There’s nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. Screams of pure panic pierce the night. There’s nowhere you’re safe in the most immersive horror experience in the Mid-Atlantic region — Halloween Haunt at Kings Dominion.The bloodcurdling horror and nightmarish madness of Halloween Haunt features ghastly creatures emerging from the darkness, highly-intense and bone-chilling attractions and some of the most hair-raising rides on the planet like the Intimidator 305 and Dominator roller coasters! Halloween Haunt is included free with park admission. Kings Dominion Gold and Cedar Fair Platinum 2012 Season Passholders can enjoy unlimited admission to Halloween Haunt. Halloween Haunt is intended for mature audiences. This event is not recommended for children.
Here’s a preview video of what’s in store for this year’s haunt.
In addition, Zombie Invasion will kick off this year’s haunt on September 28th. This event will be a preview of terrors to come during the Halloween season and allows guests to experience the event in costume, a HAUNT first. Guests can come in make up or be zombified by professional make up artists at the park. In addition, guests will have access to our always thrilling ride attraction line up.
There’s nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. Screams of pure panic pierce the night. There’s nowhere you’re safe in the most immersive horror experience around — Halloween Haunt at Kings Island.The bloodcurdling horror and nightmarish madness of Halloween Haunt features more than 500 ghastly creatures emerging from the darkness, highly-intense and bone-chilling attractions and some of the most hair-raising rides on the planet like the Beast and Diamondback roller coasters!
This year’s Haunt features a line up of 12 haunted “mazes” (some sound more like scare zones to us) and 3 shows along with their signature thrill rides. Halloween Haunt is included free with park admission to Kings Island. Kings Island 2012 Gold and Cedar Fair Platinum Season Passholders can enjoy unlimited admission to Halloween Haunt.
*New for 2012*Madame Fatale’s Cavern of Terror – Madame Fatale has just passed her final psychological evaluation after a decade of incarceration. Join her for the Grand Re-Opening of her museum of oddities and wax. You’re on her guest list; she and her friends will be dripping mad if you don’t show up!
Mysteria – Prepare to enter into a new dimension where nothing is as it appears. The world of Mysteria… your senses will never be the same! Enter at your own peril!
Holiday Horror – The holidays are right around the corner… EVERY corner! Get ready to experience all of the holidays like never before in this horrific attraction.
Carnevil- Join the circus like you wanted to when you were a kid… permanently! This is not your run-of-the-mill Big Top. Only the most determined will make it out alive.
Club Blood - This popular night club has never been so bloody good! The club’s exotic dancers are dying to meet you. Come in for a bite. Stay for as long as you like. In fact, you can stay forever!
Massacre Manor – The Manor is for sale. Never mind the rumors of murder and torture – it’s priced to sell! Potential buyers adescend into a fortress of fear and encounter many of the Manor’s inhabitants – most of them long since departed.
Slaughter House – Looking for a good cut of fresh meat? You’ve come to the right place. The butcher shop is open and you never know who – or what – is on the chopping block. A real meat-lovers delight!
Urget Scare – A deadly plague is spreading with destructive speed. At the local hospital, the virus has begun spreading from patient-to-patient. If the virus doesn’t kill you, fear might!
Wolf Pack – The moon is full and there’s nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. There is something in the woods… and it’s hungry. Who’s afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? You will be!
CornStalkers - This frightful cornfield will scare the yell out of you! Countless scarecrows rule the overgrown ruins of this formerly vibrant community. Intruders beware! These guardians of rubble take their jobs very seriously.
Cut Throat Cove – Meet the motley crews of sunken ships, left deserted on this island. But mind yer steps – they’ve been waitin’ for rescue for over 100 years.
Tombstone Terror-Tory – Covered bridges and foggy terrain disguise the evil that lurks in every direction aboard this midnight train. But don’t be alarmed. You’re guaranteed to make it to your final destination!
Howl-O-Scream Busch Gardens Williamsburg (Virginia) is once again unclocking ”the fear that grows behind the Dark Side of the Gardens’ gate”. This year’s haunt will kick off haunt season early by opening on Sept. 14th! Howl-O-Scream will also be open longer, running for 17 select nights every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 28 and they’re promising more devious surprises than ever before.
We’re wishing we were closer to Willamsburg so we would only have a 2 week wait for our first haunt of the season. Alas, we’ll have to live vicariously through our VA haunt stalkers while we wait another week for our local haunts to open.
