This year we kicked off the Haloween season with Six Flags Magic Mountain Fright Fest, and we were delighted to see some great improvements!

What are the best things about Six Flags Magic Mountain Fright Fest?

As a whole, Magic Mountain does a great job adding a good scare to their park, but here’s what we think sets them apart from other theme park Halloween events:

• They have the best scare zones of any park. Their use of stilt walkers is fantastic; they already look very ominous from afar but aren’t afraid of getting close to you. All of the actors know exactly how to get amazing screams out of all the patrons in the park.
• The next best thing about those scare zones is the makeup. Out of all the parks, I’ve honestly seen some of the best makeup at Magic Mountain, but usually, you only see this in the scare zones.



• Another bonus is that beer and wine are served throughout the park and not only that, Magic Mountian just added the all-new Club 6-Foot Under Pub; a real bar for the adults!

Not that it makes Fright Fest any better or worse, we wanted to make note that Six Flags Magic Mountain had a much more noticeable security presence throughout the park than we’ve ever seen in previous years. We never saw any sort of altercation, other than a couple of folks cutting in line. I’m not so sure so much security was necessary, but I’m all for the deterrent that it creates. I certainly felt safe, suffice it to say.

So what were the not so great things about Six Flags Magic Mountain Fright Fest?

• There are just 7 mazes and a some of them feel a bit short, to boot.
• The maze lines are long (even though we went early in the month when they have been historically shorter at those times).
• The restrooms in the park need some serious attention.

The best way to enjoy Six Flags Magic Mountain Fright Fest

• First, consider getting a Gold Membership because…
  • It’s only $14*/Month
  • Free parking (Save $20)
  • And then also get a Deluxe Dining Pass because…
    • They are currently at a discount ($86.99)
    • You get a cup for this year and next, if timed just right, you can use the meal pass for next year’s Fright Fest, too**
    • Discount for Goulish Grub at the Pub (normally $24.99, only $14.99 with Dining Pass)
    • 20% off merchandise
• Get there around 4 PM or earlier!



• Get maze wristbands from the gift shop at Samurai Summit, just down the hill from the Dead End maze or the gift shop by the Aftermath 2 maze to avoid the line for them at the front
• Be waiting for the 3 mazes at the front to open at 7 PM, get there about 6:45 PM.
• Chupacabra seems to never have a line, go for it anytime
• The line for Willoughby’s Resurrected is usually fast, consider going for it anytime
• Enjoy the scare zones and rides then go for Dead End and Aftermath at the end of the night

Is it worth getting the Express Maze Pass?

If you plan on going anytime in October, I would say, yes. It will cost you $32.99 but if you are only going for one night this year, you will need it to be able to do all of the mazes.*Approximate price. Membership pricing on their web site changes often, depending on the season.**If you go late October this year, you can go early October next year, still within your year of the meal pass being valid.

Even after packing in another day of Midsummer Scream 2017, there was still not enough time to see it all, but what we managed to catch was some really great stuff. (Be sure to check out what I posted about day one.)

Halloween Horror Nights Presentation

The presentation for Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights got me beyond excited! They announced that they were bringing Ash Vs Evil Dead to HHN as a full fledged walkthrough haunted attraction. Can I say, “Groovy!” The original Evil Dead series is probably my all time favorite horror franchise. I simply can not wait to see the monsters in this maze that will “swallow your soul!”The good news didn’t end there. HHN will also be bringing us a walkthrough of one of Stanley Kubrick’s greatest works, The Shining. Kubrick’s The Shining is probably the best film adaption of any Stephen King story, bar none. You will now get to walk on that amazing, and oddly unsettling, hyperchromatic mosaic-style hotel carpet, yourself! (Yes, they even replicated the carpet!) Just a small handful of the behind-the-scenes photos they showed the audience, made my face melt.

