Highly Recommended Haunts: DISTURBIA: SCREAMS IN THE PARK at Rosemont

Halloween Haunts On Our Radar:

“DISTURBIA: SCREAMS IN THE PARK” RETURNS TO TORMENT MB FINANCIAL PARK VISITORS THIS OCTOBER

Back in the day, I spent 3 years working a haunted house during the Halloween season as Carrie and a bloody bride, and it was great fun. I'll admit to making grownups pee themselves in terror, cry, and one women even ran screaming through the emergency exit. I'm retired from the gig now, but I'll always have a soft spot for those days, and I'm happy to send my readers to excellent haunts that may just have the same effect.

MB Financial Park’s acclaimed interactive horror experience “Disturbia: Screams in the Park” will return to the basement level of the MB Financial Park parking garage (5501 Park Place) Friday, Sept. 30. The sinister attraction, featuring 20,000 square feet of terror with more than 35 rooms, will remain open through Monday, Nov. 5. Tickets are now available.

Guests of “Disturbia: Screams in the Park” determine their own fate based on the choices they make while traversing the inescapable halls of the haunt. New experiences for 2016 include a multi-level underground sewer where dark and ominous waters await; and a petrifying swamp filled with unnerving creatures waiting to torment unsuspecting trespassers. The haunt’s newly remodeled exit is sure to haunt the dreams of its victims – as long as they are able to escape unscathed.

“Disturbia: Screams in the Park” is a product of Joseph and Mike Pantano. The attraction’s highly interactive nature and high quality settings help distinguish it from other haunts in the Chicago area. In its debut year, “Disturbia: Screams in the Park” was ranked third by the Chicago Tribune and Haunted Illinois in their lists of top Chicago-area haunted houses.

Tickets and More Information

“Disturbia: Screams in the Park” is an indoor environment that operates rain or shine. General admission tickets are $25 per person Sundays through Thursdays and $30 per person Fridays and Saturdays. VIP tickets, which allow ticketholders quicker access and less wait time for the haunt, are also available for $40 per person. Discounted tickets are available for groups of 10 or more at www.grouptix.net. Visitors are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance at www.disturbiascreams.com. Tickets can also be purchased on-site.

A minimum age of 13 is recommended for the haunt and parental discretion is advised. The haunt is open from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Tuesdays through Thursdays and Sundays and from 7 p.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

Below are the days of operation:

• September 30 - October 2

• October 7 - 9

• October 14 - 16

• October 20- 23

• October 26 - 31

• November 4 - 5 (pitch black experience; all lights in the haunt will be turned off)

Parking is free with validation from the haunted house ticket booth. After parking in the MB Financial Park parking garage, guests can follow signage directing them to the main elevators located in the middle of the parking garage and take the elevators to “LL” to descend into the underground world of “Disturbia: Screams in the Park.”

About The Village of Rosemont, Illinois: Rosemont, Illinois, Chicagoland’s business and entertainment suburb, is conveniently located five minutes from O’Hare Airport and twenty minutes from Chicago’s downtown. Rosemont is home to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, a wide variety of hotel and dining options, Allstate Arena, Rosemont Theatre and a host of entertainment and retail venues. Rosemont continues to grow and evolve based on the new vision of Mayor Bradley A. Stephens. For more information, visit www.Rosemont.com.

About The MB Financial Park at Rosemont: MB Financial Park at Rosemont is a 200,000 square-foot entertainment and dining complex whose 13 venues offer upscale international cuisine, live music and comedy, state-of-the-art film, bowling and more. Conveniently located near O’Hare International Airport, MB Financial Park at Rosemont is easily accessible from Chicago as well as the suburbs. The address is 5501 Park Place, a looping street situated west of River Road between Bryn Mawr and Balmoral Avenues.  A 20-minute drive from Chicago’s Loop, MB Financial Park at Rosemont is walking distance from the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, the CTA Blue Line Rosemont station, Fashion Outlets of Chicago and the Rosemont Theatre. Convenient parking is available and is free with validation from any of the park’s venues. For more information, visit www.mbparkatrosemont.com.