Here’s a look at the scares blooming in the gardens.
Haunted Houses
For 13 long years, the dark tower was locked away from the world—existing only in the nightmares of those who had dared to experience Howl-O-Scream’s first and most terrifying maze. But now the seal has been broken. The tower is open once more and on the 13th floor, your darkest phobias and fears lurk in the shadows. Are you brave enough to face them or is your number up?
Deep underground, construction of the newest line of the Pompeii Metro was moving smoothly until an ancient pipe was accidentally struck. At first, it seemed like steam. Then the mist became thicker, more sinister. Now the strange gas is leaking quickly, and everyone trapped inside is infected. The difficult decision was made to cut off all communication to the outside world. The Dead Line is off the grid.
On the dark outskirts of the Fair Grounds near Festa Italia, a traveling carnival is waiting under a stained and tattered big top. Lift the flaps of the tent and discover the macabre—a fantastic collection of freaks, psychotic clowns and other insane oddities that defy human explanation. Will your sides split with laughter? Or will you turn around and run for your life? Either way, you’ll quickly understand why this evil carnival is doomed to wander the Italian countryside … never stopping in the same village twice.
Suspicion, darkness and mind-numbing fear surround the “Bitten” house which is set in Eastern Europe in the late 1800s. Full of legends and lore of vampires and the undead that preyed on the innocent, this manor sits by the road upon which all travelers must pass but few return.
Through a ruined cemetery filled with statues lies a tunnel that leads to an underground city. Its history is more terrifying than that of France’s worst revolutions. Deep within these tunnels lie mile after mile of bones—the final resting place for those who are buried here. But all is not as quiet as it appears. As guests venture forth into the dank, dripping corridors of rat infested remains, the voices of the dead begin to speak, and some have taken shape.
Shows
Dig It Up!
Relics long forgotten and buried in the vaults of the Muse di San Marco have recently been dug up, dusted off and brought to life through song. Cavemen, Egyptians, Romans, and even an alien encounter make their musical debut in this eclectic energy packed anything goes at Halloween show.
The wacky doctor and his manic nurses are creating the ultimate Fiend, and there’s not a bad seat in the lab. The voltage is high, and so is the fun as they sing, dance, and bring you along on the operation of a lifetime.
Frightening Features
Romaing Hordes
Under the cloak of night, Busch Gardens’ pathways are taken over by roaming minions from your deepest fears. No place is safe in the darkness of the gardens. You have been warned.
The wait is finally over! Universal Orlando has finally revealed all of the mazes for their 2012 event. As expected, there will be only 7 mazes this year, 1 fewer than in 2011. Scare Zones have yet to be announced. While we’re slightly disappointed that they’re down a maze and 4 of them share either an identical or similar theme with HHN Hollywood, we still plan taking the trip over to see if we can survive what’s inside (and compare with Hollywood).
*UPDATE 8/31* Here’s a look at the never before seen TV commercial for this year’s event, just for you…
Mazes
Gothic
The Catedral de Caementum Animus is, by day, undergoing a building-wide architectural refurbishment. By night, the many stone gargoyles that keep watchful eye over the sanctuary come to life with the mission of protecting this sacred place against intrusion.
Dead End
If enough people believe in something, perception can become reality. In Carey, Ohio, the perception was that countless horrific acts had occurred in the old Hartford Mansion. The reality was that the curse which befell the house was far worse than any story ever told.
Universal’s House of Horrors
This is no remake. No sequel. No re-imagining. These are Universal’s classic monsters of fear, who have terrified audiences from the Silver Screen. They have been waiting within silver celluloid to be resurrected. The flash of a lightning strike cuts the darkness that surrounds, and terror’s true faces take back what is theirs…
The Walking Dead: Dead Inside
There is strength in numbers and you must band together to make it through many of the iconic settings made famous by the critically-acclaimed AMC hit, The Walking Dead. As the city is crawling with hordes of “walkers,” the issue of your becoming one of them is not a question of if, but when.
Welcome to Silent Hill
In the eerie and desolate town of Silent Hill, ash falls from the sky and the physical laws of nature no longer apply. If you dare to venture into this alternate dimension, there is only one law of nature with which you must concern yourself: survival.
Alice Cooper: Welcome to My Nightmare
Journey into legendary rocker Alice Cooper’s twisted mind and witness the natural melding of horror and Cooper’s four decades-long career. Here you will follow Steven, the iconic character from many of Cooper’s works, as you come face to face with a myriad of tormentors who threaten an already-decaying sense of sanity.
