Cedar Hill Farm - Haunted Hayride

Haunt: Cedar Hill Farm
Address: 008 Love Road; Hernando, MS 38632
Price: $10 for the trail of terror, $9 for the haunted hayride, $7 corn maze, and $1 black hole, or $20 combo pack for all 4.
Dates Open: October 9th, 10th, 16th, 17th, 23rd, 24th, 30th & 31st; 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Category

Skulls

Notes
First Impression Cedar Hill Farm has an advantage over other haunt locations due to the other fall and halloween events they hold. The large market area full of different sized pumpkins immediately dominates your attention and gets you in the spirit. Nearby firepits with groups gathered around them also help to set the mood. (The fire areas can actually be rented for the night if you'd like to take a group and give yourself a "base camp" to attend the other events, and perhaps sit around and tell ghost stories.) The location also has the advantage of being the only haunt with public restrooms (not port-a-potties), as well as a full restaurant and store. The atmosphere is somewhat reminiscent of a fall fair as much as a haunted event.

The actual attraction section of the hayride is out beyond site, so you simply see the queue line, which is made up of fencing, and is actually very fitting for a hayride. Once you get on your tractor pulled hayride, you have about a 10 minute ride to get to the scenes making up the attraction.
Actors I felt that the acting on this attraction was actually stronger than on the Trail of Terror, which was a bit surprising to me. Both the timing and the energy level of actors made for more consistant scares, and a number of actors have interactive dialogue with the guests. Costuming was very fitting for the scenes
Audio/Sensory The sound of the tractor was probably the main sound heard throughout the haunt. Although distant chainsaws and screams also pierced the night. Although sound was used in a couple key places to support effects, I actually think it was some of the tactile effects that were more memorable.
Special Effects There are a few haunt effects used throughout the hayride, but what I really would like to focus on aren't technically effects. Some of the sets are extremely well done large sets. I'd specifically like to point out the pirate ship set as an eye catcher, although a number of other sets were also very intriguing and very fitting for a hayride setting.
Theming and Storyline All of the scares are tailored for a hay ride, but the scenes really don't have any theme or story connecting them.
Fright Factor The Haunted Hayride has some scary moments, but isn't as intense as some other area attractions. The ride between scenese give a lot of time to recover between any heart pounding moments.
Gore Factor This haunted attraction has very little gore, and although a few scenes can be intense, this is a good family attraction for those wanting to introduce people to haunts, without diving into the scariest attractions.
Value At $9, this attraction is cheaper than most haunted attractions in the area, and with a run time of about 40 minutes, it's one of the longest attractions, making it an excellent value comparing entertainment time to price. Add to this the fact that there are almost a dozen scares/scenes, with some of those having very detailed and large scale sets, and you have a very good value for customers. In my opinion, this is the whole reason to come out to Cedar Hills Farm, and you can treat the other attractions as an added bonus. I consider this one of the best buys for your money, of any attractions in the area.
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