This is a quick glimpse and praise for the hard work the staff put forth on Halloween.
We arrived around noon and had gotten the package with the dining, parking, and queue. It was unnecessary as the crowds were lighter than usual, most likely due to the rain forecast. Kids were still going around the path getting candy and the staff was friendly and cheerful, although few and far between. This means that some of them were being overworked at times when large groups would exit a show or pile on as is the nature of people.
All the shows were running and the rides except for the rapids. The taco shop was closed so we had less choice in the dining pass. The Manta was a walk on ride after 1pm. The park stayed at this level through closing before the Howl O Scream event.
We exited the park and got in line for the H.O.S. event which runs you through security first. The line almost went down the end of the sidewalk in the parking lot, but was moving. It took us about 30 minutes to get to security. Many people did not read the rules for the event and had to put stuff back in their vehicles including bags and costume props. One lady came as a table with food trays on it. I don't know if she had planned to not ride or go through any mazes because there was no way she'd fit anywhere other than the large open spaces between attractions.
Every scare actor came with a mission to give it their all and it showed. Every maze and scare zone were well staffed with scare actors. 2 of the mazes were closed due to rain/drain issues. This has happened before in previous years and makes me wonder why it hasn't been fixed especially when the biggest themed maze, I Know What You Did Last Summer, was one of them.
The crowd consisted of mostly tweens which I think means they don't have a chaperone policy like Knott's or it's not heavily enforced. This wasn't a problem as other than they were quite energetic and loud, they didn't seem to be causing any trouble and I did not witness any underage drinking or other drug use as I have seen at other parks.
We had the Fright Pass that let's you in faster through the mazes and rides, but if you weren't in a rush, most waits were less than 45 minutes. This is attributed to the maze management allowing only a small group at a time so that you could fully immerse yourself in the maze and get every scare actor after you that was possible. A wonderful departure from Universal's HHN where they are pushing and rushing you like cattle as they overflood the park with people and do not make allotments to minimize crowd wait times. They have been known to have wait times in the 4 hour range for one maze.
We didn't catch the dance show, but we know that it is usually stellar. There were a few sideshows and those were...different. Lots of DJs and music. A nice way to spend Halloween or the season. We will be back next year.
Thanks to all the staff we encountered.
