Haunt 2016

[calakapepe]

Last time I did Wolf Pack, it was a bunch of people in wolf masks jumping out of oftentimes obvious locations. Fair enough set pieces, I'd give it a moderate scare score. It's not bad, but it'd not impossible to get scared there. If you're more trying to imagine the station how it was, you'll likely not be payong attention to anyone screaming at you anyways though, right?

[MDMC01]

I did Wolf Pack two Fridays ago, and it was interesting. I'd describe it as a lot of things that could potentially scare you, but with one really loud scare. Also, walking up to WP was cool as it was SOB's old queue, I didn't realize how narrow that path is!

[XGatorHead 8904]

Sam got a great compliment from a guest on Kings Island's Facebook page!

"Just wanted to send a huge thank you to the Kings Island Halloween Haunt staff at The Slaughterhouse. A few weeks a dear friend of mine and her daughter came to the Haunt. It was her daughter's first time coming to the Haunt. She did a majority of the houses we went to. However, upon going into the skeleton key for room for Slaughterhouse, she changed her mind about going through. Sam was very nice about it, and let us exit. Thanks so very much for your thoughtfulness Sam. Haunt is my favorite Halloween event in the Tri-State, and I absoutly love Kings Island. I have gained even more respect for Kings Island from the time at Slaughterhouse. I honestly can not thank you enough Kings Island Haunt staff, I'm a permanent customer when it comes to Kings Island!"

[WailsLikeABanshee]

Here's a question, what kind of things do they make you do in the Skeleton Key rooms? I heard they make you eat stuff in some of them.

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[ki95]

Good to know that that stench is actually very necessary (because we don't want our beloved mazes to go up in flames!); I remember smelling it in Killmart (and a bit in Urgent Scare) when the KIC group went through 2 Fridays ago! Also, hoping to try Field of Screams and Blackout this Friday, along with another trip through the Bayou.

 

Also, Magenta Lizard, how was Field of Screams?

 

I wouldn't mind seeing DDD and/or Carnevil go up I'm flames lol

 

 

 

Any word on The Viewing Skeleton Key experience?

[Magenta Lizard]

I asked an employee out front of The Viewing how long it takes (because escape rooms are typically not real quick) so I could plan for this Friday*. She said about 5 minutes, so my expectations are a little dashed. But I can give a full run down after I get to do it.

* I won a pair of Fright Lane/Skeleton Key passes through the Catch a Ghost contest the park has been doing on Snapchat. I've been watching obsessively for the games to happen, and managed to catch one last Friday while I was sitting at Fright Feast! I'm very very excited, it will be the first time my husband has done most of the mazes at all and the first time for me on most of the Skeleton Key rooms.

[NewDay420]

I'm sad to see Club Blood go, but Blackout is very scary.

[PKIVortex]

Club blood was awful the last few years. It was good the first few years though. And it's hard to believe it's already the second Haunt without Club Blood.

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[OldieButGoodie]

Last Saturday I saw a terrible thing that could have turned out very, very bad. In the Coney Maul, a young family was moving toward the exit along the Subway, Dad was pulling a *wagon*, with daughter (about 3-ish) in it, and Mom behind. Someone got spooked by a scareacter to the side of them, jumped backwards and tripped over the wagon. That wagon was *impossible* to see due to fog and general crowd (the park was quite overcrowded), but neither the child nor the person who went a**-over-teakettle got hurt. The shouting match that ensued was beyond belief, with the Mom threatening to "f*** somebody up!". How in the world is a wagon allowed to be there at all after Haunt begins? That just seems like such a safety issue, it's low and folks attention is eye-high looking for scareactors, the fogging obscures things as it's supposed to, etc. Just truly glad nobody got hurt.

[XGatorHead 8904]

Club blood... was good the first few years though.

 

Thank you!  It was fun working in there back then.  We had a good crew.  -Gator aka The Bouncer, Club Blood 2008 (it's second year)

[JubJester]

Had the awesome privilege to go through the Skeleton Key Room at Slaughterhouse. Also had the great opportunity of seeing my friend (Atheris) saying "well done" at the wrong time and to the wrong person...

[MDMC01]

 

Club blood... was good the first few years though.

 

Thank you!  It was fun working in there back then.  We had a good crew.  -Gator aka The Bouncer, Club Blood 2008 (it's second year)

 

I didn't know you worked Club Blood; cool!

 

Also, it was great to see Sam last nightl I went through Slaughter House twice.

 

----

 

And overall, had a fantastic night last night, here are some highlights:

-Attended the 10 PM Blood Drums performance, which was amazing (got a CD)

-Finally did Blackout, it was terrifying (and not in a good way!- I was shaking when I came out)

-FoS was good, but I guess I was expecting more

-Saw so many scareactor friends last night, so that was fun

-Got an almost solo trip (there was another group, but they were far ahead of me) through Backwoods right before close and that was so much fun (and very beautiful with all the greenery/fog)!

