- Jul 8, 2017
- 3,125
- 2,822
WB Studios - A Festival of Frights
- Thread starter AlexanderMBush
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- Nov 7, 2016
- 1,583
- 1,742
The event is at a 2 and a half stars out of 5 currently on Yelp (this is also including prior years though). Will check Google and Facebook and other sites later. But first, wanted to share some Yelp thoughts from non-crazy-like-us Haunt fans aka regular people (truncated for relevancy):
1 star review:
"Dont waste your time or money!!! It looks cool when you walk in because it is on a studio lot, but that was probably the only good thing about it. It was not scary at all. In the houses you could see all the scarers so there was no surprise."
1 star review:
"Expectations were set high merely because it was advertised so much as it being great. Let's just say those expectations were not met at all. We understood that it's new and they're in the early stages but considering we spent 173.00 dollars it was definitely not worth it. A lot of areas in the mazes simply didn't have any scare actors, you would walk around corners where it was clearly an area for scare actors to be in and it was just empty. This happened through out all the attractions. It was one of those things you go to cause it's new and fresh but 99.9% sure we wont be returning next year. 173.00 dollars for a mediocre somewhat church carnivalesque with some scary mazes is definitely not of value. Wish I can get a full refund tbh."
2 star review:
"Not as I expected. I'm assuming WB may be new to the game, so they may still be looking for ideas to better the experience. Camp Crystal Lake didnt live up to the hype. The area is too open and too lit up. At one point I witnessed a dude walking through the maze ON HIS PHONE. You wait for so long, you end up yawning. The area is widely spread out, and again many amounts of lighting, not enough fog machines around. This is a movie studio, the should be able to pull off something bigger, more efficient and better."
4 star review:
"Last year was the event's first year and they've definitely improved upon the experience. Definitely go on their tram tour, it was really fun. I can't wait for next year's event I hope they outdo themselves again."
2 star review:
"We felt this event could be described as, "let's let the interns handle this one." For the price, there was not enough going on: not enough characters or people in costume walking around, bad unfitting pop music playing, not enough vendors, no water fountains, not enough bathrooms... the lines feel extra long because there's nothing happening outside while you wait. Seems like Warner just figured they could make a bunch of money and throw something together.
4 star review:
"We bought the Loser Club VIP which gave us front of the line access, but the lines never got that long so we ended up going on the mazes several times. It was also pretty cool that each time we went on the same maze they were different, anything from characters being in different locations to completely different characters."
3 star review:
"I want to try to be really fair here. The best touches were the way the event was decorated. The mazes, I felt is where they had a harder time with the challenge. All of the mazes had fairly short walkthroughs as well, so we spent the majority of the night in line. Since this is a major movie studio, I assume they have an almost endless supply of flats. Ergo, they could have much longer mazes and the space could be better utilized as such. For any potential Haunt visitor, I'd suggest fast pass if you can swing it."
4 star review:
"Putting into consideration that this is a festival and not at a theme park, I do not compare it to Universal Studio's HHN. I say if you want more for your buck then go to HHN. But I personally enjoy both. This is my second year going to WB. It's more of an intimate experience. I did skipped The Joker maze. The lines weren't bad when we arrived right at 7, but later on The Conjuring was around 120 mins but everything else the longest time I saw was around 45 min. All in all its a fun experience if you enjoy those movies and a smaller crowd. I will be attending next year."
The breakdown is like this:
1 star reviews - 2
2 star reviews - 5
3 star reviews - 3
4 star reviews - 4
So far, there are no 5 star reviews for this year.
1 star review:
"Dont waste your time or money!!! It looks cool when you walk in because it is on a studio lot, but that was probably the only good thing about it. It was not scary at all. In the houses you could see all the scarers so there was no surprise."
1 star review:
"Expectations were set high merely because it was advertised so much as it being great. Let's just say those expectations were not met at all. We understood that it's new and they're in the early stages but considering we spent 173.00 dollars it was definitely not worth it. A lot of areas in the mazes simply didn't have any scare actors, you would walk around corners where it was clearly an area for scare actors to be in and it was just empty. This happened through out all the attractions. It was one of those things you go to cause it's new and fresh but 99.9% sure we wont be returning next year. 173.00 dollars for a mediocre somewhat church carnivalesque with some scary mazes is definitely not of value. Wish I can get a full refund tbh."
2 star review:
"Not as I expected. I'm assuming WB may be new to the game, so they may still be looking for ideas to better the experience. Camp Crystal Lake didnt live up to the hype. The area is too open and too lit up. At one point I witnessed a dude walking through the maze ON HIS PHONE. You wait for so long, you end up yawning. The area is widely spread out, and again many amounts of lighting, not enough fog machines around. This is a movie studio, the should be able to pull off something bigger, more efficient and better."
