SIX FLAGS MAGIC MOUNTAIN FRIGHT FEST 2021 – VALENCIA, CA
It was great to be back after a hiatus in 2020. Six Flags Magic Mountain Fright Fest 2021 officially kicked off on September 11th. During the Media Preview Lounge; we had a chance to learn from this season's organizers about the new features and attractions that have never been done here at Fright Fest.
For starters, the Dead Zone scare zone features a lot of great "photo-op" opportunities that are friendly to the camera; which we're sure you know is seldom found. With the promise of cyberpunk zombies paired with neon and graffiti; you'll for sure have photos that your jealous friends won't! Another new scare zone, just to the left of the carousel called Terror Rising: Dark Developments; unlocks a new Fright Fest character named Shadow.
Also new this year are extra shows and performances. Fans of Fright Fest would know that their Halloween event is not typically show/performance heavy. However, they now have 4 shows/interactive performances on the schedule for this season.
Thirdly, if you survived the Aftermath maze; let's see how you do in Aftermath 2: Chaos Rising. We thought it was pretty appropriate given the never-ending "pandemic".
FRIGHT FEST MAZES
Aftermath 2: Chaos Rising picked up where Aftermath 2: Chaos Rising left off. An outbreak once again befalls the town of Ash Valley and left the residents no choice but to evacuate. This maze served as a stern reminder of the exact times we are in. Compared to the 2019 Aftermath; this one had an expanded walkthrough with more space and less “infected”. This all sounds very familiar as we are in year 2 of an “outbreak” where we need to space things apart and there are less infections than the previous year!
Ghostober Presents: Willoughby's Resurrected offered a twist on the prior season’s storyline at the Willoughby mansion. It seemed that the family was finally smart enough to hire some help to get to the bottom of the evil roaming the manor’s grounds. Getting tired of failing to evict these uninvited tenants, the family seemingly decided to hire paranormal investigators. Have no fear, because The Ghost Hunters are roaming around the mansion looking for spectral activity, they even have fancy devices and cameras set up. However, one-by-one, those cameras start failing and now you are left to roam the dark hallways of the property.
Sewer of Souls has got to be the Crappiest maze we’ve ever walked-through. We meant that literally. A classic Fright Fest maze that we enjoyed; Sewer of Souls returned this year with a few jocular upgrades. Guests enter through a sewer tunnel opening and witness an underground world full of lost souls and...you guessed it: waste. Plenty of eye-catching distractions and vivid colors left us getting scared because we failed to see what came up behind us. Besides the wall with fecal matter ridden toilet seats and words that read “A Crappy Pic” and the humongous pile of dung in the middle of the maze; there were plenty of sights in blacklight and fluorescent colors. Though not as many souls trapped in the sewers as we would’ve liked to see; it was fun to walk-through each tunnel and having something to see. They could’ve just used black walls and turned parts of it into a dark maze like another famous theme park does so often, Six Flags Magic Mountain made sure that every turn offered something to see.
Red's Revenge offers an alternate spin to the classic Little Red Riding Hood story. The title of the maze suggests exactly that. Red, all grown up, is on a warpath to seek revenge for all the wrongdoings done to her. You and the wolf are the prey being hunted by Red and her demons. Only the brave can survive this Scarytale and only the lucky ones can evade Red’s revenge towards the end.
Vault 666 Unlocked a mixed bag of demonic relics and damned souls. The title of the maze suggests that exactly and that’s what happens when things get loose in what appeared to be an oddities store. It’s as if the Warrens’ artifact room got broken into and all hell breaks loose. That’s kinda what we envision happened here at Vault 666 Unlocked. At a point in the maze, there were multiple pathways to choose from. However, no matter what you choose, you still end up in the same hell. This is a maze filled with endless torture chambers and fitting scenarios for hell loops. What we liked about it most was the hallway of Demon portraits which listed their names and we liked the old school haunted house feel of it.
Condemned - Forever Damned refers to the souls in damnation that are trapped within this house. From the outside, it looks run down, abandoned even. However, darkness overwhelms you once you step inside and it is far from abandoned. Can you escape all areas of this worn down looking house? Especially when you can’t see the souls that are living inside the walls? We found the theming to be very consistent; what the outside looked like was what we expected the inside to be. A fun little subtle thing we missed from before...there was a blood red ‘A’ overlapping the ‘e’ in the word “Condemned”, making it “CondAmned”. We thought it was a clever message telling us to steer away as far as possible.
FRIGHT FEST SCARE ZONES
Witches Lair is best explored in the dark. Aside from the convincing talent of the scare actors; this scare zone serves as a mini-maze where you evade witches while trying to find an exit. Of course, it is not as fun in broad daylight. Therefore, we would suggest waiting this out and doing it later in the night.
Exile Hill was perhaps the scariest scare zone. Located between the Sewer of Souls maze and Ghostober Presents: Willoughby’s Resurrected; the reason why it’s scary is because of the sheer darkness of this pathway. You really don’t see the exiled dead coming until it’s too late to realize it. Parts of the area were so dark that we even got frightened by a normal civilian walking up alongside us.
Nightmares: A Twisted Fantasy supposedly incorporates your favorite bedtime stories into the scare zone somehow. Basically turning your Fairytales into Scarytales. However, it’s hard to recognize the characters especially with their dead and rotten faces.
Terror Rising - Dark Developments is the new marquee scare zone for 2021. We had an opportunity to meet Shadow, the newest monster on the roster. Just as he was lurking prior to the event starting; he does exactly that in this scare zone. Though heavily reliant on tombstones, fog, and a hue of red light; you may not know when Shadow and friend might be lurking behind you. Demon’s Door had a few scare actors few and far between. However, it was really the 2 larger than life demon statues that really make up the scenery. Located at the entrance of the park; there was no confusion about where you were and the journey you’re about to embark on.
