"KIC Haunt Night" long-winded TR

[malem]

Since several people apparently want trip reports from last night, I'll go ahead and write one. My posts are usually much more concise, so I apologize in advance for the excess length of this one. (I'm sure ohiocolts will be posting a much better trip report shortly )

Several people from KICentral met up last night for the planned "KIC Haunt Night". I really didn't know what to expect, since prior to last night I had been to neither a theme park enthusiast meet-up nor any theme park Halloween event. Save for the weather and me not being dressed appropriately for it, it was a great experience.

Before the night began, I met Jonathan (jcgoble3) at Outback Steakhouse near the park. I got there early, so I walked from there to behind Great Wolf Lodge for a few Son of Beast shots. Sadly, even though I had a decent camera with me all night, these were the only pictures I took.

After dinner, I drove over to the park, did a final check of the forecast, and headed towards the front gate wearing shorts and a lightweight t-shirt - without my jacket. Even though I'm quite tolerant of temperature extremes, this was a big mistake. KI security was set up outside the entrance plaza inspecting items and using hand-held metal detectors to check each guest. At 5:10, this process was very quick and there were no lines.

By 5:30, Jonathan, Lucas (ohiocolts), his mom, and myself were waiting at the front gate with a "KICentral" sign I had printed. Shortly thereafter, we were found by Melissa (Beastie1980), her parents, and Joshua (stashua123). We played phone tag with TheCrypt and Coasterfanatic2012 throughout the night, but we never managed to meet either of them. (Next time, hopefully!) Just before the park opened, Gordon Bombay found us and took our group picture. (Thanks!)

The forecast was truly dreadful, with rain likely all night and a "definite" chance lasting from 10pm-3am, so I was glad that at least some people showed up! We got lucky on the rain front with only a few periods of heavy showers, but evening temperatures were at least 10°F lower than forecast. Combined with wind and rain, this turned out not to be pleasant at all without a jacket. Especially at 80mph.

After the park opened, we waited for a few minutes near the fountains to catch anyone who missed us at the gate. Lucas decided that he wasn't ready for mazes yet, so the rest of us headed to Wolf Pack while he and his mom went to do some rides. Joshua separated from us to find us later, but unfortunately he never did.

Melissa was scared of the Haunts, but she wanted to do Wolf Pack to be in Son of Beast's station before the coaster is completely gone. Jonathan, her, and myself headed there and did the maze with absolutely no wait. The actors were doing a great job, but we had to be one of the least fun groups to go through there all night. Jonathan went first, barely reacting to each "scare". After Jonathan got startled, Melissa cheerfully greeted each one with a "Hi!". I was last, apologizing to each actor for our lackluster reactions.

Melissa enjoyed Wolf Pack, but she had enough scares for the evening. We briefly separated as Jonathan and I went to the nearby Slaughter House, where we got special greetings from XGatorHead and rotag. (Thanks! It was great to meet you, even extremely briefly!) We then went to Club Blood before rejoining Melissa for a ride on Invertigo.

By this time, it was shortly after 7:00, so Jonathan and I decided to separate again to see Madam Fatale's Cavern of Terror. The line here was only about 10 minutes. There were some great props here, and it was interesting to be in the Crypt ride chamber, but the acting seemed a bit weaker than some of the others.

By this time it was around 7:30 and starting to get dark. Lucas and his mom wanted to meet us for Tombstone Terrortory at 8:00, so we had time to meet up with Melissa again for a ride on The Beast. Since there was only a station wait and we had extra time, we waited for the front two rows to let it get darker. We rode just after dusk, but unfortunately it had just started raining. Temperatures weren't too bad yet, so I had a pleasant first-ever night ride on The Beast.

Melissa wanted to head home after this, so her family left while Jonathan and I headed to Tombstone Terrortory to meet Lucas. His dad had joined them by this point, so the five of us boarded the train and did the maze with almost no wait. The train operator did a spiel beforehand, presumably explaining the storyline of the maze, but the audio was too jumbled to understand anything. There were some good "startles" here, and Lucas's mom had a few good scares (and screams).

This Haunt provided enough scares for Lucas, so we headed to Diamondback for a night ride in light rain. By this point, I started to regret that I decided not to wear a jacket, as temperatures were falling much lower than had been forecast a few hours earlier. Jonathan wanted to do all the Haunts, so Lucas and his family separated while I joined Jonathan for mazes. We did Holiday Horror, Cornstalkers, Carnevil, and Boo Blasters.

