Trail of Terror Review

Haunt: The Trail of Terror
Address: Jones Orchard; 6880 Singleton Parkway, Millington, TN 38053
Price: $12 ($2 Discount coupon available)
Dates Open: Fridays and Saturdays in October

Category

Skulls

Notes
First Impression Arriving at the Jones Orchard parking lot you'll see a concession stand where tickets can be purchased, and then take a walk past the corn mazes (which are separate attractions and are non-haunted) to the beginning of the trail of terror. There was a fairly good sized crowd going through, with about 40 to 50 cars in the lot while I was there.

Much like last year, the entrance to the haunt is a vortex tunnel, although this year, the tunnel was pitch black, making it difficult to tell that the tunnel was even running. (It was. I checked once I got out the other side, using the moonlight to see.)

I've always thought corn fields were great settings for haunts, so you get some natural set up for the haunt. The group I was following was already getting scared just walking to the haunt.
Actors For some reason, staffing seemed really thin tonight. The scares were pretty sparce with long stretches between running into actors. I'm not sure if the short staffing was something that was just due to it being opening weekend, or if this is the staffing level that will carry through the season.

Actor quality was more consistant this season, I didn't have any bad experiences, or see any actors that particularly stood out. Scare timing by actors was decent, although they didn't mix things up much with setups, and the scares didn't vary with any real dialogue or anything. There was one scare that was very well set up, but I don't want to ruin it for anyone by giving it away. Outside that one scare, there wasn't a whole lot that stood out to me.
Audio/Sensory There isn't really much use of sound throughout the trail with the exception of a couple of the scares (including a chainsaw, although only one this year.) There was use of a couple more tactile effects this year, with claustrophobia and a quicksand-like effect.
Special Effects As mentioned in the first impressions, I'm not sure if the lack of lighting in the vortex tunnel was on purpose, or was planned, but it really takes away the effectiveness of that prop. Other advertised new additions were the claustrophobia, which was a nice addition (and a big upgrade over the hanging severed body parts that were in the same location last year), and a suspension bridge, which actually ends up being more of a safety upgrade than an effect, although if used right, it could make for a nice scene location. There are a couple other minor effects that are nice touches, but I don't want to give away the scares.
UPDATE: Based on conversations with other patrons of this haunt, the vortex tunnel was working and lit up as of October 23. (It may have been working before that, but I know it was working at least by the 23rd. This is was really good news to hear, as this is a major effect for that haunt.)
Theming and Storyline There isn't really a storyline to go with "the black hole". It does make a lot of use of a few scarecrows, but not to the point I'd call it an underlying theme or story.
Fright Factor This was a pretty low scare event, especially considering the scarcity of actors throughout the trail. I often went through multiple switchbacks before encountering the next actor, and then at that point, they'd mainly pop out of the corn for similar startle scares. This is fairly family friendly, and I know that the staff will take special considerations with scared children, toning down the scares in that case.
Gore Factor This haunt had no gore whatsoever, which actually is a shift in philosophy from last year. (A welcome shift in my book.) This makes this much more family friendly. I really don't have any parental guidance on this attraction. The scares and costumes are all bloodless this season.
Value At $12, this is one of the more expensive haunted attractions in the area. The event time runs about 10 minutes, with another 5 to 10 minutes on the hay ride back to the parking lot. (The hay ride is not haunted, just a ride back.) Between the short time and the sparce actors, scenes, and effects, this is not one of the stronger values for area haunts. However, this is one of the more family friendly events you will find in the area, so haunt enthusiasts with children may want to give it a look.
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