Over the weekend I revisited Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights with Dusty Sage . . . I thought this would be just for fun, but Dusty encouraged me to write about something new we discovered and something we reevaluated under different circumstances. This visit was short, so we only had time for two mazes (Stranger Things and Poltergeist), but we still made the most of it by also getting a taste of all the new Stranger Things inspired food that we’d missed on opening night. We also dined at a brand new restaurant in CityWalk which was a fantastic surprise.

When we visited Halloween Horror Nights on opening night, we practically ran through the entire park to get all of our photos and news for you, so we didn’t really have a whole lot of time to slow down and smell the roses (decomposed as they might be). As a novice epicurean, I like to sample anything and everything food related that I can get my hands on, so on my return, I really wanted to try out their novelty foods for the event. Keeping in theme with the Stranger Things universe, the food offerings come straight out of the show with a burger stand aptly called “Benny’s Burgers”.

, Universal Halloween Horror Nights Stranger Things & Vivo Opens in CityWalk

They have three special food items that are directly inspired by the show available at the stand (on the lower lot near Transformers): The Upside Down Burger, Demogorgon’s Totcho, and Benny’s Chicken and Waffle Sandwich. I was able to test out all three (my arteries are still a little clogged, but oh so worth it). Out of the three, the Upside Down Burger was my favorite and one that I’d enjoy ordering again. Between the juicy burger, the surprisingly spicy queso, and the literal upside-down presentation, it made for a satisfying way to start the night.

The Demogorgon’s Totcho was a fun interpretation of nachos using Tater Tots instead of chips. Smothered in queso and topped with Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, sour cream, and scallions it was a great snack, albeit messy. Just remember to grab napkins and forks!

, Universal Halloween Horror Nights Stranger Things & Vivo Opens in CityWalk

The last item sounded to be the most promising, because who doesn’t love chicken and waffles? While it was a tasty sandwich in its own right, with grilled chicken and pickled red onions, I was disappointed with the cold toaster waffles which weren’t toasted first. If you can get beyond that, it’s not a bad sandwich.



, Universal Halloween Horror Nights Stranger Things & Vivo Opens in CityWalk

After eating all of that, somehow Dusty convinced me to also try the special dessert: Eleven’s Waffle Extravaganza. If you have a love of waffles, candy, and a whole lot of whipped cream, then this is right up your alley. While the waffles had the same problem of not being heated or crunchy, a whole lot of whipped cream, jelly beans, Reese’s Pieces, and chocolate chips cover a multitude of sins. Make sure to take your Instagram pic before eating because once you’ve started devouring, there’s no going back.

Once we had a chance to catch our breath from eating so much, I wanted to see the Stranger Things maze again. If you’ve been watching TV in the LA area, you’ve seen the commercials for the new maze a hundred time this season. When we wrote about our experience on Horror Night’s opening night, we ranked the Stranger Things maze at the bottom of our list. . . mostly because of the disappointment factor of it being so highly anticipated and heavily advertised and not quite living up to our expectations. I wanted to give it a second shot and see if we just caught it at a bad time.

We were at the park right as Early Access was being let in and we were practically at the front of the line with very few people behind us. Far fewer guests in the maze with us than on opening night. This meant that we could really take our time walking through the maze and soak in all the theming and props that we hadn’t noticed the first time around. It was certainly more enjoyable. The music was immersive and the timing of the scares was much more effective. If I were to rank it again, it would be closer to the top of my list (with Poltergeist and Trick ‘r Treat still remaining in the top spots) and a maze I look forward to experiencing a couple more times this season. My two critiques are that the maze doesn’t have a facade (such as a house front, or even a decorative sign as all the other mazes have) and that the Demogorgon always appears in the same exact form (with flower-mouth wide open). It would have been so cool to see him look right at you and then menacingly open his slobbering mouth. But it really is a highly detailed and beautifully designed attraction.

Directly after Stranger Things, I bolted as quickly as I could to the backlot to see  Poltergeist again. I was so pleased to see that it still ranked at the top spot for me. So much so that I felt compelled to watch the iconic film again as well. I encourage you all to do the same, Poltergeist is a classic. However, I did note that I wasn’t as scared this time around and I didn’t see as many of the actors as I did on opening night. All mazes are a bit hit or miss. Your timing is on or off. You’ll note that some folks seem to get all the scares. And others miss them. But this maze is just so well designed with special effects and memorable scenes that it’s a joy either way.

We were going to to do Trick or Treat as well, but the line was already starting to grow and we had a reservation in CityWalk for the brand new Vivo Kitchen, which recently took over the old Wolfgang Puck location.

Vivo Italian Kitchen

Vivo is an absolutely beautiful space which is only surpassed by the exquisite Italian food.

As an opening dish, we ordered the Antipasto, and it was abundant and delicious with fancy cheeses, honeycomb, cured meats, olives, pickled vegetables, and toasted bread. For dinner I had the Sausage Ragu, Mr. Sage had chicken Puttanesca to accommodate his dairy allergy, and our guests had the handmade ravioli and the lamb chops.

The pasta is all made by hand every day, as is the crusty bread they bring you before the main course.

, Universal Halloween Horror Nights Stranger Things & Vivo Opens in CityWalk

Vivo is a tremendous addition to CityWalk and is worth a trip. We’ll definitely be returning soon. There are other changes in store for CityWalk. Camacho’s Mexican restaurant is being replaced by Antojitos (a name some of you will recall from Universal Orlando). Construction is already underway. Once this transformation is complete, the next logical establishment to be updated would be the Hard Rock Cafe. I’m placing my bet on a version of Universal Orlando’s Toothsome Chocolate Emporium. That spot would be just perfect for it.

Overall, it was a great day. We had some time to play in the park before Horror Nights, enjoyed some photogenic food, had the calories scared out of us and then got to experience a brand new restaurant.

How is your Halloween season going? Have you had a chance to visit Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights? If so, please vote in our poll to let us know your favorite mazes. We’d love to hear your thoughts about Vivo Italian Kitchen as well.

, Universal Halloween Horror Nights Stranger Things & Vivo Opens in CityWalk
And now it’s time to say farewell . . . but the Stranger Things doughnut will follow you home.

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Nathan Villamor
Nathan Villamor is a lover of Disney magic, rollercoasters, music, and food. He can often be found with a caramel apple in hand while singing whatever's playing over the speakers. Outside of the Disney world, he is an acclaimed operatic vocalist and classical pianist who has performed across the United States. Follow on Instagram nathanvillamorandmore