Ocean Park’s Halloween Fest is back! Celebrations were canceled last year due to the pandemic, but the fest came back strong with loads of experiential activities as the park marks the 20th anniversary of their famous Halloween Fest. Yet, there were no haunted houses this year to prevent the spread of the virus; they were replaced by some open attractions and a series of performances and exhibitions.
The adult tickets start at HK$360, with an addition of HK$280 if you want to experience three extra horror attractions on top of that. Shroffed checked out what Ocean Park offered to those who didn’t pay for the extra attractions. Here’s an honest review: as there are no haunted houses this year, is it still worth the time and money?
Daytime Events
20 Years of Horror Exhibition
Former costumes used in the Halloween Fest for the past 20 years were displayed in the exhibition. Having the opportunity to see every detail of the costumes, you will admire Ocean Park for the efforts they have made during Halloween for the past 20 years.
The park also organized a fan-meeting event for Helena Law Lan, an actress of the fest for more than ten years. She shared her experiences by dressing up in different characters matching each year’s theme, and thanked everyone who came for supporting her and the park for the past 20 years.
Jack O’Lantern’s Kingdom
Right next to the exhibition, there are decorated pumpkins everywhere with a 5-meter tall Jack O’Lantern King statue at the center. Many visitors took pictures to document their visit, and kids had a lot of fun running around.
Thrill Rides
Rides that are normally closed at 7 pm were open until 10 pm during the fest. Without paying the extra HK$280 for the Halloween attractions, people were queuing up for the rides just like any other day. Hair Raiser, one of the most exciting rides, had an estimated waiting time of 120 minutes at 4 pm. However, the actual waiting time was three hours. After the ride, the sky was already dark and it was time to proceed to the nighttime attractions.
Nighttime Events
Wedding of the Undead
The theme this year was to witness the marriage of zombie couples coming from the underworld. From red lanterns to paper mansions, everything on set was a bit creepy as it looked a bit like a Chinese funeral. There were performances of the undead along the way as people followed the crew from one place to another. Unlike the previous years, the performers this year were not scary but friendly. Actually, the entire journey was not really frightening, so it may be disappointing.
An Overview
Since the fest was canceled last year, people may have higher expectations of this year’s activities. However, the final result may not be able to make every visitor satisfied. The tickets for the three extra attractions were sold out a month ago, so not everyone would have the chance to experience the Halloween-themed attractions apart from the normal thrill rides and attractions. Also, very unexpectedly – there weren’t any jump scares anywhere at the park, which is usually commonplace at Ocean Park at Halloween.
In fact, queuing up for the Hair Raiser for three hours was already enough to make people exhausted to continue the day. The arrangement of the wedding of the undead was somehow messy and there were no clear instructions for the flow. The park was so crowded, and it was hard even to take a breath. And one more thing, visitors coming to the park put in even more effort in dressing up than the performers at the park.