Woods of Terror Fright Team Reviews

[Slappy]

Submitted by: handfulofrubies82
Date attended:  October 3rd, 2009
{potential spoilers for those not looking for ANY  detail}

Scare Factor  3.9/5 -  I did jump several times, and not many places elicit that response. Maybe amp up the vampires.

Actors  3.8/5 -  It seems like everyone enjoyed their characters. They were very in my face, actively engaging me. Tone down the raunchy behavior in the hayride. Not everyone wants to have breasts jiggled in their face.

Set Design/Props/FX  5/5 -  All the sets are decorated well. The only setback was with the theater, but that might have been temporary , I don't know.

Length 4.75/5 -  Good length, and this year the lines were better organized.

Other -  In the beginning, watch out as you're walking through the woods. I understand it's an outdoor trail, but we all got tripped up on some uneven roots. Woods of Terror was my first haunt this season. I didn't come in with any expectations because my experience last year left me feeling uninspired. Well, I can honestly say that this year I was impressed! The entire experience, from the beginning to the end was [terror]ific (in the best way).
My entire group was composed of Fright seeker Reviewers so, obviously, we all paid close attention to detail.
We made it a point to speak with Eddie before we entered the haunt and I must thank him for upgrading our GA tickets to fast pass tickets! That was generous and I greatly appreciate it.
A big part of what made the experience great was the fact that the actors stepped up and were very interactive with their audience. Instead of standing back in the shadows, they were popping out of every corner. They were leering and snarling just inches from my face. More than once, they blocked my exit and wouldn't let me pass. I believe investing time in the interaction instead of just getting us through the scene created a good atmosFEAR.
Two of my favorite scenes were the Chainsaw Massacre house and the Pirate Ship. Both were there last year, but I enjoyed them just as much this year. I love that the "ship effect" was extended throughout the scene. The pirate actors were in character and they were in your face the entire scene. I can't say enough about the how the scenes were set because almost all WOT sets are superbly decorated. I wish we hadn't run into another group in the CM house because the group distracted me from being able to put all my attention to my surroundings.
Props to the acrobatic/flexible guy in the graveyard. You'll understand that label if you happen to come upon him. He was something interesting indeed.
The actress that 'joined' our group for a few scenes was very convincing, before she was kidnapped back into the haunt.
There were some standout actors that were so still that they appeared to be fixed props. Great job, because it worked to scare our crew.
Improvements I noticed:
The fast pass actually did the job it was created for. Even though we ran into a few groups, we were able to bypass a few longer GA lines.
No more cubicles in the beginning, just a short video listing the rules and a great scare.
No more crawling on my hands and knees through tunnels. I didn't mind bending down, and I appreciated not having dirty hands and clothes.
The security personnel were present, but not a distraction.
Other thoughts:
I wish that the Vampire House was a bit longer. It may be that I'm a huge fan of vampires, but I wanted something more from the first rooms and actors. The MASTER vampire was great, and I could tell the actor was enjoying his role.
I was confused with the theater. The first room was great, and loved the whole set. The actual theater was good, but we didn't know whether we were supposed to watch the movie or move on. The girl that was in and out of 'sleep' let us stand there awhile before the first actress yelled for us to move on. Also, I didn't understand the long hallway, and I feel as though I missed something. It may have been that WOT staff was trying fix part of the set, but there were people (not from a group) that weren't dressed in character milling about in the hall and it was distracting.
I wish that the hayride would either have had hay to sit on or defined seats. It may vary as to how many people they try to load onto the wagon each time, but it becomes crowded with everyone sitting indian-style. It almost becomes uncomfortable because the actors need a place to walk up and down the length of the wagon and there is nowhere to move your legs to get out of the way.
Personally, I'm not a big fan of the hayride theme. I would have rather had  "scares" in the traditional sense, but the actors are going for more of the provocative, adult humor theme.  I guess sex sells, but be warned, if you're taking anyone under the age of 12 that the hayride is themed towards older teens and adults.

Overall Impression 4.2/5 -  I can say that I honestly enjoyed WOT this year and I recommend it to others!

[Slappy]

Submitted by: radiant_red
Date attended:  October 3rd, 2009

Scare Factor 4/5 -  Over the last two years I have realized that its
becoming harder to scare me, not sure if its age or I'm just too aware
of what is  around me, but WOT got me before I even entered the first
part, where rules are reviewed!  I jumped several times.

Actors  4/5 -  I noticed a big difference in the quality/passion of the
actors this year, they were enthusiastic at most scenes. One of my
favorites was the master in the Vampire house. Also, one of the guys
in the graveyard...the way he was crouching, it was  animal like,
interesting and creepy at the same time. Also, sets can be great and
props great, but it's the actors that make it what it is.

Set Design/Props/FX 4/5 -  Sets were amazing. I love the pirate ship and
how it rocks. The Texas Chainsaw massacre house was richly detailed
and actors were really on their mark this year. Air cannons were
pretty strong. I still don't understand why the hayride didn't have
hay...So glad there was no tunnel to crawl through. I liked that there
were more actors than props.

Length 5/5 -  Always one of the longest haunts I have ever been to.
This year for our group it was paced a lot better. We didn't run into
as many groups as last year, and definitely did not have to wait for
long periods of time. There wasn't much rushing through, thankfully,
because I like to actually take in as much of the sets and actors as
possible.

