| Halloween Horror Nights Orlando attraction | |
|---|---|
    | |
| Dungeon of Terror | |
| Attraction type | Haunted House |
| Events | |
| Park | Universal Studios Florida |
| Area | Amity |
| Year | 1991
1992 |
| Housed in | JAWS Queue |
| Based on | Original |
| Followed by | Dungeon of Terror (1994) |
Dungeon of Terror (or The Dungeon of Terror) was the only haunted house that was featured during Fright Nights. The house returned the next year for Halloween Horror Nights II. Both houses were located in the JAWS Queue.
History and Location[]
When Universal Studios Florida was getting ready to open, one of their biggest, most hyped-up rides was JAWS. When Universal eventually opened, the shark on the ride kept breaking down, so they ended up delaying the opening of the ride. In the meantime, the large extended queue built for the ride was not being used at all due to the attraction's closure, so they decided to use the line to hold a haunted house that would featured during their new Halloween event called Fright Nights. They decided to call the haunted house "The Dungeon of Terror", and it would be the only haunted house for the event. The house reportedly took ten weeks to design and six weeks to build.
This house was a huge hit that year, so they decided to bring it back the following year for Halloween Horror Nights II. Because the JAWS ride was still closed, they put the Dungeon of Terror back in the JAWS Queue. The house was reportedly largely the same, through most accounts say that it was more tame compared to the original. In 1994, the haunted house would once again return to the event, this time in the Earthquake Queue.
Description (1991)[]
Watch as a full cast of madmen and monsters wreak havoc and mayhem within the walls of the dungeons dark, dark depths.
Description (1992)[]
Watch as a full cast of madmen and monsters wreak havoc and mayhem within the walls of the dungeons dark, dark depths.
A weird, winding, wicked asylum of mutants and maniacs!
Experience[]
Queue and Facade[]
In both 1991 and 1992, guests would enter the queue from somewhere outside the JAWS Ride in the Amity area. The line would reportedly be up to three hours long, and would wrap around the outside area of the facade. The facade looked like the wall of a castle with a caged woman hanging above. On top of the castle were scareactors that would yell at the people that were below them. It is unknown if the line continued after going through the facade or if guests entered the house right after passing through the arch.
Haunted House[]
Due to the house's age, a reliable, detailed walkthrough is not available. However, enough old first-hand accounts exist to get an idea of the experience.
The house was designed to take seven to twelve minutes to get through, but in practice the number was closer to five-eight minutes. The walls were bloodied, and the beginning contained a dark maze where guests had to feel their way through walls of squishy slime. Guests were then hit by slime from a scareactor when leaving the maze. In another dark room, guests encountered a coffin with a rotting corpse that tried to grab at them. While they distracted guests, a ghoul wearing a bowler hat would jump out behind the bars.
Guests also ran into Chucky and The Invisible Man, a hanging cowboy behind a chain-link fence, and an asylum scene featuring many different well-known monsters and maniacs like The Phantom of the Opera and Hannibal Lecter. Escaping into another dark hallway, guests were then met with three doors, each one having a monster. One had The Predator behind it. The right door led guests into a swampy area with a bridge with a water below guests. Gill-Man would reach towards guests from under the water.
After exiting that room, guests would walk on the Rat Lady's glass coffin, with the Lady scratching at the glass and screaming for help. The floor would initially be dark, until periodically lights within the coffin would turn on allowing guests to see the Rat Lady below their feet. Guests then enter a final room where a huge meat grinder chased guests. Strobe lights would flash as scareactors in the walls reached out towards guests from both sides before they exited the house.
Some other movie monsters included in this house were Dracula and Xenomorph. According to this (https://parkrumors.com/archive/fnrot.php) there was also an electric chair scene where guests got to pull the switch. The same source said that they used at least 50 gallons of blood, miles of cobwebs, authentic coffins, and fake body parts. The house would also contain druids and chainsaw maniacs. It would be kept very dark to make guests fear the unknown and would also feature slimy and squishy things on the walls. Doors would also randomly shut in guests faces while they were walking through, though this could just be an exaggeration, as swinging doors that guests had to push open were seen in videos.
Sometime after the maze, there was a six-foot spider hanging above the guests. After leaving the spider room, the guests would be terrorized by a scareactor portraying a homicidal maniac. Another room had pliable walls closing in enough to touch the guests, making them feel like they were being crushed. The corridor started to tighten as scareactors could be seen near the walls.
The 1992 version of the house seemed to be longer with a few added props and scenes. It also was a lot safer as doors did not shut in your face and the room with the walls closing in was gone. It is unknown whether the Rat Lady was moved from the floor or not, though she most likely wasn't.
Scareactors[]
- Caged Woman
- Scareactors on top of Castle X3-4
- Rat Lady
- Hanged Man
- Bowler Hat Ghoul
- Coffin Victim
- Gill-Man
- Chucky
- Dracula
- Hannibal Lecter
- Xenomorph
- Predator
- Invisible Man
- The Phantom of the Opera
Reception[]
Both incarnations of this house were very well received by guests. The house was praised for its intensity and amazing scares. However, there were a few complaints by guests about the 1991 house, in which many people said that they were disappointed by the shortness of the house in comparison to how long the line was.
Pictures[]
Website Pictures[]
Trivia[]
- The house in 1991 was the debut appearance of The Rat Lady.
- This was the first haunted house in the history of Halloween Horror Nights Orlando and was the first house located in the JAWS Queue. This was also the first original house.
- It has been reported that because of the lack of air conditioning in the house, the scareactors latex makeup would melt and make the scareactors look even more horrifying.
- According to this, people would lose their shoes in the 1991 house.
- This house contained several elements that would later be phased out as Halloween Horror Nights evolved.
- As mentioned above, one of the areas contained a plexiglass floor.
- Doors would randomly shut in guests' faces.
- A huge Jacuzzi was built for the Creature from the Black Lagoon's scene.
- Storyboarder John Paul helped Julie Zimmerman storyboard this house and The People Under the Stairs haunted house.
| Halloween Horror Nights II |
|---|
| Haunted Houses: Dungeon of Terror • The People Under the Stairs |
| Shows: Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure • Carnival of Horror • The Pendragons • Robosaurus • Thunderdome • The Incinerator • Human Blockhead • Misfortune Tellers • Bone Bender • Hex Maniacs • Grand Illusion • Dragon Breath • Monkey Ladies • Hell Cats • Blade Walker • Rock 'N Roll With Wolfman Jack • Roni Nu's Revue |
| Show Collection: Midway of the Bizarre |
| Haunted Attractions: Alien Forest • Voyage into the Unknown • Tramway of Doom • Terror Underground |