Planning for Fright Fest

[SteveRestless]

Looking at going to fright fest this year, but the only weekend I can manage it is the last weekend in october. I was wondering whether you thought Saturday or Sunday would be better on that last weekend?

Will they be putting less effort into things since its the last day, if we go on sunday? Do you think there will be more people since its the last day, or less, since its a sunday?

any other advice? its been a couple years since I've been able to make it to fright fest.

[Chitown]

Sunday is your best bet if you are choosing the two days. Your even better option would be to try and go that Friday evening of the last weekend.

The effort stays the same throughout the event. This year supposedly, they will be utilizing the HH waterpark for Fright Fest activities.

[demon boy]

^Not supposedly, they are. There will be a hay ride (family by day and haunted by night) through HH.

Also, if you can only go sat. or sun., deffinatley go sunday.

[SteveRestless]

Thanks. I'd like to go friday, but unfortuntely thats not an option. a friend from out of state (I'm in Wisconsin, she's in Minnesota) is coming with me, and friday is when I'm driving out to pick her up, then we're doing some halloween stuff on saturday, and then fright fest on sunday.

the reason I asked about the effort is I recall one year around 99 or 2000, that I went, and it seemed like there was hardly anyone in the necropolis, or in costume running amok, and so I figured I had just picked a bad day to be there, 'cause the effort I saw put forth the year before and the year after that had been better.

hopefully I can manage going every year now again like I used to. I missed a year or two in there.

[Viper 06]

Actually the Hay Ride as Nixed due to budget, it's gone, no HH. Also the Sin City Scare Zone was nixed as well.

[Bob O]

Im not surprised that the park is going to do nothing to make this event !!!

It would be a nice/family friendly to have some haunted houses/mazes that arent upcharge attractions.

[chevyman34]

WoOWWW! Six Flags is cancelling the new stuff due to budget issues.

Is there no Surpirises left in SFco? Why not bring the FRIGHT back to fright fest!
Family by day, kiddies and all and let the good stuff out at night for us big kids who like horror and scares . I can remember goin a few years ago and getting the bejeezuz scared out of me. Since that year its been all family. I went through the haunted house last year and could actually see the "characters". They werent hiding and there was no real scare value. And they charge extra for Necropolis and all that.

Please Shapiro and co, bring back the FRIGHT to fright fest.

I mean come on, cancelling a HAYRIDE! The cheapest amusement of all. Jeez!!!

[UWW-10]

And they charge extra for Necropolis and all that

They do not charge for the walk through Necropolis, just for the Mausoleum, which is a decent haunted house.

Once again, the focus is on family, which is why they claim "family by day, fright by night". If it's that bad or people don't approve of it, don't attend. Thankfully, they are still holding an event which they could have easily said forget this and close for the season after Labor Day if they wanted.

[Danhockey04]

/\ That is exactly the thing, they want as many people as possible to attend, they need money, not thrill teens. They do that at night, so that should suffice.

[demon boy]

Yea, i think that for the night thing, they need to turn off more lights, or change them to like a reddish color. Especially around back ways and bushy areas.

Oh and chevyman, i can remember too. 2002, 2003, and 1995-98 were the best FFs ever!!!!

[Viper 06]

2002 Sucked. 2003 entered a new era with ff, and since then it has been growing and changing. As far as characters in the streets last year wasn't too good, but street characters have almost doubled this year. Let's Compare.

Carousel: Same as every year, they don't like having characters here becuase they already have the blood pool and since everyone is forced through this area they don't want little kids to start the day badly if they are scared of the characters.

Hometown Square: This area has been cleared out this year. I'd expect some basic decorations, but nothing special here. This is to clear the path to wiggles world for children.

Illinois Trollway: Returning as usual with the same amount of characters as last year, four trolls.

Demon/Vu Plaza: Will be populated by "Demon" Characters as an adjunct to the Demon Roller Coaster. Four characters here vs. nothing there last year.

Southwest: This year will be converted to "Tinsletown" featuring dead movie star and hollywood characters in the midway Six Vs. Four last year, something called "Your Horror Screen Test" Presumably some sort of interactive thing, and the new Studio 13 haunted house with, I think about 14 characters inside vs 7 for "The Curse" last year.

County Fair: Area 51 moves to Just past wiggles world in the train station area. I wonder how they will pull this off as frankly the big props like the tank and the other stuff makes this section, so squeezing it into this section may be a challenge, but on the plus side last year there were four commando characters, this year there are four commandos plus two "Alien Robots" and two aliens.

Yukon: Children stuff with looney tunes as usual.

Necropolis: Pretty much the same as last year.

Yankee Harbor: While the new "Sin City" Scarezone was axed, we still have the pirates, same number as last year.

Mardi Gras: Last Year Four Clowns, This year four clowns plus Four "Evil Jesters" Doubling the amount of Characters in this section.

Orleans: Seven Sins Cemetary returns with the same amount of characters as last year.

So it looks like most of the budget will be going to Tinsletown and Studio 13. But the additions in Mardi Gras, and Area 51 are also something to look forward to. Don't complain people. Last years fright fest may have been lacking in the streets but it had some great new entertainment as well, this year looks like it may be a complete 360.

[Bob O]

SFGAM makes alot of money from FF, so im sure it wont be leaving anytime soon, escpeically since most of what they do is bring back the same crap from last year with little or nothing new.

And if the reports are true it will be the same bascially as it was last year.

It would be nice if it was scarier at night than the day, but it isnt other than it is dark outside.
Why cant SFGAM go to a park like Knotts which doesnt have the money of a disney/universal and see how to actually put on a halloween event where evey haunted house isnt a upcharge attraction and where they actually try to scare there guests.

For this park the halloween event is a joke and the major benefit is that on years I dont go to FLA in Dec it extends my coaster riding season by a couple of weeks. I do enjoy the ability to ride coaster till mid Oct. but I wish they would make some attempts to make this event alot better than see the same old decorations year after year.

[SteveRestless]

How about the train ride? any word what that'll be this year?

I almost wish it were the pigman. That'd be way better than scooby doo.

[demon boy]

^Its going back to the "Boo Line Express"

[zjohn1988]

^Only reason i'll be going to FF..

[Sedir]

Sweet, I never got to try the boo line before it became scooby doo. I'll have to check that out this year.

[Viper 06]

From what i've heard there may not be a train show this year.

[demon boy]

^right, but if there is, its most likel going back to boo line.

[Dvo]

So I'm sort of thrown off by this thread. I've never been to FrightFest at SFGAm. Do they charge more money to go through some haunted houses, even after admission?

Also, are their haunted houses still scary even with SF going for the "Family" theme?

[demon boy]

To your first question, yes, the haunted houses are extra addmissions. There are 2 of them. They are $8 each or $12 for a two house pass. And the haunted houses are the same no matter what time of day it is.

[SteveRestless]

Also, are their haunted houses still scary even with SF going for the "Family" theme?

I believe the haunted house in southwest territory is not as scary as the haunted house in the necropolis.

[Director_Guy]

^It's different now. I believe the 3-d house is no more.

[demon boy]

^yeah, "studio 13" will most likely be a classic maze style house with scenes and rooms where "the curse" was more blacklight, glowy, 3-D oriented.

[BP317]

^right, but if there is, its most likel going back to boo line.

The train will not be running during FF this year.

[rcoaster]

Sorry to bring you info, and I don't listen to them, but the only thing I found about why the train wll not be riding (sadly, according to screamscape) is because of construction on a new attraction in the place of spashwater falls.
I hope fright fest will live up to what it's supposed to be!