Big Three SoCal Haunts You Might Not Want to Miss in 2014
There are two weeks left in the Halloween Haunt season, and that’s two weekends left for you to experience at least one or all of the scare events we will discuss in-depth in this long overdue review.
The big “three” haunting games in town, Six Flags Magic Mountain: Fright Fest, Knott’s Scary Farm, and Universal Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights are all unique in their own ways, making it difficult to choose if time and money only allow for one before the season officially ends on November 2nd.
In this review, we will talk about what we liked and didn’t like, give a good run-down on the mazes (without spoiling too much, we hope), and finally, with our bias towards certain scare events, explain why last night was one of the best nights we’ve ever had.
Six Flags Magic Mountain: Fright Fest
For the price of a regular park ticket and the cheapest maze pass of the big three ($20 for non-season pass holders and $15 for season pass holders), Fright Fest provides eight mazes, seven scare zones, two stage shows, and their regular coasters and rides open to experience in the dark.
Scare Zones:
Demon’s Door: Located at the entrance to the park, this scare zone is no different than it was last year. The decorations are really neat with the orange glowing hell pillars, but the busy area makes it hard to experience the scare actors located there.
Zombie Xing: This scare zone and all zombies in the park were not very impressive. The scare actors do their best with what they have and work very hard to get in good scares, but in our opinion, the zombie-craze ship should be at the bottom of the ocean. However, the theme was an improvement in ambiance based on last year.
City Under Siege: We love the look of these clowns and these costumes. The Scream Team does a fantastic job with their actors that slide across the pavement and how they interact with attendees. Located near the DC Universe and in Gotham City, the goal for chaotic takeover fits very well. Unfortunately, the scare actors were mostly grouped together in a sort of “team meet” to get their bearings at the beginning of the night and we missed out on watching them do their work. If you can, stick around and people watch as we have in previous years and it will be well-worth the time.
Ravenstitch: This was one of our favorite scare zones. A raven/human hybrid couple roam this area near the large stretch of carnival games between Riddler and Batman. These two were interactive with us on a level we hadn’t quite experienced before. Mr. Raven even played a little game to determine if I was a good egg, or a bad egg, rewarding me when I chose the bad egg through his little sleight of hand game. I received a nice little bracelet made of wooden beads (the joke that everything they make is out of wood), and we walked away noting the uniqueness to this new zone.
Exile Hill: Just like the other zombie-themed area, this one also misses the mark. Although the scare actors are meant to be “ghosts,” they still feel like zombies in dated clothing. Don’t expect to be very scared or wowed by this zone.
The Wastelands: What is great about this scare zone is that it is not quite zombies, but the undead and mutated. Sort of an area Fallout-ish vibe with brilliant creative costumes and scare actors who aren’t afraid to go the extra mile to get a scare, we wished that there were more actors in these cool outfits. If you walk too quickly outside of the Aftermath maze, you might miss it.
Nightmares – A Twisted Fantasy: This was also a great scare zone and it got downright creepy when the scare actors were in our faces, muttering disturbing things about eating a dismembered foot, or trying to trade members in our party for a rat tail, a rotten apple, and a dead cat. Unlike our favorite event of the big three, the scare actors sort of break through the unspoken wall, especially when they realize that you might be hard to scare with a pounce and a lunge. Instead, they whisper creepy things to you and invade your personal bubble (if you happen to have one) without breaking scare actor rules. If you go, do not miss this area.
Mazes:
Chupacabra: A lingering maze designed to highlight Dia De Los Muertos, there was less “chupacabra” and more of an interesting “wait-in-the-maze” to proceed to various sections. Breaking attendees up in smaller groups helps with the jump-scares, but other than that, the maze was loud and mostly full of fog. We love the feeling of walking through dense fog, but in the cramped space it was choking and claustrophobic and not at all in a good way. Scare actors worked hard, but in the end, the maze itself is not very inspiring.
Willoughby’s Resurrected: This maze has become a staple of the event and a real shame that it is not open during the regular season of the park. Slightly different than last year (we missed having the “butler” that saw us in), the wide open space of the maze is utilized in decoration and scare actors while still remaining extremely accessible and spacious. You won’t want to miss this maze, but if you do, you can count on it for next year.
The Willoughby’s Garden of Darkness: At first this maze was bland with the first few turns, but then as the “man-eating plants” came out of the walls, the twists and turns became highly disorienting. Although whatever story this maze had was lost in really weird projections on the hedge walls, what was neat about this maze was that it really felt like a hedge maze. We hope it returns next year to be a little less weird with bright lights on the walls and a little more garden-like. Real potential to confuse attendees and incite a little panic like it did with us.
