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Most towns have some sort of haunted house that pops up as Halloween draws near, but just like the county fair can't compete with a major theme park, spooky season has become the domain of Disney, Universal, and other national venues. None of the major theme parks releases attendance data for Halloween events, but they've become critical parts of the parks' overall revenue streams. Six Flags Great Adventure and Dorney Park, for instance, say their attendance figures during Fright Fest and Halloween Haunt can rival the summer season. And Disney's two family-friendly events – Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party (at Walt Disney World) and Oogie Boogie's Bash (at Disney California Adventure Park) – both sold out this year. As for Universal, horror has become a cottage industry. In addition to Halloween Horror Nights, the company has launched a year-round standalone immersive horror experience called Universal Horror Unleashed in Las Vegas, with another coming to Chicago in 2027. Every park has its own take on Halloween, though. Here's how they break down. Universal Halloween Horror Nights If you're looking for a good scare, Universal has been the go-to destination since 1991. Universal Orlando offers 10 haunted houses this year, with tie-ins for a number of franchises, including Fallout, the popular video game franchise that was adapted into a hit show on Amazon earlier this year; Five Nights at Freddy's, and WWE (via its supernatural faction The Wyatt Sicks). Universal Studios Hollywood has those same franchises (and more), but only eight haunted houses. You’ll be hunted down by iconic creatures from horror movies and other franchises who are wielding chainsaws, knives, and machetes. And guests happily wait for up to 100 minutes for the chance to scream. There are also two live shows in Orlando as well as food and merchandise specials. Beyond the theme park, the company has opened Universal Horror Unleashed in Las Vegas, which keeps four haunted houses running year-round as well as roving nightmares. Themes include Universal's classic collection of monsters, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Exorcist. Another Horror Unleashed will open in Chicago in 2027, occupying a 114,000 square foot commercial building across from the new Bally's Casino. Disney's Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party / Oogie Boogie Bash While other parks lean into horror, Disney aims for family friendly Halloween activities on both coasts. The events require a separate ticket, but offer five hours of access to special activities and a park with fewer guests, as well as three hours of regular park access. Disneyland's Oogie Boogie Bash sold out in just 11 days this year, with a dozen trick or treat trails, a special parade, and specially themed food and merchandise. In Orlando, Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party runs for 38 nights, with trick or treating, meet and greets with Jack Skellington and other rare characters, stage shows with The Sanderson Sisters from the Hocus Pocus films, and what many park goers believe to be the year's best parade, led by the Headless Horseman. Select attractions — including Space Mountain, Mad Tea Party, and Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor — are given Halloween overlays to add to the ambience. Six Flags Fright Fest Six Flags has been offering a special Halloween program longer than any major theme park, with Fright Fest (which was then called Fright Nights) launching at Six Flags AstroWorld in 1986. That Houston park has since been closed down, but the Halloween festivities are still going strong. Six Flags straddles the family friendly and horror loving crowds, with a daytime "Kids Boo Fest" on Saturdays and Sundays during scary season, hosting trick or treating and family activities. At dusk, the ghouls come out to play, with haunted mazes, based on both original ideas and tie-ins with Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Army of the Dead, and The Conjuring films. There are also immersive scare zones and shows, including the park's ghouls rising from the shadows along the park's fog filled lanes. Six Flags Great Adventure in New Jersey is the flagship Fright Fest, but most parks have some version of it during Halloween season. Dorney Park Halloween Haunt The Pennsylvania theme park (founded in 1884 and now owned by Six Flags) first rolled out Halloweekends in 1998, eventually rebranding the event to its current name in 2008. Like its parent park, Dorney offers a mix of Halloween-themed shows, outdoor scare zones and themed haunted mazes (such as a witch's house or a haunted hotel. Unlike Six Flags, the mazes are not tied to film or other IP. Dorney Park leans more to a family-friendly destination most of the time, so it also offers a trick or treat events for young kids, who can also purchase a "No Boo" pass, which tells the park's monsters not to spook them as they explore scare zones. 📬 Sign up for the Daily Brief
