It’s that time of year again. The weather starts to cool and pumpkins start appearing in shop windows and outside people’s houses. As part of the Halloween fun, La Ronde has transformed the park into a major scare-fest. With two haunted houses, multiple scare zones and late-night rides, our hopes were high.
The first thing to note is that the park is significantly busier during Fright Fest. If you want to ride some coasters, we advise getting there during the early afternoon. That way, you can hit up the biggest rides during the day and then when it gets dark, you can hit up the park’s scare zones.
As part of the fun, actors in elaborate costumes run around the park, frightening innocent passers-by. The deeper into the park you get, the more terrifying the costumes become and the more determined the actors are to scare. Getting chased by a man with a chainsaw is definitely one way to get your heart rate up and keep you warm in the evening.
The scare zones around the park are good fun but they get packed out quickly. There is no queuing system so you walk around the zones with a bunch of guests, most of whom have their phone out. It’s a fun experience, but if you want a real thrill, you have to go into the haunted houses – which cost extra.
Although the tickets cost $12, it is definitely worth paying for the added experience of entering the haunted house. The “Evil Circus 3D” includes 3D glasses for a colorful, trippy experience which is ruined only by the psycho clowns which jump out at you on every corner. These guys make Pennywise look like Ronald McDonald.
Overall, Fright Fest at La Ronde is a fun way to spend an afternoon and evening with friends over the Halloween period. The main takeaways we have are:
- Get there early if you want to hit up the rides.
- Expect to pay more if you want to visit the haunted houses.
- Wrap up warm if you plan on staying late.
- Eat beforehand if you want to avoid overpriced food with long queues.
- Don’t forget to ride “Goliath.”