SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
THEME PARK ROUNDUP
By
Steve Zall and Sid Fish
Fall 2013
Check out all of the frightfully fun treats our local them parks have cooked up for the Halloween season:
Disneyland Resort Celebrates Halloween Time
Beginning Friday the 13th
Separate-ticket ‘Mickey’s Halloween Party’ Offers
Trick-or-Treating In Disneyland Park
on 13 Special Nights in 2013
The Happiest Place on Earth gets spookier as Halloween Time returns with Disney villains, Mickey Mouse and his friends in Halloween costumes, a Dia de los Muertos celebration and the special after-hours Mickey’s Halloween Party at Disneyland Park. In addition, popular attractions are transformed for the season into Haunted Mansion Holiday and Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy as the Disneyland Resort celebrates Halloween Time through Halloween, Thursday, Oct. 31.
The daily Halloween Time celebration offers frightful fun for guests of all ages through Thursday, Oct. 31. New in Disney California Adventure Park this year is the addition of some Halloween spice to the popular nighttime Mad T Party in Hollywood Land. Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee welcome guests to a “Dead Man’s Party” featuring Halloween music and a chilling new look for the Mad T Party band.
At Disneyland, guests can thrill to Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy in Tomorrowland. The experience begins as a typical Space Mountain adventure, but suddenly launches voyagers into a haunted section of the universe. Ghosts appear out of the starry darkness and swirling galaxies of Space Mountain, reaching out as if to grab guests as they speed through space. The exhilarating drops and curves are punctuated by piercing screams, creepy sound effects and haunting music.
Jack Skellington also returns to take over the Haunted Mansion and bring Haunted Mansion Holiday back to New Orleans Square in Disneyland. Transformed to a mix of Halloween spookiness and Christmas tradition, Haunted Mansion Holiday is inspired by the classic animated film “Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas”. This year, in celebration of Haunted Mansion Holiday’s 13th year, guests can look for 13 new surprises within the Mansion.
In addition to Haunted Mansion Holiday and Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy:
· For spine-tingling fun, drop in at The Twilight Zone™ Tower of Terror at Disney California Adventure Park, where a “supernatural” event happened on Halloween evening, 1939, forever haunting the building.
· Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland is transformed for the Pumpkin Festival, with hundreds of pumpkins on display, no two of them the same.
· Disney villains will be conjured up in a sideshow tent at the Halloween Carnival at Big Thunder Ranch in Frontierland.
· Guests at Halloween Carnival in Big Thunder Ranch will also find favorite Disney characters in Halloween costumes, along with pumpkin carvers, Halloween décor and activities for youngsters.
· Pirates League moves into Halloween Carnival this year. At Pirates League, guests age three and up can live their pirate dreams and learn the ways of the seven seas by choosing one of four pirate transformation options: Jake and the Never Land Pirates, First Mate, Empress (created especially for all the pirate princesses) and a new Ghost Pirate makeover. For Pirates League reservations call 714-781-STYLE / 714-781-7895.
· Frontierland observes Dia de los Muertos with a traditional skeleton display that will remain through Sunday, Nov. 3.
This year the after-hours Mickey’s Halloween Party, a separate-ticket event* for trick-or-treating families, has expanded to a spooky total of 13 special nights in Disneyland Park. Tickets are on sale at Disneyland.com/Halloween for Mickey’s Halloween Party on Friday, Sept. 27; Tuesday, Oct. 1; Friday, Oct. 4; Tuesday, Oct. 8; Friday, Oct. 11; Tuesday, Oct. 15; Friday, Oct. 18; Monday, Oct. 21; Wednesday, Oct. 23; Friday, Oct. 25; Monday, Oct. 28; Wednesday, Oct. 30; and Thursday, Oct. 31.
A fun new feature of Mickey’s Halloween Party is the “Monsters U Dance Party” at Tomorrowland Terrace. Class time is over, and the students of Monsters University join Halloween Time guests in a family-friendly frat party with Monster U’s most popular students, Mike & Sulley.
Mickey’s Halloween Party invites adults and children to dress up in costume and trick-or-treat at Disneyland. These party participants can also arrive before the party to “mix in” with regular Disneyland guests for three hours prior to the start of Mickey’s private bash. Highlights of Mickey’s Halloween Party include:
· The special opportunity to play in Disneyland for three hours before the party starts
· Trick or Treating – candy and healthy treats – in the ultimate Disney neighborhood
· The “Halloween Screams” fireworks spectacular, hosted by “Master of Scare-omonies” Jack Skellington (presented exclusively for guests of Mickey’s Halloween Party)
· “Mickey’s Costume Party” cavalcade featuring some favorite characters, performed twice nightly
· The Cadaver Dans ghoul quartet, performing Halloween-themed tunes aboard a drifting graveyard-themed raft on the Rivers of America in New Orleans Square and Frontierland
· Dance parties, where guests will “boo-gie” to lively music
· An opportunity for everyone in the family to attend the park in costumes
· Photo locations with popular Disney and Pixar Pals, and Disney Villains
· Nearly all the favorite Disneyland rides and attractions, plus Haunted Mansion Holiday and Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy
· Complimentary parking for one standard-size vehicle
Tickets to Mickey’s Halloween Party purchased in advance are $59 most days, while tickets purchased on the event days are $67. All tickets to Mickey’s Halloween Party on Wednesday, Oct. 30, and Halloween Night, Thursday, Oct. 31, are $74. Mickey’s Halloween Party is a non-smoking event. Smoking will be permitted in the Esplanade outside the Disneyland Main Entrance.
