Universal Creative Director Blames High Costs for Fewer FNAF Animatronics in Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights

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Universal Studios Hollywood is getting feedback from visitors to *Halloween Horror Nights* who feel the *Five Nights at Freddy’s* haunted house isn’t as elaborate as the one at the Florida park. John Murdy, the Creative Director, explained that building the attraction in Hollywood cost more, so they used fewer animatronic figures.

Complaints & Comparison

Visitors to the Florida “Five Nights at Freddy’s” house noticed that Freddy, Bonnie, and Chica were all visible on stage during the initial Pizza Place scene. However, the Hollywood version only showed Freddy, with Bonnie and Chica appearing as shadows behind curtains. Many people were surprised by this difference, as previous announcements had indicated the two houses would be nearly the same, leading them to expect a much closer match.

Some guest dissatisfaction comes from expectations about what they’d get for their money. Many believed that because the houses looked so similar, they’d have the same amount of detailed, moving figures inside. Universal explained that creating these complex figures is much more costly in certain areas, particularly in California.

Murdy’s Response

Okay, so I just saw this response from John Murdy on X, and it’s pretty straightforward. Basically, he’s saying they’re a little annoyed about whatever’s going on, and he apologizes. He explained the main difference between the houses is just that everything costs way more out on the West Coast. It’s a simple explanation, really – location, location, location!

We’re really frustrated about this. Sorry, but things are considerably more expensive on the West Coast. That’s essentially the only major difference between the houses.

— John Murdy 🎃 (@john_murdy) September 6, 2025

He made clear that this cost issue was the primary reason for the design differences.

Background & Context

Halloween Horror Nights is a yearly event at Universal Studios parks in Orlando and Hollywood. Every fall, usually from September to October, the parks come alive with spooky attractions like haunted houses, scare zones, and shows. These are all based on popular horror movies, TV series, and unique ideas. After the regular park hours, Universal completely transforms sections of the parks, working with studios and creators to create incredibly immersive and frightening experiences.

I’m so excited about the haunted houses this year! I know they have them in both Orlando and Hollywood, but I’ve heard things can be a little different at each location – like the number of scares and how elaborate everything is. What’s *really* cool is that they’re working with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop to make the animatronics and effects for the *Five Nights at Freddy’s* house – that’s going to be amazing!

The Halloween Horror Nights event in Hollywood isn’t as large as the one in Orlando. Hollywood has eight haunted houses, whereas Orlando boasts ten.

What Is Unclear

Universal hasn’t shared specific cost information about making animatronics for Halloween Horror Nights in Hollywood compared to Orlando. It’s also currently unknown if they plan to add more characters like Bonnie and Chica later this year.

It’s currently unknown whether these differences affect how satisfied guests are or how many people attend.

Conclusion

I’ve been following the Halloween Horror Nights news, and it’s interesting to hear that the *Five Nights at Freddy’s* maze at Universal Studios Hollywood isn’t exactly the same as the one in Florida. Universal has confirmed they’ve made some changes for the Hollywood version, which is fascinating to me as a fan!

John Murdy explained that the differences between the two experiences are mainly due to higher production costs in California. Although some visitors felt they were initially led to believe the experiences would be very similar, Murdy says financial and practical challenges made the changes necessary.

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2025-09-14 19:41