Penn & Teller: New(kd) Las Vegas
World-renowned magicians Penn & Teller have accidentally nuked Las Vegas, but don’t worry, it’s nothing a fresh coat of paint and a truckload of BS can’t fix! Come on down to New Vegas, where all that glitters isn’t gold, and in fact probably has fatal levels of radioactivity.
Shows
Bill and Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure
Party on as those two most excellent dudes return to skewer the biggest names in entertainment and pop culture.
20 Penny Circus
The 20 Penny Circus brings its “Magic For People With Questionable Taste” to an unsuspecting Halloween Horror Nights audience.
Over the years our haunt stalking has taken us to across the country and beyond. One of our familiar haunt destinations is New York where we’ve been able to experience some of their renowned haunts. A favorite quote we heard while waiting in line at one of the New York haunts was “If you think New York is scary, you should see their haunts!” This turned out to be true as the haunts in NY have a style all of their own. New Yorkers seem to have a tougher skin so in order to scare them these haunts have to pull out all the stops. And they do, with scareactors that don’t hold back and who are not satisfied until they get a reaction out of everyone they terrorize. Knowing this, one of our favorite NY haunts to always visit is Headless Horseman Hayrides which is celebrating it’s 2oth anniversary this year!.
The 2012 hayride theme is “The Cult of the Horseman.”The 20th year haunted attraction celebration will also include the following mazes we’ve reviewed before such as : The Lunar Motel, Glutton’s Slaughter House, The Root Cellar, Dark Harvest Corn Maze, Nightshade Greenhouse, The Feeding, Dahlia Blood’s Manor. In addition, new for 2012 is Dr Dark’s Black Spider Sideshow.
For the 20th Headless Horseman will be resurrecting many of the popular monsters that have haunted the grounds throughout the years: Butcher Joe, The Necromancer, The Bogeyman, Dr. Blight, Dr. Dark, Prisoner X, The Tooth Fairy, The Collectors, The Hollowmen and of course, The Headless Horseman! In addition there will be a new Magic and Illusion Show, line actors, stilt walkers and stunt performers. With a sizzle reel for a new reality show in the can and the recently established American Made Monster Studios, 2012 is the year to celebrate!
So,our NY and East Coast Haunt Stalkers need to make sure they’ve prepared a 20th anniversary visit (and escape) from the Headless Horseman this coming haunt season.
2012 ATTRACTIONS
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Headless Horseman Hayrides and Haunted Houses
778 Broadway, Route 9W Ulster Park, NY 12487 845-339-2666
For more information email them at: info@headlesshorseman.com
One of Southern California’s signature haunts, Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor, has just announced their 2012 dates and new haunt offerings. We first visited Queen Mary’s haunt offering (then called “Shipwreck”) back in 2000. Back then, we were impressed with the length of the mazes and the unique opportunities for scares, although the themes were all over the place (from yetis to mummies to vampires and ghouls). Being the crazed haunt fans we are, we went back every year, but each year we were a bit more disappointed than the last. And in 2008, the ship was a complete wreck with over zealous security guards and lazy monsters in Wal-Mart–quality rubber masks. Then in 2010, The Queen mary set sail on to a new course of terror into the Dark Harbor and it has been bloody good sailing ever since as last year’s haunt sustained the mystery and terrors of Dark Harbor’s ghostly legends.
Often cited as one of the most haunted places in the world, the Queen Mary announced the return of its annual Dark Harbor event this Halloween season. There will be a new maze and new characters inspired by some of the ship’s most famous spirit inhabitants adding a new dimension to the Halloween experience that blurs the lines between paranormal and reality.
Beginning October 5, Dark Harbor returns for 15 nights of terror offering a “completely unique and unpredictable experience” as guests venture through six fright-filled mazes haunted by more than 250 monsters, ghouls and sprits. New for the 2012 Halloween season is the petrifying maze, Deadrise, a WWII escort ship that helped guide the Queen Mary, at that time known as The Grey Ghost, through enemy waters until the two ships had a fatal collision. Since 1942, Deadrise has been resting in its watery grave, but The Captain has called the ship and its sailors to escort him and his ghosts and monsters as they battle against the living to reclaim Dark Harbor.
