Legacy

Maybe, but I'm a little hesitant to agree completely. I don't think the GP will really grasp where exactly Cindy is from. Considering her home has been destroyed (three times over) and her family is "dead" (and Daddy Dearest may be dying again this year), I don't see Orfanage doing a full connection between Cindy and her actual past. If anything, there may be some images of the Caretaker near Cindy's room. If anything, they may be attempting to reestablish her specific cannon without the direct connection. Only the fans will really know about it. That's one thing I've noticed in exploring HHN cannon is that most people who visit the event don't really know the backstories behind the characters, the houses, etc. They only care about the theme. You saw it constantly on the Facebook page where people kept asking, "What's the theme," "Who's the mascot," "What's the theme?" They only care about the easy visuals. Even the concept of the personification of Fear seems a little heady to a lot of people. They're not going to care about how Jack represents Chaos and the Storyteller represents Mythos. Most in the GP don't even know who Cindy is know. Orfanage isn't going to tell that story. It's simply a new one.

Except for the fact that there is no guarantee that the shot was of Tent 2. I remember reading speculation that there was some uncertainty. I personally think that image was mislabeled. Regardless, we'll see next week when rehearsals start.

Destination: Theme Park said that cast was for that facade because they assumed it was Tent 2. The shape of that facade doesn't fit the Shadow Creek concept art though. I always felt the facade looked more like a temple/pyramid entrance than a military facility anyway. The only time I've seen military facilities that resemble that shape the would be embedded into mountains, but even then they wouldn't have their name plastered on the walls. Check out this image of a catacomb entrance: If they covered the black of the facade with dirt, rocks and grass, you would create an instant Catacomb entrance. The concept art for Shadow Creek just doesn't match it.

I still think that black, construction shot that should never have been taken is for Catacombs and not Havoc. That photo of the boards up door is quite possibly the exit.

I want to say something about that. I saw the black facade being built that everyone assumed was for Shadow Creek, but the concept art is too long/horizontal to be for that facade. The black facade consists of three sections, maybe four feet wide. There is no way that long, "Shadow Creek" name, with the logo, is going to conceivably fit, unless they are building a wall to go around the Sprung before the actual facade.

Sweet. That's a back-story I can get behind. Although, I pray I am not wearing a mask.

Thanks for that. I had missed it, and it's nice to get some more backstory for these houses that seem a little ambiguous. Suddenly, PsychoScarepy seems a lot stronger of a premise and I am even more excited for Catacombs. I think those central aspects of the house stories are brushed over, which isn't going to help (in my mind.)

That would be a new effect... EVERY house has a vortex!

I'm guessing that PS will be a ghost house like Wyandot Estate. The write-up talks about the "souls" of former patients and there is, obviously, the disappearing figure in the logo. Actual studies of the paranormal have even compared the ghostly sightings to "Echos" of what happened in history. This brings up an interesting point though. Looking at the houses, most feel like they could incorporate Legendary Truth in some way, shape or form. Wyandot is obvious. A haunted, ghostly Shadybrook would make perfect sense for the same reason. Catacombs could be an international investigation, as they try to find the truth of what happened 500 years ago. Hades could be a portal in a lost cave that they are exploring. The Orfanage would be similar to Wyandot and Shadybrook (since the house seems to already be burned down). Hallow'd Past would be a search for the Lantern itself. The only two that seem out of place in this idea is Zombiegeddon and Havoc.

I really kinda hope so. I'm getting really tired of Jack and the Caretaker (even though I love Albert Caine). I like the idea of them starting fresh. Like a hand... or a foot... Part of the Adaru legend involves the fire demons being wrapped in brambles as a sacrifice (if I remember correctly). I think THAT would be seeing them in a way we haven't: writhing in pain, pleading for mercy. Furthermore, just how bad-ass would that make Fear?

I see what you mean, looking at the colors, but I've done MiB too many times to count and he doesn't look familiar. That, and the background looks rocky/cave-ish.

