What makes them sure I’m not going to show up drunk at 10:30 am?
Kings Dominion Halloween Haunt 2022
- Thread starter mtorange
- Start date
How many are going to be willing to shell out those kinda bucks to re enter.But as long as you pay again on a single day ticket it's all fine.
I kind of like cornstalkers. It's still fun, and it's the maze I hit at the end of the night (or second to last maze) so it's quite dark by then.
That would be my top choice, followed by the old Blackout/Doll House maze structure.
I don't think any of the other existing indoor mazes are changing for 2023.
Also, the park might expand Grimm Woods to the full 5 stories they had originally planned for when it was designed.
Not sure about the scare zones. If KD can get enough Haunt staffing this fall, maybe a new scare zone might be added.
Just keep in mind that the park has a history of enhancing/changing/growing an existing Haunt attraction over time. Even the "dreaded" Corn Stalkers maze has evolved for the better over the years. The maze path has been reworked at least 3 times since its inception. The number of maze details and props have almost tripled since its first opening. I think KD does pretty good with mazes that are getting a little "long in the tooth".
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I’m interested in what the scare zone line up will be this year as well. Last year’s new zone Uprising was amazing, but it took advantage of that maze of foliage in the corner of Safari Village that had been enclosed by construction walls for Tumbili’s construction. I wonder if we’ll see that scare zone replaced in another area of the park, especially since it didn’t use any new props — it was entirely recycled from Necropolis and The Yard, which makes me wonder if it was only meant to last a single year.
I’d really like to see Masquerade axed. It’s an interesting theme, but the base of the Eiffel Tower is a terrible location for a scare zone. It’s easy to miss given the fact you have to walk under the tower to experience it, the plaza under the tower is way too open, and the music from the Grand Bandstand destroys any attempt at atmospherics for the zone. The lighting is cool and the characters are great, but it’s a serious waste of resources.
I definitely agree that an IronWorx replacement on the Center Walkway should be a priority. That long, isolated, practically enclosed walkway is so ripe for a good scare zone, and it’s such a prominent stretch of the park that something was noticeably missing from there last year. It made the center of the park feel dead (and not in a good Halloween way).
After that, I’d love to see another zone in the arbor tunnel. Pumpkin Eater 2021, in its new location in the main area of Old Virginia, had some of the best atmospherics I’ve ever seen at a haunt event. But it left the arbor tunnel vacant, which is a shame given what a unique opportunity that structure provides for an immersive scare zone. I doubt we’ll see both Center Walkway and the arbor receive a new scare zone this year (and I honestly don’t expect to see a new zone in either location), but I think the park is missing out if they don’t try to leverage those locations.
I’d really like to see Masquerade axed. It’s an interesting theme, but the base of the Eiffel Tower is a terrible location for a scare zone. It’s easy to miss given the fact you have to walk under the tower to experience it, the plaza under the tower is way too open, and the music from the Grand Bandstand destroys any attempt at atmospherics for the zone. The lighting is cool and the characters are great, but it’s a serious waste of resources.
I definitely agree that an IronWorx replacement on the Center Walkway should be a priority. That long, isolated, practically enclosed walkway is so ripe for a good scare zone, and it’s such a prominent stretch of the park that something was noticeably missing from there last year. It made the center of the park feel dead (and not in a good Halloween way).
After that, I’d love to see another zone in the arbor tunnel. Pumpkin Eater 2021, in its new location in the main area of Old Virginia, had some of the best atmospherics I’ve ever seen at a haunt event. But it left the arbor tunnel vacant, which is a shame given what a unique opportunity that structure provides for an immersive scare zone. I doubt we’ll see both Center Walkway and the arbor receive a new scare zone this year (and I honestly don’t expect to see a new zone in either location), but I think the park is missing out if they don’t try to leverage those locations.
As stated, Masquerade is too open. Seems that it could use a good dose of ground props to make up illusions of palace rooms and hallways. The scare zone would be made of free standing "walls" to make up the rooms and hallways. I am not saying more of a maze with a fixed path; but, have multiple access points to pass through a room or hallway. Where you really cannot walk straight through from point A to point B under the tower. Maybe have a couple really detailed scenes like of a dining table set up for a feast or a throne room. All areas would share a common theme of abandonment, decay, and rot.
Any predictions for when the lineup will finally be announced? Don’t exactly remember when it was last year
Saturday there was a lot of movement with props in the Action theater. This is all I managed to catch.
Honestly i don’t like Trick or Treat (the one with witches), what i’d like to see is a new house that is unlike an average haunted house, something that has that wow factor and larger than life feel, preferably id like it to replace Trick or Treat. Honestly with new Jungle X area they could bring “Primevil: Kuru Curse” scarezone back, i think it fits while also bringing some nostalgic haunt feel back. With the new house i think some cool theming ideas would be a wax museum or giving the old “IronWorks” its own house. Queen Majesty has got to go, she does the Overlord no justice whatsoever!! They need to axe her and the scarezone she has under the Eiffel Tower!! Return of the Overlord is a must!!! A cool idea to replace the “IronWorks” location is a gargoyle theme maybe incorporating some of the old “Midevil Macabre” props in it… ik i have some wild ideas… but i want haunt to make me happier then it already does!!