For more information about Halloween Time at Disneyland Resort, see www.disneyland.com/halloween. This site will be updated with frightfully fun details.
Disneyland Resort features two fantastic theme parks – Disneyland (the original Disney theme park) and Disney California Adventure – plus the Downtown Disney District comprised of unique dining, entertainment, and shopping experiences. The resort’s three hotels are the luxurious 948-room Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, the magical 970-room Disneyland Hotel and the 481-room Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel with its day-at-the-beach fun.
Disneyland Resort in Anaheim is open daily year round, and Halloween Time runs through October 31. For more information call 866-603-4763 or visit www.disneyland.com.
Knott’s Scary Farm Opens the Gates of Terror
World’s First, Largest, and Longest Running
Halloween Event Returns with Wall to Wall Terror
Knott’s Scary Farm is ready to pull back the curtain on wall-to-wall terror this Halloween season. The event, which has welcomed millions of visitors over the years, is a tradition for those who live the macabre. This year’s celebration which kicks off on September 26, promises to be killer with 12 mazes and haunted attractions, 6 live shows, and four endless scare zones.
Knott’s Halloween Haunt continues to be the leader in theme park Halloween events and this year’s event is brimming with new mazes, familiar faces, and surprises around every corner.
NEW MAZES
Trapped: The New Experiment*
Making its debut in 2012, Trapped was Knott’s Scary Farm’s first reservation only, interactive maze - and was an immediate sell-out. Trapped: The New Experiment returns bigger and more intense than its predecessor. For those lucky enough to secure a reservation, Trapped will offer a longer running time, more challenging puzzles, more mind-bending contraptions, and more in-your-face scares. *Additional fee applies.
Black Magic
The veil between the living and the dead is severed when Houdini’s ghost materializes during a séance and ushers a host of demonic illusions to play tricks on anyone who intrudes on his theatre. From the prop room to the main stage this dilapidated theatre will make visitors skin crawl. Will you be part of the disappearing act?
Forevermore
The twisted mind of Edgar Allen Poe comes alive as the “Forevermore Killer” works his way through one haunting tale after another. All the victims unwittingly find themselves a part of “The Raven,” “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Pit and the Pendulum,” The Masque of Red Death” among other horrific stories. Guests will want to catch up on their reading to stay a chapter ahead of their demise.
The Gunslinger’s Grave
Return to the Old West and walk in the bloody footsteps of a betrayed and left for dead gunslinger on his path to retribution against a corrupt township. This journey back in time takes guests on a trail of terror through abandoned gold mines, a treacherous corral, a seedy saloon and a final showdown at town hall.
Mirror, Mirror
Enter a world where madness is just a looking glass away. What is real and what is an illusion? A cursed mirror absorbs everyone into a mechanical wasteland of despair. Hideous creatures of beauty and horror stalk the mirror world, hoping to draw another victim into a nightmarish labyrinth.
Dominion of the Damned
The Blood Queen’s reign has ended, but the seductive vampires continue to lure unsuspecting guests into this gothic lair of terror. Ancient vampire lore decrees there shall always be one to rule the damned... Long live the King!
RETURNING MAZES
Pinocchio Unstrung
Years have passed since the blue fairy denied him his final wish, but Pinocchio has returned with an army of murderous marionettes intent on killing his former masters. The purpose of his killing spree – human flesh to cover his twisted wooden body. Revenge comes with no strings attached.
Delirium
In the deep recesses of the mind, on the clouded brink of insanity, lies the hellish wasteland of delirium - a place so gruesome that your imagination fails to comprehend the horrors. Illusion and paranoia are your only anchors to reality. Welcome to your worst nightmare!
Trick or Treat
Trick or treat, which will it be? Step forward and ring the witch’s doorbell. Oh, she is home, but where? You are not quite sure. Don’t be afraid, her minions will guide you. I am sure that the tales of the many Hallows Eve victims are just that. You can come away with a treat, but is it worth it?
ENDGAMES: Warriors of the Apocalypse
The world as we know it has ended. The survivors in this barren desert have scavenged to rebuild society. The rich and the powerful have turned all others into slaves for sport. Enter the post-apocalyptic arena where gladiators are forced to battle to their deaths for entertainment. Are you game?
Uncle Willy’s Slaughterhouse
Folks near and far come a-runnin’ for Farmer Willy’s world famous BBQ! Guests are welcome to venture through the Slaughterhouse where Uncle Willy will feed them full of BBQ, slather them with special sauce, tenderize them with his chainsaw and grind them into a tasty treat. Bone appetite!
The Witch’s Keep
Many years ago, The Green Witch uncovered a wicked source of power in the depths of the Calico Mine, and now she’s hell-bent on using this mysterious energy to capture and corrupt all who dare enter. Could this be the origin of her wretched Tricksters? A foreboding warning hangs near the entrance of the mine, “Beware the witch’s keep!”
SCARE ZONES
New for 2013, those brave enough to shake off the fear in “Fiesta De Los Muertos” will encounter the grim fusion of dance music, colorful costumes, and larger than life stilt walkers. This scare zone is the ultimate late night celebration of Dia de los Muertos.
The backstreets of Ghost Town are shrouded in moonlight darkness and fearsome howls pierce the silence. In a blur of crimson teeth, werewolves stalk the “Gypsy Camp” seeking revenge for an ancient gypsy curse. Will you be the canine’s next meal?
“Necropolis,” a vampire world of flesh and machine, of gears and steam offers a journey through the streets of a steam punk influenced city of the dead where blood is power.
