Six Flags is making a BIG push into major horror IPs — but could its regional Halloween events actually start competing for attention with Halloween Horror Nights?
On this episode of News from the Queue, Paul from Destination Geek and Eddy from Eddytainment dive into the growing role of intellectual properties at Six Flags haunted events, including The Conjuring, Diablo, Jason, Saw, Final Destination, Army of the Dead and more.
After experiencing several of these attractions ourselves, we’re talking about just how much the quality of regional theme park haunts has improved. From the massive animatronics, puppets and theatrical effects of Diablo: The Infernal Path to the interactive, story-driven Conjuring Experience, some individual Six Flags attractions are reaching a level we wouldn’t have expected from regional park haunts just a few years ago.
But Halloween Horror Nights is still operating on another scale — with complete park transformation, 10 haunted houses, entertainment, specialty food and drinks, merchandise and the advantages of the Universal Orlando resort. The question isn’t necessarily whether Six Flags can replace HHN. It’s whether these parks can become compelling enough that haunt fans start adding them to their Halloween travel plans — or spending some of their haunt budget closer to home.