The Campground Massacre *Official* Reviews 2010

[Slappy]

Submitted by: packbacker
Visit Date:  10/1/10


Scare Factor - 4/5
The folks at The Campground Massacre did a great job of blending scares.  There are a lot of animatronic components to the haunt, but they mix in live actors in such a way that you are always trying to figure out what's real and what's not.  I have to admit that they got me early on- in the dark walk to the tractor ride I had someone jump out at me.  Never saw them- just heard and "sensed" them.  The best scare I've had (and so simple!) in 2-3 years.  It's also the first haunt where I've had a complete stranger jump on my back and nearly strangle me.  A clown with a chainsaw was terrifying a young lady.  Suddenly out of nowhere she jumps on a bench and then onto my back all the while screaming like a banshee.  While I wasn't scared, save for the crazy chick not giving me any notice, it's one of the best scare reactions I have ever seen.

Actors - 3.5/5
The actors here seemed very disciplined.  A lot of the scares were based on the fact that they had to remain very still as the scare came from discerning who was real and who was fake.  They timed things well to hit the middle of groups to maximize scares.  I really wish Jason at the beginning of the haunt had been more menacing...giggling while wearing the hockey mask takes a lot of the scare away.  Personally I enjoy actors who can improv and do more than just a pop/boo scare.  There was very little of this (save for the chainsaw clown) in the haunt but I think it was due to the way it was set up with the animatronics.

Set Design/Props/FX - 5/5
Wow.  Having never been to this haunt before I didn't have set expectations going in....but when I think of a campground setting I think more backwoods, old-school Jason Voorhees type setting/scares.  How wrong I was!  This haunt has more animatronics (and GREAT ones!) than any I can remember visiting.  The detail in Mina's Mansion was great- I really wanted to have more time to observe the tiny little things.  There are also ridiculously huge animatronics out in the woods.  Outside of animatronics, there are also some fantastic sets.  I loved the burning corpses outside some campers, the graveyard setting, and the hanging clown room.  All looked top notch!  A special mention needs to be given to the vampire bat costume as well.

Length - 4/5
I found that it left me wanting just a little bit more.  They pack in a large amount but I found the last bit almost too rushed.  The scenes/effects were bunched too close together and the impact was lost a bit.  Don't get me wrong- there is plenty to see and scream about, I just wanted it to keep going.

Other   -
The haunt is easy to find and is close to the highway exit.  Parking was easy.  The only two things I'd mention is that there are two spots where the direction you should take is not obvious.  Once in Mina's Mansion we took a wrong turn and ended up literally "behind the scenes" and then in the woods the trail forks at one point and there's no signage on which way to go.  We chose correctly but it could lead to some problems down the road.

Overall Impression - 4/5
I had a fantastic time.  It was well worth about a 100 mile drive and I'll be sure to visit again in the future.

[Slappy]

Submitted by:  krb187
Date attended: 10-9-10
 
Scare Factor 3/5 - I got pretty startled at 2 points in the trail: once by a very well placed prop, the other by a well placed actor. Other than that I didn't get scared. or even startled once. The reason for this is because I went through with a group of about 20 or so. Yeah, I can't even call it a group because it was more of a line. Everything happened either right before, or right after I had gotten there. So I saw everyone else get scared but I never did.
 
Actors 3/5 - Like I said above I pretty much missed everything. There weren't a lot of actors anyways because Campground Massacre relies heavily on animatronics. However, the actors that were there were completely dedicated. One particuliar actor was laying on the ground pretending to be a prop. He laid there completely still even when people were stepping on him and I have to give him credit.
 
Set Design/Props/FX 5/5 - I wasn't expecting the level of detail and just sheer size of the props and animatronics they had. I was expecting a more backwoods kind of place, and it is, but they have some of the craziest animatronics I have ever seen. Without giving anything away I will say that one prop made me literally drop to one knee. The sets are beautiful to look at and the monsters are HUGE.
 
Length 4/5 - The length was great and this is a fairly long trail, which I love. My only problem was that because I was in such a large group and missed most of the scares I felt like I  was walking on the trail after it had closed at some points. With that being said it never seemed to drag on and ended right when it should.
 
Overall 3.5/5 - I had never been to Campground Massacre before and had no idea what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised. If you enjoy beautiful sets and insane animatronics this is definitely the place for you. Despite it's problems I still enjoyed my trip there.

[Slappy]

Submitted by: Karmakrazy13
Date Attended: 10/09/10

Scare factor: 3/5 - I jumped a few times, once because of a actor, and a couple times by props. There is a lot of dark moments on the trail that they really know how to capitalize on. I have said it before and I will say it again the trail has the look and feel to it like no other haunt I have been to, the atmosphere is amazing, even the smell is somewhat disturbing.

Actors: 3/5 - First and foremost I have to give times of credit to a certain actor who disguised himself so well that everyone thought he was a prop, he even got stepped on and still stayed in character. Not a lot of in-your-face actors but a lot of well-placed actors. The dudes with the chainsaws are absolutely relentless, if you have a fear of chainsaws you are going to be terrified.

Set Design/Props/FX: 5/5 - I am still blown away by the things I see the Campground Massacre, the haunt has tons and tons of animatronics, some of the best you will see anywhere. The sets here are are truly unique, so unique that you will forget that you were walking through a haunted attraction, and you will think that you have literally stepped into a campground. Everything is spot on, from the smell, to the dust on the props, it is truly fantastic. You also see some of the biggest animatronics you have ever seen here.

