Haunted Review - Danger Run (NO SPOILERS) by Ash

For 24 years, it's been a challenge to survive the night. But in year 25, the game changed.

Quite literally, SO much was different! On its 25th birthday, Danger Run stepped outside their comfort zone and pushed you to new boundaries. Let's get started, shall we?

Okay for starters, for those of you who stupidly didn't check the website and find this out, the starting gate at the Dixie location is no more. Don't try it, you'll feel like a donkey. (We did, anyway.) But the Hurstbourne location is still very much up and running, and you can start online. Other than that, I swear I don't remember any other gates, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. Just be smart, check before you go!

So you go to the gate, pay your $30, and you get your clue book(s) and a goody bag. Not too shabby! The clues are different this year - instead of 5-line limericks, you have 2 line rhymes. Honestly, while I admit I love the limericks, I like the 2-liner ones too. They were easier to solve with less erroneous information, and yes, I get it, that was the point of the limericks sometimes, but as the night grew later and later, we were happy to have less info to sift through. 

That being said, don't expect this year to be any easier just because the clues are more concise. The simplicity is DECEIVING, I tell you! Some clues are pretty easy, like which way to turn out of the gate. After that though, it gets a little tricky. Not gonna lie, we already missed our turn on clue 2 or 3, y'all. 

So the roads. Some of these were creepy AF. What kind of monsters live on these dark terror-filled streets?! (Okay, actually, if I had the money I probably would, it was nice to be able to see stars and not have your neighbors so close you can shake hands through your windows. But that's not what's important.) There were moments when we were convinced we'd gone the wrong way or missed something the clue was telling us to look for. There were times when the clues were worded in such a way you felt like you were naked in a physics class giving a speech on aeronautics when the highest science you'd taken was Bio 1. (Really let that image sink in...) So the clues were pretty epic this year, I give DR so much credit there! 

Not to make you panic or anything, but this year there are also missions. Now, perhaps because it was opening weekend and they had some bugs to work out, perhaps our people were new or just tired, but ultimately we were given SLIGHTLY confusing information. Big hint: JUST FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS IN THE CLUE BOOK REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEY SAY. We aren't mad at the people, I'm sure they didn't see us pull up and think, "haha, I'm gonna ruin their effing night!" Just a helpful hint for the missions. Anyway, so you follow the directions and either look for landmarks and enter which clue you used to find them, or you simply do as the mission says. There is one on each page, and the clues on the neighboring pages won't affect the missions. It's one page, one mission. And they're FUN! Tricky, confusing, and downright weird, but so much fun. They also include sensory clues. You get to involve your sense of taste, smell, sight, lack of sight, and you also get to play with dice and a special flashlight. This is where your goody bag comes into play. All the stuff you need to solve some of the missions will be in that bag - don't lose or misplace it! This new twist was so fun, and all three of us absolutely loved it. (Have you ever played that game with the jelly beans, Beanboozled? If not, Google it, and if so...well, may the force be with you, my friends!)

But what do these missions MEAN? Why are they a thing? I'm so glad you asked! When you get to each of the haunts, you'll take your clue book to the game master at each site. There, they will see how you did with the clues and the final puzzle at the end of the leg, and you'll get between 1-3 minutes to solve a mini breakout game! These are SO fun, but I will admit, when you're tired, they are HARD to do! The first game was gory and delightful. We loved playing with the...props...lol. You'll really need a HAND to solve this mystery! It was right up our alley and although we were SO CLOSE, we didn't make it out in time. But it was so much fun, and so detailed, and so well thought out...this was definitely a wonderful addition to the Run. I highly recommend you do your best on the missions, though, you need all 3 minutes!! The second one we ALMOST had it. I will fully take responsibility for dropping the ball on this one - I thought the last clue we were looking for was like, stickers, or something. Guys, I was tired. My bad, yo. But seriously, look EVERYWHERE. Even right in front of your face. That's all the spoilers I can afford, but trust me when I say you need this in your life. 

Have you ever stopped to ask yourself, "What kind of sick, twisted, demented mind comes up with these things? Well, we finally got our answer to this one! We were blessed enough to meet the man behind the madness, the twisted mind behind all the clues, behind the missions, behind the breakout games - a true genius and the real Game Master himself, Garry O'Brien! For starters, this guy is kind of our hero, and we may or may not have been fangirling over meeting him. I'm thinking of starting a fan club...lol. But Garry is one of the brightest and kindest people I've ever met. He was so patient with us explaining how we'd been slightly misled (still not mad, please don't get me wrong here!) and how we should have done it. It was like a light bulb went off when he broke it down for us. It was such a joy to meet with him! We snagged a pic with him at one of the breakout games, and it's a memory we'll treasure for a lifetime. (Okay, we're nerds and we might have a stalker-level problem...)

There's no way this year's Danger Run is earning anything other than 5 stars from me. The haunts operate independently so they will be reviewed separately (see, I told you no spoilers!). But yeah, this year kicked it up several notches, and was so much fun!! 5 stars, y'all, and you deserve every single one! Special thanks to Garry and everyone involved with this year's Run, we had a blast, thanks for the awesome night!

