Theme park Halloween haunts seem to have more to do than ever before – DePaoli on DeParks
I’ve been attending theme park haunts for a lot of years now. It’s my favorite time of year, so I take in as much as I can. But this year I’ve noticed something that I feel is a new “problem” at theme park haunt events. Even with front of line access there just doesn’t seem to be enough time to do it all.
When I started attending theme park haunts, I went as a guest with general admission. I’m specifically thinking about Halloween Horror Nights and Knott’s Scary Farm. At that time, I remember strategically running from one haunted house to another while fitting in the live entertainment in between. It was a hustle, but it was attainable if you had the energy to do it.
Now when I attend most haunts, I’m either going as media with front of line access or purchasing a front of line ticket. You’d think that with front of line access it would be a breeze to get through it all in one night. But I haven’t found that to be the case. At the beginning of the night, it often feels that way. But halfway through I always find myself surprised at how much time has passed.
At Knott’s Scary Farm this year there are ten mazes, five scare zones (with surprise happenings), four shows (one of which is 40 minutes long), plus a legacy haunt store and museum. In some cases, front of line for a maze can still require around a fifteen minute wait. But the most difficult part is fitting the shows into your schedule. They have pretty healthy run times, and some require you to arrive fairly early in order to ensure entry. Good luck if you’re trying to catch the surprise moments not on a schedule in the scare zones as well.
With less to do (although still plenty) at Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood, it includes eight haunted houses, three scare zones, the Terror Tram, plus two shows. But the lines are typically longer at Halloween Horror Nights. Even with a front of line pass there can still be a decent wait. Once again, waiting for and timing shows can often take up chunks of your night.
These Halloween event nights typically run between six or seven hours. That’s a good amount of time in a theme park, but not enough to get it all done in my experience. And that’s with me taking very minimal breaks. I don’t spend much time in stores, and I typically grab food as fast as I can so that I can keep trekking along.
Perhaps these events are now designed this way in order to get guests returning. Maybe the theme parks are no longer satisfied with haunt fans attending for only one night each year. That concept falls in line with typical theme park strategy these days.
There was a time that if you visited a Disney theme park at rope drop and stayed until closing time, you could get on most rides if you had the will. But with upgrades and add-ons these days, it has affected the system so drastically that a marathon theme park days feels like a thing of the past.
Perhaps I don’t have any right to think or assume that I should be able to experience an entire haunt event in just one night. Even with a paid upgrade. Perhaps it’s time to accept the fact that I need to pick and choose my haunt priorities as I would need to during a regular theme park day.
That idea makes me sad. But it makes sense from a business perspective. In my opinion, if your schedule allows it, forego the front of line passes and opt-in for a repeat visit pass. It’s typically less expensive than front of line and it allows you to enjoy the event at a more laidback pace. Each time you visit, choose a select few mazes you’d like to do and do them early in the night with minimal wait. Then enjoy a show or two later in the night, browse the shops, enjoy the food, and linger in the scare zones.
How has your experience been at theme park haunts in more recent years? Have you been able to do it all in one night? Have you ever tried a frequent visit pass? What is your preference? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Jeff DePaoli is a producer and voiceover artist living in Los Angeles. He can be heard as the voice of Disney Trivia on Alexa as well as the host of “Dizney Coast to Coast,” the ultimate, unofficial Disney fan podcast. Get your FREE gifts of “America’s Hidden Mickeys,” “On the Rohde Again,” “Theme Park Comfort Kit” and more at DizneyCoastToCoast.com. DePaoli’s opinions are his own and do not necessarily represent Attractions Magazine.
