Spooky season in Central Florida: What Halloween-themed activities are open?
FILE IMAGE-- Halloween -- Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images
ORLANDO, Fla. - Fall officially begins on Tuesday, pushing spooky season into full effect.
However, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, some Halloween-themed activities have been canceled. For example, both Mickey's Not-So-Scary at Disney's Magic Kingdom and Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando Resort were canceled to help prevent the spread of the virus.
The good news is that there will still be many haunted activities operating in Central Florida this fall.
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FOX 35 has listed many of the Halloween-themed activities that Central Florida residents can enjoy below:
THE HAUNTED ROAD
'The Haunted Road' is a completely contactless Halloween experience coming to Central Florida.
It is a drive-thru event that will be filled with a terrifying mix of theatrical storytelling, horrifying creatures, unexpected scares, and a twisted take on immortal tales. Guests will drive through a number of nightmarish scenes while being immersed into a "ghastly rendition of an untold story of Rapunzel as she journeys into a world of disarray, faces bloodcurdling creatures – and hundreds of shocking scares."
For families looking for something that the kids can enjoy, a family-friendly version of the event will also be available during the daytime on select weekends.
Tickets are on sale now and admission starts at $15 per person. Guests must choose a date and entrance time at the time of purchase. All tickets must be purchased in advance online. A 'Beyond the Road' upgrade will be available per car. It includes priority viewing for each scene, an exclusive bonus scene, and a digital photo during the experience. You can purchase tickets HERE.
SCREAM N' STREAM
'Scream N' Stream' is another drive-thru, socially-distanced Halloween event.
The haunt features both a family and a nighttime attraction. During the day, families can enjoy trick-or-treating in their car. They will travel down a one-mile road while meeting friendly characters, enjoying Halloween music, and receiving candy. Advance tickets start at $56 per vehicle. Day-of tickets are $74 per vehicle.
Then at night, visitors can drive their car straight into a horror movie during their 'Night at the Die-In' attraction. It is a 25-minute long experience along a 1.2-mile dark forest road. It features live performers, props, lighting, audio effects, and more. Advanced tickets cost $56 per vehicle. Day-of tickets are $69 per vehicle.
To purchase tickets for the Scream N' Stream event, visit the event's website.
SILVER MOON DRIVE-IN
Silver Moon Drive-In, a drive-in theater in Lakeland, is showing several Halloween movies throughout the month of October.
Movie showings include The Addams Famly, Hotel Translyvania, Casper, Hocus Pocus, The Purge: Anarchy, Dawn of the Dead, IT, and many more.
In addition, the drive-in theater will allow visitors to dress up in Halloween costumes for the entire month of October. They must be appropriate and no glow sticks or glow gear is permitted. On select nights, scarezones and scareactors will be active. They will be uniquely marked by management.
Tickets can be purchased on the Silver Moon Drive-In website.
OLD TOWN DRIVE-IN MOVIES
Old Town in Kissimmee will also show drive-in Halloween movies.
Showings will operate every Sunday night starting October 4th and include the following films: Beetlejuice, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Scream, and Hocus Pocus.
Parking is $10 per vehicle and includes all seated passengers. Parking will open at 6 p.m. and admission is first-come, first-serve. While the event is listed as "all ages," parents should be advised that one of the movies, Scream, is an R-rated film that includes violence and adult themes. Guests are encouraged to bring snacks and drinks from any of the shops in Old Town to the viewing.
The full movie schedule can be viewed and tickets can be purchased on the Old Town website.
MORTEM MANOR AT OLD TOWN
'Mortem Manor' is a year-round haunted house at Old Town in Kissimmee.
The haunt is open with COVID-19 modifications between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. Wednesday through Thursday, between 6 p.m. and 12 a.m. Friday through Saturday, and 6 p.m. through 11 p.m. on Sunday. Face masks and temperature checks are required.
Tickets start at $15 per person. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Mortem Manor website.
SEAWORLD ORLANDO'S 'FLICKS & FRIGHTS' EVENT
SeaWorld Orlando is getting into the Halloween spirit by showing scary movies during its new "Flicks & Frights" event -- all from the comfort of your car.
Every weekend starting September 19 and leading up to Halloween, you can grab your family and friends and enjoy a drive-in movie in SeaWorld Orlando's parking lot while enjoying locally sourced food trucks. A family-friendly Halloween film will be shown at 7:45 p.m. followed by a fright-filled movie at 10:30 p.m.
Tickets will cost $50 per carload of people. SeaWorld annual passholders get a 20-percent discount.
The movie rundown and tickets to the event can be purchased on the SeaWorld Orlando website.
Kathy Nahimy, Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker in the 1993 Disney production “Hocus Pocus.” (Photo credit: Walt Disney Pictures)
SEAWORLD ORLANDO'S HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR
SeaWorld Orlando's 'Spooktacular' event is ongoing and has been modified from previous years to allow guests to safely visit the park with limited capacity.
