Last night, the original halloween haunt, Knott’s Scary Farm, opened its gates for the 2015 season. This year, there are 11 haunted attractions, 3 scare zones, and over 1,000 monsters waiting for you in the fog.  Yes, you will be scared.

For 2015, we have an impressive and varied line-up of experiences to dive into. Returning mazes include Pinocchio Unstrung, Forevermore, Black Magic, Gunslinger’s Grave, Trick or Treat, Voodoo, and The Tooth Fairy. Two entirely brand new mazes join the ensemble of terror this year; The Dead of Winter and Paranormal Inc.  This year also marks the return of scares in the Calico Mine Ride with the all-new, My Bloody Clementine. In this review, we will focus primarily on the mazes and haunted experiences with an upcoming article to focus on the Shows and Scare Zones.

Returning Mazes and Attractions

Black Magic

Black Magic has returned for a third year and we could not be more excited about this.  In what is probably Daniel Miller’s masterpiece, we see what happens when Houdini breaks through from the netherworld and brings hell with him.

This year, they have incorporated the seance room into the normal flow of the maze.  Once only seen by those who purchased the access to Skeleton Key Rooms, the seance scene is a nice way to begin the maze, setting up that Houdini is back from the dead and he is pissed.  After this scene we venture into the normal flow of the maze.

As with all of the returning mazes, Black Magic has been tinkered with, improved in subtle ways, that allow for more scares and a better use of the effects. A hallway of bloodied playing cards leads to a startling effect that we won’t give away here, but you will love it.

Overall we really enjoyed this version of an already favorite maze.  It is safe to say that this one had a few more tricks up its sleeve that were worth seeing.

Forevermore

The Forevermore killer has returned for a fourth year, murdering in the fashion of Edgar Allen Poe’s most fiendish stories.  Never really a fan of this troubled maze, we entered the line with trepidation and the hope that, somehow, a Skeleton Key Room and the crafty hand of maze designer, Gus Krueger, would find the scares in the scenario.

You can imagine our surprise when we were startled by the additional skeleton key scene.  Going further, we are also pleased to report that the maze has finally found, not only a clear narrative, but scares as well.  That’s right folks, Forevermore is scary.

Subtle changes along the maze route reinforce the dangers surrounding you, as you navigate the lair of the Poe Killer.  The passageways seem tighter, the corners are somehow more blind.  The narrative that there is a serial killer on the loose, that we are in his hideout, and that we should be afraid, is really sold here through the judicious use of voiceover and video.  Entering the killer’s home, the T.V. is blaring a live newscast about the Poe Killer.  Between major set pieces, voice overs are reminding you of the threat of this madman instead of focusing so heavily on the literary aspects of the kills.

There are also some clever uses of space.  More sharp corners allows for more actors to hide in more places.  There is a genuine sense of danger that exists in the maze now that has been lacking ever since the maze debuted. Yes, the maze still ends exactly the same in the oddball club.  You know the one, it’s the scene that takes far too long to set up and, if you time it poorly, you could simply miss the entire thing.

No, the maze is still not perfect.  But it is far more entertaining now.

Gunslinger’s Grave: A Blood Moon Rises

Gunslinger’s Grave: A Blood Moon Rises

Gus Krueger’s brutal tale of vengeance in the old west is back. This time, a new threat is out for blood.  Werewolves have invaded the town and a silver bullet is the only way to survive this dangerous, dusty, wasteland of murder.

He’s an animal in the sack!

The idea of keeping the old west fresh with a new paranormal patina is a novel way to approach this problem.  While a fun walkthrough, the maze has never been “scary” per se.  It was certainly startling at times, disturbing too, but not something that got under your skin.  Now with werewolves running amok, there is an even more heightened sense of danger.  You don’t just have to survive the old west, you have to survive werewolves too.

