Newbie Review Crew Member

Kaylyn (hex_on_you)

Previous Reviews: 2021 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017

2017 Reviews

Please note: this review is for the 2017 season rather than the current season.

Gags Nightmare A Haunting Experience

by hex_on_you (Newbie Review Crew Member) after attending on Friday, October 20, 2017 at about 7:30 p.m.

Submitted: Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Fun Factor: Low Fear Factor: Low

Review

Living in Green Bay and having heard of Gags nearly a year ago when he first made his appearance on the dark streets of the Green Bay area, I was thrilled when I heard that they would not only be releasing a film, but also having a haunt this season! I was very excited to see that their location was directly downtown Green Bay, was easy to find, and was in close proximity to a parking structure, making it a breeze to get to. Unfortunately, that's where most of the perks to this haunt ended for me, as myself and the group I was with left not scared, or having had a great time, but confused as to the direction they were trying to take with the Gags Nightmare haunt.

The actors were great--excellent makeup and very dedicated to their roles. Without giving too much away, this haunt is set up in more of an interactive way. In the beginning you are set up with a pen and notepad to take notes throughout the haunt and told that there is a test of sorts at the end. This excited our group, as we felt it would be more of an escape room/game show type experience as opposed to just a walk through haunt. The idea behind the attraction was great, but I feel it really lacked follow through. We were led through the haunt with a 'tour guide' of sorts. As we were doing each task, we weren't set up well as to what exactly we were to be looking for in each room, and at the end not a single one of us knew the answers to the test, or even felt like we got to take a trip through Gag's mind. We were set up in the beginning so wonderfully by a "drunken" carny stating we were to take a trip through Gag's mind and what made him the man he was today, and we felt as though the attraction didn't touch on this subject at all.

When we got to the end, there was a physical written test, which didn't include some of the tasks we did, and no one in our group of 5 knew most of the answers. There wasn't closure as to what the answers were either, as we weren't told what the correct answers were. Our group of 5 left confused as to what we had just completed, and didn't feel like we had been through a haunt or an escape room and didn't feel like we had "accomplished" or "failed" as we weren't properly set up to complete the tasks.

All in all, if you're looking to get a first hand look at the celebrity clown who has been haunting the streets of Green Bay, going to Gags Nightmare would give you the glimpse at him you're craving, however, for the price and length of the haunt, and with it not either being a traditional haunt or an escape room, I'll leave it up to you if you want to venture to this downtown Green Bay attraction.

This haunt is open multiple days during the week and weekend, so I recommend checking social media or their website for more information. They sell tickets until 11pm, which I wasn't able to find anywhere but was able to call and find. It was also on the main sign to the haunt.

Signage / Visibility / Location

Gags Nightmare is located downtown Green Bay, and was easy to find, and there was ample parking available in the Pine Street. Multiple signs, and a staff member were present at the entrance to direct you where to go. This is the first haunt that I know of directly downtown Green Bay, which was a fun environment.

Wait Area / Line Entertainment

Gags Nightmare had an indoor heated waiting area, with the ticket takers in makeup and a concession stand. There is a waiver to sign (but don't worry--no extreme effects or monsters touching you during our experience). There was no wait when we went; we were able to purchase our tickets and go directly into the haunt. There was concessions available for purchase as well. (We weren't able to really check this out as we were ushered directly into the attraction).

Actors' Performance

The actors in the haunt were great. We were greeted by a "drunken" carny, who set us up for a great experience inside the haunt. He was animated and very dedicated to his role. He set it up that this haunt would be a look inside of Gag's mind, and what made him the man he is today. We were disappointed by the lack of follow through on this wonderful greeting in the first room of the haunt, but more on that later.

The rest of the characters in the house had great makeup and were dedicated to their roles. I was singled out throughout the haunt, which started off as a fun and memorable addition to our experience, but it got old being picked on by every monster by the end of the haunt. I feel it detracted from the experience.

Watch out--you'll be followed by a certain "celebrity" throughout!

Sets Scenes / Props / FX

The "scenes" were set up well and the decor was on point. A few of the rooms you were put in for 60 seconds and told to look for things or complete a 'task' for a test at the end. I wish these rooms would have set you up more for success, since at the end we didn't feel like we were pointed in the direction of what exactly we were doing or looking for. I loved the feeling of being in a circus tent, and I loved the change in room types and hallways we were in. Great job with set up.

Length

All in all it took us about 15-20 minutes to get through the attraction. We were led through by a 'tour guide', so running into other groups wasn't an issue at this attraction.

Crowd Control

There wasn't anyone besides my group of three and another group of two when we arrived. If there was large crowds, they had waivers out on tables for extras to fill out, but they weren't set up to deal with large crowds in terms of their ticket line.

