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I want to post this before it’s too late. Before your Halloween weekend is filled with plans that might NOT include the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride.
What are you still doing reading this? Buy your tickets NOW.
It’s worth the 10-minute walk from your car in a remote parking lot a 1.5-mile walk away from the hayride line. Walking through the park in the dark is half the fun (though bring some water or roadies and use the bathroom closest to your car).
It’s worth the 45-minute to an hour wait (the wait might even be longer later in the night). The longer you wait to go, the farther away you’ll have to park.
I give it a B+.
MaineMan gives it a solid B.
MarineMom and her hubby give the hayride a B. They are the local Halloween experts, having done Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights,* Old Town Haunt in Pasadena** and Six Flags Fright Fest.***
I don’t want to give anything on the hayride away, but I have some friendly advice, unless you want to be stalked by creatures avoid the back corner of the flatbed truck (which is low to the ground and covered in hay — truly awesome).
Overall, the ride is not terrifying — that’s why I liked it. It was mildly scary, but extremely entertaining and fun. The costumes, makeup and concept are really unique and well done. I can’t handle REALLY scary anymore. If you’re looking for sheer terror hit up Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor (the Village of the Damned, specifically).
Hayride gripes: They had a few scary creatures weaving in and out of the lines (see below), but they needed more. They had a creepy sideshow on too small a stage to really see or enjoy from every switchback in the line. They need a bigger stage so you can really see/hear what was going on. All of us wondered, what does that creepy clown do in real life??
MarineMom noted the hayride had a great “Halloween feel,” the actual hayride was scary in an original way without using generic horror movie characters, but with the price at $25 she feels like maybe more could’ve been included. Agreed.
Nothing will compare to Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor. We did the mazes last year and they were just way off the charts, crazy town scary. And the ship is actually haunted so they have a leg/ghost up on any other “haunted” mazes in the area. MaineMan and I both give Queen Mary’s haunted mazes (we went last year) an A+. My review on Yelp is here. I just think I’m mazed out. I can’t handle the intense scares anymore (unless it’s on the television).
Here are MarineMom’s other grades for the Halloween scares around town:
*Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights: A
So far this is my favorite, one downfall is the crowds are thick, so go in early October and get there when it opens! Another is that Horror Nights is not included in a park ticket, so staying all day is not an option and some rides will be closed. However, once they open the gates at night it’s a complete “Halloween City.” No corner is undecorated and you must watch your back even on the way to the restroom for zombies chasing you or yelling in your ear when you least expect it. There are as many as 8-10 different mazes, haunted houses (some even in 3D) & shows. The backlot tour is a must do and is creepy! The $55 ticket is a great buy for hours of scary fun and multiple attractions.
This was a fun and pretty scary haunted warehouse, especially the part where you have to crawl on your hands and knees through a dark tunnel hoping nothing jumps out at you. While waiting in line there are plenty of ghouls to entertain you, although the walk through goes pretty quickly. $15 is well worth it if you just want a quick evening haunt without doing the theme park thing.
Here you get to go to the park during the day and the Fright Fest at night is included in the price. Usually this time of year if you buy a one-day ticket then you get the rest of the year included. Can’t beat that! However (last year anyway), they charged an additional $5 for a wristband that gets you into some of the mazes (well worth it). The entire park is decorated and there are dressed up characters everywhere. It never seems to be too crowded so lines to the attractions are usually short.
