Month: September 2017

HAUNTS – Six Flags Magic Mountain Fright Fest 2017 – California

SIX FLAGS MAGIC MOUNTAIN FRIGHT FEST

I absolutely love Six Flags Fright Fest in southern California. This is one of my favorite haunts to attend each year. I will admit that not many changes have been made to the mazes or scarezones, but if you haven’t attended in a while I highly recommend it. There are a few new additions this year such as the Dead End maze, Club 6 Feet Under, Damned ‘N Disguise scarezone and most notably the Hidden Haunts VIP Tour.


I always enjoy the mazes at Magic Mountain’s Fright Fest. I especially enjoyed the Willoughby Mansion after hearing the tale of the haunt on the Hidden Haunts VIP tour. Learning the story behind the maze added a new level of appreciation for it. I’m also always impressed by the creativity of Vault 666, aesthetic appeal of Red’s Revenge, spaciousness of Aftermath and fun of Toyz. This year I was especially impressed with the creative and hard working actors in the Chupacabra maze, as well as the Nightmare and Demon’s door scarezones. One of the things I find most impressive about the ghouls at this event is their dedication and spirit. I’ve even found myself following a few of them on social media. Voodoo Nights really shined this year, too. I found myself hanging out and enjoying the show a few times.

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As much as I love Fright Fest, there were a couple of disappointments this year. My favorite circus show is not performing this season and there was nothing replacing it. The new Dead End maze fell a little flat for me. I’m not a huge fan of the flashlight technology. (It didn’t seem to work properly for me here or at Knott’s this year. Maybe it’s that magnetic personality my mom loves about me so much interfering with the technology.) I love the concept of Damned ‘N Disguise and thought it was really awesome make-up, however the area felt a little more like a photo op than a scarezone.

My favorite experience this year was hands down the Hidden Haunts VIP Tour. This special tour is an add on for the VIP Tour. It is a special walking tour behind the scenes into areas guests are not normally allowed to go. We got to see the Fright Fest make-up Scream Team hard at work, as well as talk to the incredibly talented Scott Ramp. We heard stories of real spirits that haunt the park all season long, not just during Halloween. I recommend it for anyone with a fascination for the paranormal.

Don’t forget that during Fright Fest you can also get your thrills on coasters or take a break to sit and enjoy the hypnotist show. There are also many food options, including a few good options for gluten free folks like myself. Please consume alcohol responsibly at the event. Above all have fun, but remember to respect the hardworking people behind the event and the monsters working tirelessly to make your experience the best they can.

​The following videos were recorded with permission during the Press Event. Six Flags does not allow video recording inside the mazes.

DAMNED ‘N DISGUISE

TERRORTORY TWISTED

RED’S REVENGE MAZE

VAULT 666 MAZE

CHUPACABRA MAZE

TOYZ OF TERROR MAZE

WILLOUGHBY’S RESURRECTED MAZE

DEAD END

ESCAPE ROOMS – The Elevator Shaft at The Basement – California

THE ELEVATOR SHAFT 


The Basement has always been ahead of the competition when it comes to immersion and storytelling in their incredibly fun horror escape games, but they’ve really outdone themselves with their latest game: The Elevator Shaft.


The Elevator Shaft is the new Chapter 2 in the 3 part story of The Basement escape games. It is in the space that the Boiler Room once occupied, but don’t be fooled by that because even though it replaced Boiler Room it is a completely different game. The technology is new and advanced compared to anything I have yet to see in an escape room. It features a hydraulic descending elevator hanging overhead, exciting audio effects, fog, water, and lighting effects. The set design is gorgeous, like something out of a movie. The tension that is created in the room is incredible. I’m fascinated by how the room breathes life into the story without using live actors inside the room.

Up to 6 guests are trapped inside this elevator shaft with only 45 minutes to escape. I personally think 3 players is the perfect number for this game, but everyone knows I always prefer to play alone or with only my hubby since we don’t have an established team with which we regularly play. However, I believe you need at least two people to complete the game due to certain puzzles. In my opinion, communication is much more essential in this particular game than the typical escape room. This is the perfect game for a group of friends, especially if they love the horror genre. I imagine it could be a nightmare for someone that is claustrophobic, though. Afterall it’s a fairly small space since it is the size of an elevator shaft with an elevator falling on you.


Here is the story of The Elevator Shaft taken directly from the press release:

About 3 months ago, cannibalistic serial killer, Edward Tandy hired an engineer named John to help him make some “engineering” changes to an antique service elevator on his property. After working on the elevator shaft for a day or two, it became clear to John that Edward’s use for this machine seemed sinister in nature. He confronted Edward and refused to help any longer. Edward told him that not only would he continue to work on the project, but that he would not be allowed to leave the compound until the project was complete, and if he did so, John’s wife and daughter would be killed. Now the project is done and John is long dead, his life taken inside the death trap he helped to build. You wake up and find yourself in the bottom of the shaft, with a video recorded by John himself. Unbeknownst to Edward, the engineer has hidden a series of steps within the inner workings of the elevator, that if you’re able to figure out, you can blow open the emergency access to the shaft and make a run for it. Can you decipher John’s notes, and find the secret sequence of steps in order to escape? Or will you be crushed by the 10-ton antique steel monster that hangs above?


