Castle of Horror *Official* Reviews 2010

[Slappy]

Submitted by:  Bethyboo
Date Attended:  10-9-10

 Scare Factor 5/5- This was my second time visiting Castle of Horror and I must say it was much scarier this year.  We had a small group of 4 and although this is an ideal sized group for a great experience, I knew there was no escaping the monsters.  They played on every phobia, and we were exhausted from screaming once we survived the castle.  The other part of the attraction is Cannibal Creek, which is an outdoor attraction.   We were apprehensive about this because of the Castle experience, but went in any way to see what would happen.  The Creek is scary because it is dark outside and the actors would startle you and follow you through the haunt.  We continued to scream throughout the attraction, and were relieved to see the exit because it was really scary!

Actors 5/5- The actors were incredible.  I really thought they stayed in character and in your face the whole time.  I like to see such enthusiasm from the monsters and that really makes all the difference.

Set Design 5/5-The castle is very detailed and the scenes flow together great.  Some of the rooms are designed so you don’t know where the exit is until they are ready for you to leave, and that is really scary.  At Cannibal Creek, the woods are used to make you feel secluded and vulnerable.  It creates a horrifying atmosphere.

Length 5/5- I thought the length of the attractions was perfect.  Because of the scare factor, I don’t think I could have taken too much more.  It took about 45 minutes to go through this attraction.

Overall 5/5- I really enjoyed Castle of Horror and think they are one of the more scary haunts in the area.  Someone has put a lot of thought into the scenes, and figured out what scares.  I will say the actors made all the difference.  They were very energetic and into their characters, and it showed.  The only thing I would add is some scary music for the wait in line and/or some monsters showing up in the queue line to scare unsuspecting customers.  Keep up the great work! I would definitely recommend you see Castle of Horror.

[Slappy]

Submitted by: Sabrina913
Date Attended: October 9, 2010
 
Scare Factor 5/5 – I have to say this year this has been the scariest haunt so far. The wait in line could have used a bit of scare factor but believe me the wait was well worth it. We ended up going through with the operations manager, which I had mixed feelings about because I thought the actors would treat our group different, however, it turns out they didn’t realize he was with us. At one point one of them got in his face to scare him and said, “Oh, it’s you!” So they had no previous idea he was going with us. There was not one section where they didn’t cause us to scream.
 
Actors 5/5 – The actors were great and very in your face. Everywhere you turned there was someone coming after you even in the smallest of sections; which made you feel safe until you realized you were not alone. There were tons of chainsaws, but not too many. They either had more actors than any other haunt we have been to or they were very good at switching between their sections. In Cannibal Creek there is a section with some live animals which wasn’t scary but was great none the less, and fit that scene perfectly. The actors never broke character even when they realized the operations manager was with us which I appreciated immensely.
 
Set Design/Props/FX 5/5 – As far as set design I am giving them a 5. The Castle is spookily beautiful from the outside and somehow you end up in the room where you started without knowing how that happened. The effects were great. When you enter they make your group hold onto a rope the entire time you are in the Castle section, which would seem to take away from the scare but actually added to it because you couldn’t end up switching positions. Cannibal Creek was great as well because you are in the woods and can’t really see what’s coming until you are on it. Again they had what seemed like a ton of actors here. I am slightly ashamed to admit I gave up my brother and the operations manager in several sections to take the focus off of me, lol. The only flaw I could see in the design is the stairs toward the end of Cannibal Creek, they are high and very steep. I have a bad knee so this portion was hard for me, but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.
 
Length 5/5 – With so many sections and actors it seemed longer than it probably was because there is really never a down time. It was a continuous scare which for me makes it seem longer. I think they did a super job with the length and I don’t think you will feel cheated going through this haunt. It is well worth the drive and time to go here.

Overall 5/5 – I am glad we gave this haunt another chance because they did an excellent job of revamping it and extending the length. I will definitely be going again. This has become my new favorite haunt. Last year they got a mixed review from me, but believe me this year the stairs are the only thing I could find any fault with. If time permits I would love to go again this year because it was such a wonderfully scary haunt. Good job to all that work in this haunt.

[Slappy]

Submitted by: Waya
Date Attended:  10/09/2010

Scare Rated: 4/5 – This was my first time attending Castle of Horror and I would have to say I was quite surprised. My first impression was mild as we waited in line, it was a long wait and a short line without much happening to keep you entertained during your wait. That aside, once we entered my attitude changed completely.  From the point you enter the Castle you are in for one assault after another keeping you constantly on your toes with a wide array of characters in many different settings.  One of the things I really liked was the constant interaction and screams of people being terrified as they made their way through the haunt. The group I was with was a prime example as I have never seen the 2 women in my group on edge and hysterical as they were during this haunt

Actors:  5/5 – I found the actors to be excellent.  They remained in character and their timing was outstanding to get the scare or jump out of you at the right time and where they were constantly setting you up for what was to come.

Set Design/FX/ Prop 4/5: I would have to say that I found the f/x to be very good and have to admit I did not expect a truck to have popped out where it did.  It was obvious that a lot of time and attention went into the haunt down to the detail of the costumes.  The smell of burning wood from the barrel fires in the woods simply added to the realism as you walked through the woods as well as the live animals you will come across which only adds to the effect.

