This past Sunday we made our 3rd and final visit to Fright Fest 2015 at Six Flags Magic Mountain. It's always an odd feeling when we get to the end of Halloween season because we love it so much, but by this point we've done all of the updates and media days and we just go to have fun. 


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But this year we got a special opportunity to say goodbye to one of the long-running mazes that is leaving Magic Mountain - Aftermath. 

Before we get started we wanted to send out a congratulations to the Six Flags Magic Mountain Fright Fest team. There are far too many to name here but you know who you are. =)
This past Saturday they sold out Fright Fest with about 35,000 guests in the park and they actually had to close parking at 8:15pm as well as extending the hours the event was open. . 
While this sounds like an absolutely crazy night (it was) all indications are that the staff and guests were amazing and everybody had a great time. It's also telling of just how much this event has grown and improved over the past few years. 5 or 6 years ago the event would get busy, but selling out, not really something that would happen. Extending hours? Unheard of. So again, congrats to all involved with Fright Fest. Your hard work is showing and the word is out there. Can't wait to see what you come up for 2016!! 

One of the mazes that really ushered in this new era of Fright Fest was Aftermath. Utilizing the old Action Theater (I actually remember when they had Dolphin and Diving shows here ... and I just aged myself) it quickly became one of our favorite mazes in all of Southern California. 
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All that we've been told is the maze is leaving. We aren't sure if it's for another maze or something else. Any rumors that are floating around out there are just that ... rumors. It'll be another 10 months until we know anything definitive so it's not worth worrying about right now. (but you are going to anyway aren't you?) ;)

Before we get to the pictures our walk-through of the maze from last months media night. 

Thank you to the PR staff of the park for walking us through the maze for one last look. We hope you enjoy. 

I remember the first time we went through this maze I was worried we were going to fall in the pool. (wonder if it's even still there)

Still one of very few mazes to have fire in it. 

Waiting for the next victim

FIRE!!! 

This was a good scare

Really hope this is saved somehow. Who remembers where this used to be? 

She's coming to get ya ... 

Thanks again to the park for setting up our walk-through. We'll miss Aftermath but can't wait to see what you come up with next. 

We also of course went through the rest of the mazes and scare zones and had another amazing night at Fright Fest. Below some more pictures of the Scare Zones. 

You have 3 nights left of Fright Fest and this is your last chance to see Aftermath. For more info check out the parks website. If you missed our Fright Fest review and update click here. 

We don't usually like to wait more than a few days to get reviews of events out, but we wanted to make sure we did this event justice. 
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You'd think that with no new mazes for 2015 SFMM had just sat back and rest on the success of 2014, but that was hardly the case as you'll see below. 

This year Magic Mountain decided to focus on improving the overall event instead of just adding a few (really awesome) mazes as they did in 2014. 

Most of the time when a park takes away it's best scare zone and replaces it with a new theme you'd have to question it, but not for this park.

Sinister Circuit remains one of the best Scare Zones in any of the theme park haunts. 

The talent here has been together for so long and have so much fun. During opening night and our return visit the following week we spent a lot of time here just enjoying the monsters. And we'll probably head back just to hang out in the scare zones at least once more before the event is over. 

Not to be outdone, the new scare zone near Twisted Colossus "Terrortory Twisted" is probably the best new Scare Zone the park has done ... ever. It really raises the bar for this event and we can't see what they do with future scare zones. 

The other scare zones are great as well with our favorite being Nightmares. They've done away with some of the smaller scare zones and seem to be concentrating more on the larger ones. With Aftermath leaving (more on that below) we're very interested to see what they do with the scare zone in that area and obviously depending on what happens with that area will impact that scare zone. 

But the mazes themselves are still amazing. I think our favorite of this year was once again Aftermath, which has been near the top of our list for any event since it's inception. 

Six Flags Magic Mountain announced last night that this would be the last year for this particular maze, which of course starts rumors as to what is to become of this area. We simply don't know, it could just be for a new maze or for a new attraction for this area of the park. This is a huge plot of land so it will be fun to see. 

Red's Revenge was pretty much the breakout maze of last year and this year is absolutely no exception. We still love the crowd control that the park does that insures a smooth walk-through and no stopping in the maze. 

Be sure to check out our walk-through of Red's Revenge below. 

Vault 666 and Toyz of Terror are also back and remain crowd favorites and although they are polar opposites in terms of theme they are great mazes with lots of scares, great sets and amazing talent. 

