History of the Haunt

[XGatorHead 8904]

I can remember the day after the pics got leaked out and channel 5 ran with the story like it was yesterday. No I was not the one that leaked the pics. I do remember sitting in Paramount Theater for what seemed like hours with the supervisor at the time going off about how disappointed he was with us.

I remember that very well too. I definitely wasn't the one that leaked the pictures, but the supervisor still made me feel about this small.

2010 I have to say has been my favorite year with Haunt. In 2010 Mama was unleashed on the public. Slaughter House started taking the family theme to a whole new level. There where so many great scares. 2011 everyone knew the works from Slaughter mostly because we truely were the most rambunctious loud family or house which ever you prefer at all of Haunt. This was the only year where almost everyone that was there night one was there on the last night and every night in between.

Mama was an excellent addition and really helped the story of the house come together. And last year, I remember a group of us returners looking at the newbies on the first night of rehearsals, each of us saying who we thought wouldn't make it til the end of the season. I had several picked out, but like you said, for the first time that I've worked Haunt, a vast majority of the family stayed til the end, including a few that I was absolutely sure wouldn't make it. We really have had a great group of people in there.

[Guest TombraiderTy]

Info for 2012 has been added below and to the original page. Pictures from Kings Island's facebook.

---

2012

A new haunted house and several new scare zones were added, as was a new dining experience and a new show.

• Madame Fatale's Cavern of Terror (The Crypt) - A wax museum style haunted house. Utilized various props from Phantom Theater and The Crypt. On-ride photo included at beginning.
  

• Madame Fatale's Dead Inn Feast (The Crypt) - A unique dining experience hosted before the start of Haunt and housed in the former antechamber / preshow rooms of The Crypt.
  

• Nightmare Alley (Pathway between International Street and Action Zone) - A generic scare zone with an extensive use of eyeballs.
  
• Freak Street (Planet Snoopy) - A new name for 2011's Nightmare Alley.
  
• Grimm Blvd. (Action Zone) - A steam punk fairy tale style scare zone
  
• Death Drums (Action Zone Water Tower) - A unique music show.
  

Returning attractions were Slaughterhouse, Club Blood, Wolf Pack, Cut-Throat Cove, Massacre Manor, Mysteria, Urgent Scare, CornSTALKERS, Tombstone Terror-tory, CarnEVIL, Holiday Horror, Cemetery Drive, and Hot Blooded. Half-Pint Brawlers did not return, enabling Graveyard Shift to be performed during Haunt hours. Cut-Throat Cove was reversed, placing the entrance near Sling Shot and allowing Viking Fury to remain open at night. The queue was reworked for Tombstone Terror-tory so that guests would enter through the White Water Canyon entrance.

[beastrider97]

^How is Tombstone ran now? Do guests still take the train?

[TombRaiderFTW]

^ Yes. For whatever reason, though, the put the sign for it over White Water Canyon's entrance... which never comes into play at all. Consider me confused.

[beastrider97]

^Do you mean that you don't go through the entrance and the sign is just placed there for whatever reason. Sorry, just a little confused by your wording.

[thatbandguy8807]

I think the reasoning for why they did that was to add extra space for the line. You start where the WWC entrance is but then you end up going through the patio where the seats are next to funnel cakes and end up going through the line for the train like you used to do in the past. this is just my thought but I think they did it because when the line would be backed up it would go across the walkway of crypt and block it off but since there is a haunt inside crypt now they needed that space clear so they could use the queue line for it. At first I thought they ended up using the entire queue line from WWC but when my girlfriend and I went through it, we noticed it was just extra space for the long line that it can have.

[Diamondbacker]

Reviving an old topic, but great job with the report! The history of Fearfest/Haunt was really cool to see. Some of the mazes of the past seem better than the current ones. Thanks for your great amount of effort.

I wish I would have been there in the first few years of Fearfest. Fearfest should have been kept as the name.

Also, would anyone else have liked to see the new-old SOB trains used as decorations?

[Goki32]

Thank you very much for putting this together:) I'm a huge Halloween Haunt fan especially with Knott's Scary Farm

[Diamondbacker]

If Ty's not on the site anymore, I'll add for 2013.

2013:

Two new mazes, a scare zone and a show were added this year.

Board to Death: (Coney Mall Arcade) A board-game themed maze with lots of blood.

board by Diamondbacker, on Flickr

Delta Delta Die: (Coney Mall, next to Dodgems) A sorority themed maze where the girls are out to get you.

Backwoods Bayou: (Between Diamondback and Backlot Stunt Coaster) A fright zone themed to New Orleans and the Swamp.

Ed Alonzo's Psycho Circus of Magic & Mayhem: (Kings Island Theater) A Halloween remix of the regular season show.

Also new is the Scream Like a Banshee contest, where on Friday nights parkgoers will be challenged to scream their loudest for a chance to win Banshee Media Day Passes and a trip to Knotts' Berry Farm in Los Angeles, CA.

