If you like your tours in video form be sure to check out the video we posted last night. 

We'll start off in what will soon be Metropolis 

As you can see, no work has begun here and Riddler's may indeed be open for Fright Fest. We'll just have to see this weekend. 

Still not sure what JB's will be ... as soon as we know we'll pass it along. 

We were actually able to see a VR Rendering of Metropolis and it looked pretty awesome

The gas station was gone in the VR Rendering 

As were most of these planters 

It appeared that Riddler's Revenge had a new sign, but we'll see what happens 

The entry to Metropolis 

The Rock Wall will also be leaving (Sorry Cody) 

The food area is also going to be getting a much needed make-over 

Moving into the construction site, you can see just how big the area is 

Most of the work right now consists of laying pipe ... ;) 

Where the gazebo is there will be a beer garden. No idea if the actual gazebo will be a part of it. 

Where the entrance to the Hall of Justice will be 

Fog Control Point? 

These are probably on the way out, hope they save them somehow. 

One other small tidbit ... Tidal Wave will NOT be a part of Metropolis and the entrance to the ride is actually being moved over to where the Fastlane entrance is now. 

Seems kind of odd to have a non DC ride in the middle of the two main DC area's in the park, but everybody has thought the entrance to Tidal Wave was over here for years. Hopefully it will improve ridership. 

Be sure to check back later today for our amazing tour of the all new Aftermath 2 maze and Suicide Squad scare zone. 

Video of the tour including a bit of explanation of the new maze from the amazing designers 

The new maze is located near Apocalypse and is the biggest maze in Fright Fest history. 

Welcome to Ash Valley, who's population is probably a bit less than that now. =) 

Follow the Evacuation Route and you will be safe for sure 

Hmm, something isn't right here 

That doesn't look good 

Have you seen them? 

My twin 

So not only are there multiple paths through this maze (that are totally different) there's also a scare zone ... in the maze. 

When you've gotta go you've gotta go 

It's back!!! 

Wonder if Walter White know's what they've done to his camper 

David Wally explaining a bit about the maze ... you've gotta watch the video to hear more 

This maze has got a pretty high body count 

Heading to the Dock and safety ... maybe. They wouldn't tell us what the ending of the maze was. We'll have to find out on Saturday. 

Maze and Scare Zone location signs are up throughout the park 

The Suicide Squad scare zone is looking awesome 

Loved the way this picture came out 

This was just added yesterday, can't wait to see it all lit up 

Thanks to Mark, Pam and Scott for the amazing tour. Be sure to watch the video for more details on what is going to be in the Scare Zone 

We'll of course be back at Magic Mountain this Saturday for the kick off of Fright Fest, so be sure to follow us on our social media pages for live updates all night. 

Every year Halloween Horror Nights seems to get bigger and bigger, and so do the crowds. 

Below you will find some of our tips for making the most out of your Halloween Horror Nights experience. Some do's and don'ts and most importantly, what should be your "plan of attack" for the night. 

You can also check out the HHN site for more information on tickets, hours, etc. ​

Note: Last year we did make changes to our Survival Guide after opening weekend, and that will likely be the case this year. 

Updated: 9/16/2016

Note: We've learned that there will once again be no shuttle from the lower lot to the metro set mazes. With this in mind we've modified our Maze Order below. 

Early Entry: 

Update from John Murdy (@horrornights) regarding early entry: 

At HHN we reward the Early Bird by allowing guests to enter early and get a jump start on the mazes before the event "officially opens". 
Three will be 3 mazes available for Early Entry. The Exorcist, American Horror Story and Freddy Vs Jason. Early entry usually begins around 6ish. Listen for announcements at the main gate. I believe Exorcist opens 6:15, FVJ & AHS 6:30.

Front of the Line tip: If lines are short when you get to the Metro Sets (if you are there for Early Entry DO NOT use your Front of the Line Pass at that time) go through once with the GP and use your FOTL pass later in the evening when it's busier. If you don't want to make the walk back to the Metro sets later in the night, go through them once with the GP and then use your FOTL privilege right after to get two trips through each maze. ​

Lower Lot Mazes: 

Once you have finished the Metro Set mazes and made your walk back to the Lower Lot, we suggest doing Halloween and Exorcist prior to heading back to the upper lot. 

Front of the Line tip: If the lines are not long go through once with the General Public and then use your FOTL pass later in the evening. Getting back down to the lower lot mazes is easy to do later in the night. 

If you don't have a Front of the Line Pass, don't be tempted by "Jurassic Park: In The Dark". It's just "Jurassic Park: At Night". But if it's hot and there isn't a line, by all means go for it. ​

Terror Tram: 

At this point you've already completed 5 of the 7 mazes so it's time to head over to the Terror Tram. ​

You are probably going to need to rest by now, feel free to stop by Springfield or Mel's and get a snack, a meal, etc. Sit around the upper lot scare zone and watch the talent do their thing. 

Once you have completed all the mazes you can hang around the scare zones and watch the talent, check the wait board to see if there are any short maze or ride lines or if you have a Front of the Line Pass use up any trips you haven't already. 

