of their way and purposefully subject themselves to the horrors of spooky-themed attractions and entertainment, just to get a good jolt of fear into their system.
While most would conclude that kind of behavior is masochistic, it’s actually been the norm for hundreds of years or so— or however long Halloween has been around— and, so, those in search of the next fright fest can pack their bags and embark on a voyage onboard the Queen Mary— at least its scarier, grumpier counterpart.
From Sept. 29 to Halloween, the Queen Mary becomes the Dark Harbor, an evening event filled with mazes, soul-stealing monsters, swings and other gimmicky antics.
A total of six mazes are featured at the Queen Mary’s annual scary attraction— B340, Soulmate, Lullaby, Deadrise, Circus Big Top Terror and Intrepid— not to mention a 4-D theatre experience, VIP lounge, paintball shooting range and giant swing.
While, admittedly, it’s quite similar to its version from last year, the Dark Harbor still does a lot of things right that makes it a fitting pastime for the Halloween season.
The calling card for the event this time around is the all-new maze Intrepid. In this adventure, attendees wander through parts of the Queen Mary while the Iron Master, the creator and protector of the ship, attempts to guard it from ghouls onboard.
It’s important to note that there are two routes— upstairs and downstairs— to choose from, but the choice in direction is in the hands of the Iron Master, who simply gestures participants toward a pathway. It’s not clear whether both paths lead to the same destination.
For the most part, the new attraction is fine, and it doesn’t necessarily stand out, but it is always fascinating to see the “narrative” of all these mazes come to life, especially the performers who play their parts as monsters or ghosts.
[aesop_image imgwidth=”500px” img=”http://www.signaltribunenewspaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/CULTURE-Dark-Harbor-review-1.jpg” align=”right” lightbox=”on” caption=”A spooky cast of characters— complete with Halloween get-up and makeup— were lurking around the Dark Harbor and its mazes at the grand opening of the event Thursday, Sept. 29. Guests are prohibited from wearing costumes at the harbor, with the exception of Halloween— when attendees can wear outfits, without masks or props, for the event’s annual costume ball. ” captionposition=”right”] The cast of characters who actually play their parts quite admirably are those in the B340 maze. This attraction explores craze-minded individuals who have been driven to the point of insanity at the hands of Samuel the Savage.
The selling point here is the two ship dwellers who incessantly whisper incoherent sentences that really drive home the theme of insanity. They really nailed their delivery. It’s worth checking out just for that alone.
Circus Big Top Terror is exactly as its name implies— a carnival house filled with a colored ball pen, a house of mirrors and a wacky room with spinning walls and a variety of neon-bright colors that are sure to induce folks into some kind of daze.
Speaking of being dizzy— the giant swing in the middle of the theme park is a thrilling ride that is quite fun, but lasts about a minute too long. Don’t eat and swing, folks.
The 4-D theatre experience was a five-minute, first-person film adventure in which the protagonist is wandering through the Queen Mary while attempting to escape its monstrous inhabitants.
Expect bubbles, a splash of water, some foul stenches and a seat that pinches your sides spontaneously— a feature that will have most participants wondering when that blasted seat will strike, as opposed to paying attention to the film.
The paintball shooting range left a lot to be desired. Besides a long wait time, participants are only given 30 pellets to hit vague targets with little to no payoff for the effort. It’s a bit of a dud— not to mention that the guns had stiff mobility, and no goggle protection was provided.
The food is slightly overpriced— sort of what you would expect at a theme park— and some vendors only take cash. There is an ATM for those in need of currency at the entrance. There are plenty of bars scattered around the harbor, and there are plenty of options.
The Signal Tribune recommends attendees purchase a fast pass in order to avoid a long wait, however it does cost a pretty penny— almost the same price as another general-admission ticket. On second thought, go ahead and save the money and invite a date instead. Create some idle conversation while you wait.
Tickets for the Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor start at $24. For more information, visit queenmary.com/events/dark-harbor.