“Each year we try to expand the Dark Harbor event, and up the scare factor for our guests,” said JJ Wickham, production designer and art director of Dark Harbor. “Utilizing the well-documented haunted history of the ship for this year’s theme promises to provide guests more terrifying twists than ever before.”
Led by The Captain, this year’s event features five new characters based on the Queen Mary’s haunted history. The Captain – Captain of the Grey Ghost during WWII, he’s still protecting his undead troops. Samuel the Savage – Locked in room B340 after a violent outburst, Samuel was later found ripped apart in his room and is now locked forever in Containment – or is he? Graceful Gale – This classic beauty boarded the ship in 1939 and then disappeared without a trace. Now Gale haunts the dance floor looking for a new partner – for eternity. Half Hatch Henry – A young firefighter who was crushed by hatch #13, Henry roams the ship’s mazes looking for action. Scary Mary – The ship’s youngest soul has haunted the ship since her drowning in the pool. Mary’s always looking for a new playmate.
“Dark Harbor is unlike any theme-park haunt with its history of documented paranormal activity,” said Erika Frost, psychic paranormal expert. “Queen Mary staff members, countless guests and paranormal tour participants have experience and encountered the spirits firsthand, and as you make your way through the six mazes, you will find yourself questioning your own reality.”
Dark Harbor is not only the most unique haunted experience in Southern California but also the best value with ticket prices starting at just $20 online, with FastFright, VIP Passes and lodging packages also available. The event also features live entertainment, food and beverages.
Dark Harbor will be open October 5-7; 12-14; 18-21 and 25-28, 31 from 7 p.m. to midnight. Visit Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor Website for more information and to purchase tickets online.
The Haunted Play presents Delusion, one of our highest rated haunts of 2011, is returning with what promises to be a gripping blend of interactive theater, stunt work and dramatic storytelling that is sure to shake up the haunt season. In its 2011 debut, we found DELUSION to be one of the most unique haunt formats to date. The exprience can be best described as part haunted house, part theater, and part interactive story. Overall, it was a very unique attraction with amazing set design, good actors, and some good scares.
Hollywood trailblazers Neil Patrick Harris and Jon Braver are busy now plotting new diabolical scares to create “the ultimate Halloween experience in Los Angeles”. DELUSION is a bold take on the haunt experience and has been met with wild acclaim by audiences nationwide. It brings to life the best of Hollywood’s horror tradition with a dramatic story line and chillingly realistic special effects. The play immerses participants in a world of fear inspired by suspense classics such as The Shining and Aliens.
“I am thrilled to bring a completely different horror theatre to Los Angeles this fall,” says DELUSION creator Jon Braver, “Haunted houses have become staples to the Halloween tradition but it’s time to shake things up and put old fashioned scare tactics to the test.”
“DELUSION re-imagines and redefines the horror experience with an innovative blend of theatrics and action in a live performance that has never been done before,” shares producer Neil Patrick Harris. “There are no seats, no comfort of the fourth wall and audience members really have to engage and participate to move the story forward.”
Haunted Play’s brand of dynamic action and suspenseful story telling focused on deep psychological fear is a recipe for a stirring haunt experience.
In its 2011 premiere DELUSION was named “LA’s Best Haunted Attraction” by FOX TV and “The Hottest Ticket In LA” by NPR’s All Things Considered. Back by popular demand this fall the story continues with DELUSION: The Blood Rite – a bigger, better and more terrifying show.
The show takes place in a historic turn-of-the-century mansion in the Los Angeles West Adams district. The captivating 107 year old building has been home to Hollywood horror movie classics such as Rob Zombie’s Halloween and more.
The Haunted Play immersive experience DELUSION: The Blood Rite opens doors in historic West Adams near downtown Los Angeles on September 27 and runs through November 10, 2012. .
This year’s Los Angeles Haunted Hayride is offering one of the most unique haunt experiences we’ve come across in years with a special haunted hayride hosted by the one and only “Elvira” Mistress of the Dark. This is exciting to us, as our first experience with Elvira (haunt experience, that is) was 20 years ago at Knott’s Scary Farm, where she was featured in her own show. In recent years, we’ve missed seeing the queen of Halloween at our local haunts, but now she’s back and giving us haunt stalkers a one-night stand in the hay.
We already have our tickets and are ready to check it…her out. So JOIN US on October 6th for this special night at LA Haunted Hayride. Be sure to get your tickets ASAP, as only a limited number of the special Elvira packages will be available (not those packages, silly), and once sold out, they’re GONE.
