Last week we headed out to the opening night of the always amazing Queen Mary's Dark Harbor and of course it doesn't ever disappoint. This year we actually didn't delete all of our maze walk-throughs so we've got video of most of the mazes for you and of course some amazing pictures of the event and the Slider show. Written by Gregg Condon Pictures and Video by Scott Linder and Gregg Condon Welcome to Dark Harbor 2016 You don't say? A panoramic view of the event, click to enlarge (that's what she said) Because we have SO many videos and pictures to share from this always amazing event, we're doing things a bit differently this year. We've separated the mazes out into slideshows to make it easier to load the update and still see all of the amazing pictures. Our first maze of the event was the always amazing Soulmate which had some major changes for 2016 Story time: We are slowly but surely upgrading our audio/video equipment and Soulmate was the first time we used our new microphone As you can see below, we had some really amazing interaction with the actors in this maze. Problem is, with a microphone, you have to remember to actually turn it on. Which through the full 9 minute walk-through of the maze didn't happen. So while the visuals in the maze are amazing, there is no audio. We're thinking of eventually doing a "commentary" of the maze, and we may do that if you all would like to see it. In lieu of the video, enjoy these amazing pics of the maze. Next up was B340 which also had some awesome changes for 2016 and really fills out the 3 amazing mazes on the ship. Some amazing pictures of B340 Be sure to check out our full walk-through of this amazing maze (yes, with audio). The always amazing Lullaby The Neverland Swings are back this year and we were actually able to get a POV this time. This year the all new Intrepid is in the dome, while we were initially a bit confused by the maze, our 2nd go through later in the night actually made a bit more sense as the maze goes through the building of the Queen Mary by the Iron Master. One of the best things about Queen Mary's Dark Harbor is taking a break to check out the amazing slider show. Every year Circus is one of our very favorite "mazes" not just at Dark Harbor but at any event. And it's actually a maze. As you'll see in our video we totally got lost a few times. Our last maze of the event was the always amazing Deadrise which is in a new location this year, which means some changes to the maze. The talent in this maze has been together for SO many years, and it shows. They work so well together and simply love what they do. This is one of those mazes we do a few times every visit because it's just so different each time. Be sure to spend some time hanging out at the exit of the maze, these guys are always entertaining and love scaring people. Overall this is another amazing year for Dark Harbor, the talent at this event is simply second to none, they've got so much freedom to develop their characters and just all seem to love what they do. The sideshow has also changed locations this year and as you can see they've added a much bigger show area. To say that we recommend Dark Harbor would be an extreme understatement. An amazing night of fun and scares is in store should you choose to take in this event. We HIGHLY recommend getting the Front of the Line pass as the maze as they only let a few people in at a time. You can upgrade at the event, but we highly recommend getting it before you go as you'll save a few bucks. Thanks again to Queen Mary for having us out and for continuing to put on an amazing event each and every year. For more information on Dark Harbor 2016 be sure to check out the full event information here. Related Updates:
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Today we're kicking off our Halloween coverage in a HUGE way with Day One from last weekends Midsummer Scream. Below you'll find some great pictures and video from the show floor, hall of shadows and three of the amazing panels that were held on the first day of this amazing convention. Written by Gregg Condon Putting on an event is hard, it takes a LOT of hard work. As we learned from a lot of the panels over the weekend, when it comes to a Halloween event the work for the next years event usually starts just after (or sometimes during) the previous years event. Putting on any large scale event is no different. The amount of planning and preparation that goes on takes a year, from booking talent, convention space, vendors, and in the case of Midsummer Scream, scare zones and mazes. The fact that the team was able to do all of this in about 4 months is amazing. Even considering the years of expertise of those involved (and they are exceptional at what they do) pulling off what they pulled off in 4 months was amazing. Saturday: We arrived at the event about 30 minutes prior to doors