Halloween Haunt 2016
- Thread starter mtorange
- Start date
I don't know if any of you follow the In the Loop Facebook page but, they posted some interesting info about Haunt 2016.
For anyone who can't access the post to summarize a Blackout maze will be replacing Club Blood which had been done at other parks in the CF chain. A Trick or Treat maze will be replacing Slaughterhouse which has been done again at other CF parks. The Overlord's Ressurection will be moving to the Bandstand and the clown band will be roaming around.
After last year in my opinion HOS was way better than Haunt and I feel this year there going to need to step it up in 2016. Should be interesting to see what happens from here.
For anyone who can't access the post to summarize a Blackout maze will be replacing Club Blood which had been done at other parks in the CF chain. A Trick or Treat maze will be replacing Slaughterhouse which has been done again at other CF parks. The Overlord's Ressurection will be moving to the Bandstand and the clown band will be roaming around.
After last year in my opinion HOS was way better than Haunt and I feel this year there going to need to step it up in 2016. Should be interesting to see what happens from here.
Just watched a video of Knott's Trick or Treat maze, and I'm impressed. It reminds me of Unearthed at BGW, if it were done right. It's basically a solid, traditional "haunted house."
My friends did a maze with a similar concept to the Blackout maze at a local haunt, and were legitimately freaked out. Fingers crossed this one works well.
My friends did a maze with a similar concept to the Blackout maze at a local haunt, and were legitimately freaked out. Fingers crossed this one works well.
I think I like the changes, aside from the clown band. I'd much rather they just leave the band out as it kills the mood, but whatever.
Just watched the Trick or Treat walkthrough and it looks pretty cool. I see it kind of like Zombie High where it's more just a fun time than it is necessarily scary.
I'm interested to see how the blackout maze works out. I think I'm a little confused why you would make it pitch black just to hand out night vision goggles, but at least it's something different. I guess making it completely dark and expecting Saturday night crowds to navigate their way through the maze smoothly and not holding up the lines would be foolish. I wonder what the theme will be though.
Just watched the Trick or Treat walkthrough and it looks pretty cool. I see it kind of like Zombie High where it's more just a fun time than it is necessarily scary.
I'm interested to see how the blackout maze works out. I think I'm a little confused why you would make it pitch black just to hand out night vision goggles, but at least it's something different. I guess making it completely dark and expecting Saturday night crowds to navigate their way through the maze smoothly and not holding up the lines would be foolish. I wonder what the theme will be though.
I'm just glad to hear there are replacements! I won't be watching any videos of the houses. I prefer the unexpectedness of a new maze. Then judge 
mtorange said:
I hope the EMT team will be on constant standby in the blackout maze from scareactors getting hit constantly. Excited about the possibility of two new mazes this year at Haunt. Hope to hit BGW one Friday night and Haunt another night.
BTW - tried to look out Blackout Haunted House on Youtube and you only get the extreme haunts from NYC and LA.
I like blackout mazes, but they definitely can cause problems. Bennett's Curse in MD has a section that is pitch black with a few actors roaming around. It's creepy, unsettling, and gets you feeling claustrophobic. However, it tends to get backed up as a bunch of donks in front of you can't figure out that if you just keep your hands on the walls, you'll find your way out rather easily. So it is fun, but it can get frustrating when you're stuck in the dark not moving. So if this new maze goes blackout, do it early in the night before the crowd gets too big.
I noticed that the mini cemetery outside the former Club Blood building is now gone, and about half of the graffiti on the building's exterior has been painted over so far. There were several work vehicles and a massive pile of wood sitting outside the building.
Similarly, there were two pickup trucks loaded with fresh 2x4's sitting behind the former Slaughterhouse building.
I always liked Club Blood, but since it was tied with Slaughterhouse as Haunt's oldest maze, it definitely ran its course. On the other hand, I can't begin to express how ecstatic I am that Slaughterhouse has been axed. Good riddance!
Also, if the park continues their pattern from the past 6 years, tomorrow should be Dodgem's last operating day of the season.
Similarly, there were two pickup trucks loaded with fresh 2x4's sitting behind the former Slaughterhouse building.
I always liked Club Blood, but since it was tied with Slaughterhouse as Haunt's oldest maze, it definitely ran its course. On the other hand, I can't begin to express how ecstatic I am that Slaughterhouse has been axed. Good riddance!
Also, if the park continues their pattern from the past 6 years, tomorrow should be Dodgem's last operating day of the season.
I totally forgot to share this. KD posted a teaser to their Instagram page about a week ago, saying:
[instagram=https://www.instagram.com/p/BIGIam2AJQO/]
Looks like we've gotten a tiny glimpse at the new Trick or Treat maze!