-Rode some classic coasters like Adventure Express, Blue Racer, The Bat, Vortex and Flight of Fear (I plan on riding Beast/Banshee on Closing Day!) 

 

Speaking of Closing Day, can't wait to see everyone and have our last hurrah!

[Elizabeth19]

Went to my first Haunt last night. It was so much fun! I have to admit I was one of the annoying people with the "no boo" necklace. Lol. I loved riding Dback, Adeventure Express, Racer, Bat, and Vortex in the dark for the first time! I'll defiantly be coming back for next years Haunt The longest line I stood in was probably 45 min for Beast

[Magenta Lizard]

Because I was so disappointed by the show last year, I had avoided watching Hot Blooded this season. Last night I finally caught a show and I'm sorry I hadn't watched more of them.

There are some great performers in this year's show. A certain someone shows he has fantastic moves to go along with his voice. The things I found so lackluster last year finally came together, everyone put a lot of feeling and emotions into the show. There are some very talented vocal performances this year. I highly recommend watching.

And not directly related but a view from the Tower

[calakapepe]

That view-ing!

Thanks for sharing! (Who doesn't get to the top of the tower enough apparently haha

[MDMC01]

Cool picture; I didn't know if/realize Tower was open during Haunt because of the eyes (and I saw no one up there!).

[Magenta Lizard]

Yes, the tower is open during Haunt. It is an interesting place to watch the Blood Drums show, as well.

I actually went up there to see how crowded the parking lot was so I knew whether I was going to have trouble leaving at the end of the night. Turns out the cooling weather caused the mass exodus to happen before midnight (and traffic was consequently backed up as I watched), so the lot was nearly empty when I finally got out there after the third-to-last Beast train of the night.

Another shot from the tower:

[ki95]

I asked an employee out front of The Viewing how long it takes (because escape rooms are typically not real quick) so I could plan for this Friday*. She said about 5 minutes, so my expectations are a little dashed. But I can give a full run down after I get to do it.

* I won a pair of Fright Lane/Skeleton Key passes through the Catch a Ghost contest the park has been doing on Snapchat. I've been watching obsessively for the games to happen, and managed to catch one last Friday while I was sitting at Fright Feast! I'm very very excited, it will be the first time my husband has done most of the mazes at all and the first time for me on most of the Skeleton Key rooms.

How was it?#

[ki95]

I asked an employee out front of The Viewing how long it takes (because escape rooms are typically not real quick) so I could plan for this Friday*. She said about 5 minutes, so my expectations are a little dashed. But I can give a full run down after I get to do it.

* I won a pair of Fright Lane/Skeleton Key passes through the Catch a Ghost contest the park has been doing on Snapchat. I've been watching obsessively for the games to happen, and managed to catch one last Friday while I was sitting at Fright Feast! I'm very very excited, it will be the first time my husband has done most of the mazes at all and the first time for me on most of the Skeleton Key rooms.

How was it?!

[Magenta Lizard]

Rushed. I was worried about the time factor when I was told it was only 5 minutes, it turned out to be worse than that.

The set-up and concept were interesting, and I wanted to be able to explore it. Instead I ended up feeling rushed through and out, don't let the door hit you in the butt.

Considering how relatively few Skeleton Keys are sold, how few rooms there are throughout the park, and how quickly one gets through all the other mazes with Fright Lane, I think most people would be willing to wait a little longer, if necessary, for a more complete experience in the "escape room." If one interacts in any real way with the excellent scareactors (especially Sam!) in one of the other Skeleton Key rooms, one will have spent more time than we were allowed for playing the actual game in The Viewing.

More time was taken explaining the game and setting the stage than we were given to actually play it, by a factor of at least 2:1.

We were welcomed into the lobby of the theater, where the subject of The Viewing is laying in a coffin along the wall opposite the doors, with personal items and guest book laid out on the tables along the same wall, and a small collection of folding chairs are laid out in rows on the end.

Asked to take a seat, we were told we needed to complete the story of the dearly departed on a large white board set up in front of the chairs. There are various facts about our victim, his friends, career, etc. with blanks left on the important data like names. One person needs to man the board and read off the story and write the info (that was me) that is called back by everyone else after they scatter back around the lobby. The holes in the story are answered by various materials sitting on tables in The Viewing room. There were probably about a dozen blanks we were expected to find answers to fill in.

Time limit? 90 seconds. Some sort of prize if you finish in time: I think it was just our names recorded rather than anything physical but with everything we were told so quickly, I've forgotten.

The information on the board would have taken at least half our time limit just to read out clearly in its entirety for the rest of the room. We got three blanks filled in. Maybe four. Then we were hurried out.

It's a great, fun idea. If we had been given a few minutes to work, with a prize if under ninety seconds, it would have been a very fun little game. Kicking everyone out with the story mostly unfinished felt more like an insult.

