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This is similar to my Lion Country Safari Spotlight that I shared in March, so if you haven't already, be sure to check it out. - Anyhow, a brief explanation of what this is... I find Kings Island history interesting and I love Halloween. Combine the two with Kings Island's Halloween Haunt now being in its twelfth year and, well, you get something like this. This is the product of a bit too much time and quite an interest in the event, but hopefully some people here find it interesting and informative - All years, including 2011, are written in past tense. Pictures are taken from miscellaneous websites and Kings Island's official facebook, alongside select ones being from my own personal collection. - Any questions or comments, feel free to post. Also, if you have any photos for an attraction(s) that's currently lacking any (cough 2000's FearFest cough), feel free to share. - Alrighty, that's about it. Enjoy - 2000 The inaugural year for Paramount's Kings Island's FearFest. Debuted Friday, September 29 and ran for fourteen nights through October 31. According to PKI's executive vice president and general manager Tim V. Fisher, "This will be the largest and scariest haunted experience in the Midwest." Various "mazes" and attractions, all designed by Sudden Impact! Entertainment Company, were announced for the event. Several other minor attractions were also present, alongside a limited selection of the park's thrill rides. Full list, including quotes from UltimateRollerCoaster.com press report: Torture Tower (On Eiffel Tower) - Guests took an elevator to the 265-foot platform, where they would experience "wind howling through the bars of the tower" and encounter a "world filled with scenes of terror and torture including an electrocution." According to an online review of the event, the top of the tower also featured a mad scientist lab, a "wheel of death" and a performer who produced sparks with a cattle prod (similar to what is currently found in Massacre Manor) The Freezer (Beneath Eiffel Tower) - Reportedly the only true “maze” of the event, The Freezer was “FearFest’s coolest attraction” and was a stainless steel meat locker filled with mirrors and “crammed with corpses, crazed prisoners and ghouls.” Pirate Jack & the Legend of Halloween in 4-D (Paramount Theater Backstage) - Comic-book style, black-light maze. Centered around characters “Pirate Jack with his cronies Feer, Dowt and Worrry” and told the “tale of Halloween in horrific 4-D”. Featured “a combination of 3-D effects and the use of sets, special lighting and atmospheric illusion.” 3D glasses were available for an upcharge. The Sewer in 4-D (New York Nightmare, aka Festhaus) - Black-light maze with a spinning tunnel and “toxic waste and a host of bizarre creatures.” 3D glasses were available for an upcharge of $1. The Mummy's Revenge (Enchanted Theater) - A “claustrophobic journey through the catacombs of a ruin where the Mummy is [brought] back to life in search of revenge.” Included performers and themeing in the queue. Museum of Horrors (Phantom Theater) - A renovation of the family-friendly Phantom Theater into a gory and gruesome attraction. Additional props and performers were added through-out the attraction, as were moments of darkness and a change in operating procedures – only ½ of the cars were loaded to increase the distance between riders. While some scenes were intensified, others were simply covered with black scrim. The attraction's music was also switched-out to a different soundtrack. Club Studio Fifty-Gore (New York Nightmare) - Dance-club like environment with music and miscellaneous arcade games. Freak Show (Paramount Theater) - A short film, approximately six minutes. At least on certain nights, a fire juggler was featured prior to the movie. Pirate Jack, often considered the "mascot" of FearFest 2000 Action Zone's thrill rides (King Cobra, Top Gun, Drop Zone, Face/Off and Son of Beast) were also open during the night. The event featured a separate admission price of $19.99 ($17.99 when bought at the park alongside daily admission, $16.99 for season pass holders). Parking was $7. Due to the separate admission price, Kings Island would need to divide the daytime guests from the FearFest guests on Saturday nights. In order to do this, wristbands were issued to FearFest participants. Once FearFest started for the night, guests were required to have a wristband in order to experience any of the rides or mazes. Also, in order to avoid a massive mess at the park entrance, daytime guests were directed out through the former season pass entrance while FearFest guests entered via the standard entrance. - Advertisement in 2000 park map - On Fridays and Saturdays, FearFest ran 8pm-12am. On select Thursdays and the weekdays leading up to Halloween, the hours were 8pm-11pm. 2001 FearFest