Fallow

So I ran this poll last year - thought I'd try it again this year. I can only do 20 options for each question, so I had to separate it into zones and houses - and even then I had to make some really tough decisions on what to include on the ballet. Some justifications for the exclusions/nuances: STREETS 7: I had to combine the male and female costumes for each sin, otherwise they'd take up 14 of the slots. Besides, the costumes are supposed to complement one another. And yes, this includes the daylight and the nighttime transformations. Raven: If you want to vote for the Raven for houses as well... well, you gotta use the option in the Streets, I guess! HOUSES Winter's Night: The zombies were unfortunately out because they've done those types of characters before. The Blue Light Wraiths from the finale were excluded due to their similarity with the Canyon of Dark Souls Wraiths. Hawthorn has a very specific, recognizable costume and thus gets her own spot. The Skeleton Man was excluded due to his similarity with past "blending-in" costumes. "Other spirits" refers to any other of the ghost-based characters found in the house. Nightingales: Had to lump all stages of the Nightingales into one slot. Gas mask soldiers didn't get included since they've been done in some capacity before; ditto with the regular soldiers. The THING: I know, I know - the costumes in here are different from the previous THING appearances. However, I was pressed for space, and felt compelled to make this call. If you really loved one of the THING costumes, feel free to write it in via a reply - there were some great ones. Bloodngutz: Independence Day... people... were excluded due to the genericness of their costume. Peeps guy was excluded because he practically has no costume. Hay Man was excluded for the same reason as Skeleton Man. Arbor Day Girl was excluded since we've seen actresses in that sort of attire before. Pilgrim & Pocahontas were excluded due to the basicness of their costumes. Saws'n'Steam: Almost all of the costumes here were used in or were heavily drawn from the scare zone last year. Poe: Again, tough calls had to be made. Vulture Eye from Telltale Heart was excluded due to what many have complained to be the "plasticness" of his mask. The Raven can be voted for in the Streets category. The Pit & the Pendulum characters were fairly generic. Poe's Wife was excluded to her costume being similar to previous corpse-like women at HHN. In-Between: Unfortunately, the demon characters had to be condensed into a single slot. Most of the masks use the same mold, though I realize there are significant differences amongst the actual costumes. I apologize for this.

Nights - 7 Winter's Night - 10 Nightingales - 10 THING - 10 Bloodngutz - 10 Saws'n'Steam - 12 Poe - 12 In Between - 11 Forsaken - 11 Bill & Ted - 4 Death Drums - 1 MIB - 9 Mummy - 5 Jaws - 1 Rockit - 3 Total House Count: 85

It was completely do-able without Stay'n'Scream. I led a large group (about 10 people) on a makeshift tour... we were at the gates at opening and managed to complete all 8 houses, doing Saws'n'Steam twice, by 9 PM. Poe's wait time was enormously exaggerated at the beginning of the night - sign said 45, I called BS, got in line - it took 15 minutes. Saws was an absolute walk-on. In-Between and Forsaken were 5 minutes each. Bloodngutz was maybe 10 minutes; Thing was 20ish. Nightingales and Winter were 10-15 each. After 9 though, all but the soundstages heated up. Forsaken had 60, In-Between was at 90, Poe was 90, Saws'n'Steam was 100, didn't see Bloodngutz. THING said 30 but was probably 20, Nightingales and Winter were 10 minutes each.

What exactly happened to the Peeps guy in here? I thought they were supposed to be eating him... but the last few times I've gone a guy has run out holding the peeps as if he was going to stab us with them. It's very random and hardly registers.

It's a no-win situation for Universal. If they're lenient with pictures, the zones become photo ops rather than scare locations (see last year). If they design the zones to be photo unfriendly and are very strict about no photos (at least posed photos), then they get ire from the photo junkies. There's really no way to find a happy balance short of having a few photo friendly zones and a few photo unfriendly zones (I guess you could make the argument 7 is supposed to be the photo friendly zone, but I've found that the escorts in there are as aggressive as their scare actor counterparts.) For me, I'm divided. The photos were out of control last year (even though I know Fear Revealed was sort of supposed to be a photo zone) and I'm kind of glad they're moving back towards more scare-fueled streets. That said, the photography I see here every year is absolutely astounding and I hate to lose some of that beautiful art... then again, a truly great photographer can handle most any subject regardless of conditions, and you all have adapted well.