4 star review:
"Last year was the event's first year and they've definitely improved upon the experience. Definitely go on their tram tour, it was really fun. I can't wait for next year's event I hope they outdo themselves again."
2 star review:
"We felt this event could be described as, "let's let the interns handle this one." For the price, there was not enough going on: not enough characters or people in costume walking around, bad unfitting pop music playing, not enough vendors, no water fountains, not enough bathrooms... the lines feel extra long because there's nothing happening outside while you wait. Seems like Warner just figured they could make a bunch of money and throw something together.
4 star review:
"We bought the Loser Club VIP which gave us front of the line access, but the lines never got that long so we ended up going on the mazes several times. It was also pretty cool that each time we went on the same maze they were different, anything from characters being in different locations to completely different characters."
3 star review:
"I want to try to be really fair here. The best touches were the way the event was decorated. The mazes, I felt is where they had a harder time with the challenge. All of the mazes had fairly short walkthroughs as well, so we spent the majority of the night in line. Since this is a major movie studio, I assume they have an almost endless supply of flats. Ergo, they could have much longer mazes and the space could be better utilized as such. For any potential Haunt visitor, I'd suggest fast pass if you can swing it."
4 star review:
"Putting into consideration that this is a festival and not at a theme park, I do not compare it to Universal Studio's HHN. I say if you want more for your buck then go to HHN. But I personally enjoy both. This is my second year going to WB. It's more of an intimate experience. I did skipped The Joker maze. The lines weren't bad when we arrived right at 7, but later on The Conjuring was around 120 mins but everything else the longest time I saw was around 45 min. All in all its a fun experience if you enjoy those movies and a smaller crowd. I will be attending next year."
The breakdown is like this:
1 star reviews - 2
2 star reviews - 5
3 star reviews - 3
4 star reviews - 4
So far, there are no 5 star reviews for this year.
- Feb 20, 2018
- 649
- 434
But then again, its Yelp.
Check out the hilarious 1 star reviews for our great National Parks.
10 One-Star Yelp Reviews of Majestic National Parks
I too cherry pick my reviews over a century old national park from Yelp and compare them to a very recent event which much more recent reviewers.
- Feb 20, 2018
- 649
- 434
Lighten us Galindo. It was a joke.
But seriously, I wouldn't put much stock into Yelp at this point in time.
To give an example, when Santa's Village in California debuted in 2016, it had terrible reviews from Yelp. I'm talking about 1 1/2 aggregate stars. Similar complaints: Operational missteps, price point too high, not enough to do, etc.
Flash forward to today...SkyPark at Santa’s Village - 766 Photos & 305 Reviews - Amusement Parks - 28950 California 18, Skyforest, CA - Phone Number - Yelp
PS Yelp users also tend to be a lot more nitpicky than the GP. Look at the reviews for Trip Advisor for the same park. SkyPark at Santa's Village (Skyforest) - 2018 All You Need to Know Before You Go (with Photos) - TripAdvisor
While I actually generally agree with those Yelp comments (mainly about being overpriced), at the same time, IMO, Yelp is not really all that reliable for events and shows. Especially when there aren't that many reviews. I don't put much stock in it until at least 100 people have posted their thoughts. Even then, I tend to be wary.
I mean, according to Yelp, HHN Orlando only has 3.5 starts with over 286 reviews... not much better. As of this writing, the second most recent review says, "Disappointed is not a strong enough word...." (2 stars), and a few reviews later: "Sucked. Sucked. Sucked." (1 star). And that's from this year's event, which most people on this forum are gushing as if it were the Holy Grail. Admittedly, there are many positive 4-5 star reviews as well, but still gets a 3.5 overall, so there must be quite a few disappointed folk out there. For the record, our Hollywood HHN also has 3.5 stars on Yelp (with over 800 reviews), so clearly they're pretty equal in the eyes of the GP if you still want to believe in Yelp as an accurate gauge.
People who don't like something are always more quick to post a negative review that people who have a positive review. I probably would've given the event 4 stars, but I wasn't either impressed enough nor irritated enough to bother to do a review for Yelp at all.
