Audrey Ballard- Travel Advisor

09/05/2026

There is no better feeling.

09/05/2026

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party said, “Here’s some magic,” then added, “Now for the plot twist.”

We slipped into Magic Kingdom early, met Mickey, grabbed our treat bags, and did some highly competitive Halloween shopping—the kind where you enter “just to look” and leave carrying bags.

Once the party started, it was game time.

Rides? Check.
Candy? Obviously.
Party-exclusive food? Absolutely.

The pumpkin ravioli and garlic parmesan chicken strips from Pinocchio Village Haus were so good I briefly considered making them dependent beneficiaries.

Then came the Dessert Fireworks Party, and friends… THIS was peak Disney decadence.

We had actual seats for Mickey’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular, champagne in hand, desserts in front of us, and Cinderella Castle lighting up the night.

Bougie? Yes.
Decadent? Absolutely.
Magical? 100%.

Would I like to make this my new personality? Also yes.

Next up was Space Mountain in complete darkness because apparently regular Space Mountain wasn’t stressful enough. Disney really said, “What if we removed every ounce of emotional support?”

Then came the surprise bonus chapter.

We boarded Tiana’s Bayou Adventure expecting a relaxing journey through the bayou. Instead, we became part of the attraction for an entire hour.

We sat. We waited. We admired the scenery. We learned the scenery. We became emotionally attached to the scenery.

Eventually, we were evacuated.

Goodbye parade. Goodbye final party hours. Goodbye carefully crafted plans.

But sometimes travel, theme parks, and life throw you a curveball. We could have spent that hour frustrated, but everyone—from guests to cast members—was patient, kind, and understanding.

It was a good reminder that patience is part of the magic too. Getting frustrated wasn’t going to make the ride move faster. Sometimes you just have to breathe, roll with it, and trust that the next part of the adventure will be worth it.

And Disney customer service remains undefeated.

The cast members took great care of us and gifted us return passes after 6 PM. So our planned rest day has officially been promoted to BONUS MAGIC KINGDOM DAY!

What started as a night of candy, champagne, fireworks, pumpkin ravioli, and questionable gift-shop decisions ended with an evacuation and an extra park day.

Honestly, that’s the most Disney story ever.

Sometimes the magic doesn’t follow the itinerary. Sometimes it strands you in the bayou, then rewards you with another trip to Magic Kingdom.

And frankly?

I’ll take that trade.

09/04/2026

It’s a great night to do some not so scary things! 🎃

09/04/2026

Last night at HHN was amazing… right up until the scareactors reminded me that their entire job description is psychological warfare. 😅

They lull you into a false sense of security. You start feeling confident. You start thinking, “Maybe I’ve got this whole HHN thing figured out.”

Then suddenly a nightmare launches itself out of the shadows and your soul briefly leaves your body.

These photos are the aftermath of one particularly epic scare. The video may contain a curse word. In my defense, so did my nervous system. 🎃👻

Shoutout to the scareactors who continue to prove they’re Olympic-level professionals at turning grown adults into startled Muppets.

09/04/2026

HHN Night 1 is officially in the books and I can confirm that this evening was held together by vibes, snacks, and a highly scientific mixture of themed cocktails and poor decision-making. 🎃🍹

The food was eaten. The drinks were drank. The steps were stepped. Barely.

We spent the night getting acquainted with some of this year’s unsung icons. Delancey Dan, the silent clown, has somehow mastered the ability to simply exist in a dark corner and make an entire crowd uncomfortable. No jump scare required. Just lurking. Menacingly. 🤡

Then there’s Eddie Schmidt, Jack the Clown’s chainsaw-wielding brother, who showed up looking like he was personally responsible for Universal’s annual protein powder budget. The man has biceps with their own zip code. Add in the chainsaw and the charisma, and the HHN girlies were absolutely feral. 🪚💪🔥😂

And in what was probably a completely rational decision, I also made friends with one of Art the Clown’s “helpers.” Nothing says vacation quite like befriending someone who looks like they’re one bad day away from appearing on a true crime documentary. 🔪😂

The scare zones were packed with incredible performers, the streets were alive with chaos, and every corner felt like something weird, creepy, or hilarious was about to happen.

The real stars of HHN continue to be the scareactors. Their commitment to the bit is unmatched. One minute you’re minding your business, the next you’re making prolonged eye contact with a clown lurking in a fog bank or getting recruited into whatever nonsense Art’s entourage has planned for the evening.

Here’s a little sneak peek at Night 1. More photos, videos, food reviews, scare zone shenanigans, and questionable life choices are on the way because we’re doing it all again tomorrow.

Sleep is temporary. HHN is forever. 🎃🔥

09/03/2026

09/03/2026

A HHN trip has officially begun. 🎃🍹

The bags are unpacked, the countdown has hit zero, and the first drinks have been acquired courtesy of Bar 17 Bistro.

I went with the Caffeinated Coven, because apparently my personality can be summarized as “witchy chaos with extra caffeine.” ☕✨

Matthew chose the wormhole margarita, which feels fitting considering he’s about to spend the next several nights wondering where the last few hours went.