TERRORtory Twisted is a returning favorite where steampunk mechanical ghouls haunt your souls. We liked the talent here from the man on stilts to the man with knives for fingers to the overall ambience. The fog seemed to be just right in certain areas. They should do a SteamPunk ghosts vs CyberPunk zombie battle.
City Under Siege is perhaps the most lively, jovial, and entertaining scare zone out of all of them. Located inside DC Universe, it was like a bunch of alternate Jokers from varying universes running rampant. Folks were either entertained or running for shelter inside the bathrooms (mainly the girls) in this scare zone. What was most memorable was the staff improvising jokes and wisecracks on the spot.
OTHER FRIGHT FEST OFFERINGS
At 7:00 PM nightly at Fright Fest, you can see the monsters get UNLEASHED around Twisted Colossus. DARK MINDS is a spectacle that explores the unknown with a mentalist. SLIDERS OF THE NIGHT displays their athleticism nightly. VOODOO NIGHTS offers an attractive stage for live music and performances. GRAVE GAMES was not opened yet when we made our visit, but according to the site you get to: “Witness the dangerous and daring acts of crossbows and juggling with fire.” If these don’t do it for you then you can always ride their signature coasters in the dark. If you prefer to also sit those out; then you may just enjoy their Halloween themed foods and beverages which were available all throughout the park.
FRIGHT FEST CONCLUSION
Though most of the scare zones might be lacking talent, and by talent we mean just a few extra bodies to fill up the scene; Fright Fest’s theming for their mazes was on point. There was nothing in the mazes that looked out of the ordinary unless you count the pandemic masks; but that is just something we need to overlook and try not to let distract us from the experience. Though some mazes could have used more scare actors, the decor and interior does give the other major parks a run for their money. Affordability wise, Fright Fest leads the way in terms of a theme park ticket with express lane privileges. You’ll want to upgrade to their Fright Pass if you plan on finishing the entire park since it is so huge. There is no limit on how many times you can use your Fright Pass. Plus all the walking just works up an appetite for even more Halloween horror and themed food. Fright Fest ends on Halloween night.
(Click on Image for Photo-Journal)For more info visit: https://www.sixflags.com/magicmountain/events/fright-fest
#FrightFest #SFMM #SixFlagsMagicMountain #Frighfest2021 #2021Haunts
Hauntlet Media's first time at Six Flags Magic Mountain Fright Fest did not disappoint in terms of the mazes and walk-throughs. As first time attendees to their revamped Halloween haunt experience, we went in with no expectations. One thing we did notice was that if you were not already familiar with the layout of the theme park, finding a certain maze or scare zone could be tricky. We might have spent an additional 1.5 hours just walking up and down the hill trying to find a certain maze, with little help from the employees since they were unsure how to get there as well. However, after walking the entire park, we eventually found what we needed and were able to visit all walk-throughs and scare zones. Here is the break down below:
Willoughby's Resurrected is a haunted manor seemingly deserted and abandoned. The walk-through contains very low light which adds to the scare factor of it all. At first, we had to worry about where we were going at the same time fear that jump scares will pop up any second. Once our eyes were adjusted, we were able to find the paths throughout the creepy mansion but still it was not enough light to see where monsters and the ghosts of the manor will pop out. We appreciate dark mazes as such since it simulates a real haunted house.
Vault 666 Unlocked is virtually many people's worst nightmare. A once secured vault in a shop full of demonic relics, dibuks, and and “exotic” items are suddenly unsecured. Demons and Monsters roam around as you enter the shop as you quickly try to find a way out. Once inside the vault, you realize each monster has an Auction #. What kind of sick twisted individual would think of auctioning off these demons and monsters?
Condemned is the real definition of a “haunted house.” We walked in and toured the complete layout and floorplan of a house once filled with life and laughter. We walked through the foyer, the hallways, bedrooms and even the game/family room and were met with the lost souls or guests of this once established residence. There was no telling which family member or former house guest we would encounter as we made a turn into the next room.
Sewer of Souls is essentially the drainage and sewer system from Willoughby's mansion. The condemned and unworthy souls of the mansion must not have a place to go and had to find shelter within the sewage system. Aside from the filth and waste, the lost souls seemed to have built a life for themselves within the sewers. May you get out unscathed with a “clean” getaway.
Red's Revenge is a maze with a great storyline as it feels like a grownups version of “Little Red Riding Hood”. The titled maze, exactly how it sounds, details how Red seeks revenge for her Grandmother. Each turn you make through the forest, you encounter the wolf. If you are lucky, you might just be at the right place where Red makes an appezrance to save your life.
Aftermath 2: Chaos Rising is an outdoor walk-through and shows what happens when an infection breaks out and overtakes even the local township's Police Department. Easily the largest maze of the park, this would be a great maze to save for last if you aren't too tired by the end of the night. The specialty police force ushers you with swift effort in order to get you out and safe. However, there are infected individuals to deal with throughout this evasion process. Will you be able to get away scot-free or be one of the ones left behind?
As for the scare zones, they were perhaps the most easy to find if you have a goal of just walking the entire park. Eventually, you will fall into one of them without realizing it. We thoroughly enjoyed “Nightmares: A Twisted Fantasy, City Under Siege, and TERRORtory Twisted” the most since they were the biggest and felt like mini-mazes. For just $18 to $38 on top of regular admission, it's worth the upgrade to experience the haunts unlimited times during the same day. As long as you are okay with walking and getting some steps in, it will be a fun experience. Fright Fest is open from Sept. 14th through Nov. 3rd.
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https://www.sixflags.com/magicmountain/special-events/fright-fest