Most Memorable Moment

Being followed around by a certain clown 'celebrity' was the highlight of this haunt. After seeing him in both the local media and on social media, it was cool to steal an up close look at the clown himself.

Summary

All in all, I feel like this haunt had excellent intentions, but lacked execution and follow through. The actors had great make up and were dedicated to their roles, the rooms had wonderful decorations, but I feel that the 'tasks' needed more thought. Either there needed to be more set up for the attendees, or a more solidified task with a definite answer, or 'pass or fail' feeling. When I invite my friends out for a haunt or an attraction, we want to feel like our money was well spent on either something we had fun on or something we accomplished, and we didn't have this feeling at the end. While the actors makeup was well done and the scenes looked great, this attraction also lacked a fear factor that would have maybe made up for the other downfalls. I would recommend re working the tasks and the idea behind this haunt could be a great one! And incorporate Gags a little bit more--I want to know more about the namesake of the haunt!

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Please note: this review is for the 2017 season rather than the current season.

The Hill has Eyes

by hex_on_you (Newbie Review Crew Member) after attending on Saturday, October 7, 2017 at about 9 p.m.

Submitted: Tuesday, October 10, 2017

Fun Factor: Very High Fear Factor: High

Review

If you're looking for a haunt to add to the top of your list this season--the Hill Has Eyes is it! With a great waiting area, multiple well thought out attractions, and numerous live actors paired with interactive special effects, this haunt will keep you guessing what could possibly come next!

The Hill Has Eyes is located in Franklin, WI at a once operational (and soon to be operational again!) ski hill. There is plenty of parking to accommodate large crowds, and there is an excellent waiting area (because you may be waiting a bit for this popular haunt!). The waiting area located in a large covered tent totes a DJ, a full bar, and an outdoor area with some lurking creatures and multiple fire barrels to keep you warm!

Our group of three opted for the "VIP" speed passes, where we could skip the line at each of the five attractions at the Hill Has Eyes. I would highly recommend spending the extra $10 to upgrade, as it jam packed our night with more scares and entertainment and less time waiting in line. Our group loved that we could stay together as a group of three, and went through most of the five attractions as just the three of us! It truly added to the experience and made the haunt one to remember!

The Hill Has Eyes requires a signed waiver, as they have a lot of interactive special effects, including a "hooded" portion of the event, a section of the woods which is "shocking", and a ride on their "scare" lift! I didn't research the haunt much before attending (which I wish I would have because the back story for each of the attractions is wonderful!), and I almost let the waiver scare me away! But don't let it! This haunt was excellent and our entire group had so much fun from beginning to end, and the interactive special effects made it a haunt to remember!

Add the Hill Has Eyes to your haunt adventures this season, you won't regret it!

Signage / Visibility / Location

This was my first time visiting, but luckily someone else in our group had been to this haunt before. We had a hard time finding the entrance to the haunt as there wasn't much signage, and we didn't see anyone directing us where to go (there were also a lot of other buildings on the grounds!). When we finally trekked down to the large tent to buy tickets, we realized we went in the wrong entrance and the monster outside the correct entrance directed us into the wrong line and we ended up in the line for patrons that had bought tickets on line--which we hadn't. But we found it and got in the right line eventually! It would have been great to have a large sign or security pointing you down the haunt and another large sign at the door/person directing you into the correct line.

Wait Area / Line Entertainment

While the wait was long--there was plenty to do while waiting! There was a DJ set up in the corner of the large tent, a full bar, and a couple of creepy characters roaming about! While you're waiting in line, they have waivers going around for you to sign before purchasing your tickets. We opted for the VIP experience for an extra $10--it was well worth it!

Tickets are available online until 6pm the night of the haunt--I would definitely recommend planning your trip and purchasing tickets prior to arrival to save time. And to save more time opt for the VIP experience.

Actors' Performance

The actors were excellent! Once in the haunt, there were plenty of characters and security directing you where to go! One of the actors at the front of the house picked up on my name--and a few extra actors in the first attraction called out my name as well! Huge kudos as it added so much to the experience! For how many attractions and how long each of them were, there were more than enough live actors to go around. Every actor stayed in character and committed to their roles and the costumes and makeup was wonderful!

Sets Scenes / Props / FX

The Hill Has Eyes has five attractions and each one had a life of its own. While I've been to some haunts with multiple attractions that I've said "less is more", at the Hill Has Eyes, "more is more!" I wish that I would have researched the haunt a bit before going and read up on the back stories of each haunt--but even without the extra research it was easy to figure out the general theme for each attraction.

The scenery for each haunt was detailed and set the mood. I enjoyed the incline changes, the wooded paths, and the different effects -- from gory props, to stunning animatronics, and more, these haunts are sure to "SHOCK" you in more way than one! Keep your eye out for the bus in the woods--awesome actors were able to set mood and make it feel like we were in a scene of American Horror Story in Twisty's bus!

