Greetings, lovers of horror. Want to be scared this Halloween? Well, fear not (well, OK, fear a bit) because here’s a roundup of popular theme park haunts going on in Southern California. And note that these could sell out, so grab those tickets now. Most haunts run until Oct. 31. Check AAA for discounts. And also check the requirements for masks, vaccinations and such.
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Fright Fest 2021 returns in Valencia with six haunted mazes, eight scare zones and three live shows. It includes two new scare zones and two new shows.Unlike the other parks, Fright Fest is included with daily amusement park admission. Visitors just pay an extra $30-50 for a Fright Pass to access the mazes. Day trippers can enjoy the scare zones and coasters without paying for the Fright Pass, (which means large crowds). “Aftermath 2: Chaos Rising” is one of the most popular mazes. Tickets start at $45. sixflags.com/magicmountain
Universal Studios Hollywood
Halloween Horror Nights, which scare aficionados generally consider to be the best of the local theme park haunts, runs through Oct. 31. It includes new and returning mazes such as the “Haunting of Hill House,” “Walking Dead” and the “Bride of Frankenstein.” The Terror Tram is also back. Harvey Guillén, star of the FX series “What We Do in the Shadows,” volunteered to venture into the mazes and help us decide which were scariest. Tickets start at $69. Not recommended for children under the age of 13. halloweenhorrornights.com.
Knott’s Berry Farm
Knott’s Scary Farm, the area’s first Halloween event, returns this year with eight haunted mazes, five scare zones and six live shows. The only new maze this year is “Mesmer: Sideshow of the Mind” which features hypnotist Mesmer who hosts an insane world with sideshow acts gone wrong underneath a traveling carnival tent. There’s also a new scare zone called “Gore-ing 20’s” which features Prohibition-era bootleggers, ghostly revelers and Jazz era band, and a secret password to reach the underworld. This scare zone is located near Knott’s Bear-y Tales dark ride. Prices start at $50.
Knott’s Spooky Farm, for younger children, is included with the price of regular admission. It runs daytime only on Saturdays and Sundays. Day tickets start at $54 online but check with AAA for discounts. knotts.com
Disneyland Resort
Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort includes elaborate decorations featured pumpkins, specially costumed characters, transformation of the Haunted Mansion into the Haunted Mansion Holiday, Guardians of the Galaxy — Monsters After Dark and a Halloween Screams show. Note that you need an advance reservation to enter the theme parks at this time, except for Downtown Disney, which is also festively decorated.Theme park ticket prices start at $114 for adults weekdays. Disneyland.com
Oogie Boogie Bash is back at Disney California Adventure as an after-hours specially ticketed event. People can dress up in costumes, trick-or-treat and enjoy the special decorations, food and, of course, merchandise to buy. At this writing, tickets were sold out, so find a friend who bought some and horn in or put it on your calendar to buy next August. disneyland.com
SeaWorld San Diego
Howl-O-Scream, the park’s first foray into scary Halloween events, offers three haunted houses, six scare zones and a live show. The live show, “Vampire Circus,” got rave reviews from our reviewer, although the premiere outing for the other Halloween attractions here do not match other haunts. Our reviewer also praised the food including a Bloody Lucy Slider, Brain Bites and Nightmare Mac & Cheese. SeaWorld continues to offer the more family-friendly Halloween Spooktacular for younger kids on weekends through Oct. 31, included with regular park admission. seaworld.com/san-diego
This post first appeared on ocregister.com
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