2010 Event Reviews

In you enjoy scary adventures that allow you to participate in your adventure rather than being limited to just being a spectator then you’ll love Monster Mayhem! Sure, you can limit your involvement in the Monster Mayhem experience to being just a mere spectator…but if you’re looking for an opportunity to maximize your thrills by totally emerging yourself into a horrific adventure you’ll definitely want to check out Monster Mayhem.

It’s not often you encounter a haunt that actually gives you a mission to complete. The unique aspects of this haunt don’t stop there. Custom made special effects and a very unique consistent themed story line for the entire venue give you the opportunity to play a role in this adventure. Probably the best way to explain the theme of this haunt is to liken it to a mix between Aliens and Resident Evil. What I particularly enjoyed about Monster Mayhem is that you don't just see and hear scary things....you actually get to FEEL them on a few occasions!

The superb acting, special effects and the detailed story line at Monster Mayhem made this a very enjoyable experience for me. While every scene didn’t motivate me to run for the hills there were a few rooms that made me jump or quicken my steps. As a result, I gave this attraction a 5 out of 5 on the fun scale and a 3.5 out of 5 on the scare factor. This is definitely a haunt for all ages and not just adults.

(note: one thing I’d like to point out…I attended this haunt on opening night and then again two weeks later. The experiences were totally different. One of the key elements of a participatory event is the interaction between the actors and the participant. As the actors were just getting acclimated to their roles on opening night I found the thrills to be a lot more intense on my recent journey through Monster Mayhem than on the original.)

Signage / Visibility / Location

Wait Area / Line Entertainment

Actors' Performance

Sets Scenes / Props / FX

Length

Crowd Control

Most Memorable Moment

The House Of Bathory is unlike any haunt I've ever been to.  Across the board, they stand out from all the others.  I was a little worried with the location being downtown Manitowoc.  I like my haunts in the middle of no-where, as it helps set the mood!  But what they lacked for in location, they made up for in creativity!

One of the big differences is the theme of the haunt.  It centers around Alice In Wonderland.  I never really thought of that story as spooky or even remotely scary.  That all changed after attending this haunt.  It's very interactive, making you a part of what's happening.

As we were about to enter the haunt, something happened where they said it would still be a few minutes.  As we waited, one of the employees entertained us with a baby monster puppet.  It was great!  I don't know how many times she had to put on a little show like that with the puppet, but she was great.  I was highly entertained! 

Once we were allowed inside the haunt, we were ushered into a room where we sat down at a large table.  The mad hatter was there, as well as the rabbit.  They made small talk and really took the time to set you up for a big scare that was about to happen.  This happened several times!  Tweedledee and Tweedledum also set us up for another scare.  I sure wasn't expecting it when it happened!   

One thing to note: At this attraction, they are allowed to touch you.  I can't recall the last haunt I've been to where that was allowed.  It startled me!

Another strength of this haunt is their use of sounds and music.  This was the only haunt that I attended this year that played some old school, scary music.  Loved it!  They also used several iconic monsters throughout, mixing the Alice In Wonderland story with more of the traditional monsters that we associate Halloween with.

Signage / Visibility / Location

Wait Area / Line Entertainment

Actors' Performance

Sets Scenes / Props / FX

Length

Crowd Control

Most Memorable Moment

I attended Oblivion Haunted House in Menasha, WI (http://www.oblivionhauntedhouse.com/) last weekend with Mr. K, the easily frightened, and Cousin K, the former haunted house actress.  Tickets for Oblivion are $12 at the door, though they can be purchased online through their website (or their iPhone/touch app!) for only $10 and discount coupons can be found at various locations around town.  For the amount of thought and detail that went behind the production of Oblivion, this haunt is incredibly reasonably priced.

Signage / Visibility / Location

Wait Area / Line Entertainment

Actors' Performance

Sets Scenes / Props / FX

Length

Crowd Control

Most Memorable Moment

In my opinion, the House of Bathory is a definite must see. I first attended this haunt three years ago and have gone back every year to the point where it is now my favorite. They incorporate a lot of the old school haunt. I will warn you they do touch you in there. They are also very interactive. In every scene, they make you feel as though you are apart of it. Just by having you crawl through tight spaces or answering questions that the monsters or demons have for you.

This year they went with the Alice in Wonderland theme. They did a really great job at keeping the theme throughout the entire house. However, I wouldn't exactly call it a Wonderland. You can't even begin to imagine what is waiting for you around the next corner.

Signage / Visibility / Location

Wait Area / Line Entertainment

Actors' Performance

Sets Scenes / Props / FX

Length

Crowd Control

Now in its 25th year of operation, Neenah's Most Haunted is the longest running non-profit Haunted House in the Fox Valley and its experience shows.  This haunted house is a fundraiser for Youth Go, a non-profit youth drop in center in Neenah and is fully wheelchair accessible.  At only $10 a ticket, it is also a budget-friendly haunt!

Signage / Visibility / Location

Wait Area / Line Entertainment

Actors' Performance

Sets Scenes / Props / FX

Length

Crowd Control

Most Memorable Moment

The Haunted Barn in Stoughton, WI (http://www.the-haunted-barn.com/) was, hands down, one of the best haunts I have been to...EVER.  I agree, that's a bold way to start a review - but hear me out...  