For now we’re soaking in the views, enjoying a little calm before the storm, and pretending we’re rested enough for what awaits us tonight.

In just a few hours we’ll be stepping into the fog, making questionable snack choices, getting jump-scared by things hiding in bushes, and yelling “I SAW THEM FIRST” immediately after being startled.

HHN 2026, we’re here.

May our feet survive.
May our voices survive.
May our livers survive.

The odds for all three are currently under review. 🎃💀🍻

09/02/2026

🚨 1 DAY UNTIL HHN 🚨

Tomorrow, we enter the fog.

Which means today is dedicated to preparing for two things:

👻 Trading trinkets with amazing HHN people
🥵 Fighting Florida’s relentless campaign against human comfort

First up: trades!

The HHN trading community has absolutely exploded, and I am fully contributing to the chaos. This year’s stash includes friendship bracelets, tiny ghost friends, Fortnite V-Buck coins, Demogorgon bookmarks, Hellfire Club goodies, and assorted spooky treasures.

Nothing says friendship quite like exchanging tiny pieces of plastic while standing in a 90-minute queue for something that’s about to traumatize you.

Now let’s discuss the true icon of HHN…

✨ Florida Humidity ✨

The vampires? Fine.

The demons? Fine.

The chainsaw hordes? Fine.

The atmosphere that feels like Satan draped a warm, wet blanket over the entire state? Absolutely unacceptable.

So my survival kit is packed with:
❄️ Instant cold packs
💧 Collapsible water bottles
🌀 Misting fan
🧊 Cooling towels
☔ Ponchos

Because every year I convince myself, “It can’t possibly be that hot.”

And every year Florida says, “That’s adorable.”

Tomorrow the fog rolls in. The scareactors emerge. The houses open. My touring plan immediately falls apart by 6:17 PM. Someone in my group will say, “It’s not that crowded.” They will be wrong.

We are officially ONE DAY AWAY from making excellent decisions like eating horror-themed food, screaming at things that aren’t real, and walking 37 miles in a single evening.

See you in the fog. Come trade. Bring water. Bring electrolytes. Bring the emotional resilience necessary to survive both the houses and the weather.

🎃👻🔥

09/01/2026

🖤🔥 2 DAYS UNTIL HHN! 🔥🖤

Today’s countdown stop is Nightmare Fuel: Blood Noir.

Now, I could tell you this is a thrilling tale of mystery, danger, and creatures of the night.

But let’s be honest.

The word we’re all looking for is SEXY.

This show has spent years asking, “How much fire is too much fire?” and then immediately ignoring the answer.

We’ve got sexy vampires. Sexy dancers. Sexy aerialists. Sexy acrobats. At this point I’m pretty sure even the stage itself is sexy.

Meanwhile, these performers are launching themselves through the air, dangling from impossible heights, flipping over open flames, and making it look easier than getting out of bed on a Monday morning.

It’s giving gothic vampire nightclub.

It’s giving Cirque du Soleil after dark.

It’s giving “I came for the haunted houses and somehow ended up emotionally invested in a vampire with perfect cheekbones.”

And let’s not forget the fire. There is always enough fire to make you wonder if your eyebrows are still attached.

Look, the houses bring the screams. The scare zones bring the chaos. Nightmare Fuel brings the thirst.

See you in the audience pretending I’m there for the plot. 🦇🔥

08/31/2026

🎃 3 DAYS UNTIL HHN! 🎃

We’ve covered the houses. We’ve drooled over the food. We’ve planned our drink strategy. Today, we’re talking scare zones… specifically the one that seems to have been created to personally attack me.

🤡 Downtown Clowntown 🤡

Now, if you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know my biggest irrational fear is clowns. Not heights. Not snakes. Not haunted houses. Clowns.

So naturally, Universal built an entire city for them.

This year, Jack has officially taken over the New York section of the park and declared himself mayor of Downtown Clowntown. Because apparently running a horror event wasn’t enough. He’ll be joined by Chance and his brother Eddie, with a larger-than-life statue watching over the chaos like the world’s most terrifying city council meeting.

As if that wasn’t enough clown-related stress, the city has expanded.

🎪 One borough is being invaded by the Killer Klowns from Outer Space, because giant alien clowns are exactly what this event was missing.

🎄 Another borough belongs to Art the Clown, who’s back and apparently decided to add a little holiday spirit to his reign of terror. Nothing says “season’s greetings” quite like a homicidal mime clown with Christmas decorations.

Somewhere in the middle of all this is me, attempting to walk through New York while pretending I’m completely fine.

I’m not fine.

The good news? The other scare zones look incredible too.

🎪 Infernal Carnival of Nightmares brings twisted midway chaos and nightmare-fueled carnival energy.

🎭 Sideshow of Decay looks ready to serve creepy circus vibes with a healthy dose of rot and ruin.

🎮 FORTNITEMARES drops the world of Fortnite straight into HHN, proving nowhere is safe, not even the Battle Bus.

Three days to go until the fog rolls in and my irrational fear of clowns becomes a full-contact sport. 🎃👻🤡