@Zachary and I went to Fright Fest at SFA this evening, and we had a great time.
I know that every year I defend this event, because I think it gets a bad rap. Tonight, however, it wasn’t just a fun, little haunt with a few cool moments. Tonight, we experienced three houses that were better than anything at BGW’s HOS when we went, and two that were on par with mazes at more highly regarded events (like KD’s and Dorney’s). In fact, I got more scares tonight than I have enjoyed all season.
Unwrapped is brilliantly themed to Christmas. I think they were using a lot of the props from Holiday in the Park (their defunct winter event). The actors were acting. I was stalked and startled by creepy elves; one followed me through an entire room, before I realized he was behind me. There was a slider inside the house. The monsters had clear parts and unique dialogue. The house has has story-telling, immersive theming, and good staffing levels.
Sideshow: Haze House was surprising, disorienting, and incredibly effective. It is nominally a clown themed maze, but that really isn’t the point. The house was filled with fog so thick that we literally couldn’t see anyone more than two step ahead. There were also constant strobes and lots of active and in-character clowns. They were jumping out of the fog, stalking, and singing creepy songs. It was sort of the inverse of a blackout house. It was blinding light and white, nearly opaque fog. I was still physically dizzy after I exited.
The Haunting of Hall Manor, their outdoor maze through the woods, was upgraded this year. There were many more actors and new props, scenes, and characters. It has always felt very different than most other theme park houses and this year they added more scares to an already creepy and unnerving environment.
The atmosphere and scare zones were fantastic. Throughout the park they were using sound, music, and lights to create creepy or intimidating or threatening environments.
This event obviously still lacks the budget and theatrical sets of other haunts. That said, the environmentals like lights and sound were surprisingly sophisticated, and more effective than anything we experienced at the Virginia parks. Moreover, the event was well staffed and the actors were both enthusiastic and obviously trained.
I know that every year I defend this event, because I think it gets a bad rap. Tonight, however, it wasn’t just a fun, little haunt with a few cool moments. Tonight, we experienced three houses that were better than anything at BGW’s HOS when we went, and two that were on par with mazes at more highly regarded events (like KD’s and Dorney’s). In fact, I got more scares tonight than I have enjoyed all season.
Unwrapped is brilliantly themed to Christmas. I think they were using a lot of the props from Holiday in the Park (their defunct winter event). The actors were acting. I was stalked and startled by creepy elves; one followed me through an entire room, before I realized he was behind me. There was a slider inside the house. The monsters had clear parts and unique dialogue. The house has has story-telling, immersive theming, and good staffing levels.
Sideshow: Haze House was surprising, disorienting, and incredibly effective. It is nominally a clown themed maze, but that really isn’t the point. The house was filled with fog so thick that we literally couldn’t see anyone more than two step ahead. There were also constant strobes and lots of active and in-character clowns. They were jumping out of the fog, stalking, and singing creepy songs. It was sort of the inverse of a blackout house. It was blinding light and white, nearly opaque fog. I was still physically dizzy after I exited.
The Haunting of Hall Manor, their outdoor maze through the woods, was upgraded this year. There were many more actors and new props, scenes, and characters. It has always felt very different than most other theme park houses and this year they added more scares to an already creepy and unnerving environment.
The atmosphere and scare zones were fantastic. Throughout the park they were using sound, music, and lights to create creepy or intimidating or threatening environments.
This event obviously still lacks the budget and theatrical sets of other haunts. That said, the environmentals like lights and sound were surprisingly sophisticated, and more effective than anything we experienced at the Virginia parks. Moreover, the event was well staffed and the actors were both enthusiastic and obviously trained.
