Like Christmas at Costco, Halloween at Southern California’s theme parks arrives earlier and earlier each year.
Fright Fest Extreme
Six Flags Magic Mountain, 26101 Magic Mountain Pkwy, Valencia 91355
Info www.sixflags.com/magicmountain
After the merger of Six Flags and Cedar Fair, Magic Mountain and Knotts Berry Farm are now under the same corporate umbrella.
All guests 15 years old or younger must be accompanied by a chaperone age 21 or older after 4 p.m. to close on Fright Fest Extreme nights.
Fright Fest Extreme, which debuts this year, is California’s largest haunt with 11 haunted houses and nine scare zones. The haunted houses require a separate Haunted Attractions Pass.
New haunts include several based on Hollywood horror film or TV franchises including Stranger Things, The Conjuring Universe, SAW 20th Anniversary, Trick ‘r Treat and Army of the Dead. Also new is Aftermath: Nocturnal Hunt.
New Scare Zones include Underworlds of Oz, Plaza de la Muerte and Grimmlore Ridge.
Halloween Time
Disneyland Resort, 1313 Disneyland Dr., Anaheim 92802
Info disneyland.disney.go.com
Guests to the “Happiest Place on Earth” can expect the Main Street Pumpkin Festival with hundreds of hand-carved pumpkins and the return of Haunted Mansion Holiday.
Inspired by “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas,” Haunted Mansion Holiday offers at the center of the ballroom scene a gingerbread house with a giant gingerbread zombie. This year’s display showcases the gingerbread zombie on an operating table made of gingerbread, licorice jumper cables, sugary gumdrop bolts, hard-coated chocolate candy rivets and peppermint lightning bolt coils.
The Happiest Haunts Guided Tour will offer guests a two-hour guided tour around Disneyland Park which includes chilling stories, thrilling experiences, Lightning Lane entry and preferred viewing for Halloween Screams, a nighttime spectacular.
Oogie Boogie Bash
Disney California Adventure Park
Info bit.ly/3XL04b6
Beginning in the late afternoon, Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: BREAKOUT! transforms into Guardians of the Galaxy — Monsters After Dark. The Collector’s Fortress goes dark, alarms sound and special lighting alerts guests something inside has gone awry. Meet Rocket and enjoy the chaos that ensues as he works to rescue his friend Groot.
Visit Lightning McQueen, Mater and the “car-actors” of Cars Land as the town transforms from Radiator Springs into Radiator Screams.
Two family-friendly attractions transform as Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree becomes Mater’s Graveyard JamBOOree and Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters becomes Luigi’s Honkin’ Haul-O-Ween.
Plaza de la Familia commemorates everlasting love and familial bonds with rich experiences inspired by the spirit of Día de los Muertos. Enjoy characters and music from the film “Coco,” storytelling, music, crafts, through Nov. 2.
Knott’s Scary Farm or Family Friendly Knott’s Spooky Farm
Knott’s Berry Farm
8039 Beach Blvd., Buena Park 90620
Info www.knotts.com; select days
Enjoy Halloween fun by day at Knott’s Spooky Farm, the annual family-friendly Halloween celebration.
Join Charlie Brown, Snoopy and friends for Spooktivities with a host of games, music, spooky storytelling and more for ghouls of all ages. Knott’s Spooky Farm in the daytime, Thursdays through Sundays, Sept. 26 through Oct. 31.
Kids can participate in a trick-or-treating experience in the spooky streets of Ghost Town, where they will show off their festive Halloween costumes as they collect tasty treats.
Guests can also visit the Livery Stable and Creepy Critters of Calico, spiders, bugs and more await at the Creepy Critters Corral.
Ghouls of all ages are encouraged to show off their Halloween costumes at Snoopy’s Spooktacular Costume Party.
The Bob Baker Marionette Theatre Show returns with their Halloween-themed show at Birdcage Theatre.
With more than 50 years of nightmares, scares and thrills, Knott’s Scary Farm includes 10 haunted mazes, five scare zones, creepy attractions, sinister shows and more than 1,000 horrifying creatures lurking in the fog and hiding across every inch of the park.
Halloween Horror Nights
Universal Studios Hollywood, 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City 91608
Info www.universalstudioshollywood.com; Not recommended for children under 13.
Universal Studios Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights feature eight new haunted houses, a new Terror Tram experience, scare zones and daring live entertainment.
This lineup of haunted houses is inspired by the biggest names in horror:
“The Weeknd: Nightmare Trilogy,” “A Quiet Place,” based on the film of the same name will incorporate American Sign Language into a haunted house for the first time, “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” and “Insidious: The Further.”
“Universal Monsters: Eternal Bloodlines” is an all-female monsters led haunted house inspired by Universal Pictures’ classic monsters.
Other haunts include:
“Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Legacy of Leatherface,” “Monstruos 2: The Nightmares of Latin America” and “Dead Exposure: Death Valley.”
“Terror Tram: Enter the Blumhouse” takes fans on a close encounter with characters from horror films including “M3GAN,” “The Black Phone,” “Freaky,” “The Purge” and “Happy Death Day.”
“The Purge: Dangerous Waters,” is a live stunt show.
Scare Zones include “Luchadores Monstruosos,” “Skull Lordz,” “Chainsaw Punkz” and “Murder of Crowz.”