underwent major changes in 2001. Sudden Impact! Entertainment Company did not assist in the design or creation of the attractions, leading to a brand new list of haunted houses and trails. Outside of standard thrill rides, the majority of the event was shifted from International Street / Hanna Barbera to "Coney Maul". Circus of Horrors 3D (Festhaus) - A black-light maze with a spinning tunnel and an extensive usage of clowns. House of Darkness (Rock Shop Building) - The standard haunted house maze. Curse of the Crypt (Back of Arcade) - A dark and claustrophobic haunted house themed to the classic Egyptian tails of mummies and pharaohs. The attraction's entrance was at the spot of the current Plate Break game. Maze of Madness (Red Barn) - Originally to be named "The Morgue", prior to sensitivity concerns. A chain-link fence and mirror maze with loud noises and nauseating effects. Guests entered the attraction at the end of the building facing Racer. Trail of Terror (North Woods) - A dark pathway that twisted through Kings Island's woods. Featured zombies and other characters. Apparently had a minor back-story involving missing campers. During the attraction, visitors were required to hold onto a yellow "safety-rope" that linked all guests together. Elvira's Superstition (Paramount Action FX Theater) - A simulator attraction that took guests through Elvira's "Scream Park" Sleepy Hollow (Pathway from Vortex to Beast) - A foggy pathway with various monsters The list of thrill rides expanded with Xtreme Skyflyer, Days of Thunder, Adventure Express, Racer, Flight of Fear, Vortex and The Beast, alongside everything from 2001. The event was still an additional cost - $24.99 at the gate ($18.99 for season pass holders), $19.99 in advance ($16.99 for season pass holders). It ran for a total of eight nights from 8pm-1am. 2002 - FearFest returned for its third year with two "new" attractions. WEBN Celebrity Slaughter (International Showplace) - A nightly show where "your not-so-favorite celebrities, and possibly your 'friends,' come to their demise at the bloody hands of a demented DJ," according to the 2001 FearFest website. Psycho Path (North Woods) - An upgrade to the former Trail of Terror - Returning attractions were Circus of Horrors 3D, House of Darkness, Curse of the Crypt, Maze of Madness and Elvira's Superstition. Sleepy Hollow apparently did not return. - - The available thrill rides remained the same from the year before, only minus King Cobra and plus Tomb Raider: The Ride. Tickets were available at the park for $21.99 at the Return Visit Booth. The event again ran for eight nights from 8pm-1am. 2003 - FearFest dropped its extra admission fee in 2003 and expanded with two "new" attractions. Route 666 (Antique Cars) - An abandoned highway in which guests were able to drive through miscellaneous sets and scenes Curse of the Crypt (Back of Arcade) - A renovation of the pre-existing attraction. The entrance was presumably switched from the Coney Mall midway to between the Arcade and Racer this year, reducing the crowds on the path Returning attractions were Circus of Horrors 3D, House of Darkness, Maze of Madness, Psycho Path and Elvira's Superstition. WEBN Celebrity Slaughter did not return. The majority of the thrill rides, alongside many family rides, were made available during the event. This trend has continued since with the children's area and select family attractions typically shutting-down at a designated time. Now that the haunted attractions were included with park admission, select indoor haunted houses were able to open at 3pm. The outdoor attractions (alongside Circus of Horrors 3D) opened at 8pm. FearFest ran for five Saturday nights, closing at midnight. Additional FearFest 2003 Photos 2004 The park added three new attractions. Friday the 13th (Paramount Theater) - A montage of some of the bloodiest and goriest moments from the Friday the 13th franchise Sleepy Hollow Horror (Temporary Tent) - Built in a temporary tent near the back of Eiffel Tower, Sleepy Hollow Horror took visitors to the 1700s and into a creepy farmhouse. --- Dracula's Haunted Castle (Paramount Action FX Theater) - A simulator attraction that transported visitors on a thrill ride through a haunted castle Returning attractions were Circus of Horrors 3D, House of Darkness, Maze of Madness, Psycho Path and Curse of the Crypt. Elvira's Superstition did not return, having been replaced by Dracula's Haunted Castle. - FearFest 2004 Entrance Display - Curse of the Crypt entrance Like before, select indoor haunted houses opened at 3pm. Other attractions opened at 4pm, 7pm or 8pm, depending on location. FearFest ran for five Saturday nights, closing at midnight. Midway through the event, a section of Psycho Path caught fire. The cause was unknown and the attraction was temporarily shut-down, but it later reopened. Additional FearFest 2004 Photos

