Local events & attractions, vacation destinations, theme parks and other things to do in Arizona, Southern California and Las Vegas. Articles and reviews on all kinds of entertainment, from comic book collecting, haunted houses & escape rooms to family vacations to Disneyland, Universal Studios & more.
Height requirements of at least 42" to experience mazes.
Celebrating its 15th Anniversary in 2017 it is one of the top haunted attractions in the nation, this terrifying experience has been making people scream since 2003.
HAUNTED HOUSES
Lights Out
Zombie City
Chainsaw Massacre
Hex
Happy Hellidays
Killer Clowns in 4D
SCARE ZONES
Infectious Point
Marionette Madness
New World Disorder
Clown Havoc
4D THEATER
Horror fans will experience another dimension of terror in Friday the 13th™ 4-D
Knott's Scary Farm at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park
VS
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood
This last weekend me and my daughters had the opportunity to enjoy both of these events and I want to share my perspective with you in the following review as well as provide some side by side Statistics to help you decide which event best suits you and your family.
Can not use the front of the line pass until 7PM, meaning from 2PM to 7PM you are waiting in line for rides.
The pass does not include parking, which will cost another $25-50 depending on the lot you park in. We paid $35 for preferred parking.
The pass does not include food of any kind. Eat first or pay to eat in the park.
You can only cut the line once per attraction. This is a major negative for me as we wanted to do some of the houses again and ride more rides at the end and this meant waiting in lines.
Total cost after parking and admission for 3 persons $779 and this did not include food costs.
See the Price Breakdown of R.I.P. Tour at Halloween Horror Nights Hollywood for the next step up which is another $100 per person.
Knott's Scary Farm costed us $153.99 each for the Scary Farm All Inclusive Ticket.
Pros
They let you into the park at 6PM and you are able to use the front of the line pass imediatly.
Includes free parking, a value of $18.
The pass includes a free Boo-fet dinner, a $28.99 value where you eat from a pretty decent spread with monsters for entertainment.
The pass is unlimited front of the line, cut the line to ride rides and enter the houses over and over as often as you please.
Total cost for 3 persons after parking, food and admission, $461.97.
Review of Attractions, Haunted Houses and Scare Zones
Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights has 7 Haunted Houses (8 if you count the year round Walking Dead Attraction), 3 Scare Zones and a Terror Tram. All in all 12 Halloween attractions and 4 rides remain open (Transformers, Jurassic Park, Simpsons and the Mummy).
Overall I was disappointed and liked 2016 Halloween Horror Nights more, Krampus was my favorite from the last 2 years. It seems like they are so focused on finding a movie theme and did not put proper effort into the costumes and mazes. You could see the necks of those scare actors with masks and with the number of people moving through at the same time, they could not get back in place to jump out. For being a movie studio, overall it was pretty amateurish.
American Horror Story: Roanoke - This was average overall. 3/5
Stanley Kubrick's The Shining - This was average as well, but perhaps my hopes had been to high. 3/5
SAW: The Games of Jigsaw - This was the best and had the pass allowed reentry at the front of the line, I would have gone again. An immersive scene which included a stunning scent helped raise it to the top. 5/5
Ash vs Evil Dead - This was a total waste. Repetitive and lacked any creativity. More comedy than scare and that is a reference to the costumes and makeup. 1/5
Insidious: Beyond the Further - This was also just average. 3/5
Titans of Terror better - This one was one of the better ones, even though it was fairly repetitive. This was also the Theme of the Terror Tram. 4/5
The Horrors of Blumhouse - This one was also average and probably rated a little higher than I normally would have, but since it went through more than one movie (Purge, Sinister and Happy Death Day) it made it a little more interesting. Had it been based on any one of the movies alone it would have likely been a 2. 3/5
Terror Tram - Other than giving your feet a break, the photo op with Norman Bates at the Bates home is the major plus. The Friday the 13th area was probably the most creative section. 3/5
Knott's Scary farm surprised me, far more bang for the buck. 9 Haunted houses (10 if you count the Timber mountain Log Ride conversion to Halloween Hootenanny), 4 scare zones. 14 Halloween attractions and 10 rides remain open.
There were a lot of teenagers here, so the unlimited ride pass really saved time when riding rides. The scare actors had hidden tunnels and were able to pop out in multiple places when compensating for the large number of people moving through. This allowed them to get more than 1 person to jump. After visiting this, I may skip Halloween Horror nights all together in the future. Just appeared more thought and effort went into the themes and layout and it is nearly 40% cheaper.
