Let’s be honest. Last years Dark Harbor at The Queen Mary was a very good mixed bag. The new maze, Intrepid, based on the origin story that built the Queen Mary herself, was just ok while the rest of the event grew in fascinating new ways.
Fast forward to now, moments before the lights dimmed on the panel discussion for The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor for 2017. There were rumblings of a new maze, full-on reinvention of fan favorites, and a fresh, aggressive approach to the strengths of the amazing haunt. First on stage were Director of Talent, David Wally, and Executive Producers Steve Sheldon and Charity Hill to cheers from the crowd. Then, a drunken Captain arrived on stage soon followed by The Ringmaster.
The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor has looked at itself in the mirror and decided to play to its biggest strengths; A seemingly endless history paranormal activity, a great party atmosphere, and the perfect location.
It was announced that every single returning maze will be revisited and revamped. Returning are Deadrise, B340, Lullaby, Soulmate, Circus. It was announced that Soulmate will be far scarier, more aggressive in nature, while Lullaby and B340 will enjoy new paths that are sure to disorient and bewilder. Deadrise, which is located off of the ship, will apparently feature a two-story water feature, while Circus will be moved out of the dome and offer guests a chance to choose their own paths.
The big news came with the announcement of the wonderfully delicious new maze, Feast. Based on actual events from the sailing days of the Queen Mary, Feast will feature a brand new character, The Chef. It seems that while sailing the seven seas back in the day, there was a chef who took it upon himself to poison passengers he did not like. When his staff found this out, the promptly murdered him by shoving him into a walk-in oven. Building on the lore, the maze continues the chef and his story as he returns to seek vengeance. This new character is a delectably vile idea that plays to the haunt’s strengths which are, of course the history.
Of course it’s not just about the haunts. In addition to the new maze, up-charge offerings will be available for premium prices. Spooky Cabanas will entice guests with private hideouts during Dark Harbor while the Hookah lounge will return, along with the sideshow.
Alcohol and a party atmosphere are something that the Queen Mary has become very good at. This is the only haunt in southern California that holds a Halloween night, costume party. This is not to mention the new happy hours at the Voodoo Lounge, another hidden bar, and the barrel room where guests can partake in tequila tastings.
This weekend is the annual Midsummer Scream event at the Long Beach Convention Center and this year, HorrorBuzz is a bigger part of the action. We have a booth, like last year, but we have curated the programming for a new short film festival held at Midsummer Scream. We are calling the Screaming Room and you should come buy and check it out. We will also be selling a new thing called the Passport to Fear that every Halloween junky is going to need to get.
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The Passport to Fear events are one-night, special ticketed events at the best haunts in southern California. We take you behind the scenes, introduce you to the creators of the haunted attractions you love and march you to the front of the line. It’s a guided tour of terror sold only by HorrorBuzz. This year there are four destinations including Knott’s Berry Farm, Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor, Six Flags Fright Fest, and a special night at the Winchester Mystery House on Friday, October 13th!
Tickets to the four events are on sale NOW at our booth at Midsummer Scream
and online here on the site.
