★ TABLE OF CONTENTS ★
- 00:34 Introduction
- 00:55 News
- 07:27 Endless Summer Sufside Inn & Suites
- 20:27 HHN House Rankings
- 27:41 Closing
🔥 TOPICS IN THIS PODCAST🔥
- Universal Orlando news
- Endless Summer Surfside Inn & Suites
- HHN initial house rankings
Show Length: 28:58
🔴 *** Follow Along ***
✅ Podcast website: https://uofanatic.com ✅ Podcast email: Podcast@UOFanatic.com
✅ X: UOFanaticPod ✅ Linktr.ee: LINK ✅ Apple Podcasts: UO Fanatic Podcast ✅ Spotify: UO Fanatic Podcast ✅ Amazon Music: UO Fanatic Podcast ✅ iHeart: UO Fanatic Podcast ✅ YouTube: UO Fanatic Podcast
News
Discovery Universal podcast release, Exclusive Details of Halloween Horror Nights 35 at Universal Orlando Resort – 2026
Better late then never, the Discover Universal podcast released “Exclusive Details of Halloween Horror Nights 35 at Universal Orlando Resort – 2026” on September 1st after opening weekend. Join Lora Sauls, Charles Grey, and the creative leads of Halloween Horror Nights 35 as they walk you through everything you need to know for this year’s event and give you a sneak peek into the circus tent. The podcast is just over an hour and a half and covers the following topics: an overview of HHN 35, the IP houses, the original concept houses, the scare zones, the shows and experiences, HHN experiences outside of the event and a teaser of Jack & Oddfellow Chaos & control. The full guest list:
Charles Gray – Sr. Show Director, Entertainment, Jason Horne – Assistant Director, Entertainment, Lora Sauls – Assistant Director, Entertainment , Matt Flood – Sr. Show Director, Entertainment , Michelle Alagna – Show Director, Entertainment , Ramon Paradoa – Show Director, Entertainment and TJ Mannarino – VP, Entertainment Art & Design.
Additional Nights at Universal Nights at Epic Universe
Universal Orlando has added additional nights for Universal Nights at Epic Universe. The additional after hour event nights are October 3rd, 17th, 24th, November 6th and 20th.
Animal Actors On Location! to close permanently
A tweet from the official Universal Orlando twitter account, “The Animal Actors On Location! show at Universal Studios Florida will permanently close on November 2 to make way for a new experience. The show has been a part of Universal Studios Florida since the park’s opening, and we are grateful for the countless memorable moments it has provided our guests over the years. More details about the future development of the space will be shared at a later time.”
I haven’t seen this show in so many years. I am guessing something like 25 – 30 years ago. I will rectify that on my next trip and make sure I make an effort to see it.
More Discover Universal podcasts released
The Story of Jack & Oddfellow
Discovery Universal Podcasts finally came out for some of the original concepts. I am not sure why they don’t come out before the event starts, they used to. While it doesn’t make sense, doesn’t mean I wont listen, and I really do enjoy them, anyway lets talk about them.
The first podcast, The story of Jack & Oddfellow, recounts the “true story” behind Jack the Clown and Odd Fellow. Odd Fellow is an occultist obsessed with control, wielding his cane of souls to manipulate power across dimensions he calls the Oddverse. Jack starts as an ordinary human killer, Jack Schmidt, hiding out in circuses. When Odd Fellow confronts him about his murders, a fight pushes Jack through a portal into the Oddverse, transforming him into a chaotic, supernatural being. The two clash for dominance, Odd Fellow tricked Jack, and then Jack striking back, until they end up fighting over, and sharing, the cane of souls, forging an uneasy alliance. That shared power fuels the creation of the Infernal Carnival of Nightmares, a soul-trapping carnival born from their partnership. The video closes by framing the chaos as permanent and inviting us guests to embrace the nightmare.
The Story of Mel’s Die In
Mel’s Die-In: The story sets up small-town life at the diner through Jimmy, who loves the place but dreams of leaving for LA. Maryanne senses something’s wrong with him, a hint of the dread to come. A sketchy meat delivery arrives from Meetz Meats, and Jimmy’s suspicious of its quality, planting the seed for what’s about to happen. Then it hits: patrons start convulsing and bleeding from the eyes and mouth, and the diner descends into a gory outbreak as victims reanimate into feral, flesh-craving creatures. A boy attacks Jimmy, and Anthony, covered in blood, reveals he was bitten out in the woods, confirming the infection spread from outside. Maryanne fights the zombies off with a serving tray to protect Jimmy, and the two escape as the diner is completely overrun, ending on the diner’s neon sign flickering and going dark.