Dark Ride - Interesting theme and props. Survive a broken down amusement park ride. 5/5
Paranormal Inc. - Now this one, the beginning is the best part. No Spoilers here, but it is a repeat house from previous years. 5/5
Pumpkin Eater - This one had a surprise waiting that made some people stop moving through the maze. Definitely a top of the list maze. 5/5
Shadow Lands - Had a hard time finding the entrance, was a little hidden and not as highly marked as the others. I liked the beginning of this one as well. 5/5
Special Ops: Infected - This was interactive. You "laser tag" by shooting zombies and try to make it out alive. The gun records kills and damage you take. This one was worth doing twice. 5/5
The Red Barn - Was not sure if the rushing us through was part of the theme, but there was a kid that refused to enter so some scare going on there. 4/5
The Tooth Fairy - This was an interesting theme, though some parts were a little demented. 4/5
Trick or Treat: Lights Out - This was interactive. You were given a flashlight that slowly dies as you make your way through the Haunted House. 5/5
Voodoo - I have to admit, there was one spot in this one that made me jump. Only 1 out of the 17 mazes between the two parks so it has to get a 5 as well.
In the end Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights was just average and more expensive than it should have been in comparison to Knott's Scary Farm.
SPECIAL EVENT - BLACKOUT: $26.99 + tax on November 4th. This ONE night event includes you and your friends AND ONE GLOW STICK. Upon arriving each group (NOT each person) is given ONE glowstick. then the fun begins when you enter the 13th Floor in total darkness where a horde of monsters roam freely, equipped with the night vision, they see you, but you may not see them.
My two Cents
13th Floor has the benefit of being able to build inside a building and so scenes, props and animatronics far outweigh that of Fear Farm. However, the trade off comes in the length of the line. First you want to buy your tickets ahead of time or you will wait in two lines. Second, I suggest paying the extra for the front of the line if you do not enjoy waiting. They also have some entertainment, such as dancing mummies to help. You are far more likely to jump and run scared in this haunted house attraction compared to fear farm.
Fear Farm
Address: 2209 N 99th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85037
Phone: (623) 866-5378
Admission varies based on date: $26.99, $29.99 & $33.99 (tax not included) - Buy tickets
October 13th - Friday the 13th Fest: extra fun includes Themed Actors, Merchandise Giveaways and other Prizes
SPECIAL EVENT - BLOOD HARVEST: $26.99 + tax on November 3rd & 4th. This two night event includes you and your friends, acres of cornfield and only the moonlight and a glow stick to light your path. Fear Farm will go back to its roots and deliver the original Fear Farm experience. Enter a labyrinth of corn with only a glow stick to light your path while exploring acres of maze filled with deranged maniacs waiting for you to get lost.
Phoenix Haunted Hayride: Add $10 to your ticket and experience a 10-acre nighttime ride through the cornfields in a trailer of loose hay being pulled by a tractor while experiencing a themed haunt.
My two Cents
Though Fear Farm is fun, I have been 3 times so far this year with various groups, it does lack in some areas. The scenes and props are pretty good, no doubt. Where the fear lacks is in the scare actors who more or less stand in a corner screaming at you, rather than hide, jump and surprise you. Also, over use of chainsaws, which are not as scary as they are loud and smelly. You will also be prone to splinters from all the wood you come in contact with. I suggest getting the tickets as cheap as possible to make this haunted attraction feel worth the value. There is also no need to spend the money on front of the line tickets, as there are separate lines for each of the 5 houses, which reduces the wait time. Especially if you pick the order to do each one based on the length of the line. I also recommend the hayride, although it is not as good this year with the clowns as last years Wendigo theme, it is worth while.
For Thousands of years the Holy Grail has been the center of hundreds of theories and tales regarding its journey and final resting place. Your team are Treasure hunters who have stumbled upon a secret room of Leonardo Da Vinci, use the clues and puzzles he has left, but be careful because once you have found and unlocked the “Room of Souls” you will only have 1 chance and 1 choice to pick the correct chalice and escape.
One of he greatest threats to the planet and our existence is the possibility of a nuclear explosion. This threat used to be from a nuclear war, but now computer hackers can be in control of such a device. You and your team are the best the FBI has to offer and you have been called to decode a series of clues and puzzles that have been left by a computer hacker. This criminal has stolen the launch codes to an a nuclear warhead, able to be launched at the superpowers of the world. You need to find and enter into the mainframe the disable code or the world will be a far different place in 60 minutes.
