We are more than halfway through October, and the spooky vibes are only getting spookier! The nights are getting darker and eerie, and the air is becoming crisper. You’ll see houses decked out in their creepiest gear everywhere you look, daring you to come closer. But while these haunted houses might be fun, the real thrill of the season is the scary amusement parks. Lucky for us, we’ve got two right in our backyard: Knotts Scary Farm and Universal’s Horror Nights.
Knotts Scary Farm is a quick 24-minute drive from Yorba Linda High School to Buena Park. This year, the park offers ten spine-chilling mazes with you on your tiptoes. Get ready to step into the terrifying mazes of Cinema Slasher, Widows, Wax Works, The Curse of the Calico, Eight Fingers Nine, Room 13, The Grimoire, Mesmer, The Chilling Chambers, and Bloodline 1842. According to many thrill-seekers, the longest lines for both rides and mazes were an hour and a half at minimum, and when it comes to the best maze, Cinema Slasher takes the knife. This maze fully delivers from the jump scares to the disturbingly realistic descriptions of violence. The length keeps you on edge, and the storyline is so well thought out that it keeps you hooked from start to finish. Nothing is lacking in this maze, and when you’re wandering throughout the park, many scare actors are ready to jump out at you, scare you, and even argue with you! For many scare fans, this park is a fan favorite.
Universal’s Horror Nights is an hour and ten-minute drive from Yorba Linda High School, depending on traffic. This year, the park offers eight haunted houses, four scare zones, two live shows, and the Terror Tram. The haunted houses include The Weekend: Nightmare Trilogy, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Insidious, Frozen Empire, A Quiet Place, Eternal Bloodlines, Death Valley, and The Nightmares of Latin America. Many visitors would agree that The Texas Chainsaw Massacre stands out as the best-haunted house because of its realistic atmosphere that keeps you on high alert. At almost every corner, someone lurks, ready to unleash a scare. However, even for thrill-seekers, certain scenes exceed the boundaries for many. Thankfully, the wait times are no more than an hour and a half, and definitely don’t miss out on the Terror Tram! This year, it features scenes from M3EGAN, The Black Phone, and Freaky.
Students at YLHS have differing opinions on which park is better, and Felicity Skiles (9) prefers “Knott’s Scary Farm ’cause there are many more scarers around the park, and it’s funny when you and your friends are getting chased around. Also, in Horror Nights, it smells awful in the mazes because they copy scenes like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, while Knott’s has more jump scares.” So, the big question is, which do you like better?
