Review: Halloween horror comes in a couple of flavours in California (Includes first-hand account)
When most people are bitten by the travel bug, their journeys take them to exotic countries and foreign landscapes. But a few years ago I got a slightly more specific sightseeing itch to visit various amusement parks across North America and more specifically ride some of the biggest rollercoasters they had to offer. I’ve shared some of these experiences here on Digital Journal, but this year I decided to modify my adventure-seeking expedition in search of a different adrenaline rush. So I travelled to California to check out a couple of the most popular Halloween destinations for those brave enough to enter: Knott’s Scary Farm and Universal Studio Hollywood’s Halloween Horror Nights.
Located about an hour apart in Southern California, each park is open for its usual daytime fair seven days a week. But Thursday to Sunday evenings near the end of September and for the entire month of October, they transform into nightmarish scenes of fog, blood, screams and murderous-looking creatures. The separately ticketed event requires all the daytime patrons to exit while they make everything spooky for the bold souls coming to face their fears in the various mazes filled with dark corners concealing scary monsters.
Regardless of whether you have nerves of steel or are a complete scaredy-cat, the one thing everyone should take a second to appreciate is the incredible make-up work and costume detail on most of the actors as it’s this that can make you forget it’s only an amusement park. The “scare zones” are populated with equally well-disguised monsters who wander the area frightening unwitting guests — most of them are practiced and have mastered the skill of unnerving people.
An even more unique twist is presented in the “Terror Tram,” which is hosted by everybody’s favourite possessed Good Guy Doll, Chucky. The same train that provides sunny, daytime tours of the studio lot is taken over by the darkly sarcastic serial killer. He then drops riders off at the start of a winding outdoor maze occupied by larger versions of himself as well as his fellow terror icons mentioned earlier. Another attraction doing double duty is The Walking Dead network of zombies who attack regardless of the time of day.
No matter what you choose, you’ll enjoy a spookier Halloween.
