[Zombie Pumpkins!]

Anyone ever gone to Six Flags during their "Fright Fest" season? I'm thinking of going this year. Besides costumed monsters roaming the park trying to scare me, I'm wondering what other spooky tweaks to the park I should expect.

[Joey]

I went years ago, to Magic Mountain in SoCal. They had really awesome decorations all over the place, along with the ghouls trying to scare everyone. The thing I remember most was this one small stage performance they had, the Roadkill Café. They had lots of tiny shows, but that was the one I remember most.

Not sure how it is nowadays, but that's what I remember.

[Mister_JP]

Well, I'm a roller coaster fanatic, perhaps even more than a carving fanatic, well... maybe. But I have never liked the mazes much, just not my cup of tea. BUT I have been to SFMM's fright fest, and I'll tell you the best part was the fact that they run one side of Colossus backwards. Colossus is a rather large, yet average to below average wooden coaster, but going backwards makes it WAY better!

I'm not sure is the Six Flags near you do anything similar to their rides, Ryan.

[Zombie Pumpkins!]

I'm sure I'll enjoy all the costumes and decorations. But I am most interested in finding out what new/altered attractions they have. Running a coaster backwards sounds like quite the trip.

I'm going to Six Flags New England in MA, so if anyone is going/has been there, let me know what it was like. I'll give you my thoughts after I check it out too.

[Mister_JP]

Actually, the costumes are pretty good. Over by Batman The Ride, Magic Mointain has this dude dressed up like a gargoyle, head to toe, he looks like a stone statue. He just sits there and waits for people to walk up to him, wondering if he's real or a statue. Sure enough at the last second he springs to life and scares the bejezuts out of the curious guests.

It's definately worthwhile. Because you can visit the park all day and ride the rides, then when it gets dark, the Fright Fest part begins. That's unlike Knott's Berry Farm's Halloween Haunt in California (the BIGGEST & most elaborate haunted park there is) where the Haunt is a separate admission at night.

BTW, SFNE's Superman: Ride of Steel is my #1 "I want to ride it" roller coaster. I'm very jealous that you have that so near to you.

[Zombie Pumpkins!]

Those costumes do sound great. I'm looking forward to checking it all out. Maybe it will give me ideas for my own costumes. And I wonder if my Patch Master costume would fit in there.

Ah yes, Superman Ride of Steel. I've actually been on that twice (two different locations - Six Flags New England and Darian Lake). Sorry, didn't mean to rub it in.

I know the first steep drop is the big selling feature of that ride, but I sorta prefer speed and hills and loops over the pure scare of heights. But the ride after the first drop is pretty decent too.

I'm a bit nervous to go on that ride now, after I heard that someone was killed while riding it. This was an obese man with cerebral palsy who shouldn't have been on the ride in the first place, but it was a scary reminder that accidents happen. When I rode that coaster, I thought it was odd that there's such a big drop, but you only have a small lap bar holding you in.

[Mister_JP]

[gets on soapbox]

Don't be nervous. Roller coasters and amusement rides are safe. You have a MUCH greater chance of being seriously hurt or killed in an automobile accident on your way to or from an amusement park than while roding rides in a park. The vast majority of injuries or deaths that have happened in the past are due to rider error or misconduct, including the incedent there at Six Flags NE. Yes, some serius accidents happen, but they are so few and far between that you seriously have a better chance of being struck by lightning than killed by an amusement ride.

The media loves to sensationalize amusement park accidents, even when they are non-accidents. (Example: coaster stops on lifthill and riders must exit and walk down hill, that's not an accident, but it will make the evening news 9 out of 10 times) You never hear about the hundreds of millions of safe non-eventful rides that happen every year, you only hear about the few accidents.

Amusement parks KNOW how bad the media loves to report accidents, and parks are not in the business of maiming their guests. Therefore safety is ALWAYS the number one concern for parks, across the board. I'm a frequent park patron, and have been on more than 160 coasters nation wide, and I have never once been involved in anything close to an accident.

Parks are safe, period. Now back to your regualrly scheduled topic...

[gets off soapbox]

[Zombie Pumpkins!]

Well said JP. I hesitated to even mention that accident on Ride of Steel because I know that stuff is rare, and like everything else, the media likes to be overly dramatic for ratings.

Still, I wasn't a fan of the first big drop (maybe I'm just a wimp who is not into heights). But I'll be going on the Batman coaster at my Six Flags at least!

