Existing Haunt Blood on the Bayou

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Zachary

Zachary

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Sep 23, 2009
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Finally creating a thread for Kings Dominion's new-for-2017 Haunt house, Blood on the Bayou. This house took Blackout's original location inside Twisted Timber's infield and features an extensively-themed swamp environment with a nice hefty dash of voodoo.

Official Description (July 2018):
There are rumors that the swamps once ran red with blood and it’s time to find out if the rumors are true. The locals refuse to speak about the horrors that once filled the bayou, whispers of curses and unnamed voodoo priests. However, refusing to talk about something does not make it go away. The evil that lies in wait hungers for new visitors. The voodoo queen dreams of times gone by, times when the blood of the innocent once flowed through the bayou.
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Blood on the Bayou will always hold a special place in my heart. I went through this maze multiple times last season and every time I went through it, I noticed that more things were being added to the set and I was easily immersed in the scenery that the maze provided. Easily one of the most detailed theme-park haunted houses in the Commonwealth of Virginia. I saw in the CoasterCon 41 video on YouTube that it looked like more things were added for the 2018 season, so I am very excited to go through it again once Haunt begins. Regarding the monsters, they always did a good job at staying in character and I saw many creative things come from the monsters each time I went through (having the swamp monsters roam around the maze was always fun to watch... you never knew which one would pop up at you!). The park also agreed with me because the park awarded it with Maze of the Year last season! Can't wait to see what else can be cooked up with this maze. I believe that this maze, along with Trick or Treat, are gems that will maintain Haunt's status as one of the best theme-park Halloween events in the nation.
 
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There is no doubt in my mind that Blood on the Bayou is one of the best themed, most innovatively laid out, and most stringently thought-through houses at any regional theme park ever. I consider it a true marvel of haunted house design. Like many, I wish it were a bit longer (an outdoor addition at the end could do wonders), but, what we have of the house is, atmospherically, a true marvel.

Hopefully 2018's cast can scare a bit better than 2017's managed, but even with its relatively weak opening year cast, the house was splendid.
 
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I get it that it has a lot of detail, but it's also four-five small sheds hooked together by bridges. I wouldn't agree that it's the absolute best house even at KD, but I do think it's one of the most brilliant uses of resources to make it appear that the park has a large budget. With about 50 percent of the maze recycled from Slaughter House and the rest coming from scrap yards, it's a very smart layout. I just wish I hadn't looked through the (gorgeous) window in the first scene since it shows you the entire layout of the house in one place.

I still think it's a bit over-hyped, but I think they could change my mind if they added more "sheds" or an outdoor scene. I love the scenery if nothing else and I would love to see more.
 
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I was really impressed with what we learned on the tour last year. The detail, architecture, and thought that went into it are really unlike other Virginia houses. The one frustrating thing is that the original design was meant for a larger space.
 
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I honestly loved that you could look out over the entirety of the house from the first room. I think it was a masterstroke in place-making atmospherics.

Very often walking through a Halloween attraction (especially an indoor one) it feels like you are walking through a collection of rooms or other enclosed spaces.

In my opinion, Bayou's brilliance is that it showed the viewer over and over again that they aren't in an isolated, disconnected room but instead that they are walking through a village of interconnected places—all with clear visual distinctions yet all still meshing perfectly to create one cohesive world.
 
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Nicole said:
I was really impressed with what we learned on the tour last year. The detail, architecture, and thought that went into it is really unlike other Virginia houses. The one frustrating thing is that the original design was meant for a larger space.
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Do you happen to know what space? If it’s where I think, that “typo” on last year’s map makes a lot more sense now.
 
Always a great looking maze. Nothing really new aside from some lighting changes. Actors were really trying.
 
Just got out and honestly so dark but at the end there was a great scare. Definitely will do again
 
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belsaas said:
Is this allowed? Do you just bring your camera in with you and take snapshots along the way? These are amazing!
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KD has opened their Haunt Houses for groups to look through at events I would guess that was from one of those. Pictures are not normally allowed while they are in use.
 
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