The Trap
Your team are victims of a Madman’s twisted game. He is watching as you try and escape his house of horrors. You will all have to solve the riddles and puzzles starting in his basement until you figure out how to escape and move to the “Hall of the Slain” and then his living quarters. You will have to use all of your wits and cunning if you want to make it to the last door. So do you want to play a game?
PRICING $28 per person
Fall Special: use discount code FALL50 at checkout to save 50%
Each 1 hour time slot is for 2 to 8 people.
If you have less than 8 people you may be grouped with other people. To guarantee a private escape experience, you must either book all 8 slots, or choose the Private Escape Room Experience.
Get ready to trick-or-treat at this not so scary event on select nights in September and October 2017. The Anaheim, CA Disneyland Halloween event features Trick-or-Treating, a Halloween Parade, spectacular fireworks, and photo ops with some popular Disney Villains.
Sold Out: Tickets for this event are no longer available for online purchase.
Purchase of a separate event admission ticket is required to join the Halloween fun.
(NEW in 2017) Your ticket lets you enjoy both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park for up to 3 hours before Mickey’s Halloween Party starts.
Then you’ll be treated to 5 hours of Trick or Treating fun at Disneyland Park with Halloween themed attractions, Character Greetings, fireworks, the Ride of the Headless Horseman and more.
Ride of the Headless Horseman: The haunted herald leads a Frightfully Fun Parade down Disney's Main Street, U.S.A..
Halloween Screams: Fireworks celebration.
Trick-or-treat stations: Offer a safe and fun environment to Trick Or Treat for candy and healthy goodies (loved the apple crisps treats when went).
Meet Disney Villains: A chance to meet, greet and pose with some Disney Characters decked out in Halloween costumes.
Watch the zombie barbershop quartet perform a host of spook-tacular hits. Ghosts ‘n’ Guests alike can sing.
From September 15, 2017 through early January 2018, the Haunted Mansion will be transformed with jack o’ lanterns and wreaths, terrifying toys and kooky characters from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.
New for Mickey’s 2017 Halloween Party: Souvenir Disney PhotoPass photos taken during the event.
Trick-or-Treating at Mickey’s Halloween Party
At Mickey’s Halloween Party, you’ll be handed a small souvenir treat bag to collect your night’s candy collection. Use a special map or the Disneyland app and follow along designated Treat Trails to locate the trick-or-treat stations and claim your Halloween treats, no costume required.
Disneyland Halloween Parade
The Headless Horseman will rise from the shadowy depths of Sleepy Hollow this Halloween Season as he holds a flickering jack-o-lantern to lead a procession of Halloween festive friends down Main Street, U.S.A..
Mickey’s Halloween Party Dates and Times
6:00 PM to 11:00 PM
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Friday, September 22, 2017
Monday, September 25, 2017
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Friday, September 29, 2017
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Friday, October 6, 2017
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Friday, October 13, 2017
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Friday, October 20, 2017
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Friday, October 27, 2017
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights 2017
One of the highlights of Halloween is experiencing Hollywood's Universal
Studios Halloween Horror Nights. This annual event runs on select
nights in September, October and November starting September 15th 2017.
Here is a survival guide for your chance to experience the movie quality
haunted houses, mazes and scare zones in Universal City, CA, the best
part is they are themed around your favorite Horror TV shows and movies.
One of the most terrifying parts of Universal's Halloween Horror Nights
is the fear of not getting to experience all of the mazes due to long
lines. So here are some tips.
When to Visit Universal Studio's Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studio's Hollywood starts September
15th and runs on select nights through November 4. Be sure to add the
following information to your crowd calendar when planning your trip.
Halloween Horror Nights often will sell out and gets very crowded, the
least crowded nights tend to be Sundays and Thursdays. Going in
September or after Halloween in November generally provides for slightly
smaller crowds and a discount ticket price.
Saturdays are usually the most expensive and crowded, followed by Fridays.
In October Sundays and Thursdays generally still offer the best discount
on price, but crowds become a problem, especially closer to Halloween.
Peak Nights: Here are the “busy dates” so you can scratch them off your calendar: October 7, 14, 21, 27, 28, 29 and 31.
Halloween Horror Night Hours
The event runs from 7:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. each night. I recommend that you arrive by 5:00 p.m. for early entry.
Select mazes will open at 5:15 p.m. and if you start in the lower lot,
you may be able to do several of the mazes with short to no lines.
Last year, as soon as the event officially opened at 7 p.m., the wait
for some of the mazes were already near 2 hours long. Those waits only
increased as the evening went on, so having Front of Line passes or
taking advantage of early entry is important when trying to see it all.
Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights Ticket Prices
The general admission prices range from $65 to $95.