Returning Attractions: Wolf Pack, Club Blood, Slaughter House, Urgent Scare, CornStalkers, Madame Fatale's Cavern of Terror, Tombstone Terror-Tory, Holiday Horror, CarnEvil, Freak Street, Cemetery Drive, Nightmare Alley, Graveyard Shift, Hot Blooded, Blood Drums.

Cut-Throat Cove, Massacre Manor, Mysteria and Madame Fatale's Dead Inn Feast did not return.

[Voicetek]

I know I'm in the minority with my opinion, but I have never been able to understand why people want to glorify blood, mutilation, torture, death, etc. I've heard all the arguments - it's not real, it's all in good fun, it's make believe, I like a good scare, etc. However, I've never been to a "Haunt" at KI and don't really have a desire too. It's just not my thing. And looking through these pics, it just reaffirms my choice. Some of the things on display here just made me sick. Tortured and mutilated bodies laying around, people feasting on blood and mutilated bodies, etc. I just couldn't bring myself to participate in such a display. I love fall and love the festivities of Halloween, that's why I come to the family friendly version during the day.

We see acts of evil and violence on the news everyday and we're just appalled by it. Such a horror and a brutal act if inhumanity. We sit at our television sets just shocked and wonder how could such an act of violence be displayed? Then a few hours later, we pay good money to view some of these very same acts on display at a "theme park" or "attraction" and we shrug it off because it's "make believe". It just confuses me. I don't want any part of any violent or inhumane display whether it be real or staged. This is just the way I feel and have always felt.

In a world where evil is already so prevalent, I just can't bring myself to submit to it and honor it like some do around this time of year every year.

I want to end this post by saying that I'm not trying to judge anyone. I know lots of people who go to these types of events and don't think twice about it. If you truly have a good time and this type of display doesn't bother you then that's fine. This is, and has always been, a personal viewpoint of mine and this is all just my opinion. I just wanted to offer some of my thoughts to you all on this board. Please don't take offense to anything of I have said.

[OpSonofBeast]

This was fantastic to read! The entire time i was reading I tried to figure out what was my first year of the haunt. Thanks for helping me figure it out!

[Spectrum91]

Great read!

It's interesting to note that, with Mysteria's retirement, CarnEVIL / Circus of Horrors 3D is now the only attraction left from 2001's FearFest (let's be real, Mysteria / Death Row / Asylum / Maze of Madness were all the same sorry excuse for an attraction, pardon a slight change in costumes or lighting effects). Although I suppose you could argue that House of Darkness / R.L. Stine Fear Street / Massacre Manor are the same, and we've yet to see how different Delta Delta Die will be.

[Colonel_SoB_fan]

I know I'm in the minority with my opinion, but I have never been able to understand why people want to glorify blood, mutilation, torture, death, etc.  I've heard all the arguments - it's not real, it's all in good fun, it's make believe, I like a good scare, etc.  However, I've never been to a "Haunt" at KI and don't really have a desire too.  It's just not my thing.  And looking through these pics, it just reaffirms my choice.  Some of the things on display here just made me sick.  Tortured and mutilated bodies laying around, people feasting on blood and mutilated bodies, etc.  I just couldn't bring myself to participate in such a display.  I love fall and love the festivities of Halloween, that's why I come to the family friendly version during the day.

 

We see acts of evil and violence on the news everyday and we're just appalled by it.  Such a horror and a brutal act if inhumanity.  We sit at our television sets just shocked and wonder how could such an act of violence be displayed?  Then a few hours later, we pay good money to view some of these very same acts on display at a "theme park" or "attraction" and we shrug it off because it's "make believe".  It just confuses me.  I don't want any part of any violent or inhumane display whether it be real or staged.  This is just the way I feel and have always felt.

 

In a world where evil is already so prevalent, I just can't bring myself to submit to it and honor it like some do around this time of year every year.

 

I want to end this post by saying that I'm not trying to judge anyone.  I know lots of people who go to these types of events and don't think twice about it.  If you truly have a good time and this type of display doesn't bother you then that's fine. This is, and has always been, a personal viewpoint of mine and this is all just my opinion.  I just wanted to offer some of my thoughts to you all on this board.  Please don't take offense to anything of I have said.

I feel the same way hence why I only go to haunt for rides and shows.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I547 using Tapatalk 4

[The Interpreter]

And I didn't feel that way...until September 11, 2001. I have ever since.

There's enough potential terror in our lives.

Those who enjoy this type of thing, have at it. Don't look for me, though.

If anything, I feel even more this way since I moved to DC.

[Goki32]

Question. Why are some of those historical photos like the advertisement for 2000 logos and such are all deleted from this page? It was cool looking at them and they added to the history

[jcgoble3]

Because Imageshack, which is hosting those images, is down per this.