2010 Two new attractions were added to Halloween Haunt in 2010. Wolf Pack (Son of Beast Station) - A haunted house that toured guests through a forest and into a creepy cabin, avoiding the werewolves that stalked them. Included an on-ride photo at the start. --- Half-Pint Brawlers (Festhaus) - Midget wrestling with an excessive amount of blood. Featured ring-side seating for an additional $10. --- --- Returning attractions were Slaughterhouse, Hot Blooded, Cut-Throat Cove, Urgent Scare, Cemetery Drive, Club Blood, Tombstone Terror-tory, Death Row, Trail of Terror, CarnEVIL, Massacre Manor and CornSTALKERS. Ghouls Gone Wild continued performances during the day, but ceased showings during the Haunt hours. Urgent Scare's on-ride photo was moved from the beginning of the house to the end. Club Blood received a new sign. The Beast was "hauntified" with the addition of fog and a "beast" monster. Halloween Haunt 2010 Entrance Display (via KI facebook) 2011 The most recent year for Halloween Haunt and a decent-sized one in terms of expansion. Holiday Horror (Peanuts Playhouse) - A haunted house themed to miscellaneous holidays, including Christmas, Halloween and St. Patrick's Day. Included an "on-ride photo" at the start. Nightmare Alley (Planet Snoopy) - A new scare-zone populated by carnival freaks Mysteria (Red Barn) - A rename and rethemeing of the former Death Row. Featured new lighting effects and an extensive use of Morphsuits. Fright Lane - Not an actual attraction, but instead a new service available to park guests. For an extra fee, visitors were able to shorten their wait for every haunted house/trail. Returning attractions were Club Blood, Wolf Pack, Slaughterhouse, Cut-Throat Cove, Massacre Manor, Urgent Scare, Tombstone Terror-tory, CarnEVIL, Hot Blooded and Half-Pint Brawlers. Trail of Terror did not return. Boo Blasters on Boo Hill remained open during the event and received at least four actors hidden through-out the ride and exit. Cemetery Drive was expanded from Tower Gardens to all of International Street as part of a new scare-zone. Included in this was a minor new attraction, "Buried Alive", with an upcharge of $5. CornSTALKERS was relocated to Tower Gardens. Urgent Scare lost its outdoor segment and its on-ride photo. Club Blood received a new paint job. --- ------------------------------------------------------- - 2012 A new haunted house and several new scare zones were added, as was a new dining experience and a new show. Madame Fatale's Cavern of Terror (The Crypt) - A wax museum style haunted house. Utilized various props from Phantom Theater and The Crypt. On-ride photo included at beginning. Madame Fatale's Dead Inn Feast (The Crypt) - A unique dining experience hosted before the start of Haunt and housed in the former antechamber / preshow rooms of The Crypt. Nightmare Alley (Pathway between International Street and Action Zone) - A generic scare zone with an extensive use of eyeballs. Freak Street (Planet Snoopy) - A new name for 2011's Nightmare Alley. Grimm Blvd. (Action Zone) - A steam punk fairy tale style scare zone Death Drums (Action Zone Water Tower) - A unique music show. Returning attractions were Slaughterhouse, Club Blood, Wolf Pack, Cut-Throat Cove, Massacre Manor, Mysteria, Urgent Scare, CornSTALKERS, Tombstone Terror-tory, CarnEVIL, Holiday Horror, Cemetery Drive, and Hot Blooded. Half-Pint Brawlers did not return, enabling Graveyard Shift to be performed during Haunt hours. Cut-Throat Cove was reversed, placing the entrance near Sling Shot and allowing Viking Fury to remain open at night. The queue was reworked for Tombstone Terror-tory so that guests would enter through the White Water Canyon entrance. -------------------------------- So yep. I may get around to editing and expanding this, but that's the basics right there Hope you enjoyed; feel free to leave a question or comment.

