Six Flags Fright Fest 2024 (Magic Mountain)

[DTH]

I'm shocked y'all are spending even a dollar to go to this sham of an event lmao

 

[saint.piss]

Honestly if I get to go back to California this month I'm definitely going to try to visit this event. Is it worth it for someone who can only buy a ticket for Fright Fest alone and can't rope drop? I really want to do the Trick 'r Treat house lol. Also I would be a first timer (not just to the event but to the park as well) so any advice is wanted

 

[Wesker69]

Is it worth it for someone who can only buy a ticket for Fright Fest alone and can't rope drop?

it definitely would depend on the day, but as you know all too well with HHN, crowds/waittimes are random.

With that being said, you should be able to do it all if you stay until close. Just a guess, I'd say at least 4hrs minimum needed to be safe

Also I would be a first timer (not just to the event but to the park as well) so any advice is wanted

Been there, experienced that (including Knott's). Magic Mountain is BIG! It is also NOT flat, so there is cardio hill (Samurai Summit) or the Tatsu stairs to get up to Willoughby's & Sewer houses. (Also ride Ninja). You can cheat & take the Honda Express Tram up/down IF it is operating (that's always the issue). Next to Tatsu is Conjuring.

The park is essentially one big circle with a few dead-end off-shoots like DC (SAW & Stranger Things access?) & Screampunk (OZ sz) where Colossus/Scream are at. Metropolis is just a dead end plaza, but Riddler & Justice League are there. Plus I believe the access to TrT.

Hopefully this isn't too confusing & is somewhat helpful. I highly recommend studying the park/event map beforehand. My first time, I couldn't figure out how to get back to Willoughby's & thought the stairs went to Tatsu lol.

Six Flags is a very dark park at night. I'm sure @Rideguy70 & @Jerroddragon can add onto this since they've gone (twice?)

 

[Rideguy70]

I'm shocked y'all are spending even a dollar to go to this sham of an event lmao

Honestly, if you already have a season pass/AP/membership, I actually think it's a pretty good deal. If you don't, admittedly, it could be a tougher call... but really, while it's flawed, I don't think it deserves all the hate.

If nothing else, they don't do any conga lines at all... they're really good about pulsing in very small groups at a time, so you really feel isolated, the way a maze should be experienced--a very rare thing to ever find at HHN, which we all just seem to accept for some reason as normal, when it really shouldn't be that way.

You can cheat & take the Honda Express Tram up/down IF it is operating (that's always the issue)

That's been down for a while for refurbishment, so I wouldn't expect it to be open.

On a side note, I've said this once before, but I'll bring it up again... with all these mazes, it could make for a pretty damn interesting Scream Break in 2025.

 

[DTH]

What good is being pulsed for the 5 scare-actors in a maze waiting behind a non-painted plywood wall and behind a chain link fence?

 

[Wesker69]

And the plain black walls at HHN are top tier quality? Let's be a little realistic here. Willoughby's, Sewer, Vault & Condamned are well themed (T-or-D has the unfortunate role of being the replacement for Red's Revenge which was amazing & fully themed)

And the chain link fencing portion of Aftermath was great because it was maze-like. It's a no brainer that part of it was kept. The entirety of Aftermath was cool to walk through in daylight & during Fright Fest because it was an amusement park/junkyard wasteland with old ride/attraction signs, props, sets & Deja Vu towers. It was by far my favorite in 2017, didn't get the same impact in 2019, but I wasn't flying solo that year.

What you experienced 10-15+ years ago is not the event now

 

[highdefrex]

What good is being pulsed for the 5 scare-actors in a maze waiting behind a non-painted plywood wall and behind a chain link fence?

To be fair, it’s easy to criticize it with the benefit of being hardened adults who can withstand (and afford) going to more serious events. Things like Fright Fest, I’d argue, aren’t necessarily meant to be geared towards you or “hardcore” horror fans who love something like HHN, but rather a middle ground gateway drug for younger folks or people who aren’t into more intense events.

Is it “cheap”? Is it “not scary”? Is it “lame” compared to HHN? Sure, but stuff like that needs to exist — groups of kids or teens (or even adults) who’ve never done something like this before can go hang out or go on a first date or be with their families while safely dipping their toes into the world of haunt events at things like this, where it’s low stakes, not too intense, and they can break it up with ride after ride.