The Aftermath: In all honesty, this maze last year was better. We got a little confused on where to go due to bad pathway lighting and the scare actors looked very unimpressive. This maze has also become a staple of the event and includes a little “pre-show” while you are in line, but we left the maze feeling a little let down.
Total Darkness: We actually skipped this maze this year (I know, we are awful), but if you are really scared of the dark, don’t miss this. This maze is pretty unique compared to other events because a totally dark maze is a huge risk. The experience should be had at least once, but afterwards, it is a little harder to enjoy it if you are a seasoned scaree.
Toys of Terror 3D: Another maze returning, but changes in the maze and the “pre-show” were great. This warped fun house full of demented toys is a trip and a whole lot of fun. Watch out for the disorienting sloping floors and walls that feel like they are closing in, you can trip over yourself if you aren’t careful, but these features definitely add great dimensions to the experience.
Vault 666: We have to admit, we had no idea what we were getting into when we stood outside this maze. Was it a doorway to hell? A place where demons were kept? We don’t really want to spoil this maze, but the outside definitely does not reflect what lies within and we still can’t figure out if that is a good or bad thing. This new maze was pretty well done for the caliber of the event and aside from a few areas where the “scares” were just way too loud, we left feeling impressed.
Red’s Revenge: Saving the best for last, this new maze really elevated Fright Fest above previous years. The details of this maze were beyond anything they have done before, and if you’re not impressed with the last scene of the maze (reminding yourself that this is still Six Flags MM) then we aren’t sure what is wrong with you. There is a lot of really cool stuff to see and we hope that this maze returns and improves even more next year. Do NOT miss if you attend!
We also attended the Fright Feast which kept us full of food all night and the haunted illusions of Magician Michael Turco were pretty neat. Although, we do not recommend bringing children under the appropriate age to see scantily clad dancers prance out and do a couple routines. Their bits have a little bit of a Cabaret vibe and it got a little awkward with a room partially filled with children under twelve. There is an age suggestion for this entire event, so parents, even if you are okay with guys and ghouls shaking booty in front of your little boys and girls, the rest of us get pretty creeped-out.
Fright Fest gets 3 out of 5 screams.
New mazes, scare actors, and availability of entertainment (a warning, VooDoo Nights near Full Throttle does get a little too loud), as well as an overall improvement from last year, the park misses the mark on well-lit walkways and well-lit signage. It was hard to figure out where maze entrances were and sometimes downright hard to see where you were going, especially coming down from the Samurai Summit. However, pricing is not a bad deal, especially if you are already a season pass holder.
Knott’s Scary Farm
This was our very first time coming to the Scary Farm event and afterwards we were wondering why in the hell we had missed this event in previous years. Knotts has the longest history of haunting of all three parks and for a price you cannot pass up, as well as the ability to go on a Wednesday if your schedule allows, this event will keep you moving, keep you busy, and keep you feeling creeped-out.
Scare Zones:
Fiesta De Los Muertos Another Dia De Los Muertos highlight, we entered the park so early that this scare zone was totally bereft of attendees. Don’t let the bright and friendly colors fool you, even empty, the scare actors do a great job and they will hide in the bushes and relentlessly invade your bubble to get you to scrunch up your shoulders and try to flee. We are definitely seasoned haunt attendees, and these guys went above and beyond, working well together to get a few good jumps out of us even when there was no darkness to hide behind (the sun had not quite set) and no crowd to disappear into. The costumes were utterly fantastic and the music stage was really, really cool. (Okay, it was really cool!) Linger through this area and shake your booty when the music is going, let yourself get scared because the area earns it.
Carnevil: First, the scare actors looked amazing and also went to great lengths for their scares. Although it seems like there aren’t many of them, the creepy clowns seem to be everywhere and again, the Scream Team group is really well trained in the arts of horror attendee interaction. Almost too well. Late in the night we stopped to have a snack and one actor in particular sat down and pushed the beyond the comfortable border. If this happens to you and you start to feel as uncomfortable as we did, then ask them to stop. Pushing way beyond your comfort level without consent is not okay. Other than that, this scare zone was fantastic.
Ghost Town: This area is foggy beyond belief, the scare actors are clad in the garb of the old west, and they did an excellent job. Lingering here made us realize how great Knott’s Old West theme really is and how well it lent itself to the ghost town overlay. The scare actors here were also fantastic and a lot less chatty than the clowns, but nonetheless, they did the job and did it well.
