Dorney Park's 2016 Halloween Season to Feature New Haunts + New Family Fun

Dorney Park will expand their annual Halloween season events with several new attractions in 2016, both family-friendly and super scary, the park has announced.  The 9th annual Halloween Haunt will open on Friday September 16th and will feature 8 mazes, 4 scare zones, 25 rides, live shows and over 500 "gruesome creatures."  This year will also see expanded family friendly fun with The Great Pumpkin Fest, which will open on Saturday September 17th.

© Dorney Park

New this year is Blood on the Bayou, an indoor maze that replaces the former Desolation haunt.  Blood on the Bayou will force visitors to "discover the dark secrets that trouble the monsters of the French Quarter," complete with "mindless demons trudging through murky waters in search of their next victim."

The haunt has been successfully introduced to other Cedar Fair parks in the past, and typically features a unique open layout and a high level of theming.  The park is preparing for Blood on the Bayou to be one of their scariest haunts ever.

© Dorney Park

The park's second new haunt is named The Ward, and this is a not just a light retheme of the Asylum, but a totally new maze.  The maze still takes place in a hospital like setting, only now due to an "impending state sale," the "orderlies have some loose ends to tie up."  Sounds like the patients aren't the ones to worry about any more!  The park's site also notes that The Ward will feature inhabitants that are especially fond of getting up close and personal with visitors - be warned.

Both the ever-popular Blood Drums and Skeleton Crew live shows will return, along with a new addition - The Awakening: Power Struggle.  Described as "a battle of words and wit between those who wish to rule," the show will "determine the creature who will control the reign of terror" that evening.

Halloween Haunt IX will also see two new Skeleton Key rooms added to existing attractions.  These rooms are available only to Fright Lane key holders, and add an even more personal level of terror.  These new rooms will debut in the Mansion House Hotel and Cut Throat Island.  Additionally, this year the Blackout maze will be open to all guests whereas it was formerly only for Fright Lane visitors.  In total, this year's Fright Lane passes will work at 8 different haunted attractions and there will be a total of 6 Skeleton Key rooms.

© Dorney Park

While the nighttime scares of Halloween Haunt are a great time, families can also find plenty of scare-free fun during the day at the all new Great Pumpkin Fest.  This year will see the addition of Franklin's Monster Mania, featuring both the Funster House and Monster Foam Machine.  The Great Pumpkin Fest also features dressed up Peanuts characters, trick-or-treat stations, a foam pit, petting zoo, Halloween decorating areas and live entertainment.

In honor of the 50th anniversary of "It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!," the park will also show the classic special during the event.

Looks like there's plenty of fun in store for this fall at Dorney Park!