HHN 19 - Ripped from the Silver Screen
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Can you imagine what the random guests in line behind him must have thought? Ha Ha, I bet they were crapping their pants!
My best friend who had never attended before was laughing hysterically. I knew Bryan was going to do something of the sort. Last year he pushed me on a table covered in Vaseline and screamed "Jake got covered in the man juice."
So I went to HHN two more times last weekend and things didn't change too much since opening Friday night.
I was happy to see that there were a few actors in the cirque du freak that were actually hiding behind things and jumping out to scare people. It's like they read my mind . . . or maybe just my last post. Great improvement but still not too scary of a scare zone when compared to some of the greats from a few years back. I'd say, as far as scariness goes, it graduated up to a 5/10. Oh, and I still think it's an awful lot like the freak shows HHN has just about every year, not that it's a bad thing.
Containment still doesn't have anywhere near enough fog or actors to get the effect they're looking for, 2/10.
The zombie war zone had a few more actors in it this time and that was really all that it was missing. This is easily the scariest scare zone this year, but that's not saying a whole lot, 6/10.
Haction, is a great idea that just doesn't work as far as scares go. It's fun to watch but it's not even slightly scary. While I like the show, I'm rating based on scares, sorry, 2/10.
What on Earth are they thinking at the cannibal area? I'm taking a stance on this one now that I've been on 3 different nights. 1/10. I'm placing the blame squarely on the actor's shoulders too. I'm not sure if you're doing it wrong, or more likely, if you're getting bad direction as far as what to do but IT'S NOT SCARY TO WALK BY A GUY THAT YOU'VE BEEN WATCHING WALK AROUND IN PLAIN SIGHT FOR 2 MINUTES. If that's what they're telling you to do, it's time to take some initiative and go rogue. Listen carefully, here's what to do. Hide behind something and when someone gets close, jump out at them. I know, I'm a rocket scientist, but there's no sense in having all of this knowledge and not sharing it with the people.
A close runner up for crappiest scare zone is the d-i-e in. It's more like a photo op than a scare zone. As I said last time, the walking pattern doesn't come within 15' of the scare zone so the actors are left with a tough choice, try to hide behind cars and scare people from 15' away or roam around in the open. Most of the actors go for the second option which makes it feel like a great place to get your picture taken but it's not scary . . . at all, 1/10.
Silver Screams had a minor change, they turned out the lights in the Valentine room. You lose a lot of the small details but the scares work better. This is my second favorite house this year so be sure to see it if you haven't been through yet or give it another shot if you already went once.
I made it through two new houses, leave it to cleaver and saw. Leave it to cleaver was a lot of fun but more campy fun than really scary. The theme is that you're touring the butchering facility of your local butcher shop, Meetz Meats--the "z" is for selection! Here's his secret to such great meat, it's made out of people! People I tell you, PEOPLE! Great detail and plenty of jump-out-at-you scares. The butcher shop is amazing, looks just like the real thing . . . but I think I'll pass on my regular order of belogna this week Mr. Meetz. If you accept this house for what it is, it's great fun, 7/10.
What can I say about Saw? This house is one of the absolute best of all time. Really good work. I'm not going to give anything away but I had said the "psychological" scare just doesn't work in a 3 minute haunted house, I'll admit it, I was wrong. I'll also acknowledge that if you have bad timing and hit each of the rooms right after the trap has activated you could miss just about everything there is to see, I'm sure that's where the negative reviews are coming from. That, or it's simply too scary for them. This is a solid 9/10 that's worth the long wait.
And speaking of LONG waits, Sunday, Oct. 4, was THE BUSIEST NON-PEAK HHN NIGHT I'VE EVER SEEN in my 6 years of attendance. I'm not sure if this was just an anomaly or if this is going to be the norm this year. All of the houses had at least 45 minute waits by 8pm. (Actually all but Wolfman, his house always has a short line. Looks like I'm not the only one that's not crazy about that house.) But here was the issue, most of the signs in front of the houses still said between 5 - 15 minutes. We even mentioned it to the staff but they still didn't change the sign. Strange to say someone that just waited in the 45 minute line isn't right, isn't it? Especially when you could just look over your shoulder and see the massive line. Oh well.
Bill & Ted's show was stupid and childish like it always is . . . and that must be why I like it so much! We've got a little more fun this year with a third host, Bill & Ted are joined by Seth Green's dork from Robot Chicken. If you enjoy idiotic humor then you're in for a real treat this year, it's the best Bill and Ted's I've ever seen, 10/10.
I was happy to see that there were a few actors in the cirque du freak that were actually hiding behind things and jumping out to scare people. It's like they read my mind . . . or maybe just my last post. Great improvement but still not too scary of a scare zone when compared to some of the greats from a few years back. I'd say, as far as scariness goes, it graduated up to a 5/10. Oh, and I still think it's an awful lot like the freak shows HHN has just about every year, not that it's a bad thing.
Containment still doesn't have anywhere near enough fog or actors to get the effect they're looking for, 2/10.
The zombie war zone had a few more actors in it this time and that was really all that it was missing. This is easily the scariest scare zone this year, but that's not saying a whole lot, 6/10.
Haction, is a great idea that just doesn't work as far as scares go. It's fun to watch but it's not even slightly scary. While I like the show, I'm rating based on scares, sorry, 2/10.
What on Earth are they thinking at the cannibal area? I'm taking a stance on this one now that I've been on 3 different nights. 1/10. I'm placing the blame squarely on the actor's shoulders too. I'm not sure if you're doing it wrong, or more likely, if you're getting bad direction as far as what to do but IT'S NOT SCARY TO WALK BY A GUY THAT YOU'VE BEEN WATCHING WALK AROUND IN PLAIN SIGHT FOR 2 MINUTES. If that's what they're telling you to do, it's time to take some initiative and go rogue. Listen carefully, here's what to do. Hide behind something and when someone gets close, jump out at them. I know, I'm a rocket scientist, but there's no sense in having all of this knowledge and not sharing it with the people.