I WONDER WHICH CAST - I did have an opportunity to do this house twice on Sunday, one on each cast. The difference is night and day. I did get to see the rip scene for the 3rd time, which was fun. (For the record - even in the "bad" cast, there were some very talented scare actresses that were going nuts @ my Nightmares shirt. I appreciate you ladies for working. But sadly a majority of that cast just seems bored.)

Before I forget them - got Nightmare shout-outs from one of the Lusts in 7, a Saws'n'Steam actor (wasn't Harry Warden), Kim in Winter, the Nightingale in the body-on-a-table room, H.R. Bloodngutz (I don't think it was Shoe though...), the Leprechauns, the Spaniard in the second room of Forsaken, probably missing one or two... but still, it was all very memorable and I had top-notch runs through every single house. Thank you to everyone for a great final night! Full review to follow in the coming days

This is the best zone ever, seriously. My "general public" friend, who has only attended previously in 2009, thought it was absolutely brilliant in every way. I can't wait to write up a big praise-filled wall o` text on this zone on exactly why it worked so damn well for my big year-review. To BOTH casts in this zone... just, fantastic. I'd say keep it up, but you've been stellar on all of my runs for the last 3 weeks, so I'm not worried about you now. Street of the Year - make it happen.

Come Try Your Luck Nobody Beats the House The House Always Wins Your Fate Is In Her Hands Are You In? Be Careful What You Wager... Take your pick, I guess they skipped the meeting where they decide on a concrete marketing tagline.

The button makes a series of really obnoxious goofy sound effects. I find it to be hilarious.

I'm going the same Sunday you are - that particular one will probably be about as crowded as your typical peak night (not Hell Week, granted) due to some schools having the next day off. Seriously though, follow that plan and you should be okay. The soundstage lines never get too long so it's a mistake to do them first (THING generates the longest of the 3 for some reason)... it's Saws, Poe, and Bloodngutz that can get nasty.

Go to the KidZone holding area and hit up Forsaken & In Between... then do Saws, then Poe, then Bloodngutz, then Thing. If Nightingales or Winter still has a long line, skip it for now, it'll be down to almost nothing later in the evening. Explore zones. Bam.

Either hit it first thing or hope you get lucky with the single rider line. If the single rider line ends halfway up the stairs, go ahead and wait (it'll be 15 to 20 minutes). Any longer than that and you're better off just sloshing through the standby.

Not sure I'm crazy about this - Mel's needs the actors, it's a huge void. But I guess more actors for YLHRO can't hurt...

No clowns, or clown-like elements, this year. You should be all set!

Nights - 4 Winter's Night - 7 Nightingales - 6 THING - 7 Bloodngutz - 7 Saws'n'Steam - 8 Poe - 9 In Between - 8 Forsaken - 8 Bill & Ted - 2 Death Drums - 1 MIB - 4 Mummy - 3 Jaws - 1 Rockit - 2 Total houses - 60

No, it's an actual actor. The soldier stands there, telling you to move along, when suddenly a Nightingale comes up behind him and tears his upper body away, leaving a bloody lower half. Elaborate lighting and sound accompanies this obviously, and I believe the soldier fires some flailing shots as he's mauled. It's a very cool effect (on the level of the heart-rip from Frankenstein) but the position always seems to be unoccupied. I've only seen the actual sequence happen once.

A few observations I noticed for the planners... Saws'n'Steam stays quiet for the first hour and a half the park is open... basically, until the first Bill & Ted. Bloodngutz opens late, every day. Unfortunately, quite the line builds up as soon as the park opens - you're better off waiting til around 7 to try this one. Nightingales always has a longer line than the other houses not long after opening - I recommend saving it for last. Towards the end of the night, it literally becomes a walk-on because everyone did it first. The THING is the opposite. It's a walk-on early on but develops a lengthy line by the end of the night. Winter's Night has a high capacity and eats people. It's near-walk on for the first two hours or so, picks up a little, and ends up being a walk-on in the last few hours. Poe seems to be the big loser - huge, huge lines, likely due to the popularity and familiarity of the author. I'd almost recommend hitting this one before Saws'n'Steam (does this one open at 6 like Saws? If not, hit Saws, then Poe, then Bloodngutz). The fact that Bill & Ted now dumps people into Poe instead of Saws'n'Steam (facepalm) keeps lines LONG. In-Between - never seems to develop huge lines. See Winter's Night, but add 5-10 minutes to your wait. Forsaken - massive people eater like always (and the early merge point helps). This can really be hit at almost any time without much of a wait except on peak nights. Suggested touring, then? 1) Saws 2) Poe (switch if Poe opens at same time) 3) In-Between 4) Bloodngutz 5) THING 6) Winter's Night 7) Forsaken 8) Nightingales (last two are interchangeable)

