Universal Orlando Resort is swapping out its traditional Halloween Horror Nights lagoon entertainment this year for something a little more Upside Down. "Stranger Things: Return to Hawkins" is the featured nighttime lagoon show at Halloween Horror Nights 35, taking the place of the Haunt-O-Phonic and Ghoulish shows that guests have seen in previous years.
The experience kicks off with a pre-show built around a fictional '80s radio station, WSQK, projected onto a nearby building while classic decade hits play. The main show runs about 13 minutes and uses the same combination of projection mapping, water effects, and lighting that Universal fans know well from past lagoon spectaculars — but themed entirely around Hawkins, Indiana. Mist screens display familiar characters before the show transitions into fully projected scenes set against '80s music and the iconic Stranger Things score.
All five seasons of the show are represented, with guests watching the main characters square off against Demogorgons, Vecna, and other creatures from the series. The surrounding park buildings transform into recognizable locations including Starcourt Mall, and the whole thing wraps up with the show's famous opening title sequence.
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Showtimes are scheduled at 9:00 p.m., 9:45 p.m., 10:30 p.m., 11:15 p.m., midnight, and 12:45 a.m. For guests looking for even more Stranger Things content at the event, a dedicated haunted house based on season five is also part of Halloween Horror Nights 35. This coverage originally appeared on WDWNT.