A close runner up for crappiest scare zone is the d-i-e in. It's more like a photo op than a scare zone. As I said last time, the walking pattern doesn't come within 15' of the scare zone so the actors are left with a tough choice, try to hide behind cars and scare people from 15' away or roam around in the open. Most of the actors go for the second option which makes it feel like a great place to get your picture taken but it's not scary . . . at all, 1/10.
Silver Screams had a minor change, they turned out the lights in the Valentine room. You lose a lot of the small details but the scares work better. This is my second favorite house this year so be sure to see it if you haven't been through yet or give it another shot if you already went once.
I made it through two new houses, leave it to cleaver and saw. Leave it to cleaver was a lot of fun but more campy fun than really scary. The theme is that you're touring the butchering facility of your local butcher shop, Meetz Meats--the "z" is for selection! Here's his secret to such great meat, it's made out of people! People I tell you, PEOPLE! Great detail and plenty of jump-out-at-you scares. The butcher shop is amazing, looks just like the real thing . . . but I think I'll pass on my regular order of belogna this week Mr. Meetz. If you accept this house for what it is, it's great fun, 7/10.
What can I say about Saw? This house is one of the absolute best of all time. Really good work. I'm not going to give anything away but I had said the "psychological" scare just doesn't work in a 3 minute haunted house, I'll admit it, I was wrong. I'll also acknowledge that if you have bad timing and hit each of the rooms right after the trap has activated you could miss just about everything there is to see, I'm sure that's where the negative reviews are coming from. That, or it's simply too scary for them. This is a solid 9/10 that's worth the long wait.
And speaking of LONG waits, Sunday, Oct. 4, was THE BUSIEST NON-PEAK HHN NIGHT I'VE EVER SEEN in my 6 years of attendance. I'm not sure if this was just an anomaly or if this is going to be the norm this year. All of the houses had at least 45 minute waits by 8pm. (Actually all but Wolfman, his house always has a short line. Looks like I'm not the only one that's not crazy about that house.) But here was the issue, most of the signs in front of the houses still said between 5 - 15 minutes. We even mentioned it to the staff but they still didn't change the sign. Strange to say someone that just waited in the 45 minute line isn't right, isn't it? Especially when you could just look over your shoulder and see the massive line. Oh well.
Bill & Ted's show was stupid and childish like it always is . . . and that must be why I like it so much! We've got a little more fun this year with a third host, Bill & Ted are joined by Seth Green's dork from Robot Chicken. If you enjoy idiotic humor then you're in for a real treat this year, it's the best Bill and Ted's I've ever seen, 10/10.
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I really want a "Meetz Meats is People" shirt to complement my "Soylent Green is People" Shirt.
That would be awesome! They'd sell more shirts if there where choices beyond the lame screenprint-of-every-house look they always do. Understated, simple quotes/logos like that is what people want.
I'm kicking myself for not buy a shirt out at HOS that just said "DED girls do it better" (regarding the sorority house)
HOS did have great merchandise this year a first. Jainey I am going to HOS again Thursday, be glad to pick you a shirt up and send it to you if you like.
Cirque du Freak is nothing like the freak shows HHN has previously had in the area. At all. We are an awesome scare zone that continues to improve on a nightly basis.
Cirque du Freak is nothing like the freak shows HHN has previously had in the area. At all. We are an awesome scare zone that continues to improve on a nightly basis.
Let's see, bearded lady, check; guy on stilts, check; strong man, check; circus barker, check; rat girl, check . . . all you're missing is the clowns this year. You're having trouble seeing the forest for the trees. Sorry, putting in vampire teeth doesn't drastically change the atmosphere. Now that I've got that part out of my system; I do like the zone. It's fun to walk through, fun to watch and I agree that it's a fair amount scarier than it was on the first Friday. I like it, it's just not that scary and it feels and looks A LOT like the past freak shows.
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I can assure you that we are not letting Cirque du Freak act like it's one giant freak show. The Vampaneze, Crepsley, and Evra the Snake Boy (ala me as of last night) all provide adequate and efficient scares to make the zone a "Scare Zone."
It's still a freak zone whether it has scares or not. No one doubts the scares, but it's still a zone full of freaks.
It even has "Freak" in the name. It's a freakshow,
.
We went last night, Sunday 10/4 also and only did one house but the wait time, which was Dracula, said 30 minutes, it was actually 60. The park did seem really busy too!
It's still a freak zone whether it has scares or not. No one doubts the scares, but it's still a zone full of freaks.
It even has "Freak" in the name. It's a freakshow,
Ha - well said.
I don't think anyone is saying the zone is not nicely detailed, or acted appropriately to the part. It's just not that scary to walk into a wide-open rotunda with little "freak shows" happening around the sides. What I think always makes for a successful SCARY zone is enclosed areas where you are forced to walk a specific path, and can't see what's ahead of you. For example the zigzag layout of the 'zombie warzone' is more of what I'm looking for.
And, TiredSpook- thanks for the offer but I'm thinking I might make it back one more time.
..someone enjoyed the Dracula house a bit too much.
http://orlando.craigslist.org/mis/1406942053.html
http://orlando.craigslist.org/mis/1406942053.html
- May 18, 2008
- 91
- 2
Should we start taking odds on him getting trespassed before the end of the event for harassing the Vamps?
I heard there's a chance of getting a big kiss in the Frankenstein house...... maybe he should try his luck there?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n26NkysQKqY&feature=player_embedded#
good slideshow/video of the scarezones
good slideshow/video of the scarezones
