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Reviews

Reviews

Carnival

Carnival - COMING SOON

13th Room

  • Haunt
  • Haunted house
A delicious dive into a demented funhouse, Carnival is a fun Halloween treat that encourages exploration, both external and within. When my group and I first pulled up to the location, I was very amazed - The 13th Room had found the perfect spot for their latest venture, and it greatly set the mood for the rest of the night. In fact, the location, along with the costumes, characters, lighting, sound, set decoration, and attention to detail all add up to form a memorable experience. The brilliant use of dark and light in the various scenes within the whole adventure elevated the night, and their use of space to give the illusion that we are in a bigger area was really well done. Additionally, the actors know how to play off of the crowd, and I had a great time interacting with them. Eddy, the creator, was a fun and giving host, and as the night progressed, we all felt comfortable enough to play and let loose with other attendees and the actors. It felt like a collaborative event where we all were having fun together. Surprisingly, the content can get very deep and personal, offering many opportunities at introspection. They won't force you to reveal your inner demons, but they offer the chance to voluntarily share some personal feelings with the crowd. While this might not be welcomed by everybody, I appreciated the contrast between light-hearted fun and deep reflection. Other than the main event, the show offers an excellent assortment of themed cocktails, homemade cookies, and other snacks. Plenty of 1-1 opportunities are available. For an additional fee, you can also interact with the fortune tellers. There is comfortable seating throughout, and the place has a dedicated bathroom with plumbing, which is very much welcomed. I had a great time at the Carnival and look forward to more offerings from The 13th Room.
Nightmare Rising

Nightmare Rising - Opening Oct 2

Nightmare Rising

  • Haunt
  • Haunted house
An ambitious project that has a lot of potential, Nightmare Rising can become a household Halloween name in the SoCal scene if they take time to improve on certain aspects. The one thing Nightmare Rising excels at is employing dedicated scare actors who love interacting with guests. Zombies run at you full force, knife wielding maniacs sneak in the dark, and wolf girls appear in the most unexpected places. The scare actors here love what they do, and it shows. Another positive is the variety of experiences they have. Shooting zombies with gel blasters and playing flag football in a zombie survival experience are 2 experiences that take advantage of the location Nightmare Rising takes place in, which is an airsoft/paintball arena. You don't really see these offerings in other nearby haunts, so it was refreshing to see something new. Additionally, they have a traditional haunted hay ride as well as a trek through the dark woods in their Troop 13 event, which is a small immersive experience. However, other than these 4 experiences, there really wasn't much else to do. The site advertised things like food and axe throwing, but I did not see that when I went (it may have changed since then but I'm not sure). On top of that, the hayride and Troop 13 experiences were closed due to rain, which, when combined with the steep prices, was disappointing and left me feeling unfulfilled. Other than that, I felt like the decor and set design were a little lacking. There were some cool animatronic characters, but they didn't really feel "on theme". They were setting up some awesome house facades, which I heard were being converted to hold more decorations and scares, but these were empty shells when I went. The central hub which connects all experiences could use some polish. This can be a great event for those seeking a more thrilling and active experience and can be a hit with teens and the younger crowd. With their huge allotment of space, dedicated troupe of scare actors, and unique experiences, I feel like Nightmare Rising can grow to be considered a staple in the yearly SoCal Halloween haunts, but they will need to work more towards that goal to give a fulfilling experience.
Monstruos: The Monsters of Latin America [Season 2023]

Monstruos: The Monsters of Latin America [Season 2023] - CLOSED

Halloween Horror Nights

  • Haunt
  • Haunted house
A pleasant surprise, Monstruous was one of Universal's original offerings for the 2023 year. The maze benefitted from strong set design and memorable key moments. I will never forget the image of El Silbon ripping out a victim's spine with his bare hands, a la Mortal Kombat. While the story may or may not make sense (I am biased since I watched John Murdy describe the maze in great detail during Midsummer Scream), I felt that the pacing was nice and primed the viewers with enough info to signal that they would meet a different creature from folklore.
The Last of Us [Season 2023]

