Kings Island Halloween Haunt (Mason, OH)
“Rain Rain Go Away”
By Noah Wullkotte: Jollypumpkin@aol.com
Kings Island Halloween Haunt is a playground for fear. We decided to review all their attractions on opening night. Actors dressed as grotesque monsters stormed the entrance and tormented everyone who was in their path. This really got me excited for all the haunts at Halloween Haunt and got me in the Halloween spirit. The forecast predicted 20% chance of precipitation, but it was a little off to say the least. The rain fall was horrendous. It was like Biblical times. There was standing water, lightning and some wind. It felt like the end of the world was coming, but we were bound and determined to complete the task at hand. Thank God, we purchased some ponchos at the gift shop because we would have been drenched if we didn’t.
We had a map, but the first one got so wet that it started to fall apart and become mush. The outdoor haunts and scare zones were closed. Even Hot Blooded, our favorite show at Kings Island was shut down for the night. Rides like Drop Zone, Diamondback and Flight of Fear were open. Since quite a few of the haunts were closed, we had some time to get on a few rides. We decided to ride Congo Falls. It’s a water ride with a steep fall. You’ll definitely get wet and it’s rather tame compared to a lot of the rides at Kings Island. It’s a ride that’s perfect for families.
The park was full of fog and there were plenty of spooky decorations. A tree had eye balls hanging from it and there were various tombstones throughout the park that had names of people who worked there. One of the shop’s windows featured a memorial to rides that are no longer at Kings Island like King Cobra and Sonof the Beast. There was still a lot to explore at Kings Island. Some new attractions this year are Board to Death and Delta Delta Die. Board to Death is themed after your favorite childhood board games like Connect Four, Candyland and even Pop O Matic Trouble. It’s a fun attraction, but far too short. It’s neat being able to recognize your favorite board games, but it’s not very scary.
Delta Delta Die let’s you explore a sorority house full of killer college students. The mother in law is dressed like a witch and there are various rooms that are themed after a sorority house. You’ll enter a night club full of dummies, rooms with bottles of beer and even experience an Asylum Door CGI Prop. The haunt’s definitely different. Holiday Horror is themed after your favorite holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day and even The Fourth of July. Meet Peter Cotton Tail in the Easter room and have a little fun with a killer leprechaun at the Irish Pub. Nothing has changed much from last year, but it’s still a unique haunt you won’t see anywhere else.
Other returning attractions are Carnevil, Club Blood, Slaughter House, Wolf Pack, Urgent Scare, Madame Fatale’s Cavern of Terror and more. Our favorite new attraction is Madame Fatale’s Cavern of Terror. It debuted last year and has become one of the most intense haunts at Halloween Haunt. You’ll explore an old wax museum where the wax figures have come to life. It’s like a living breathing version of “‘The House of Wax”. You’ll enter the storage room full of left over body parts and you’ll witness various wax figures who come to life. I don’t want to give everything away since we really enjoyed this attraction and want you to enjoy it as well.
Tombstone Terror-Tory and Cornstalkers were the two mazes that were closed because of the horrible rain storm. Backwoods Bayou, Cemetery Drive, Freak Street and Nightmare Alley were shut down as well. The shows Blood Drums and Hot Blooded were shut down for the night also. Hot Blooded is the best thing going at Halloween Haunt. It’s a rock horror show extravaganza featuring scantily clad women, dancing and blood. If you don’t love the haunts, you’ll definitely love the shows like Graveyard Shift and Ed Alonzo’s Psycho Circus. Experience the magic of Ed Alonzo from the iconic Saved By The Bell. His magic will shock and amaze you.
The park was dead and the rain was heavy. We were able to do everything in less than 3 hours. Tickets are only $26.99 on Friday Nights when you purchase them online and Saturday haunt admission is $32.99. Fright Feast Admission starts at $34.99 and includes admission to all attractions and you get to feast on Fried Chicken, Pulled Pork, hamburgers, potato salad, baked beans, ice cream, and unlimited soft drinks. Skip the lines for haunts with a Fright Lane Pass. Skip the lines for rides with a Fast Lane Pass. Please visit www.visitkingsisland.com for more info on pricing.
There’s so much to do at Halloween Haunt, but so little time. There’s plenty of food to feast on, games you can enjoy and many shops you can enter. The haunts are short, but the acting is pretty good. We recommend Halloween Haunt, but highly suggest that you purchase a Fright Lane Pass. It will be near to impossible to do everything without it.
Length-8 Design-8 Props/Animatronics-8 Acting-8 Scare Effect-7
Final Stab: 7.8
www.visitkingsisland.com