I wanted to see if the merger affected Kings Island’s Halloween festivities, so I took the trip to Mason recently to check it out.
I arrived at the park around 8 p.m., one hour after Halloween Haunt began. Despite this, there was still a huge crowd of guests waiting to enter.
After some time, I entered the park to begin my experience.
Walking through the entrance plaza, a thick cloud of smoke covered the area, with rock music playing in time to the fountains. Kings Island’s entrance had been transformed into the International Street Fear, the park’s first Scare Zone.
In these areas, actors roam freely, scaring any guests they see.
Inside the International Street Fear, I saw an actor with a mohawk made of mushrooms, a clown walking on stilts and even a group of haunt sliders.
These performers wear special kneepads to quickly slide up to guests for a unique scare. These actors also wear special gloves which produce spark trails while they slide. TerryCloydPhoto uploaded a video showcasing the effect on Youtube:
The park’s other Scare Zones each have unique themes and sets. My personal favorite was also the newest, Hooked.
Placed in a small path between the park entrance and Viking’s Fury, the new area is filled with undead pirates haunting guests. The actors liked to hide in the sets placed along the path, and there was even a captain shouting orders.
It didn’t take long to get through Hooked, but its quality more than made up for it, making the area a real highlight of the night.
However, other Scare Zones felt a bit empty by comparison. There didn’t seem to be enough actors inside areas like Coney Maul or Abandoned to cover all the guests. However, as crowds slow down throughout the season, I don’t expect this to be as big of an issue.
Another major aspect of Halloween Haunt are the haunted mazes. This year, the park’s has the same six mazes as 2023.
No new maze for 2024 was a disappointment, however I think the mazes Kings Island has are quite solid. Slaughter House, KillMart and Madame Fatale’s Cavern of Horror are old favorites which still provide great scares.
My favorite haunted maze of the year was Alien Abyss, which was new last year. The only maze with a preshow, I really feel like Kings Island went all out with the alien theme.
This maze’s story surrounds guests touring the Department of Alien Research when the compound’s experiments break out. The maze is filled with dead researchers and alien-human hybrids.
Having to navigate Alien Abyss’s dark corridors was truly frightening, even as a veteran to Halloween Haunt. I thought the maze was great last year, but even better now.
In years past, several of Halloween Haunt’s mazes were actually outdoors. These included Tombstone Terror-tory, which utilized the park’s railroad, and Backwoods Bayou, formally housed in the park’s Tower Gardens area.
Credit: Martin Wheeler III
Credit: Martin Wheeler III
Nowadays, there is only one outdoor maze at the park: Cornered. Located in the park’s Timberwolf music venue, I really appreciated the maze’s variety, as it takes you through a cornfield, an old house and even a factory area. These different environments all had impressive facades and effects.
Unfortunately, when I went through the maze, there were several long stretches of time where I didn’t see any actors. Of course, I may have just gotten unlucky, but I was slightly disappointed nonetheless. Otherwise, Cornered was a very solid maze.
However, I do wish the park would focus more on outdoor haunted mazes in the future. Considering Kings Island is surrounded by a large forest, many areas of the park can feel quite secluded, enhancing any possible scares.
During the night, I also watched one of Halloween Haunt’s premiere live shows, NyteWalkers. Mixing acrobatics, dancing and stunts, the show is set to music from pop artists such as Olivia Rodrigo.
The show did a great job mixing all three elements. The performers were all excellent, making sure I was on the edge of my seat the whole show.
NyteWalkers also made sure to include Halloween elements. The performers were all dressed as zombies, and Halloween visuals played on a large screen. The show’s finale was even set to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”
I missed the beginning of the show, but I was so impressed, I intend on catching the rest during my next visit.
Kings Island is also known for its dining options, especially its funnel cake. During Halloween Haunt, the park is offering a special chocolate Undertaker Funnel Cake. Topped with marshmallow crème, crushed Oreos, chocolate mousse and a candy tombstone, this is definitely a must for chocolate fans visiting the park.
Credit: Alex Cutler
Credit: Alex Cutler
Overall, Halloween Haunt 2024 is another good year for the event despite the merger. Were there many new additions? No, but the park has built a satisfactory lineup of mazes, Scare Zones, live shows and dining options over the past few years.
If you were a fan of the event in 2023, then I’d say this is an easy recommendation. However, if you were waiting for the park to add something new, then I’d suggest trying other options.
Alex Cutler is a Lifestyles writer for Cox First Media. Email him at alex.cutler@coxinc.com.
How to go
What: Kings Island Halloween Haunt
When: 6 p.m. select weekends through Nov. 2
Where: Kings Island Amusement Park: 6300 Kings Island Drive, Mason
More info: visitkingsisland.com
Share your thoughts: Let this writer know about your Kings Island experience, or other events in the region he should check out. Email alex.cutler@coxinc.com.
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