Do some shopping, grab a t-shirt, hang out in the scare zones and drive home safely.  

Pro Tip: If you are at the event until it closes you may get to experience the amazing "Chainsaw Chase-Out". It's a great HHN tradition. 

​Related Updates: 

• American Horror Story coming to Halloween Horror Nights
• Universal Orlando unleashes amazing details for HHN26 
• Krampus coming to Halloween Horror Nights
• ​The Walking Dead returns to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando
• The Exorcist coming to Halloween Horror Nights

​If you enjoyed this update please share with your friends and make sure you "like" us on Facebook and "follow" us on Twitter and Instagram. 

If you have any comments, please share them below

Monday, September 10, 2001, a day that began and ended just like any other day had for the previous few months. We had moved from the San Fernando Valley up to Palmdale, CA a few months earlier. My wife and I were still having hellish commutes, her to Calabasas (70 miles one way) and me to Woodland Hills (60 miles one way). She was working 5:30am-2:00pm and I was working 3:30pm-12:00am. It was just what we had to do as young parents. And as we swapped kids in Santa Clarita (just a few miles from SFMM actually) on that Monday afternoon we had no idea that just over 12 hours later our world (and that of our country) would change forever. 
As I worked my job and made it home about 1:00am I could never quite fall right to sleep, and such was the case that night. I would usually wake up to say goodbye to my wife as she left way too early for work but for some reason that morning I don't remember doing that. Odd since I vividly remember every other thing about that day (as we all do I'm sure). 

Tuesday, September 11, 2001 ... I was awoken by a phone call from my wife, something she never really did as you can imagine with a 5 and 3 year old we tried to get as much sleep as possible. I vaguely remember hearing "turn on TV", "something going on in NYC" and through a daze I turned on our 13" TV just in time to see something that looked like a plane crashing into a building that looked like the World Trade Center (the 2nd plane). 
It's said in moments of extreme duress one can sober or wake up in an instant, and such was the case this morning. I quickly made my way to the bigger of our TV's (a whopping 27") and watched in amazement, still not quite sure what was going on. 
As I relayed the info to my wife as to what I was seeing (this was still in the early days of streaming video on the internet) I still couldn't believe what I was describing. 
We quickly made the choice not to send our daughter to school that day as I'm sure was the case for many others. As the day went on we all saw many horrific and tragic things, most of all my brother in-law who worked in Building 9 of the WTC who we feared the worst for but was one of the lucky ones. Of course any of us who know any 9/11 survivors know that's not always the case. But that's a story for a different day, and probably a different website. 
As I tried working that night (again with no news except what you could get from the radio) it became abundantly clear that things would never be the same. 

As the days went on, we all were glued to our TV (I don't just mean myself and my family ...we ALL were). The heroic firefighters and police, stories of the extreme and ultimate sacrifices that were made and the sheer numbing effect of the entire thing. We had decided to stay closer to both of our works for the rest of that work week because none of us had any idea what was going to happen next. 

Sunday, September 16, 2001 ... so you may be asking yourself, what this has to do with Disneyland. We've all heard stories about theme parks closing on 9/11 from Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and of course Disneyland (that due to the time of the attacks never opened). The hotel and park staff doing everything they could to assist travelers who were now stuck, shielding the children of these families from the horrors that were going on while they were unsure why they couldn't go and spend a day at Disneyland. 
For us, we were just AP's who after 5 days of TV watching felt we needed to do something normal. Fighting through the guilt of "should we actually be going to Disneyland" we made our way down to Disneyland. And what we found was an absolutely surreal experience. 
Here we were, surrounded by people (not a LOT of people mind you) but many of them probably with the same thoughts we had. Just wanted to do something "normal". You could feel it in the air, there was nothing normal about being at Disneyland this day. While the Cast Members were putting on their Disney best, you couldn't shake the feeling of grief in the air. So while we got away from it all for a day, we never really got away from it. 
But looking back, it was necessary and needed for everybody who spent any time at the parks in those days and weeks following 9/11. 

Sunday, September 23, 2001 ... This was the day that then President George W Bush had ordered all flags to return to full staff, and this meant the flag at Disneyland as well. There was to be flag raising headed by then CEO Michael Eisner and the park would essentially shut down for a time so CM's could attend. 
While the "normalcy" still hadn't returned to Disneyland, there was at this time a sense of pride, not only here, but I'm guessing everywhere. As we all gathered in town square for the flag raising there was an amazing rendition of the National Anthem, some words by Mr. Eisner and the flag raising. 
Later that afternoon at the traditional flag retreat you probably couldn't find a dry eye in the house. Many of the CM's from the nearby City Hall and Emporium could be seen standing in their doorways taking in the moment and while today you may see people walking right by and not even recognizing the flag retreat, that was not the case on this day, or many days to come. 

So while it's easy sometimes to be overly cynical of Disneyland (I'm guilty of it for sure) there was a time when Disneyland was there for me and my family as a place of comfort, safety and joy when there was no comfort, safety or joy in the world. And for that we will always be thankful. 

​If you enjoyed this update please share with your friends and make sure you "like" us on Facebook and "follow" us on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. 

