Celebrate Halloween at Theme Parks Around the World

October 12, 2015, 4:02 PM · Two weeks into October, and we are deep into the Halloween season at theme parks around the world. Here are three recent reviews of theme park Halloween events from Theme Park Insider writers in England, Illinois, and Ohio.

Thorpe Park Fright Nights

Ben Mills checks in from Thorpe Park in the United Kingdom for this year's Frights Nights, which he says "offers a full evening's entertainment with custom houses and coasters in the dark," with houses based on popular horror films SAW, Cabin in the Woods, and The Blair Witch Project.


"While not the most extreme or immersive of theme park Halloween events, it's an entertaining line-up – big on fun, but just a little light on the frights," Ben wrote.

Six Flags Great America Fright Fest

Back in the United States, Anthony Murphy writes from Six Flags Great America, north of Chicago, where he attended this year's Six Flags Fright Fest.

"This year, Great America has decided to go with something new: An icon. Meet Nox, the Demon Overlord of Six Flags Great America. He is looking for some souls and he might as well scare them out of you! All of the transformations of rides such as the bumper cars (Rue La Morgue) and Snakes on a Train (Viper) are of his doing along with the haunted houses of Fright Fest. While there have been only slight changes from years past, the cohesive storyline gives the houses a connection, " Anthony wrote.

Kings Island Halloween Haunt

Finally, James Koehl checks in from Kings Island, where our Cedar Point expert makes his first visit to KI's version of Halloween Haunt.

"Our British friends commented often about the music and sound effects heard throughout the entire park. They loved the eerie music, the scary sounds and the fact that you really never knew when a zombie would suddenly appear out of the mist to "greet" you. They loved the fact that they could be scared and startled without feeling threatened. It was a fun scare, and left them laughing so hard they were crying," James wrote.

Halloween is big business at theme parks around the world, and in addition to the events above, we've been covering Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood, and Mickey's Halloween Party at Disneyland (links below).

If you'd like to read more about how Halloween become so important to so many parks around the world, check out my recent Orange County Register column, How Knott's Berry Farm started the theme park Halloween fun.

Let's wrap this up with an encore performance of the Halloween Screams fireworks show from Mickey's Halloween Party at Disneyland.

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Replies (2)

October 13, 2015 at 5:03 AM · Awesome!
October 15, 2015 at 7:50 AM · I'm going to Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens Tampa with my cross country team tomorrow night! We really enjoyed it last year, so I'm super excited!

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