Half of top 10 US theme parks to visit for Halloween are in California: See the list
LOS ANGELES - A new survey just ranked the most popular theme parks in the U.S. to visit for Halloween - and half of the top 10 are located in Southern California.
That's according to data from JeffBet, which assigned each theme parks a score out of 10 based on several factors including attractions, availability of their Halloween event, crowding, price, seasonal popularity, spooky theming, and value for money.
Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio took the top spot, scoring 6.9 out of 10. It also scored the best for value for money, with the $46.99 entry fee and $25 parking. The theme park also performed well for Halloween theming, offering 19 themed "nighttime frights" planned over their "Halloweekend" events, including mazes, outdoor scare zones, and live shows. Cedar Point also was one of the top scorers for popularity, with the second-highest annual search volume (second to Universal Studios Hollywood) and was rated 4.6 out of 5 by reviewers.
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Coming in at No. 2 is Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, California - mostly due to its manageable crowd levels, the survey found.
Knott's reports an average daily footfall of 10,085 and a crowd level score of 37% each October - yet manages to keep lines for rides fairly reasonable at a maximum of 73 minutes. The theme park also was recognized for its impressive theming thanks to 19 Halloween-specific attractions as part of Knott's Scary Farm, which offers 10 immersive mazes, 5 scare zones, and four live shows.
Rounding out the top three parks is Disneyland, which came out as the top-scorer for amenities with a huge 127 eateries and 76 gift shops across the whole resort. The beloved park also apparently offers some of the best value for money, as the $114 online ticket price and $30 parking cost go far, with 58 attractions and up to 16 hours in the park.
Three other theme parks in California made the top 10 - Six Flags Magic Mountain, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Disney California Adventure Park.
Here's the full top 10:
- Cedar Point (Sandusky, Ohio)
- Knott's Berry Farm (Buena Park, California)
- Disneyland (Anaheim, California)
- Six Flags Magic Mountain (Valencia, California)
- Kings Island (Mason, Ohio)
- Hersheypark (Hershey, Pennsylvania)
- Universal Studios Hollywood (Universal City, California)
- Six Flags Great Adventure (Jackson Township, New Jersey)
- Busch Gardens Williamsburg (Williamsburg, Virginia)
- Disney California Adventure (Anaheim, California)
On the other end of the scale, the theme parks that came out as the least desirable picks this Halloween were Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, which scored 3 out of 10, and Universal Studios Florida, which scored 3.9 out of 10.
"Halloween is one of the most in-demand events at US theme parks, as they take the opportunity to attract visitors with live-action scare shows, pumpkin carving competitions, and fancy dress parties," a JeffBet spokesperson said. "However, the big names like Universal Studios and Disneyland Resort tend to overshadow smaller providers like Knott’s Berry Farm and Cedar Point, making it easy for visitors to end up overpaying for an experience that may actually be better elsewhere."
Did your favorite theme park for Halloween make the cut?