We were a bit tired and cold by this point, around 10:30pm, so we decided to meet Lucas and his family in the Festhaus. Jonathan and I caught up with them there after catching the end of "Graveyard Shift". We then decided to try to meet Coasterfanatic2012 in Planet Snoopy, but we missed them - as we would continue to do the next 2 times we tried. Lucas's dad parted ways at some point, and both Lucas and his mom were getting ready to call it a night. Lucas's mom wanted to do Carnevil, even though Lucas had had enough, so I accompanied her as Jonathan waited outside with Lucas. Jonathan and I then went through yet again, in a last attempt to find Coasterfanatic2012 and TTD-120-420.

There were about two hours of park operation left at this point, and only Jonathan and myself were left. We rode Racer in the front seat (the train had been sitting there 5 minutes waiting for riders to show up), rode Flight of Fear 2 times with minimal/no wait, and went through a couple more mazes (Mysteria and Massacre Manor). By this time, there were absolutely no guests at the mazes, and several actors were out-of-character. We called it a night around 12:50am.

Overall, I was much more impressed with the acting than I was with the props, although there are some very good props. If you go, definitely hit the haunted attractions early in the day, before the actors get tired after 7 hours on the job. Most of the actors did a great job and gave an entertaining performance. Again, I apologize for not being more 'fun' with respect to the scares, though I was in my 32nd hour of not having any sleep. (But that's another story.)

Going to KI alone to meet people I had never seen before was a new experience. It was really enjoyable to meet some of the people behind the posts here, and I realized that there are people here that know a whole lot more about KI and theme parks than I do. Hopefully I'll get to go to such a meet-up again.

Thanks for reading this excessively long account of our night. Hopefully those who couldn't come are able to attend the next meet-up!

[fanofFirehawk]

Wow you just blew my mind.

Extra thanks for the much anticipated and much needed trip report.

[TheCrypt]

As fate would have it, I finished my Beast front row ride about 10 minutes before you got in line with Beastie and jcgoble. I think I saw the group at one point, but was too far back to catch up with you whilst sifting through a surge of crowds (last night was weird--midways are dead, and then a sudden burst of crowds came plowing down the midways). Oh well.

I do apologize for my lack of a presence that night. I really did try to find you all. I hope I can finally get to meet others on this site, apart from the 3 I already know.

[stashua123]

i was mostly in the rivertown coney mall area last night i only went to Action Zone twice and i left at 12:30 it was becoming intolerable. i looked in where i was but i did not find you guys. Cant wait to see our group photo and other pics

i really did try to find you guys.

Aww at 7:00 i was sitting at rivertown fries cause i over stretched my back on the log flume and then i went on beast aww so close yet so far...

Edited October 6, 2012 by stashua123

[standbyme]

I think it is great that you all got together for a KIC Haunt night...it shows great spirit.

Thanks for the report!

[malem]

I do apologize for my lack of a presence that night. I really did try to find you all. I hope I can finally get to meet others on this site, apart from the 3 I already know.

For the first couple of hours, we were carrying around the "KICentral Haunt Night 2012" sign in case late arrivals ran into us. (A special thanks to Beastie1980's parents for helping with that!)

[jcgoble3]

Great report! I think Madame Fatale's Cavern of Terror was the best one; it was the only one to actually make me nervous at times. Slaughterhouse was a good one as well. I will admit that I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the look on ohiocolts's face every time we suggested taking him through another maze (my, what big eyes you have!), as well as his mom being just as scared as him going through Tombstone Terror-tory. I also got an Xtreme Skyflyer ride in after dark; the wind was blowing me around as I was being raised to the top, so I came down sideways.

Anyway, my shoes are still wet inside from all the rain and puddles, so I've been lounging at home today waiting on them to dry. I had plenty of fun last night, certainly more fun than if I had gone by myself.

[CoasterGeek101]

Sorry I wasn't able to meet you guys!

[jcgoble3]

Oh yeah: The two mazes malem and I didn't do were Cut-Throat Cove (which had closed down for the night due to the rain by the time we got to it) and Urgent Scare (which I just plain forgot about). Guess those will have to wait until next year, assuming they return.

[malem]

Sorry I wasn't able to meet you guys!