Disturbia Haunted House Review

Guest post by Jane Zawadowski exclusive to ChiILMama.com

Disturbia: Screams in the Park is shriek out loud, laugh out loud, heart pounding fun. It's located at Rosemont in the basement level of the parking garage at MB Financial Park at Rosemont (5501 Park Place) and open through November 1. 

Located in the basement of a parking garage, “Disturbia” gets instant points for its site. Haunted prisons and insane asylums abound, but the lower level of a parking ramp scares me any day of the year. As soon as we parked the car, we were wondering whether the experience had started yet.

Of course, it doesn’t start until you pass the ticket booth, and once at the entrance we were thoughtfully startled, then menaced by dutiful clowns and blood spattered, intimidating thugs while we waited our turn in line to descend into the unknown.

The experience itself will not leave you sleepless or traumatized. You probably won’t have nightmares unless you are indulging a standard phobia. On this score, “Disturbia” does not disappoint. I am claustrophobic, saw it coming, and still struggled to get through the “smothered in a small space” encounter without losing it and flipping out, but for $25, I expect to get my heart rate up. 

It is possible to be separated from your friends if you aren’t paying attention, which clearly caused stress to the women in front of us who kept yelling for their lost comrade. It is possible to be startled, startled, and startled again, the bread and butter of any haunted house. 

Interiors are often visually interesting and attention has been paid to creating texture in the environment. Sand on the floor, doors you must push past, sets you must walk around, and lighting tricks keep things interesting enough that everything feels unexpected.

In the end, “Disturbia” is a typical walk through haunted house, with a familiar format and some novel touches mixed in with old, tried and true standbys. “Prisoners” behind cages will bang and yell, clowns will stomp up to you and scream, there will be at least one dismembered “body” on a bloody table, but there will be enough surprises here that it won’t feel like the same old thing unless you are a Halloween Scrooge that refuses to be scared by anything.

“Disturbia” is a decently executed take on the quintessential haunted house experience that we have all come to know, love, and ask ourselves why we thought this was a good idea in the first place once we get to the front of the line.

DISTURBIA: SCREAMS IN THE PARK IN ROSEMONT COMBINES THE THRILLS OF TWO HAUNTED HOUSES INTO ONE TERRIFYING AND INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE THIS OCTOBER

Haunt Features 20,000 Square Feet of Terror With More Than 35 Rooms Where Guests’ Determine Their Fate

Only the bravest should dare to enter Disturbia: Screams in the Park at Rosemont in the basement level of the parking garage at MB Financial Park at Rosemont (5501 Park Place). There are terrors every step of the way in this immersive haunted house experience, where guests become part of an interactive world of horror, complete with an industry-unique entry that sucks guests into the haunt—whether they are ready or not.  Disturbia: Screams in the Park will remain open through Saturday, Nov. 1. 

Disturbia: Screams in the Park is a product of Joseph and Mike Pantano, who previously ran Disturbia Torment of Fears in Addison, Ill., which was voted number one in Haunted House Chicago’s 2009 and 2010 Patron’s Choice Awards. The brothers brought the highly interactive nature and high quality sets of Disturbia to Rosemont’s Screams in the Park to create the ultimate horror experience—Disturbia: Screams in the Park. The haunts at Disturbia: Screams in the Park progressively grow to be deeper and darker, leaving its guests in the Pits of Hell by the time they exit the haunt.   

Even past visitors of Screams in the Park will find their fortitude tested as they traverse the possessed and unpredictable halls of pure evil at Disturbia: Screams in the Park. The 2014 haunted house features new sets and a remodeled floor plan, in addition to brand new characters and scares that are sure to place guests in an unescapable real life nightmare.

Tickets and More Information

Disturbia: Screams in the Park is an indoor environment that operates rain or shine. General admission tickets are $25.  VIP tickets, which allow ticket holders to skip the line and gain immediate entrance to the haunted house, are also available for $35. A minimum age of 13 is recommended and parental discretion is advised.  Visitors are encouraged to buy their tickets in advance at www.disturbiascreams.com. Walk-up tickets will be available on site.  The haunted house is open from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. on the following upcoming days:

• October 16 – 19
• October 22 – 26
• October 28 – 31
• November 1

Parking is free with validation from the haunted house ticket booth.  From inside the parking garage, follow the signs to The MB Financial Park main elevators located in the middle of the parking garage and push “LL” to descend down into the underground world of Disturbia: Screams in the Park.

