Alright. Let's review the 4 mazes and scare zones I went through. I was only able to get through 4 mazes yesterday due to unfortunate circumstances; however, the 4 mazes were very, very good. Lots of huge changes in opinion to some of my least favorite houses of previous years!
Lockdown - Wow. Who would have thought this house was going to steal the show!? The training on these actors was well paid off. Every room had some distinguished interaction between the monsters and guests. I was on my toes around every corner, and even then I was caused to startle far more than I have in a very long time. From being surrounded by evil criminals to being chased out of the building, Lockdown was spectacular! What Lockdown lacks in detail, it makes up for in atmospherics and scares. Well done Kings Dominion. 10/10 (Lockdown I appoligize so much for criticizing you in the past. Please forgive me. I love you Lockdown. The cast of this house has set a very big bar)
Tollway Terror - I was not expecting anything at all. In the past I've experianced no more than maybe 4 actors through this car ride, but this isn't that same boring car ride of the past we're talking about. It started off pretty bare boned as usual, but before I knew it there are people popping out everywhere. I felt as if somebody was hiding behind every tree just waiting for us to be the next victim. I'd look left to right and think all is clear, and before I know it a chainsaw goes off right next to my ear. I seriously screamed as if I was in immediate danger. An actor would be doing something on the left, then another would come running up on the right making contact with the top of the car. Tollway Terror was a true experiance last night. I was blown away in every last expectation I had. This needs be the new standard for Tollway Terror. 10/10 (If Tollway manages to stay like this, I may have a new favorite haunt attraction in the future. Checkmarks in every category)
For comparison I didn't give a single house a 10/10 last year and I loved the event.
Trick Or Treat - This house used to be all about theming and minimal scares, and yet again to my disbelief KD managed to steer this boat the right direction. There was a great deal of acting amongst the monsters putting me in an unpredictable state as I made my way through the house. Monsters were more in your face than I've ever seen in Trick Or Treat. For the first time ever I was more into what the actors were doing than the immaculate attention to detail. As good as the acting was, this particular concept doesn't come off to me as "scary". I did get startled pretty good by a monster wearing a mask from Doll Factory. Great improvements overall 9/10 (Great immersion of both details and acting)
Zombie High - I've always had a great time in this house. Though I felt Zombie High was a bit lower on staffing than the other houses, it still provided plenty of scare opportunity and interactions. I encountered a monster that jumped directly over a table and slammed against a wall directly in front of me. Admittedly I laughed harder than I probably should have, but that monster had more dedication to character than any house I've ever gone through. Props to him/her. The actors were very high tempo providing a great experiance. The smaller staff was made up by the always fun to look at details. Zombie High could have been improved with a slight addition of monsters, but overall I had a great time. 8/10 (Not too bad! It says a lot that this was my least favorite of the bunch)
Scare Zones: If I was to tell you they all had a substantial ammount of staff in them you would think I was lying. The thing is.. I'm not lying. I would like to add that I came across some sort of scare monster everywhere in the park, not just in the scare zones. I was checking my surrounding everywhere I walked... Okay, maybe I was doing that for other reasons but I digress. Onto the scare zones!
Cleaver Brothers - I'll wait for somebody else to talk about this one before I go off. Cleaver Brothers is located in the central part of Kings Dominions unannounced running of the bulls. Didn't dare experiance it. NEXT!
IronWorx - I love the soundtrack and the character the actors pursue. I wouldn't consider it scary, but I do love the feeling of being in another world. IronWorx excelled in immersion.
Necropolis - Sliders, Sliders, and MORE SLIDERS! They weren't scared to get close either! Some pretty damn good scares with this one. There were 2(?) monsters in stilts I've never seen before. Story telling was a massive improvement this year, particularly in Necropolis. They were not happy people until they were given permission to bury you. They had a clear goal of wanting you dead. Plenty of staffing!
The Lair - Staffing! I've never seen this many people in the Lair. Climbing on top of props before jumping face to neck with fangs of terror. These vampires were exceptional. They wanted blood and were not leaving until they got ALL of it. The mix of fog, stobes, and being in a pitch black environment certainly increased the tension. Well done!
Unfortunately I didn't get to check out The Yard or any shows last night.
Overall my first impressions of this year's event were nothing less than exceptional. Staffing was far more plentiful than I've ever seen at KD, and the scare zones were some of the best I've seen at any park! KD has set a new standard of haunt... A standard I really, really, REALLY *I'll stop* loved! KD has hit the ball out of the park this year. I remember it wasn't too long ago we were all worried about KD's haunt this year... I expected so much less out of the event we were given. Exceptional!