For me, Fright Fest was my first exposure to this stuff as a kid in the ‘90s, and it paved the way for me being “ready” to tackle HHN and Scary Farm and so on. If you hate it as an adult, that’s fine, but being baffled and hostile about why some people want to go — maybe they want to just have a fun time riding rides in the dark, maybe they’re on a budget, maybe it’s as far as they can travel, maybe it’s all they can handle, or maybe it’s as simple as they don’t even care if it’s as themed as something like HHN so long as they’re just spending time having fun with people they care about — kind of misses the point that it means something different to everyone.

 

[Jerroddragon]

I think I'm missing something; hopefully someone can clear it up for me because it's muddied with all this "parking opens before the event," "people enter at 7" talk and I don't follow Fright Fest anymore because I haven't been in years. But we bought gold passes recently when they were only $50 and are going this Sunday with friends. We're going in the morning and were just planning on staying through to the night, just like we used to years ago, but aren't planning on doing the houses, so we're not worried about wristbands, etc.

So is it changed now from what it used to be? The park closes and everyone gets kicked out until the event starts? We were just planning on... not leaving the park, like the old days, but if the park's gonna close at, say, 5, and we have to wait two hours to get back in just to keep riding stuff, we're definitely just going to call it an early day.

https://www.sixflags.com/magicmountain/plan-your-visit/park-hours

Its Just Thursdays, the park opens at 7 PM meaning the parking opens around 6 PM and you go wait until they open and NO Opening Scaremonieson Thursday since the event and park opens at the same time most monsters should be in their scarezone by the time it opens.

Fridays-Sunday you can go day and even without the maze wrist band stay in the park.

I'm shocked y'all are spending even a dollar to go to this sham of an event lmao

Not defending it....but will point out

1) Its free for some Aps like myself...I'm paying nothing to park enter this event
2) On many nights crowds are low, rides and houses are basically walk ons
3) While HHN for sure its the better event.....having an entire house/maze to your self is pretty amazing. No Conga line or people yelling at me to move. Just me in a very quiet and dead empty house and someone jumps out at you, to me its a little more thrilling then 100 people around me and the actors only having limited range
At this event people can also talk, so they can yell at you and many actors can move more freely then at HHN where its a door they open with lights trigger, the people here can be very intense.

I will not tell anyone to go full price but if you have an AP and are close I think its worth it for people who love haunt events. Also some scazrezones like OZ are just fun, since the actors can talk it adds to the story telling.
Also note for next year, do not go until week 3 or later so things are worked out

 

[chris.g]

I will also say the atmosphere of the coasters in fright fest alone is worth the price of admission. Hope Uni can capture that same atmosphere with F&F.

 

[Rideguy70]

What good is being pulsed for the 5 scare-actors in a maze waiting behind a non-painted plywood wall and behind a chain link fence?

I'll also add that at least in my experience this year, HHN has not exactly been much better in terms of staffing mazes.

 

[Jerroddragon]

I'll also add that at least in my experience this year, HHN has not exactly been much better in terms of staffing mazes.

Kinda but it also depends on the night

The first Thursday at least a few of the mazes had 3.......3 people inside them.

Army of the Dead maybe had 4 people when I went but aftermath had like 10. So not sure why but Army of the Dead seems to be the maze with the biggest issues, its yet to open with the event everytime I've gone but will report back if this Thursday is the same story

 

[Southerncoasterer]

I'll just say that staffing issues aren't always the park's fault. People randomly calling out because of the heat or just because they don't feel like working is something park's have struggled with since Covid. I'm not sure what the answer is in the short term, but bigger picture, the CF management believes in giving better incentives to attract a slightly older and responsible workforce. But right now we're still dealing with the last bits of the "old Six Flags".

 

[DTH]

What you experienced 10-15+ years ago is not the event now

I've seen the videos. It is a 5-10% quality boost at best.

To be fair, it’s easy to criticize it with the benefit of being hardened adults who can withstand (and afford) going to more serious events. Things like Fright Fest, I’d argue, aren’t necessarily meant to be geared towards you or “hardcore” horror fans who love something like HHN, but rather a middle ground gateway drug for younger folks or people who aren’t into more intense events.