Not Applicable: A. I didn't ask. B. Terp's good at abbreviations.

Outstanding, awesome, stunning, impressive, magnificent, astonishing, overwhelming and stupefy are just a few words that come to mind to describe your effort and history detail of this KI Halloween events. Thank you for taking the time to share with us TY!!! To everyone else, if you can relate to any of the words above in relation to TombraiderTY efforts or to describe your enjoyment of his report. Then please take a moment to click "Like This" on one of his posts above.

Did not even think about that! I was really expecting to see you there Mark! As we were walking through our daytime tour of Blood on the Bayou, we stopped to look at this cool prop not knowing Darlene was behind it. She opened one for those guillotine style doors and the slam of it hitting bottom scared Scott and I pretty good. (I think she scared herself a little as well.) Thanks for all the positive feedback guys!

2006 Various new shows and scare-zones were added in 2006, but no new mazes or trails. The Worksite (Pathway near Sling Shot, later relocated to pathway between International Street and Coney Mall) - A construction themed scare-zone featuring standard worksite equipment - cones, scaffolding and more. Initially a very small, minor attraction in front of Sling Shot, later heavily expanded and relocated to nearby Italian Job: Stunt Track. Original location of The Worksite Later location of The Worksite Later location of The Worksite Later location of The Worksite Holiday Horror ("Circle" Outside Zephyr) - A Christmas-themed scare-zone with meet-and-greet opportunities and some twisted themeing. Included a drinking/smoking Santa Claus and a collection of demented elves. The scare-zone was decorated with recycled Winterfest props, including snowmen, wreaths and garland. --- Scream Street (Paramount Story) - An attraction added later into the event. Scream Street was a simple foggy area with minimal themeing and chainsaw welding maniacs --- FearFest Hauncert Series (Temporary Stage in Action Zone) - Various local bands performing on every Saturday night (performances by The Truth, Close to Home, Motion Sick and The Machine) --- Heckle & Howl (Near Starbucks) - A comical and offensive show in which a witch or werewolf would mock and insult park guests. Utilized the house from Winterfest's Scrooge's House. Monster Bash (Paramount Theater) - A song and dance show featuring classic monsters and Halloween music The Asylum (Red Barn) - The former Maze of Madness under a new name with a minor rethemeing Cowboy Carnage (Rivertown Mining Company) - The former Massacre Manor under a new name and relocated further into Rivertown. Also underwent a slight rethemeing --- Cowboy Carnage during FearFest set-up Massacre Manor (Rock Shop Building) - The former R.L. Stine Fear Street Nights under a new name and without the affiliation to the horror writer Fear Feast (WINGS Diner) - An all-you-can-eat buffet with a scary theme Midway through 2006's FearFest, when The Worksite was relocated, a new operating policy was instituted for CornSTALKERS and The Worksite. Instead of treating the attractions as scare-zones (where guests were free to walk through without needing to queue), the decision was made to convert them into miniature trails. This meant that both major pathways became one-way walking routes that required waiting in line to experience. Returning attractions were Circus of Horrors 3D, Psycho Path, CornSTALKERS and Elvira's Superstition. The Curse of Sleepy Hollow overlay for Rivertown and Friday the 13th did not return. Circus of Horrors 3D was moved from Festhaus to Enchanted Theater. FearFest 2006 Entrance Display -- Phantom Theater characters, alongside ride vehicles from Phantom Theater and King Cobra, were displayed outside the park's entrance. Tombstones with defunct attractions and their years of operation were scattered around International Street. --- --- --- The park also featured "FearFest Souvenir Trailer" near Zephyr and "Coffin & Monster Photos" in Coney Mall. Additional FearFest 2006 Photos - KIC Additional Monster Bash Photos - KIC Additional FearFest 2006 Photos - KIE

Hey IndyGuy4KI great photos and report it was like I was there. Honestly I am disappointed I could not make the trip due to work issues. I enjoy hanging out and spending some guy time with you guys. When I woke up I was thinking "man I should had just sucked it up and went" but we ended up moving our family trip to Kings Island to Saturday so not all was a loss. I look forward to getting with the two of you soon. Again great job on the report it was one of you best.

See also Son of Beast. Oh, wait.....but for how long? BOO!