open, usually a time when you find chaos and issues everywhere. Yet there was a calm and orderly general admission line, when we went inside to get our press badges there were only a few people in line. The staff knew just where to send us and we were ready to go with a good 15-20 minutes before the event opened. This gave us time to catch up with friends, get some amazing pictures and plan our attack for the day. First up was a walk of the show floor, which is the heart of any event of this kind. And this was our kind of event. So many amazing displays, merchandise and even mini experiences. We could have spent SO much money. We then headed into the Hall of Shadows and without even realizing it we walked right into a Scare Zone ... at a convention. And it was amazing. You could tell the talent was having so much fun with it, and the entire event was just so calm and relaxed, no drama that we could see. Be sure to check out our 360° video of Hall of Shadows. We will have additional videos with our day two update next week. Our first panel of the day was "Frightful Attraction Design for Theme Park Audiences" and our first chance to thank the Midsummer Scream crew for all of their hard work. This didn't have the feeling of a first year event and you could tell they were all (rightfully) proud of what they've created. Oh yeah, the panel. It was amazing. Great talk about some amazing dark rides like Indiana Jones Adventure, Monster Plantation at SFOG, the Ghostbusters show at USF and of course the greatest scary dark attraction of all time Alien Encounter (I assume as sadly I never got to experience it). Having the panel hosted by Rick West who's expertise and familiarity with both the rides and the panelists made it that much better. After a quick lunch at one of the plethora of nearby eateries it was time for our 2nd panel of Midsummer Scream ... Queen Mary's Dark Harbor. First of all, if you've never been to Dark Harbor, what are you waiting for? Secondly, if you've never attended a panel about Queen Mary's Dark Harbor at one of these conventions, what are you waiting for? The cast of characters they bring out is amazing. Both at their event and at Midsummer Scream their actors get to bring their own personality and fun into the experience. Throughout the presentation they talked about this years event (you can find all of that information here). Needless to say it's going to be amazing once again and we can't wait to experience this amazing event again. Click to see the full update on what's coming to Queen Mary's Dark Harbor in 2016 ... After some more time spent on the show floor it was time to head back into the ballroom and to check out the presentation for Halloween Horror Nights. Unlike the other panels of the weekend nothing was actually announced at the HHN panel, but that didn't take away from the greatness of it. John and Chris so love what they do and it shows. They spent the hour (that went by way too quick) talking about the history of the "Big 4" Slashers that will be appearing at this years event. And that's going to pretty much wrap it up for day 1. Be sure to check back on Monday for Day Two of Midsummer Scream. In the meantime, be sure to check out the release for Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Freddy vs Jason coming to Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood and for Krampus coming to HHN Hollywood and Orlando. Be sure to check back next week for the rest of our Midsummer Scream coverage and great panels from Six Flags Magic Mountain and Knott's Berry Farm. Related Updates:
Good Morning Park Journey!!! Before you continue with this article I want you to stop what you're doing, go to the Queen Mary Dark Harbor website, buy tickets for one of the upcoming nights and then you may continue. Because you are not going to want to miss this event!!! Pictures by Matthew Nelson and Scott Linder Written by Gregg Condon Before we get started, a bit of an apology to you the readers and to the Queen Mary. See, we had a plethora of amazing video that we shot at the event. Because how could we not? Due to my haste in getting the "Scaryoke" video up before our event last Friday I didn't re-name the videos, and in clearing HD space for even more videos, everything else got deleted. But the pictures from Matt and Scott will more than make up for. (click on any of the pictures below for a larger version ... we are aware that there is an issue clicking on some of the pictures below, we are working on it) Our event started off in the late daylight hours last Thursday, the event was easily 20 degrees cooler than it was for last years event which was nice. Upon arrival we all made our way to the RIP Lounge. And if you know theme park bloggers, you know this wasn't a huge surprise. =) After a few minutes relaxing, having a snack and a drink and getting caught up on all of our Halloween adventures, it