Children can roam the park in their Halloween costumes, trick-or-treating along a trail filled with ghoulish goodies and an assortment of candy favorites. There will also be a Halloween maze, cookie decorating experience, and breakfast with Count von Count for guests to enjoy.
The daytime Halloween fun takes place every Saturday and Sunday starting September 19 through November 1, 2020, and is included with park admission. Visit SeaWorld Orlando's website for more information, park hours, and to purchase tickets.
HALLOWEEN DECOR AND TREATS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD
While 'Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party' has been canceled, Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World will still be decorated for the spooky season, lined with glowing pumpkin wreaths and more. And for the first time, guests of all ages can come to the park wearing their Halloween costumes.
Some of the changes guests will notice include:
- Main Street, U.S.A., will be lined with glowing pumpkin wreaths
- A Halloween-themed cavalcade will travel down Main Street, U.S.A. It will feature iconic Disney characters like Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto and pals.
- Halloween merchandise will be on sale in select shops around the park.
- Special food and drink options will be on sale, including the famous pumpkin-spiced waffle sundae.
- Themed-photo opportunities from Disney PhotoPass will be located throughout the park.
The other parks will also welcome the fall season with specialty treats, like Halloween cupcakes at EPCOT and Animal Kingdom, as well as frozen apple cider at Hollywood Studios.
From Sept. 15 to Oct. 31, 2020, guests will experience fall décor on Main Street, U.S.A. in Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The fall season will bring special Halloween-themed food and drinks, merchandise and
HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS TRIBUTE STORE
Park guests at Universal Studios Florida can visit the Halloween Horror Nights Tribute store during the day.
The store was enacted after Universal Orlando Resort canceled the 2020 Halloween Horror Nights event. It is a pop-up shop dedicated to the haunt and features rooms devoted to legendary icons, monsters, and haunted houses. There is also limited-time "throwback" merchandise for sale and an assortment of nearly 20 sweet and savory items, including the Halloween Confetti Cake, Vegan Brownie Skull, and the Cherry Gummy Beating Heart.
The Tribute store, located in the New York area of Universal Studios Florida, is open daily during regular park hours.
HOWL-O-SCREAM AT BUSCH GARDENS
'Howl-O-Scream' is returning to Busch Gardens for its 21st year and will be modified due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The event will focus on open-air scare zones and entertainment, along with significantly limited capacity. The park said that "guests will experience the heart-pounding fear of unexpected horrors including freakishly fun themed open-air scare zones throughout the 335-acre park, in addition to Busch Gardens’ thrilling coasters at night."
Face coverings and temperature checks will be required, and visitors will be strongly encouraged to make reservations early since capacity will be greatly reduced. Guests will not be permitted to wear costumes.
Howl-O-Scream is a separately ticketed event at the park and will run every Friday through Sunday from Sept. 25 to Nov. 1. For reservations, visit Howl-O-Scream's website.
(Courtesy: Busch Gardens)
SCREAM-A-GEDDON
'Scream-A-Geddon' is a haunt in Dade City that features six houses.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, park capacity will be limited to 50 percent. Masks and temperature checks will be required.
Admission starts at $21.95 per person. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Scream-A-Geddon website.
GOBLINS & GIGGLES GETAWAY WEEKENDS AT GAYLORD PALMS
The 5th-annual Goblins & Giggles Getaway Weekends at Gaylord Palms gives guests a spooky staycation.
The haunt is operating through October 31st and offers dozens of experiences and attractions scattered throughout the property.
For more information and to book a getaway, visit the Gaylord Palms website.
FACE THE FEAR
'Face the Fear' is a drive-thru haunt in Longwood that allows visitors to encounter the tale of "The Gator King," which revolves around Dr. Henry Mordecai Mitchell and his alligator tonic creations. The event claims that "what you will see will give you nightmares.”
The attraction operates on October 23rd and 24th in Winter Springs. It costs $13 per adult and $6 per child (ages 10 and younger).
For more information, visit the Face the Fear website.
STAGE FRIGHT
The Melon Patch Theatre in Leesburg is presenting a 'Carnival of Frights' for two weekends in October.
This is a walk-through attraction that will bring visitors fair-themed scares. It operates on October 23rd- 24th and October 30th- 31st.
Tickets are $5 at the door.
LAKE CATHERINE BLUEBERRIES
The U-pick blueberry farm in Groveland is hosting two haunted trails this fall.
The farm will have several attractions, including a Haunted Halloween Maze, the Dark Forest Trail of Terror, and Catherine's Escape Room.
The trails will begin operating on September 25th and will go through October 31st. Hours on Thursdays and Fridays are between 6 and 10 p.m., Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m., and Sundays between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Tickets start at $10 per person to visit the haunted maze, $15 to visit the dark forest, and $95 per team to participate in Catherine's Escape Room.
For more information and to purchase tickets in advance, visit the Lake Catherine Blueberries website.
Tune in to FOX 35 Orlando for the latest Central Florida news.
FOX 35 will continue to update this list with more Halloween-themed events as they are discovered.