Did you not find us at the park, or were you not able to come?

Either way, don't be sorry! Theme park visits are hard to fit into schedules, and it can be hard to find people in a large park. Thanks for the effort, in any case!

I really would like to thank everyone who showed up, whether they found us or not. A theme park visit represents a substantial time and money investment for many, so thanks to all for coming on a day with disagreeable weather and sharing your visit with the rest of us!

[shunter]

I was there last night as well, and it was definitely a ride walk-on night after 11! My friends and I were the only people in line for AE, so we rode back-to-back...we also rode Stunt Coaster three times and Delirium twice - once in the rain, which was also pretty empty. I've never seen so few people in the park.

Thanks for the TR!

I went through Cut Throat Cove before it closed, and it was a fun maze. Not beyond scary, but enjoyable.

[ohiocolts]

Great trip report Matthew! Glad I got to meet you all!

[stashua123]

I was a bit nervous at first but it turned out fine! I think some of you were surprised about how young i am .

[Beastie1980]

I had a great time, the worst part was getting through all the monsters at the gate. I was holding onto my dad, which was apparently a good idea since three other girls we didn't know grabbed onto his other arm for protection too. We only stayed for a couple of hours but that was long enough for me. We are actually going back to the park tomorrow so I can ride some of the things I didn't get a chance to ride last night. It was nice meeting everyone, I would love to do this again sometime. Thanks again to malem and jcgoble3 for hanging out with me and going through my very first Haunt attractions. I wish I could have met up with ohiocolts and stashua123 before we left and rode a few rides together, maybe another time.

[LongLiveTheSmurfRide]

Sounds like it was a good time in bad weather.

[jcgoble3]

^Yep. Us enthusiasts understand that days with bad weather are the best time to go to the park because there are no crowds. On the other hand, good luck convincing a non-enthusiast to come with you on a rainy day.

[CoasterGeek101]

Sorry I wasn't able to meet you guys!

Did you not find us at the park, or were you not able to come?

Either way, don't be sorry! Theme park visits are hard to fit into schedules, and it can be hard to find people in a large park. Thanks for the effort, in any case!

I really would like to thank everyone who showed up, whether they found us or not. A theme park visit represents a substantial time and money investment for many, so thanks to all for coming on a day with disagreeable weather and sharing your visit with the rest of us!

A combination of factors. Weather was one of the biggest ones. I will be attending Haunt at least 2 more times this season, hopefully, if anybody wants to meet-up.

[coasterfanatic83]

Sorry for never actually meeting up with you, but I'm sure we saw you at some point in time and didn't even know it

[malem]

Sorry for never actually meeting up with you, but I'm sure we saw you at some point in time and didn't even know it

We had to have passed you, as we were taking turns going through Carnevil and waiting by the exit when you said you were headed there. If you saw someone in the park that late wearing shorts and a t-shirt (in the rain in the mid-40s Fahrenheit), it was probably me.

Thanks for the text updates you sent; it's too bad we never spotted each other.

[TTD-120-420]

You were probably the person I pointed to telling Caleb "That guy has to be freezing."

[stashua123]

I have to have seen you guys last night cause you were in my area i was at 11:00 and 12 am

[VortexBFForever]

Good luck convincing a non-enthusiast to come with you on a rainy day.

September 3rd was like that for me! My mom is a non-enthusiast, yet she's taken lots of her time to transport me to KI so I can "play" with Vortex and the other rides (and I'm thankful). At first, she wasn't willing to go, and one of the reasons was the rain! I kept on telling her that rain is a good thing and would keep the Labor Day weekend crowds away, and the rides would still be open unless it was thundering and lightning, but it was to no avail. But she thought about it, and even talked with my dad about it. We kept an eye on the doppler radar to see how much longer it would actually rain, and finally we decided to head out to KI at about 1:10 pm.

It was hard, and it took a few hours to get her convinced, but she got convinced, which counts.

Nice TR, malem!

[XGatorHead 8904]

Melissa enjoyed Wolf Pack, but she had enough scares for the evening. We briefly separated as Jonathan and I went to the nearby Slaughter House, where we got special greetings from XGatorHead and rotag. (Thanks! It was great to meet you, even extremely briefly!) We then went to Club Blood before rejoining Melissa for a ride on Invertigo.

Great TR, and it's good to read that you had fun despite the weather. Sam wanted me to thank you for carrying the KIC sign through Slaughter House, it made it very easy for him to spot you!