Gypsy Camp: Before we walked through this scare zone, the last time I shrieked at a horror event was when I was about 15 or 16 and experienced my first haunted house. A werewolf had snuck up beside me and even though I knew he was there, the clicking of the metal the scare actors wear on their gloves and the growl in my ear caused involuntary noises to escape from my throat. A small shriek, but it was the first that renewed my hope for haunts to come.
Mazes:
Since this was our first time at the Scary Farm, we really didn’t know what to expect from the mazes. Word-of-mouth and other review sites always gave Knott’s high marks, so we opened our minds to every maze and this is what we experienced.
The Gunslinger’s Grave: Keeping in tune with that good ole’ “old west” theme, the maze definitely gets that feeling right. The costumes of the scare actors fit well and it was a pleasant experience. Maybe not as scary as it could be, but the guns in your face may cause for some uncomfortable pause.
Black Magic: In the spirit of the bizarre world of performing magicians and the mystique surrounding black magic, this maze was long and the details kept your eyes darting everywhere. While you are occupied with the peeled faces hanging from the ceiling in one room, and the famous Houdini routines going horribly wrong in each room, your guard drops and the actors lurking in the corners have you jumping and uttering, “Oh s**t!” Other expletives may also escape as these creepers suddenly appear, but at least for me, that was the phrase of the night. Again, this maze was long, but in a very good way.
The Witch’s Keep in the Calico Mine Ride: We had no idea what this would be like. Although the seats in the mine cars were uncomfortably packed and made it difficult to see what was going on, the animatronics were outdated and at some points, pretty cheesy, the concept itself was really neat. We could enjoy it because we didn’t wait long, but it might not be something you absolutely have to see.
Pinocchio Unstrung: The maze details were pretty neat in this dark twist of Pinocchio’s story and at some points, got quite disturbing. Some of the scare actors hit their marks as living puppets, and some of them almost seemed too afraid to try and get good scares in. At the end of the maze, there is a recurring theme of grand spectacle that seems to be the new trend in haunts. A nicely themed maze with a story that is easy to follow.
Forevermore: This writer/horror fan/literature lover is a Poe fan just as anyone would be and each “room” of the maze has hints of Poe’s stories, even some that the casual reader may not recognize. However, the theme of a Poe-inspired killer seems to get lost through parts of the maze and we couldn’t decide whether we wanted it to be just a Poe-killer maze or just interpretations of Poe’s stories. As a fan of the latter, this maze could probably drop the killer story and amp up the twisted and modern interpretations of his stories. My favorites were the odes to “Black Cat” and the “Cask of Amontillado,” as well as one part towards the end that will make you go, “Wait, what?!” The beginning was pretty sluggish, but halfway through the maze that seems too long, we were pretty impressed.
Voodoo:THIS. THIS MAZE. Time did not allow us to go through a second time, but if you can, go through this maze a second time! This maze is literally a “choose your own scare-venture” that you can choose or be forced to take a different path throughout, sometimes even splitting up your party. The maze decorations were amazing, absolutely fantastic! Complete with swamp and huts and its own little Bourbon Street at the beginning, we were totally blown away by the originality and creativity here. We hope it returns next year so that we can get through a couple of times to see everything this maze has to offer.
Trick or Treat: Kids and costumes and candy is what Halloween boils down to. This maze took the classic trick or treating and turned it pretty creepy. There were children in the maze, one even complete with a cheesy sheet-over-the-head-ghost-costume that actually creeped us out. Scare actors were in simple masks of cats, witches, vampires, and everything you can think of in the classic Halloween night scenario. This was the house you were afraid to walk into as a kid and for good reason. Spooky things happen and the details in the maze were really remarkable. This maze was a lot of fun and not as childish as it may appear.
Dominion of the Damned AND Tooth Fairy: Do NOT pass this maze up. In fact, you can’t pass up the second if you enter the first because these are two different mazes in ONE line! This is a really smart choice (with a small queue outside of the second maze), and going through two mazes one after the other really amps up your anxiety, especially when it came to the second maze. Dominion was a classic vampire maze with really cool sets portraying the classic (and classy) world of vampires and other damned creatures. The maze was really creative and unique and parts of it got downright scary. Having two mazes together like this did cause a hold up inside this maze, but that didn’t stop scare actors from giving it their all and scaring stopped up attendees not once, but several times until we got moving again.
