When the signature fountain at California’s Great America is flanked by flaming pumpkins, we know that it is the wonderful time of the year when zombies stagger and madmen swagger. Having marked the September 21st opening night on the calendar long ago, your humble narrator was surprised to see the media event scheduled for the following weekend when I had a conflict (a date with the mouse, I’m sure you understand). Undeterred, I pressed on with the original plan to attend opening night. Although no photos were allowed inside the mazes since it wasn’t the media event, there’s still a lot for us to see. And I have some of my own thoughts and observations about the Haunt to share as well.
Of the 8 mazes, 5 were around on my first Haunt visit in 2015 – although 2 of those have been altered in that time. Skeleton Key rooms have been eliminated for 2018. At Knott’s Scary Farm, seeing the Skeleton Key Rooms prior to their associated maze served to cancel out the line cutting benefit of the Fright Lane, so I rarely bothered. At CGA, they kept them separate from the mazes, so I’d always taken a look.
New this year, in the space formerly occupied by Toy Factory, is Tooth Fairy – a variation of a past Knott’s maze of the same name. Although not as elaborate as that one, it is a well-executed journey into the realm of dental horror. Beginning in the suburban abode of dental victims, we soon entered a tunnel of mucous membrane with full sets of teeth embedded into it; lovely. Ultimately we emerged into the labs and workshops where art is created for the Macabre abode that followed with its toothsome displays. Having had a discussion about tooth extraction with my own dentist that very week; it was a terrifying experience that truly touched a nerve. Some of the effects used at Knott’s would have been welcome, we just don’t get things like ghouls soaring across a chamber round these parts, but it’s still a solid maze.
The voodoo themed Madame Marie’s Massacre Manor has been renamed Madame Marie’s Blackout. As with Knott’s Trick or Treat Lights Out, guests receive flashlights upon entry. Unfortunately, these weren’t remotely controlled lights that could be changed from white light to UV, or even disabled at the whim of the designers, so it mostly seemed to minimize one of the best environments of any of their mazes by plunging it into darkness.
Once again, the outdoor Corn Stalkers maze has grounded the park’s fleet of Barney Oldfield Speedway cars to make room for monsters. They seem to plus this maze annually, going from what was mostly just hay-bales, corn stalks and a distinctive aroma, to more of a hillbilly nightmare motif. The flip side is its route doesn’t delve deep into the speedway, but stays close to the main walkway . . . meaning it doesn’t get dark enough for a true scare environment.
Other familiar mazes include Roadkill Roadhouse with its tantalizing collection of grilled groundhogs and fried varmint, the historic miscreants represented in the Wax Museum: Chamber of Horrors, the bayous of Backwoods, those meddling kids over at Zombie High, and the seizure inducing strobes and mirrors of Chaos House.
The returning Scare Zones are Jester Town and Feary Tales, with the actors found in the latter being particularly engaging. Making its debut is Ripper’s Revenge, taking us to 19th century London during the reign of The Ripper (Jack, that is). The set pieces, period costumes and fleeing guest screams give testament to the successful execution.
As to the entertainment offerings, fans of fire and mayhem will enjoy the Sideshow, and if one wants sparks and a beat with their fire, the Blood Drums is your kind of shindig. The cross between a BMX demonstration and trampoline rave known as Nytewalkers has also continued to grow and evolve.
Ed Alonzo, known for his recurring role on Saved By The Bell, has returned with The Second Greatest Showman, an all-new show of comic magic interspersed with musical production numbers. The audience was small but enthusiastic at the night’s final performance, which began with some closeup magic in the audience and carried on to include balloons in rude places, transfiguration, disapperation, transvestism, and a duck. It’s a fast-paced and thoroughly entertaining half-hour that should be seen by all.
There is some appealing decor in Hometown Square and elsewhere, but once again it seems to be more brightly lit within the park as a whole in the last 2 years. There were well-publicized incidents of teen bad behavior the weekend before Halloween in 2017.
The Fright Lane entrances are usually noted with an illuminated spider, but only one was seen on opening night, and most not marked in any way, which needs to be addressed.
In some ways it can seem that the Haunt at California’s Great America is a diet-friendly version of Knott’s Scary Farm, but considering the smaller crowds and corresponding budgets, it is understandable. To be clear, this is a full evening of Halloween fun. And for Gold and Platinum passholders, it’s a great value as well since they pay no additional charge to attend. Now there’s a good reason to buy an annual pass!
Prior to the start of the 2018 season, California’s Great America announced new food options including the addition of a candy store, deluxe churro stand in Orleans Place, and a Hometown Square Starbucks – all of which have yet to be completed.
However, during my circumnavigation of the park, I noticed that they have completed the conversion of the Joe Cool Cafe into the Sierra Creek Lodge. Having eaten already, I can’t vouch for the food which is pretty standard burger and pizza fare, but the place looks good.
The park continues to make incremental steps in the right direction as the early stages of their master plan moves forward. It may never seem fast enough for some of us, but as long as they keep climbing it’s a good thing. I rode the new RailBlazer coaster with its addictive thrills, but excruciatingly low capacity, and found it being run by what was by far the most efficient crew I’ve ever witnessed at one of this park’s coasters. They’ve even been upgrading bathrooms and adding water bottle filling stations, so it should only get better. But more about that on a future Day By The Bay.