If you have any comments, please share them below

​Written by Renée Girard and Andrew Cunningham
(Click on any of the pictures below to see a larger version)

We are up bright and early to run the Disneyland 10k! ​

And we made it to Agrabah! ​

After running a 10k, might as well drop in one last time at DCA Tower. ​

We might regret this, but we're going on the swinging gondolas on Mickey's Fun Wheel. ​

But you do get a nice view of the parks from Mickey's Fun Wheel. ​

​California Screamin' has been down all morning. So far one train is cycling the track.

Disneyland has jalapeño cheese pretzels. Please bring them back to WDW! ​

Haunted Mansion is closed but reopening in a few days with their holiday layover. ​

​Rivers of America is also closed, but still offers a lovely view.

​You can see a bit of the Star Wars land construction just behind the walls in Critter Country.

​Haven't seen too many of the Disneyland "gangs" this weekend. We were curious as to why Walt is in quotes on theirs.

Having a pre-marathon dinner at DCA's Wine Country Trattoria. ​

Delicious meal of pasta, with a side of wine, to get some carbs in before tomorrow's Disneyland Half

One last stop at Cars Land and Radiator Springs before heading out for the night. ​

Ever see a line at the Starbucks at Downtown Disney at 5am? Gotta get some fuel for the Disneyland Half!

The elite runners in the Disneyland Half are on their way!

​Just another morning run with thousands of other sweaty crazy people.

Corrals backed up all the way to the parking structure. ​

Here we go! See you in 13.1 miles! ​

​Running through the Paradise Pier area of DCA, with the World of Color fountains on.

​Tower of Terror in the background of Flik's Fun Fair, a view that will soon be changing.

​Here's what you've all been waiting for... The back side of Tower!

​The course changes had us go through Disneyland for a shorter distance but back to DCA after

Storm Troopers were the only Star Wars characters out and about in Tomorrowland. ​

Going through Fantasyland and of course the highlight of running through Sleeping Beauty castle ​

Love that the Disney PhotoPass folks are doing the course photography here too ​

Characters from Robin Hood on the bus on Main Street ​

​Got to catch up with the news boys on their trolley on Buena Vista Street at DCA.

​One more run past Tower before exiting the parks and on to the streets of Anaheim.

​All of the cast members and volunteers throughout the race course were awesome!

Finished! More Disneyland Half updates to come, but shower and breakfast come first.

Please make a separate line at bag check for runners after the race. This is painful. ​

​After finishing the Disneyland Half & Disneyland 10K , a perfect way to celebrate is lots of food at Goofy's Kitchen

​Our afternoon of relaxation includes beer at Grand Californian's Hearthstone Lounge.

​Love this hidden Mickey, that you can find in the lobby of Disney's Grand Californian hotel.

And our Disneyland Half weekend has come to an end. See ya next year!

​If you enjoyed this update please share with your friends and make sure you "like" us on Facebook and "follow" us on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. 

If you have any comments, please share them below

​Written by Renée Girard and Andrew Cunningham
(Click on any of the pictures below to see a larger version)

​First we stopped by the Art of Pinocchio exhibit that is here through January.

​No photography is allowed inside the actual exhibit, but it was very cool to see all that went into making Pinocchio

​Selfies are encouraged as well

​Just a few of the awards that Walt Disney has received. The one for Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs is the most unique

​Venice International Film Festival award for Snow White.

​"Comandango Mickey" Award from the Artists of Brazil in 1935.

​Walt Disney had a great love for animals, and was awarded the Humane Society Award of Merit in Canada.

​The original furnishings from the Disneyland Apartment

Walt Disney's business card when he was just starting out in Kansas City. ​

​A whole wall for the animation of Steamboat Willie.

The introduction to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. ​

​Technicolor was introduced to the animation in 1932.

The interactive parts of the Walt Disney Family Museum are really fun and interesting.

​A Christmas card from Roy and Walt Disney in 1940.

​The first and only issue of "A Day with Walt" in 1943 for the armed forces.

​Pin Ups for service men insert from Dispatch from Disney's in 1943. (Ooh Laa Laa)

More awesome WWII memorabilia 

​Walt Disney's work badge.

​You can interact and view various artworks from Disney films

​There is also a pretty nice view of the Golden Gate Bridge from the museum.

One of the original benches from the Griffith Park carousel. ​

A section of the museum for Walt's love of trains. ​

An original model of the Fantasyland castle. ​

​One of the original cars from Autopia at Disneyland.

All about the World's Fair, where some of Walt Disney's attractions originated. ​

The models and designs for Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. ​

A model of the Carousel of Progress. ​

Photos of Walt Disney in Florida on the land that would be developed into Walt Disney World. ​

Interacting with one of the animatronics from the Enchanted Tiki Room. ​

Tweet, Tweet, Tweet, Tweet, Tweet ... 

​The world mourned the passing of Walt Disney.

​Because no visit to San Francisco would be complete without visiting the Yoda fountain at Lucas Studios.

​If you enjoyed this update please share with your friends and make sure you "like" us on Facebook and "follow" us on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. 

If you have any comments, please share them below