Dark Harbor 2016: Streets, Sideshows, RIP Lounge, and Other Attractions

Queen Mary, Long Beach, CA

Ghoulish greetings on this Thursday morning!  We continue full throttle today with the second half of our Dark Harbor 2016 coverage, following yesterday's recap of the event's mazes.  Today, we basically take a look at everything else, from this year's R.I.P. Lounge to the street ambiance and sliders to the special attractions offered outside of the mazes.  And there's a good amount to cover, so lets get right in!

Opening and R.I.P. Lounge

Last Thursday, for Dark Harbor's opening night and media night, we arrived at 6pm to take advantage of exclusive media time prior to the 8pm public opening.  With the golden rays of the sun still filtering in, the event didn't feel spooky quite yet, but soon enough, the ambiance would change. 

Already there were monsters wandering about an engaging various members of the press.  But we had our mind on one thing: tacos.  Yes, our visit included access to the R.I.P. Bar located on the second floor deck adjacent to the Queen Mary, and this year, they have a cash bar plus an all-you-can-eat taco bar buffet.  And so, with monsters filtering through to entertain the media crowd, we enjoyed our tacos and watched the sun descend to mark the start of another Dark Harbor opening night.

Time to head into Dark Harbor!

This year's entrance wraps around the village (and last year's "Voodoo Village").

Under the second entrance, a barker talks up the event to incoming guests.

Inside, the spirits of Dark Harbor have already been released, including this fantastic-looking monstrosity.

The souls of the Queen Mary's haunted past have risen for another fall season.

We even spot Scary Mary, here to play and terrify!

But we must eat first, so we make it up to the R.I.P. Lounge.

It offers a nice view over the Dark Harbor grounds.

Importantly... TACOS!!!

The taco bar is rather excellent, with chicken, carne asada, and carnitas as the choice of meats, plus two types of salsa, sour cream, fresh guacamole, cilantro, onions, and red and green sauce as toppings.

Monsters also filter through to entertain.

This monster's face is pretty sweet. #GetIt?

Here we spot a most savage Samuel.

Samuel the Savage is apparently a big Westcoaster fan!

Of course, we must also pay tribute to The Captain and Graceful Gale.

They really are the power couple of Dark Harbor.

The Sideshow

Back for another year is this $5 upcharge, which takes guests through a series of freaky displays and bizarre characters before depositing them in the middle of a bar and performance stage area where they can sip on some booze while watching music acts, torture shows, some magic, or any number of live entertainment options.  This year, rather than bring guests in then divide them into multiple different mini-attractions, the interactive components were combined into one longer walk-through.  I thought it made for a more fun experience, and the upcharge is worth the small fee, which accommodates unlimited returns through the Sideshow, if guests wish to see different performances.

Step right up for a look at freaks and creatures of the macabre!

First up, a giant clam.  Which only makes me think of "Rock Lobster."

Sparky the insult comic skeleton is back.

Sparky interacts with guests live and tells jokes and terrible puns.

As guests move through, they pass a series of curious artifacts.

Snaaaaake oh snake!!

No badgers, though.

But we do encounter a bearded lady who promises that we're going to be a star!

This actress absolutely nailed her role.

She had quite the charisma and oozed a bit of a Joan Rivers vibe.

Helloooooo, Mermaid!
 

Yes, the Sideshow also allows guests to witness a real live mermaid!  Poor Ariel.  Times must be tough for her to take the money to just lie there to be gawked at.

My favorite feature here was Sheldon the Shrunken Head, who was basically a haunted version of Beaker.  Complete with "Mee mee mee!!" sounds.

The White Ghost marks the end of the walkthrough.

Last year, this was standalone from within the interior of the Sideshow grounds, but this year, it is part of the way in.

Once inside, guests come upon a small stage area were performances occur regularly.

This musical act features a sullen clown.

He'll sing, but he doesn't have to like his audience.

It's random, humorous entertainment.

Our emcee of the evening, with her sad face.

And her cute face.

Messing around with fellow talent.

They ham it up for the camera.

Yes, just give the lady a ride!

Wheeeee!!!!

It's nice to know that even in passing, Prince has found work.

Other monsters roam the grounds as well.

At one point, a fire spinner astounds the crowd, which includes guests who rent the Creepy Cabanas available for an extra price.

That would be those tents behind everyone.

There's also a sort of torture/magic show here.
 

Penetrating skin with a long hat pin.

And then there's this.

Yes, he's swallowing a long balloon.  And that's all I'll say about the matter.

But he doesn't want the balloon stuck in there, so he needs to pop it somehow.

Lets just swallow a string of razor blades.

Tada! He does it!

And so on and so forth!

Hex Paintball Gallery

Last year, Dark Harbor debuted a monster paintballing upcharge called the Anubis Paintball Challenge that basically involved guests paying $5 to shoot paint balls at various targets and occasionally wandering monsters.  It was a waste of money, since the guns were fixed with limited range of shooting (for good reason, less guests turn the guns on each other at point blank range), and the monsters didn't exactly provide energy.

This year, that feature is back, but without the monsters, and with a new name: Hex.  As the storyline goes, the Voodoo Village is gone, because a great hex has been placed on it.  So guests must shoot their way toward breaking said curse.  Unfortunately, this year's offering is even less complete than last year's, and I wouldn't really recommend paying extra for this unless there is literally nothing else to do.