The Story of Sideshow of Decay
The scare zone’s lore centers on an orphan girl who becomes a “daughter of Cain” after a tragic fire consumes the Shady Oaks orphanage, where she lived. Her caretaker finds her dead and performs a ritual to bring her back, but her resurrection grants her a dangerous new power: control over fire. Her fearless, destructive nature draws the attention of Odd Fellow, who’s been watching her from a distance, fascinated by her potential. When the carnival arrives, he opens a portal and pulls her, along with other lost souls, into his world, giving them new “life” and turning them loose to cause chaos. Rather than staying hidden, they’re put on display as the sideshow’s newest attractions, with the girl now stepping into the spotlight as the star of the show.
The Story of Cybergoria
Cybergoria: The video introduces Biomortal, a company promising immortality through cryogenic preservation and advanced re-engineering. Ari signs up, driven by a fear of death and a sense that time’s running out, and is reassured the process is painless, mostly. Once frozen, things go wrong, Ari unexpectedly wakes up 541 years later after a generator failure, with the facility scrambling to restore the immortality process. What follows is a body-horror descent: Ari is refrozen, deteriorates, and undergoes a gruesome, agonizing reconstruction as the system tries to fix its failure. The story ends with Ari fully absorbed into the machine, the immortality protocol “complete,” but at a horrifying cost.
That will do it this week for the news, and now onto our main topic.
A REAL VALUE ENDLESS SUMMER SURFSIDE
Resort Overview
Surfside Inn and Suites is positioned as a Value Inn and Suites hotel, the most budget-friendly tier in the Universal Orlando Resort portfolio. Developed as a joint venture with Loews Hotels, it opened in June 2019 on the former 64-acre plot of the Wet ‘n Wild water park. It is only about half mile away from Aventura as the crow flies, but significantly further away by streets via Universal Boulevard. It is on the other side of I4 compared to the north campus where Universal Boulevard is the only walkable path across I4 in the vicinity.
The resort carries a beach and surf theme. The twin guest towers feature exterior murals depicting curling waves, sailboats, and active surfers. The porte-cochere at the main entrance is designed with a wavelike, curved roof structure. You can see the theming carry into the Lobby and public spaces as well. The lobby is designed as an open, bright, and sun-soaked retreat featuring soft blues, sandy neutrals, light wood finishes, and white tones. The front check-in desk is backed by a large wooden feature crafted to resemble a breaking ocean wave, while lobby lounge seating is shaped like smooth beach pebbles. Surfing equipment, surfboard displays, and ocean wave murals line the lobby walls. Even the on-site Starbucks located in the lobby has been given a full surfer makeover to align with the resort’s aesthetic.
The resort features exactly 750 rooms, making it a much more intimate, lower-density property than its sister resort, Dockside Inn and Suites, which houses over 2,000 rooms. The resort layout consists of two guest towers connected directly to a giant, bright, and airy central lobby Tower 1 is situated closest to the shuttle bus loop, ideal for park transport. Tower 2 is oriented toward International Drive and features a pedestrian gate that locks at 9:00 PM.
This compact layout means, any room is within a 5-minute walk of all pools, dining, and transit. The “Small Scale” Advantage: Shorter walking distances mean shorter check-in lines, less crowded lobby areas, faster queues at Starbucks/Beach Break Cafe, and almost no lines at the shuttle bus stop compared to larger resorts like Dockside or Cabana Bay.
Accommodations
The Standard rooms are 313 sq. ft and features two stationary queen-size beds and accommodates up to 4 guests. Unlike Disney’s Value Resorts, it features traditional queen beds instead of fold-down Murphy beds.In-Room Utilities: Equipped with a mini-refrigerator, a flat-panel 43-inch TV, a safe and smart room HVAC technology. The bathroom utilizes a split design with a single-sink vanity outside the toilet and shower/tub combo area.
When I stayed last, the standard rooms did not have a coffee maker, but by all accounts, from what I have heard since, they do now. It was a weird thing to not include.
2 Bedroom suites are 440 sq. ft and accommodates up to 6 guests with three queen beds total. Two queen beds are located in the main living space, while a third queen bed is situated in a private secondary bedroom with a closing door. Convenient for families. .There is a Kitchenette & Dining area, with a wet bar kitchenette area with a microwave, a small sink, drawers, shelves, and a slightly larger mini-refrigerator. It is stocked with disposable cups, plates, and plastic flatware and it also contains a picnic-style table with bench seating for six.There are two flat-panel TVs (a 49-inch in the main area and a 43-inch in the private bedroom).
All 6 guests do share a single split bathroom, which features a double-sink vanity outside the toilet/shower door.
