I suppose I'm optimistic to a fault. In my last SFDK update, I suggested that maybe, just maybe, we could finally get some clarity about the parks in California and maybe even a reopening date. Well, that has came and gone. Rumor has it that the parks saw a draft version of the guidelines Governor Gavin Newsom was getting ready to release and didn't like the criteria for reopening (yellow health status and limits on guest distance among other restrictions) so they asked him to hold off. So we're back where we started with the only answer to "when will our parks reopen" being: ¯\(ツ)/¯.

But SFDK keeps on powering through the pandemic as a zoo. And they recently announced a toned down Halloween event: Boo 2020! Naturally I was there on the opening day for the new event to check out what was going on. This update will walk you through the changes that came to SFDK as a result. Overall I had a really good day at the park and left really impressed with what the park put on. Is it better than a normal Halloween event? Of course not but all things considered this is a great event for the time we live in.

Without further ado, let's get into the update!

Table of Contents

• Boo 2020!
  • Shows
    • Dolphin Harbor Halloween Bash
    • Dolphin Tails from the Deep
    • The Wildlife Halloween Experience
    • Ghoul School
  • Themed Areas
    • Mt Rotting Cemetary
    • Toxic Terror
    • Scarecrows Hollow
  • Park Atmosphere & Other Boo Changes
• Sidewinder Safari
• General Park Updates

Boo 2020!

Boo 2020! brought a couple of changes to the park. It brought changes to all shows except for Temple of the Tiger, a few themed areas with scareactor photo ops, some exclusive food and other general Halloween atmosphere. Boo 2020! only runs for a couple of weekends so get out to the park now!

Shows

Dolphin Harbor Halloween Bash

Discover Our Ocean Friends is changed into Dolphin Harbor Halloween Bash. The dolphins get new props to interact with and new Halloween themed activities to perform.

Dolphin Tails from the Deep

Drench is replaced with Dolphin Tails from the Deep. The show introduces a new frame story where the MC tells three ghost stories, all of which involve dolphins.

The Wildlife Halloween Experience

Taking the place of the Wildlife Experience show is the Wildlife Halloween Experience. This show switches out some of the animals out for more Halloween-y animals like black cats, bats and vultures.

Ghoul School

And rounding out the last of the new shows is Ghoul School which takes the place of the seal and sea lion show. The revised show keeps the same animals but gives them new props to interact with and a new story for the humans: SFDK is staging a school to teach people and animals how to be ghouls.

Themed Areas

Although there were of course no proper scare zones, SFDK did decorate a few areas of the park with props and even added a couple of scareactor photo ops to allow people to take socially distant photos with the monsters.

Mt Rotting Cemetary

Mt Rotting Cemetary is in the path between the front plaza of the park and DC Universe.

Toxic Terror

Toxic Terror takes place in the plaza behind Toyota Stadium and didn't feature a photo op when I walked through (although there was a stage set up for it).

Scarecrows Hollow

Scarecrow Hollow fills the stairway and path from the Medusa Plaza to the entrance to the dolphin stadiums.

Park Atmosphere & Other Boo Changes

I love the entrance display for Boo!

A closer look at the monster

In the main entrance plaza there's a Boo Stage set up

And naturally there are plenty of photo ops with the Boo signage

Looney Tunes Seaport is taken up by a kid's trick or treat trail

A closer look at the rules

The kids also have a costume parade

In the entrance plaza, there is a photo op with a snake

Some food changes: Cotton candy is now in candy corn colors

The special Ghostly Grape drink

Which is served in this blinky skeleton cup

This special funnel cake looked delicious

The park is selling smores but unfortunately for them, 90+ and sunny isn't exactly good smores weather

The fire pit is Halloween-y!

The park's games change for Boo!

As do the window displays around the park

Sidewinder Safari

No real change at the SS site

And there continues to be no signage in the park for it

But I'll keep checking every time I go to the park!

General Park Updates

Interestingly, there's signage around the entrance and parking lot of the park that lists how SFDK is ready to reopen. Maybe in case any state officials drop by?

I do not remember this sign for Voodoo (old Huss Top Spin) on the guidepost near Toyota Stadium

But the ride itself looks like it always does so I'm going to write this off as an old sticker being uncovered or something. A bigger-ish ride would go a long way to balance out the back and front of the park however

Go to watch the cutest little skunk eating in the nursery

And the bat just felt appropriate to take a shot of

The giraffes look as photogenic as always

Monsoon Falls is drained again

The shark exhibit is open again!

But entry is staggered and pulsed through so the line stretched out for it all day

Interestingly, the meal plan was not time window based like it usually is but instead was more like Cedar Fair's, allowing meals 90 minutes apart.

One last thing as I was walking out of the park: the Joker train was valleyed in the last dip before the brakes. I'm curious, did it valley during testing or is it intentionally being stored there?

And that'll wrap up this update at SFDK. Boo 2020! is a fantastic event and one that is definitely worth your time even if you've been to SFDK before. I hope that even when we get back to "normalcy" we continue to see SFDK tweak every show for the season. I'm still holding out hope that we get some good news over the next few weeks but we'll have to see. If not expect another update at the end of November!