Best House 2008

[Taryn]

1. Scary Tales
2. Body Collectors
3. The Hallow
4. Creatures
5. Doomsday
6. Dead Exposure
7. Interstellar Terror
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30. Reflections of Fear:doh:

Reflections was a huuuuge disapointment. I think the thing that bothered me the most was the fact that it didn't seem like there was much of an effort to recreate the Mary that we all knew and loved from the website and advertising. If they didn't want to spend the money on contacts and dentures then don't give her white eyes and bad teeth in the adverts. They built Mary up so nicely before HHN kicked off, but she seemed more like a Villain in a Disney parade- "Mary will never die!!!! What are YOUR fears???"

 

[DisneyFanKevin]

I agree with you on the Mary's not looking like the one from the commercial/advertisements, Taryn. But, I still think this house is not one of the weakest houses. I really enjoyed seeing whatever detail I could see without being frightened to death by Mary.

 

[tiredoldspook]

Detail, they had hot girls trying to look scary. I saw that done better on the HOS commercials with the Raven Twins.

 

[snoman]

Really though, think what they could have done with the ROF house if they just skipped the whole story, which nobody gets anyways, and just went to the Bloody Mary we see under the arch doing her thing.

Could have had a room like you see on the commercials with Ashton Kutcher on one side and her on the other, or him mutilated half way in between the mirrors. Could have had audio of her voice going in the rooms.

How about this: you walk into a room similar to Nightmare on Elm St. last year with all the mirrors, gosh, mirrors in the ROF house, crazy concept. You hear the little music box music playing from the website. You hear the voice of BM from the archway video saying, "I"m coming to get you." You suddenly see BM in all the mirrors with strobes-much like NOES last year. Then you get the sound affect of exploding mirrors as you walk through and the actual BM scareactors in the mirrors scare the crap out of you. Sure would have beat the hell out of a transexual Boris beating up beauty queen Mary IMO. Just saying!

They should have switched this house with Creatures in the soundstage and they could have made it classic. Instead it appears they did it in homage to the fans and didn't focus on the actual guest experience of terrifying everyone. Do it again next year and do it right.

 

[YETI PINTRADER]

Here is my take on reflections. As a haunted house it wasn't the best. The detail and all the different things in there brought the house up to the top for me. It was just a very immersive house in my opinion.

 

[tiredoldspook]

What were you immersed in? I keep up with the whole website and like the website it was a great concept but made no sense on how Mary got in the Mirror. I felt immersed in a waste of Time. And I saw people waiting an hour to do it,,HA.

 

[peaches magee]

I havent seen any pics of Mary in the park yet, but that sucks they didnt make her look as scary as she did in the commercials and ads, cause she looks wicked in those!

 

[Beachgurl]

What were you immersed in? I keep up with the whole website and like the website it was a great concept but made no sense on how Mary got in the Mirror. I felt immersed in a waste of Time. And I saw people waiting an hour to do it,,HA.

I saw people waiting TWO hours for it. lol

You're absolutely right though. It didn't make ANY sense on how she got into the mirror.

Aside from not making sense, it just wasn't scary... and I'm an easy scare. I've give this house 3 chances and it hasn't improved at all. Sure, there's detail and all, but the average guest probably has no idea what's even going on.

 

[peaches magee]

Sounds about right, my friend waiting 2 hours for RoF and he was disappointed.
Mostly because he didnt follow anything online about Mary so he didnt get the office scenes and all that. He just ended up not caring for it, said it was a waste of time. And then only got in 2 more houses that night cause of the waits.

 

[tiredoldspook]

I did 4 houses in about an hour the 16th (Michele walks fast by the way) Did Creatures(better then first time I did it)Body Collectors(light better but just kind of dull, same trick with a spine as the first, to many collectors similar to Jason's last years. Scary Tales(just a really well done fun house) Doomsady(I like the movie the house follows the movie but the ending is very weak. Well except for the guy at the end held his man breast and said something about his nipples to a member of are party,,lol.

Then headed through American Gothic on the way out, My favorite Scare zone cast A really does a great job. as I left the crowds were pouring through the gates and this was roughly 7 so I am sure the house lines got insane after that.

 

[Michele]

Well except for the guy at the end held his man breast and said something about his nipples to a member of are party,,lol.
that.

ME! This explains why I'm the only person who's voted for Doomsday so far. It's been close race between Creatures! and Doomsday though.

 

[Sledge]

For those that didn't follow the website, they just assume Bloody Mary is the chick in the mirror and that's all they know about her. The doctor's office probably confused the hell out of them.

 

[figment1988]

I chose Body Collectors because 1. there were plenty of good effects 2. the atmosphere. and 3 being the good amount of scares i got from many of BC2's scareactors

 

[tiredoldspook]

HI, figment what were the good effects you liked?

 

[Drew]

Interstellar Terror was above and beyond my favorite. Just a fun house with some good scares here and there. The detail was amazing and that spinning room was an acid trip and a half. I loved it.

I've seen alot of people on the Vault with Scary Tales as number one. Really? I thought Scary Tales was kind of weak. It lacked scares, IMO. The scenery was great and everything but I go to be scared, didn't happen in this house.

And don't get me started on Reflections of Fear. No house has ever sucked harder then RoF. It's a joke. Makes last year's Vampyr look like a masterpiece.

 

[DisneyFanKevin]

I thoroughly enjoyed RoF. But, after going through the house several times during the event, I've realized that RoF is not as good as it seems. It's a good house, but it's lacking standards that can make it one of the better houses. I regret my vote.

 

[Jakemeister]

I thoroughly enjoyed RoF. But, after going through the house several times during the event, I've realized that RoF is not as good as it seems. It's a good house, but it's lacking standards that can make it one of the better houses. I regret my vote.

I feel the same way about Dead Exposure. After I went through it a few times I didn't think it was nearly as scary. Don't get me wrong it is still scary I just feel that Body Collectors built on it's self enough to get it for me.

The sleeper hit of the year by far was Doomsday. So much fun and with Mendonca on cast I get the best scares. Every time I go through I always see someone I know working whether it be Mendonca, Jared, Aly, or others it's never a boring run through.

 

[The_Bled]

^ Yeah. I thoroughly enjoyed Doomsday. Definitely a sleeper hit, but what I still don't understand how people thought Interstellar Terror and The Hallow were any good at all. Again, I say It lacked scares. Everyone knew where all the scareactors were coming from, and that destroyed the experience for me. Probably one of the worst houses ever IMO.

 

[Beachgurl]

I didn't like Doomsday at all. I think its the worst house this year... even worse than Reflections of Fear. Its not the least bit scary. It usually doesn't take much to get me to flinch, but not one person in this house can seem to get the job done. This and RoF are basically the only houses I loathed this year.

 

[Jakemeister]

I like all the houses. This year they all are good. Even Reflections of Fear. Sure it's the worst house of the year but you know what it's better than Vampyr, and People Under the Stairs.

Basically the best thing about this year are the Scarezones, last year it was houses/shows. This year Scarezones. I have gotten more scares there than anywhere else. I actually according to my friends screamed in American Gothic. That is the only time I have ever made any noise from getting scared at a haunted event. It's been done I was actually frightened to the point of noise making.