Spooky season is in full swing at Universal Orlando Resort. Halloween Horror Nights has officially kicked off, and is running from now, until the first week of November.

The event runs 5 nights a week, every Wednesday through Sunday. Mondays and Tuesdays are the only two nights of the week Halloween Horror Nights is not held. On event nights, Halloween Horror Nights goes from 6:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.

For those wanting the ultimate HHN experience, the Halloween Horror Nights RIP Tour gives VIP treatment with a first-class, expert guided tour of Halloween Horror Nights haunted houses and EXCLUSIVE experiences along the way. If you’re on the fence about adding the RIP Tour to your Halloween Horror Nights experience this year, this blog post is for you!

RIP Tour Prices & Dates at Universal Orlando

Halloween Horror Nights RIP Tour prices vary depending on the date. Prices start at $369.99 and run up to $519.99 per person plus tax. That does not include your HHN general admission ticket. You will need to purchase an event ticket in addition to the RIP Tour.

What’s Included in The RIP Tour at Universal Orlando?

Universal Orlando offers 2 different RIP Tour options: Non Private RIP Tour or Private RIP Tour.

Private RIP Tour

You and your party of up to nine guests will take part in an expert guided walking tour during one evening of Horror Nights event night. Since your group booked the private tour, you get to call the shots as to how to spend your night at HHN; Your RIP guide can tailor your RIP Tour to whatever your party wants, so this includes not only the haunted houses and shows, but the regular park attractions like riding Harry Potter and The Escape from Gringotts, or spending time with the Death Eaters.

Universal Orlando does not listing any pricing for the Private RIP Tour. You will need to call Universal Orlando's VIP Tours number at 866-346-9350 for pricing and making your reservation.

Private RIP Tours can depart on HHN nights as early as 5:30 pm. You do get a 30-minute break about halfway through the RIP Tour.

Private RIP Tours include the following:

Skip the line access to each HHN haunted house and other shows and rides (unlimited)

Unlimited Express access to participating regular park attractions with your RIP Tour credential following the tour (park hours permitting)

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Customizable itinerary
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Complimentary standard valet parking (subject to availability and limited to one vehicle)

Commemorative RIP Tour credential with lanyard

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Pre-tour reception in Cafe La Bamba
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VIP entrance to Universal Studios Florida

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Reserved seating at select shows
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Access to exclusive cash bar locations throughout the tour

Non-Private RIP Tour

You and your party, along with other random RIP Tour guests, are grouped be together to take part in an expert guided walking tour. Combined groups consist of no more than twelve guests per RIP guide. You can only have six people in your individual party. If you have seven or more guests in your party, you’ll need to book a private RIP tour.

During the Non-Private RIP Tour, you’ll experience all of the haunted houses one time each and will have reserved seating for the live stage show. (Nightmare Fuel) There are several times for check-in when booking a Non-private RIP Tour.  This tour can last up to 4-5 hours.

Non-Private-RIP-Tour guest requests to be in the same party as other Non-Private RIP Tour attendees cannot be guaranteed. It's best to show up all together, and walk in together when checking in.

Non-Private RIP Tours include the following:

Skip the line access to each Halloween Horror Nights haunted house and other shows and rides (one time per attraction)

Commemorative RIP Tour credential with lanyard

Complimentary standard valet parking (subject to availability and limited to one vehicle)

VIP entrance to Universal Studios Florida

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Pre-tour reception in Cafe La Bamba
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Exclusive opportunity to see Art the Clown during your stop for food.

One-time immediate VIP entry to all haunted houses while with your RIP guide

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Reserved seating at select shows
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Unlimited Express access to participating regular park attractions with your RIP Tour credential following the tour (park hours permitting)

Access to exclusive cash bar locations throughout the tour

Do you Also Need a Separate Halloween Horror Nights Ticket to do the RIP Tour at Universal Orlando?

Yes, guests will need both a Halloween Horror Nights admission ticket and the Universal Orlando RIP Tour in order to take part in the RIP Tour. This is the case whether you purchase the non-private RIP tour or the private RIP Tour.

How Much is the RIP Tour at Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights?

The non-private RIP tour for Universal Orlando will cost between $369.99 to $469 per person, plus sales tax and is based on the night you select to attend.

How the RIP Tour Works at a Glance

Book Your Tour: Purchase your R.I.P. Tour ticket in advance through the Universal Orlando website.
Check-in: Arrive at the R.I.P. Tour reception area 30 minutes before your scheduled time.
Reception & Dinner: Enjoy a private reception and a gourmet dinner in the VIP dining room.
RIP Tour Begins: Your guide will lead you to the first haunted house or attraction, utilizing exclusive entry points.
Explore the HHN Event: Your tour guide will guide you and your group around Universal Studios Florida to experience all the haunted houses and scare zones, efficiently skipping the lines.

How to Check-In for the RIP Tour at Universal Orlando

On the night of your RIP Tour, you enter the park through a special VIP Entrance at the Universal Studios Administration Building. It's the building immediately on your right after you walk through the Universal Studios Florida yellow arch. One inside, you are greeted by a hostess, who checks you in, and gives you a RIP lanyard and badge. From the moment you check in, it feels like you're getting celebrity treatment.

