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Newbie Review Crew Member

Katie (katie_kiesow13)

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Previous Reviews: 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008

2009 Reviews

Please note: this review is for the 2009 season rather than the current season.

Elements of Fear

by katie_kiesow13 (Newbie Review Crew Member) after attending on Wednesday, October 28, 2009 at about 2:30 p.m.

Submitted: Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Fun Factor: Medium Fear Factor: Low

Review

EleMents of Fear is a great haunt for a youmger generation. For those of us that enjoy a graduated haunt with lots of psychological thrills, this one probably won't be for you. I would have been THRILLED about this haunt if I was in middle or high school, though. So those with kids - send them here! They did have a few aspects in the haunt that I'd never experienced before that were pretty neat, so I enjoyed that. Overall, though, I spent most of the 15 minute walk-through wondering if the "scare" was over and if I should move on to the next room...

Signage / Visibility / Location


Very easy to find with directions from the site. Labeled clearly - shares the parking lot with the church.

Wait Area / Line Entertainment


You wait for the haunt in a church activity center basement - no entertainment or any sort of "mood enhancers" to get you ready for the haunt. It looks like a school room - not scary at all.

Actors' Performance


The majority of the actors in this house are youngsters (middle school, maybe some high school students). I saw maybe 3-4 adults in the house. With young actors come young performances. They rely a great deal on jumping out at you and hoping to scare you rather than interacting with you. One actress in a hallway who was crawling on the ground - great job!

Sets Scenes / Props / FX


Most of the sets and scenes were very simple, but they definitely accomplished what they needed. Not much in this house that I hadn't seen before. The one exception is the room with the couch - that was something I had never experienced before and it was very interesting! I liked that they played with their space in a different sort of way. Nicely done!

Length


It took my group of two approximately 15 minutes to get through the haunt (the wait time was maybe 10 minutes or so). It could take longer, or maybe be shorter, depending on how quickly you try to run.

Crowd Control


We went on a Wednesday night and there were very few people there, so there was really no crowd to control. All was well.

Most Memorable Moment


My favorite parts included the crawling actress, the couch, and also the polka dot room - very interesting. They play a LOT with optical illusions in this haunt and that's always fun.

Summary

If you scare incredibly easily or have youngsters who want a good haunt for their age, this is the one for you!

View all Elements of Fear reviews

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Please note: this review is for the 2009 season rather than the current season.

Gilly's Haunted House

by katie_kiesow13 (Newbie Review Crew Member) after attending on Friday, October 16, 2009 at about 5 p.m.

Submitted: Sunday, October 18, 2009

Fun Factor: Very High Fear Factor: Low

Review

Gilly's Haunted House is a great find for the Halloween season! It was certainly not the most scary of haunted houses I have experienced this year, but it was definitely one of the most entertaining and fun. We had a blast. The actors really got into their characters and provided an entire experience throughout the house. It was a full themed haunt - not just several scary ideas streamed together for the sake of the scare. I was not scared by much throughout the house, but we enjoyed a couple of jumps here and there. One actor really got me as we were exiting the "freak show" - she told me (in character, of course) that I looked just like the woman her husband left her for and threatened to kill me, too! Creepy. Quite a few of the rooms were unique and interesting. The maze where you need ot find the right exit, the coffin, the room of mirrors, and of course the "boat ride" right at the beginning.

***Warning - just want to give anyone visiting this haunt this year a head's up - they use fog machines to the extreme. I actually couldn't breathe and felt like I needed an inhaler when I left because the fog was so intense throughout the entire haunt, though the first room (boat ride) is the most intense. If these fog machines bother you, I'd be wary to visit this haunt.***

Signage / Visibility / Location


Very easy to find - takes up almost the entire block. It shares space with a flower shop, so look for greenhouses. Using my GPS I found it with no problem whatsoever.

Wait Area / Line Entertainment


There were a few actors outside, most of them not in character, however. We didn't have to wait very long, maybe twenty minutes to get into the house. There was a covered waiting area, but no concessions or warmth - so dress appropriately!

Actors' Performance


Overall, each and every one of the actors in this house did an excellent job. They all stayed in character - and each character had a story and a point and a purpose. It was fantastic. A+ all around to the actors at this haunt!!

Sets Scenes / Props / FX


For the most part there wasn't a lot of intricate sets at this haunt, but they fulfilled their purpose. They provided a background for the actors to play - that's where the true talent is.

(As aforementioned - fog machines are used a great deal so beware if these machines bother you)

Length


It took about 20 minutes to get through the whole haunt - could go faster or slower depending on how fast you run away from everything...

Crowd Control


There wasn't any crowd to control while we were there. But we never ran into anyone nor did anyone run into our group, so all was well.

Most Memorable Moment


The actor in the hallway before the last room (clown) as well as the actor in the last room (with the syringe) were fantastic. The doctor asked us for our names and we gave them unwillingly and the actor in the hallway acted a little like a mental patient and said "and I'm Doris..." He was fantastic. And the doctor guy followed us out of the house asking all sorts of silly questions. It was definitely memorable.

Summary

To sum up quickly - a great haunt if you enjoy a good time but don't necessarily need to get scared. It's a lot of fun, but not scary. We laughed through most of the house because it was so entertaining and the actor interaction is phenomenal.

View all Gilly's Haunted House reviews

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Please note: this review is for the 2009 season rather than the current season.

