California Great America’s annual Halloween Haunt opened on Sept. 26 with a dazzling array of mazes, scare zones, live shows and more.

This year’s event has over 500 workers dressed as monsters complete with their own make-up and costumes, 10 mazes, four attraction shows, three scare zones, and the regular host of rides still being open.

From the very first moment you walk into the park, you’ll notice the amount of detail and effort the organization has put in.

Each segment of the park has its own niche theme, and some places even have fog where workers dressed as monsters, clowns or villains lurk and creep up on you. If you’re the easily-scared type, you might want to avoid these places.

This year featured a new maze, the Wax Museum and a new “horror experience”: Mirror, Mirror. Expect long lines for these two events.

The rides are open until 1 a.m., with only a few  closing earlier due to city noise ordinances.

Ride lines were still long, although bearable and workers have been known to walk around through the lines scaring people.

The reaction I found this year was surprisingly positive. Halloween Haunt 2014 exceeded my expectations, and those of my friends as well.

The new Mirror, Mirror obstacle course and the Wax Museum maze are the most popular attractions this year, but the rest of the mazes and rides are worth the wait, including Toy Factory and Massacre Manor.

At the entrance to the park, expect to wait a while at the stoplight. With only two turn lanes and hundreds of people trying to get in at once, there’s going to be a bit of a wait.

Great America now has a Bring-a-Friend discount: for every Gold or Platinum pass holder, up to four friends can be brought in (Fridays/Saturdays) for around $25 each, almost half of what the regular daily admission is. Gold and Platinum passes get in for free.

No matter what age, gender or how easily-scared you are, there’s something for everyone this year. The Halloween Haunt will be open until Nov. 1.