About The Village of Rosemont, Illinois: Rosemont, Illinois, Chicagoland’s business and entertainment suburb, is conveniently located five minutes from O’Hare Airport and twenty minutes from Chicago’s downtown. Rosemont is home to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, a wide variety of hotel and dining options, Allstate Arena, Rosemont Theatre and a host of entertainment and retail venues. Rosemont continues to grow and evolve based on the new vision of Mayor Bradley A. Stephens. MB Financial Park at Rosemont features an array of great dining and entertainment options. For more information, visit www.Rosemont.com.

About The MB Financial Park at Rosemont: MB Financial Park at Rosemont is a 200,000 square-foot entertainment and dining complex whose 13 venues offer upscale international cuisine, live music and comedy, state-of-the-art film, indoor skydiving, bowling and more. Conveniently located near O’Hare International Airport, MB Financial Park at Rosemont is easily accessible from Chicago as well as the suburbs. The address is 5501 Park Place, a looping street situated west of River Road between Bryn Mawr and Balmoral Avenues.  A 20-minute drive from Chicago’s Loop, MB Financial Park at Rosemont is walking distance from the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, the CTA Blue Line Rosemont station, Fashion Outlets of Chicago and Rosemont Theatre. Convenient parking is available. For more information, visit www.mbparkatrosemont.com.

Dare To Scare And Be Scared With No Mercy At Fright Fest 2015

Fall and the Halloween season are favorites of ours here at ChiIL Mama. In fact, back in the day BC (before children) I worked in a haunted house for 3 seasons as Carrie & a bloody bride, making adults pee their pants and run screaming into walls. Fun times! If you like chills & thrills too, get on over to Fright Fest at Six Flags Great America this month. Whether you're a coaster junkie, or a fan of macabre shows, people watching, and a "bag holder" for the brave and crazy family members, this season has plenty to please. ChiIL Mama will be there... will YOU?! Tag your photos and check out ours at #FrightFest #NoMercy.

 All photos are courtesy of Six Flags Great America

Get Ready for All Hell to Break Loose at 

Fright Fest 2015

Six Flags Great America Unmasks the Biggest and Scariest Fright Fest^® Ever

Six Flags Great America kicks off Fright Fest^® on scare-oids featuring extended hours on weekends with SIX haunted attractions and SIX frightastic shows over SIX weekends. The complete transformation of this 100-acre theme park creates a dark and menacing atmosphere where the most terrifying creatures roam showing no mercy.

“This is a new kind of Fright Fest – a no mercy type of event,” said director of operations, Dameon Nelson. “For years we have gone bigger and scarier, but now we have a new no-holds-barred philosophy and once the sun sets we are not backing down. This will be an immersive haunted experience that you cannot get anywhere else.”

13 Fright Fest Facts:

• 250 zombies and monsters lurk the midways and haunted attractions
• 30 master make-up artists use 2,500 ounces of make-up and fake blood to transform actors each night

• 25 pounds of food-grade, red vegetable dye create the blood-tinged reflection pond
• 100 flaming torches create an eerie glow over the entire park
• 300 bales of hay add to the fall atmosphere
• 25,200 stalks of corn complete the festive park décor
• 4.5 tons of pumpkins and 160 yards of mulch form the “thrills by day” atmosphere
• 1,000  gallons of fog juice generate the mysterious rising fog effect throughout the park
• 1,600 yards of cheese cloth are used to give the illusion of spider webs around the park
• Love at First Fright, Fright Fest’s trademark musical, kicks off its 25^th season

• Over 1,250 minutes per Fright Fest day is spent applying make-up by 15 make-up artists
• Tiny, the 200 pound spider, has been perched on the American Eagle for 22 years
• A 53 foot, 600 pound gorilla claims the Sky Trek Tower each Fright Fest season signaling the start of the uprising

Thrills By Day

Character Candy Trail – Little ghouls can trick-or-treat In the Mardi Gras area every Saturday and Sunday.