The lycanthrope overlay works for the most part.  With the simple switch of a mask or make up job, we have effectively altered the tone of the maze considerably. Ditching the old finale of vengeance, this new doggy-centric version of Gunslinger’s leads us to the den of the werewolves.  Meh.  While it makes for a better story arc, it is no more scary and actually a little goofy.  This could have been a really nasty hive of violence and depravity.  Instead, we see king werewolf on a throne, then we are outta there.

Overall, the new theme works, the ending doesn’t.

Pinocchio Unstrung

This ghoulish re-telling of the story of Pinocchio returns for another year of puppetry and pandemonium.  Here, we have the same Skeleton Key room again.  This key room depends solely on the actor helming it.  With the intimate setting and the need to convey a full set up, one needs to be a good actor to pull this room off.  We learn that Pinocchio REALLY wants to be a real boy.  Geppetto failed him and the Blue Fairy tricked him.  The little wooden head murders the both of them and goes on a killing spree, skinning his victims in order to wear their hides in an attempt to come off as “real”

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After having the premise of the maze set up for us in the extra room, we venture forth.  This attraction is certainly showing its age.  Where this maze felt new before, it simply feels tired.  We may have hit this maze on an off night, or even an off hour.  It just didn’t seem to have the same energy as it did in previous years.

The Tooth Fairy

From an original design by Daniel Miller, this nasty little experience features an all new Skeleton Key Room that sets things up nicely. A word of caution though, the Skeleton Key Room is a little easy to miss.  SO, if you have the key rooms, venture into the hallway just to the right of the main entrance to this maze.  It is a good addition to setting up the threat of the Tooth Fairy and one that works nicely.

Of course, things are incredibly disgusting and violent in this maze.  The shrill sounds of screaming and the high-pitch whir of a dental drill ribbon the soundscape in this attraction just enough to make you feel queasy.

The new X-Ray room and the re-configuring of the grand finale for this walkthrough are nice changes to an already good maze. Nicely done!

Trick or Treat

WOW.  Our one complaint about this maze in year past was that, while beautiful, it was rarely scary.  They fixed this maze quite nicely with a brand new ending that gets you up close and personal with the beloved Green Witch character as she spews spells and incantations at the guests in her home.

The maze starts out exactly the same as we enter the beautifully atmospheric foyer of the Green Witch’s home.  The entry, library, and hallway are all great.  Sadly we still wander though the Witch’s bedroom and bathroom, neither of which offer any really chance at scares.

It’s when we reach the dining room that things get interesting.  A grotesque spread on the table is waiting for us and the diners are floating in their chairs around the room.  From there, the maze changes further as we climb to the attic.  The Green Witch is there waiting while tending to her bubbling cauldrons.  Going further, we wander into the topmost pinnacle of her home in a stunning, cobweb infested passageway that really ends the attraction correctly.

Another wonderful redo of an already good maze.

Voodoo: Order of the Serpent

Voodoo is back, but not as you remember it. The venture begins with a new and improved Skeleton Key room that is worth the wait.  We then wander into a palatial plantation home before making it out to the bayou and the black magic that lurks there.

They have essentially taken what worked from last year and improved upon it.  No longer do visitors get to choose their paths.  Instead there is one full walkway that takes visitors through every inch of the maze.  It is certainly an improvement from the previous year.

We also meet new inhabitants of the bayou, including an alligator skinner, a new voodoo priest, and more. Another improvement to the maze is the finale.  Instead of being simply dumped int the backstage area of Knott’s Berry Farm, this year we enter a secluded mausoleum in the swamps.  Here we come face to face with a venomous monster that is intent of making us his prey.

We love this maze as much, if not more, than we did last year.  What didn’t work so much last year has been improved upon here to great effect.

Special Ops: Infected – Patient Zero with new missions and more zombies

Special Ops Infected: Patient Zero is a vast improvement over last year’s incarnation featuring more zombies, a crystal clear plot, and guns that are far more, well, guns that work.  The storyline here is simple.  In fact, you really don’t even need to know it because, zombies. Get to the original patient and thus get DNA that could possibly cure the outbreak. Of course, once prepped and out in the field, things go horribly wrong and we have to fight for our survival.