The second maze, Tooth Fairy, began in a house where children were going to sleep, hoping to get a visit from the tooth fairy. However, it is not all sparkly dust and money under the pillow. Eventually you enter a room with a portal to tooth hell that turns into a blackout. The texture of the wall changes and is really creepy. The world twists into your worst dentist nightmare and the gore, the scare actors, and the spaces you have to crawl through become extremely disturbing. This maze was NOT for the faint of heart and we absolutely love it for that. If you have a hard time stooping in small spaces, you may want to skip this one unless there was a way around the crawlspace you eventually have to go through. If dentist chairs and dentist drills give you chills and cause high anxiety, you also may want to skip this, but if you love feeling all these horrible things like we do, you must not miss this maze and we hope to see it again next year.
Shows:
Knott’s gets top marks for having two shows that are easily fit into your night. Elvira’s Big Top (pun intended) was really entertaining and you simply cannot miss the Halloween icon that the Mistress of the Dark has become. We had a fantastic time watching her little “freakshow” (because that is what is going to be in real soon), and seeing her onstage was definitely something special. She is a hoot and deserves lots of applause for the Halloween traditions she has upheld for so long.
Finally, you have The Hanging. Do NOT miss this if you want to laugh at the classic show that Knott’s fans pine for. Standing through the whole show is a little tough at first, especially if it is towards the end of the night, but once it gets going, you hardly notice. This year weighed in on our decision to finally see this show as they touch on a very sensitive subject (the Bill and Ted debacle) and it was heartwarming to see our icons even though it did not end well for them. We hope that even in the face of some controversy going on about this year’s Hanging, we hope Knott’s will keep their heads high and keep hanging those pop culture icons we love to hate. #RIPBillandTed
Knott’s Scary Farm, 4 out of 5 screams…
…for being an excellent first-time experience. The mazes were pretty well conceived, there was a lot to do, and the Boo-Fet (which was over so quickly because we were running late that I cannot review it with justice) was pretty tasty. There were a few “extra” packages that we just didn’t feel would enhance our experience and might have just been too much for one night. We were also not familiar with the park and got lost easily, and many maze entrances weren’t well lit either, much like Fright Fest. Lastly, although the scare actors in the scare zones were all getting top marks, there were a good handful in the mazes that really dropped the ball, or just weren’t very good at getting scares for more seasoned attendees.
Actually, very last, this was the most handicap accessible horror event we have ever seen. If wheelchair access is a concern, or if you have a hard time walking at a quick clip, the park is overwhelmingly accommodating and you will have a darn good time.
Universal Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights
We have arrived to our very favorite yearly event. With our combined experiences, our team has been to Universal Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights (including two years at sister park, Orlando) almost EVERY SINGLE YEAR it has run. While that’s not really a lot of years, we attend these events two or three, or even four times (one year we made it every weekend it was open) while it runs. Even in the face of mazes that don’t quite hit the well-known benchmark of the park, we are big fans of Creative Director John Murdy and his partner in crime, Art Director Chris Williams. These guys have long histories of hard work and relentless passion for every small haunter’s dream job of designing, organizing, and putting together an event that people travel from all over the world to see. (Okay, I’ll stop fangirling!)
This year we went opening night. Although this was not the first time we had been for the first night of the haunt season, it was probably the worst opening night we had ever attended at HHN. The walk to the Metro sets was long, many scare actors weren’t quite ready, and we were unimpressed with some of the returning, as well as new mazes. One member of our party was hurt by a puppet in An American Werewolf in London, and we missed both the new Clownz 3D with music by Slash, as well as the Terror Tram. We knew that this was not a good reflection of the event and sometimes stuff happens. Last year, one of the facades of the mazes was still being painted on opening day and hardcore HHN fans know that this event can literally be rushing at the last minute to get things in the right place. In the face of this night that just kind of went wrong, we knew we had to return.
Although one of us went again weekend previous, we returned in full-force last night to try and hit every single maze including the Terror Tram before closing. This challenge was completed before 10PM and really set the tone for the BEST night at HHN we have ever had.
Scare Zones:
The Purge – Anarchy: Although this scare zone does not quite compare to the little show that Orlando puts on with the Purge Auction, the new “Ringmaster,” a woman in her formal attire, does a great job of interacting with attendees and getting a Purge-like vibe going. We have a hard time getting scared by the Purge scare actors because there is so much going on and they move really fast, but it is an area that you can watch for a bit while you rest and maybe grab a coffee.
