Gatorland’s Halloween characters mix it up with haunts, games, history
Gatorland is adding more characters to the Halloween stew that is its Gators, Ghosts and Goblins event.
Visitors to the south Orlando attraction’s Monster Midway may meet the “one-man monster menagerie,” a blended creature who encountered a vampire, a mummy and a werewolf.
“My insurance isn’t the best,” the character said during a media preview. “My general practitioner is Dr. Frankenstein.”
This happens near a coffinbased cornhole game and a chance to catapult brains into the open skulls of moving Frankensteins in an attempt to win candy.
“There’s not many Halloween daytime events in the marketplace, and that’s really our niche,” Mark McHugh, president and CEO of Gatorland, said. “We’ve tried to capitalize on that, make really fun interactive attractions with characters.”
Across the park is the Monster
Museum, a more intense, haunted house-style walk-through attraction that fits in with the creepy/ comic atmosphere. It starts by parodying pop-up Halloween stores, then moves into a flashlight-led tour that explores the history of the holiday.
That leads to an encounter with Stingy Jack, who takes tour guide duties into more frightening scenes with jump-scares and characters. (There’s an exit for folks who choose to skip the last part.)
Stingy Jack was “a man so evil the devil was actually his fan,” an undertaker/tour guide told visitors. His story also includes being locked out of both heaven and hell, creating an eternity of wandering, plus a burning ember and turnips that lead to carved pumpkins.
Gators, Ghosts & Goblins kids can also be in a costume parade, check out trick-or-treat stations, visit Gator Gulch, a Western town with skeleton horses and other characters, and go on the cryptid scavenger hunt, where a skunk ape might be spotted.
The attraction has veered away from the Oktoberfest elements of its fall event. (Think Frankenstein + lederhosen.)
“It just seemed to wane in popularity,” McHugh said. “But we’re really going to maximize the Halloween experience throughout the park.”
The park has increased its Halloween-specific merchandise. Among the wares: A Frankenstein T-shirt with the slogan “Gators on the brain.”
Gatorland’s Gators, Ghosts & Goblins is held on Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 29. It’s included with regular admission. The attraction is offering halfprice admission – that’s $16.50 for adults and $11.50 for ages 3 through 12 – to Florida residents through October.