Jacqueline Dole

Halloween Horror Nights is back for its 33rd year, operating for another terrifying 48 nights from August 30 through November 3. Despite its tagline warning to “Never Go Alone,” last year was my first-ever trip to the event, and I went by myself. It was all worth it to bring you, dear reader, this comprehensive guide to Universal Orlando Resort’s Halloween Horror Nights, which we have updated with new information for 2024, including information on tickets, dates, the theme, rides and more. I’m the first to admit I can be a little bit of a scaredy cat. Regardless, as a fan of all things spooky and a fan of Universal Orlando, I knew I had to check it out. The event is often regarded as one of the premier Halloween events in the country (and a popular destination for Halloween in Miami), for good reason: It includes original Universal content and also brings beloved spooky season titles like A Quiet Place, Ghostbusters and Insidious to life.  Based on my first-look experience of Halloween Horror Nights, I absolutely love this event. Year after year since 1991, the dedication to theming, incredibly talented scare actors and movie-quality set design make this a must-do for fans of haunts and Halloween—and 2024 is no different.  Photograph: Courtesy NBCUniversalHalloween Horror Nights 2024 RECOMMENDED: The best haunted house in Miami What are Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando? Halloween Horror Nights is the nation's leading Halloween event, featuring haunted houses, s

As a food and travel journalist, I find myself racking up thousands of miles and flying several times a month. And thanks to my Platinum status with Delta, sometimes I can enjoy a free upgrade. So when the airline announced a “first-of-its-kind partnership” with Shake Shack—serving up the brand’s iconic cheeseburger to first-class passengers—I had to cash in some of my points. First, let’s get through the smallprint. The burgers are only available to first-class passengers on flights departing Boston’s Logan Airport after 9:46am, on routes that are more than 900 miles long. (Delta has teased plans to launch the collaboration in more cities starting in 2025.) And here’s the big thing: Passengers must pre-select the cheeseburger at least 24 hours before departure. So if you’re keeping your fingers crossed to score a last-minute upgrade, you might miss out on trying the cheeseburger at cruising altitude because there won't be any extras onboard. While airplane food is polarizing, I’m someone who genuinely loves having a hot meal in the air, rather than a sad granola bar that’s been in my carry-on bag for who knows how long. It may not always be restaurant-quality, but when you’ve cut things too close and don’t have time to stop by the lounge for a quick bite before the flight, an in-flight meal is a welcome sight. However, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about this new item landing on the in-flight menu. Pasta is one thing, but a cheeseburger? I could only imagine a sad, mushy bun a

You’d be hard-pressed to find a better souvenir of your trip to Portland than a haul from one of the southern Maine city’s standout bakeries. Portland has long been home to a number of skilled pastry chefs—and at this year’s James Beard awards, two in particular were honored. ZU Bakery is this year’s Outstanding Bakery award-winner, and Atsuko Fujimoto of Norimoto Bakery was named Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker. Meanwhile, Boston was snubbed. (David Standridge from The Shipwright’s Daughter in Mystic, Conn., was named Best Chef: Northeast; and Dakar NOLA, a Senegalese restaurant in New Orleans, bested Dorchester’s Comfort Kitchen for the title of Best New Restaurant.) Check out the full lineup of winners here. At just under two hours by car or slightly longer on the Amtrak Downeaster, Bostonians can easily visit Portland’s two winners in a weekday trip or weekend stay in Maine.  ZU Bakery has been based in Portland’s West End since November 2022, though founder Barak Olins launched his Maine-centric bakery in 2000. Despite a small footprint at 81 Clark St., Olins manages to produce some of the best baked goods in the country. All crafted with Maine-grown grains that are milled in-house, fresh loaves of bread and pastries roll out of the large deck oven throughout the day at ZU, so you don’t need to arrive at the start of the day to find your choice of treats. Visitors will also find something different every day, including raisin croissants, apple galettes, seeded levain

Halloween Horror Nights at the Universal Orlando Resort is often regarded as one of the premier Halloween events in the country—and for good reason. Running for a 32nd year and a record-breaking 48 nights now through November 4, it brings to life both original Universal content and beloved titles like Stranger Things, The Exorcist, The Last of Us and Chucky. Though I’m admittedly a bit of a scaredy cat, as a lover of all things spooky and a lifelong theme park fan girl, I knew I had to check it out. So when I was invited to the media event on opening night this year, I jumped at the opportunity—even if it meant going it alone. RECOMMENDED: Our ultimate guide to Halloween Horror Nights 2023 at Universal Orlando Resort I’ll get straight to the point: I absolutely loved this event. The dedication to theming, incredibly talented scare actors and movie-quality set design make this a can’t-miss experience for anyone looking to take their Halloween celebrations to the next level. As a media guest, I had the privilege of skipping both the standard queue and Express lanes on an  “RIP Tour” during the opening night. This ticket option can be booked by the public (for a hefty price tag), basically ensuring that you’ll be able to experience all of the houses, even on the busiest nights. Photograph: Jacqueline Dole However, I also attended the event the following evening with a standard ticket that did not include an Express Pass, and even with longer lines for houses, I had an amazing