Dark Christmas: Krampus. Krampus on stilts. Frosty Krampus not on stilts. Evil little elves. Creepy Father Christmas. Jack-****ing-Frost. Mrs. Witchy-Claus. If you can’t tell by our use of explitive, this scare zone was the best scare zone Baker Street has ever had. This scare zone was amazing and I can’t stop going on about how amazing it was. The scare actors were deep into it, dancing with the demented Christmas music (as if it were driving them insane) and even at the end of the night they were all energetic and did not give up on trying to scare (and being successful) us HHN veterans. Go through this area as much as you can. Absolutely wonderful.
Mask-a-Raid: This was a scare zone that got voted in by fans through a Facebook poll. We put our vote in for this one and were very, very glad that it was different than that of Orlando’s similar zone. We love the gore, we love the disproportionate heads and the big teeth. One particularly big guy teamed up with someone behind me and they got a really good hoot out of me at one point. These guys didn’t stop and we wouldn’t want them to. We lingered here for a while, and you should not miss these guys playing music for the table.
Skullz Down on the lower lot, scaring to a snippet of Rammstein’s Engel, are a bunch of guys with goat skulls on stilts. Although this zone was not as complex as it has been in previous years (notably, Silent Hill’s Pyramid Heads), those guys in the stilts are remarkable in their agility and relentless goal of scaring until attendees pee themselves. (Not sure if that has happened, but we are pretty sure some people peed themselves last night.)
The Walking Dead – Welcome to Terminus: We are in the growing category of HHN attendees who are really tired of seeing The Walking Dead at the event. This is the third year that zombies have invaded the park and even though the makeup and masks are still the best zombie portrayals out of the big three, this scare zone, which is now forced upon you in the Metro sets, is not scary at all, at least for us. The majority of attendees love the Walkers and love the show and many people go just for that experience, but it is certainly not our favorite. If you are a fan of it all, you will love it, but HHN fans ready for something new might just want to speed through that area.
Mazes:
Alien vs. Predator: DO THIS FIRST. Get down to the Metro sets and DO THIS FIRST. If you love Aliens and you love Predator, this maze does NOT disappoint. Breaking away from anything the movies really did, this maze is a unique story of the meeting of these two other-world heavyweights. That last scene will have you HOLY HORROR KIDDING ME the rest of the night.
The Walking Dead – End of the Line: Again, we are not the best people to ask when it comes to this maze. Same old last year with a few exceptions, same old zombies…I mean, Walkers. Whatever. You know by now we are no longer fans of this experience that is forced on us and in our faces in every single merchandise store. You can’t get away from, “…experience the AMC’s the Walking Dead…” wherever you go. It’s on your drink, it’s on the posters, it’s in the trivia, and it’s on the stickers handed out by the Ghoul Patrol. This maze does try to improve upon itself and has at least one section that we find pretty neat, but if you are a big fan then you will squee with joy throughout. If you are seasoned HHN then skip it if there is no time, or if you can squeeze in an extra visit to AVP or another maze.
From Dusk Till Dawn: I am a fan of this movie and when this maze was announced, I had no idea that a show had existed. We always give the “secret password” out at the mazes to get cool stuff (I love my Elite Hunting card), but on opening night, the doorman and the Gecko Brothers were downright dicks to us. That night was just a really, really bad night and ruined the enjoyment of the maze. Last night was SO MUCH BETTER and we got our awesome secret yearly swag from an awesome doorman and were creeped out by Gecko Brothers who were fantastically in character and on the money. However, the maze itself is just weird. It has some really neat rooms, great scenes (everyone’s favorite is that first room with the stage show), and the scare actors did well. One of the downers about that maze is a lot of under-utilized space. Maybe it is because the treatment of the maze reflects sets of the show, and maybe when I finally have time to watch it on Netflix, I can appreciate it more, but even so, we didn’t feel the maze was as big a hit as it could have been.
Clownz 3D with music by Slash: Let’s just get it out of the way that this was not the best 3D maze we have seen at the park when it comes to the actual 3D illusions, but this maze was just WOW. When you walk in there is an overwhelming smell of candy (because HHN does the smell experience better than anyone else), and the pictures were really neat. The rooms with mirrors were pretty frightening and scared us several times. The “toilet room” was stomach-churning and disgusting, making you never want to look at circular fruity cereal again in your life. The second time through, I almost barfed at the decaying body defecation smell and then was disturbed by Sweet Licks the clown, who was invading my bubble of trying not to hurl. This second time through, the whole maze became utterly surreal and downright terrifying. By the end, we couldn’t believe how much better that maze was a second time through in one night. Our minds had been blown! As for Slash’s music, was it there? It was so subtle and incorporated so well that you wanted to go through again just to listen for it. Probably the best “musician” maze at HHN yet.