On a total side note, the only time I've been entertained by Yelp was by reading the reviews for that Captain Kidd's Buffet that's across the street from Disneyland (off Harbor). My favorite review, which I sadly can't find there anymore, was from a mom who said, "My son got food poisoning. From both ends."
uke:
I mean, according to Yelp, HHN Orlando only has 3.5 starts with over 286 reviews... not much better. As of this writing, the second most recent review says, "Disappointed is not a strong enough word...." (2 stars), and a few reviews later: "Sucked. Sucked. Sucked." (1 star). And that's from this year's event, which most people on this forum are gushing as if it were the Holy Grail. Admittedly, there are many positive 4-5 star reviews as well, but still gets a 3.5 overall, so there must be quite a few disappointed folk out there. For the record, our Hollywood HHN also has 3.5 stars on Yelp (with over 800 reviews), so clearly they're pretty equal in the eyes of the GP if you still want to believe in Yelp as an accurate gauge.
People who don't like something are always more quick to post a negative review that people who have a positive review. I probably would've given the event 4 stars, but I wasn't either impressed enough nor irritated enough to bother to do a review for Yelp at all.
On a total side note, the only time I've been entertained by Yelp was by reading the reviews for that Captain Kidd's Buffet that's across the street from Disneyland (off Harbor). My favorite review, which I sadly can't find there anymore, was from a mom who said, "My son got food poisoning. From both ends."
uke:
- Nov 7, 2016
- 1,583
- 1,742
For the record, didn't want to use Yelp as a means for any agenda positive or negative. Just laid out the facts as they were. Wanted to show both positive and negative reviews. And will show reviews from other avenues as well, just for people skimming the forum looking for more opinions, just in one spot. Using it more or less as aggregate/consensus of what people thought, like RottenTomatoes for mazes.
- Jun 21, 2018
- 2
- 4
I was at the event yesterday and I got to say I really enjoyed it. It was a different experience than HHN or Knotts. I had the Losers Club V.I.P lanyard and boy did that come in handy.
Anyways first I wanted to test the waters and did the Conjuring and waited in the general line and waited 45 minutes. I recommend doing this first because they pulse you into groups only allowing 14 at a time.
Then I waited for standby for Arkham and we waited about 35 minutes. By this time it was not raining yet. We exit and it was pouring.
After that I did Camp Crystal Lake and used our first hole punch for the Losers Club. While making our way through the Backlot, they shuttle you where Camp Crystal Lake is we saw lighting which was kinda cool because I thought it added to the experience of going through it. When we got to the site, it was very muddy and pouring outside with thunder in the distance. Many people will not agree with my opinion but I liked the long paths and widen roads there was plenty of room to walk and see everything. My favorite part was probaby going into the cabin where its kinda cramped. Also there's this one scare that got me every time. I liked it because you could walk at your own pace and were not rushed unlike the Terror Tram at HHN. After the tour of Camp Crystal Lake they drop you off at Studio 48, where they have a very great exhibit showcasing Tim Burton including props and costumes from Sweeny Todd, Beetlejuice and much more. This is also where they have a lot of photo opportunities and where the Friends couch is. One note though the last tram departed at 10:36 and Studio 48 closes at 11:00. I don't know if it's like that every night or if it was just last night.
After returning from that I checked out the 4D Exorcist Screening and I don't want to get into detail on what happens but it was probably the most uneasy I felt throughout the night.
Then to wrap up our first walk around the lot, I did IT and to be honest I absolutely love it, (no pun intended). Let's just say the bathroom scene is really bloody.
After finishing IT, I made my way around the lot and did everything again for a second time and here are some highlights.
IT
-There was a moment just before the clown room Pennywise scared this girl and was literally just following her throughout the maze. We get to the clown room and Pennywise and this other clown just begin to laugh manically while this girl is scared to death and she falls to the floor. I was behind this girl and I felt slightly bad for her.
-My brother getting scared by Georgie twice was also a blast.
Arkham:
-The first time through Arkham we were in a big group, however the second I was in a group of five and got a majority of the scares.
All in all it was a great time and the vibe is so different than HHN. Many will disagree with me on this but I found Horror Made Here more fun and entertaining than HHN.
Anyways first I wanted to test the waters and did the Conjuring and waited in the general line and waited 45 minutes. I recommend doing this first because they pulse you into groups only allowing 14 at a time.
Then I waited for standby for Arkham and we waited about 35 minutes. By this time it was not raining yet. We exit and it was pouring.
After that I did Camp Crystal Lake and used our first hole punch for the Losers Club. While making our way through the Backlot, they shuttle you where Camp Crystal Lake is we saw lighting which was kinda cool because I thought it added to the experience of going through it. When we got to the site, it was very muddy and pouring outside with thunder in the distance. Many people will not agree with my opinion but I liked the long paths and widen roads there was plenty of room to walk and see everything. My favorite part was probaby going into the cabin where its kinda cramped. Also there's this one scare that got me every time. I liked it because you could walk at your own pace and were not rushed unlike the Terror Tram at HHN. After the tour of Camp Crystal Lake they drop you off at Studio 48, where they have a very great exhibit showcasing Tim Burton including props and costumes from Sweeny Todd, Beetlejuice and much more. This is also where they have a lot of photo opportunities and where the Friends couch is. One note though the last tram departed at 10:36 and Studio 48 closes at 11:00. I don't know if it's like that every night or if it was just last night.