Signage / Visibility / Location

Wait Area / Line Entertainment

Actors' Performance

Sets Scenes / Props / FX

Length

Crowd Control

Most Memorable Moment

Burial Chamber has always been a favorite haunt of mine to attend to. They have four different attractions that you can attend, Adrenaline, Phobia, Insanity, and the coffin ride.

Adrenaline was the first haunt that I went through while I was there. From the beginning you could tell you were about to walk into something that would make your heart start racing. There were monsters lurking everywhere and you just didn't know where the next one would be.

I then headed to Phobia. In the past I was never really impressed with the wooded portion of their haunt but they definitely added some very much needed changes. They included scenes along the trail that let you thinking you were walking through woods with cannibals living within it.

Insanity was the last portion that I attended. They start you off by watching a movie explaining what you might see inside the haunt. This part of the haunt I was a little disappointed with. I felt there were too many dark mazes and the scenes they did have set up didn't have actors as a part of it making the scene come to life.

Signage / Visibility / Location

Wait Area / Line Entertainment

Actors' Performance

Sets Scenes / Props / FX

Length

Crowd Control

The Hubertus House of Horror has quite a few unique characteristics that I haven't seen used in any other haunt this year - which I thoroughly enjoyed! When you arrive, you can purchase your tickets and wait in a heated area where they serve concessions and can even play arcade games. Although it's not scary (though there are some actors in costumes walking around), it's really nice to have something to do when the wait can be quite long -about an hour and fifteen minutes when we were there- and to be able to stay warm is well worth it.

Once you're on your way into the house... the bus is fantastic and something I've never seen before. The house (school) featured plenty of different rooms so it keeps you entertained. The other thing that's different in this house which I had never experienced before was 3D glasses! They hand them out and you wear them through I think 3 or 4 different rooms and the paint like... comes off of the walls... it's a crazy feeling! It was kind of difficult to keep the glasses on, and I felt a little dizzy... but I thought it was something different and new and I applaud this haunt for trying something outside the box! Overall, I enjoyed this haunt for it's innovation and new ideas, but I wasn't entirely scared through the majority of it. Definitely a good choice for a younger crowd, though!

Signage / Visibility / Location

Wait Area / Line Entertainment

Actors' Performance

Sets Scenes / Props / FX

Length

Crowd Control

Most Memorable Moment

This is Dare To Dream's first year putting on a haunted house, and it's held in a old church. I’m not sure how I feel about a haunt being in a church. Granted, it does add to the creepy factor. But I can see how this might offend some people. I have to admit, I was creeped out before I even entered the haunt! Old churches can be creepy. Add some mood lighting and some spooky music, and I didn’t want to enter!

Our first few seconds in the house, we received a slight scare right off the bat. A wall with skulls caught us off guard as we walked by. As we walked into the next room, Michael Myers was waiting for us. Now, I have a soft spot for MM... and I’m not talking about any of my organs. The first Halloween movie was the inspiration for many of my early nightmares! So having Mikey following us throughout the haunt just seemed right to me. The actor had the mannerisms down pretty good, from the slow strides to the dog-like cock of the head. He was taller which helped too. One word of advice though: Dirty up the mask and suit. Both looked like they were just purchased. Mess up the hair. Get some wear and tear in the gray overalls. Make it look like Mr. Myers has been around the block a few times.

There was a great scene where we walked down a long hallway, and there were little girls (I would guess around age 10) screaming on either side of you ALL the way down the hall. It felt like we were in an insane asylum. They were behind doors, so I couldn’t make out what they were screaming. Not scary, but visually creepy as Michael was still following/chasing us!

It felt like there was a lot of dead space. More actors can easily fix that.

The final scene had some vampires in it. We walked by as they acted out a quick skit. Another word of advice: Get in our comfort zone. People are paying to get a good scare, so give them what they’re asking for

Not a bad first year effort, but there’s much that can be improved. I think the time spent in the haunt is the most important to improve on. Make people feel like they are getting their money’s worth. You can do this by blocking exits with actors, doing more skits in more rooms, etc... Personally, I would think that 20 to 30 minutes is a reasonable amount
of time to spend at a haunt.

An old church is a great fodder to build a story around and use to your benefit.

Some people will drive from other cities (like we did), so give them something to talk about on the way home.

Signage / Visibility / Location

There was no real signage for this haunt until you actually find the house. We had a GPS, so it was easy enough to find that way. The actual sign for the haunt is hard to read at night. It was a black sign where the letters were hard to make out until you're right next to it. In a residential neighborhood, and I was able to see the old church lit up when we were about a half a block away.

Wait Area / Line Entertainment

There was no line, and no apparent entertainment if there would have been a line. Some of the actors/children were standing outside talking.

Actors' Performance

The actors really gave it their all. With some continued experience under their belt, they’ll end up giving many customers some good scares and maybe even a nightmare or two! They might want to avoid being outside the house when they are out of character, as this takes away from the spooky vibe the old church creates.

Sets Scenes / Props / FX

The sets and scenes were good. You can tell that they put a lot of time into their first year. A great building block to build on!

Length

We were in and out of the house in 10 minutes. We left scratching our heads, asking ‘Is that it?’ I believe that is the shortest haunt I’ve ever attended.

Crowd Control

Unfortunately, we were the only ones there. We were a bit on the early side, so I do hope that it picked up as the night went along.

Most Memorable Moment

We started up our car, ready to leave. As we started to drive away, I could see Michael Meyers standing in the exit at the front of the house. He was watching us! I nervously waved to him as we passed, and he slowly brought up his knife. Classic!