How do you Halloween? Southern California theme park haunts range from spooky to terrifying

Southern California theme parks have turned Halloween from a one-night event into a two-month marathon of blood, guts, gore and screams that stretches throughout September and October.

Universal, Disney, Six Flags, Knott’s, SeaWorld and Legoland all offer differing takes on the Halloween season from spine-chilling scares designed to make you jump out of your skin to family fun that’s focused more on sugar highs than blood-curdling screams.

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Universal’s Horror Nights is definitely an R-rated evening of terrifying scares. Knott’s Scary Farm, Magic Mountain’s Fright Fest and SeaWorld’s Howl-O-Scream fall into the PG-13 category — with the fear factor and quality levels also falling in that order. Disney’s Oogie Boogie Bash is a PG affair that focuses on the spooky while Legoland’s Brick or Treat G-rated event is about as family-friendly as Halloween can get.

Let’s take a closer look at the Halloween hauntings from the scariest to the friendliest taking place at Southern California theme parks.

Universal Studios Hollywood

Lord Voldemort’s Death Eaters will roam Hogsmeade Village inside The Wizarding World of Harry Potter during Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights this haunting season. The after hours event opens Sept. 8 and runs select evenings through Oct. 31. (Photo by Kevin Kolczynski, Universal Orlando)

Halloween Horror Nights takes over Universal Studios Hollywood for another bloody Halloween season with a host of new and returning haunted mazes and scare zones.

The maze lineup includes The Weeknd: After Hours Nightmare, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, The Legend of La Llorona, Scarecrow: The Reaping, Universal Horror Hotel, Universal Monsters: Legends Collide, Horrors of Blumhouse and another take on John Carpenter’s 1978 cult classic Halloween.

Three new scare zones include El Pueblo del Terror, Sideshow Slaughterhouse and Clownsawz. Plus the Death Eaters will take over the Wizarding World of Harry Potter for the first time.

The Jabbawockeez dance crew will be back and the Terror Tram will take riders through scenes inspired by Jordan Peele’s “Nope” and “Us.”

Halloween Horror Nights runs on select nights from Thursday, Sept. 8 through Oct. 31.

Knott’s Berry Farm

One of the victims of the Wax Museum maze asks for help at the Knott’s Scary Farm opening night in Buena Park on Thursday, September 16, 2021. (Sam Gangwer, Contributing Photographer)

The new Grimoire and Bloodline 1842 haunted mazes join a lineup of seven returning mazes and five returning scare zones at Knott’s Scary Farm 2022.

The 49th season of Halloween Haunt kicks off on Sept. 22 and runs on 26 select nights through Oct. 31 at Knott’s Berry Farm.

The returning mazes include The Depths, Mesmer: Sideshow of the Mind, Origins: The Curse of Calico, Dark Ride, Wax Works, Pumpkin Eater and Dark Entities.

Haunt fans will once again be able to venture into the fog into five scare zones: Gore-ing 20’s, CarnEvil, Forsaken Lake, The Hollow and the legendary Ghost Town Streets that started it all.

Also back are the “Puppet Up! Uncensored” improv comedy and puppet show and updated versions of “Le Magnifique Carnaval du Grotesque” carnival act show and “Conjurers: Dark Magic” illusion show.

Six Flags Magic Mountain

A pink clown enjoys scaring attendees of Six Flags Magic Mountain’s annual Fright Fest event on Saturday, September 18, 2021. (Photo by Drew A. Kelley, Contributing Photographer)

This year’s Fright Fest at Six Flags Magic Mountain will include a new maze (Truth or Dare), two new scare zones (Devil’s Triangle and CarnivHell) and two new shows (The Rising and Spirits with Spirits).

The 29th season of Fright Fest at Magic Mountain will feature six haunted mazes, eight scare zones and four live shows on 23 select nights from Sept. 10 to Oct. 31.

The returning Fright Fest mazes include Aftermath 2: Chaos Rising, Willoughby’s Resurrected, Vault 666 Unlocked, Condemned: Forever Damned and Sewer of Souls.

Magic Mountain turns off the lights on Tatsu, Viper, X2 and other roller coasters for a thrilling ride in the dark during Fright Fest.

SeaWorld San Diego

Howl-O-Scream will run on select nights from Sept. 16 through Oct. 31 at SeaWorld San Diego. (Courtesy of SeaWorld)

Billed as San Diego’s largest Halloween nighttime event, Howl-O-Scream 2022 promises to be bigger and run longer than the kick-off season in 2021.

Howl-O-Scream runs on select nights from Sept. 16 to Oct. 31 at the San Diego marine park.

The first Howl-O-Scream event in 2021 at SeaWorld San Diego featured three haunted houses, six scare zones and a live show. Howl-O-Scream 2022 adds two more haunted houses to the mix and updates many of the returning elements of the fledgling haunted event.

On the entertainment front, Howl-O-Scream will retool the opening Scare-emony that kicks off each evening and add a new thrilling and energetic live show. Each haunted house will be accompanied by a themed bar with DJ-powered party zones throughout the park.

The Electric Eel, Emperor and Journey to Atlantis roller coasters will remain open throughout Howl-O-Scream for thrill seekers in need of a high-speed jolt.

Disney California Adventure

Oogie Boogie, the main antagonist in The Nightmare Before Christmas, greets visitors during Oogie Boogie Bash, A Disney Halloween Party, in California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, CA, on Thursday, September 9, 2021. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Tickets for the Oogie Boogie Bash event at Disney California Adventure on select nights in September and October sold out in early July.

The after-hours, separate admission event will run on select nights from Sept. 6 through Oct. 31.

Familiar nighttime entertainment will be back as part with Oogie Boogie Bash with the Frightfully Fun Parade, Villains Grove and “Mickey’s Trick and Treat” show returning. Character costumes, food and merchandise will also have a seasonal flair.

Disneyland

Halloween decorations on Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, on Friday, September 3, 2021. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Fans who didn’t move fast enough to snag tickets for DCA’s Oogie Boogie Bash after-hours party will still be able to enjoy the Halloween Time décor that takes over DCA and Disneyland during the All Hallow’s Eve season that now stretches throughout September and October.

Halloween Time runs at Disneyland from Sept. 2 through Oct. 31 and Plaza de la Familia takes over DCA’s Paradise Gardens on Sept. 2 through Nov. 2.

All the Halloween attraction overlays you’ve known from seasons past will also return to the parks – including Haunted Mansion, Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout, Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree and Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters.

Legoland California

Brick-or-Treat runs on Saturdays from Sept. 17 through Oct. 29 at Legoland California. (Legoland)

The kid-friendly Halloween celebration that’s light on horror and heavy on sugar returns to Legoland California this Fall with Lego Monster characters, live shows, trick-or-treating stations and a new seasonal 4D movie.

Billed as the largest children’s Halloween celebration, Brick-or-Treat runs on Saturdays from Sept. 17 through Oct. 29 at the San Diego theme park.

“The Great Monster Chase” Halloween movie debuting during Brick-or-Treat follows a group of tweens as they crash a Monsters-only party.

A seasonal ride overlay will transform Legoland’s signature roller coaster into the Disco Dragon Coaster with a groovy monster soundtrack.

by
on August 31, 2022