Haunt Reviews

For the second year in the row, I am visiting all of the area haunts, in order to give some idea of what to expect. Every haunt has something different to offer, especially with the Midsouth offering traditional haunts, haunted trails, haunted corn mazes, and haunted hay rides.

When I do a review, I buy a ticket and go through with other customers, getting the same show as everyone else who attends. I'm not paid or given free tickets by any haunts. I do these reviews because I love haunted attractions, and I hope that by getting more information about haunts to potential patrons, we will see more haunted enthusiasts, continuous improvements in quality of attractions, and informed patrons who will have their expectations met at every attraction they visit.

The Reviews

October 2 October 3 October 8 October 10 October 11 October 23 October 24

The Categories

I rate each haunt in a number of areas, some of which are a bit different than what many reviewers look at.

First Impression - I feel that before you ever get into a haunt, the setting outside really sets the tone. This includes facades, queue lines, street signage, and the overall setting before you actually get into the attraction.

Actors - Actors are usually what make or break a good haunt. Acting can range from looking menacing, popping out and saying boo, to theatrical scenes. Haunt acting is as much about timing and reading the audience to get the best interactions as it is about delivering lines, and costuming can play as big a part as the skills of the actors. This also serves as a catch all for other staff related information including things like how helpful or friendly security or ticket takers are.

Audio/Sensory - Many haunts focus on the visual, but other senses can really set a haunt apart. Good auditory effects and mood setting can change the whole tone of a haunt, and never underestimate what a good tactile or olfactory effect can bring.

Special Effects - This is kind of a catch all for animatronics, illusions, and other effects (usually visual) that are used in a haunt. This is often what sets apart modern haunts from older style haunts.

Theming and Storyline - This one is a personal interest of mine with haunts. I find that having a theme, story and mood helps to pull a haunt together and give a better overall experience.

Fright Factor - How scary is the haunt? Is it "extreme" like many haunts claim to be, or is this somewhere you can take your children without having to worry about following up with years of therapy.

Gore Factor - I separate this one out from fright factor, because this specifically can help determine family friendly, versus geared towards teenagers or even adults. In addition to gore, I'll also comment on adult themes or settings in this section.

Value - If two haunts are very similar, but one costs twice as much, obviously the cheaper one will give you the best bang for your buck. Here I look at what you get for your money. Time spent in the attraction vs price are the measurable components, but I also try to factor in that better trained actors, more advanced visual effects, and simply more entertainment packed into the event obviously increases the value.

Note: I do not give an overall score to the haunt, just category ratings. The reason for this is for many categories more or less skulls isn't necessarily better, but is a matter of tastes. A low gore low scare haunt might be exactly what you are looking for. Maybe acting is more important than effects for some people, while others look at the opposite. I'm not trying to make a statement on which haunt is the best in the area. I only wish to inform readers on what kind of experience they should expect at each haunt, and what differentiates the haunts. If you only go to one haunt this season, I want you to be able to choose the one that will best suit your tastes and budget.. (Of course, I also encourage everyone to see as many as they can, as no two experiences are the same.)

The Skull System

Although I use a five skull rating system, it really can be considered more of a 3 skull system.. Two skulls is average for what you should expect to see in haunts. One skull means this is not an area of focus for this haunt, and three skulls represent areas that a haunt has a lot of focus or skill in. Four or five skulls are very rarely given out at all, and are reserved for extreme cases where a haunt has gone above and beyond in a certain area. 4 skull acting for example might be worthy of being on a stage as much as being in a haunt, and 4 skull effects would likely include big budget effects you'd more expect to see in hollywood productions or major theme parks.

 

One skull represents an element that a haunt either doesn't make use of in the haunt, or that is used ineffectively.
Two skulls represents an area where a haunt has made some efforts towards, but where the haunt still has a lot of room for improvement. This is an "average" rating for a haunt.
Three skulls is an area the haunt has shown some focus in and can be considered above average in. This is the top score that most haunts will get in most categories, unless they've really gone out of their way to work in a certain area.
A four skull area is an area where the haunt excels, and is stronger than most other haunts accross the country. This is an area of huge focus for the haunt, and is a rating that I rarely will give.
The five skull rating represents an area where a haunt is a model for other haunts to aspire to. This usually represents great effort and innovation, and is a rarity for me to give out. Haunts this level may have gotten national recognition in their area, or if not, might be deserving of that recognition.