Is it “cheap”? Is it “not scary”? Is it “lame” compared to HHN? Sure, but stuff like that needs to exist — groups of kids or teens (or even adults) who’ve never done something like this before can go hang out or go on a first date or be with their families while safely dipping their toes into the world of haunt events at things like this, where it’s low stakes, not too intense, and they can break it up with ride after ride.

For me, Fright Fest was my first exposure to this stuff as a kid in the ‘90s, and it paved the way for me being “ready” to tackle HHN and Scary Farm and so on. If you hate it as an adult, that’s fine, but being baffled and hostile about why some people want to go — maybe they want to just have a fun time riding rides in the dark, maybe they’re on a budget, maybe it’s as far as they can travel, maybe it’s all they can handle, or maybe it’s as simple as they don’t even care if it’s as themed as something like HHN so long as they’re just spending time having fun with people they care about — kind of misses the point that it means something different to everyone.

While I love your Haunt origin story, the truth is, Six Flags always has and is marketing this event to adults. It is currently touted as being just as scary or scarier than the rest of them. It's doing its darndest to let you know this year is EXTREME, "the largest haunt in California" and boasting its maze count while offering R-rated movie attractions like Saw, Conjuring, Army of the Dead, Trick r Treat as among its line up. I highly doubt Six Flags' goal is to bring in the kids or wimps as an appetizer for "scarier" haunts -- why, so their clientele can just grow up and go away? Realistically, it may be accidentally opening up people to more quality haunts, which are either the same price or cheaper so in the end it's not going to do them any favors. They'll get locals, the random tourists, and the hardcore haunt fans who can't help but be curious, but I think it is VERY telling that there is no hardcore fan base for the event itself. It has been going for THIRTY+ years and there's not a single website, dedicated full scale forum, or even a Reddit page in its honor.

 

[Rideguy70]

I do think you have a point with the way they are marketing themselves this year as "Xtreme". But I also mainly chalk that up to the fact they just have to find a way to appear competitive in a very large haunt market. I don't think anyone, even FF fans, expects HHN quality from Six Flags. It's more about the expansion of mazes and IPs.

I also do not think the lack of a dedicated website or forum is really a sign of anything. Does something really need a website or forum to justify it's worth? That's a bit silly. This thread is 19 pages long, and it's just for this year.

I'd suspect one reason there aren't more deep dives maybe the fact that in general, the mazes don't change all that much from year to year. Although I'd be interested in hearing about some of the early mazes, but I don't think there's just not all that much documentation out there. I remember Blackout (in two locations: inside Gearworks Theater, and in the old Log Jammer queue), the Toyz/Clowns where Condamned is now, a haunted theater maze (behind the stage of Gearworks Theater), and a maze of just strobe light chain link fences under the old Metro station near the front of the park. Can't remember much else, as I wasn't really going to SF for Haunts in the early days. What else does anyone remember?

 

[Jerroddragon]

I do think you have a point with the way they are marketing themselves this year as "Xtreme". But I also mainly chalk that up to the fact they just have to find a way to appear competitive in a very large haunt market. I don't anyone, even FF fans, expects HHN quality from Six Flags. It's more about the expansion of mazes and IPs.

I also do not think the lack of a dedicated website or forum is really a sign of anything. Does something really need a website or forum to justify it's worth? That's a bit silly. This thread is 19 pages long, and it's just for this year.

I'd suspect one reason there aren't more deep dives maybe the fact that in general, the mazes don't change all that much. Although I'd be interested in hearing about some of the early mazes, but I don't think there's just not all that much documentation out there. I remember Blackout (in two locations: inside Gearworks Theater, and in the old Log Jammer queue), the Toyz/Clowns where Condamned is now, a haunted theater maze (behind the stage of Gearworks Theater), and a maze of just strobe light chain link fences under the old Metro station near the front of the park. Can't remember much else, as I wasn't really going to SF for Haunts in the early days. What else does anyone remember?

Also on this people can do the bare minimum on reaching these event

There are tons of videos and live streams of this event....and its up to you to then decide if its worth it or not


For an event I paid 200 bucks for an AP, on parking and this event alone my pass is more then paid off thats not to mention I'll come back for Christmas and get all of next year as well.

