Photo Credit: Sarah Pittard / Solo Traveling Mom
I would describe myself as a pretty brave lady. This summer I drove my kids over 6,000 miles solo. I have tackled Disney World alone with two toddlers more than once. I generally am described as brave. But my reputation didn’t hold up when I experienced HalloWeekends at Cedar Point with my fellow traveling mom, Texas TravelingMom Rebecca Darling. We barely got out alive, which begs the question: Are you tough enough to survive Cedar Point HalloWeekends?
Cedar Point HalloWeekends
For family friend fun, check out the daytime HalloWeekends parade. Photo Credit: Sarah Pittard / Solo Traveling Mom
With five haunted houses and six walk-through outdoor scare zones, there is no shortage of places to be scared out of your pants. During the day, Cedar Point HalloWeekends are family friendly, but after 6 pm it’s fair game to scare anyone on site. Whether you seek out scary monsters or, like me, try hard not to run into any, you are bound to encounter some pretty scary stuff.
Be warned, children in the park after dark will not be immune to being frightened by the creatures lurking in the dark. The reality is that the park is extremely dark and the scare zones are meant for a mature audience. Kids are allowed in but as a parent you will need to use some discretion as to where you take them in the park.
Outdoor Scare Zones
We first experienced the true terror of Cedar Point HalloWeekends when trying to find our hotel around 9 pm at night. One wrong turn and two not-so-brave moms found themselves in Tombstone Terror-tory. We entered the foggy area under a bridge where two strange looking creatures were obviously waiting to kill us. I did what any smart traveler and Walking Dead fan would do, and ran for my life – leaving Rebecca to be killed by the creatures in the dark.
Me being escorted out of the Tombstone Terror-tory. Photo Credit: Rebecca Darling / Texas Traveling Mom
In the end, this was the worst strategy, as I was left alone in the dark with very scary dead cowboys watching my every move. I waited patiently for Rebecca while frankly trying not to pee myself with fright. Once she arrived, we proceeded through the scare zone. In the end, Tombstone Terror-tory was a little too terrifying for us two ladies. The minute I saw a Cedar Point employee, I held on to him for dear life as he lead us to safety. Be prepared for some real terror, cowboys and cowgirls. This isn’t for the faint of heart.
Next, we ventured into CornStalkers, a corn maze located near Tombstone Terror-tory. This was far less scary than our original experience. The maze is a traditional corn maze in the dark with some scary elements. Expect people hidden in the corn and others to enter in behind you to scare you. This is a fun maze and a quicker experience with a lot less places for people to jump out from. I would say kids over 13 would find this experience fun and not too terrifying.
A scary figure lurking in CornStalkers. Photo Credit: Sarah Pittard / Solo Traveling Mom
The other outdoor scare zones include Blood on the Bayou, Maniacal Mechanical Screamworks and Cut Throat Cove. Last but not least is CarnEvil, a zone filled with scary clowns. As someone with an absolute phobia of clowns after a bad experience with the movie It, there was no way I was going in there.
Haunted Houses
If being scared out of your mind and stalked through the park isn’t enough fright for you, there are five haunted houses open to the public. Each has a different theme and park visitors love going from one to the other to compare. I was frankly scared enough walking by Eden Musee house that going in seemed just silly. The house is filled with creepy wax figures, some of which are actually alive. The other houses include a zombie high school (rumored to be the scariest), a haunted infirmary,a mansion full of dead people and a house full of witches.
Tips for Surviving Cedar Point HalloWeekends:
- The first rule of HalloWeekends is that the scarers cannot touch you. You also cannot touch them. Everybody understand? Hands off! Therefore, they cannot actually kill you. Just try and keep that in mind.
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Photo Credit: Sarah Pittard / Solo Traveling Mom
The lines for these attractions are long. If you really want to experience HalloWeekends in one night, you may want to consider buying a Fright Lane pass. At $60 each in addition to park admission fees, the passes are not cheap. That being said, they get you exclusive front of the line access to select areas plus a skeleton key that opens secret rooms in several of the haunted houses. When you go in, please refrain from telling me what is in the secret rooms. I really don’t want to know.
- HalloWeekends are a great time to ride the amazing rides at Cedar Point. The lines are exceptionally short. Even for the biggest coasters, the wait at night is minimal.
- If you really want to scare someone, feel free to whisper their names to a scarer on the way into the haunted houses or in the scare zone. Nothing says “I love you” more than a zombie following you around and whispering your actual name.
- The more scared you look, the more likely you will be targeted by the scarers.
- Watch out for bright spot lights. They are great hiding places for zombies, monsters and ghosts to pop out from.
- Try and look behind you. A lot.
- For tamer fun, you can visit a row of gypsy fortune tellers located in the park.
- For more extreme scares, you can book a seat at Boeckling’s Banquet. This is a limited dining experience where you not only get to be scared out of your mind but enjoy some tasty food. Good luck getting out alive. Advanced reservations are needed.
What do you think? Are you Tough Enough to Survive Cedar Point HalloWeekends?