[oysterman]

Wow I can't believe I just found this post. I really enjoy amusement park history and the Haunt (Fearfest!) is something I really enjoy due to the memories I have of going with my good friends in junior high and early HS. Also the history was very well done with all the information you needed, while still containing a lot. The pictures are interesting to see as well.

This has made me very excited to go to the Haunt this year!

[Spectrum91]

I hope people don't mind if I post the entry for 2014, as TombraiderTy is still gone. I'll add pictures and expand on the descriptions once the event actually starts.

2014:

Two new mazes and a new show were added, as was an addition to the Fright Lane program.

Kill Mart: (Coney Mall Arcade): The event's largest maze ever, themed to a zombie-infested department store.

Slaughterhouse Reloaded: (Building Behind Beast Station): A relocation and refurbishment of the former Slaughterhouse.

Skeleton Crew: (International Showplace): An acrobatic performance that showcased balance, strength, and athleticism.

Fright Lane was expanded with Skeleton Key, a new feature that gave paying guests access to additional rooms in Slaughterhouse Reloaded, Madame Fatale's Cavern of Terror, Delta Delta Die, Urgent Scare, and Kill Mart.

Returning Attractions: Wolf Pack, Club Blood, Urgent Scare, Delta Delta Die, Board to Death, CornSTALKERS, Madame Fatale's Cavern of Terror, Tombstone Terror-Tory, CarnEVIL, Freak Street, Cemetery Drive, Nightmare Alley, Backwoods Bayou, and Blood Drums.

Holiday Horror, Hot Blooded, and Ed Alonzo's Psycho Circus of Magic and Mayhem did not return.

[Diamondbacker]

I was just thinking about writing this year's review, thanks Spectrum!

[MDMC01]

Bumping because this thread was mentioned in the Haunt 2016 thread. Someone can do a more complete 2015 rundown (as I only visited the park once during Haunt in 2015 and didn't do many mazes), but...

 

New mazes: Blackout- walking through the darkness with strobe lights. Located in Action Zone, replaced Club Blood

 

Halfway through the Haunt season, Delta Delta Die was renamed Sorority House. 

 

That's all I've got!

 

-MDMC, who doesn't like getting scared, but enjoys seeing my good friend Sam the Butcher

 

EDIT: Hot Blooded also returned for the 2015 season (in the International Showplace).

[IndyGuy4KI]

Giving this thread a bump for it has some great info and pictures! 

[TombraiderTy]

Thanks for the bump... I'll maybe have to create an updated version without the broken links and with all the information in a single post. Haunt is still my favorite time of year at the park, even if I haven't had the chance to attend as frequently as I used to.

[Fye Coasters]

I just can't believe it seems like they kinda have gone down hill some or might just be me. Hope this year to see more detail and lights and effects. Sometimes i miss the Paramount days 

[flightoffear1996]

Haunt also used to cost extra as well.  I guess with it being free now they dont have to compete with other area haunts.

[BoddaH1994]

Here’s an interesting fact for today;

At the innagural Fearfest, one of the attractions was a Haunt on the Eiffel Tower’s 264’ observation deck. A feature that never came to fruiting was that several of the steel decks of the flooring were going to be replaced with very transparent fiberglass, so you could see straight down the structure to the ground.

Unfortunatly, the Ohio Department of Agriculture required that any modification to the “ride” be approved by the original manufacturer - Intamin AG of Zurich, Switzerland. Unfortunatly, time and red tape got the best of the idea and it was delayed. Ultimately, the entire Haunt on the tower didn’t make it to year 2 and the project never saw the light of day... and likely never will.

Would have been fun, though!

I’ll try to give you a historical Haunt/FF fact each day leading up to Haunt’s opening. There’s a lot you may not know.

[SonofBaconator]

15 minutes ago, BoddaH1994 said:

A feature that never came to fruiting was that several of the steel decks of the flooring were going to be replaced with very transparent fiberglass, so you could see straight down the structure to the ground.

Nope, notta, negatory, never in a million years would I do that- not even for a whole box of Scooby snacks.

[upstop]

Same here... it was scary enough in the dark. It looked like there was no fence at the edges so it felt like you were walking on a ledge.... talk about getting the willies...

[BoddaH1994]

The first year of Fearfest used primarily mazes and props that were rented (not bought) from the failed Madison Scare Garden attraction.  After the first immense success of the first year, the park decided to continue the event using both internal design and the help of some outside firms.  

[MDMC01]

I believe this is the company, is it not? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudden_Impact!_Entertainment_Company

Some of the attraction titles sound like some of the mazes at FearFest back in the day.

[BoddaH1994]

5 hours ago, MDMC01 said:

I believe this is the company, is it not? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sudden_Impact!_Entertainment_Company

Some of the attraction titles sound like some of the mazes at FearFest back in the day.

That is correct.