There is no place quite like “Ghost Town”, home to a whole cast of night stalkers including the notorious Sliders who lurk in every fog-filled corner. Guests attempt to navigate the winding streets that may just lead to the graveyard!
Knott’s Boardwalk is taken over by “CarnEVIL”, where the freak show is the main event and clowns crave your undying attention.
SHOWS
A trip to Knott’s Scary Farm would not be complete without the shows! See one, see them all – Knott’s entertainment offers so many twisted choices.
A Knott’s Scary Farm legend returns to the Ghoul Time Theatre – Elvira, Mistress of the Dark - stars in her all-new stage show: ELVIRA'S SINEMA SÉANCE. Elvira is back in all her ghoulish glory bringing her own brand of sexy sass and comedy to a fast-paced, multi-media extravaganza featuring the unique hip-hop/freestyle dance team The Academy of Villains direct from America's Got Talent. Appearing live 9/26 – 10/31.
Mystery Lodge will be the site of the new show, “Possessed” where guests experience a new kind of terror as ghosts of the past are released and possession is their goal. “Possessed” is filled with evil spirits and ghastly special effects that will bring a new dimension to your nightmares.
At Necropolis Theatre guests can watch the ghoulishly great performance of Street Drum Corps “Blood Drums” show. This high-energy drumming quartet is known for their unique blend of amazing percussion skills.
In Knott’s historic Bird Cage Theatre, “Carny Trash” offers up Aye Jaye, a sideshow comedian and magician with impeccable comedic timing who is a master of the unexpected. The Gypsy Camp will present “Cursed” featuring the magical and hypnotic powers of the beautiful belly dancers.
Calico Square will be the site of “The Hanging®: A Gothic Fairy Tale.” The traditional “Hanging” goes Hollywood as Hollywood executives, realizing that they have run out of superheroes upon which to base new blockbusters, turn to classic fairytales.
Knott’s Halloween Haunt dates are September 26-29, October 3-6, 10-13, 17-20, 24-27, 30-31, November 1-2, 2013. Event hours are 7pm - 1am; Fridays and Saturdays from 7pm-2am.
The Halloween Haunt at Knott’s Scary Farm is a special ticket event not covered by regular Knott’s Berry Farm admission or a Knott’s Season Pass. Ticket prices are $38 - $54 presale online and $62 day of event. Charge for “Trapped,” Knott’s reservation-only, interactive maze is $60 per reservations with up to 6 guests per party and can be purchased online or onsite on the day of the event. Reservations are limited.
Brand new for 2013, Fright Lane with Skeleton Key offers guests unlimited priority access to eleven mazes all night long. The Skeleton Key, which is included with all Fright Lane passes, will also “unlock” a secret extra room that dares guests to delve deeper into the mysterious backstories of five mazes. Fright Lane passes with Skeleton Key start at $65.00. Guests can save $5.00 when purchasing a Knott’s Scary Farm Event and Fright Lane with Skeleton Key Combo ticket online.
Haunt tickets are available at Knott’s Guest Relations, by phone at Knott’s Haunt Line (714) 220-5200, or online at www.knotts.com/scaryfarm (service charges apply)
Halloween Haunt is a scary event and definitely not recommended for children under 13. There are no guest costumes or re-entry privileges allowed for this event.
For the younger set, Camp Spooky is an alternative daytime non-scare celebration of Halloween cheer rather than fear offered weekends October 5-27, 10 am to 5 pm and is included with regular park admission. This special, family event includes a costume contest, Peanuts characters in a live show, a kid-friendly maze, and of course, trick-or-treat stations.
For more general event information on Camp Spooky or Halloween Haunt, call the Haunt Line at (714) 220-5200 or visit www.knotts.com.
Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park is open daily year round, and Halloween Haunt runs through November 2. For more information call 714-220-5200 or visit www.knotts.com, where you can also download the Knott’s Berry Farm mobile app for your smartphone, or save time and money with Knott’s Print@Home tickets.
LEGOLAND® California Resort
Expands Brick-or-Treat With New Ghost Cruise
Experience, Expanded Brick-or-Treat Trail and More!
Plus Second Vampire World Record Attempt at Fun Family Event!
LEGOLAND® California Resort is getting ready for the biggest kids’ Halloween celebration in San Diego, Brick-or Treat and Brick-or Treat Party Nights, presented by Shutterfly. Every Saturday night in October, the family theme park’s Brick-or-Treat Party Nights boasts a variety of family activities including a new Ghost Cruise Ride experience, an expanded Brick-or-Treat Trail including a special station at SEA LIFE™ Aquarium and even the new LEGOLAND Hotel gets into the Halloween spirit with its own Brick-or-Treat entertainment.
Following last year’s valiant effort to break the World Record for the largest gathering of people dressed as vampires, the Park is kicking-off this year’s Brick-or-Treat celebration on October 4 with another attempt at breaking the record. Beginning September 28, guests help construct a giant 10 foot tall LEGO® Lord Vampyre statue one brick at a time.
Every weekend in October (Oct. 5 & 6,12 & 13, 19 & 20, 26 and 27), children 12 and under can trick-or-treat on the new ten-station Brick-or-Treat trail gathering goodies, tasty treats and other surprises. The LEGO themed treat stations offer a safe, fun and entertaining trick-or-treating experience for all to enjoy. Also new, the Park’s Coast Cruise boat ride becomes “Ghost Cruise”, featuring a special LEGO Monsters Scavenger Hunt and storytelling experience.