Midsummer Scream Mini-Haunts

I was able to get through most all of the mini-haunts on day two. One, in particular, I found very interesting in that it was sitting on wheels. HallowEve Designs had a 44-foot trailer setup as a ready-to-go haunt called Cold Storage. Yes that’s not a lot of room and it was pretty short, but they really did pack a lot into that trailer. The video effect with zombies behind a door, trying to get through, was really fun. They did a really good job giving you a lot of details to look at, to distract your attention, and get a good scare. It’s still not quite the same as a full sized walkthrough but I think it would be great to rent 1 or 2 of these to add to your existing haunt location (perhaps in the parking lot) to give your patrons some more options.Another take on this idea of bringing the haunt to you was Immersive Parties’ Mutation Analysis Center. This was a zombie apocalypse style walkthrough that was built to be torn down and setup quickly with many of the effects built into the structure and ready to go. It was actually much more effective at getting some good scares vs some of the other mini-haunts. It also had a lot of great detail.

And the best mini-haunt…

My favorite out of all of the mini-haunts had to be The Maritime Horror by The Haunted Rose. The facade on the front of this haunt set the mood, and then some. The unique theme of a fishing dock was very original. Thick fog, rolling into the bay on a dark and ominous night; of course, that would be creepy and scary, but I’d never thought about how that would make such a good theme. I was so surprised to find out that these guys are backyard haunters. They have a haunted house in Whittier, CA that doesn’t even charge (although donations are welcome)- they just do it for fun!The first room of The Maritime Horror was great at setting the mood with a mutated fish man chopping a dead fish in front of you on his cutting board. The “blood” (water) spurted all over our group which was a great shock and a good laugh.  There were lots of great original makeup effects throughout, but the thing I kept nerding out on was that all of the stone felt real. Nothing felt like styrofoam. The stone walls, the columns, all of it was done with (I’m guessing) some sort of mortar/plaster sprayer. That one detail made everything seem so much more immersive and believable. I tried to do that effect on several of my own haunts and could never pull it off right; these guys nailed it!

Midsummer Scream Exhibitors

There were a ton of great vendors there but a few of them really caught my eye. I was especially impressed with Jasper Anderson’s creations from ChickenProps.com. Jasper has managed to create some projection effects that I really thought were every bit as impressive as something you might see at Disneyland. The Ghoul was particularly remarkable. Not only was the disembodied head talking, it tilted his head around, as well. Jasper has created a way to add something very dramatic to your haunt on a tight budget.But if you do have a big budget for your haunt, you can always pick up a custom Frankenstein Lab Machine from Das-Machina.com. These authentic looking devices will certainly make any mad scientist lab come to life. The plasma globes and radio tube-style lights are mesmerizing to watch. You might spend $2000-$4000 on a machine but they are built to last and would look great in any man cave in the off-season.

There was so much more!

What you’ve read here is just the tip of the iceberg. Come back to thefright.com/ for more articles coming your way regarding Halloween Horror Nights, Knott’s Scary Farm, Six Flags Fright Fest, and much more.

If there was anything I can say about the first day of Midsummer Scream is that there’s just not enough time to experience everything I wanted to. It’s all so good and there’s just so much happening at the same time.I found myself having to choose carefully what I wanted to see. I’ll do my best to run down some of the highlights and will post in more detail about what I found at the event soon.

Twilight Zone Tower of Terror Presentation

I was very saddened to learn that Disneyland was re-theming the Tower of Terror last year. It took some adjustment, but I do actually like the new Guardians of the Galaxy ride, and at the same time, I miss the old Hollywood Tower Hotel badly. It was such a treat to get to see the original Imagineers that brought this unique ride to life talk about how it was created. My favorite part was the funny story Mark Silverman (the uncanny Rod Serling impersonator, heard on the ride) told about getting into an actual hotel elevator with some strangers and start into his lines behind their backs as the elevator doors close- “You are stepping onto an elevator and into another dimension.”

Knott’s Scary Farm Presentation

Knott’s had a lot to say about their new mazes but the most shocking announcement came from the Mistress of the Dark, herself. Everyone in the crowd was elated to watch Cassandra Petterson (A.K.A Elvira) walk out on stage and tell us all about her upcoming show, only to then tell us that it will be her last one at Knott’s Scary Farm!I was happy to hear that they will include 13 mazes this year at Knott’s Scary Farm and an all new type of haunt that will include flashlights that “mysteriously” stop working as you try to find your way out through the darkness. They announced that they were changing the way the Fright Lane Passes will now allow front-of-the-line passage to all the rides at Knott’s, as well.