This year, Special Ops has only one pathway that snakes through the forested terrain in the far front corner of the park.  This makes Infected a longer, more immersive adventure. The pre-show very quickly sets up the basic idea that you will be shooting zombies and why you are doing what you are doing. The guns are a vast improvement over last year too.  Now you are clearly able to see how many bullets you have, and you also have the ability to reload.  We also have the opportunity to regain abilities lost along the way through zombie attacks.

The one major problem again here is the wait time.  Despite arriving for our wait time, we were still asked to wait another 45 minutes to get in.  We do hope that the kinks are worked out of this grand experiment sooner rather than later.

The Dead of Winter

We wanted to like this maze.  A high-concept retelling of the Snow Queen seemed like an interesting idea.  Sadly, this walkthrough left us cold.  The story begins as the Snow Queen has risen her army of the undead to get revenge on the villagers that killed her family. A promising idea and a nice jab at Disney to boot!

The maze begins as we are entering the Snow Queen’s icy lair and we are seeing her path of destruction and death along the way.  Wandering the icy halls of the Queen’s domain, we find ourselves in an honest to god mirror maze.  Once out of there, we see that we are ever closer to the castle.  Monsters jump out and stalk at every turn.  That should be a good thing right?  Well, not really.

With a maze so bright, there are few places to really hide and startle guests.  Yes, the air conditioning is going to maker this a particularly popular place to visit over these hot October nights, but just don’t go in expecting to shiver .

It’s certainly a valiant effort, but one that is hindered by a lack of execution.

My Bloody Clementine

A beautiful return to form for the Calico Mine Ride, My Bloody Clementine transforms the sleepy family ride into a terror train. Daniel Miller’s first time designing for the Calico Mine Ride, it is clear that he knows how to handle the proceedings.  Drawing from the My Darlin’ Clementine song, the ride tells the disturbing tale of death in the caves of Calico.

Using the fully upgraded sound system in the attraction and all new digital mapping projection, a lot is accomplished.  It is also nice to see live talent in the ride once more.  There are, however, a few missed opportunities. In particular, the Heaven Room, at the top of the lift hill in the attraction, wastes a good chance to involve a few more actors here and there.  It’s not a deal breaker but if you are going to do it, do it whole hog.

We are really happy to have heard screams from our fellow passengers on the Calico Mine Ride during haunt again.

PARANORMAL, INC.: Case #1 – The Haunting of Hayden Hill

This is THE must see maze of the season.  Paranormal Inc, the brainchild of Jon Cooke (Special Ops: Infected), invites guests into a haunted insane asylum during a live taping of the popular Paranormal Inc. reality series.  Welcomed into the main lobby of the abandoned asylum, we are told that a large amount of electric energy, when released, will blur the line between the real world and the ethereal realms.

Of course, something goes terribly wrong and faster than you can say “shadow people”, we are whisked away to one of two separate paths.  One side tells the story of the evil nurse that tortured her patients.  The other, of the nefarious doctor. To tell you more about it would be to totally ruin the element of surprise for this attraction so we will leave it at that.

The detail is there, but that isn’t what makes something a good maze, much less a compelling experience.  What does make a strong walkthrough is a premise or storyline that can be applied to all the levels of attention spans. Here we have that in spades. The idea has to click with everyone.

This is the best maze that Knott’s has done in a long time.  It is probably going to be the best maze of the entire year at any haunt.

That brings our review of Knott’s Scary Farm’s 2015 mazes to a close. We will next share our thoughts on The Hanging and Elvira’s Asylum.

Did you go last night?   What did you think of the event?

With 11 haunted attractions and more than 1,000 monsters roaming the park and lurking in the fog, whatever you’re imagining, it’s here…at Knott’s Scary Farm. Visit KnottsScaryFarm.com for tickets and join the conversation using #ScaryFarm

Knott’s Scary Farm is a separately ticketed event on 24 nights September 24 through October 31. Due to the explicit and frightening nature of the event, it is not recommended for children under 13.