was time to head out into the event. But not before stalking Rick from TPA while he was doing his live Periscope. =) The RIP Lounge is a great place to get a bird's-eye view of the event Our first stop was the all new Lullaby, which is in the previous location of Submerged. Being on the ship these mazes don't really need a whole lot of props and sets because, let's face it, the ship is scary enough as it is. And this one is really great and really creepy. Maze Rating: 10/10 Next up was the returning maze B340. The cool thing about Queen Mary is that even though most of the mazes were returning they made small changes to each to make them even better. The theme of this one is still kind of weird, and some of the scenes don't make a whole lot of sense to me, but again, at the end of the day, it's a fun, scary, creepy maze with great sets and amazing actors. Maze Rating: 7.5/10 Our last maze on the ship was another returning maze, Soulmate. And once again, the improvements to this maze from last year to this year were amazing. This year it features a bit of a pre-show to further explain the story and Graceful Gail and her, well, puppets for lack of a better word are more than eager to terrify you on the rear ... of the ship. =) Maze rating: 9/10 Ok, before we move on to the off-ship mazes I want to take a moment to talk about the one thing that really sets Dark Harbor apart. And that's their talented actors. I hate to use the word "monsters" here because, sure, while they are there to scare you, these are actors that immerse you in the overall theme of Dark Harbor. Over the years these actors have been given the blessing and have the ability to create their own characters, their own personality and they do it ever so well. From the Captain, to the Ringmaster to Scary Mary, Graceful Gail and all of the, yes, Monsters in the mazes, they've really done an amazing job setting this event up and giving everybody a good scare and a good laugh. And of course, the amazing Ringmaster doing her "Scaryoke". So let's move on to the off ship mazes, we'll start with another returning maze, Deadrise. Many people ignore this maze because I think it's been here the longest. Our advice, don't. Again they've made some changes to the maze this year, mixed it up a bit and the talent in this maze, probably the most cohesive group of any maze at any event we've been to so far. You can really tell the crew of the Deadrise have been working together for years, they know what they are doing and they know how to get a fright even from the most expert of guests. It takes a lot to give me a startle scare, these guys did it more than once. Maze Rating: 9/10 Next up is Voodoo Village. The first time we went through this maze at last years event it was amazing, I enjoyed it so much and gave it a pretty high rating. Two nights later we went through again with a group of rowdy intoxicated people and I didn't care for it, but I decided to give it a pass due to the jerks ahead of us. This time I really did enjoy the maze, but overall I do think it's the weakest of the mazes at the event. Not that it's necessarily a bad thing, but when you compare it to the other mazes here, it just doesn't hold up. That said, this is still a rather new maze, the sets are beautiful and I'm thinking by this weekend they will be hitting their stride in this maze and kicking it up a few notches. Maze Rating: 7/10 Last and most definitely not least is Circus. What can we say about Circus that won't give too much away? It was, quite simply, the most fun I've had in a maze in a long time, maybe ever. Just like the scare zones and the characters, the actors in here are amazing and they actually have the ability to get you lost in the maze. This maze features one of the most amazing elements in a maze ever, a freaking ball pit. Obviously something like this wouldn't work in just any maze, but in Circus, it absolutely works and it's amazing and funny and fun and awesome. Did we say awesome? This maze is seriously worth the admission to Dark Harbor by itself. It's fun, freaky, scary and HIGHLY repeatable. Maze Rating: 11/10 (it's that good) Dark Harbor also features the amazing Slider Alley, Voodoo Village Scare Zone and a really fun and awesome Sideshow. It's a $5 upcharge but it's well worth it if only to get away from the crowds, enjoy some time at the bar and watch the shows they put on at the stage. We simply can't recommend Dark Harbor enough. Whether you like to get scared, like to laugh, have a great drink, ride Michael Jackson's Neverland Swings or just watch amazing actors do their thing, Dark Harbor has it all. Also, be sure to check out the Anubis Paintball Adventure, it's unique, fun and you get to shoot people with paintballs without getting shot back. What's better than that? =) Go, have fun, tell us what you thought. =) |
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