These are separate tickets from the regular park admission. You can
arrive early (5:00 p.m.) for early admission some of the mazes open at
5:15 p.m.
If you can’t get to the front of the line tickets and you miss early
entry, here’s my advice, save the year-round rides for after you have
done your favorite mazes and scare zones. Skip the shows unless you are a
huge Jabbawockeez fan.
Front of Line Passes range from $169 to $219.
These are also separate tickets from the regular park admission. Front
of Line is good for one Front of Line access for each maze.
Be sure to buy in advance because Universal only offers a limited number
of Front of Line tickets. Arriving early can mean doing your favorite
mazes twice, just do not scan your Front of Line Pass the first time and
then use the pass later when the line is long.
They offer a Day/Night Combo ticket, which allows you to
enter the park at 2 PM. These tickets range from $95 to $139 for general
admission and $199 to $259 for Front of Line access.
This allows you to visit daytime attractions that will be closed during
Horror Nights. Since The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Despicable Me
Minion Mayhem, and normal Studio Tour and shows close at 5PM for
Halloween Horror Nights.
For a killer experience, The R.I.P. Tour offers an exclusive VIP walking tour (approx 4.5 hours) of Halloween Horror Nights and includes:
Complimentary VIP parking
VIP entrance to event
Gourmet buffet dinner with drinks (up to two adult drinks for guests over 21) at a VIP dining room
Unlimited Front of Line access
The Frequent Fear Pass. For $159 you can select any night
for your first visit and then return for a total of 16 visits on select
nights. They are: September 28, October 5, 12, 15, 19, 20, 22, 25, 26,
27, 29, and November 2, 3, 4.
The heart of Horror Nights is in the Lower Lot and Back Lot, which has a
long walk involving two scare zones along the way to reach three mazes.
Complete everything you want to do while you are down in the Lower
Lot/Back Lot and then move to the Upper Lot after you have exhausted
everything down there. You don’t want to spend valuable time going up
and down the escalators to/from the Lower Lot.
The Shining
American Horror Story: Roanoke
Ash Vs. Evil Dead
Titans of Terror (Freddy Krueger, Jason, Leatherface and Chucky)
SAW - The Games of Jigsaw The Walking Dead (This attraction is year round so make sure you see the others first) Insidious The Horrors of Blumhouse
This is no child’s play. The Titans of Terror cannot be contained in
just a maze. These guyss will also take over the backlot. Chucky hosts,
as the Terror Tram transports you into a nightmare: Freddy with his
glove, Jason in his hockey mask and machete and Leatherface with his
chainsaw will be waiting. The experience takes about an hour, which is
why we don't usually recommend riding it first thing, but me mindeful as
the line closes at 11:15 p.m. on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays and at
11:45 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Halloween night.
Halloween Horror Night Shows
Jabberwockeez
Features music, theatrics and dance moves of the Jabbawockeez. They
deliver gravity-defying choreography as well as special effects and
humor. We say that this is one you can skip or save for the end after
you have gotten in your must-see mazes. Do not see the first show
because you need to use that valuable time to hit the mazes.
Open Rides During Halloween Horror Nights
The normal Tram Tour will not be running. Wizarding World of Harry
Potter and Despicable Me Minion Mayhem will be closed so these must be
done between 2pm and 5pm.
Some of the regular rides: Transformers 3-D, Revenge of the Mummy,
Jurassic Park In the Dark and The Simpsons Ride will be open, but only
do these between 2pm and 5pm or after you have completed the Halloween
attractions.
Parking costs during Halloween Horror Nights
Parking ranges from $10-$50 depending on lot and time of arrival. After
paying for parking, you'll be given a receipt and directed by attendants
to one of five garages. Your garage assignment will depend on the tier
of parking you purchased and the time you arrive at the park.
Garages typically open an hour before the park's scheduled opening time.
Take note of your garage character, floor level, and letter.
Curious George – General Parking, typically filled up first, Approx 15 minute walk to the park E.T. - General Parking, furthest from the park, Approx 20 minute walk to the park Jurassic Park – Preferred Parking, Approx 10 minute walk to the park Woody Woodpecker - Preferred Parking, Approx 8 minute walk to the park Frankenstein – Front Gate Parking, adjacent to the park entrance. Approx 5 minute walk to the park
Other things to note:
No masks or costumes allowed.
You may not take flash photos.
Do not touch the actors.
You cannot bring food or drink into the park.
No alcohol may be bought or served during this event.
Wear comfortable shoes.
Stay hydrated.
Recommended for 13 and up.
