Fright Fest 2012

[steve0145]

I know its just the start of the season, but fright fest is my favorite time of the year. I was looking on YouTube at fright fest videos and came across The Awakening at other Six Flags parks. Do you think they will ever have this at our park? If you want to see them search the awakening six flags on YouTube and you will find them.

[CoasterDemon]

I think that sort of thing is pretty big at Cedar Point. Kinda cool, I would think it makes for a nice "show."

(I was resisting the temptation to say something about how it would probably be like 10 monsters on stage - and then it was! I think Cedar Point does a whole crowd of them. Like an army. Yes I am poking fun at Six Flags - but it is still cool.)

[DeathbyDinn]

We have the Zombie Jamboree parade as the kick off, but it could be cool to have some kind of pre-show before it like the nighttime parade has. If it ever did get one, I'd expect to be more of a singing dancing thing than what Cedar Point has.

[Corkscrew07]

To me this is a no-brainer. Hopefully the good folks at entertainment will realize that eventually.

[CoasterDemon]

It seems that the Fright Fests of the last few years have been seriously understaffed. Or maybe I missed something?

It's like a trade-off: do you want rides open or costumed characters? I remember it being a great time a few years ago, but they have must have cut more costs or something...

I would *hate* to go to Cedar Point when its packed, but from what I have seen and heard, they really do a great haunt over there.

[DeathbyDinn]

Last year's Fright Fest had every ride open except for STT for Larry and the water rides and it had more scare actors than 2010. Probably not nearly as many as they had the early to mid 2000's, but now that they're doing all the scare actors themselves they're building the number back up.

[MForce4ever]

Closing night last season instead of having the night time parade (cancelled due to rain) they had all the scaractors storm upon hometown square in a mass of confusion and horror. It was one of the coolest things that's ever happened at fright fest so hopefully they'll do something similar this season.

[Corkscrew07]

Last year's Fright Fest had every ride open except for STT for Larry and the water rides and it had more scare actors than 2010. Probably not nearly as many as they had the early to mid 2000's, but now that they're doing all the scare actors themselves they're building the number back up.

You never went in the early 2000s did you?

[UWW-10]

It's like a trade-off: do you want rides open or costumed characters? I remember it being a great time a few years ago, but they have must have cut more costs or something.

You're comparing 2 different entities. The staffing for entertainment has nothing to do with the staffing in park operations. And with the usual rides closed every year, the park does a pretty good job with keeping rides open. There have been years with rides that started early rehabs but they weren't staple attractions. Even Friday nights you'll see all rides/attractions open....not even Cedar Point can lay claim to that!

[BURTONxBLUNT]

in the early 2000's i remember fright fest being really scary...haunted houses use to scare the **** out of me and were like real ones(ex dungeon of doom) but now haunted houses are like characters dressed in black and just pop out at you. Also the creatures that roam the park are NOT half as scary as they were in the past years, and they now have certain areas were they are at and were they are not. back in the day they were pretty much everywhere. Another thing the creatures always use to come out during the day and during the night no matter what. now its only after 4. reason why for all of this.....people use to bring there kids to fright fest and they creatures would scare them(doing there job right) and the parents would complain saying its to scary for the little ones ect. They must have gotten to much complaints and look what happens......the park is no scare free until 4p.m. If it weren't for these stupid parents bringing their kids to fright fest(when they know it will be scary and probably knew there kids would get scared it) we now all suffer and they try to do their best to keep it scary but not really scary. SUCKS ALOT.....wish it could be early 2000's again when it was the real fright fest

[Corkscrew07]

Even in the past characters didn't usually come out until 2:00. So the slow progression from 3:00, to 4:00 is natural.

In 2001 and 2002, there were really only characters in Necropolis, Southwest, and Orleans...so I'm not sure what you're remembering. 2005 is when the event started expanding again with Seven Sins Cemetery, and Area 51. And this year the park really bumped it up again.

Perhaps there were more characters in the 90s, but the early 2000s were not a great time for the fright fest. The Mausoleum of Terror Haunted house really hasn't changed all that much in 20 years, (there have been many changes, but on the whole) so I'm not really sure what you're saying with haunted houses. Did you experience the houses this year? Obviously with experiences like Massacre Medical Center the park is interested in expanding the event further.