In-room features
Room Aesthetics include a bright, sun-soaked “beach retreat” or surf-inspired cottage design featuring soft blues, sandy neutrals, embroidered “BEACH” and “SURF” pillows, tie-dye window curtains, and open recessed wardrobe alcoves. The bathrooms are stocked with custom “Surf and Sand” branded hair- and body-care products.
Hotel and Amenities
The pool is Surfboard-Shaped. It features a zero-entry shallow end, kid’s splash pad fountains, and underwater speakers. It is surrounded by 650 lounge chairs. This is a very traditional hotel like pool and area as compared to some of the more themed pool areas in the higher tiered resorts. But don’t worry, your child will love this pool just like they love every other pool.
While pool hopping is generally encouraged, the Endless Summer resorts are excluded from that benefit. Guests are not allowed to pool-hop or use the pool complexes at Prime Value or Signature Collection hotels
Fitness center
A complimentary, state-of-the-art gym equipped with cardio machines and weights. It features full locker rooms and showers that departing guests can access on check-out day to freshen up before their flight.
Arcade
There is an arcade featuring video games, simulators, basketball hoops, and claw machines.
Universal Studios Store
There is of course a Universal Studios store located in the lobby, selling travel essentials, general souvenirs, and exclusive Endless Summer merchandise.
Self-service laundry
Self-serve laundry facilities are located on floors 4 and 7 for $3.00 per load.
Theme Park Benefits
Early park admission, grants access to select attractions at Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, Volcano Bay, and Universal Epic Universe up to one hour before the general public. You can see the early entry schedule on the main website and mobile app.
Continuous, air-conditioned bus service operates every 15 minutes starting one hour before early entry until 2:00 AM daily. Commute times are roughly 7 minutes to CityWalk/Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure, 10 minutes to Volcano Bay and roughly 10 – 12 minutes to Epic Universe. The buses here are very consistent, and since the target audience tends to be young families, perhaps even Disney families, this bus service often exceeds expectations. Surfside and Dockside often run separate, dedicated buses during peak times. They are most commonly combined into a shared route during slower times of day. When Universal Orlando shuttle buses are shared between the Endless Summer properties, buses generally stop at Surfside Inn and Suites first before heading to Dockside Inn and Suites.
You can bring your hotel towels to Volcano Bay. Guests are allowed to bring pool towels from the Surfside deck to Volcano Bay and return them to the resort’s collection bins, saving on towel rental fees at the water park.
SeaWorld & Aquatica Shuttles: Complimentary scheduled shuttles are available, but seats are limited and must be reserved in advance at the Vacation Planning Center.
Key card charging privileges resort-wide and free merchandise delivery from Universal-owned park shops back to the hotel.
Logistics and Policies
Check in 4pm and check out is 11am. You can check in as early as 7am, and in some cases your room might be available, but 4pm is the official check in time. They can give you a hotel room key ahead of time even if they don’t know which room you will be assigned to yet and then text you when your room is available. The text service by the way is super useful in general.
Overnight Self-Parking currently costs $26 plus tax per night, per vehicle. Note that the path from the parking garage to the main towers is outdoor and completely uncovered
The resort charges a flat $5.00 handling fee per package received via the luggage storage desk.
Perishable Deliveries: Due to storage limitations, the hotel does not accept grocery or perishable shipments. Guests must coordinate directly with drivers and meet them in the lobby.
Delivery is strictly limited to four preferred vendors: Buena Vista Rentals, BP Mobility, Scooter Bug, and Apple Scooter. Should you use another vendor you must meet them at the entrance to receive and return your scooter..
Cancellations made 6 or more days prior to arrival receive a full refund; cancellations within 5 days are charged one night’s room rate plus tax.
Dining and lounges
Beach Break Café
Beach Break Café is the central quick-service food court. It features Southern California-inspired cuisine across several counters. The Grill: Offers breakfast items, sandwiches, and burgers, like the Pipeline Burger with provolone, caramelized onions, and bacon jam. Pasta Station: Build-your-own custom assembly pasta dishes. Pizza Station: Hand-tossed whole pizza pies or slices. Power Bowls: Features options like the Cilantro Lime Tofu.
Souvenir cups can be purchased for unlimited refills at the self-serve Coca-Cola Freestyle stations.
Sand bar
The Sand Bar is located outdoors next to the pool, this is the resort’s exclusive bar program, as there is no indoor lobby bar. It serves frozen and regular cocktails but does not sell food. In bad weather, it serves as a covered lobby bar alternative
Starbucks lobby
There is a surfer-themed full-service Starbucks operates in the lobby.
In room pizza delivery
There is also in room pizza delivery which offers a “value family special” that includes a 10″ pizza, any toppings, a starter, a dessert, and two drinks for under $12 per person. In room delivery is available until midnight.