Kid Friendly Themed Areas – Scare-free zones like Camp Cartoon, Kidzopolis and Hometown Park are perfect for families with young children. These areas are open on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Love At First Fright – Fright Fest’s trademark award-winning family musical is back for its 25^th smash season! Join Jack and Katie on their dare to spend a night in the cemetery.

Fright By Night

NOX – NEW – Nox is the newest member to the Fright Fest Character lineup. As the overlord of Fright Fest, Nox will oversee all 300 characters in the park and reside in the Gates of Hell. Nox’s character was developed by Six Flags Great America in tandem with Anthony Kosart from syfy’s Face Off. 

Gates of Hell – NEW – Nox is looking for more souls to take and if you are brave you can enter his realm in the Gates of Hell. The Gates of Hell features 6 different haunted experiences in one all surrounded by the House of Torment which Nox calls home. Demons in each of these areas are competing to capture the most souls to deliver to Nox and they will do anything to win the battle. You will be lucky to escape with your soul so enter only if you dare. Additional fee required.

Apocalypse: Zombie Experience – NEW – Zombies have taken over and we need your help! These zombies are starving and they only have an appetite for your flesh. Try to make it through alive, but be careful because they haven’t eaten in a while. Better your chances of survival by going to the next level and renting a machine gun to shoot them before they bite. Additional fee required.

LightMosFEAR – NEW – Enjoy the largest Halloween lightshow on the world’s largest carousel! This spectacular lighting experience has over 70,000 points of light and 500 channels of animation.

Fear Haunted House – In the depths of the Bermuda Triangle you will encounter your most primal fear…darkness. Without a sliver of light and only instinct to guide, will you survive? Additional fee required.

The Abyss – Countless occurrences have been recorded of the Bermuda Triangle with each tale as mysterious as the next and all left unanswered. Anything could happen when left alone in the Abyss. Additional fee required.

Massacre Medical Center – This decrepit hospital was rumored to be vacated of patients and doctors years ago following a great massacre. Passersby near the hospital recall eerie noises and unexplainable images in the building – begging the question… who or what lurks within? Additional fee required.

Manslaughter Manor – This manor, tucked away in the Southwest Hills, has the reputation for being cursed by the residents of Skull Valley. Do you dare enter? Additional fee required.

Fright Fest haunted house wristbands provide an unlimited day of access to all six Fright Fest attractions. For more information, visit http://frightfest.sixflags.com/greatamerica. Haunted mazes and houses are not included in general admission. 

Fright Fest begins September 26 and runs weekends through November 1. Hours are Fridays 5 p.m.-11 p.m., Saturdays 11 a.m.-midnight, Sundays 11 a.m.-10 p.m. and  Columbus Day 11 a.m.- 7 p.m. Fright Fest remains family-friendly until 6 p.m. with the children’s areas as scare-free zones and a trick-or-treat trail in Apocalypse. 

2016 Season Passes are now on sale and provide unlimited visits for the rest of the 2015 season (including Fright Fest) and all of the 2016 season. For a limited time, with the purchase of a Season Pass four-pack, guests will receive a free upgrade to a Gold Season Pass, which includes free admission and free season parking to any Six Flags theme park with every pass. Season Passes must be purchased and processed at the park by November 1, 2015.

About Six Flags Great America and Hurricane Harbor
Two great parks, one destination! Located between Chicago and Milwaukee, Six Flags Great America offers endless adventures for the entire family with 14 heart-pounding roller coasters, a 20-acre water park, spectacular shows, four children’s themed areas with over 30 rides and a nighttime parade.

About Six Flags Entertainment Corporation

Six Flags Entertainment Corporation is the world’s largest regional theme park company with $1.2 billion in revenue and 18 parks across the United States, Mexico and Canada. For 54 years, Six Flags has entertained millions of families with world-class coasters, themed rides, thrilling water parks and unique attractions. For more information, visit www.sixflags.com

 Get social at twitter.com/SFGreat_America    facebook.com/SFGreatAmerica

#FrightFest #NoMercy