Event Report: Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor 2016
Sean Decker
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In keeping with its strong 2015 showing, Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor is back this year with a maritime vengeance, and we were there this past Thursday, September 29th to soak it all in. Read on to see what lurks in the bowels of the eighty-year old ship which houses this long-running SoCal fright fest.
Taking place on the dock and aboard the 1,000-foot-plus, three-stack, Art Deco steamer RMS Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA, the 2016 rendition of Dark Harbor offers up six fright mazes, which include the new “Intrepid” attraction, all delivered within an engagingly fun, carnival-like atmosphere.
Arriving to the event, we grabbed a cocktail at the Big Top Bar before venturing out into the festivities. Mere moments later, amid the searing, bellowing flames which lit the harbor and an array of booths hawking everything from food (there are many choices, “Toxic Fries” turned out to be our favorite) and beverage to assorted spooky merchandise, we ventured into the add-on attraction “The Sideshow of Freaks and Oddities,” in which we were greeted by the animatronic and interactive Sparky the Skeleton.
Engaging in a game of “Simon Says” with the comedic prop (in this case and more correctly a game of “Sparky Says”), many laughs ensued, culminating with fellow journalist and Sinful Celluloid writer Christopher Michael Jimenez spouting, “Sparky sucks!” to which Sparky replied, “Sparky doesn’t suck. Sparky doesn’t have lips.”
Following this hilarious encounter, we worked our way through the remainder of the attraction, which features carnival performers seemingly straight out of Tod Browning’s classic film Freaks and culminates in a bar/lounge area complete with a stage, on which magicians and carnie’s perform under the supervision of Dark Harbor’s character of Ringmaster.
From there it was on to the maze “Circus,” a dockside-erected clown-filled labyrinth which contained a ball pit, a vortex tunnel and more malevolent pranksters than you can shake a rubber nose at (and seemingly without end), followed by the maze “Deadrise,” in which we were marauded by cadres of monsters and ghosts within the faux watery grave of the Queen Mary herself.
Evident within both were two things: a decided lack of the now de rigueur human traffic jam inherent of most similar attractions, and the maze’s sheer size, which allowed for utter immersion into the narrative. Production design was high, and the actors were entirely committed and seemingly unfettered by the rigidity imposed on scare casts by other theme parks. In mazes and scare zones alike, we were often approached by cast, and given their demeanor, those encounters often concluded in good-natured laughter, regardless of their frightening visages (Dark Harbor’s makeup FX team is absolutely on point this year).
This personality continued throughout the majority of Dark Harbor’s mazes (although in this writer’s opinion “B340” was confusing in its design and the only letdown), in particular the hair-raising “Lullaby” and “Soulmate” mazes, all held within the darkened bowels of the eighty-one-ton vessel (purportedly one of the most haunted places in America).
Moving through the ship’s depths, it became delightfully evident that the park’s creative director has decided for this season to for the most part eschew jump scares in favor of a more nerve-wracking, slow-build experience. The use of “Lullaby’s” Scary Mary character, often standing backlit and dead still at the end of a hallway before us, was particularly effective in achieving that.
Evocative of a traveling carnival on steroids, Dark Harbor’s goal is to deliver sheer fun, and it does that in spades, and that’s just one more reason, in addition to the amazingly affordable ticket prices (under $40.00 for General Admission) you should visit.
Well played, Queen Mary. We loved it.
Dark Harbor runs 7:00pm to midnight through October 31. General admission ticket prices start at just $20 online, with Fast Fright upgrades, VIP R.I.P. Lounge access, Creepy Cabanarentals, and historic hotel packages available. For more information or to purchase tickets online, visit Dark Harbor online.
Categorized:News
