3. Oversaturation
Once upon a time (the early 2000s), Disneyland was a pretty quiet place. Then, everything changed. Chaos theory makes it hard to pin a single reason why… In part, it’s because of the park’s revitalization ahead of its 50th anniversary in 2005 and the massive nostalgia campaign launched around it; the rise of an affordable Annual Pass program with monthly payments; the beginning of social media and the birth of “lifestyling”; the #DisneySide marketing campaign that birthed a generation of brand allegiance… But here we are, fifteen years later – pathways packed with people; Imagineers tasked with “cheap and cheerful,” “Instagrammable” additions; Annual Passes that start at $950…
And you don’t have to spend too much time at Horror Nights to begin to believe that the same thing is now happening there. Passes sell out in hours; the event feels overcrowded in a way it never did before; add-ons and upcharges are sprouting up to milk more revenue from an already-overstuffed event; and frankly, attending Horror Nights is more and more about the “lifestyle” of hanging out there than about actually doing any attractions. Which is fine! It’s not our place to tell you how to enjoy the parks.
But you can see how the increase of live-streaming, Instagramming, Tik Toking, and YouTubing across the park has changed the vibe. Halloween Horror Nights – like Disneyland twenty years ago – seems to be entering its influencer era, where anyone who’s anyone goes as often as they can. Horror Nights doesn’t feel “exclusive” or like a “best kept secret” anymore; it feels far more busy than a regular day at Universal. Such is the way of things, but maybe it helps explain why the vibes have shifted.
4. Teenagers
Who amongst us didn’t first spread our wings as a young teen by being dropped off at an amusement park with friends, where we could begin to experiment with saying curse words in public to “show off,” laughing too loud, screaming too loud, and just generally being annoying? “Amusement Park + Annual Pass = Babysitter” isn’t a new problem. But as just about anyone who’s visited a park since 2020 can tell you, things are getting worse.
Over the last two or three years, parks across the country have finally been forced to contend with the growing and worsening state of “youths” – violent altercations, mass “brawls” set up through social media, gun and knife attacks, and young people who assault team members or guests… Most parks have instituted chaperone policies requiring teens to have an adult 21 or older in the park (if not with them). Some have even instituted those policies mid-season this year in response to growing tension, threats, and guest complaints. The rest have simply done away with adult-focused Halloween events altogether, opting for family-centered daytime festivities even at the expense of lost revenue. It’s that bad.
Universal is one of the few hold-outs that does not have an official chaperone policy. And at least according to social media, it shows. Countless online commentators, influencers, and Horror Nights fans have begged Universal to do something about teenagers who, according to them, run rampant through the event – cutting in lines, groping women, pushing scareactors, screaming obnoxiously in guests’ faces, and ruining trips through houses that guests have waited hours for.
Teenagers have always been a frustrating factor of amusement parks, and certainly of their after-dark Halloween events. But – seemingly in sync with the reason of society – teens seem to be getting worse. Driven by social media, groupthink, and a complete lack of supervision, teens will continue to alter the “vibes” of Horror Nights until Universal puts some serious work into stopping this trend.
What do you think? Are these the same four factors you’d suggest are altering the vibes of Horror Nights? Which do you think is the most problematic this year? What factors are we forgetting? Or, are people just being too sensitive and misreading the “vibes” altogether? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
