Magic Mountain scares up its 25th year of Fright Fest

Magic Mountain Fright Fest

Six Flags Magic Mountain has officially opened its 25th annual Fright Fest, and while the milestone is absent from its marketing, it’s a testament to the persistence of the park. Constantly improving due to fierce competition from the rest of the “Big Four” in Halloween Horror Nights, Knott’s Scary Farm, and Dark Harbor, 2017 is quite possibly its strongest season yet.

Scare Zones

Fright Fest’s scare zones are a mixed bag of largely old favorites, with the sparsely populated Exile Hill and the fluorescent Nightmares: A Twisted Fantasy serving the event for most of the past decade. The latter, however, is as effective as ever, visually stunning and stocked with enthusiastic characters like Lorraine Lorraine, who was eager to engage with individual guests. Elsewhere, the brand new Damned ‘N Disguise offers impressive lighting and choreography, if slightly lacking on the “transformations” that were the zone’s hallmark.

While the prosthetics seen in Demon’s Door at the park’s entrance are a sight to behold and Harley Quinn’s Suicide Squad return from last year to terrorize the DC area, it’s the largely hidden Terrortory Twisted that remains as the park’s strongest scare zone. With transformative projection mapping and steampunk creations at every turn, it’s a shame that so many will presumably walk right past it simply due to where it’s situated.

Mazes

While the turnover rate of Fright Fest’s mazes may not rival that of Universal Studios Hollywood, 2017’s lineup is still able to hang with the best of them. In order from newest to oldest:

Dead End

The lone newcomer for the 2017 season sees Fright Fest finally hit the nail on the head when it comes to a completely dark maze. After flirting with the idea in years past with Blackout and Total Darkness, Dead End (which replaced Willoughby’s Garden of Darkness) gives the “leader” of each group a faulty flashlight, in addition to intermittent strobes that illuminate various scenes of carnage. The darkness is just disorienting enough to cause the right amount of chaos while still giving guests the ability to find their way out, making Dead End a definite hit in its very first year.

Red’s Revenge

Returning for its fourth year was Red’s Revenge, a demented take on the tale of Little Red Riding Hood in which the titular Red terrorizes guests, supplanting the wolf as the “big bad” in this scenario. In terms of scenery, Red’s Revenge bested the rest of the Fright Fest lineup, with tree-like creatures towering over guests and a jaw-dropping finale. Practically hidden behind walls, however, Red’s Revenge (along with its neighbors, Toyz of Terror 3D and Vault 666) may suffer the same fate as Terrortory Twisted.

Vault 666

Vault 666 tells the story of a corporation hell-bent on splicing animal and human DNA before chaos strikes and the vault goes into lockdown. Boasting classic effects like chain-link mazes and swinging body bags, as well as a bevy of menacing mannequins (some stationary, some…not so much), Vault 666 may not have quite as cohesive a throughline as the rest of Fright Fest might, but it’s got enough adrenaline on its side to make it worth a visit.

Toyz of Terror 3D

Toyz of Terror 3D is pure eye candy, a Chromadepth 3D trip through a toy factory in which the malevolent playthings want to make you the newest resident. The maze’s simplicity allows for its beauty to shine through, as the neon walls and props are stunning, enhancing the effect of each scare. The spinning tunnel may be a tried-and-true trope, but it’s no less effective, disorienting guests and making this funhouse one of the strongest offerings of Fright Fest.

Willoughby’s Resurrected

The Willoughby Estate was a staple of Fright Fest for years upon years before being “resurrected” in 2012, a classic haunted house if there ever was one. What it may lack in the urgency of Vault 666 or the eye-popping visuals of Toyz of Terror 3D, it makes up for in its own charming way.

Aftermath 2: Chaos Rising

Aftermath wowed guests for the first time in 2011, and its “sequel,” Chaos Rising, was added to last year’s lineup for the first time—and compared with either incarnation, the maze is just as incredible as it was its very first year. By far the largest maze of this year’s field, Aftermath 2 feels endless at times, adding to the post-apocalyptic landscape created in the home of the former Batman Stunt Show. The maze is immensely populated as well, with scareactors posted in some of the most unique and unexpected places, rushing “survivors” through as if their lives truly depended on it.

Chupacabra

Rounding out Fright Fest’s 2017 lineup is Chupacabra, a dimly lit plywood maze making its seventh appearance across from Viper. Chupacabra has had highs and lows during its tenure at Fright Fest, but it may be time to replace it with something a bit more vibrant for 2018. Some of the scenes inside are absolutely beautiful, with candle-lit church pews filled with calaveras, but the maze is admittedly low on the effects and scares that highlight so many of its brethren, especially considering how rich the lore of the chupacabra is.

Conclusions

Shows like the High Sierra Hypnotist (which was not running during Haunting’s trip to Fright Fest) and the Voodoo Nights stage show round out an impressive 25th year of Fright Fest. While it may not be as viscerally frightening as some of its competitors, as one of the most cost-efficient major haunts around and one of the only ones in the area to offer coasters to accompany its scares, Magic Mountain’s Fright Fest will be a solid addition to your haunt itinerary this year.