Every Saturday night in October from 5 to 9 p.m., the Park transforms into a not-too-spooky Halloween celebration. Brick-or-Treat Party Nights features costume contests, nighttime trick-or-treating on Brick-or-Treat trail, festive music, entertainment, interaction with the “Boo Crew”, the animated light show “Spirits of Halloween” after sundown and fireworks cap off the night at 9 p.m.
Several ghoulishly fun areas of LEGOLAND are open late for Party Nights on October 5, 12, 19 and 26, including Land of Adventure, Castle Hill, Imagination Zone and Park favorites: Coastersaurus, Safari Trek and Fairy Tale Brook. Kids can participate in fun activities like Hubble Bubble’s Ultimate Dance Party hosted by Hubble Bubble and Frank Rock, the Haunted Hideaways and a LEGOLAND pumpkin patch building activity with glow-in-the-dark treats for nighttime fun. As children “boo-gie” down during Party Nights, they will also love interacting with the “Boo Crew” including Silly Scarecrow, tap dancing skeletons, the amazing Brickzini, Dr. Hyde’s percussion cart plus the interactive show “Mail Order Monsters,” entertainment from the “Wichettes” and a splash artist creating Halloween-themed paintings to music.
SEA LIFE Aquarium offers guests a bonus Brick-or-Treat station filled with treats and other aquarium surprises. A special themed daily dive show featuring underwater pumpkin carving, a Halloween puppet show and daily creepy crawler appearances every Saturday and Sunday in October also add to the Halloween fun.
The new LEGOLAND Hotel is also getting into the Brick-or-Treat spirit with Halloween decorations, nightly entertainment from the Boo Crew’s Dr. Rodney Rathbone and his monster fighting crew and Halloween building activities for the kids.
In the Halloween spirit, community sponsor Union Bank is donating 300 tickets to local Boys and Girls Clubs allowing members to visit this year’s Brick-or-Treat festivities during the first weekend of the month-long celebration. All Brick-or-Treat and Party Nights festivities are included in the price of regular one-day admission to LEGOLAND California. During Brick-or-Treat, LEGOLAND is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. SEA LIFE is staying open until 8 p.m. on Saturdays for those wanting to explore the Aquarium after dark. Guests planning to attend Brick-or-Treat Party Nights can only purchase special tickets online or at the front gate in advance for just $30 at www.LEGOLAND.com or call 760-918-5346.
LEGOLAND California Resort includes LEGOLAND California, SEA LIFE Carlsbad Aquarium and LEGOLAND Water Park, all geared for families with children between the ages of 2 and 12. LEGOLAND California features more than 60 rides, shows, and attractions including LEGO Star Wars™ Miniland and the all-new Pirate Reef where guests board boats that drop down 25 feet between two battling pirate ships! SEA LIFE incorporates LEGO models into a child’s voyage to the depths of the ocean and features play zones, fun facts, quiz trails, and the all-new Claws exhibit.
LEGOLAND California Resort in Carlsbad is open daily except Tuesdays and Wednesdays and Brick-or-Treat runs through October 27, and the LEGOLAND Hotel is open year round. For more information call 760-918-5346 or visit www.legoland.com.
SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular Returns
Kids Can Visit the Park for Free
Where can kids meet some spooky and not-so-spooky animals, pose for pictures with mesmerizing mermaids and trick-or-treat in a sea-inspired atmosphere? It’s all part of SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular®, where Halloween meets the sea. Also, kids can visit the park for free.
Festivities are geared for kids 12 years and under, who are invited to come in costume and enjoy special animal meet and greets, silly Halloween shows and colorful costumed characters from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. the following weekends: Sept. 28–29, Oct. 5–6, Oct. 12–13, Oct. 19–20 and Oct. 26–27, 2013.
New this year, guests will enter at the park’s Garden Gate, where families will be greeted by SeaWorld’s iconic Halloween character, Otto the Octopus. As visitors stroll past Otto’s Candy Garden with brightly colored tentacles and candy treats, they will encounter a variety of fun-loving pathway characters like the “Kingfish and the Starlettes” and “Goodie and Greta Gumdrop”. Once inside, guests at the Animal Connections lawn will be greeted by Penelope Pumpkinfish swimming among the candy corn coral and mermaid sisters Allure and Capri.
Also, the park will offer special activities on select weekends: October 5–6 and Oct. 26-27, guests can meet some of Animal Connections’ spooky and not-so-spooky residents close up at noon and 2 p.m. each day. October 12–13, young guests and their families can decorate a special mural made out of Jelly Belly® jellybeans.
HIGHLIGHTS
Trick-or-Treat Sweets:
Kids are encouraged to come in costume and use their Spooktacular maps to trick or treat among 10 sea-themed stations. Trick-or-treat bags are provided.
Penelope’s Pumpkinfish Patch:
Visit our unique and colorful undersea pumpkin patch where pumpkinfish roam and guests can engage in a multitude of activities, including posing for photos among a decorative pumpkin patch, pumpkin painting, cookie decorating and meeting a variety of ocean-inspired costume characters like Rex the Dogfish and Bling the Goldfish. Located on the Animal Connections lawn right in front of Seaport Marketplace.
Mermaid’s Grotto:
Visit our beautiful mermaids, Capri and Allure, and pose for pictures in their magical clamshell grotto located next to the Pumpkin Patch.
Connect With Animals:
Meet a variety of spooky and not-so-spooky animals at Animal Connections near Seaport Market- place. Trainers will be on hand to dispel myths about animals and why they are misunderstood. Oct. 5-6 and Oct. 26-27 at noon and 2 p.m. trainers will hold a special open house where kids can get a “trainers-eye-view” of what it takes to care for many of the park’s animal ambassadors.