The Last of Us [Season 2023] - CLOSED

Halloween Horror Nights

  • Haunt
  • Haunted house
"Mixed bag" is what I would use to describe the maze. It started off strong, with guests crossing the checkpoint while the theme song played in the background. The thrill of seeing Joel and Ellie, as well as the Bloater, and the strong acting performances were highlights of the maze. Sadly, it suffered from bland set design and disconnected plot points. Instead of highlighting key moments from the game and TV series, it stubbornly stuck to endless brick and stone corridors, with most of the maze taking place in the sewers. Most scare-actors were relegated to infected roles, with barely any attention given to scavengers or other humans. Perhaps it proved difficult to adapt the series to a horror maze, as much of the horror and despair comes from the evils and flaws of human nature. However, the lack of variety and creativity killed any potential this had.
Stranger Things 4 [Season 2023]

Stranger Things 4 [Season 2023] - CLOSED

Halloween Horror Nights

  • Haunt
  • Haunted house
The main selling point in this maze, in my opinion, was the grand scale and recreation of certain key scenes from the series. Chrissy's demise in Eddie's trailer, the initial confrontation between Eleven and Vecna in the lab, the foreboding Creel house, and the final confrontation all benefitted from strong set design, acting, lighting, sound, and special effects. As a fan of Stranger Things, this caught my attention more than the scares, and it was great to walk through the world of the show. My only gripe: I didn't hear "Running Up That Hill" play at all!
Delusion: Nocturnes & Nightmares - [Season 2023]

Delusion: Nocturnes & Nightmares - [Season 2023] - CLOSED

Delusion

  • Haunt
  • Haunted house
This year's Delusion packed strong thrills and was rewarding to both returning and new fans alike. Long-time attendees of the show will find the most fulfillment, as this year featured numerous throwbacks, references, and returning characters from previous shows, spanning over a decade of stories all combined in one ultimate meta plotline. Outside of the main show itself, the grounds contain a handful of activities to partake in. Enjoy entertainment and drinks on the second floor, and make sure to visit the attic before your showtime (wait times can vary, so grab a spot as soon as you arrive). There are also food and beverage offerings in the backyard, but I would stay away from there until after your show, as it is directly in front of the exit, within earshot of potential spoilers. Make sure to plan one final visit to the beautiful Phillips Mansion. This is one not to be missed.
The Chilling Chambers

The Chilling Chambers

Knott’s Scary Farm

  • Haunt
  • Haunted house
Truly a stand-out maze with plenty to offer for both new and old fans. Long-time Knott's fans will get the most out of this one, as it is filled to the brim with references, Easter eggs, and nods to all 50 years of Knott's Scary Farm history. I especially applaud the homage to Larry Vincent, aka Sinister Seymour, who was the first ever celebrity host for the very first Knott's Scary Farm. I gleefully shouted when I saw Elvis from Lost Vegas, as that was one of the first mazes I did during my first visit to Knott's Scary Farm back in 2007. And the trip through the Doll Factory, one my favorite mazes of all time, plucked all the strings for the fan boy inside of me. Nothing but love for this one. For all you fans out there, make sure to make time for this one.
Wax Works

Wax Works - CLOSED

Knott’s Scary Farm

  • Haunt
  • Haunted house
Admittedly, I wasn't a fan of Wax Works when it first debuted in 2019, but over the years, it has grown on me. Its facade remains one of the best, with a devilish animatronic and fire effect. Rooms vary in quality; for example, the Hollywood room lacks detail and is tiny, but the bee room employs great special effects and sound design. Scare actors sporadically appear, leaving the set pieces to do much of the heavy lifting. There are small details that add touches to the story, such as a partially melted wax figure exposing human skeleton underneath. While the climax is okay with the reveal of the terrifying creation, the villain of the story never makes an appearance. Overall, Wax Works is a mixed bag that is close to greatness but doesn't quite reach it.
Bloodline 1842

Bloodline 1842 - CLOSED

Knott’s Scary Farm

  • Haunt
  • Haunted house
In its 2nd year, while the maze itself is lengthy with plenty to see, the lack of guns deeply dampens the experience. I appreciate the variety of scares offered: scare actors can be found climbing walls, hanging from ceilings, and bouncing out from the shadows. Set pieces can vary in detail, and the climax offers a nice surprise. However, the missing preshow fully takes away any context to the story, leaving newcomers wondering what is going on. With the interactive element of shooting down the vampires missing, there are less actors than in previous years, leaving parts of the maze feeling empty and drawn out. Disappointing that for its 50th year, Knott's would take away elements that set it apart from other haunts.
Room 13