The Elevator Shaft is one of the most immersive and unique escape rooms I’ve played and I highly recommend it.

ESCAPE ROOMS – The Laboratory Escape Room – California

THE LABORATORY ESCAPE ROOM


If you are looking for an interesting puzzle game with a lot to accomplish, this is your game. The Laboratory in DTLA has a unique style. It is especially good for large groups because of the amount of things to do throughout the game. I really enjoyed the way the game designers split the puzzles into smaller groupings allowing small groups within the large group to break off an work together in an organized and effective manner. It wasn’t the chaos I’ve come to expect from large games with so many puzzles. There is very little searching involved. The puzzles themselves are creative, but fairly simple. I believe this game is perfect for beginner and intermediate players because of the difficulty level of the individual puzzles, however I think most enthusiasts would also enjoy themselves and appreciate the experience.

My husband and I played the game alone, so the gamemaster removed a couple of the puzzle groupings to allow us to have a chance to beat the game. The way they accommodate smaller groups is to remove certain puzzles. I like the idea in theory, but we discovered that we’d prefer to play a complete game and possibly lose, than win at a game that isn’t complete.  We beat the game and then asked if we could do more of the puzzles since we had extra time. We just didn’t feel that sense of accomplishment that we normally feel after beating an escape room. I don’t know if it would be the same for beginners.

The story is basic…solve puzzles in a lab to prove your intelligence or the bomb goes off. The puzzles aren’t especially connected to the theme, but they fit the world because the story sets up that it’s a challenge. The location is nice. There is no parking, so bring cash for nearby parking lots during the day. They have great customer service.

Overall, it’s a clever and unique game that will definitely keep the players busy.

 

ESCAPE ROOMS – Escape Games at the River – CA

Escape Games at the River

Playing this Baker Street Mystery game was a throwback to the early days of escape rooms. It was the type of first gen game that would’ve impressed up when we started playing escape rooms, however felt a little lackluster now. 

We ran into a few small glitches in the game. There was a problem with one of the puzzles not working as well as it could physically that caused us to waste some time and get annoyed. The final lock was jammed. Honestly my biggest problem was the final puzzle’s logic, it felt misleading. Everything else was fine.
They did have one really clever puzzle I hadn’t seen before, but it didn’t really fit the decor of the room as well as some of the other puzzles. The room looks nice, nothing fancy but certainly clean and well kept. 

If you’re in the area I would say check it out. 

ODDITIES – Jurassic Planet at the LA County Fair – CA


I’ve never been particularly interested in dinosaurs, but I heard about Jurassic Planet and my curiosity got the best of me. I’m glad it did. 

For only a small $5 up charge to your fair admisssion you can walk among 40 life sized realistic animatronic dinosaurs. It pretty darn cool! I know they aren’t actually real dinosaurs (except for a few live creatures on display such as an emu, alligator and tortoise), but they seem pretty real if you let your imagination run wild. I found myself wanting to pet them and at one point talking in “baby talk” to a few adorable animatronic baby dinos. 

I really enjoyed Jurrasic Planet and wanted to share it here. I also recorded a bit of my experience which you can watch from YouTube below. 

ESCAPE ROOMS – Mission Escape Games: Escape the Hydeout – California

MISSION ESCAPE GAMES

 

WATCH MY INTERVIEW WITH JOE FROM MISSION ESCAPE GAMES HERE

We must find out what happened to Dr. Jekyll before Mr. Hyde returns to have our hides!

Escape the Hydeout in Anaheim California is a beautifully done escape game. It tells a clear story using familiar characters from literature. The puzzles are fun and they do a wonderful job of adding their own unique spin on some of the standard puzzles I’ve seen before. They use the space well. They have the perfect combination of standard puzzles and locks combined with technology.

I was most impressed with the gorgeous Victorian style set. The room is very well designed and the decor is outstanding. I had actually played an earlier version of The Hydeout in New York in 2015 and one of the surprises in that room was painfully obvious to a seasoned player, but in the new room I feel they’ve addressed that. They’ve also improved the game overall. There are a few really fun “Wow” moments through the puzzle solving and technology in the game.

They are located about a 10 minute walk from Disneyland, so this is the perfect location if you are on vacation because you can walk over from the park. There is a parking lot, so if you are driving they validate parking. That area can be a little busy depending on when you visit, so be sure to give yourself a little extra time just in case.

I would recommend this game for both new players and experienced players.