Jelly Belly® Mural Decorating
During the weekend of Oct. 12-13, kids can decorate a special mural with Jelly Belly® jellybeans and watch artist Kristen Cumings create her own jellybean mural of a hawksbill turtle.
SHOWS
Clyde & Seamore’s Spooky Adventure, at Sea Lion and Otter Stadium, guests can revisit sea lions Clyde® and Seamore® and their buddy O.P. Otter® for all the kooky fun as they visit Uncle Schmedley’s Castle.
Sesame Street’s Countdown to Halloween, at Sesame Street’s Bay of Play musical stage, features Count Von Count, Elmo and friends. Kids can also capture photos of their favorite Sesame character and enjoy interactive games.
Guests can take advantage of a special kid’s admission offer. SeaWorld® is offering one child, ages 3 to 9, free admission with one full-paid adult admission. The same offer is valid at Dine With Shamu. Also, kids age 10 to 12 can participate for free in SeaWorld’s Dolphin and Beluga Interaction Programs with one paid adult participation. Kids must be at least 48 inches tall to participate.
SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular is included with park admission. For more information, call (800) 257-4268 or visit www.SeaWorldSanDiego.com (click on Events, then Halloween Spooktacular).
SeaWorld San Diego in San Diego is open daily year round, and Halloween Spooktacular runs through October 27. For more information call 800-257-4268 or visit www.SeaWorldSanDiego.com.
Six Flags Magic Mountain Brings you
Thrills by Day, Fright by Night
New Mazes, Scare Zones and Extended Park Hours
Six Flags Magic Mountain transforms from a “theme park” to a haunted “scream park” for the 21st season of Fright Fest Presented by SNICKERS®, Southern California’s most thrilling Halloween experience. This season marks one of the biggest and scariest Fright Fest events in the Park’s history with three new mazes, two new scare zones, more walk around “scare-actors” and extended park hours Fridays through Sundays in October.
Six Flags Magic Mountain offers 13 days of terrifying haunted mazes, roaming zombies and spooky scare zones. If that’s not enough, Six Flags Magic Mountain will add a “twisted” element to some of their monster coasters by turning off the lights, leaving riders to face their fears literally in the dark. And, the Fright Fest exclusive that coaster fanatics wait for all year … the transformation of one of the largest, most celebrated coasters in the world, Colossus BACKWARDS! Beginning October 4 and running for four frightfully fun weekends, Fright Fest leaves no tombstone unturned to bring guests the ultimate sensory overload for every range of fear. For the little monsters, a Trick or Treat Trail and Halloween Crafts round out the activities.
The three new mazes this year incorporate state-of-the-art makeup and props; The lights at Magic Moments Theater have unexpectedly darkened on the anniversary of the demise of the longest running show. Guests are thrust into Total Darkness and have to try and find their way out of the winding labyrinth with only their pounding hearts to guide them. Over at the Weepy Hills INSANEtorium, your bodies and souls now belong to the deranged and corrupt staff. Enter at your own risk and make sure your mental health is intact. Playing with dolls and trucks will never be the same because the defunct toy factory is now haunted by Toyz of Terror. Wicked windups, freakish furries and deranged dolls haunt those who enter the factory.
Back for a second year, along with new terrifying twists and turns, Willoughby’s Resurrected is a reincarnation of theWilloughby family’s beloved haunted mansion that include more hair-raising horror around each nightmarish-turn and down long harrowing hallways. Shrouded in the dark shadows of the nearby Willoughby’s mansion sits Black Widow, ground zero for an ever-growing bloodthirsty army of spiders that hunt and haunt at night.
Back by popular demand, one of the largest and most popular mazes in Southern California is The Aftermath, where brave souls enter a post-apocalyptic city inhabited by nomad warriors who rule with bone-crushing iron fists and the dead stalk the living. Also returning are Chupacabra, where guests come face to face with this elusive blood-thirsty creature as it terrorizes the local Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festival; and Cursed, featuring roaming gypsies and werewolves who hunt for fresh blood;
HAUNTED MAZES
New! Total Darkness
Unexpectedly, the lights of the historic theater have darkened on the anniversary of the demise of the longest-running show. The spirits are awakened to haunt tourists who try to catch a glimpse of the ghosts who inhabit the decaying concert hall. Now your mind must find your way around with no light to guide you. Scream if you must and hold on to those you think you can trust.
New! Toyz Of Terror
This now defunct toy factory is haunted by a chilling turn of events that took place when the admired inventor went psychotic, adding demented spirits to his beloved toys, leaving them all possessed. Wicked windups, freakish furries, and deranged dolls haunt those who dare to enter the factory. Playing with dolls and trucks will never be the same.
New! Weepy Hills INSANEtorium
Just when you thought it was safe to leave your loved ones in a bright and cheerful residence for them to regain their mental health … once you say your good-byes, the torment and suffering begins by the corrupt and abusive staff. No group outings, no fresh air and meals are best left uneaten. Your bodies and souls now belong to the deranged. Try your hardest to get out before it’s too late for you.
Willoughby’s Resurrected
Horror awaits you at the Granddaddy of all Six Flags Magic Mountain mazes … the beloved family has resurrected and renovated their eerie home with more hair-raising terror around each nightmarish turn and dreadful screams down the long harrowing hallways.
Black Widow
Tangled in a web of terror, even the dead struggle to survive the Black Widow’s nest. In the shadow of Willoughby’s mansion, it is permanently shrouded in darkness and the infestation has grown and is now ground zero for an ever-growing spider army that hunts at night.
