Hanna Haunted Hayride-“The Woods Are Alive”
Hanna Haunted Acres most popular haunt had one of the smallest lines among the other attractions on the property. I was shocked out how empty the properly was when we visited. It was like a ghost town to say the least, but the Hanna Haunted Hayride didn’t suffer because of this.
Length-8: Your trip through the haunted woods will take between 15 and 20 minutes to complete. There is a long dead spot towards the beginning before the wagon enters the woods, but after the first scene begins there are few dead spots after.
Design-8: In years past Hanna Haunted Hayride strictly relied on high end animatronics to fill gaps, but this year is a different story. There have been additional scenes added such as a carnival clown house, Nightmare on Elm Street themed room and much more. The props are still as good as ever, but now you have more scenes to view and it’s a more frightening experience. Scenes you’ve come to love are still present such as the intense combine chase where the combine actually bumps the wagon. There’s a reason why they tell you to keep your hands in the wagon at all time. At different parts of the haunted hayride you’ll be rubbing up against trees and some of the scenes are so close that they can be a little dangerous.
Props-9: The majority of hayrides in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana use traditional effects to scare its customers. But this isn’t the case with Hanna Haunted Acres. You’ll see some of the biggest and baddest animatronics available today at this classic hayride. Many of the props are from companies like Scare Factory and Scare Parts. These include the 13 foot impaler and even the massive flying dragon that Scare Factory introduced in 2007. The props are impressive, but I’m not sure if they are really water proof.
Acting-8: The group next to us on the wagon the night we visited jumped at the slightest thing and this included actors. Even though they didn’t have the same effect on us, the acting seemed to be slightly better than previous years. You’ll encounter new characters like Freddy Krueger and even Jason Vorhees. It would be nice if more scenes were implemented so actors weren’t just roaming around in the woods.
Scare Effect-8: This is a fun hayride with well placed animatronics that are perfectly activated in spots you would least expect them. Hanna Haunted Acres also has one of the most intense Combine chases we’ve experienced at any haunted hayride. A few of the actors may catch you off guard, but the high tech props steal the show.
Fright Value: $12 is a bit steep for a hayride that lasts around 20 minutes. Please make sure and take advantage of the discounts and coupons available at www.hannahauntedacres.com.
Final Stab-8.2: We were pleasantly surprised at how improved the haunted hayride was this year. Hopefully more improvements are made over the years because if a few areas were improved like scenes and acting, this could be an incredible hayride.