2016 Event Reviews

Let me start by saying that I was blown away by this haunt. This is a great experience for those looking for something more interactive, but there were some truly scary moments as well.

I went to Twisted Realms on a Sunday night, right as they were opening. Although a little hard to find initially, the Elkhorn Flea Market grounds offers a lot of area to work with and clean, working bathrooms (yes!). The waiting area for this haunt is a separate room with bleachers, so no waiting in line! They also have scary carnival games available to play ($1) for prizes and a photoshoot area with a creepy throne, as well as actors to entertain. Each group is called in using a ticket number.

Within the haunt, we were first told the rules gathered around a fire, being "read tales" from a creepy witch. I thought this was not only unique but it made sure people understood what they could and could not do. After that, our haunt began! As we made our way through the haunt, we encountered some tight areas, but mostly it is larger rooms, giving everyone a chance to see and, in this case, touch! You have to find your way through the haunt looking for hidden doors, crawling through areas, and pulling on elements to reveal passages. We were offered (not at all obvious) advice by actors when needed. There were several truly scary concepts for these rooms, and all of the actors gave an amazing performance - they never broke character, screams were LOUD, and all of their warnings and musing told a cohesive story of a cult gone way, way bad.

This is a must visit. As their story continues year to year, I can only imagine this haunt will continue to improve! I was EXTREMELY impressed with every element - handling the crowds, the creative themes of the room, all of the ways we had to exit different areas, the costumes and acting of the performers, and the length and visuals. Amazing!

Signage / Visibility / Location

Wait Area / Line Entertainment

Actors' Performance

Sets Scenes / Props / FX

Length

Crowd Control

Most Memorable Moment

We went to the Hill Has Eyes on a Sunday night around 9:30. Timing was a bit of a question within our visit: according to their website, their box office closes at 10pm, but when looking at their Facebook, they had 11pm listed. Their official closing time is stated, with their website stating they close approximately one hour after the box office closes. This is just something to be aware of when planning your trip – get there early to avoid both crowds and the box office closing times. We bought our tickets online ahead of time, which allowed us to bypass the box office.

Although this haunt is very long with a lot of different areas, they didn’t seem like they had their full staff that evening, probably due to the fact that it was a Sunday night. Fewer actors meant a lot of moments for scares were missed and we spent a lot of time walking alone. As a primarily outdoor haunt, there is a less of a sense of anticipation for what's to come (as you can see it in front of you), and less control of lighting, sound, etc. I also felt they utilized props in areas that actors could have performed better. There were also missing some key elements that could have really improved our experience. For example it had rained the day before, and the ground was still extremely muddy and slippery – some hay on the trail could have helped improve safety. Another thing to note would be the restrooms, which even on a slow night, didn’t seem to be receiving a lot of attention from the staff, so make sure you bring hand sanitizer along with you.

CONTAINMENT: A HOODED EXPERIENCE
This was shorter than I remembered from my last visit in 2014; a brief walk through some halls with a dark hood. In previous years, they had a string or a handrail to hold on but there didn’t seem to be one this year – just a feature I would approach with caution. Nothing popped out on while we were hooded, and soon we were removing the hoods. From this point on we walked through semi-indoor halls with a few medical scares until entering into the first waiting area. Unfortunately I felt this was the first example of a continuing theme – presenting areas with a lot of anticipation that didn’t meet expectations.

FAILED ESCAPE
This area has some great moments, including scary makeup and amazing animal masks. The story was a bit muddy, but we enjoyed walking through the salvage yard (particularly the bus) and the actors we encountered along the way. This area and the next one were a little blurry in their themes, although they had a stop in between of them.

HUNGER HOLLOW
I found this area to be the most confusing. I enjoyed the "mutant" makeup, but there were several moments of religious-type scares that didn't really make sense to the story. This area definitely seemed the most "random" in terms of the people and sets they had to scare people. In either this section or the one before it (hard to remember because these two did blend together), we received an electric shock. I remember this situation from 2 years ago when I last attended, but I was shocked (literally!) at how strong the feeling was! This is definitely something to be prepared for when coming into this haunt; as we were feeling it still several minutes later.

