They have cut back on the scare zones and ramped up the haunted houses this year. The areas in Texas and Mexico have the props used for the scare zones in prior years, but no scare actors, so there are just, like, random doors and whatnot. It makes sense from a money standpoint...why give away the spooky for free when you can make people pay for the haunted houses? But it does make the park feel anemic compared to years past for those of us who are perfectly fine with the level of scares the scare zones provide, ha. Only scare zones we encountered were the sideshow folks near Looney Tunes land, the swamp folks near Superman, and some pig hybrid folks near Yosemite Sam. Might be one in the Gotham area? We haven't made it over there.
Friday still remains the best for enjoying the after dark offerings, imo. We went both last night and last Sunday, and The Awakening was as packed as a set at Coachella 20 minutes prior to the start for both. On Friday, my son and I walked right up to the front of the roped off area 5 minutes before showtime. Yesterday was crazy crowded in general. Even the train reached capacity and left folks on the platform. Thank God my 4 year old's favorite coaster is the Shock Wave...never had a line yesterday. And the single rider lines for La Vibora and Pandemonium are the best. My kid gets to ride over and over, and I can wait for him at the exit with my guts and limbs intact. (5 times in a row on the Shock Wave made my stomach hit Maximum Fun early in the day.)