In a Halloween mood? These are the scariest theme park thrills at Disney and Universal
Here’s the thing about theme parks: They’re really good at being on-theme.
Such is the case for Universal Studios Hollywood and Disney California Adventure (plus their counterparts in Florida) when summer turns to fall, aka Halloween season.
The amusement parks adapt entire new looks with moodier color schemes, music with more minor chords, performers in scary attire on stilts and plenty of new pumpkin and ghoul decor that looks as though it appeared overnight.
What do the scariest thrills that amusement parks – with their later hours and festive performances – have to offer? Here are the spookiest things you’ll find this month.
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Be careful with 'Us'
Universal Studios’ annual Halloween Horror Nights turns the usually family friendly park into a late-night space filled with scare actors and mazes/haunted houses inspired by movies and entertainment. “Us” is one such attraction, which is available in both California and Florida. Filled with doors, mirrors and walls that are only sometimes real, the California maze becomes a labyrinth where you can’t anticipate where scares will come from. It’s made all the scarier with performers made to look like Lupita Nyong’o’s unblinking character in Jordan Peele's horror film from earlier this year. At times, it’s hard to tell whether it’s dummies, one person in a mirror, or two people coming at you with scissors.
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These clowns aren't looking for laughs
Clowns on their own, with their overdrawn mouths and erratic behavior, are creepy. A diverse collection of clowns who want to scare the bejesus out of you while moody synth music blasts -- that’s just terrifying. Such is the case in the “Killer Klowns From Outer Space” maze at both Universal parks, which hits a crescendo when cotton candy cocoons inspired by the 1988 movie come to life.
Monsters are the most frightening up close
You get what you came for in the "Universal Monsters" maze: classic Universal monsters. The creature makeup for Frankenstein and the Wolf Man is exceptionally detailed and gruesome in this maze called, "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man" in California, with a similar version known as "Universal Monsters," with additional creatures, in Florida. Want to get close enough to admire the artists’ handiwork? You probably will in this maze, because monsters appear from every angle, even from behind posters, delivering nonstop screams and putting their claws so close to your face you'll worry they’ll scratch you. (They don’t.)
Parading zombies might make you jump
If you’re thinking, “Disney parks aren’t scary; they’re for kids,” you’re only partially correct. As summer turns to fall, Disney parks have later hours, Halloweeny activities and separately-ticketed events. Anaheim has the Oogie Boogie Bash, while Orlando has its admittedly unspooky Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Both celebrations are filled with Disney villains who pose for photos, are featured in multimedia shows and star in parades. It’s the latter performance that might surprise you: Amid the music and dancing during the Frightfully Fun Parade in Disneyland and the Boo-to-You Halloween Parade in Disney World, comes a moment where zombie-fied grave diggers scratch their shovels on the street so loudly they spark. The screech can cause instant jump scares.
Elevator rides always offer screams
Disney World's Tower of Terror elevator ride is thrilling as is, with its stomach-churning drops and peekaboo moment that lets riders see the entire park from what feels like 100 stories high. But for the Halloween season, Disneyland’s similar “Guardians of the Galaxy” attraction gets even more scream-inducing after dusk. It has a new monster-themed story line about becoming human bait for a humongous carnivore, and swaps '80s tunes for a meta song that yells “Monsters after dark!” Prepare to look as if you’ve seen a ghost in that amusement park ride snap.
Scary amounts of sugar
Disneyland and Disney World offer free candy via their Treat Trails, where party guests get to trick-or-treat — except without going door to door. Families can just walk up to areas labeled “treat trail” and collect as much free chocolate (and baby carrots) as they desire. But there’s also scary-looking food that attendees can pay for, including the the Oogie-Boogie-inspired funnel cake fries in Disneyland. It has deep-fried strips of sugar covered in crushed chocolate cookies, cream cheese sauce, chocolate candies, gummies and whipped cream. There's also the "Hocus Pocus"-themed Amuck, Amuck, Amuck Cupcake at Disney World that has peanut butter chips, chocolate candy bits, toffee, caramel sauce, chocolate buttercream, green-colored "potion" and a white chocolate decoration with images of the Sanderson sisters. Are you brave enough to sample them?