(Although, Black Sabbath last year was pretty good.)
An American Werewolf in London: Our leader, Mr. Horror got to experience this maze last year at Orlando and we jumped for joy when it was announced officially at Scare LA (which we also covered). On opening night, one of the werewolf puppets literally attacked us. While it wasn’t a huge problem, we made sure to let someone know about it so no one else got hurt. Last night, the changes to all the puppets were noted and extremely well done, if not better. The second time through the maze last night (that’s TWICE in one night) the puppets actually scared me, almost everything scared me. I jumped when the train came in the tunnel, I did the shout-shimmy in the porn theater (although I am still disappointed that there is no real “suggestive” video playing there), and the hair stood up on the back of my neck when the wolf looked down from the crate and snarled. Second time through, the actors were even more amazing than usual, especially that “nightmare” sequence. All the actors were hitting their marks, were full of energy (mind you, this second time through was almost at 1AM), and blew us away. We came out doing the HOLY HORROR THAT WAS GOOD yelling and shaking our heads, wondering if our lives were real or not.
Dracula – Reign of Blood:…Untold? Two things: first, the facade for this maze looks a hell of a lot better during the day, and second, this maze was far better on opening night. Last night we noticed that the “blood cup” was gone and there weren’t as many scare actors in the burning village. This maze could be really cool, but as it was the very last maze added to the announcements, it really feels that way. I dug it because I like the actual historical references to Vlad the Impaler, and although I have not seen the movie, I assume it’s an alright nod to it. The maze feels rushed and it would be fine if you rushed through it. Scare actors did a fantastic job last night trying to get the scares, but they were too few and far between.
Face Off – In the Flesh: Opening night, this maze was awesome. Last night, this maze was awesome both times through. We weren’t sure why the wait on this maze was never very long, as it has been the best overlay HHN has ever done on House of Horrors and since this is the last two weeks you will ever get to walk through that building, HoH is getting the best salute it ever could. If you are a fan of Face Off or are familiar with the show, you get to see their creepiest creations from the show come to life. Bright colors and drumstep by Figure (who is really awesome and puts together some good horror drumstep) really make this maze a party you want to hang out in. Probably the easiest maze to experience twice in one night, and if you have time, it’s worth it. Those scare actors, just as all the scare actors from last night, worked really hard and never ran out of energy (well, one Pumpkin Lady did seem pretty tired that last time through). #RIPHouseofHorrors
Experiencing three mazes that were our favorites (and if AVP hadn’t been so far away, we would have done that one again, too) for a second time was a mind-blowing experience and we did everything before 10PM without Front of the Line passes. Luck and Universal’s top-notch hospitality was on our side and one of the reasons we got to experience two of the second-trip mazes again, but if time just runs out for you, it is possible to do everything once in one night. To do this, take advantage of First Stab (early entry for pass holders) or the side-gate early entry if you only have a HHN ticket for the night. You walk speedily, prepare with water bottles and comfortable shoes, as well as pushing through tired feet and dense crowds to get to where you want to go. Don’t rest unless you really cannot press on any further and don’t be afraid to wait in lines that say 25 or 30 minutes until your task is complete. Then, the rest of the night is yours with some people-watching, food-eating, and hopefully some second runs of what you found to be your favorites.
Of course we give:
HHN 5 out of 5 screams…
…for the event after last night, which we still cannot get over how great it was. Although we may not like some of the licensed properties brought in this year, there are shining stars that you really should NOT miss this year. Though the price might not be the lowest of all three, you are getting your money’s worth for a normal ticket as long as you don’t give up all night. Universal has well-lit signage, lots of food, and the scare actors are top-notch. The crowds, however, can be just awful and hard to deal with on super busy nights. If you can, try for any remaining Thursdays or Sundays, including November 2nd!
DONE.
So there you have it, our long over-due review of the big three horror games in Southern California. Next year, we are going to challenge ourselves to hit all three parks in one night. If you think we can (or cannot) do it, keep up with us on our plans to execute this huge challenge throughout this next year.
We hope you can get to any one of these venues this year, or maybe all of them. Whichever you choose, if you go into your night prepared and with a plan, you will definitely have a great time!