The package includes:
Seat on The Hayride w/ELVIRA
Photo
Meet & Greet
VIP Access to the “In-Between” (Dark Maze)
Admission to Purgatory Side Show
Now, until October 6th, we’ll continue to have “unpleasant dreams”!
With very little surprise to us, it was announced that Alice Cooper will be returning to this year’s HHN in Hollywood with a “new” maze called Alice Cooper goes to Hell 3D. It seems that the trend is for horror rockers to get a 2 year gig at HHN Hollywood. In addition, HHN Orlando will also be getting a Alice Cooper themed maze, Alice Cooper: Welcome To My Nightmare, which was the title/theme of last year’s HHN Hollywood maze.
Last year, we were initially skeptical about the Alice Cooper maze but we actually ended up really liking the Alice Cooper:Welcome To My Nightmare as it was fast paced with consecutive scares and offered a great amount of surprises. in fact, we found it to be scarier than Rob Zombie’s House of 1,000 Corpses 3D. It sounds like with this year’s version they’ll probably be combining elements (meaning recycled set pieces) from last year’s Alice maze and the former Rob Zombie 3D maze. We’re curious to see how different the the Orlando version will be compared to Hollywood’s versions.
There seems to be a great deal of synergy between Hollywood and Orlando this year. Of course, it has to be the year that Scare Zone is planning to visit both that they decide to have numerous similar themes. The last time they shared numerous themes was back in 2007, which was our last trip to HHN Orlando. For us, this is somewhat disappointing and we truly hope, that after this announcement there are NO MORE similarities. Of course, this year we also realize that HHN is most likely only going to offer 6 mazes which would also be the same number usually offered at HHN Hollywood; excluding Hollywood’s Terror Tram which could be considered a 7th “maze.” Also, one of Hollywood’s mazes includes a thematic overlay of the tired, year-round haunt, House of Horrors.
In the meanwhile, we’ll remain optimistic that the next maze announcements will be exciting and unique for both parks.
Calling all Scareactors, now’s your chance. Audition dates for HHN Hollywood have been announced:
WEDNESDAY, JULY 18th
Scareactors/Stilt Walkers
5:00pm – 9:00pm
Please try and attend the corresponding time slot based on your last name. Coming at your allotted time will provide for the shortest wait.
A thru G – 5:00pm to 6:30pm
H thru M – 6:30pm to 8:00pm
N thru Z – 8:00pm to 9:00pm
(Current AGVA members will be seen first provided they report at the appropriate call time)
We have a few tips for auditions from John Murdy, who has been kind enough to share these via his Twitter Feed. Now if he would only tell us the mazes already!
First off, you have to be 18 to work HHN.
Don’t come to auditions in costume/make up. That goes for any audition you might go to. Instant turn off, we need to see you.
Scareactors have to share in the vision of the event and work together as a team to achieve it. Gotta be a team player.
Being a former HHN scareactor does not guarantee a role. We love our HHN alumni but you still must audition and earn it.
They’re looking for uninhibited people who are in CONTROL OF THEIR BODY. Ever been hit in the face with a chainsaw? Not fun.
They’re looking for people with special talents. They love stilt walkers and want more stilt walkers so leave your parade gig and join the darkside!!
Scaring is not exclusive to men. They need the ladies as there’s lots of roles for women and not just the “Help me, please! help me!” victim roles. They need gals who can scare! SO BRING IT!!!!! Some of the best scareactors are women (and they’re fierce!)
In other HHN Hollywood news, they’re going to start shooting behind the screams videos on Monday, after 4th of July weekend, and are already in construction on mazes 1, 2 & 3! So, if any of you Haunt Stalkers are at USH please be sure to take some HHN construction pics and share them with us and we’ll share with all our fellow haunt stalkers!
Get your scare on! HHN 2012 is coming…
*PLEASE NOTE SCARE ZONE IS NOT DIRECTLY AFFILIATE WITH UNIVERSAL STUDIOS NOR ARE WE INVOLVED IN THE AUDITION/HIRING PROCESS FOR HHN SO PLEASE DON’T ASK US FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR TO CONTACT YOU ABOUT EMPLOYMENT. IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN EMPLOYMENT, WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU APPLY VIA THE PROPER CHANNELS ON THEIR WEBSITE - BEST OF LUCK TO YOU*
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Calling all Scareactors, now’s your chance. 