The Aftermath
Enter a post-apocalyptic city where nomad warriors rule with bone-crushing iron fists and the dead stalk the living.
Chupacabra
Come face to face with this elusive bloodthirsty creature as it terrorizes a local Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festival.
Cursed
There is always a full moon over this cursed land where gypsies roam and werewolves hunt for blood.
SCARE ZONES
New! Demon’s Door
Welcome to HELL … Once you enter, be prepared for your mind and body to be completely taken over by the evil spirits that await you. There’s nowhere to hide and you will be screaming to get out alive.
New! Zombie Xing
Beware of the undead who will try to steal your bodies as they make their way from one haunting field to another.
City Under Siege
The insane and unruly run rampant in the streets of DC UNIVERSE. Prepare to feel really uncomfortable with these comic-like characters running amuck.
Exile Hill
Banished from mortality, this hillside taunts creatures haunting the grounds as caretakers of the Willoughby estate.
Nightmares – A Twisted Fantasy
This evil nightmare has never been so edgy as your favorite bedtime stories take on a new and twisted tale.
The Wastelands
Barbarian humanoids rule this land and dare you to enter The Aftermath.
Gypsy Hollow
Evil gypsies and werewolves own this territory and blood is their bounty.
THRILLS BY NIGHT
Colossus—Backwards! (A Fright Fest Exclusive)
Experience one of the largest, most celebrated coasters in the world – BACKWARDS! Travel nearly one mile on this dual track wooden coaster all while sitting completely backwards!
Terror Tracks - Rides In The Dark!
Face your fears with the lights off! Your favorite thrills in the dark on Apocalypse, Tatsu, Viper, THE RIDDLER’s Revenge, BATMAN The Ride and Goliath. Something so “twisted” would only happen during Fright Fest.
Meet Rip Morgue
Document your Six Flags Fright Fest memories with a photo of our Willoughby’s chauffer, RIP, and his “wheels”.
SHOWS
Spooktacular shows include the hypnotists, who puts park guests in compromising scenarios in their hilarious stage show located in Golden Bear Theater; the new VooDoo Nights where Ghoul Rock has gone pop with a musical spectacular sure to entertain. Be sure to dust off your thriller moves and join in the fun in the Full Throttle Plaza area.
Now in its third season, the popular Fright Feast With The Willoughby’s continues to combine food and fright for the whole family.
New! Voodoo Nights
Musical entertainment throughout the night. Join the park ghouls for a grand finale at closing time when all the creatures of the night join forces and gather for a scare showdown.
High Sierra Hypnotist
This amusing show stars the members of the audience. Guests who are chosen to be put “under hypnosis” will perform hysterical exploits never to be imitated “under consciousness”. Mature content.
DEMONIC DINING
Fright Feast With The Willoughby’s
Enjoy an all-you-can-eat buffet in the company of creepy creatures from the Willoughby’s Resurrected maze.
ESPECIALLY FOR CHILDREN AND PARENTS
Witch Hazel’s Pumpkin Patch Crafts
Crafted especially for our younger guests to stretch their imaginations.
A Looney Tunes Trick Or Treat Adventure
Kids (under 48”) and parents walk with Looney Tunes friends through Bugs Bunny World where they will find tantalizing treats along the way.
Looney Tunes Characters
Grab your camera and meet your favorite Looney Tunes characters in their Halloween costumes.
Fright Fest hours:
October 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26 – 10:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.
October 6, 13, 20, 27 – 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
October 24 – 4:00 p.m. to midnight
For more information on Six Flags Magic Mountain’s Fright Fest, visit our exclusive website at frightfest.sixflags.com/magicmountain
Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia is open weekends only through September, and Friday – Sunday plus select days through October 27. For more information call 661-255-4100 or visit www.sixflags.com/magicmountain.
Universal Studios Hollywood Presents Halloween
Horror Nights - Southern California’s Premier
Halloween Event
Select Nights from September 20 to November 2
"Halloween Horror Nights" 2013 at Universal Studios Hollywood brings together the sickest minds in horror to immerse guests in a living, breathing, three-dimensional world of terror. Featuring a slate of unrivaled film production quality mazes, terror-filled scare zones and a fully re-imagined “Terror Tram” experience uniquely themed to today’s most definitive horror properties, “Halloween Horror Nights” will taunt, terrorize and torment guests over 21 select nights with spellbinding and spine-chilling haunted attractions during Southern California’s definitive Halloween event.
This year, the contemporary urban city streets, towering skyscrapers, brick-faced facades and industrial exteriors that make up Universal Studios’ world-famous production facilities will serve as an all-new backdrop location for “Halloween Horror Nights” at Universal Studios Hollywood as Southern California’s premier Halloween experience creates maze settings from iconic movie sets and soundstages never before used in this popular, award-winning event.
Adding to the event’s intrigue, Universal’s most popular rides and attractions will also be open to guests, including the critically-acclaimed mega-attraction, “Transformers: The Ride—3D,” “Jurassic Park In the Dark,” “The Simpsons Ride” and “Revenge of the Mummy – The Ride.”
“Halloween Horror Nights” kicks off on Friday, September 20, 2013 and continues on 21 select nights through November 2. Event dates are: September 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, October 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26, 27, 31 and November 1, 2. The event will begin nightly at 7:00 p.m.; closing hours vary by night throughout the event.
For more information and to purchase tickets, including a Front of Line ticket option that enables priority access at each maze and theme park attraction, a VIP Experience ticket option for a more expanded personal tour of “Halloween Horror Nights” and special Killer Deal Nights tickets to save up to $25, guests can visit www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com/hollywood/. Advance purchase is recommended as event nights will sell out.
