot houses usually feels like an endless hike, so skipping it was *chef’s kiss*.

The Rest Of The Perks

Along with your guide, a VIP ticket at Halloween Horror Nights comes with a dinner buffet, reserved seating at the Purge: Dangerous Waters stunt show, and access to Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift. Before the new roller coaster was officially open, this was a huge perk for VIP guests. Now that it’s open to everyone, it’s a little less exclusive, but riding it at night was the perfect way to kick off the festivities.

Since this was a special media trip hosted by Expedia, they actually treated us to a delicious dinner over at Gable at The Hollywood Roosevelt hotel before we even got to the park. Because we were already stuffed, our group bypassed the tour's official VIP buffet. I kind of wished I could have sneaked a peek at the park's food setup just to see what standard R.I.P. guests get, but it wasn’t part of our group itinerary.

That's really the main thing to keep in mind with the R.I.P. Tour: You're moving around as a crew of up to 12 people, so you might need to make some compromises on activities. For instance, at the end of the night, we had the option to hit the VIP dessert buffet, but everyone else was completely wiped and wanted to head home. I didn’t want to go solo, so I skipped it.

Luckily, you’re allowed to explore HHN on your own after your tour concludes. Your VIP lanyard turns into an unlimited Express Pass for any house or ride you want to hit again. It’s the perfect time to explore the park at your own pace — and search for Nikki from Obsession.

Is Halloween Horror Nights’ R.I.P. Tour Worth It?

For anyone new to Halloween Horror Nights and going with a group of your besties, the R.I.P. Tour is totally worth the splurge. It’s expensive, but necessary at Universal Studios Hollywood to avoid all the extra walking and waiting. Plus, it’s the easiest way to enjoy the new roller coaster, and it comes with free dinner and valet. It’s probably not something you need to do every year, but it’s a must for fans with the budget or anyone looking to plan their own un-adulting adventure with the friend group.

With all that being said, I don’t know if it’s worth the price for a super fan like me. I loved our guide and getting escorted around, but I’m pretty familiar with the park and lore of each house myself. Plus, traveling with a larger tour group naturally moves a bit slower than sprinting through the park with just one friend — even with those VIP backlot shuttles.

There are pros and cons to every tier, and you're going to have a fun night regardless. If I ever get the chance to do R.I.P. again, I’m absolutely taking it — but if you're trying to figure out where to spend your cash, the Express Pass remains the absolute sweet spot for the everyday fan.