[Jcsports]

Are costumes not allowed at the haunt? I had a friend who went Friday night and they were told at the gate to remove their costumes and face paint. I found this odd, my kids have always wore a costume when we go on Saturdays

[Magenta Lizard]

Kids are allowed, teens and adults not so much. The park doesn't want the liability issues that might come from having what appears to other guests as a hired scareactor employee not be under the actual responsibility of the park or beholden to their rules (not scaring people wearing No Boos, touching guests).

Mild costumes seem to be ok (I've seen a banana and some onesie-type costumes), I believe face paint is not.

From the visitkingsisland.com faq page:

Can I wear a costume or face paint into the park?

Children can wear costumes and or face paint when visiting Kings Island during our Halloween event. Adults are not permitted to wear costumes, face paint, or masks at any time.

https://www.visitkingsisland.com/faq

[XGatorHead 8904]

Had the awesome privilege to go through the Skeleton Key Room at Slaughterhouse. Also had the great opportunity of seeing my friend (Atheris) saying "well done" at the wrong time and to the wrong person...

 

Wel dun?  I kant beleev how many peepl tel me that eech nyt!  U looz all tha flayvr doin it that way!  Rares tha onlee way 2 go! -Sam

[purdude86]

I'd say Sam's performance is a rare treat

[Gucci_Gissel2018]

I'm hopefully getting a Skeleton Key/Fright Lane this Saturday. Can someone explain, like, if they make you eat stuff in any of the houses? I'm excited but also very anxious at the same time. Thanks.

[JubJester]

^ I am going to have Fright Lane w/ Skeleton Key for the first time on Saturday as well. You're not the only person who asked if you eat stuff. I've seen a "Ice Scream social" sign up in Sorority House near the front so maybe that is it. Other than that possible one, I am not sure. Being anxious is very common for mazes (and kind of makes it funnier). Even last week when I had the chance to go through the room at Slaughterhouse, and I was a little bit anxious even though I've done all the mazes before.

[Magenta Lizard]

In Sorority House, you can choose to eat or drink. I believe there is only about a 50/50 chance that you do one of those, too, because there is a third possibility of what can happen...

I ate, and I really couldn't tell you what it actually was, even though I ate it (blindfolded), and saw some of the others afterward. It wasn't disgusting but it was unidentifiable to me, both in flavor and visually. The "drink" looked a lot like the sweet and sour sauce from Panda Express but since I didn't try it, I don't know what it tastes like.

Nobody would probably throw a fit (or even notice) if you don't consume your "treat". But if you want to play along, pick "eat" because it would be very easy to dump it somewhere other than your mouth.

None of the other Skeleton Key rooms involve actually eating anything.

[TombRaiderFTW]

The drink is (when I went through on Friday, watered down) fruit punch... which I got despite choosing to eat. I think that was probably either a mistake or they ran out of the food for our large group. Either way, that's what it is.

[Gucci_Gissel2018]

So, one of my friends got Fright Lane two weeks ago, and sent me a picture of the list of haunted attractions listed on the lanyard. I noticed a space that is a bonus maze, and was wondering. If you use that bonus pass for KillMart, Sorority House, Slaughterhouse, Urgent Scare, or Madame's , does it include Skeleton key if you choose one of those mazes?

[Gucci_Gissel2018]

Since Haunt has come to a close for the 2016 season, I'm gonna make a little review for my experience of the houses that I went through. 

 

 

Board 2 Death- 6/10 I give it this rating for the lack of scare actors. They did a good job, even with the little scares that made me jump. The acting was iffy, and I just felt so empty at the end because there was no FINAL scare, just dead time. 

 

 

Field of Screams-  10/10 PERFECT!! That made me hate corn mazes even more than I already do. The hidden scare actors made me jump. It was just a tad of a wait, having to queue through Dino's, but other than that... AWESOME!!!  

 

 

Urgent Scare- 5/10 This maze made me jump in some ways that shouldn't have happened. I enjoyed the people behind me, listening to them tell the actors to stop. It seemed to be lacking in actors in some spots, and some were well hidden. There seemed to be too much light in certain segments, and the ending was alright. 

 

 

KillMart- 6/10 This one was my favorite the last time I bet through. I really feel like they took a big step down from the scariness. There was a nice little musical surprise that made me jump. I will say, the ending was the scariest part. 

 

 

Sorority House- 4/10 The house has dropped in scariness from a lot the first time I did this house to terrible. I went through and had only two big scares and the rest were little clinks of a can. I got yelled at for "blocking the view" and had a good laugh at the end. 

 

 

Hot Blooded- 8/10 I love this show every time I come to Haunt. The singing is fantastic, yet seemed too loud or soft at some of the key moments in the show. Honorable mention to the explosions at the end for scaring my niece. 

 

 

Overall Experience- 8/10 Overall, I had a fun time tonight. I had some nice scares, some goods laughs, and a great season. I wish more roamers were out today, but I met one of the sliders and she was kind enough to slide for my niece and another little boy. Can't wait for next season and I'm gonna be more adventurous in haunted housing, meaning I'm gonna get fright lane for me only next year.