Kings Dominion said:
[instagram=https://www.instagram.com/p/BIGIam2AJQO/]
Looks like we've gotten a tiny glimpse at the new Trick or Treat maze!
It's official! This year's event will feature two new houses: Blackout and Trick-or-Treat. As expected, Slaughterhouse and Club Blood have gotten the axe this year. Additionally there will be two new/overhauled shows for 2016.
Kings Dominion said:The Not-So-Sweet 16th Season of Halloween
Haunt Features New Mazes and Shows
Terror lurks around every corner of Kings Dominion's Halloween Haunt
The creatures from your worst nightmares have made their way back to the midways of Kings Dominion for the not-so-sweet 16th season of Halloween Haunt. The frightful fun kicks off on Friday, September 30. Guests who are brave enough can enjoy nine mazes, six scare zones plus several live shows. If that isn't enough fun, get your thrill fix on more than 20 rides, including Intimidator 305 and the all-new Delirium, as fog and darkness blanket the park.
The horrors grow to epic proportions at Halloween Haunt as Kings Dominion introduces two brand new mazes and two all-new shows:
Trick-or-Treat
It's always Halloween on Hemlock Lane. The story picks up where the Fairy Tales ended - this clan of distraught witches were given a new start in this very special halfway house for wayward souls. Throughout the years the residents have worked to make their new home a welcoming place for their next victims. It's time to find out if a treat is in your future or if it's all just an evil trick.
Blackout
Are you frightened of the monster that lurks under your bed? Do you ever have the feeling that something bad is about to happen? Are you worried that there is a boogie man in the closet? The things that go bump in the night are waiting for you in this darkness filled realm of nightmares. Will anyone be there to hear you scream? What you can't see might hurt you... and in this case it will!
The Bone Collectors
Get a taste of the French Quarter with our New Orleans-inspired brass band. The Bone Collectors are leading our last rites in this unique ceremony for the newly departed. Presented nightly on the Grande Bandstand, we will also have special appearances throughout the park.
The Overlord's Resurrection
The Overlord is back and spookier than ever in this new rendition of his resurrection that is sure to send shivers down your spine! Each evening as the clock strikes 7:00, he will summon his minions from the shadows and unleash them into the night to terrorize the most unsuspecting guests. Presented nightly at the Grande Bandstand on International Street.
Test your limits and experience fear beyond your worst nightmares with several new Skeleton Key experiences! In this test of ultimate bravery, guests can unlock an exclusive room located within five of our scare zones where they will come face to face with terror in tight spaces, uncomfortable situations and unforgettable dark encounters. These rooms are designed to test the boundaries of their worst fears. Skeleton Key is exclusive to Fright Lane, which can be purchased online.
Monsters descend upon the park each night of Haunt at 7 p.m. during the Overlord's Resurrection as he calls forth all of his minions and sends them out into the night.
Halloween Haunt attractions operate every Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights from September 30th through October 30. Guests can get the most up-to-date hours of operation by visiting www.kingsdominion.com/haunt. Haunt is included with park admission.
Kings Dominion is also proud to offer family friendly events on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. The Great Pumpkin Fest, a daytime Halloween event, includes delightful surprises hiding around every corner, from a petting zoo to a pumpkin painting patch. The Great Pumpkin Fest has fun for the whole family to enjoy together. It's trick or treat, with just the treats. The Great Pumpkin Fest runs Saturdays and Sundays from September 24 through October 30.
Kings Dominion is owned and operated by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, a publicly traded partnership that is listed for trading on The New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "FUN." In addition to Kings Dominion, Cedar Fair owns and operates ten other amusement parks, three water parks, one indoor water park, and five hotels. Cedar Fair also operates the Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park in California under a management contract.
I'm glad to see Slaughterhouse and Club Blood gone. The theme for Trick or Treat sounds very entertaining as well.
I've never been to Knott's Berry Farm, but the videos on YouTube make their Trick-or-Treat maze look fantastic! It's very theatrical, with lots of cool lighting, and levitating scenery. I really want to see how Kings Dominion does their rendition. Then again, we did have No Vacancy by some miracle.
All of these changes should definitely improve Haunt this season - and I'm hoping Maze of Madness will be improved and seem complete now that it is on its third season. I'm excited to see the facades they do for the two new mazes, especially Trick-or-Treat since it's right on the CAG Midway.
It should be noted that Blackout is replacing Club Blood and Trick-or-Treat will be replacing Slaughterhouse.