Pros and Cons
Pros
High affordability. Universal was openly sharing its strategy to enter the I4 value market stating they were willing to operate these hotels at a loss for several years. The low cost per night for 2026 is $94 a night, and a median of $186. The hotel is definitely aimed at families with very affordable rooms and suites with emphasis on value.Short walking distances within the resort itself. Your room is never far away no matter where in the resort you are heading. Great for the end of the day when every step to your bed matters.
I-drive proximity. There can be a lot of real savings here outside the bubble for food and other entertainment outside of the Universal parks.
Interior hallways. Big deal particularly in the wet months.
Cons
Online you will find no shortage of reviews mentioning thin walls. I never encountered this, but of course if you have good neighbors you wouldn’t, so I have to believe this is true.Uncovered parking path, in the heat and/or downpours, that can be a problem.
No walking access or water taxi elsewhere in the resort. Bus is the only complimentary option available for moving about.
Summary
If you are looking for an onsite value option for your upcoming vacation, I personally choose Surfside over Dockside every time. The main difference really comes down to number of rooms. Less rooms, less people. So if you are the kind of person who just loves to be in the middle of the action even at your resort retreat, then by all means choose to stay at Dockside instead.
HHN House Rankings
10 – Invasion: Alien Abduction
When I reflect on the interview on this house and they went on an on about all the things they didn’t want this house to feel like, I cant help that they went ahead and created exactly what they didn’t want. The aliens are just those simple greys. I am just puzzled by everything about this house given that context.
9 – Stranger Things 5
I am a huge fan of the franchise, and I absolutely wanted this house to be here. When I walked through the house and I saw the same demogorgons and demo dogs and vecna we have seen over and over again, I realized we are the problem. Still, glad this house is here, I’ll keep visiting it, glad its getting the send off it deserves, but we are ready to move on for sure.
8 – Madlands: Caged Animals
This house surprised me honestly, its way better than I thought it would be, but not good enough to go beyond #8 in my rankings. I am looking forward to looking around more in this house, it does seem to have a lot of things hiding in plain sight if you will. I saw someone point out the poster as you enter that actually is a map of the zoo exhibits we would be walking through. That kind of detail is amazing, and while most wont notice it, I am going to do my part and try paying more attention next time. Who knows, maybe it will rise in my rankings, but I am not holding my breath.
7 – Evil Dead Burn
I know very little about this franchise but its creepy and that is a great start for a haunted house. They set the tone right from the start and the actors are going hard. I like the zombie dog puppets, and in general it’s a really aggressive house. Im probably still not watching the movie, but this is another property that has surprised me.
6 – Cybergoria
I am not convinced I have this in the right spot for ranking. I cant help but think my hype going in is reflecting and giving it a break. I don’t have a lot of logic right now on it, but after spending a good amount of time, here it sits at #6. I have heard a lot of positive talk as well which could also be having an impact. After watching the video from Halloween Horror Nights, explaining in more detail what it is about, I definitely feel
5 – Sinners
It had the scenes I wanted, but I wasn’t blown away by the execution. This one is definitely fluid for me. It has the possibility to slide for sure. I will say the performers they picked for these parts were fantastic, absolutely stellar auditioning. I really enjoyed this movie and this could be another one I’m letting my bias save it from falling but I will know for sure next trip.
4 – H.R. Bloodengutz Presents a Halloween Fright-Tacular
A lot of fun. I have heard some of the community talking about how similar it is to Slaughter Sinema, but I would remind you if you are of this mind set, that it is actually the reverse if anything. Slaughter Sinema probably spun off from the original H.R Bloodengutz house from 2011. Its fun, and feels like Halloween, and just really enjoy the campiness.
3 – Hellraiser
Feels like the biggest house both in walkthrough time as well as how spacious it seems. They really nailed the aesthetic and the characters. Universal starting with Insidious, following up last year with Art the Clown has really learned to stretch when it comes to some of the darker concepts and finding a way to make it work. You feel unnerved as soon as you walk into this house. Cant wait to see this again.
2 – Jack & Oddfellow: Chaos & Control
Jack & Oddfellow, Chaos & Control is a technological marvel. If anything people are complaining that there may be too many lighting and projection effects, but I will tell you, I am not one of those people. I’ve missed the crazy tunnel over the past few years and its stunning what they did to implement it here in this house. Fun story, great scareactors, and characters we fans appreciate and love. This is the icon house we needed.
1 – Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness
I would be stunned if Ozzy Osbourne: Prince of Darkness doesn’t stay in the top spot for me. This was the house I wanted the most, this is the house I enjoyed the most, and it just speaks to me. I love these tribute houses that Universal has been delivering. The music is amazing and there isn’t anything I can think of I would like changed about it. I am still thinking constantly and reflecting on this house and when I return I will try to do this house several more times.