If they are new (and I've never seen anything like them before)... The green monster is probably Hades? None of the other houses, or scarezones for that matter, have enough of a fantasy feel to include a giant, green, dragon looking thing. The scepter could be from several things. Zombie Gras, Dead Skeleton (I don't know Spanish)... shoot, it even reminds of the Court of Miracles scene from Disney's Hunchback of Notre Dame which took place in the French Catacombs. A torture looking device that could be PsychoScarepy, Catacombs, or perhaps even Wyandot Estate, depending on how dark its history is.

Wow. I'm kinda surprised that thing is up so early. I'm sure management is thinking that it might as be used for RTU. Just throw some intelligent fixtures up there and, viola, instant party.

True. I normally associate those with smaller fires, which is why I didn't consider them. I'm having a hard time envisioning how this will work. If they use glass to separate the guests from the fire it kinda kills the impact. It's the same with a small, controlled burn. If they are using the fire-blasts outside, anything smaller than that inside is going to feel rather "ho-hum" to me.

The open flame thing has me really intrigued. I can't imagine one of the soundstages having it because it would almost impossible to vent the smoke out. Just a little bit of smoke can take hours to get out of the bigger SS. I can't imagine an actual fire and the smoke it produces siting in an enclosed area. That would cut the possibilities in half. I don't see how it would fit, thematically in Zombiegeddon. I would be most appropriate in the Orfanage, though again you run into spacing concerns. I think, if this really going to happen, it would mean that some of the houses have outdoor scenes, similar to Maximum Carnage in 2002. Once you exited the building, there were still scenes outside. This could happen with both Sprungs and Orfanage, but I'm thinking it would be in Havoc.

The platform is, most likely, a Spot-Op tower for the Event Lighting.

1. Catacombs: Black Death Rising - This is my most anticipated by default, predominately because it's the house I'm in. I anticipate it will be the closest to the Dueling Dragons Queue haunted house people have fantasized about for years, since I'm sure they just took all the skulls off the walls during the Potter-transformation. 2. Legendary Truth: The Wyandot Estate - I rarely hear people mention Ghost Town from 2004, which was a superbly creepy "Ghost" house with really cool black-light make-up with traditional haunted house lighting. It's been one of my favorites of all time. I also remember some neat effects in 2003 with Ship of Screams. The ghost houses can be amazing when done correctly, and this feels like a combination of Screamhouse with Ghost Town. 3. Hallow'd Past - Should be a great, and fun, house. I love how the the promotional shot is reminiscent of the traditional "Behind the Screams" images from the websites, with the brick walls and rows of shelves. I'm hoping the transitions aren't too jarring though. I hope it flows like Silver Screams did. 4. Havoc: Dogs of War - I don't to be anticipating this, but I find myself doing so anyway. I never experienced The Thing: Assimilation, and I'm a bit surprised I wasn't cast in the military house (but I'm not complaining), so this will be something different for me. 5. The Orfanage: Ashes to Ashes - It has the potential to feel like Screamhouse. I'm glad Cindy finally is realized without the rest of her family. It helps establish her as an independent character. However, I'm wary of any queue-line houses because of limited space. 6. Hades: Gates of Ruin - Wow, I'm a bit surprised how low this one is. It has the potential to be incredible, but I'm anticipating that the spectacle of the house will over-power the actual scares in the house. If they pace it like Wolfman (with deliberate scenes where you could watch the action) it should be really good. I want it to be tense, but I'm guessing it will be kinda ho-hum. 7. Zombiegeddon: The house without a sub-title - The only thing that I would like to see is that the mentioned ZAP, Zombie Awareness Program, is actually a group like PETA working for Zombie Rights. The write-up feels like this house is similar to a hunting range that utilizes live-game, the type of thing that PETA is all up in arms about. If ZAP in integral to the story, then I'll be super interested. 8. PsychoScarepy: Echos of Shadybrook - I've never been a fan of PsychoScarepy. I wasn't in 2003, believed Jack was shoe-horned in 2006, and feel that Home for the Holidays didn't need to be associated with Shadybrook. I read someone make the statement that it would be like a regular PsychoScarepy with everyone painted white, and that's all I bet this will be.