Hall of Shadows

I wasn’t able to go through too many of the many mini-haunts setup at the event but was impressed with what I did see. At the entrance were some really great cemetery scenes that set the mood very well. I was especially impressed with a grave that appeared to have somebody in the ground, shifting the earth around trying to escape- a very convincing animatronic effect.The Gorelesque Peep Show was captivating. It wasn’t a whole lot of scare, but it certainly set an interesting mood. I found myself really getting caught up in the mystery of the characters they presented. In a full sized haunt, this would be a fantastic way to set things up for the rest of the maze.There were some great scares inside of the metal mini-maze made by Unhallowed Productions. I also enjoyed a surprisingly good scare out of an escape room preview from Dead Zone 805.

Exhibitors

There was so much to see on the exhibitor floor. I was really blown away by the replica props made by New Rule FX. They had everything from stage glass bottles to cast iron skillets that you would swear were real until you touched them. It was great to see AtmosFX in action as well as some other electronic effects vendors. It was also great to finally meet Kaci, the Homicidal Homemaker, who also happens to live in the same town I work in.

And on to day two…

The Fright will be attending Midsummer Scream 2017! This will be the first event of the year for us and we couldn’t be more excited! We are looking forward to meeting many of the industry pros that will make this year’s haunted attractions terrifying. This year, Midsummer Scream will be held Saturday, July 29th, and Sunday, July 30th at the Long Beach Convention Center.

There’s so much we look forward to seeing!

Certainly, a few of the presentations we will want to be sure to catch are…

• Beyond the 5th Dimension: Creating The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
• Knotts Scary Farm Official Presentation
• Six Flags Magic Mountain’s Fright Fest
• Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor

Midsummer Scream 2017 has so much waiting for all the horror and Halloween enthusiasts!

Suffice it to say, we are also anxious to see some of the 14 mini-haunts that are part of the Hall of Shadows. This special area will give us a sneak peek at what many of the Southern California haunters have in store for us, this Halloween season.There’s also a “Screaming Room” featuring a collection of different original horror shorts. Along with this are also escape rooms, special performances, and horror themed experiences.Special guests at the event include Cassandra Peterson (aka Elvira, Mistress of the Dark), Sid Haig of House of 1000 Corpses fame, cosplayer LeeAnna Vamp, and an absolute ton of industry pros that create the frightful fun we crave.On top of all of this, there are some interesting looking workshops that we hope to check out that show you how to do everything from homemade tombstones to projecting ghosts in your living room.Oh yeah, and let’s not forget about all of the exhibitors that will be there to sell us their wares. We can’t wait!

I discovered a pleasant surprise with the Haunted Mansion FASTPASS this summer.

I was recently at Disneyland and was fortunate enough to try out the new FASTPASS system at Disneyland. This is a much-needed upgrade to an almost 20-year-old system! It has remained virtually the same since 1999 when Disneyland first introduced the system. Back then, they hoped it help with the lines and allow their guests to have more time to shop and buy food instead of standing in line. It did help with that some but over the years, Imagineers have learned that the system was not nearly as efficient in its goal as it could be.If you have ever used the FASTPASS for a ride at Disneyland, you know that you have to walk all the way over to the ride, then come back to the ride much later to redeem your pass. You often find yourself walking all the way from one end of the park to the other, just to get and redeem your FASTPASS. Disneyland learned that many of its guests were spending a lot of time walking all over the park, just to ride rides, instead of spending money on merchandise and food. On top of this, the FASTPASS holders were adding to the enormous and unnecessary foot traffic all over the park. On heavy days, the traffic can be so bad that it can take you an hour just to make your way from one end of the park to the other.

So what’s the improvement?

The new FASTPASS system now lets you scan your park entry pass or annual pass and the ticket you receive is now simply a reminder of your return time, instead of being your actual FASTPASS to get you on the ride. When you go to redeem your FASTPASS, you now scan your park entry pass or annual pass at these really cool looking scanners, at the FASTPASS entry.

Why scan the park entry passes and annual passes?

The whole reason for this is so that Disneyland can also utilize the new MaxPass, a premium FASTPASS experience. The MaxPasses are going to be sold for $10 per pass, per day and will allow you to use the Disneyland app to schedule your whole day of rides in the park. My assumption is that you will be able to load multiple passes (everyone in your party) onto one device and only need to scan that device once per redemption. There are also going to be add on options for annual pass holders to purchase the MaxPass for the whole year.