I get why some paying over 100 bucks would not be happy for one day but as an AP, my issue with the event is more things like having the App work so I can see if a maze is closed or has a delayed start. Could they do less houses and make the ones they have better? Yes but they clearly want more numbers then to have the best haunt which lets be honest without an insane budget will just never get to HHN levels

 

[Jerroddragon]

Went last night

So only the highest APs get in early...everyone else has to wait until 7 PM to enter the park meaning about 100+ people are in front of you buying the wrist bands (this is only on Thursday the weekend days the parks are open all day)

Walked on every maze but stangers things which took maybe 5-7 mins to get into

Veca was not lifting/moving in stranger things. But the Bushman in this house is the real MVP, great at hiding and getting scares

Trick R Treat didn't have the first Sam in the maze either times I went. The laser River effect was not working my first run
Also some effects were on tonight that were not on the last time I went, like a Werewolf projection in the woods area and right after that at the houses sam is now projected in one of the window's sometimes

Saw was great, both runs i did were basically fully staffed, its a really solid house.

Aftermath actors....really let loose on you if no one else is there. They will follow you into the next room/area. this is part of why, I think Fright Fest is a little more scary then HHN because actors not only can talk at you but also follow you longer and into second areas to me is unheard of at HHN in houses unless you count blumhouse as a house and even then they still have smaller areas they can travel compared to fright fest

Conjuring I got to see the first rooms show for the first time with annabelle, its cool through and actor running into the room as the lights dime and think you can scare lots of people real easily. On both runs I got the nun, one times she didn't come out until I walk closer...like I tried to give her room to come out and she waited for me to get closer. There are a few scares at the front of the house that Ive never seen staffed in person but in other people's videos but besides that I had two good runs


Vault 666-Sewers of souls and all the classic houses were fine-good. Vault 666 had someone that asked to buy my soul a few times in the house...so thank you for following me backstage and popping out at places that was great. Sewers of Souls the actors were having fun with me being the only person in the house and made sure the next room knew I was coming so they were ready to scare me. The other classic houses were good or fine with nothing to note.

The Alien Dance show near the front of the park has I guess three version, one is the dance show, one is a game show and they said someone's name...not sure if they are a DJ or what. But I watched some guests hula hop and the two best people won front of the line passes for their party (one ride) which is just fun. Also per this show the dance show starts at 7:30 PM and goes every hour after that...so 8:30 PM and so on.

Oz, Clown zone and the Pirates in the front of my favorite scarezones.

Lastly Here is a cool Trick R Treat T shirt I want, I might buy it by the end of the event (25 bucks)

 

[Rideguy70]

So only the highest APs get in early...everyone else has to wait until 7 PM to enter the park meaning about 100+ people are in front of you buying the wrist bands (this is only on Thursday the weekend days the parks are open all day)

Interesting. What time were the APs let in? And were you able to get the haunt wristband inside the gates?

 

[Jake S]

Aftermath actors....really let loose on you if no one else is there. They will follow you into the next room/area. this is part of why, I think Fright Fest is a little more scary then HHN because actors not only can talk at you but also follow you longer and into second areas to me is unheard of at HHN in houses unless you count blumhouse as a house and even then they still have smaller areas they can travel compared to fright fest

Obviously this is just a matter of opinion, but I’ve never found the “follow you to the next room” thing particularly scary or interesting. I like that performers have more freedom to freelance, but it’s not really my cup of tea.

 

[Jerroddragon]

Interesting. What time were the APs let in? And were you able to get the haunt wristband inside the gates?

Around 6:30 PM and you pick it up at the normal location in the area before Full throttle

Obviously this is just a matter of opinion, but I’ve never found the “follow you to the next room” thing particularly scary or interesting. I like that performers have more freedom to freelance, but it’s not really my cup of tea.

Yeah, mainly just pointing it out. HHN is amazing but just pointing out the actors have less ways they get to scare you vs this event

 

[Wesker69]

I’ve never found the “follow you to the next room” thing particularly scary or interesting.

That's because you're on the wrong side of it and it also depends on the execution.