The Dark Origins of Halloween Horror Nights (Ep. 122)

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey dig into the latest Universal news, from Mardi Gras 2027 dates and a new Five Guys at CityWalk to Halloween Horror Nights collectibles, surveys, and seasonal offerings at Universal Kids Resort. They also tour the Academy Museum’s new horror exhibition before Jim traces the surprisingly tragic origins of Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood. The story goes back to the park’s short-lived 1986 event, an accident involving scare actor Paul Ribald, and the long road that eventually led Universal to revive the event in Hollywood.

NEWS

• Universal Orlando announces Mardi Gras 2027 dates, running February 6 through March 27.

• Five Guys replaces the former Burger King Whopper Bar at Universal CityWalk Orlando.

• Halloween Horror Nights 35 rolls out a series of limited-edition collectible magnets featuring Lil' Boo, Stranger Things, Hamikuma, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Ozzy Osbourne, Sinners, and more.

• A new Halloween Horror Nights guest survey asks fans to rate scares, entertainment value, repeatability, and even how "Instagrammable" the scare zones are.

• Universal Kids Resort in Frisco introduces a Gold Annual Pass and prepares for its first Halloween season.

FEATURE

• Jim traces Universal Studios Hollywood's first Halloween Horror Nights event back to October 1986, years before the version most fans recognize today.

• The original Terror Tram featured classic Universal Monsters, scare actors across the backlot, and one of Universal Hollywood's earliest attempts at a large-scale Halloween event.

• Jim recounts the fatal accident involving 20-year-old Universal employee Paul Ribald, who was struck by a moving tram while performing as a zombie.

• Following the tragedy, Universal put its Hollywood Halloween event on hold, with later revivals placing strict safety limits on how scare actors could interact with the trams.

HOSTS

• Jim Hill - X/Twitter: @JimHillMedia | Instagram: @JimHillMedia | jimhillmedia.com

• Eric Hersey - X/Twitter: @erichersey | Instagram: @erichersey | strongmindedagency.com

FOLLOW

• Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews

• YouTube: @jimhillmedia

• TikTok: @jimhillmedia

SUPPORT

Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Edited by Dave Grey

Produced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com

SPONSOR

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