As the hot summer drags slowly along to October, us Halloween fans start to feel the tingle of the season and you’re just not sure what to do! Well, good thing Midsummer Scream arrived to fill that void you been missing since last October. One of the best horror theme conventions around, this year was no different. With its awesome Horror Tiki Theme and the celebration of Disneyland’s 50thAnniversary of the Haunted Mansion, this was one of the best years to attended.
This year the convention floor was expanded to fit in all 300 venders full of all the creepy, spooky things you didn’t know you needed. With smells of candy and fog this year the floor had everything you needed to make your Halloween better just at your fingertips. One section of the floor was devoted solely to Disneyland’s The Haunted Mansion, which was celebrating its 50thanniversary. Of course, there was the Hall of Shadows: the second biggest hall in the convention center, where they shut off the lights and within the darkness lies in wait more than 15 mini haunted mazes for you to enjoy.
Also, within the darkness was the Tiki themed area. Tons of tons of merch and vendors all celebrating the amazing Tiki lifestyle that has a strange connection to horror. Beautiful artworks, handcrafted items and our course tiki mugs as far as the eye can see. Even a tiki bar where you can use them new cups, with fun horror theme drinks.
If shopping and getting scared aren’t your thing, there are also many amazing panels and meet and greets with your horror favs: Elvira of course was on hand for pictures and autographs. Showing of her…assets and new merch: including a “Two Big Pumpkins” pin and her very own Tiki mug. Which of course was pre-ordered the second I saw it.
Or take in one of the great panels they do every year. This year I attended the Disneyland Haunted Mansion 50th anniversary celebration panel where there was a spirited discussion between Disney legends who have worked on or around the mansion: Tony Baxter, Bob Gurr, Don Hahn, Tom Morris and Tania Norris who designed the original ride 50 years ago, and designed the wallpaper we all know and love.
Not to be left out are all the horror theme park guys that come every year to present new information about their upcoming season. This year Midsummer had them all: Knotts Scary Farm, Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights, and Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor. Each had its own presentation where they announced some of their new themes for this year: HHN is giving us this a Creepshow maze, based on the 1982 George Romero movie. Knotts announced two returning mazes for this year’s Scary Farm: Dark Ride and Special Ops: Infected, which they said would be running for its final year. The Queen Mary revealed a new maze for its 2019 event, Rogue, “a rogue wave has hit the Queen Mary, causing confusion and fear as the ship turns completely on its side, in danger of capsizing”. Each sounds equally amazing and Halloween nuts, like myself, have already purchased their tickets in anticipation of the upcoming season of screams.
If you’re into Halloween, horror or anything in the world of macabre this is the convention for you. Always held in beautiful Long Beach, California right near the ocean, it’s one of the best cons and the one I look forward to every year. This was the best attended year since it started three years ago, and it just keeps getting better.