Haunted Review - Baxter Ave Morgue (by Ash)

Hiya, folks! So, first let me apologize for my absence and my silence. Between PC issues, migraines, and a lovely head cold/respiratory bug, I've not been myself lately. Not trying to seek pity or make excuses, just reality has been ROUGH lately.

Anyway, I'm kinda back, the PC is kinda working, I can kinda breathe, and my brain hasn't exploded, so I'll call it a win. And I owe you some reviews!! First up is Baxter Avenue Morgue.

Okay, I visited this haunt several years ago (back with Aly) and we absolutely loved it. Suffice it to say that after two or three years, we were excited to revisit. The night we went it was rainy and wet and crappy outside, so naturally the line was short. We only waited about fifteen minutes, but I will say it seemed SO much longer because the ghoulies that normally come around and try to scare the people in line were mostly absent, and the ones present were apathetic. One dude did seem like he'd had a wee bit too much sugar and was mildly entertaining, but he disappeared and we only saw him again from a distance. Some of the ghoulies were standing around talking, which wasn't scary but at least it was something to look at.

We made it to the front of the line and I don't even know how the conversation started but we ended up saying each other's names loudly. Hey, we pay good money to be scared, and when they know your name, it's a little more personal and a little more intimidating! When it was our turn, they called me out first and made me go into this room just inside the door BY MYSELF. I repeat, I was utterly alone with these psychopaths. Let that sink in a moment...

Now, this was awesome. I thought they were doing some little "Hey, your friend went missing, go find her" kind of schpiel. Nope. They were coming at me with friggin needles, talking in the most deranged voices with these eerie accents and turning the lights out on me and overall making me wanna piss my panties. These guys were GOOD. I was ready for a chicken door, but I sucked it up and followed their direction into the haunt. Alone.

Oh. Em. Gee. Have you ever gone through a haunt completely alone?? It's intimidating and I was on the lookout for the chicken doors because I honestly didn't think I'd make it without at least one person holding my hand. I started through, and rounded the corner and then...

Nada. Not one single scare. There were approximately four actors throughout the rest of the haunt, the animatronics were delayed so I had to turn around to see them, the paths weren't marked too well and with no actors to point the way I almost went off the path a time or two. There was one scream and that was when there was a loud burst of air at my feet that I wasn't prepared for. That was IT. I literally went through the remainder of the haunted house waiting for something - ANYTHING - to try to scare me, but then I saw some people goofing off in what looked like a gift shop and I thought I'd finally gone off the path and ended up somewhere I wasn't supposed to be. Nope. Just the end of the line, end of the haunt, please exit through the gift shop (literally), don't let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya!

Wait. It's over? Like, when am I supposed to get scared? Is there some grand finale that's gonna make me cry like a baby?

Nope. Worst experience EVER. The only one of the three of us who got anything was Jennifer, who was the last of us to go through the haunt alone.


Now, here's a bit of a disclaimer. The night we went, apparently 75% of their haunting staff called in. Well, more than that, but I don't do math. The owner came and talked to us after such a devastating performance and explained that normally there are 40-ish actors inside and that night there were about 10. That's a really good way to make the haunt not scary, and out of the owner's control. What was NOT out of the owner's control was a forewarning of what to expect (since we paid good money for nothing) OR just shutting it down for the night. Yeah, he'd have lost some good money, and that would suck for him. But in my humble opinion, getting crappy reviews from review groups (like us) who paid to be scared and got irritated instead is a much worse blow than losing the money for that night. I appreciate his explanation and apology, but the apology came too late and the damage had been done.

I give Baxter Avenue Morgue 3/10 stars. The only salvation was the intro. Had that been lacking in any sort of way, this would probably be my first ever 0 star. It wasn't even mildly entertaining once we left the intro area. In all honesty, I thought about going easy on them because of how many actors called in, but the reality is: if I experienced it, so did someone else, and that makes it not okay.

I'm so disappointed, Baxter Avenue Morgue. You made a bad call and ruined our experience because of it. I thought you were above that. Tsk, tsk...

Haunted Hotel Review by Michala

Haunted Hotel Review by Michala Tyann

So this haunt was by far my most favorite last year. It scared the bejeebies out of me. The scenes and themes were spectacular. The makeup and costumes were first rate. The scare factor was off the charts.
Needless to say, they were going to have a hell of a job getting me to like it as much as I did last year. High expectations and all that. It's really hard to one-up yourself when you've hit a homerun.

Asylum Haunted Scream Park Review

Asylum Haunted Scream Park review by Michala

Last year the Asylum Haunted Scream Park was one of the first haunts we hit up and I had such a blast that this year I was stoked to go back. I was even texting Ash telling her to hurry up at work, lie to get out, or even tell the truth to leave early. LOL I was pretty excited. Ask her to show you her text messages...it will prove how crazy psyched I was to get there this year.
 
