WILDWOOD – The air was so foggy and heavy you could have cut it with a cheese stick. Zombies limped around closed amusement rides as confused by the daylight as a Michigan tourist ordering a hoagie in a Wawa.
A maze called “CornStalkers” appeared on the beach inhabited by the undead and their tattered possessions.
A media day premiered the new Morey’sFEARS attraction Thur., Oct. 13, yes, the dreaded Thursday the 13th.
Normally during the Halloween season, Morey’s Mariner’s Landing Pier would be buttoned up tighter than a straightjacket on Houdini but the powers that be at the Morey Organization decided to open the attraction to scare the pants off visitors and locals.
The theme is a long-abandoned amusement park, sort of like Asbury Park before developers arrived with condo plans.
Will and Jack Morey Will have been traveling to Halloween and haunt events all over the world for 10 years to research the best in the industry.
“Now parks in Europe do it very successfully and they don’t even have Halloween in Europe,” said Jack Morey.
The Ghost Ship is the centerpiece of the event which will contain a number of extra actors.
“CornStalkers” may be the first ever circular maze on a beach, said Jack Morey. He credited many creative employees for coming up with fun, frightening ideas.
About 70 actors will roam the mazes, haunt the pier and terrify guests.
“When the sun goes down and the moon comes up and the music turns on, it’s a very different experience than a lot of the other haunts offered in the area because most of those are in buildings and we’re out in the open,” said Jack Morey. “In that we are on an amusement pier that is closed, there is a certain abandoned feeling…”
He said it was his hope and belief that events like this can broaden way beyond Morey’s Piers and benefit the rest of the town.
Closed rides in the off-season along the sea are scary enough after dark but the Morey’s crew added spider webs, ghouls, fog machines and things that go bump in the night where you would least expect it.
He said if the event is successful, he said he hoped next year there would be more offerings on the entire boardwalk.
Not all attractions are closed on Morey’s Piers, the Sea Serpent, Super Scooters, Tea Cups, Pirates of the Wildwoods, Rollie’s Coaster, Musik Express and Moby Dick will all be open. “CarnEvil,” a place that would scare Seinfeld’s Kramer out of his wits, is a creepy clown themed scare zone.
Morey’s Piers’ Executive Chef Wally Jurusz has cooked up some seasonal favorites that could be appropriately served at a party at the Addams Family home including a green apple soda. For adults, a green apple daiquiri, Bloody Belvedere, Bloody Mary and a pumpkin daiquiri are available.
Food offerings included eye-appealing pumpkin brownie sundaes topped with pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin-shaped pretzels, and a pumpkin funnel cake that tastes like warm, pumpkin pie.
While the media inspected the pier and maze, workers were testing air cannons, lights, music and making anything that was closed as scary as possible.
Morey’s FEARS-Terror on the Boardwalk will take place on Friday and Saturday nights, October 14 through 29 from 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Tickets are $25 and include unlimited access to all available rides and attractions for the night.
Be warned: this event is not for the faint of heart or children under 8. Guests are not permitted to wear masks, costumes and/or makeup to the event.
For more information visit www.moreyspiers.com/fears or call (609) 522-3900.
Cape May – Why don’t some of our well established builders even answer their phones, answer texts or emails. Who would ever recommend them to a friend.
