Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is getting ready to celebrate 25 chilling years of Fright Fest with 200 hired scare-actors — a new record for the park — and a new nightmare-inducing maze.
“We really wanted to focus on making the scare zones as well as the haunted mazes as full as possible, especially since it’s the 25th anniversary,” said Marc Merino, Six Flags Marketing and Entertainment Manager.
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The park kicks off its most popular season on Saturday and continues through November 3 with five scare zones and five themed haunted mazes: Club Fear in 3D, CarnEvil, Midnight Mansion, Lost Souls and the new haunted house on the block.
Dubbed “Hotel Hellview 666,” this year’s debut haunted maze takes up residence in the park’s old elephant barn and features the gory interior of a 1920s hotel.
“Weary travelers come upon this hotel but it isn’t exactly as it seems and really, you’re paying for your stay with your soul,” said Merino.
“We were presented with an interesting challenge when it came to this,” said Merino. The large indoor space historically housed two separate themed mazes. One side featured a “Saint Hades Hospital” themed house while the other was titled the “Demon’s Lair.”
Combining both sides into a new super-sized haunted maze called for a reimagined backstory. Merino said they had to figure out how to “make sense of why you were suddenly in a hotel and then now in a demon’s lair.”
As haunted house-goers — or hotel guests — make their way through claustrophobic tunnels, doorways of hanging “skin” and a kitchen with a questionable menu, each room leads them gradually from the hotel into a hellscape.
Valeria Canales, area supervisor for the rides department, works on the corn maze as she helps to get ready for this weekend’s kickoff of Fright Fest at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo on Wednesday. (Chris Riley/Times-Herald)
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“When you’re checking out from the hotel, you’re checking into hell,” explained Merino, who said combining the two sides was about telling a cohesive story. “It’s important for people to understand what they’re experiencing and what makes each of the five haunted mazes different,” said Merino.
After 13 years of experience at Six Flags, Merino knows the ins and outs of a successful scare despite not enjoying horror himself. “Seeing other people get scared and terrified and being able to laugh with each other — that’s the best part. That’s what makes it so rewarding and fulfilling.”
Each year, following the fest, the park reviews audience feedback and park logistics to see what worked and where they need improvement. Then in July when prep begins anew, the team implements new features to address issues like crowd control or making certain areas scarier.
For shows tech Robyn Smithson, setting the scene and constructing the Fright Fest backdrop is where the excitement lies.
“It’s really awesome to see how people get frightened just by looking at the area, just the environment itself,” said Smithson, who will assume a managerial role as house lead once Fright Fest starts.
Smithson initially started at Six Flags on a seasonal basis in 2017 before becoming full-time three years ago. In 2020, Smithson worked on Napa Valley College’s production of “The Addams Family” and “decided that’s my passion.”
Fright Fest runs concurrently with the park’s OktoberFest and the family-oriented Kids Boo Fest which includes trick-or-treat trails and hay and corn mazes. For those wanting to avoid ghoul run-ins, Merino encourages those guests to leave the park before 6 p.m. —”That’s when the spooky comes out.”
Access to the park’s five scare zones are included with a Six Flags ticket while entry to the five haunted mazes requires the separate purchase of a wristband. After 4 p.m., minors will not be admitted to the park without an accompanying adult over 21 years old. Tickets can be purchased online at sixflags.com