Sunday, September 5, 2021

Dorney Park Labor Day + Pre Haunt 2021 Update


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As the summer season winds down, Dorney Park is getting ready for Halloween Haunt in full force.  The annual scare fest starts in two weeks, so the park has a ton of the scare zones and haunted houses up all over the park.  It was a beautiful day for a stroll around the property during Labor Day weekend, let's check out how progress is going for the fall events.


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Haunt will start on Saturday September 18th and then run Friday evenings and Saturday nights through October 30th.  As in past years the Haunt activities will start in the evening on Saturdays, but during the day The Great Pumpkin Fest will be held - a family friendly event celebrating the fall and Halloween perfect for kids.


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The park is still looking for people who want to have some fun scaring the heck out of visitors, and are paying $20 an hour for them to do it.  There are many signs throughout the park advertising the hourly rate as the tough labor market rages on.


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Turning to Haunt attraction prep, there's a lot going on at the park.  Blackout will return this year, but since it takes place indoors and in total darkness there's not really much to see other than the sign out front of the building.


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A fan favorite, and a great favorite of mine, Blood On The Bayou will also be returning this year.  As a standalone haunt in its own building, this one stays up year round enticing visitors as they pass by.  The haunt's amazing sets and creative scares make it one of the most popular attractions at Dorney Park's Haunt.


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Hydra Plaza looks different this time of year as the park sets up a giant stage for Haunt and also a temporary food and beverage outlet.  Exactly what these will offer remains a mystery for now, as the park's only listed entertainment so far is Skeleton Crew, which is down by Possessed.


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CarnEvil is returning as well, a fun outdoor scare zone with plenty of clowns packed into a tight walkway that is closed off on either side by giant banners, with flags and creepy lights above.  Even walking through this area during the day and not even during Haunt season is funny as many guests appear on-guard as if a clown make jump out at any moment.


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Down by Demon Drop at the end of the midway the setup of CornStalkers is in full force, with plenty of cornstalks laying around ready to be set up.  This is another popular attraction that always has a bigger line, and is a combination indoor and outdoor haunt maze.


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Tourist Trap is one of the park's most original and newest indoor haunt mazes.  Set at the 1893 World's Fair the haunted house invites guests into a hotel where many never check out.


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Down near Thunderhawk the outdoor scare zone maze mashup, as I call it, called The Lair has also been set up.  This one was a new attraction before the pandemic hit so it'll be great to experience it once more this fall.  And who doesn't love vampires?!


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Necropolis will be scaring visitors again this year in its giant outdoor graveyard of ghouls.  This one is hard to get photographs of as it's set back across from Steel Force's station, but you can see the facade for the entrance peeking through in the background of this photo.


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One of 2021's new attractions is a indoor maze named Enigma.  It will be located in the building above, which as of now hasn't changed much from when it was Urgent Scare in past years.  Inside however the new Enigma will be filled with optical illusions and other confusing settings that will distract while the monsters... pounce.


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One attraction that was done several years ago is making a return this year, much to the pleasure of Haunt fans like myself.  The park is again using their awesome pirate ship prop to create and area that features the Skeleton Crew show and the Port of Call Pub bar wrapped up in a nicely themed section.  The area is blocked off while the prep is completed, but you can see most of the sets from the midway.


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A brand new scare zone for 2021, The Hollow, is being set up on the park's lower midway just past the train track and near the Monster flat ride.  The park is taking great advantage of how much this area has grown in over the years, since it is mostly covered by trees at this point and has a secluded feeling all on its own.  The area is now filled with new pumpkin patch/gothic/outdoorsy decorations combined with some repurposed ones, plus pumpkins everywhere.  The Hollow is still being set up and it's already looking great and has much promise!  I can't wait to see what kind of ghouls set up shop here when the sun goes down.


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