Zachary said:
It should be noted that Blackout is replacing Club Blood and Trick-or-Treat will be replacing Slaughterhouse.
Not too bummed to see Club Blood or Slaughterhouse go. I seem to be one of the few who always had a good time in Slaughterhouse, but it was definitely getting stale and wasn't getting a whole lot of love from the design team the last couple years it seemed. Club Blood was always a fun time, but same thing, it just didn't really change that much lately other than the facade. Also, let's remember that it has been around since before Obama took office. That's a long freaking time for a haunted house, so definitely time for a change.
The video of the Trick or Treat maze from Knott's looks pretty sweet, so anything like that here will be great. Blackout will be very interesting to me. I think it has potential to be fantastic, but I'm just wondering how dark it will really be and how they plan to keep the crowds moving through when it's busy if people can't see where they're going. It could be a great house or extremely frustrating. I'm optimistic though.
By the way, I think I like the idea of the skeleton keys only being used in scare zones. I don't actually do the skeletonon keys, but people seemed to agree last year that the ones in the houses broke up the flow of the house too much, so maybe it's best to leave them for the scare zones.
I was kind of hoping for a new scare zone this year. I personally don't really get Ironworx. The steampunk thing doesn't really do it for me when it comes to scares or being creepy. The other scare zones all have a pretty clear story when you're walking through. "Oh, these are cannibals, these are vampires, these are fairly tale characters, and these are... Steampunk hipsters?" But it seems pretty popular, so I get why it's been around for a while. Maybe next year we'll see a new scare zone though.
From the description, it sounds like they are re-doing the Overlord's Resurrection again, which is just peachy with me. I notice they changed it back from Overlord's Scaremony to Overlord's Resurrection, which is nice. I'm hoping that means they redo his speech, because last year it sounded terrible. It sounded more like a cheap Power Rangers villain to me, so changing up the voice would be great. Personally, I thought the old voice was ten times better.
It looks like Unstrung is back and will be in its same location. The location on the site says it's at the theater, but I'm assuming they're doing like last year and putting it up outside the theater, which was pretty much universally hated by everyone on this board last year. Kind of a shame, but oh well. I don't see anything about karaoke being back or that bar thing from last year, which is great. I never understood that thing. Personally, I'm not going to Haunt for a party, I'm going for scares. It just seemed to odd to me.
Overall, I'm excited as always. Really the only thing I'm seeing on the website that bothers me is the return of Unstrung and that's only if it ends up being outside of the theater since it ruins the atmosphere. Otherwise, it all looks good to me.
The video of the Trick or Treat maze from Knott's looks pretty sweet, so anything like that here will be great. Blackout will be very interesting to me. I think it has potential to be fantastic, but I'm just wondering how dark it will really be and how they plan to keep the crowds moving through when it's busy if people can't see where they're going. It could be a great house or extremely frustrating. I'm optimistic though.
By the way, I think I like the idea of the skeleton keys only being used in scare zones. I don't actually do the skeletonon keys, but people seemed to agree last year that the ones in the houses broke up the flow of the house too much, so maybe it's best to leave them for the scare zones.
I was kind of hoping for a new scare zone this year. I personally don't really get Ironworx. The steampunk thing doesn't really do it for me when it comes to scares or being creepy. The other scare zones all have a pretty clear story when you're walking through. "Oh, these are cannibals, these are vampires, these are fairly tale characters, and these are... Steampunk hipsters?" But it seems pretty popular, so I get why it's been around for a while. Maybe next year we'll see a new scare zone though.
From the description, it sounds like they are re-doing the Overlord's Resurrection again, which is just peachy with me. I notice they changed it back from Overlord's Scaremony to Overlord's Resurrection, which is nice. I'm hoping that means they redo his speech, because last year it sounded terrible. It sounded more like a cheap Power Rangers villain to me, so changing up the voice would be great. Personally, I thought the old voice was ten times better.
It looks like Unstrung is back and will be in its same location. The location on the site says it's at the theater, but I'm assuming they're doing like last year and putting it up outside the theater, which was pretty much universally hated by everyone on this board last year. Kind of a shame, but oh well. I don't see anything about karaoke being back or that bar thing from last year, which is great. I never understood that thing. Personally, I'm not going to Haunt for a party, I'm going for scares. It just seemed to odd to me.
Overall, I'm excited as always. Really the only thing I'm seeing on the website that bothers me is the return of Unstrung and that's only if it ends up being outside of the theater since it ruins the atmosphere. Otherwise, it all looks good to me.
I'd personally be very surprised if the themed bar doesn't return. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they added more.