There are a couple of things this new system changes and it took me a while to get it.

• When you reserve a FASTPASS slot, the system now knows immediately when you redeem it. Therefore, another slot opens up.• Because you no longer get a ticket, you can no longer give them away to other guests. No chance to “pay it forward” to other guests when you know you have to leave the park before your FASTPASS return time. This is kind of a bummer but because of it, it takes more people out of the mix.

So what makes new FASTPASS system so awesome for the Haunted Mansion?

So now, certain rides in the park that have very fast line queues to start with have very quick FASTPASS return times. Like literally 2-3 minutes after you get your pass! What’s crazy is that you can get a FASTPASS, immediately redeem it, ride the ride within a few minutes and then go get another FASTPASS for the very same ride right away! That’s because now, the system knows you just used up your last FASTPASS. You can ride the Haunted Mansion on a fairly busy day 3, 4, 5 times in a row without hardly waiting at all!I’m guessing that when the MaxPasses are added into the mix these return times will get a little longer. Hopefully not by much, though!On rides that are more popular and/or rides with slower line queues, FASTPASSing them will force you to wait until that FASTPASS return time and it will also prevent you from riding rides with the quick return times, over and over, consecutively. (Until the time stated on the bottom of your reminder. Usually, this is quite a bit sooner than your currently held FASTPASS return time.)For now, the list of rides, other than the Haunted Mansion that have these fast return times are Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Goofy’s Flight School, and California Screamin’.

So why are there still people in line? How is this still working?

The thing that took me a while to understand was that all of those people that were standing in the regular line for the Haunted Mansion were only there because they had used their FASTPASS reservation for one of the more popular rides in the park. My kids and I were able to ride a whole bunch of rides in the park many more times than we used to on a super busy day, in the summer. What a fantastic improvement!I definitely plan to add the MaxPass to me and my kids’ Disneyland Resort Annual Pass, so long as it is reasonable. Even for just one day, on a busy day, $10 is well worth the extra cost. What a dream it would be to practically walk on every ride on a busy day and spend the rest of the time enjoying the park!

I never believed in such a thing as an actual haunted house before, but a house my friend lived in, gave me pause.There I was sitting alone in a bedroom of a house that had always made me uncomfortable, and by uncomfortable, I mean too scared to be alone. Yet somehow, there I sat alone.

It wasn’t really a haunted house, was it?

What was it about this house in particular that scared me, you ask? I’ll tell you. Many people, including myself, have heard footsteps upstairs when nobody was up there. “Probably just a critter of some sort.” I would tell myself. The doors upstairs have opened and closed on their own. “Maybe it’s just the wind, I’m sure it’s the wind.” Even the bathroom faucet had turned on and off in front of my eyes as I walked by. “Wow! These plumbing issues need to be addressed.”

So there I am… alone.

My friend had promised they would be right back. I waited telling myself there was no reason to be worried. All of those experiences had reasonable explanations. I have no reasonable explanation for what happened that night.

The room was quiet. The lights were on. I sat there nervously, hoping my friend would come back soon. That is when I saw an orb of light fly through my body. It was amber in color and brighter at the core. I watched it, paralyzed, not knowing what to think. I was confused and uneasy as I watched it floating around the room. My mind raced to come up with a reasonable explanation. Then it disappeared into the wall in the direction of a distant train whistle.Finally, my friend returned. They walked in and were instantly concerned. “Why are you crying?” “What? I’m not crying.” “What are you talking about?” I thought. However, I suddenly realized I was indeed crying. Not just crying, I was balling. As a result, my face was soaked with tears. I had no idea.I had never before, or since, experienced anything like this. Have you? If you have, please tell me about it in the comments.

I recently went to on a day trip to Disneyland. I know what you are thinking, there is nothing horrifying about Disneyland other than the cost. Well, my eeries, I managed to find us a de-frightful surprise.

This amazing drink is just a short walk from Disneyland

I wandered through Downtown Disney towards the Disneyland Hotel on a mission to check out Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar (it is near the pool at the hotel). I followed the signs and finally found my way there. I know tiki bars aren’t exactly terrifying material and this bar certainly isn’t. It is a fun place to have a drink though. I grabbed a menu and that’s where I found the reason for this post. Among the creatively named drinks was the Zombie which comes in a shrunken zombie head souvenir mug.