This haunt has waivers--and for good reason. Don't let this scare you away (like it nearly did to me!) The waiver details why you need to sign before entering the haunt--from wearing a black hood for part of a haunt, a little "shock" in the woods, multiple elevation changes, and even a ride on the "scare"-lift! Each of these effects set this haunt apart and made it a haunt to remember!

This haunt kept me guessing--I didn't know what to expect next, and after each new effect or scare, the next was able to top it! Our whole group enjoyed the "scare"-lift portion of the haunt! There is a sign at the entrance that details an "accident" that happened here -- it would be nice if it was better lit to read and set us up for the section of the haunt! They did an awesome job handing out "news articles" about the accident too! Great touch.

Length

FIVE attractions--FIVE! While this was the priciest haunt that I've been to this season, it was well worth the money. We were at the haunt--from ticket line to leaving--for approximately 2 hours (and that was WITH the VIP experience!). With the VIP experience we were able to skip the line at each attraction, which was a major time saver that I would highly recommend!

Crowd Control

From the ticket line, to each of the five attractions there was plenty of staff on hand to direct you where to go and what haunt was next. They had adequate waiting lines at each of the five attractions, and each attraction was paced well. Groups were sent through each attraction with 6 or less people, and we never caught up to other groups. Some staff at the very entrance of the haunt and ticket line would have helped clear up confusion at the beginning, but other than that great job!

Most Memorable Moment

There were so many "wow" moments throughout the haunt, but I would have to say what sets the Hill Has Eyes apart from other area haunts is the interactive portions--having to place a hood over your head, getting a little "shock" and the "scare"-lift!

Summary

Awesome job to the staff and actors at the Hill Has Eyes! This is a haunt that you will want to add to the top of your list this season. Check out their website for pricing as it changes throughout the season--and it looks like there will be a special promotion for Friday the 13th! This haunt is a great mix of live actors, amazing sets, and interactive special effects that will keep you guessing what could possibly come next. There is plenty to do both inside and out while waiting, and plenty of parking to accommodate the large crowds that they deserve. This is a haunt that I will definitely be returning to in the future!

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Please note: this review is for the 2017 season rather than the current season.

Splatterhaus Presents - HELLWORLD (PERMANENTLY CLOSED)

by hex_on_you (Newbie Review Crew Member) after attending on Friday, October 6, 2017 at about 7:30 p.m.

Submitted: Monday, October 9, 2017

Fun Factor: High Fear Factor: High

Review

Add Splatterhaus to your list of haunts to visit this Halloween season! Their high tech animatronics mixed with live actors will keep you on your toes and keep even veteran thrill seekers coming back for more!

The haunt is located in Sheboygan and is easy to find, not far from highway 43. The waiting area, while it is all outside (which wasn't the best for a rainy night!) was well lit and had plenty of parking.

While this is the shortest haunt that I have been through this season, they made use of your time and jam packed it with scares and effects that are sure to haunt your dreams! Some of the effects are interactive and move in your path of travel--which is great and keeps you questioning what will come next! For the $10 price tag--it was well worth the trip and money to visit!

Signage / Visibility / Location

This was my first time visiting Splatterhaus and it was easy to find! They had signs directing you where to go, and once you're in the parking lot its well lit and easy to see where to find your tickets and get in line. I drove from Green Bay, and some friends met me from near Milwaukee and we both had an easy time finding the haunt!

Wait Area / Line Entertainment

The waiting area is all outdoors, and besides hearing the screams of the house and some animated entertainment on the main attraction, there wasn't any outdoor entertainment while we were waiting. We didn't have to wait too long--which was good because it was raining!

Actors' Performance

The actors inside the house were great. They were committed to their role and did a great job staying in character! There weren't many live actors inside the haunt--but the ones that were were great!

Sets Scenes / Props / FX

The scenes and effects in the haunt were excellent--each scene was broken up by dark hallways with hidden scares, and they had excellent effects in each room that were interactive. Splatterhaus is a modern haunt with a great mix of animatronics and live scares. It takes a lot to scare me in a haunt--and I had multiple jump scares!

Length

The haunt was the shortest of the haunts I have been to this season--it took us maybe 10-15 minutes to get through the entire haunt. Its located in four semi trailers--which you would never know once you're inside! The haunt wasn't long--but they made use of the time you were in the haunt and jam packed it with scares! Splatterhaus is also paced very well--they kept small groups and we never caught up to the group ahead of us.

Crowd Control

It was a rainy night and wasn't very busy, but the wait line was set up for easy crowd control. They did a great job of tracking our groups and tickets and were willing to take pictures of us for us while we were waiting in line!

