On this day, this family fun park goes to its darker side with castle dark but this year they added some Halloween fun for the day too. That said, is Castle Dark really that scary for children?

We start our day at Castle Park enjoying their daytime festivities to unlimited rides, golf, and water park. Around 3 pm is when they host a costume contest for the kids, a little hay maze, as well a Dia De Los Muertos look covering half of the park. Then when night starts to fall the ghouls of Castle Dark start to roam and haunt the park.

Along Came a Spider

First stop was the maze called “Along Came a Spider”. While waiting to enter, a staff member stationed at the front of the maze reviewed the rules with me and others. This as a haunter, I can appreciate. Most places let you enter without reminding you of simple rules that make the experience more enjoyable for both guest and monster. Without the simple reminders, guests tend to become a little more unpredictable that can easily ruin the night for everyone.

Moving onto the maze itself, sadly this one did not have a lot of heart put into it or any at all for that matter. The one thing you would think you would see all over is completely absent. The only things that you come across that show any sign of it’s supposed spider theme is one actor dressed up as what appeared to be a spider (who is the only character that made sense), and fabric spider webs fastened to the walls. The few actors found inside either seemed uncertain of what to do or gave no real effort. To add to that, the maze was incredibly short and had almost no decoration at all. Out of the entire night, “Along Came a Spider” was the biggest letdown. The only thing that saves this maze from complete failure, are the well-done costumes. If anything, this maze would most likely work for the younger ones.

La Vey Institute

The second maze on our journey is “La Vey Institute”. After the first stop, my expectations had been dropped to nothing, but after leaving this maze, I was given some hope. Again I was reminded of the rules before entering and to my surprise, they keep a careful count of how many go through at a time. They were also keeping track of time, allowing the party before you to make their way far enough before the next group was let in. This again, I wish more haunts did. One of the most frustrating things, as you’re walking through, is running into the group ahead of you and having to wait for them to proceed. This completely takes you out of your enthrallment. It also throws off the scare actors since popping out with the same people or a huge crowd of people, ruins the surprise thus the scare and leaves you just standing there awkwardly.

For this time around, the theme carried through. I was greeted with various characters and decorations that made me feel that I had lost my way down a terrible path at an institute for lost and psychotic souls. The scare tactics caught me off guard with this one and I was pleasantly surprised. Again the costumes were good but this time the acting was actually decent. The one thing I would suggest for this maze is just a bit more decoration.

Oblivion

This next “maze” entitled “Oblivion” doesn’t appear to be a maze at all at first glance. It takes you down a long path on what simulates to be a bridge. I must say, this one had me almost completely immersed with its dark atmosphere and enclosed space. The scare actors were well hidden and for the most part, timed well with their scares. The costumes were well done and so was the acting. The only drawbacks were that it could use a few more monsters and a guide at the entrance. Without constant engagement, you start to forget where you actually are. Also, without a guide at the beginning, it became a little clustered and a little confusing that the maze was there to start with. Overall this one was enjoyable.

Nightmare

The final stop, which was a little difficult to find, was the maze called “Nightmare”. This maze was a little more unique in the fact that after entering you are stopped and held in the first room. You are then read a story before being able to continue on. This was very unique for the park and definitely something I would love to see them do more of in the future. It helped bring you into the world you were about to journey through. The experience turned out to be similar to the one had at the “La Vey Institute” but with a storyline. There were good scares, costumes, and decoration and maintained a theme. Overall, it was a good way to finish the night.

Streets

Like other haunts, there were monsters roaming outside the mazes. This is always the fun part since they help keep you pulled in and immersed in this land of terror. I enjoyed the costumes, especially a few who you could tell put a lot of effort into their character. These guys worked the lines waiting to go into the mazes, which is great for setting the mood before you enter. The drawback is the other guests wandering around miss out. Another drawback is that there definitely needed to be more scare actors. The park, for the most part, seemed empty. But on positive notes, the monsters were friendly with the kids and welcomed photo ops. There were also some really well-done scares as well. Overall, the streets were fun, but definitely could improve, mainly by hiring more scare actors.

Ghost Blasters 2

When you’re done with all the Halloween festivities outside and want to enjoy great Dark Ride, go into the arcade and ride Ghost Blasters 2. Ride it to for simple fun or challenge your friends as you make your way through, blasting as many things possible to get this best score. It has a colorful blacklight spooky theme enjoyable for all ages. None the less you will have fun!

Over All

Castle Park/ Dark is actually fun for all ages, I believe this is the best starting haunt for anyone who has never been to one from children to adults! After a short night filled with monsters, a few mazes, spooky decorations, and a dark ride, the overall experience is decent and fun.