One benefit I'd hope to have in visiting the event again would be a renewed since of freshness. There were There was still no radical jump in offerings the way there was back in 2010 but I don't know that it'd be fair to expect that kind of jump again. Still quite a few eleements were significantly more polished than what I had experienced back in 2012.
The Zombiewood Express felt simultaneously both fresh and familiar. The jokes and script were new and several of the set pieces were moved around. I gotta really give the props on risk taking with the jokes as the ride relies on a bit of shock value that is a tricky line to walk. I thought the stunts and effects were all very well executed though I feel like the Zombie ambush segment might have been performed better in 2012 everything else was greatly improved.
Zombiewood as it appeared in 2012
The newest attraction for the year was Caved-In. Replacing Ancient Ruins which apparently occupied the same location last year (inbetween Tremors and the Log Flume), Caved-In takes place in a densely foggy cave filled with monsters. My friends all tell me that it is a large improvement over Ancient Ruins, but I can't really make a comparison. Caved-In amounts to a gauntlet rush of sorts, the fog is pumped in dense enough that you can barely see from one light to the next with the lights being the guide out of the cave. As you navigate the attraction monsters will lunge out of the fog and darkness for jump scares. If jump scares are your thing the attraction performs this element solidly and was easily the attraction of the night for me.
3Dementia was an interesting one for me to return to. From what I understand it's quality took a huge dip in 2013 when the park tried to do a dual path system that lead to the attraction being too short and the rooms lacking diversity. Everyone in my group says it was great this year and while I did find the attraction to be quite good, I still prefer the variation of the first year. I will say I loved the execution of several areas of this years 3Dementia and the final few rooms were some of my favorites. I just felt the beginning was a bit bland and felt the attraction itself was a bit crowded (though this did make for a quick line).
Blood Bayou was the biggest disappointment of the night for me. To be honest I'd still heavily recommend this attraction for anyone going to the event for the first time. All the elements that have made Blood Bayou one of the strongest attractions in the park are mostly still there (especially its solid set design). The thing is that for repeat visitors this attraction is aging poorly. There were new rooms replacing older areas of the attraction which I will say were my favorite parts of the attraction this year. But the overall feeling was that nothing has really changed. In fact there are several areas that are beginning to look a bit worn and in need of a bit of maintenance. The sky actors in the forest are now a thing of the past and the entire ending hallway felt a little bit bland now with the animatronic car gone and nothing really replacing it. It also felt as though the attraction featured fewer performers, likely because performers were needed more in other areas of the park. Alot of these loses are going to be easily overlooked by people less familiar with this attraction though. I'd rate it more highly for those who haven't been but for me I couldn't help but compare it to some of its better years.
The last attraction of the night was the Darkness. I went into this attraction figuring it'd have scares similar to what I'd experienced in Caved In, instead I found an expansion on the kind of dark corners I experienced in previous years at the start of Terror Canyon. I really loved all the sudden twists and odd corners this attraction took and found myself getting lost at several points. It didn't really scare me too badly but can see how it might for those with a fear of darkness or enclosed spaces. Part of me wouldn't mind if this attraction had a few creepy audio cues the way Terror Canyon used to but the current ambiance is also great. This is the attraction I'd be the most interested in repeating next year.
What impressed me the most was how much the theming of the event had improved. Clown Town is now spread significantly further around the park and the props and lighting fixtures have all increased and provided the performers even better ways to surprise guests. Dollhouse had superb scaractors and set dressing and Scarecrow corner provided a nice mini maze of sorts. Nest provided a nice colstrophibic interlude in the pathway around were Terror Canyon used to be featured. It felt as though no corner of the park was untouched by the event. While most of the newer attractions lacked personality the park as a whole had more personality in the event than ever before.
My ratings for all the elements of the events would be as follows:
Zombiewood Express 4/5 (great)
Caved In 4/5 (great)
3Dementia 3/5 (good)
Blood Bayou 2/5 (mediocre)
Total Darkness 4/5 (great)
Scarezones 5/5 (excellent)
Overall Scarywood is still one of my favorite things to do for Halloween and will likely to remain a tradition of sorts for my friend-group. Hopefully I can figure something out for documenting the event more professionally as I'd really like to one day have a highlight real to compare and contrast the event through the years with.
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