The picture @belsaas shared might be our first sight of Haunt 2022 setup! Looks like Condemned is all but confirmed to be back in that case.
So here are my observations of Haunt’s maze lineup:
If it’s replacing a 2021 maze, my money would be on Trick or Treat. It’s the oldest unconfirmed maze, debuting in 2016. It also tends to be weaker on scares, despite the beautiful sets inside. I’d be sad to see it go given how incredible its set design is, but Trick or Treat seems to be the most logical maze for the chopping block. Blood on the Bayou being replaced would surprise me given its newness and how elaborate its sets are. (I also think it’ll be interesting to have a direct comparison between BGW and KD’s bayou-themed mazes.)
If the park is adding a sixth maze back to the park while keeping all of 2021’s mazes, three main options come to mind: Flight of Fear (replacing Lockdown), Planet Snoopy event building (replacing Blackout), or Hypersonic XLC’s maintenance building (replacing Zombie High).
Last I knew, Lockdown was still intact inside of Flight of Fear. I almost wonder if they’d rather leave that maze intact in case they find themselves with enough staff to add another maze in a future season and simply want to spin up Lockdown back into operation. It’s also an insanely out-of-the-way location, so this doesn’t seem like the ideal choice when other possible locations will get more traffic.
I believe the Zombie High sets were at least partially gutted from the Hypersonic building, but that building has poor ventilation and notoriously gets uncomfortably hot. Putting a new maze into this building would also concentrate all six of the park’s mazes into the western (Old Virginia) side of the park — Trick or Treat would be the park’s easternmost maze.
Finally, Blackout was designed to be easily removed, so the Planet Snoopy building is a prime candidate to be refitted in my opinion. It’s also well-located: subject to high foot traffic thanks to its location at the entrance to Jungle X, and it also balances out the park’s maze portfolio with its location on the east side of the park. If I were the park and had to pick a building to add a sixth maze, I’d pick Blackout’s old building.
So my guess is that the new maze will replace Trick or Treat, or it will go inside one of the three aforementioned buildings — ideally the old Blackout building in Planet Snoopy.
So here are my observations of Haunt’s maze lineup:
- Cornstalkers: Confirmed returning
- Condemned: Almost definitely returning
- GrimmWoods: Probably returning (newest maze, and props are still set up in the woods by Grizzly)
- Blood on the Bayou: Unknown
- Trick or Treat: Unknown
If it’s replacing a 2021 maze, my money would be on Trick or Treat. It’s the oldest unconfirmed maze, debuting in 2016. It also tends to be weaker on scares, despite the beautiful sets inside. I’d be sad to see it go given how incredible its set design is, but Trick or Treat seems to be the most logical maze for the chopping block. Blood on the Bayou being replaced would surprise me given its newness and how elaborate its sets are. (I also think it’ll be interesting to have a direct comparison between BGW and KD’s bayou-themed mazes.)
If the park is adding a sixth maze back to the park while keeping all of 2021’s mazes, three main options come to mind: Flight of Fear (replacing Lockdown), Planet Snoopy event building (replacing Blackout), or Hypersonic XLC’s maintenance building (replacing Zombie High).
Last I knew, Lockdown was still intact inside of Flight of Fear. I almost wonder if they’d rather leave that maze intact in case they find themselves with enough staff to add another maze in a future season and simply want to spin up Lockdown back into operation. It’s also an insanely out-of-the-way location, so this doesn’t seem like the ideal choice when other possible locations will get more traffic.
I believe the Zombie High sets were at least partially gutted from the Hypersonic building, but that building has poor ventilation and notoriously gets uncomfortably hot. Putting a new maze into this building would also concentrate all six of the park’s mazes into the western (Old Virginia) side of the park — Trick or Treat would be the park’s easternmost maze.
Finally, Blackout was designed to be easily removed, so the Planet Snoopy building is a prime candidate to be refitted in my opinion. It’s also well-located: subject to high foot traffic thanks to its location at the entrance to Jungle X, and it also balances out the park’s maze portfolio with its location on the east side of the park. If I were the park and had to pick a building to add a sixth maze, I’d pick Blackout’s old building.
So my guess is that the new maze will replace Trick or Treat, or it will go inside one of the three aforementioned buildings — ideally the old Blackout building in Planet Snoopy.
you’re right, they’ve just been placed back up
The plants and signs were added to the facade in 2018 when No Vacancy was reworked as Condemned.
Who else wants the electric chair guy reworked into haunt!?!?
The building that used to house Toxic Plague and Zombie High was not tied to Hypersonic at all. It was purpose built for Haunt to house an indoor maze attraction. I can't remember if was built the same year as the building used for Club Blood and Blood on the Bayou. If not, then it was built within a year of each other. I thought both were built in 2009 or 2010.
No, the only thing left of HSXLC is the open station house and exit ramp. The twin building to the Blood on the Bayou structure was custom built for Haunt. It sets in front of the HSXLC station and the old exit ramp sets between the path to/from BOTB and the exit side of the building in question.
I thought the old HSXLC station was used for a scaractor break area for a couple seasons. Not recently though.
If i pull up to haunt this year and queen majesty is the one leading the resurrection y’all will know who i am cuz ima be the one on my knees crying from disappointment :|