SCARE LIFT
I found this area to be the biggest disappointment. It is an amazing feature of this Complex, a real ski lift that is really long and goes over an amazing creepy hill. However, on our night, the laser tag that goes on underneath it didn't seem to be going on at all (whether from lack of interest or not operating, I don't know), so it was simply a ski lift ride. I definitely think adding some actors or props to the ski lift itself, as well as the event below would add significantly to this element. This element is especially frustrating to me because it is so unique and has so much potential for scare.

CARNIVORE
Some great actors in this area, but once again, a lot of opportunities missed, particularly in the maze portion of the haunt. We experienced 1 or 2 jump scares when going through the entire house, but it does include a spinning room. We realized after that we were the last people coming through the haunt for the night (of the maybe 15 other people we saw), and I felt like the actors were a bit checked out. Right after we exited (this is the last area) they started coming out and going down the hill to go home, which I felt was a bit unprofessional. Some of them kept acting and taking photos and things with us, but most of them were taking off elements of their costume and walking to their cars.

Signage / Visibility / Location

Wait Area / Line Entertainment

Actors' Performance

Sets Scenes / Props / FX

Length

Crowd Control

Most Memorable Moment

The Dark Side Haunted House is one of the best haunted houses in Wisconsin! The crew at the Dark Side have put their heart and soul in creating an inviting plot that tells the story of their land as you move through the attraction. They have invested the time to include much detail every time you move you never know what to expect or what is waiting in the next room. Screams and laughter fill the scene while experiencing fear, excitement and pure enjoyment!

Zombie Expedition- The expedition is not included in your basic ticket so you will have to upgrade to include the Zombie Expedition, and let me tell you, you won’t want to miss it! As you walk to the location you will soon begin to get the creepy haunted feeling before even loading the double decker wagon to go on a 15-20 minute Zombie Expedition. Each person has a spot that is equipped with a paintball gun and a pre-loaded hopper with 75 paint balls. You then are transported around an abandoned town and as Zombies attack the wagon, you shoot! Don’t worry you won’t get all painted, they don’t touch you. This was worth the upgraded ticket and sets the mood for the rest of the haunted attractions.

The Descent- As you enter the mine and go on a quest to find missing family members you will be lucky if you make it out alive. The visibility is very limited and the creatures larking in the dark will leave you with chills. The actors will be hiding in every corner and you will never know what is waiting for you around the next turn. The mine will take about 15 minutes to go through and will lead you to the next adventure that awaits; the Hay Ride!

Twilight Nightmare- All aboard the wagon and be ready for a ride like you never expected. As you take a long ride to get to the haunted trail it has you in suspense; you are just waiting for something to come attack you’ but does it? You will have to take the ride and find out for yourself to find out. The trail is full of all kinds of thrill and suspense. Same details will make this ride one of a kind. The actors put their all into the portion of the trail by jumping, hanging and attacking you while you are on the wagon. You never know when another one is about to come out! The sharp turns will make you feel like you will end up in the trees. The hay ride takes about 20 to 25 minutes and it drops you off at your next adventure; Pine Forest Trail!

Backwoods Revenge- As you enter the trail; you are hoping to be able to escape the infected children that reside in the forest. The crew really uses its natural environment and makes it feels like you are just roaming throughout the forest. You will encounter different scenes from here and there, a bit of the time is just spent walking and living on your toes since you never know when the next creature is waiting for you! The experience is really unique and really uses the natural element of being outside and it doesn't turn it into a normal attraction. The outside, forest feel is with you the entire time.

Mephistopheles Lair- Once you enter the Lair there isn’t any turning back; well you may enter many wrong doors and get turned around and end up frustrated beyond belief; but at the conclusion of the maze you will have enjoyed every turn of it!

Schizophrenia- Just after you have escaped the last maze you will enter into a whole other world-A corn maze! You will be stalked and lead astray with hillbillies all over the place. Take care and hope that you don’t become dinner that night! The natural element of being in the country and living on the farm take full effect during this adventure. A corn field at night is a thrill all in its own; add some creepy and some characters gives corn fields a whole new level of scariness!

Foxglove Nursery- You have just entered your final attraction…a normal green house; or so you think! You will be walking a strict and narrow path that leads you right to the characters and there is no way to turn around and escape. You are forced to go right past them as you are in a green house and there are shelves and planters all over the place. This last attraction was a great way to end this whole experience; details until the very last exit never ceased to amaze me!

Signage / Visibility / Location

Wait Area / Line Entertainment

Actors' Performance

Sets Scenes / Props / FX

Length

Crowd Control

Most Memorable Moment