After returning from that I checked out the 4D Exorcist Screening and I don't want to get into detail on what happens but it was probably the most uneasy I felt throughout the night.
Then to wrap up our first walk around the lot, I did IT and to be honest I absolutely love it, (no pun intended). Let's just say the bathroom scene is really bloody.
After finishing IT, I made my way around the lot and did everything again for a second time and here are some highlights.
IT
-There was a moment just before the clown room Pennywise scared this girl and was literally just following her throughout the maze. We get to the clown room and Pennywise and this other clown just begin to laugh manically while this girl is scared to death and she falls to the floor. I was behind this girl and I felt slightly bad for her.
-My brother getting scared by Georgie twice was also a blast.
Arkham:
-The first time through Arkham we were in a big group, however the second I was in a group of five and got a majority of the scares.
All in all it was a great time and the vibe is so different than HHN. Many will disagree with me on this but I found Horror Made Here more fun and entertaining than HHN.
Last edited:
- Feb 20, 2018
- 649
- 434
Epic review!
Unfortunately, don't expect many likes. A lot of haters on here would rather you post a doom and gloom review than a positive one.
Anyways, do you think you would have enjoyed the event as much without the front of the line pass? I'm going on Thursday, but only got general admission. I'm hoping that because it's during the week, the event won't be as crowded.
- Jul 8, 2017
- 3,125
- 2,822
Honestly the events fine but I think a lot of the negativity comes from the fact that they restrict Universal from using their big 2 IP’s. Plus the scares don’t hit that heavily outside of IT.
I would love it if next year they did a full on F13 maze or NoES maze since HHN hasn’t done either in ages
I would love it if next year they did a full on F13 maze or NoES maze since HHN hasn’t done either in ages
I'm going to say this, don't think that everyone on this forums will be coming onto this thread, speaking as if the gates of tartarus opened; spewing millions of comments of hate.
At the end of the day, the thing that matters most, is the opinion of one's self, and that it is their opinion's. There will always be differing opinions on many things, sometimes it's more negative (and vice versa).
TBH, I think Horror Made Here has a road ahead, but they have to evolve and change the level of their quality and budget for a few factors. But that's also coming from someone who isn't so fortunate to be going to ANY event this year, and thus being only able to see things confined.
I would be shocked if either got a full on maze for HMH, as NoES actually got a maze last year (based on the 2010 remake nonetheless...).
F13, I'm not too sure; considering that I would have to wonder about rights and IP ownage after the court case.
- Feb 20, 2018
- 649
- 434
Come on Alex, let's not kid ourselves. This event has been deemed a failure by IU posters, even before the event officially opened to the GP.
The most ironic part is that the majority haven't even been to the event themselves!
But it seems like you only want positive reviews of the event. You've only really liked positive reviews, and now it seems like you don't want to settle on the fact that many don't really like how it looks. Alex was only trying to cool things down.
I am going to say this, what you are saying is a slap to the faces of those that actually HAVE been to the event. And also, I think you are seeing "failure" as something completely different from what I have. Myself, alongside others while sharing some potential worry; were hopeful of the event.
It was a interesting twist to see WB step in more than prior, and especially with the advent of Arkham and making improvements to previously done IP's was exciting.
However, people are entitled to their own opinion. They could help detract or encourage your feelings, sure; but the best experience you will EVER possibly get, is stepping into the grounds and leaving all other bias out the door.
Then, once you are done and free from being at the event, you can say, speak, or record your thoughts and opinions. It doesn't mean your opinions are absolute, but your own word, is far more important than anyone else's. And that's simply due, to that there is only one 'id.
__
I'll talk about 2019 once the event wraps up on the 28th, but I do think this event has a chance to do something that could be exciting. And for Warner Bros; they have a huge library of classic and modern horror, just waiting to be used to their best abilities. But with the library, there has to be a sense of direction, a sense of tone, and a sense of budget. Because right now; 2018 has it's issues.
I actually really wanted this event to succeed as a big middle finger to USH for last year, the properties are all super effing good.
But alas...
But alas...
I was very happy to hear about the potential competition, as competition is pressure, and can push Universal to be better than it already is.
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