Great drink! Awesome mug! …A little pricey

It wasn’t exactly cheap, $25 for the mug and beverage. The drink was strong and I felt like a zombie after drinking it. Luckily there weren’t any witch doctors around or surely they would have shrunk my head and I would be a mug right now.My shrunken zombie head is my new favorite mug and I think it will be yours too.Do you have a favorite fright related glass? If so share a photo and let us all know where it came from.

Let’s talk Fright Fest at Six Flags. Halloween season is, of course, my favorite time of year at Six Flags Magic Mountain.Fright Fest has select coasters you can ride in the dark, walk through attractions, and scare zones.

Year after year, Fright Fest doesn’t disappoint.

The walk-through attractions are good and the themes come back each year. Some seem better than the year before. Some are not but it’s ok, they are still a good time. The downside to Fright Fest is you need a maze pass to access the walk through’s on top of paying to get into the park.The makeup and costumes in the scare zones, as well as the zones themselves, are getting better each year. I think it’s worth just going for the scare zones and not paying for the walk through’s at all. Also, I find it very entertaining to watch people walk through the zones and get scared. I have sat and watched people screaming and running away for hours.

Big roller coasters in the dark are scarier than you think!

The very best thing at fright fest though are the black out rides. You would think rides would be rides, lights on or off, right? So not true! I screamed my head off! I lost my voice I screamed so much!

Go early, if you can!

The closer to Halloween it gets, the busier the park is. I waited until the end of the month once and I parked so far away I didn’t know the lot I was directed to even existed. So go early in the month. If you don’t then my advice is to pay extra to get the front of the line pass for the walk through’s and get in line for your favorite black out ride just as it’s getting dark. By the time you get on it will be dark and you still have plenty of park time left.

Should you bring kids?

There is a suggested age limit on the mazes (13 and up) but it’s not mandatory and you know your kids better than I do.

Is it worth it?

Depends on how busy the park is and your budget. It’s a great deal if you already have season passes or memberships and visit early October.

Talladega Ranch (AKA, Talladega Frights) had their 2nd annual Beers for Fears attraction/fund raiser and I couldn’t wait to go again! Beers for Fears is described on their website as part obstacle course, part zombie run, and part pub crawl. This is a pretty accurate description of a very unique event.

It’s not for kids

This is of course a 21 and over event because as the name suggests there is beer (I have to admit I liked that there weren’t any kids around). The gates open early for registration. Once you get in, there are food vendors, cigar vendors, and of course beer vendors.You can pass the time playing corn hole and beer pong. There is also a DJ and a dance floor. Which is pretty much empty before the course, and packed after.

Not your typical zombie run

When the sun goes down you line up at the gate and are given a belt with 3 flags. When the course opens, you go through in small groups. There is an obstacle course followed by a fear zone where the monsters try to take your flags. Then the there is a beer zone where you play games and drink beer. This pattern continues until you make it to the end where you are rewarded with… a beer.

Is it challenging?

I would describe it as a moderately physically demanding course, littered with fun games, and of course beer. It will test both nerve and skill.The interaction of the monsters trying to steal your flags, in comparison to the normal walk through and get scared attraction, adds a layer of competition and it feels like you are running for your life (because you need your flags). It really gets your adrenaline going.  The total black out section leaves you with only your sense of touch to get you through what seemed like an endless maze. I found this to be much more frightening than I expected. The whole thing is so much fun, you just want more when it’s over.

Is it worth it?

It took about an hour to get through the entire thing. This is completely based on your pace.At $45 it is expensive but totally worth it.

Went to Vegas a while back and was delighted to find a one-armed bandit that I didn’t mind taking my money so much. I found an Elvira, Mistress of the Dark Slot Machine at The Plaza Hotel (great place to stay in Vegas on the cheap, by the way). What has Elvira not got her name on these days? Seriously, this woman is a marketing genius!