Here's the skinny on the Hex: Paintball Gallery attraction.

This is one of the few remaining references to last year's voodoo-themed maze in the village area.

Inside the paintballing shooting range.

The guns are filled with several dozen rounds.

While there may very well be monsters meant for this attraction, we did not encounter any on our experience.

Panic: A 4-D Experience

Conversely, the upcharge experience that proved to be a pleasant surprise was Panic: A 4-D Experience.  We joked that maybe this was actually FearVR suddenly relocated to Queen Mary, since we hadn't heard of any fanfare for this previously.  But it's basically a surprisingly well-done (though campy) computer animated journey into the Queen Mary, which turns into a monstrous, zombie-infested, rampaging haunted house where the audience is the damsel running from the crazed killers.  With accompanying water, air, and poking effects, the five minute film is actually pretty fun, and being off one's feet is kind of welcome too!

Panic is located on the same gangway that leads to the R.I.P. Lounge, adjacent to the entrance of Soulmate.

It's inside the 4-D theater that has been built inside the Queen Mary.

Waiting for the show to start.

Obviously, there are no photos of the actual video, but I will say that I found this to be solidly entertaining, with some guests actually screaming in surprise fright at various points of the film.  It's certainly the best upcharge I've ever seen at Dark Harbor, and I do recommend trying it!

Streets

Of course, along the streets of this haunted carnival, there are all assortments of twisted creatures, gory theming, fire towers, and the Scary Swings, just as in previous years.  The monsters throughout Dark Harbor are incredibly passionate and very engaging.  Some excel at scaring and sneaking up on guests, while others are more akin to weird but entertaining circus performers.  Though they lack the polish of a Knott's or Universal production, it doesn't matter, because they clearly pour their hearts into this event and really do a terrific job with guest interaction, scares, and acting.

The Scary Wings are back!

They're scary because Michael Jackson once owned this attraction at Neverland Ranch.

So who knows what deeds occurred on this ride?

The increase in booze was a big selling point of Dark Harbor at this year's Midsummer Scream, and this bar is one of many that the public can access.

Of course, the sprawling scare zone is nothing without the monsters.

They're all fantastic and fun.

Some represent the event icons...

...while others are decked out int the style influenced by the introduction of this year's new icon, the Iron Master.

And some just look cool in their own right.

This one wants to have a ghostly pajama party all night long!

This monster's hand/prop was pretty amusing.  Love the effect!

Haunted Snuffaluffagus (my name only) is back.

Would you trust your fortune to this gypsy?
 

Another Iron Master minion.

Here's a monster trying to get a leg up on the scaring competition.

Of course, the theming is a lot of campy fun too.

There's a bit of a state fair haunted house vibe to it all.

I do love these roller coaster riding skeletons.

More dramatic things.

Fire along Monster Midway creates a dramatic sight!

The Sliders

Finally, Dark Harbor also features sliding monsters among its talented line-up.  No, sliders are not exclusive to Knott's Scary Farm, though the Buena Park attraction certainly provided the genesis.  But Dark Harbor openly celebrates their sliders more, allowing them to do two performances a night that showcase sliding skills and acrobatics.  They're fun shows for those who miss this sort of thing at Knott's Scary Farm, and it's great that they get to do these performance-based tricks at Dark Harbor!

A slider warms up with some regular slides down a cleared out portion of Slider Alley, next to the Spruce Goose Dome.

They demonstrate tricks like sliding through monster legs.

And more legs.

And even more, lengthening the tunnel.

Here's an alternate version with monsters in high plank position.

Not unlike what one might see at a Decayed Brigage Knott's Sliding Monster show, the Dark Harbor brigade has fly-by's and dynamic moments too.

Going the distance, or going for speed?
 

They choreograph little tricks that are fun to watch.

Lets wheelbarrow this one.

Of course, they do jumps too.

The Iron Master serves as the announcer for these shows.

In at least one show, there's also a fake fight that creates lanes for sliders to thread.
 

I didn't get to watch all of both performances.
 

But what I saw was fun.

Nothing too extravagant, but nice to see.

And that concludes our Dark Harbor coverage for this year!  Once again, the Queen Mary has lovingly created a wonderful event that's all the more impressive given the team's limited resources.  This is balanced by the commitment of the actors, make-up artists, and designers that have made Dark Harbor one of the top large scale haunted attractions in Southern California. 

So once again, I'll recommend Dark Harbor to those looking for something beyond Knott's and Universal.  Make sure you get a front of line Fast Fright pass to avoid getting stuck in the lines, which, yes, can sometimes grow to Halloween Horror Nights length.  Those who do not and go on busier nights will most likely have a less positive experience, simply due to the waits.  But I do commend Dark Harbor for adding entertainment specific to the lines, so that guests waiting have something to distract them.  That's one of the ideas I suggested for Halloween Horror Nights, so it's nice to see a similar thought process from another party.

Dark Harbor runs select evenings through Halloween Night, and the last weekend also features Halloween and Día de los Muertos celebrations.  There's a lot of fun to be had at Dark Harbor, but arrive early, get front of line if feasible, and enjoy a grand, spooky time!