[Bainard]

I wish my wife and I could have met up with everyone. We were running a bit behind schedule and didn't get there until right at 6. By the time we got to the gate everyone must have been inside. Couldn't have missed the group by more than 5 minutes. I have to say though, despite not getting to meet any of you it was a memorable night. Rode The Beast at around 11:30 or so, freezing cold, pouring rain, front seat. I've ridden my motorcycle in rain and hail on 45 degree days in the middle of a 1,000 mile trip and wasn't that cold and didn't get pelted in the face that hard. My wife and I were sore, cold, numb and miserable when we got off but it was a BLAST. We will both look back on that ride as long as our minds hold out and smile, I assure you. Our dear Sam gave me the best scare of the night as well. Just my wife and I going through the house around 12:00 or a bit after, head into Sam's room and much to my disappointment he "wasn't there". He was hiding back behind an oven (I think) right before you leave his room and he popped out right beside me with a bang of the door and a yell. (Guy in a black Harley hoodie and a mustache, girl in a black leather coat, shoulder length brown hair and glasses. Just the two of us walking through. Doubt you remember us, but if so, well, that was us.) It takes a lot to startle me, but that did. Well played, sir. Well played. In addition to my little moment with Sam one of the actors approached my wife and I with a green glow stick in hand and asks us if we want to know why it is green. He proceeds to thread it though his nasal septum piercing and proclaim "BOOGERS!". Yet another moment that will stick with me. Between that Beast ride, Sam, Mr. Boogers (for lack of any other name), and some good old fashioned borderline inappropriate banter with a couple actors on a two person trip through Club Blood (will spare the details, family friendly site after all ) it was a night to remember. It's going to take a lot to top that for our anniversary weekend trip at the end of the month, but I have faith my haunt experiences will just keep getting better this year!

[TTD-120-420]

Mr boogers is awesome.

[rotag]

Melissa enjoyed Wolf Pack, but she had enough scares for the evening. We briefly separated as Jonathan and I went to the nearby Slaughter House, where we got special greetings from XGatorHead and rotag. (Thanks! It was great to meet you, even extremely briefly!) We then went to Club Blood before rejoining Melissa for a ride on Invertigo.

Great TR, and it's good to read that you had fun despite the weather. Sam wanted me to thank you for carrying the KIC sign through Slaughter House, it made it very easy for him to spot you!

i second that notion.

I wish my wife and I could have met up with everyone. We were running a bit behind schedule and didn't get there until right at 6. By the time we got to the gate everyone must have been inside. Couldn't have missed the group by more than 5 minutes. I have to say though, despite not getting to meet any of you it was a memorable night. Rode The Beast at around 11:30 or so, freezing cold, pouring rain, front seat. I've ridden my motorcycle in rain and hail on 45 degree days in the middle of a 1,000 mile trip and wasn't that cold and didn't get pelted in the face that hard. My wife and I were sore, cold, numb and miserable when we got off but it was a BLAST. We will both look back on that ride as long as our minds hold out and smile, I assure you. Our dear Sam gave me the best scare of the night as well. Just my wife and I going through the house around 12:00 or a bit after, head into Sam's room and much to my disappointment he "wasn't there". He was hiding back behind an oven (I think) right before you leave his room and he popped out right beside me with a bang of the door and a yell. (Guy in a black Harley hoodie and a mustache, girl in a black leather coat, shoulder length brown hair and glasses. Just the two of us walking through. Doubt you remember us, but if so, well, that was us.) It takes a lot to startle me, but that did. Well played, sir. Well played. In addition to my little moment with Sam one of the actors approached my wife and I with a green glow stick in hand and asks us if we want to know why it is green. He proceeds to thread it though his nasal septum piercing and proclaim "BOOGERS!". Yet another moment that will stick with me. Between that Beast ride, Sam, Mr. Boogers (for lack of any other name), and some good old fashioned borderline inappropriate banter with a couple actors on a two person trip through Club Blood (will spare the details, family friendly site after all ) it was a night to remember. It's going to take a lot to top that for our anniversary weekend trip at the end of the month, but I have faith my haunt experiences will just keep getting better this year!

Mr boogers is awesome.

the make-up artists like to call him moo-stashio. he likes to roam from my room to help me as a distraction all the way back to 5 rooms behind me.