Kings Island Halloween Haunt (Mason, OH)
“Lights Off For Fear”
By Noah Wullkotte: Jollypumpkin@aol.com
Monsters slowly emerge from the darkness as fog consumes you. A large amusement park has been invaded by creatures of the night and they’re here to strike fear into the hearts of the innocent. Will you survive?
This is City Blood’s review of Halloween Haunt at Kings Island.
Halloween Haunt is made up of 11 mazes, 4 scare zones and 3 shows. The newest maze is called Blackout. It’s a large maze where you must find your way out as you walk in complete darkness. Blackout replaces Club Blood and there really isn’t much to say about the new attraction. If you have a fear of darkness then you’re going to really enjoy Pitch Black. But for the most part there’s not much happening in this haunt. There are water effects, loud sounds and a few surprises.
Wolf Pack is a haunt where you’ll meet some flesh hungry werewolves. The majority of the actors wear rubber masks and growl as you walk past them. This attraction hasn’t changed much over the years. Please make sure that you tour Wolf Pack when it’s dark out since there aren’t any ceilings. The haunt isn’t very effective when there’s sunlight.
Carnevil has always been one of my favorite clown themed haunts. Navigate through a room full of cotton candy, hall or mirrors, clowns that pop out from the wall, a freakshow and more. It’s a very colorful haunt and one of the first haunts you should get in line for.
Tombstone Terror-tory has gotten rid of the train ride which made it so unique. This attraction isn’t very different from previous years with the exception of a few changes. It’s an interesting haunted trail, but it’s too short and uneventful.
Kill Mart has you traveling through the different sections of a department store that’s been taken over by the living dead. You’ll explore house wares, sporting goods, toys, pet supplies and more. It’s one of the best mazes at Halloween Haunt where you really feel like you’re shopping at a department store.
Slaughterhouse is the goriest maze at Halloween Haunt and one of our favorites. You’ll be licking your chops as you enter the butcher shop, the blood barn, kitchen and more. The place is covered with blood, slaughtered animals, hillbillies and more.
Board to Death is unique to say the least. Nearly every room is themed after a classic board game. You’ll see Pop-o-matic Trouble, Battleship, Operation, Chess, Candyland and so much more. It’s fun trying to guess which game you’re entering. It’s short, but it’s still one of the better mazes at Halloween Haunt.
Urgent Scare is a hospital themed maze. You’ll enter the worst hospital you’ve ever seen. The patients have run a muck and many are wanting your flesh and bones. Will you survive the deadly virus or will it take your life? This is one of the better themed mazes at Halloween Haunt.
Delta Delta Die is a sorority house that has some killer pledges. This is one of the most intense mazes at Halloween Haunt. You’ll meet a crazed cheerleader, crazy college students and there are some haunting scenes. It’s a fun maze and one that should be high on your list when you visit Halloween Haunt.
The last 2 mazes are Cornstalkers and Madame Fatale’s Cavern of Terror. Madam Fatale’s Cavern of Terror is probably the most detailed maze at Halloween Haunt. You’ll explore different parts of a wax museum like the storage room, various wax displays and much more. Cornstalkers is an outdoor maze that pales in comparison to the rest of the mazes. Enter a cornfield taken over by scarecrows and monsters that haunt the night.
There are quite a few Skeleton Key rooms which are secret rooms with unique scares. These are only available if you purchase a Fright Lane Pass with a Skeleton Key. I’m not going to give away any of these secret scenes because I want it to be a surprise.
Scare Zones include Backwoods Bayou, Cemetery Drive, Freak Street and Nightmare Alley. Entertainment includes Blood Drums, Hot Blooded and the new Monster Rock. Hot Blooded is our favorite thing at Halloween Haunt and we’re very happy that they decided to bring it back.
Hot Blooded is a one of a kind stage show featuring vampires, scantily clad women, rock music and tons of entertainment. We wish there were more shows like this at Halloween Haunt because we always have a great time watching Hot Blooded.
Throughout the park, there are lots of decorations. Eyeballs hang from tree branches, there’s a laboratory, skeletons dressed up in clothes, tombstones, Halloween lights, plenty of fog and more. We liked how the Eiffel Tower was illuminated with colorful lights and had menacing eyes. Many of the rides are open to the general public which even adds more to the value. There are plenty of concessions including food, drinks, games and more.
You’ll get through every maze in under an hour. If you include the different shows then it’s around 2 hours of entertainment. We highly recommend that you purchase a Fright Lane Pass if you’re wanting to explore all the mazes in the park. Without it, you’re going to have a hard time doing everything. The lines can get massive the closer it gets to Halloween. Friday Tickets are $29.99 online and $43.99 at the park. Saturday tickets are $39.99 online and $63.99 at the park. Please visit www.visitkingsisland.com for info on Fright Lane Passes, Fright Feast and more.
There’s a lot of entertainment value at Halloween Haunt. There are a variety of mazes, shows and more. You can even experience many of the rides that have made Kings Island famous over the years. The mazes are short, but the costumes, makeup and lighting is good. Hot Blooded is always the highlight for us since the majority of the stage shows are very entertaining.
Please Note: Halloween Haunt is a lengthy experience if you’re able to experience everything at the park. Most people won’t unless they purchase a Fright Lane Pass and arrive early. This is why length is scored a 9 instead of a 10. There are a lot of variables that effect the length score for Halloween Haunt.
Length-9 Design-7 Props/Animatronics-8 Acting-7 Scare Effect-7
Final Stab: 7.6
www.visitkingsisland.com