Room 13

Knott’s Scary Farm

  • Haunt
  • Haunted house
After two years of build-up thanks to the Goring 20s scare zone and a mystery surrounding the Devil's Elixir, Room 13 ultimately was a major let-down. The experience felt last-gen, with no impressive standout set pieces or plot points. Guests wander around a hotel with various degrees of detail. Sound design was off, with a repetitious track that got tiring after a few minutes. Many rooms felt neglected and lacked attention to detail, which did not immerse me into the maze at all. I give kudos to the scaffolding area, with an effect that made me feel like we were high up the building, and the conspiracy theorist's room with all the evidence was brimming with detail. The entrance to the maze being behind a building to mimic a speak-easy was cool. But the climax and reveal of the source of the Devil's Elixir was disappointing. Equally baffling was that guests immediately exited into the arcade, a colorful technologic juxtaposition that did not mesh well with the 20s scenery. Overall, Room 13 was a missed opportunity that tasted extra bitter due to its years of buildup and debut at the 50th anniversary.
Dark Entities

Dark Entities - CLOSED

Knott’s Scary Farm

  • Haunt
  • Haunted house
While many may dislike this maze (and I can understand why), I remain one of the few who enjoy it. Perhaps it is the thought of isolation in space with deadly aliens that speaks out to me. The effect of jumping through a teleporter and looking out a window into the great vastness of the cosmos is splendidly done. From there, the quality varies. Some scares remain effective, and a few set pieces stand out, but one of the maze's most glaring faults is its pacing. Instead of a slow buildup of suspense, the audience is immediately thrown into the terror. If this is the last year for Dark Entities, I salute and thank it for all its years of service, but it is time to replace it with something more effective.
Fallen Saints: Arcanum

Fallen Saints: Arcanum - CLOSED

Force of Nature Productions

  • Haunt
  • Haunted house

𓆜𓋘𓄁 𓊛𓇙𓋸𓌤𓌥 𓌦 𓅐𓆢 𓆣 𓀉𓆤 𓆥 𓅑𓆘 𓆙 𓅒𓄙 𓄚 𓄛 𓅓𓃺 𓃻 𓅔 𓅕 𓃕 𓃖 𓃗 𓎷 𓄁𓎸𓅖 𓅽 𓅾 𓅿𓅗 𓅘 𓇆 𓇇𓅙 𓅚 𓁵 𓁶𓂵 𓂶𓃝𓋲 𓋳𓀬 𓅛𓁃 𓂺𓅜 �𓅝𓃄 �𓄁𓅞𓂙 𓅟𓂿 𓆜𓋘𓄁 𓊛𓇙𓋸𓌤𓌥 𓌦 𓅐𓆢 𓆣 𓀉𓆤 𓆥 𓅑𓆘 𓆙 𓅒𓄙 𓄚 𓄛 𓅓𓃺 𓃻 𓅔 𓅕 𓃕 𓃖 𓃗 𓎷 𓄁𓎸𓅖 𓅽 𓅾 𓅿𓅗 𓅘 𓇆 𓇇𓅙 𓅚 𓁵 𓁶𓂵 𓂶𓃝𓋲 𓋳𓀬 𓅛𓁃 𓂺𓅜 𓂨𓅝𓃄 𓄁𓅞𓂙 𓅟𓂿

Dark Ride: Castle of Chaos

Dark Ride: Castle of Chaos - CLOSED

Knott’s Scary Farm

  • Haunt
  • Haunted house
The set design stood out as one of the most inspired and imaginative. What amazed me was that they built an entire dark ride, fully complete with animatronics and story beats that harken back to dark rides of the past. The path weaved the audience from the main attraction to behind the scenes in the maintenance corridors, building the story and anticipation until it climaxed into a mad scene of murderous hobo clowns roaming a hellish landscape.