And that is where I left my happy place. Sigh. Where to begin? I suppose I should start at the beginning. We got there right as it was opening so the lines weren't long at all. (Last year, at times, we were waiting up to two hours to get into one of the haunts they offered.)I don't know if that was a good thing, the lines being short, or not. Perhaps it was a foreshadowing of what was to come? Maybe.

Haunted Review: The Devil's Attic - By Ash

Every so often you come across a haunt that really chills you to the bone, eliciting nightmares for weeks on end - one that makes you not only question reality, but to question your own sanity.

This was not that experience.

Let's just start from the beginning. It was a rainy night, and the line was thankfully covered. The owner graciously upgraded our tickets to speed passes to allow us to bypass the line, which while it earned us a few nasty glares, it was incredibly appreciated considering the weather! We met with the owner and he even let us take a pic with him and his pet rat.

Okay, so we go inside, and having been there before I'm already expecting the first surprise as we approach the Devil, so I lead the way and then stand off to the side waiting for the "boo" moment. Okay, so the Devil? He was an ass. I mean, not that I expect the real Devil would be kindhearted and sweet or anything, but this guy asked me what I was doing hurrying into the room and then told me to go to the back of the line. Um. No. I paid for my ticket, I wanna get scared, I'm not going anywhere. So when I refused and kinda laughed at his efforts, he beckons these two little kids (and I mean, like, the oldest had to be no older than 8) and their family forward, thus putting the three of us in the back anyway. What the hell? I don't look for preferential treatment, but I expect to be scared and I expect to get my money's worth. I don't expect to be told where I get to be in the group, this isn't grade school and if I got there first, I deserve to be in the front.

Haunted Review: Danger Run - By Ash ***SPOILER ALERT!!***

****SPOILER ALERT**** ****SPOILER ALERT**** ****SPOILER ALERT****

In order to give good honest feedback, some details of Danger Run and it's haunts will be disclosed. No, we will not tell you the names or locations of the haunts. Not even if you beg. Not even if threatened. (Actually, we're kinda freaky, we might like that...)

Okay, so we visited the infamous Danger Run again this year, and the expectations have never been higher. Partially because we've been doing this a while so we like to think we're getting good at the clues. (We're not.) Partially because the price went up this year, and while we understand inflation, that only made us expect more. Partially because Danger Run had two of their OWN haunted houses that are exclusive to Danger Runners, plus a third public haunt that is pretty widely known. (Nope, still not saying which one!) 

Baxter Avenue Morgue Review

Baxter Avenue Morgue Review by Michala Tyann

Upon arriving to this haunt, the rain was finally letting up. Lucky us! We got in the very short line-like six people only. We were already a little concerned because there were no outside entertainers. All we saw was, behind us in the dark alley, five or six people standing around. We wondered if it was possibly some actors on a break maybe. Finally we got our first entertainer. A short, thin guy who acted like he had severe mental problems. He wasn’t really suited up to look scary but his acting was kinda on point. I had to wonder if there actually was something wrong with him.

Danger Run Clue-Seeking Fun

Danger Run Review by Michala Tyann

This review does not include the haunts along Danger Run. It simply is me rating my experience with Danger Run, the clue seeking thrill ride.

I will not disclose any locations. I do however, with my other reviews give some themes just because I know that Danger Run offers different routes.

I went into this evening knowing there were a few complaints on the previous nights. Those in charge over Danger Run listened and altered some things to make improvements. I don’t know what those complaints were but I will say, I personally believe that Danger Run proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that they hear us when we tell them our thoughts.

Haunted Review - 7th Street Haunt: Ft. Harmony's Revenge (by Ash)

Ha! Two in a row before anyone else's reviews go live! I'm on a roll!!

Okay, so before I jump into part two of the review for 7th Street, there was a brief interlude where they were offering casket rides for $5. Being the brave person I am - STOP LAUGHING!! - I decided to give it a whirl. Well. The casket is narrow and I'm not, so I now know what a corndog feels like. Then they were having mechanical issues. I couldn't help but laugh, mostly because that's how my luck goes. So while I waited there for them to get the thing to work, Kay grabbed my phone and took some very unflattering pics that I simply had to share.

Okay, so they got it to start and soon enough realized I had no audio so I didn't get the full experience, but I walked away with one very valuable piece of knowledge I never knew I didn't want to know. Rotting flesh smells putrid and I was nearly gagging for fresh air by the time they opened the lid for me. Come to find out they pump scents into the coffin. Very clever! Gross, but clever.

Haunted Review - 7th Street Haunt: The Experiment (By Ash)

HA! I beat the other reviewers to getting up the first Haunted Review of the season! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!

Okay, so the very first stop of the season was 7th Street Haunt. Now, if you've been following the blog religiously (like you SHOULD be!) you'd know we started reviewing this haunt the year they first opened their doors in 2012. Since then, we've watched this haunt grow and expand to the point that this year, they have not just one but TWO haunts. So suffice it to say we are going to keep going every year until they kick us out and tell us not to come back while waving restraining orders in our faces.