Willoughby's Resurrected was also back and for us, this was probably the best it's been since it was, well, resurrected. The talent, effects and theme really worked great and when your son get's scared this much ... well, it makes for a great time. 

The last two mazes Chupacabra and Garden of Darkness while still fun need some updates. They simply are the "older" mazes of Fright Fest that haven't been upgraded to the new modern sets and design. 

While we think Chupacabra needs to be retired (and it's possible with The New Revolution coming next year) we do like the theme of Garden of Darkness, but it just needs more "garden" and not just walls. Still, these two mazes are still fun and the talent in each is fantastic. 

And this of course doesn't even get into the rest of what the park offers and that's the rides, coasters, re-theme's of rides and more. 

Be sure not to miss Fright Fest this year, only 9 days left!!! 

Today we take a look at Fright Fest at Six Flags Great Adventure. By all indications they've really stepped up their game this year and Chris was there on their media night. 

Thanks again to the staff of Great Adventure for including us in their event, see below for the amazing report. 

We promise we won’t call CPS) We decided to watch this event from the “Demon District” which is essentially the (bleeding)heart of Fright Fest and where you should be once your grandfather clock strikes 6pm. Following the Awakening is “Dead Man’s Party” which is a choreographed dance and singing show themed to what else? Zombies and the undead and awesome (we are huge fans of theming to awesome). 

But here is the kicker. It’s literally a “DISNEY” level show. Yes, you read that correctly, Six Flags can go “full on” Disney with theming, costumes, choreography, level of talent, pyrotechnics, and sales of “things that glow”… It is not to be missed.​​

Blood Shed
​Lets start with our second favorite haunt trail at Great Adventure EVAR. Blood Shed (see what they did there? )… So I had to google this, because the trail is completely different then what it’s supposed to be about. I’m told via the great folks at Six Flags Public Relations that theme is supposed to be a crazy plastic surgeon that does terrible things to his clients (What if Bill Cosby was a plastic surgeon?) that some how ends up creating “pig men” (it’s like a choose your own adventure story on meth I guess) …

But the way we experienced it was a corn filled maze like “crop circle” with much better theming and more scares. As I spend way too much time visiting haunted houses, I fall deeper in love with trails laid out like Blood Shed. Using the corn and a secondary path system for the “ghouls”, you are provided with “pop up” scares out of nowhere. Which to me is amazing (and way better than Kardashian pop up shops which to me is terrible).

Forgotten Carnival
​So, HI AGAIN WORLD CLASS LEADING THEME PARKS.. Hey Universal. Whats up?

What if I told you that my local, regional park could knock it out of the park with a maze that was as good or better than anything you’ve ever done.

To me, this haunt was a game changer. From the starting layout (the person that tells you the rules and distributes glasses) to literally every scene. I know some people dislike “3d” glasses because they disrupt your equilibrium and they clearly aren't 3D and you can also see things in 3D because you are a person and you (most likely) have two eyes.. But this one is great.. Each scene and set up work perfectly together.

​The use of “3d” UV paint is perfect. The scares ares are so strong, that we had 100 percent of the ladies (that have done stuff like this before) actually scared.. A LOT. To me, this is the best thing that Six Flags has done at any park for fright fest. I can’t say it enough.

​Game changer. Five Stars- Unless clowns like stars, then 0 stars. Also. Clowns.

The Rest. (in peace)

​The Manor- Arguably the most themed and one of the oldest mazes at Six Flags. Lots of money was spent to build this one and it works and we love the theming

3 stars

The Asylum- Must have caught this one on an off night - (to be fair there was a group of 12 year old girls in front of us that were holding hands so the ghouls must have been spent)

​Good concept but 2.5 stars

Wasteland- I want to like this trail.. The leading “mutant general” that engages the line is awesome. He’s been doing this for the past three years and I literally should fill out a comment card to “acknowledge an employee who embodies six flags fun”. the rest of the trail had me wishing the river raft ride was open. Getting that wet = actually scary to me .

​2.5 stars

Total Darkness- Totally Lame - This is the maze that needs to go . Pretty sure it was staffed by three people and if your major fear is walking into the person in front of you than this is your maze.

​0 Stars

Scare Zones always rock at Great Adventure. From the Butcher scare zone in Wild West Town to the engaging of fright virgins at the fountain, We absolutely love those areas. Hat tip to Great Adventure for allowing ghouls to roam free.

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