Details on Universal Studios Hollywood’s “Halloween Horror Nights” are available online at Halloween Horror Nights, on Facebook at: “Halloween Horror Nights – Hollywood,” on Instagram at @HorrorNights and Twitter at @HorrorNights as Creative Director John Murdy reveals a running chronicle of exclusive information. Join the conversation using #UniversalHHN. Watch for announcement videos on Halloween Horror Night’s YouTube Channel.
Mazes
The Walking Dead: No Safe Haven
“The Walking Dead: No Safe Haven” maze, inspired Season 3 of AMC’s critically-acclaimed, Golden Globe®-nominated, Emmy® Award-winning TV series, will strike at the heart of this dynamic “Halloween Horror Nights” film set location, abandoning guests in the dead of night amid hordes of morbidly decomposing, flesh-eating zombies.
A frighteningly realistic three-dimensional journey into the blockbuster television series, “The Walking Dead: No Safe Haven,” will transport “Halloween Horror Nights” guests into the doomed footsteps of the remaining tormented humans left to roam Atlanta’s devastated suburban countryside as they battle hordes of predatory walkers who have risen from the dead to feast on the living.
Eerily authentic, “The Walking Dead: No Safe Haven” maze will place guests at the core of the show’s once impenetrable prison, the West Georgia Correctional Facility, now overrun by decaying walkers. The disturbingly real haunted attraction will send them cowering through the walker-infested wilderness that surrounds the prison and into the seemingly utopian town of Woodbury where gruesome secrets are concealed.
Terror Tram: Invaded by The Walking Dead
The engrossing cult favorite television series will also seep into other parts of Universal’s backlot with depraved zombies prowling secluded wooded areas of the studio. “Terror Tram: Invaded by The Walking Dead” will take survivors on a new and frenzied journey from abandoned businesses to the armed Woodbury camp where they will fight for their lives battling fetid zombies and human vigilantes.
“Terror Tram: Invaded by The Walking Dead,” also based on the hit AMC TV series, will unleash hordes of flesh-eating walkers on Universal’s world-famous backlot during Halloween Horror Nights, exposing guests to a legion of plagued zombies in the aftermath of the disease’s cataclysmic spread to the West Coast.
A marquee attraction unique to Universal Studios Hollywood and “Halloween Horror Nights,” the “Terror Tram” combines a ride aboard Universal’s signature trams with a terrifying walk-through experience amid famed movie sets, including Steven Spielberg’s “War of the Worlds” and the infamous Bates Motel and Psycho House from Alfred Hitchcock’s classic film.
Black Sabbath: 13 3D
Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler from Black Sabbath, the celebrated, multi-platinum rock band that pioneered the Heavy Metal genre with their dark and doom-laden sounds, infused with lyrical themes of the occult, addiction, war and nuclear apocalypse, will be immortalized in an all-original, terrifying 3D “Halloween Horror Nights” maze.
“Black Sabbath: 13 3D,” based on the darkest lyrics from Black Sabbath’s biggest hit songs and the only “Halloween Horror Nights” maze to incorporate 3D video, will engulf guests in a nightmarish landscape of doom, where they will traverse horrifying graveyards, twisted madhouses and bone-chilling battlefields.
Fearless guests will live the nightmare of songs such as “Luke’s Wall,” “Iron Man,” “Paranoid,” “War Pigs,” “Electric Funeral” and – of course – “Black Sabbath,” and find themselves face to face with a heart-stopping Lucifer and his bride, blood-soaked dead bodies and bubbling pools of “radioactive water.”
“Black Sabbath: 13 3D” will be situated within the dark and eerie confines of a movie and television soundstage on the Universal production backlot.
Insidious: Into The Further
The unsettling story of the Lambert family comes to “Halloween Horror Nights” in the all-new maze, “Insidious: Into The Further,” based on the 2010 horror thriller “Insidious” and the upcoming sequel “Insidious: Chapter 2,” directed by James Wan, produced by Jason Blum and written by and starring Leigh Whannell.
Inspired by the blockbuster franchise, “Insidious: Into The Further” will transport guests to a dark realm where malevolent souls and demonic entities exist within the tormented existence of their past lives. The nightmare journey focuses on the evil spirit that has haunted the Lambert family for two generations. Maze-goers will travel into the world of the dead to confront malicious souls hell-bent on bringing enduring suffering to the living.
Evil Dead: Book of the Dead
“Halloween Horror Nights” will conjure unrelenting demons in “Evil Dead: Book of the Dead,” an elaborately themed haunted attraction based on Sony Pictures’ blockbuster remake of the cult classic, “Evil Dead,” produced by Rob Tapert, Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell.
The maze will transport guests into the film to face off against a demonic evil that will stop at nothing to kill them. The terror begins when a mysterious passage from an ancient tome of unspeakable evil inked in blood of the innocent is read unleashing an unearthly curse mired in destroying their souls. The “Evil Dead: Book of the Dead” maze will torment guests with warnings scribed by those who dared to read its cursed pages: “Don’t say it. Don’t write it. Don’t hear it”, though the warnings come too late to stop the carnage.
El Cucuy: The Boogeyman
Narrated by Danny Trejo
The legendary Latin American tale of “El Cucuy: The Boogeyman” comes to life in an all-new terrifying “Halloween Horror Nights” maze featuring a grisly narration from prolific actor and producer, Danny Trejo whose distinctive voice will resonate throughout the haunted attraction. This chilling new maze will reimagine the mythical, shape-shifting monster renowned for kidnapping and devouring disobedient children with his deadly pointed teeth and razor sharp claws as he lay in wait for unsuspecting children.