Elvira put her personal touch on this one

So this is not just another slot machine where they grab some sound bites and movie clips and try to make a game out of it, no this thing is so much better than that! Elvira recorded her own audio and video for this game. It’s filled with a ton of tongue-in-cheek one-liners that you’d expect from The Mistress of the Dark. “Mmm, hey there, big spender!” when I hit the max bet gave me a good chuckle. She also says things like “It ain’t sinnin’, if YOU are winnin’ !” and “Was it good for you, darling?“

Fun to watch, fun to listen to

One of the best things about the game is the chair you sit in; super comfy (obviously to get you to stay there) and awesome sound. There’s a really good goth-metal type track in the background that cleverly drives you to want to keep playing. When you get a bonus to show up on the reels, you hear (and feel) a crunchy guitar strum to build up your anticipation. The makers of this game were very good in knowing all the cues to get you to keep playing.The animation has very nice touches, as well. When the reels stop, Elvira’s “girls” take a little extra time to stop. And speaking of her best-known assets, you can play to win the “BOOby Prize” or the jackpot “The Breast Prize Ever“. If you are lucky enough to hit her bonus, you get a really cool montage of classic B horror movie clips to watch as the jackpot bonus builds up and it actually takes quite a while to watch the whole thing so after you just blew through the last $50, it almost seems worth it.

Worth it? Of course, it’s Elvira!

The payouts are pretty good if you are lucky and can keep hitting the bonuses.  Of course, as with any slot, she’s going to take more than she’ll give. At least you can have a lot more fun, losing your money and you never know- maybe you will be the lucky one!If you are going to Vegas (or the local casino), look out for this machine. I highly recommend it!

One of the best Southern California theme park Halloween events worth experiencing is Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights.In my opinion, all of the Southern California theme park events are worth experiencing. Universal Studios, however, does one thing better than any of the other guys. They bring terrifying movies and tv shows to life. The other guys simply can’t without the exclusive rights to all of the horror franchises Universal Studios owns.They showcase horror fan-favorite film and television shows with an amazing amount of detail. The authentic masks, the detailed costumes, the elaborate sets, will blow your reality away. There you are standing face to face with Freddy straight from your nightmares!

Halloween Horror Nights added a surprising new dimension to the experience!

Something Halloween Horror Nights incorporated in the mazes for 2016 were aromatic scents. There was pumpkin (this was actually pumpkin spice which is probably better than pumpkin) in the Halloween maze. You could smell it as you passed through a giant pumpkin. The Krampus maze had gingerbread smells in the kitchen. There was also burning wood and perfume in American Horror. These scents really added to the experience.On the flip side, what did not add to the experience were the bad smells. I could have done without the smell of vomit in The Exorcist and rotting flesh in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre maze. These smells made me want the maze to end, but not because I was too scared. Overwhelmed and so distracted by the horrible stench, I couldn’t take in all the hard work that was put into these experiences. I just wanted it to be done with and I couldn’t get out of those mazes fast enough.Well over half of the regular attractions stayed open for the event. So you get to take in some of the rides as well. A few of them even seem to go with a Halloween theme.The scare zones seemed to fall flat this year. The scare zones in previous years have been great. I think the lack of variety with all zones being themed with The Purge just didn’t do it for me.Suffice it to say, they have some really decent merchandise for this event! I had trouble making up my mind which souvenir to get. I ended up choosing a package of postcards representing each of the mazes.

Best surprise ever- I got to live a part of horror history!

My favorite thing this year was the opportunity to stand on the steps of the Psycho house, with Norman Bates holding a knife to my throat, for a photo. I definitely hope they continue this type of experience in the future!This year I purchased the early entry pass and was able to enjoy the park, including Harry Potter land, before they started shutting things down for the event. I highly recommend doing this as it was more than worth the added cost! For about 3 hours, very few people were in the park and I got to ride many of the most popular rides without waiting. I practically walked onto Harry Potter twice in a row!I’ve only gone on Sundays, mid-October and the crowds have been pretty light. A few years ago I invested the extra money and purchased the front of the line pass. It was great to go to the front of the line like a rock star but probably only worth the cost at the end of October.Another important thing to note, they do not serve alcohol during the event. Probably for the safety of everyone. They do sell alcohol prior to the event starting (during the early entry hours). Be aware and plan accordingly.Overall, Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights is a really fun experience and the mazes are always getting better. It is honestly hard to imagine how the mazes could get much better but I look forward to finding out next season if they do.