Other - I don't understand the "plot" of the hayride, and the actors
or setups. Maybe if there was more of a back story, and what does
stripping have to do with scaring people? I still tripped several
times, but not too much can be done about tree roots.

Overall Impression 4/5 -  I would recommend it to everyone,  because
it encompasses such a wide range of scares. Everyone should be able to
find their fear of choice.

[Slappy]

Submitted by: Karmakrazy13
Date attended:  10/3/09

Scare Factor - 5/5: I have never jumped so much at a haunt before! I was
in a group of 3, and all of us jumped a lot. It was awesome because I
actually was on edge and I never get on edge at a haunt! Not every scare
is a startle scare; there were several times I was freaked out by
something I saw.

Actors - 5/5: The actors at Woods of Terror are spot on! They engage
you, they scare you, and they trap you! The determination and the want
these actors have to scare you is spot on! The actors never broke
character, each had a role and they stuck to it, it was awesome! One
actor even followed us through a few of the attractions, and she scared
me more than once. I love how the actors never let us fly by a scene,
they would keep us in the scene, and that to me is important.

Set Design/Props/FX - 5/5: From the second you walk through the main
gate you are submerged into the Woods of Terror experience, and from the
second you walk into the first attraction you are submerged into a world
of horror. Each attraction is beautiful, from the props, to the set
design, to the actors themselves. You must experience Woods of Terror
for so many reasons, but you have to see the sets that are there, and
the actors. There was an actor in a graveyard (I think it was a
graveyard) that was dragging heavy chains, his makeup was so amazing, it
scared me just looking at him (that is a first for me) he had blood
dripping from his mouth, it was truly chilling. Woods of Terror has tons
of attractions and each one is different from the next, each one has
incredible props, and each one is designed amazingly. The pirate ship is
a must see, the Texas chainsaw massacre house is a must see, they are
both unique, and truly incredible.

Length - 5/5: Some of the attractions inside Woods of Terror may be
short, but as a whole Woods of Terror is a long haunt, filled with so
much to see and experience. When it was over, I was satisfied. The trail
is very well organized, and it flows nicely. I really enjoyed not being
rushed, and I really enjoyed the actors blocking the exits of a lot of
the attractions.

Other: I went into Woods of Terror this season with no expectations,
last season I was disappointed overall with the haunt. I met with Eddie
(the owner of Woods of Terror) before I went into the haunt. It was nice
getting to talk with him and it was nice discussing things with him. The
Woods of Terror this season is an incredible experience and I highly
recommend it. I think the reviews last year helped make this haunt
better this year. They took a lot of the problems that were there last
year, and fixed them. There are still some path issues in the beginning
of the haunt, I almost fell a few times, and the members in my group got
tripped up as well, the path got better as the haunt progressed. I still
am a little thrown off by the hayride at the end, there needs to be
something to sit on, and there needs to be more scares! The hayride can
also offend a lot of people, mostly women. I was confused by the "My
Bloody Valentine" attraction, there was no scares inside this
attraction, and I did not even see the killer.

Overall - 5/5: Woods of Terror really impressed this season, I jumped
more than I ever have at a haunt. I was on edge, and I had a blast!
Every member of my group had a great time, we all really enjoyed it. I
am proud to be a Frightseeker reviewer because I saw the problems I had
with a haunt last season, fixed this season.

[Slappy]

Submitted by: Wickedwitch
Date attended:  10/9/09

Before I start this review I just have to express how much happier I was
with WOT this year. It really seems like Eddie took into account all of
the stuff that the reviewers from last year suggested.

Scare Factor 4/5: They got me GOOD...I don't scare very easily anymore,
but they really got me good at Woods of Terror. The vampire house was my
favorite attraction this year probably because I was all but molested by
the two male vampires in the back room. The master vampire really seemed
to fancy me. The scares were very well timed and caught me off guard
more then once.

Actors 4/5: The actors were very on point this year. There were still a
few that didn't seem to be too into it, but there were more that were
then not. They had a lot of really good actors who got into character
really well. The 7 foot tall vampire was amazing! The fact that he had
to almost get onto his knees to be neck level to me was impressive!
There was also some kind of contortionist in the graveyard that was
pretty neat. All of the characters seemed to keep character pretty well
and not break it, even when something not planned is said. The friend I
was with was asked if he was the father of the voodoo kid and black
beard freaked out when he said he didn't know, but he never broke
character once.

Set Design/Props/FX  4/5: As always the props are amazing here. The
pirate ship is still my favorite even though I was almost thrown to the
ground this year. It's fun to walk through and pay attention to all of
the small details because they actually pay attention to the small
details in this haunt. They are down to the precise details here.

Length 5/5: This is probably one of the longest haunts that I have been
to and on top of that, they have added more than one more feature this
year. It's not the kind of length that leaves you wondering when it will
be over, but the kind that keeps you wondering what is next. It's kind
of sad when it's over cause you don't really want it to end.

Overall 4.5/5:  I would definitely recommend Woods of Terror to anyone.
The price is still a little high, so it would be hard to be a family
event. This haunt plays on all different forms of fear. They have a wide
variety so anyone would find something here that scares them. I am very
impressed with the changes and can't wait to see what is new next year!