Terror on Rural Street

by katie_kiesow13 (Newbie Review Crew Member) after attending on Saturday, October 10, 2009 at about 5:30 p.m.

Submitted: Sunday, October 11, 2009

Fun Factor: Very High Fear Factor: Very High

Review

Once again Terror on Rural Street has proven to be one of the best haunts in the area!!! I have loved this haunt for years and they keep outdoing themselves every year.

Right from the beginning they get you good and scared. Elevator much? Most of the actors that we encountered were really playing their parts - and the make-up is pretty incredible!

There were (I think) 17 different rooms to experience within this haunt - that's a LOT! It took quite some time to get through the whole thing and I enjoyed every part of it. It always goes well when you have boys with you who scream more than you do. That's a good sign that they've done a great job.

Signage / Visibility / Location


Very easy to find - right off of the main street in Hartford. Signs point you in the right direction.

Wait Area / Line Entertainment


We had a very short wait, not many people out this early in the month... and when it's only 35 degrees outside. They had a few actors out there scaring the patrons - one certain "Joker" got my friend pretty good. Kudos to that actor (and several others I'll mention below).

Actors' Performance


Overall, the vast majority of the actors did an excellent job of staying in character - which is quite the feat since most of my group were screaming like little girls and then laughing at each other for it. My favorite actors that I remember the most were: mausoleum, torture chamber, clowns (damn clowns ALWAYS get me), oh there's so many - I can't name them all. But great job to all of them. They did a great job of keeping you in the room, also. Instead of just running straight through - they go for the maximum scare level by keeping you in their rooms as long as possible. It's great. And also - spiders = creepy.

Sets Scenes / Props / FX


The attention to detail in this house is absolutely incredible year after year - this year I was not let down. Although many of you will be running for your lives far before you get the chance, you really should take the time to look around each and every room in this haunt and take in your surroundings. There is so much to see and the details that they put into every room are amazing.

There is a lot different this year from last year. So if you have gone in the past and don't want to go again because you fear it will be the same... fear not. Or rather, fear... but not for that reason. You'll get scared in whole new ways this time!

Air guns, pounding on walls and floors, strobe lights, dizzying paint patterns, and other props keep you on your toes and continue to disorient and terrorize you throughout this whole haunt. And most importantly, actors come at you from all sides and scare you even when you can't imagine anything is coming... be ready!

Length


It lasted quite a long time - maybe 25-30 minutes (I forgot to check my watch). Considering the amount of space they have to work with, keeping you in the haunt for that long seems incredible. It's great.

Crowd Control


There was one time when we ran into the group in front of us... we held ourselves up for a little bit so they could get ahead of us... then the actor down the way started saying in a super creepy voice, "Why are you so scared? Why are you hiding? Come down and see me down here?" It was great. Crowd control AND in character - love it.

Most Memorable Moment


All I'll say is this - keep your eyes peeled at the end. =) Can't ruin it for you, though.

Summary

Overall, one of my favorites and I would very highly recommend to anyone - even those who don't scare easily. You'll really enjoy this!

View all Terror on Rural Street reviews

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Please note: this review is for the 2009 season rather than the current season.

Hauntfest - CLOSED -

by katie_kiesow13 (Newbie Review Crew Member) after attending on Friday, October 9, 2009 at about 6 p.m.

Submitted: Sunday, October 11, 2009

Fun Factor: High Fear Factor: Medium

Review

Overall it was a great haunt provided on the State Fair grounds. I have never been to this one and I enjoyed my experience a great deal. Of course, it always helps when you're with a group of guys who scream at everything. The Neverland theme of the haunt didn't really make much sense. They play thriller on a big screen in the waiting area, but otherwise, not much Michael Jackson stuff. It was a well put-on haunt that has some excellent rooms, just don't expect much Neverland theming.

Signage / Visibility / Location


Very easy to find - it's located at State Fair Park. Signage is clearly posted.

Wait Area / Line Entertainment


Unfortunately since this is such an urban area, there is little in the way of atmosphere while you're waiting. We arrived around 11:00 and we were early in October so our wait was no longer than 20 minutes (thank goodness, it was freezing outside!). There were a few actors in costume walking around trying to scare people.

Actors' Performance


I enjoyed a good number of the actors' performances. They did a great job of scaring us. Although, they did rely on the boo factor - jumping out right in front of you to scare you.

Sets Scenes / Props / FX


All in all, I think that they did a great job of putting this house together. I think my favorite room was probably the maze... it's so disorienting!

Length


I never really checked my watch to see how long it was - but I was happy with the length of this haunt. I'd say roughly 20 minutes or so. The nice thing is that there's no "down time." Your senses are constantly being teased and tormented in this house. There is constant movement and terrorization. It's great!

Crowd Control


The crowd was quite small while we were there so we never ran into anyone else - great job!

Most Memorable Moment


This doesn't have much to do with the house itself, however, I went in with a group of seven... when we walked out... we were only six. We lost one of our friends in the house somehow and had to wait about 15 minutes for him to come out all by himself. I can't imagine - how terrifying!

Summary

Good job Hauntfest - it was a nice first time visit for me!

View all Hauntfest - CLOSED - reviews

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Was this review helpful? Yes (13) | No (14) |

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October 30th, 2024 12:37 p.m. CDT 24.19