Length: 3/5 - A lot to see and do but when it was over I felt a little like there should have been more. Make sure to walk slow and take everything in, so when you get to the end of the haunt you can truly appreciate everything that you experience.

Other - My group had six people in, so we technically should have walked 2 by 2 by 2, that was not the case, there was a group in front of us with about 10 people in it, and the group behind us had about eight people in it, before you knew it the group in front of us was with us and the group behind us was with us, that made it very hard to enjoy a lot of the haunt, the people in front of us would get all the scares, or all the people behind us would get the scares. I understand that they don't want long lines and they don't want to make people wait a long time to get into the attraction but I really think that being in such large groups of people takes away from the experience of the haunt, if you visit the Campground massacre this season make sure to be in a small group.

Overall: 3/5 - I have been going to the Campground Massacre since I was little kid, I feel like this season is one of the best that I have seen in a long time, I feel like they are making the necessary improvements and really making the haunt truly enjoyable for everyone. It is a unique experience and if you have to drive from faraway it is definitely worth checking out.

[Slappy]

Submitted by: Handfulofrubies82
Date Attended:  10/9/2010

Scare Factor- 2/5 - There was a lot of potential, but we were in such a big group of people, up to 15-20 at some points, I saw everything coming.

Actors-2/5 - The actors I saw just stood quietly or popped out and hopped back into place. They weren't very interactive in the main walk through.  I really like when actors are in my face.  I saw a lot of the scares at people in front of me, and all I would see is the actor getting back into place. I would like to see them stay out and at least make me uncomfortable.

Set Design/Props/FX 4/5  -  The set and scenes were really good.  I really enjoyed the beginning with the skull walls. The lighting made it look to me as if the walls were moving. I was also surprised at the amt. of animatronics. There was a very neat prop and effect in the woods - I haven't seen that one before. Sometimes I thought a room could have used a live actor though. I would have liked to have seen the two huge animatronics in action but we missed them.

Length - 3/5 The length was good. However, I did not like the end. There needs to be something to break up the large groups you're sending through. We all ended up in the waiting area/(cage), and it was hot and uncomfortable.  I counted 41 people in there at one time. With all of us waiting, there was girl being chased by some chainsaw guy and hiding and bumping into everyone. I don't mind the chainsaws scaring people, but we were so packed in there it was ridiculous and it was at least a 10-12 minute wait.

Overall Impression: 3/5 If you like animatronics, you'll be impressed because they have a lot I've never seen before. I wish the actors in the main walk through would be a little more interactive with the victims. I loved the fast tractor ride. It was a very good use of the campground.

[Slappy]

Submitted by: Radiant_Red
Date Attended:  10/09/10

Scare Factor - 3.5/5 I was startled a few times,but unfortunately missed most of the big scares because of the size of the group I was in.

Actors - 3/5 An actress that stood out the most to me was a extremely creepy looking bride in one of the outdoor scenes.  The characters that we met before the attraction even started were pretty dedicated to their part, enough so that my group couldn't figure out if one was a prop or a person.

Set Design/Props/FX - 5/5 Out of the many haunt attractions I have been to over the years I have never seen so many props and animatronics. Where some sets were lacking in actors, they made up for with really cool effects. I thought the skeleton bone walls were fascinating.  The one time that startled/scared me the most was an effect in the woods that I would hate to spoil for anyone that was really surprising and effective

Length - 4/5 I felt a bit rushed going through, but the actual length was just right for me. I especially enjoyed the tractor ride to Mina's Mansion.

Overall Impression 3.75/5 Because I had never been to this haunt before, I really had no idea what to expect.  I was captivated by all the cool and  interesting props, but I believe If our group could have gone in without groups being combined it would have been a scarier experience.

[Slappy]

Submitted by: k2quiere
Date Attended: 10/17/2010

Scare Factor 3.5/5: I don’t know whether it was because of the perfect weather or the group behind us with the two screaming women, but we had so much more fun this year than we did last year.  I have to say that ALL of the indoor scenes this year were totally on point.  They made me jump more than a few times between well-timed animatronics and effective actors.  The outdoors sections of the haunt could use a little more work.  It seems that they rely overmuch on the large animatronics, which are cool and occasionally startling, but aren’t scary.

Actors 4/5: As I said, the actors during the inside scene were great.  I was a little disappointed with the vampires who just hissed at us from her coffin, but everyone else, especially some of the freakiest looking clowns were great.  Honestly, except for the guy holding us on the bridge (which is such a cool effect), I don’t remember any other actors outside on the path.  I know there were some, but they weren’t as memorable as the giant animatronics, which is disappointing for me because it is usually the actors who make a haunt memorable.

Set Design/Props/FX 5/5:  As everyone else has said, it is virtually impossible to take away from the set designs at Campground Massacre.  From the gigantic monsters (my favorite being the hanging vampire) to the web-covered walls, the visual effect is amazing.

Length 4.5/5: The entrance to the tractor ride, the ride in, the castle, and the trail present an almost perfect length.  This year we didn’t feel rushed at all, and we arrived at a great time to only be in a group of 7.  The only reason I took off .5 is because when we got to the holding tank, we all looked at each other like “is that it?”  I really think it was the lack of scares and startles out on the trail that caused this reaction because otherwise, the trip was great fun.

Overall 4/5: I am so glad that we made it on a night when it wasn’t pouring down rain and that we arrived early in the evening.  All of the effects were on and working, the actors didn’t rush us through, and we were able to see so many things we didn’t get to see last year.