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I want to start this entry with a little background. I love being scared. I love the ghoulies, demons, ghosts, Michael, Freddy, Jason… all of it. So much so, that I’m very fortunate that I have a friend who is able to take me to all three of the major Halloween scare based theme park events in Southern California.
For one reason or another, I’d never made it to Fright Fest at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Well, mostly because I can’t tolerate turbulent roller coaster style attractions (that’s mostly due to being over the age of 35). When the opportunity arose to cover the event for Socalthrills, I was excited and really looking forward to it.
While I knew I wouldn’t be experiencing the attractions, I was looking forward to experiencing the frights!
Upon arrival to the park, we were instructed to check-in at the all new Club 6-Feet Under, described as a “lively pop-up party with Deadly DJ spinning hot jams until the wee hours of the night.” The club is located in the heart of the park in the Metro Park Pub. There, we were able to nosh on some of the available menu items for the option Ghoulish Grub at the Pub dining opportunity. We nibbled on corn, ribs, fried chicken and some delightful caramel apples. Spirited beverages are also available for purchase at Club 6-Feet Under. As theme park food goes, it was pretty tasty. Not the best and certainly not the worst. During dinner, the theme park offers, what they call, “monstertainment.” It is exactly what you’d expect it to be .. some of the monsters from the scare zones and mazes are on hand to take photos, dance and encourage merry … err scary making! The DJ was spinning some classic 80’s music and the atmosphere was fun, especially with the monsters showing off their best moves.
At 7 p.m., we were invited to witness the surge. This is when the monsters are released onto the streets of Magic Mountain to make their way to their mazes and scare zones. I like to call it the running of the monsters! This is much more fun than it seems! I’ve witnessed something similar at Dark Harbor and I like to imagine the monsters have as much fun, if not more, than the fans eagerly awaiting their arrival. Once the gates have opened and the monsters have been let loose, the scares really begin. This is the official opening moment of Fright Fest. For the rest of night, screams and darkness are the order of Six Flags Magic Mountain.
With our trusty Fright Fest Express Maze Pass, we were set to experience the scares, screams and horror that was promised. I should mention, two levels of Maze Passes are available. The Haunted Maze Pass and the Express Maze Pass. Think of it as stand-by vs. THE FLASH pass.
The scare zones are top notch. Five zones are spread around the park and are included in the price of admission. If you’re looking for a scare, but, don’t want to splurge on a Haunted Maze Pass, the scare zones are the way to go. My personal favorite is the Damned ‘N Disguise scare zone. It felt more like a lively dance zone than a scare zone. Great upbeat music, lots of monsters and lots and lots of fog!
Any DC fan must make a stop to the Suicide Squad: The Six Flags Fright Fest Experience in the Park’s DC Universe area. Here, some of the “worst heroes ever” reign supreme over the chaos. It also provided one of the most fun photo opportunities I’ve experienced in a theme park in some time. That Harley Quinn is a character!
The mazes, on the other hand, were very much hit or miss. The vast majority featured top-notch sets, lighting and a great atmosphere to really set the tone. Unfortunately, for me, the scares were often expected and not quite as impactful as I had hoped. Red’s Revenge, for example, felt less like a major theme park production and more like a high school PTA fundraiser. On the other end of the spectrum, there was Dead End. Hands down my favorite maze of the night. It was fantastic! I don’t want to give anything away, but, if you’re willing to make the trek to the top of the mountain, you’ll be rewarded in a very illuminated manner.
The theme park offers seven mazes, that are interspersed between the rides. As with any visit to Six Flags Magic Mountain, be prepared to walk. To add to the scares, riders will experience most of the roller coasters in the dark.
So, I suppose this is the point of my review where I decide if I’d return to Six Flags Fright Fest. The answer, for me, is no. Not because I was disappointed (full disclosure, my socks weren’t blown off, but, it was fun). I simply would not return due to the limited offerings for someone like me. Since I can’t enjoy the roller coasters, I wouldn’t be able to justify the cost of admission AND the cost of the Haunted Maze Pass. If you’re a roller coaster person and a haunted attractions person, this may be right up your alley.
Thanks, Six Flags Magic Mountain for allowing us to check an item off of my list of things to do! It was a night full of fear, good friends and fog!