Length 5/5 – The length of this haunt was very good and you will definitely get a workout for your legs walking up and down the hills and steps so make sure you wear shoes meant for walking

Overall 4/5 – This has quickly become one of my favorite  haunts.  I found the overall experience to be very entertaining. mIf you are planning a night out with the family or looking to get closer with that significant other I would definitely recommend attending this haunt. Enjoy.

[Slappy]

Submitted by: packbacker
Date Attended: 10/22/10

Scare Factor - 3.5/5
Castle of Horror has stepped it up this year. I honestly probably would not have returned this year save for the fact of being on the review team. I'm very glad I did. The castle took a much darker turn. There's still a few cutesy areas and places that didn't work but everyone in our group agreed that it was much scarier. Cannibal Creek ups the ante as you are warned that you will be touched....they ain't kidding. We had one member of our group dragged away. Wow! I still think there's a lot of wasted space in the Cannibal Creek area.

Actors - 4/5
 Again this was a major improvement over last year. They did a decent job of improving/interacting with patrons but more importantly were much more menacing this year. One room you get stuck in had 3-4 actors that mercilessly spooked one of our group. The shorter actor was able to get underneath her and continue the frights. The folks in the "kids room" seemed a little off as did the hugging goat girls in Cannibal Creek. Maybe I just didn't get it...

Set Design/Props/FX - 4/5
 Loved the large monster inside the castle, the truck, shaky room, and the use of a water scene. The outside always looks great. Cannibal Creek had a lot of great ramshackle looking buildings but they seemed underutilized. I still love the snake!

Length - 5/5
It's just right with the two attractions.

Overall Impression - 4/5
I can't over-emphasize how pleased I was with this haunt compared to last year. They seemed to have made a concerted effort to increase the scares. Cannibal Creek is unique in the "touching" phase of haunts and gets extra points for being different. I hope they keep up the great work!

[Slappy]

Submitted by: mjones
Date Attended:  10/22/2010

Scare Factor: 4/5 - This haunt, frankly, sucked last year.  I went largely to humor my friend, but was really pleasantly surprised.  From the needlessly hostile line operator right on through the trail, there's a much higher degree of scary now.  Cannibal Creek even lets the actors touch you now!  Bonus points for making you wait and stew on that for a bit.

Actors: 5/5 - Pretty much great across the board.  There was one room full of haunted smart ass teenagers...great.  It was more than made up for, though, with a room that consisted of nothing but no room to move and four or five (or was it six) monsters who just terrorized you.  Great stuff!  Heck, even the drama nerd who gave us the warning speech at the start of the Creek gave a good reading!  Quality work across the board!

Set Design/Props/FX: 4/5 - Also better than in past years.  I love the giant muppet monster at the end of the Castle a lot.  Cannibal Creek augments the natural creepiness very well.  It gets a little spartan at times, but for the most part it's really good throughout.

Length: 5/5 - With two portions, it's good and long.  The line management was great, as well.  Never saw another group along our way.

Other: If you're visiting Castle of Horror, I strongly recommend doubling up with Nightmare on Scales Street in Reidsville.  They're close enough to be easily done in one night (we had supper as well) and make for an excellent combo!

Overall: 4/5 - This year moved me from uninterested in returning to very excited to see what they do next year.  They're really on to something, and I'm happy to report that this was an unexpected highlight of the season.

[Slappy]

Submitted by: k2quiere
Date Attended: 10/23/2010

Scare Factor 3.5/5: They have made some very effective changes inside of the castle this year. The dark and uneven ground did a great job of taking us all off guard. I will say that I was quite disappointed in the Creek. The scariest thing that happened was having to pet the goat. The guy popping out of the ground was effective, but the rudeness of one of the characters ruined most of the event for us.

Actors 4/5: The interaction we received from the characters inside of the castle was great. They kept us in place and entertained, and they provided an appropriate amount of distraction for the scares to happen. I took some points off for the obnoxiousness of some of the characters. There is a difference between being in character and playing the rude part, like the first girl before we entered the castle, and being rude and out of character, like the girl just inside of the creek. The effect is ruined when an actor says “Go on, get out of here; they sooner you get done, the sooner I can go home,” AND we weren’t even the last group.

Set design/props/FX 4.5/5: I love the inside and outside of the castle.Everything works, and every element is well thought out. They use a combination of high cost and homemade props. I wasn’t thrilled with the Creek. It felt more like an afterthought. Other than the entrance, which is phenomenal, there was nothing to really make me feel like they were trying to set up a scare.

Length: 4.5/5: I’m so glad that the length of the castle was longer; I felt like we saw and did more inside the castle this year. It helped to make up for the lack of excitement in line. The sheriff outside the Cannibal Creek did a great job of keeping everyone entertained while we waited to enter the Creek. The walk through the Creek section was far
 too quick for a paid event, but a longer, boring walk through the woods might have been unbearable. Overall, the length was good; we spent at least an hour there, and only 15-20 minutes was in spent waiting in line.

 Overall 4/5: Overall, we enjoyed our trip here much more this year than last, even with the negative elements I described above. This is a unique place and worth the trip out.