As the year rolls into October, all anyone can think about is Halloween. Stores are already selling candy and costumes, and haunted houses are already being set up. Among those haunted houses are two very notorious amusement parks and their events: Howl-O-Scream held at Busch Gardens, and Halloween Horror Nights held at Universal. The general consensus is that Halloween Horror Nights is significantly scarier than Howl-O-Scream. There are a couple minor differences that have a huge effect on its participants. For one, the workers are allowed to physically touch you, unlike those at Busch Gardens. Customers at Howl-O-Scream are somewhat comforted by the fact that no matter how close the workers get, they can’t reach out and hurt you. The same can’t be said for Universal as they attempt to create a more terrifying atmosphere.

“Halloween Horror Nights is less family-oriented. It’s more for teenagers and adults. I’ve seen grown men leave crying,” senior Morgan Wilson said.

Because of its larger size and its reputation as a major tourist attraction, Universal has some big shoes to fill. The theme this year is “What Evil Has Taken Root?” as opposed to Howl-O-Scream’s theme, which is centered around the number thirteen.

Howl-O-Scream also has less of a problem with lines. Its audience is much smaller than Universal’s, whose crowds could make the most fearless person claustrophobic.

“I was at Halloween Horror Nights for a few hours and I was only able to go into one or two houses,” Wilson said.

As this fall month continues to grow closer to the beloved holiday, both kids and adults can find an amusement park suited to their desires. Teenagers also target events like Halloween Horror Nights to challenge their fears and even each other.

“I’ve been going to Halloween Horror Nights for a couple years now and it gets better every year,” senior Jacob Gonzalez said. “It will always be my favorite.”