[Mister_JP]

Being nervous about going down big drops is the desired effect of a big coaster. You are either someone who craves the drop itself or you are someone who faces that 'fear' and goes through it anyway.

Roller coasters give you the illusion of danger, and in the process can induse some genuine fear. Sure, fear of heights, fear of falling, fear of looking like a screaming idiot in front of your friends, that's all part of the fun. But actual fear of being hurt should not be one of them.

And heres a kicker, I'm MUCH more afraid of climbing ladders than going on a 300' tall coaster. Also, I can't take the spinning rides, they make me barf.

[Pumpkingrower]

Still, I wasn't a fan of the first big drop (maybe I'm just a wimp who is not into heights). But I'll be going on the Batman coaster at my Six Flags at least!

Worry not Patchmaster I went last summer for Military day with my work and made the mistake of getting on that superman first ride. Will not happen again.. rode everything else in the park though. I love that upside down waffle iron (the catapault) Springfield is one of the better Six flags I have been to as well.

[Zombie Pumpkins!]

I looked up the Halloween attractions that have been added to Six Flags New England. If anyone is going, this is what you can expect to see...

HAUNT ZONES

The Main Street Graveyard:
Creeping caution is required as you enter through our crypts and graves. The living dead have woken and now wander this land to take those less fortunate mortals back to their soulless existence.

Tombstone Terrortory:
Cowboy zombie and maniacal cohorts roam the hillbilly haunts Tombstone Terrortory every night. You'll want to catch the first stagecoach out of this haunted western town.

Roswell/Area 51:
The Intergalactic Alien Invasion has begun! Keep an eye out for Aliens and mutated guards roaming the street and tents and venture through the Vortex Tunnel if you can dare.

WALK-THRU HAUNTED ATTRACTIONS

Midnight Mansion:
Strange sights will startle and incite screams as guests find their way through this forbidding house. Stay together - don't get left behind.

Wicked Woods:
Guests wander through the wild woods on a twisted path of toxic dumps, forbidden farmhouses, zombie graveyards, mine shafts, and more!

LIVE SHOWS

Verdict or Sorcery - The Trial of Abigail Dickinson:
The town finally has the mysterious Abigail Dickinson in their capture. They have been living in fear of her mysterious ways. Witness justice as she is brought to trial before Judge Greystone for acts of sorcery and witchcraft ... if your souls and eyes can bear it!

Showdown in Tombstone Terrortory:
Legend has it that many moons ago the Bandit Brothers were wrongly executed and their ghostly bodies still haunt Tombstone Terrortory every October … however worry not, as the good Sheriff aims to put these nasty gunslingers to their final rest - with a noose around their necks!

GROSS CHALLENGES

Wheel of Fright:
Courageous volunteers who opt to chow down on live critters (Madagascar hissing cockroaches, worms, crickets, nightcrawlers) will gain access to the front of the line at for some popular rides and attractions.

Coffin of Fear:
Each participating guest will lie in a coffin which will be filled with meal worms. Guests must remain in the mealwormy coffin for at least one minute in order to receive a prize.

[Zombie Pumpkins!]

Well, I went to Fright Fest (Six Flags New England) this weekend, and it wasn't quite all that I hoped for. It's advertised as..

"When the sun goes down.... Six Flags employees morph into ghosts and ghouls. Roller coasters become monstrosities in motion. And scares await you at every turn. See the park eerily transformed from coaster to coaster and ride haunted versions of your favorite rides."

They had some spooky sets sprinkled through the park (good photo opps) but none of the actual rides were any more spooky than usual. We spotted some spider around one coaster, but real spiders made those webs so the park employees can't take credit.

And there weren't many actors dressed up to scare the park guests. I saw maybe 6 all night, and their costumes weren't that elaborate. The best was probably the organ grinder and his screeching monkey:



Maybe if I had more time to see it all. But since the park "transforms" at dusk and closes at 10 PM, you don't have many hours to fit everthing in. We were able to find time for one coaster (with a 1 hour wait) and one haunted attraction (with a 2 hour wait).

The "Midnight Mansion" attraction was decent, but I've seen the same (or better) at local haunts. I guess I just expected a little more from a national theme park chain.

[Mister_JP]

Sounds like all 6 flags fright fests are not created equally. Magic Mountain's had tons of costumed workers and numerous "scare zones."

Oh well, at least you gave it a shot.