[Stoogie]

in the early 2000's i remember fright fest being really scary...haunted houses use to scare the **** out of me and were like real ones(ex dungeon of doom) but now haunted houses are like characters dressed in black and just pop out at you. Also the creatures that roam the park are NOT half as scary as they were in the past years, and they now have certain areas were they are at and were they are not. back in the day they were pretty much everywhere. Another thing the creatures always use to come out during the day and during the night no matter what. now its only after 4. reason why for all of this.....people use to bring there kids to fright fest and they creatures would scare them(doing there job right) and the parents would complain saying its to scary for the little ones ect. They must have gotten to much complaints and look what happens......the park is no scare free until 4p.m. If it weren't for these stupid parents bringing their kids to fright fest(when they know it will be scary and probably knew there kids would get scared it) we now all suffer and they try to do their best to keep it scary but not really scary. SUCKS ALOT.....wish it could be early 2000's again when it was the real fright fest

The best Fright Fest the park ever had was When it was themed to Brutal Planet. They had tons of actors in the different areas of the park and Necropolis and Maus were fantastic. they should bring that back. On a side note, We were at the picnic grove yesterday for the memorial day picnic and I saw the Maus without it's sides and it's just a picnic shelter. I just thought it was pretty cool. Also, this past Saturday I saw the coolest Hoodie in the Flags gift shop. It has the Fright Fest ride graveyard on it and I didn't see it it at Fright Fest last year. I was going to get on but they don't have anymore in 2XL. kicking myself for not really looking at stuff in the shops. I should have taken a picture of the front and the back because I could have one made on cafe press. Dang it.

[CoasterDemon]

It's like a trade-off: do you want rides open or costumed characters? I remember it being a great time a few years ago, but they have must have cut more costs or something.

You're comparing 2 different entities. The staffing for entertainment has nothing to do with the staffing in park operations.

Good Point. I didn't think much about that point of view. I'm now wondering if it comes down to financial cuts... because there have been less and less live actors every year it seems.

[woohoodude11]

I think a lot of it has to do with progression of age. I remember when I started going to Fright Fest in High School (02-04 ish) it seemed significantly different. A bit more scary, more involved blah blah blah. Even when they had the contract company in their final year, It didn't hold the same luster to me. I know the crowds were always big for FF, but I feel like they've progressively gotten worse and full of more obnoxious morons that take away from the experience. I miss the trolls and the GOOD clowns in Mardi Gras the most.

[CoasterDemon]

I miss the trolls and the GOOD clowns in Mardi Gras the most.

No joke! The Trolls were always a huge hit. Where have they been? I think it has more to do with cost cuts than anything else... those "suits" have to keep their bonuses, ya know...

[FParker185]

The Trolls/Trollway was intellectual property of JPM from what I heard.

[CoasterDemon]

The Trolls/Trollway was intellectual property of JPM from what I heard.

What's JPM?

[DejaVu2001]

^ JPM Productions is the company Six Flags used for the Scare-actors through the 2009 Fright Fest. Since 2010, Six Flags Great America's Entertainment Department has hired all of the characters, so none of the old characters can be used anymore.

[Corkscrew07]

The Trolls/Trollway was intellectual property of JPM from what I heard.

That is correct.

Hopefully we'll see even more changes on the way. While I understand the value of nostalgia and tradition (Love at First Fright, for example) I also like to see new and innovative things. (Massacre Medical Center, Reactor Core, Hometown Square Biohazard Scare zone who's name escapes me)

[CoasterDemon]

Hrm... I was also wondering why Whizzer was no longer Swamp Thing and was instead Biohazard. Related rights "stuff?" I really thought Swamp Thing was perfect - heck, even with the net covered Predator at the end

[Corkscrew07]

I think Swamp Thing was perfect as well, not a rights thing, just a style change based on the amped up scare zone in hometown this year.

[DeathbyDinn]

Hometown Square Biohazard Scare zone who's name escapes me)

Sector 7.

Does Reactor core really change at all though? I seem to remember it only having a new sign and a light on a barrel. If it had music, I didn't hear it.

[stormalert123]

they should have theam music for the rides to

[Johnny.Ink]

they should have theam music for the rides to

East River Crawler did, it was cool. Sort of a dirge actually. Very cool...

[stormalert123]

i agree