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Theme Park Asks Guests to Voluntarily Get into Coffins

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Posted on by Rick Lye
A spooky, skeletal figure in tattered clothing stands ominously under trees. Text on the image reads: "Wild Waves Fright Fest" and below it "Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, October 4 — November 2." The background has an eerie, dusky forest setting.

Credit: Wild Waves Theme Park

Regional theme parks have to come up with some crazy promotions to get guests through the gates. The wilder the promotion, the more likely people outside the region will pay attention. In sports, it’s the same idea that minor league baseball has to do to get paid fans through the door.

Two people dressed in elaborate and spooky costumes pose for the camera at night, embodying the spirit of Halloween Horror Nights. One wears a dark-colored, wild-haired wig with intricate face paint, while the other has a white wig with exaggerated makeup and a striped shirt. Both have outstretched arms, smiling eerily.
Credit: Six Flags

Related: Survivors of America’s Most Dangerous Theme Park Gather to Share Their Collective Trauma

However, one theme park may be asking guests to do a little too much. Wild Waves Theme and Water Parks in Federal Way, Washington, has devised a new promotion to kick off its Fright Fest that may be asking a little too much of its fans.

Wild Waves is looking for six volunteers to spend an entire day, or 24 hours, in coffins to kick off their Fight Fest in October. Guests will have to spend the entire 24 hours in the coffins, including sleeping in them for the night.

Wild Waves theme park has dubbed this “24-Hour Crypt Keeper Challenge,” and participants must adhere to specific rules.

Promotional image for Wild Waves Fright Fest. It features spooky characters: a vampire-like figure, a close-up of an eye, and a creepy clown. Text reads, "WEEKENDS Sept. 28 - Oct. 30" and mentions haunted attractions, rides in the dark, and a section for kids.
Credit: Wild Waves

According to a Wild Waves release, fans must remain in the laying position in the seven-foot by 32-inch coffins for the entire day. They are granted short breaks to use the bathroom, but they must immediately return to their coffins once they are done.

Wild Waves spokesperson Pam Bugbee said: 

It’s literally a pine box. It’s not going to be the most comfortable, but our participants will be allowed to bring a pillow and a sleeping bag for the night.

The coffins will remain outside for the entire day, so anyone participating must handle the Washington weather. The scariest part for the victims may be that they are only allowed to use their cell phones during bathroom breaks.

To participate, guests must be 18 or older and be in good physical condition. This apparently won’t just be lying around in the Washington weather for 24 hours.

Bugbee continued: 

We’re going to scare them with different types of challenges through the evening, and some of those may involve getting up and moving about.

According to the release from Wild Waves theme park and Water Park, the last person left lying down will receive a coffin full of treats, including two Wild Waves 2025 season passes, a 2025 season dining plan, front-of-the-line Fright Fest VIP passes, and bragging rights for eternity and beyond,

Anyone interested in applying can do so here. Good luck, and have a pleasant stay.

Would you spend 24 hours in a casket for a season pass to your favorite theme park? 

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Rick Lye

Rick is an avid Disney fan. He first went to Disney World in 1986 with his parents and has been hooked ever since. Rick is married to another Disney fan and is in the process of turning his two children into fans as well. When he is not creating new Disney adventures, he loves to watch the New York Yankees and hang out with his dog, Buster. In the fall, you will catch him cheering for his beloved NY Giants.

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