A mysterious and evil figure, that remains shrouded in veil of secrecy, “El Cucuy” manifests itself as a hideous creature, shape shifting into images and fantasy people fear most. “El Cucuy” preys on the innocent, thrives on the fearful, and feasts on the unsuspecting. This generations-old myth has tormented children as part of popular Hispanic folklore and has been recited throughout Mexico, Latin America and the United States.
“El Cucuy.” One reason to be deathly afraid of the dark.
Universal Monsters Remix: Resurrection
The addition of all-original monsters inspired by fan-generated character competitions marks the first time that horror fans have contributed to a “Halloween Horror Nights” haunted maze experience. The winning creatures will exist within the twisted confines of the "Universal Monsters Remix: Resurrection" maze alongside classic Universal Monsters, entombed in a shroud of heavy bass sounds by acclaimed artist/DJ, Figure.
In addition to the music of Figure, the maze will also include winning designs from Universal Studios Hollywood’s “Design a Character Contest” as well as SyFy’s “Face Off” – a reality competition exploring the world of special effects make-up artists. “Design a Character” winner Christopher Oosting’s imagining of “The Invisible Man” will join a futuristic Frankenstein and his bride, created by the winner of a “Future Frankenstein” episode of “Face Off.”
Set within the antechambers of an eerily gothic castle, the new “Universal Monsters Remix: Resurrection” maze will unleash a cast of legendary creatures including “Frankenstein” and his bride, “Dracula”, “The Wolf Man” and “The Mummy”. From deep within the stone fortress, accompanied by ominous strobe lighting effects, guests will traverse dark and dank arteries of rotting catacombs laced with horror-inspired music by Figure.
Scare Zones
Designed to provoke an unrelenting sense of fear for “Halloween Horror Nights” guests, numerous scare-zones will be riddled throughout “Halloween Horror Nights” to consistently terrify and traumatize guests at every unsuspecting twist and turn.
“Halloween Horror Nights” will continue to unlock the terror that torments movie-goers with all-original scare zones based on popular cult films: The Purge, inspired by Universal Pictures’ summer blockbuster and upcoming Blu-ray™ and DVD release, and Universal Studios Home Entertainment’s Blu-ray™ and Digital debut of Curse of Chucky, an all-new movie where Chucky returns to horrify viewers in the latest unrated chapter of the blood-soaked suspense saga. A fleet of walkers from AMC’s blockbuster TV series, “The Walking Dead” will also feed upon guests in a dedicated zombie scare zone, “The Walking Dead: Dead on Arrival” located adjacent to “The Walking Dead: No Safe Haven” maze.
The provocative box-office blockbuster, “The Purge,” will come to life in the new “The Purge: Survive the Night” scare zone. As guests enter the theme park, they will be thrust into the depraved world of “The Purge,” a sordid tale in which all crime is declared legal and no one is safe for one single night; a story, in which all criminal activity, including murder, is legal for 12 hours. That day is The Purge. Ironically, the gates to “Halloween Horror Nights” swing open at 7:00 p.m. sharp; the same time havoc is reaped upon the citizens in “The Purge.” “The Purge: Survive the Night” scare zone will push guests to the limits as they become engaged in the film’s most memorable scenes while trying to run for their lives.
The Curse of Chuck scare-zone will bring the terrifying pint-size doll, possessed by the spirit of a notorious serial killer, to life in a deadly game of hide and seek as Chucky, the merciless killer, makes good on a personal vendetta. Having made special appearances at past “Halloween Horror Nights,” this is the first time the sinister doll has commanded his own scare zone to shock and terrify guests for his twisted amusement.
With life imitating art, guests will be tasked to brave swarms of ravenous zombies milling aggressively about the entry of “The Walking Dead: No Safe Haven” maze. A putrid infestation of predatory walkers, this terrifying zombie apocalypse scare zone will be overrun by decomposing walkers with an unwavering appetite for humans flesh. Bloodthirsty zombies will lurk throughout the backlot’s dark alleyways and protective doorways with only one place to escape: the maze. If guests survive this fleet of crazed, bloodthirsty walkers at “The Walking Dead: Dead on Arrival” scare zone, the terror begins.
Bienvenue! The circus may have come to the elegant streets of Paris, home to the Grand Guignol, but this posse of lively clowns are running the show in this of violent “Cirque du Klownz” scare zone aggressively seeking victims for the grand finale of their next act….the gruesome ending to their horrific show.
Slaughter is in season as a pack of scary stilt walking Scarecrowz skulk their surroundings, stalking everyone and anyone who dares to cross their path. Some say it’s the crows they intend to frighten; wiser folks stay clear altogether because these devil-stuffed Scarecrowz are vapid, heartless, brainless and fearless, hell-bent on harvesting their land with the blood and limbs of the innocent.
Shows
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure
Party on as these two most excellent dudes return to roast some of the biggest names in Hollywood. With astonishing topics torn from the pages of today’s most salacious tabloids and acid-tongue bloggers, the kings of comedic satire spin pop culture and celebrity public blunders into riotous laughter. Bill and Ted, never without their most excellent time-traveling phone booth, add hilarity to the already ridiculous for sublime parody performances in the return of the very popular “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure.”
Universal Studios Hollywood in Universal City is open daily year round, and Halloween Horror Nights runs through November 2. For more information call 800-864-8377 or visit www.universalstudioshollywood.com.
So go and have yourself a devilishly good time at one of these great attractions tonight!