Most Memorable Moment

The most memorable moment was when I thought an effect at the end of a hallway would give way to a door...but it moved at me instead! I loved that this house wasn't predictable and kept me on my toes!

Summary

Great job Splatterhaus! This was my first visit, but it definitely won't be my last. The attraction is short, but is jam packed with high tech effects and scares that you will remember! Our group exited the house in laughter at how much fun we had in such a short period of time! Keep up the great work--I can't wait to see what the future has in store for your haunt! Happy Haunting!

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Please note: this review is for the 2017 season rather than the current season.

Green Bay Fear Haunted Attractions

by hex_on_you (Newbie Review Crew Member) after attending on Friday, September 29, 2017 at about 7 p.m.

Submitted: Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Fun Factor: Medium Fear Factor: Medium

Review

If you're looking for more than just a single walk through haunt, Green Bay Fear is the place to visit! With a "Freakshow" midway including a fire to wait around, live entertainment, and four different attractions, there was plenty to do to pass the time. The scenes were set up beautifully and there were plenty of live actors in each attraction. I'd recommend visiting later in the season, when actors have time to get into the roles in the main house and work on the timing of their scares.

Signage / Visibility / Location

I've been to this house before, so finding it was a breeze. It's located not far from 41 and is easily accessible for anyone visiting from out of town. There were plenty of signs, and even someone directing you from parking to the short wooded trail to the ticket booth.

Wait Area / Line Entertainment

There wasn't much of a line (we went early and it was the first night!), but if there were, there are plenty of things to keep you busy. A small gift shop, a fire, live music--and even a few roaming creatures to keep you on your toes!

Actors' Performance

Three of the four attractions had live actors (the odditorium could use a knowledgeable tour guide!), and it seemed like there were plenty of live actors to staff the other three attractions--with a few extras to roam the midway! The experience level of the actors varied--some of them were immersed in their roles and some could definitely take direction from the former. Its hard with it being the first night, as I know it takes some time to get into your roles within the house and learn your timing for groups coming through, but there were some areas of the house that lacked the scare factor when it came to the actor's performance. The house has a wonderful back story (check out their website and social media!) which was set up perfectly by the actor welcoming you into Shawano Manor, but they lacked follow through throughout the rest of the house following the theme.

Sets Scenes / Props / FX

The scenes and sets were set up wonderfully! There were four different attractions to visit--the Odditorium, Mr. Jingle's Fun House, the Twisted Trail, and the main attraction--Shawano Manor. I loved the scenes set up along the Twisted Trail! If you're new to Green Bay Fear you'll appreciate the detailed scenes in the main house. If you're returning to Green Bay Fear, you may see some scenes from years past, and a few new scenes as well!

Length

There were four total attractions, and it took about an hour from ticket booth to being done with the final house to see all four attractions. We were able to get through all of the attractions at a good pace and didn't catch up to any other groups.

Crowd Control

Again, with it being early and only the first night, a large crowd hadn't had time to build up, but with the variety of houses and other attractions, I don't think it would have been too long of waits and I think that with the way that their midway was set up they would be able to control crowds with ease.

Most Memorable Moment

There were definitely two actors that made the experience memorable -- the fan favorite Mr. Jingles is always fun to interact with, and the character welcoming you into the main house were wonderful! Kudos to these actors--keep up the great work and spread your enthusiasm to the other actors in the attractions!

Summary

Overall--job well done Green Bay Fear! Your scenes and props were great -- take advantage of the effects and props that you have and enhance them with a bit more work on your actors, and you'll have an attraction that will have thrill seekers coming back year after year! Happy Haunting!

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Spooky Entertainment Guide

Newbie Review Crew Member

Kaylyn (hex_on_you)

2017 Reviews

Gags Nightmare A Haunting Experience

Review

Signage / Visibility / Location

Wait Area / Line Entertainment

Actors' Performance

Sets Scenes / Props / FX

Length

Crowd Control

Most Memorable Moment

Summary

The Hill has Eyes

Review

Signage / Visibility / Location

Wait Area / Line Entertainment

Actors' Performance

Sets Scenes / Props / FX

Length

Crowd Control

Most Memorable Moment

Summary

Splatterhaus Presents - HELLWORLD (PERMANENTLY CLOSED)

Review

Signage / Visibility / Location

Wait Area / Line Entertainment

Actors' Performance

Sets Scenes / Props / FX

Length

Crowd Control

Most Memorable Moment

Summary

Green Bay Fear Haunted Attractions

Review

Signage / Visibility / Location

Wait Area / Line Entertainment

Actors' Performance

Sets Scenes / Props / FX

Length

Crowd Control

Most Memorable Moment

Summary