RIP Tour Pre-Reception at Universal Orlando

After check-in, we made our way to Cafe La Bamba for the pre-reception food buffet which was very filling.

There were food several options, including some of the HHN themed foods. There was everything from, Crudite tray w/ hummus, pasta, cheese + fruit station, and more. Coffee, bottled water and soda is included, and is free at this dining location. STOCK UP.

There were 3 small dessert options. There is a bar serving up seasonal HHN drinks, beers, liquor and wine for purchase.  I personally ordered Cursed Cranberry Spritz, which was absolutely delicious, and I will buy again and again during HHN season.

Art The Clown Appears at the Pre-Tour Reception in Cafe La Bamba

What to Expect During The RIP Tour at Universal Orlando

Halloween Horror Nights has 10 haunted houses. 6 are Universal original concepts, and 4 are themed after huge horror movie franchises, including "Fallout" "Terrifier," "Five Nights at Freddy's" and "Jason Universe."

By far the biggest reason why people book the R.I.P. is to have access to a private entrance to the houses. You are often escorted in areas closed to the public, and you walk right in. Long wait times won’t matter as you will get front of the line access to each house! As our tour started, we followed our guide to our first haunted house. I liked how each RIP Tour is staggered with start times for the night. Each group heads off to different houses, which makes it works the flow of the night go super smooth with next to zero waiting around.

Many of the houses had wait times between 65 - 130 minutes, making it very, very, VERY hard to do them all in one night without add-on experiences like Stay and Scream at least. One of my favorite parts of the RIP tour is that our guide gave us a detailed overview of what each house was about, design details on brining the house to life, and scar factor.

If you are an Easter Egg person too, our guide helped us on things to look out for during our house walkthrough. Because of our guide, I noticed things I wasn’t even told during the media preview. When you arrive at each haunted house, the regular line is stopped. We were escorted straight into the Haunted Houses.

Enjoy Breaks at Exclusive Lounges for RIP Tour Guests

Our 1st Haunted-house break was for a Private indoor RIP Bar and bathroom break.

RIP Tour Reserved Show Seating

Part of the RIP Tour includes reserved seating to the live HHN show. This was our second haunted-house break. Nightmare Fuel gives you about a 30 minute break to sit and rest your feet.

Having early access to sit as opposed to the long line you normally have to wait in for this show was CLUTCH. Our view was pretty close to center stage, allowng for a closer, and unobstructed view of the show.

Rest Breaks

Rooftop Bar at Jimmy Fallon’s

Best Tips for Maximizing the Halloween Horror Nights R.I.P. Tour at Universal Orlando

Book your R.I.P early because dates and times do historically fill up fast. To get the most out of your night, always book the earliest time of the evening so you can eat and get the tour started. The first R.I.P time slot is 5:30 P.M..This time slot gives you more time after the tour to enjoy Halloween Horror Nights.

Book early for a cheaper tour price. The closer to your trip date, and the longer in the season you wait the more you will end up paying. It’s pretty standard for the price to increase every week it gets closer to the R.I.P. Tour date.

Is The RIP Tour at Universal Orlando Worth the Cost?

All RIP Tours provide you with immediate VIP entry to the haunted houses. Long wait times won’t matter as you will get front of the line access to each house! We zoomed through the dedicated VIP Entrance at the front of the park, and at each haunted house. The RIP Tour is perfect for guests who want to experience the best night Halloween Horror Nights and who do not want to have to worry about pre-planning, and strategy.

The RIP Tour at Universal Orlando also becomes handy if houses experience unexpected house closures/delays.

The reserved show seating for Nightmare Fuel is another awesome perk. It can get really hot waiting for the okay to be seating. During the RIP tour, you can walk right up and get the perfect seat for being up close to all the action.

If you think about the amount of time you spend waiting in the houses while using Express and Scream Early, being able to see all of the 10 Haunted Houses within 4 hours, is incredible. It leave you with plenty of time after the RIP tour is over to explore the scare zones again and grab a bite to eat or enjoy themed drinks.

RIP is 100% the way to go if you only have one night. It makes for very relaxed experience, as opposed to rushing and trying to squeeze it all in.

Private RIP Tour vs Non Private Tour at Universal Orlando

If you can swing the Private RIP Tour, do it. The tour guide is with you from the moment you get there and you get to use them until park closes at 2am. This lets you do the houses multiple times, all with front of line access. You could do the wet and dry path for the Terrifier haunted house, re do any houses you had a bad run on, and you can do your favorite haunted houses again and again if you want. To get the most house runs in, get there at event opening and stay until close.

The Non Private RIP guide stays with you for each house (and show) once and then you are done with the tour. If you finish before the park closes, you can still do the houses again but you have to go through standby lines.

FAQHalloween Horror Nights RIP Tour at Universal Orlando

What time does the RIP tour start at Halloween Horror Nights?

The first Halloween Horror Nights RIP tour beings at 7:00 PM. There’s also slots that start at 7:30 PM, 8:00 PM, and 8:30 PM.

How long is the RIP Tour at Halloween Horror Nights Orlando?

The Universal Orlando RIP tour is typically 4-5 hours long once you get squared away with an RIP tour guide and the actual RIP tour starts. Note—this does not include the pre-tour reception, which is also included beforehand.

Review: Is The Halloween Horror Nights RIP Tour Worth it at Universal Orlando?