2012 Event Reviews

Review:

This was the first visit to the Dark Side. I’ve always heard great things about it so I was thrilled this year to finally experience this haunt for myself. Here are my notes regarding this haunt in the order that I encountered them:

* Location...if you’re from Milwaukee this haunt is really in the middle of nowhere. It’s amazing how dark it got out there! (…which is perhaps why this haunt is called the “Dark Side”?)
* The size of this haunt is enormous! From the parking area, to the waiting room and especially the haunt itself. This haunt doesn’t measure itself in feet but in acreage!!
* The waiting area and concession stand are all indoors but didn’t appear to be heated. Glad I brought my hat and mittens along.
* The waiting line itself was dark and creepy. I could make out the shadows of those around me but that was it. Definitely set the tone nicely for most of the haunt.
* The size of our group when we departed the waiting area was about 20-25 but I was pleasantly surprised when our tour group was broken down to smaller groups of 2-3 people at several junctures, most notably for the mine shaft and green house portions of the journey.
* The mine shaft was very, very cool! Amazing set design / construction. I’ve never experienced anything like it. Definitely thumbs up in terms of creativity and scare factor!
* The costumed actors who greeted us following the mine shaft were fun to interact with. The camp fire was a welcome sight. I particularly enjoyed the Cajun accent of the tour guide who gave us insight about what was to come during the wagon ride.
* The remainder of our journey from this point was about 90% outdoors.
* The wagon ride was creepy and fun….although if it has rained or is drizzling your butt will get wet. (…either that or the girl sitting next to me was so scared she peed her pants!) The pyrotechnics were very cool and the actors did a great job of scaring our group. My only disappointment with the wagon ride was the darkness which made it difficult to appreciate the props encountered along the way and the performances of the actors who had assumed positions on the wagon not near me. …although for those with fearful imaginations instead of curiosity the wagon ride had some serious scare factor.
* Much like the intro to the wagon ride, the actor providing the intro to the walking portion of our tour was very fun to interact with. The other costumed actors did a very effective job of creeping everyone out.
* The sets along the walking tour were very authentic. I particularly enjoyed the attention to detail found in the meat shop and greenhouses. The corn maze was also a lot of fun to traverse.
* Total time to complete my entire Dark Side adventure was a whopping 42 minutes! For the price, none of the other 10 haunts I toured this year have come anywhere close to this.

Signage / Visibility / Location:
Just one blinking sign with a lot of words on it point you to the dark and lonely long road that leads to the Dark Side. The last few words on this flashing sign read “Dark Side” which caught my attention just in time to make the turn.

Wait Area / Line Entertainment:
Waiting room with concession stand is spacious and all indoors…although I’m pretty sure it is not heated. The waiting area was dimly lit but creepy.

Actors' Performance:
The performances of all 3 Tour guides were sensational. I particularly enjoyed the Cajun accent of the wagon ride tour guide.

Sets / Scenes / Props / FX:
The craftsmanship of the sets at the Dark Side was superb. Many of the sets had a very authentic look and feel to them. While the special effects may not have been cutting edge they were effectively executed to maximize your entertainment value.

Length:
My tour took 42 minutes to complete. Mine shaft took approximately 5 minutes, Wagon Ride took approximately 19 minutes (including the campfire time) and the walking tour took approximately 18 minutes.

Crowd Control:
I arrived early and didn’t have to wait long. The waiting area / line was clearly roped off and quite long so it appears that you must wait in line vs. purchasing your tickets and then waiting for your number to get called.

Most Memorable Moment:
I really enjoyed touring the mine shaft. Set design was amazingly lifelike and the special effects were sharp!

AWESOME haunt!!!! I attend this haunt every year because it is SO good and this year was even better then years before! The wait in line isn't so bad because there are actors there to entertain so our 1 1/2hr wait went by quickly. Once inside the building, the scares started right away! This haunt is very intense. The actors do not hesitate to get up close and personal to scare you to death! And the fact that they allow enuff time in between groups so that groups don't catch up to one another is a DEF plus. All the different scenes and rooms were very well thought out. I c can't wait till next year to see what new things they come up with!!

I attend this haunt every year and was excited to see what the new additions were this year. As usual, it was a great experience! The hayride is one of my favorite because actors pop out of nowhere and are on the trailer with you! The bridge is new and kinda spooky. I like the green house too. My favorite is the lady in the house who is yelling at you to get off her property as she guides you in the wrong direction thru the corn maze!!

the Wisconsin Feargrounds was absolutely amazing! the 3 houses looked incredible and the monsters were so scary i almost peed myself. you never know where they will pop out. me and my friends are definitely going back next year! i recommended this place to everyone i know, and anyone who goes there will most likely do the same.

This haunt is awesome. I was totally taken in with the story of a secret underground military facility. (Masons, secrets, hmmmm, conspricy maybe???) Anyways, a great haunt with a great maze and you even get your picture taken at the end.

I had a lot of fun during this haunt. I had fun waiting in line and during the walk through the barns. While in line and during the first barn the spooks were very interactive. They were not very interactive during the third barn. The second barn was a lot of fun. Overall, I would say it was not very scary but I did have a lot of fun. I would go again but if you are looking for something to really scare you this probably isn't the right haunt for you (unless you scare easily)

So I have been making my haunted house rounds this year, before this weekend mostly down near Chicago and the Feargrounds was my first Wisconsin stop.
I must say it was a FANTASTIC start to my Wisconsin lineup of haunted houses!
We went through all 3 houses and made a stop at Revenge, their 'living' zombie shooting gallery which was way cheaper than I had expected, and I was not disappointed.
Morgan Manor was my favorite, their acting and attention to detail was PHENOMENAL, I love how every year I feel like I can recognize parts and yet they are different at the same time, and always some new and unexpected things.
Torment is essentially a dark funhouse, and Shadowlands was what seemed to be an outdoor version of the haunt they had previously indoors, which led up to Revenge with some very entertaining aspects.

We had alot of fun going thru the old tannery. The ghouls and actors were great. Loved the orientation in the beginning, she did a great job!! The werewolf room was cool to look at! Gotta say i loved the end with the clowns!! Great job!!

WOW!!!! This was just as good as what all of their ratings they have gotten about being number 1. I head out there each October with the same group of friends, and every time it gets creepier and just all together better!!!!

We go to the Dark Side every year and look forward to seeing what is new. This year we were blown away with the additions to the haunt. Our old favorites like the creepy hayride through the woods and the train (I won't tell you about that!!) were there, but the new corn maze and greenhouse were fantastic. The guides continue the story throughout your evening which really adds to the experience. You start out in groups of 2 going through the haunted house which means there is no middle spot to hide in! Then, you wait by a roaring campfire for the hayride that fits about 40 people and has speakers on the trailer with scary music. Just when you think you're safe, the tractor stops and dumps you out in the middle of the woods to walk through in groups of 2 again! I hope you go the right way in the corn maze-we didn't and were stalked by creepy dudes.