It’s October and amusement parks across the country have been transformed into spooky night time playgrounds. From the Center for Disease Control’s Zombie Preparedness 101 to zombies riding Six Flags America’s Apocalypse earlier this year, it’s clear that we are in the middle of the zombification era. Expect it to continue for a while with the popularity of TV series The Walking Dead and Brad Pitt’s 2013 movie World War Z. I guess ghosts, witches, werewolves and vampires aren’t scary or extreme enough anymore.
Zombies A Good Fit for Theme Parks?
In the past I’ve watched my share of zombie movies. And I’ve put thousands of digital zombies out of their misery over the years playing the Resident Evil video game series. But, for some reason I feel like the undead and their hunger for brains is a bit too much for theme parks. Even though, Halloween-themed events have age restrictions or are labeled “PG-13”, I don’t like typing in my home parks web address and nearly jumping out of my seat as I’m greeted by a zombie girl that looks hungry. I get it. That’s the point. People want to be scared; maybe I’m just getting old. I guess I just see theme parks as being too family-friendly for this kind of horror. In their defense though, they’re probably just trying to keep up with movies and the entertainment of today. I can see both sides.
Anyone Seen the Halloween Haunt TV Commercials?
I’m assuming that Cedar Fair’s using them for the whole chain. I don’t think that they’re typically on TV during the day, but if my daughters saw this, I think they’d want to swear off roller coasters. Or at least going to Carowinds in the evening. Obviously, it’s not aimed at my kids’ demographic, but when I see a Carowinds commercial I usually crank up the volume and get their attention. That’s probably not the best practice in September though!
Warning younger readers and parents. Spookiness ahead.
Too gory or not, Halloween-themed events can be fun for theme park and coaster enthusiasts for a number of reasons:
- Night rides on roller coasters can be a surprisingly different experience.
- The park itself can seem to take on a different personality with fog, creepy music, and other effects.
- Like Halloween for older kids and adults, everyone’s there for the same purpose: to have fun and be scared.
- Performers roam the park waiting to scare guests that aren’t even in the one of the haunts.
- The haunts and mazes are the main attraction. It is neat to see a number of new attractions at your park. You never know what they’ll cook up. Or, how much they’ll ramp up the scares.
What’s your take? Do you miss cuddly werewolves and that charming guy with the pointy teeth too? Are these zombie-filled themes parks getting a bit too gory for your tastes (no pun intended)? Will you be going to a Halloween-themed event?[poll id=”90″][poll id=”91″]