From arrival to end--this haunt was very well organized. We were able to find the location easily, even with it in the middle of the countryside! It was a cold and rainy night--but all of the attractions were still open. If its rainy--come prepared! You will be outside and walking a majority of the haunt. The rain didn't detract from us enjoying the live actors, the amazing props, and the different fx and interactive scenes.
This haunt included seven different attractions and a "zombie haunt" (which we didn't try out this time--maybe next time!). It was reasonably priced and there was different options for packages. There's even a special online only "terror treatment" option--make sure you look into this if you want to give your friends an "extra special" experience!
The Dark Side includes The Decent, Twilight Nightmare, Backwoods Revenge, Mephistopheles Lair, Schizophrenia, Foxglove Nursery & a haunted train ride! Each attractions gives you a new level of scares and keeps your senses on edge. We loved the change in scenery, from a mineshaft, to a tractor ride, a walk through the woods and cornfields, and even a haunted train ride at the end. We also enjoyed the change in elevation--you will find yourself deep underground in a mineshaft, and high up in the trees in the forest.
This is a haunt that you will want to add to your list this season!
Signage / Visibility / Location
To add to the scare factor, The Dark Side is located in the countryside, in the middle of farmland and cornfields. It was easy to find, and they had a light up sign at the end of the road and a sign at the entrance.
Wait Area / Line Entertainment
The Dark Side has a covered waiting area and line with concessions, which were reasonably priced. It was a rainy and cold night, so having the covered and indoor areas was appreciated. There was a creepy jester on a tricycle in the parking lot--watch out!
Actors' Performance
The actors that were spaced across the haunt were great. The grandmother figure by the fire at the entrance of the woods was excellent--she stayed in character, had a great story line, and her makeup and costume were on point. We were hoping for some more jump scares--especially in the woods and in Mephistopheles Lair. We would have loved to see more live actors spread throughout the seven attractions.
Sets Scenes / Props / FX
The Decent: This haunt was 'mineshaft' themed--and it was very well done. We loved the 'decent' downward into the mineshaft--and the entire haunt was well set up by the actor that took us to the top of the hill. We loved the fx done with the stairwell and the walls throughout this haunt.
Twilight Nightmare: It was rainy and cold--but that added to the eerie factor of this tractor ride through the woods. This ride will literally make you jump out of your seats--the actors in this portion of the haunt were excellent and we enjoyed the different scenes and fx!
Backwoods Revenge: We loved the grandmother figure that set up this portion of the haunt. She stayed in character but was also very interactive. The scenes throughout this haunt--especially the graveyard--were very well done. We would have LOVED some more jump scares and a few more actors throughout the dark wooded portions. The climb upward to the 'skywalk' was excellent--throughout all seven haunts we enjoyed the change in elevation and interactive fx.
Mephistopheles Lair: You had better choose the right door! We were lost in this haunt for a bit--and when we exited we were still lost. There wasn't and live actors in this portion, and once we got out we had to use our phone flashlight to see where to go next. In other portions of the haunt, they used rope lighting to light the path and the exit of this haunt would have been a great place to use these. The maze effect of this haunt was fun--but again we would have loved some jump scares!
Schizophrenia: The actors in this portion were lively and we definitely had some scares that we were looking for! Watch out around every corner of this corn maze--you may be led astray!
Foxglove Nursery: The scenery and props in this haunt were excellent. We loved looking at all the detail as we made our way through the greenhouses--it even SMELLED like a greenhouse! We loved the make up and costumes on the live actors--we would have loved if they interacted a bit more!
Train Ride: The seven haunts ended with a train ride--it was dark and covered, so we couldn't see where we were going or see any scenes or actors. The only scare came from the sound of a chainsaw. We loved the idea of a dark train ride--but a few scares or scenes would have made it more memorable!
Length
From the ticket line to the end of the seven haunts, we were there for about an hour and a half.
Crowd Control
There was a decent amount of guests while we were there, and they definitely had measures in place to deal with long lines and lots of guests. They were also well staffed in the waiting and concession areas.
Most Memorable Moment
I don't want to give it away--but look out when you're on the amazing 'skywalk' in the forest!
Kudos to the staff and actors of The Dark Side haunted attraction. You took the location of a farmfield and forest and made it into a true nightmare experience. This haunt would be elevated by having a few more live actors--but overall from start to finish we were on edge wondering where the next scare would be coming from! Add The Dark Side to your list this season!
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