đ± Our Visit to Hersheypark Dark Nights đ»Â
Date: Sunday 9/22/2024
Location: Hershey, Pennsylvania (âThe Sweetest Place on Earth!â)Â
Hersheypark's Dark Nights is back with a vengeance, offering 25 terrifying nights of thrills and chills. This year's event promises more haunting dates than ever before, and it delivers. Mixing the thrills of Hersheyâs most infamous rollercoasters with the chills of 5 haunted attractions, youâre in for a SPOOKY FUN night at Hersheypark Dark Nights!Â
With 5 almost entirely new haunted houses (major upgrades since last season), three scare zones, and a plethora of terrifying characters lurking in the shadows, Dark Nights is a must-visit for any horror fan. Donât expect some sort of cheesy haunt experience here as youâll encounter state-of-the-art lighting, audio, and special effects! The audio effects alone were startling throughout the attractions, as they were pouring in the audio throughout each haunt!Â
Hershey Park Dark Nights Haunted Attractions include:Â
- Estate of Evil: This charming brownstone-turned-mansion is a standout, with 13 rooms of meticulously crafted terror. The attention to detail is impressive, making it easy to become fully immersed in the haunting atmosphere.Â
- Auntie Mortem's Abattoir: A gruesome and unsettling experience, this haunted house offers a unique behind-the-scenes look at the Mortem family's twisted trade. The inhabitants have all sorts of tricks up their sleeves, be forewarned, you may not exit with those you entered with!Â
- Haunted Coal Mine - Curse of the Tommyknockers: A thrilling exploration of the haunted mine, complete with new depths and unseen terrors. Impressive scenic design was used to truly immerse you into a dark & decrepit coal mine!Â
- Twisted Carnevil: A mesmerizing spectacle that will leave you questioning reality. They truly attack all your senses throughout this carnival of horrors!Â
- The Descent - Catacombs of Decay: Vera's rare book store is a clever facade for the terrifying tunnels below. One area here featured changes in the flooring to truly make it feel like you were trudging through swampy grass!
Hershey Park Dark Nights features 3 large scare zones scattered throughout the park! These areas effectively help to keep the adrenaline flowing inbetween attractions! Be prepared, as once you enter the scare zones, youâre fair game! We witnessed countless patrons jumping, screaming, and running away in fear due to the energized roaming spooks encountered throughout these zones! Scare Zones include Fallout Zone, featuring radioactive fog that sets the tone for a frantic and unpredictable experience. Our squad loved the bubbles infused with fog, a rather mesmerizing effect! Midway of Misery, the Decayed Brigade's underworld sliders will keep you on edge as they deliver a sparkling surprise. Darkstone's Hollow, a traveling mythical collection gone wrong, with creatures lurking within every shadow. Easily our favorite portion outside the attractions was the use of pyrotechnics - we LOVE ourselves some fire!! đ„ An archway overhead sent massive fire blasts swirling into the night sky, delivering a warm yet startling jolt of adrenaline to folks walking below! And thats just one of several areas that feature the use of pyrotechnics throughout the haunt!Â
We were quite impressed with the scenic design throughout all five attractions. Hersheypark has stepped up their game notably each of the past few seasons. They utilize a great mixture of pneumatic props, special effects, animatronics, and scare actors to keep the attractions lively! Most of our crew was on the receiving end of a spine-chilling startle at some point along our journey! We give major kudos to the scenic design team at Hershey, as they truly crafted some beautiful sets throughout the attractions!Â
The scare actors possessed life-like costuming and make-up which was paired excellently with their scene to truly help immerse you into each haunt! The cast was certainly energized and very interactive during their engagements with our crew. We were pleased to see the cast possessing skits and effective dialogue!Â
Easily the biggest and lone downfall of the evening was the extreme over usage of fog throughout many of the attractions! Several of the attractions, especially the Haunted Coal Mine, featured such thick & heavy fog usage that you truly couldnât see your surroundings. This not only became troublesome as we tried to navigate through certain portions of the haunt, but it limited our ability to take in the scenic design! Weâd strongly suggest they dial back their fog usage and or find a way to create better ventilation to keep the attractions less stuffy & fogged out! We were also a bit bummed with the conga-line put through in some of the attractions. Fortunately enough most of the cast was able to quickly reset their scares to ensure all patrons received a similar experience! Sadly, conga-lines are necessary at some bigger haunts to help keep wait times within reason, especially as we get closer & closer to Halloween. So if youâre hoping to lessen your wait, consider visiting on a Sunday or upgrade to a fast pass to skip the line!Â
Dark Nights at Hersheypark is an expertly crafted Halloween event that will leave even the most seasoned horror enthusiasts shaken. The attention to detail, immersive atmosphere, and terrifying characters make for a truly unforgettable experience. Hersheypark's Dark Nights has quickly become an annual Halloween tradition for the Fright Review Squad, and we eagerly anticipate next year's new terrifying chapter. Be sure to check these guys out for whatâs sure to be a FRIGHTFULLY FUN adventure!
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