ThrillRide! Special Features

GREAT use of live actors in this little scene. Some of the indoor passageways are almost pitch black; SCARY. And the stretch that goes past a window into a big freezer, ooooh, so nasty.

Then we head back outside and stroll through another dark bit of forest past this trashed pick-up, blinking headlights, steam rising out of the engine bay, neato!

Finally, there's a barn of some sort, and more bloody fun awaits in there before we're chased back out into the park.

Very strong. This one alone makes the cost of admission worthwhile. Go Pig, Go Six Flags!

Though not a maze, and not included in the cost of the wristband, The Last Ride was a totally unexpected highlight of SFDK's Fright Fest and if you really want a morbid thrill, it's only another five dead prezzies. Simply put, it's a simulation of your journey from rest home to grave inside the pine box. Set up to look like a funeral home viewing space, The Last Ride allows your party to watch and listen, via a live feed from inside the casket, as you experience this little, um, adventure.

Doug will be the first to tell you he HATES coffins, and I was psyched, so they miked me up and put me through it. To be honest, as I was taking off my shoes and easing myself down in there, I started to wonder if this was going to be much fun. Then the lid closed.

Warm, dark, confined. Not recommended for anyone with the slightest hint of claustrophobia. There are audio and light effects inside, and it's a very bumpy ride. I laughed, a lot, the entire time – it's all in good fun – but there's no escaping the thought that someday you'll be stretched out in one of these things, the lid will close, and it will never open again.

Best not to dwell on that, really.

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As you'll hear in the podcast interviews, the SFDK team is really proud of their Fright Fest, and they should be. It is a worthy contender in a very crowded and ever-growing field. And if this was any indication of the quality to be found at other Six Flags parks, I'm going to need to hit Magic Mountain's Fright Fest next year, for certain.

Oh, and we did get in a night ride on Superman... DAMN THAT IS THE BOMB.

Again, Happy Halloween, everybody! Only eleven months to go!