The hats were discontinued, or just not re-ordered? Why? My girlfriend and I split the cost and bought one, they were just too cool looking!

It's also at MIB Gear, for the record. I haven't seen it anywhere else.

I think if they moved the Wheel to the other side of the zone, off to the side (aka so a line forming to take pics wouldn't block the entrance), we'd be in good shape. Music volume will help big time, looking forward to that next weekend. Color... hmm, there IS a lot of red. Maybe some blues and black washes for a little more ambient variety? The biggest change should be replacing those awful Demon Masks. Also, Zkeeper, were the chainsaws in here or just at the entrance/Mel's?

Oh, I know you guys still get scares - I've been jumped in there before, and the last one on your right has made it seem like (s)he wasn't going to go for me by remaining still, but then when I glanced back was right up in my face, chasing me out of the house! I might've you seen you in here at some point, btw - a specter tends to point at my Nightmare shirt after going for the scare in that last scene. I guess the UTH guide just needs to be informed that the effect was scrapped!

Okay folks, I attended this weekend on the 30th and 1st and have some new observations/thoughts to share. Winter's Night -I can never get over how pretty this house is. Noticed that there actually some roofs where appropriate (aka whenever you're "inside" a structure) - great to see criticisms from last year's review being addressed! -I've seen some temporary actors in the "Distant Cemetery" scene... can someone please instruct them how to use the scene to their advantage? Sometimes the actor/tress hides below the wall and nails it, sometimes they stand in front of the wall reaching their hand out. Meh! -The Brides (Lady Hawthorn?) in the Distant Cemetery scene are epic in their scares. -Noticed the cool UV light effects in the Gravedigger's Shack... reminds me a lot of Legendary Truth, but very subtle! -Any idea on why the finale specters hoods don't work as intended? I took the UTH tour and they explained what was supposed to happen... Nightingales -As I noted last week, this house has great consistency and tends to improve with repetition. -Noticed the horse corpse this weekend - wow! Gross but adds to the theme amazingly! -I love how in the mirrored corpse room the Nightingale plays the scene differently based on the cast. One cast has the Nightingale go atmospheric, crawling around amongst the corpses (to quote an impressed friend, "like a child surrounded by Christmas gifts") and gnawing on them, while the other waits right past the shit-in-your-face transition... nailing you before you have time to examine the scene. This is great variety since it keeps me on my toes - I really don't know what'll happen on any given run. -The show scenes seem to have halted... I've never seen the soldier being dragged back/mauled since my first run, and often the post is empty. What's going on here? -Bunk bed victim, however, was present and getting good scares! -I rarely see the machine gunner scene play out, either. The bungee girl is whirling around and the gunner is shooting her with proficiency and believability, but where's the other Nightingale off to the left? The THING -I can't lie and say I'm not just a tinge disappointed in this house. It's still a very good house, but I expected more from such a property... the audio design is wonderful but the costumes are too repetitive, and the resets lasting too long. -So yeah, how about them resets. I never see half of the characters in this maze due to them, especially in the kitchen scene. First giant puppet in the transition to the second scene needs to be on a shorter timer. -No idea why everyone thinks the finale is so great... It's okay, the alien that attacks is very cool-looking, but the "flame-thrower" is ignorable and unscary. -I do get some solid scares in here, but not as much as I should. H.R. Bloodngutz -Very glad I got to meet Shoe and have some fun with him in our opening scene -Solid scares all around here... particularly love Arbor Day, St. Patrick's Day, President's Day, and Thanksgiving. However, on all but a few runs the Feaster Bunny has been missing (his post is empty). What's going on? I really want a good scare from him -Independence Day got their poppers back but their scene still blows -Pilgrim has his gun back, too - I think everyone's right, the gun has to recharge so in between fires he'll come out without it -Elves scene is still anti-climactic. The mirror effect simply doesn't work, the chainsaw's weak audio is pitiful. Saws'n'Steam -This maze has held up, it's a lot of fun! Great scares -Noticed the sparking guy in the air-blower room, though he seems to be missing more often than not -There really seems to be a big issue in casting this year... too many empty spots day to day... -The waterfall scene has improved in my eyes, actors in here are much more effective in their scares (Luke, you got my party on Saturday) -Lighting seems better in the finale, but it's still a tad ho-hum -I love the intensity of the metal-banging room. Have they increased the frequency of it banging? It's great -What's the deal with the meat grinder, in like the second or third room? At opening someone will be in it and it's an awesome effect, but by the end of the night it's unoccupied and the actor is just standing next to it. -Chainsaw audio needs to be amplified big time, you can tell it's fake Poe -Not a lot to say... I still love this house even though I don't get scared as much. The coffin guy in Pendulum seems to be missing more often than not -Noticed the Virginia scrim effect... very creepy! -In-Between -Had an AMAZING run on Saturday -How many guys are in the laser room? I thought there was only one, but I was shocked (and forced to scream) when a second one confronted me on the left! -Saw the the "no floor" effect... very cool -In the multi-colored zigzag hallway there was a guy above you in the netting! Is he new? I've never seen him before, it was awesome! -Actors seem to be coming out more frequently in the final scenes, much better -Actors in the opening demon rooms (with the heads) are doing better, but their scene is hard to scare in -Winged actors rock rock rock, you scare CONSTANTLY. Quality AND Quantity -Actors in the pixie stix room, as much as I love the look of the room, kind of get a bum job... their position is fairly obvious and the pixie stix in the way makes it hard for them to get in your face I appreciate the effort though! -Noticed the fog effect for the first time in the board game. Love it, very eerie! Forsaken -This house seemed very well staffed for once. Lots of great scares, I was overwhelmed by actors at some points -Finale is still epic -Love the variation of the actors in the courtyard... finding lots of cool places to blend in -First scene animatronic seems to be broken... Haven't seen him do much in a long while 7 -This zone <3 -Both casts are so much fun. The transformation is very cool, it impresses the newcomers -The way to get destroyed in this zone is to have a member of the opposite sex and link arms. Seriously, we had a decent run (maybe one or two scare attempts) going on our own, but once I went through again with a sex buddy (c;) we got no less than ten scares, including a chainsaw chase-out by the very talented black actor. Lusts, Prides, and Envies deserve some special praise Grown Evil -Better... but still doesn't seem as aggressive as it should be -The stilts are awesome though, they have incredible agility... can move so fast -I think I may have met Pumpkin in here... that was fun! -There are some assholes who try to tug on the wings... seriously? -Love the pair of secluded benches in the center of the zone... very nice to relax there and people-watch Canyon of Dark Souls -I got another Nightmare shoutout from a stilt... MrBungle?? -The lighting makes some very cool surprise scares from the stilts. I got some very cool scares. Acid Assault -Chainsaws are a good addition, IMO -I haven't seen the wheelchair actor before, but he was awesome! Your Luck Has Run Out -Much, much, much better -Minions are on their game and milk the scares -Demon Lucks are getting better about scares -Pretty Lucks still need to look more devilish/HAPPIER, but they are getting more enthusiastic. Lots of pointing and gesturing -Set pieces much easier to see, very cool details -Roulette wheel projection is far more visible now, nice detail -The Wheel is here, which is awesome... but it's placed poorly. Creates a bottleneck of people trying to get photo ops and people trying to enter/exit the zone. -Luck Be a Lady needs to be played WAY louder -I'd raise this zone's grade to a B+ now Nightmaze -Better... but still no dice. -Saw a lot more scaring going on which is awesome... caught a few myself -The walls change every once in a while, but I haven't been "boxed in" yet -There's clearly a lot more energy now which I really appreciate. I'll keep making trips through, I believe in all of you! -Oh, those spinning disc costumes are AWESOME. -I'd raise this zone's grade to a B-

While I love the chainsaws, I'm not sure the Minions are the best characters to have them... maybe the ones in Mel's, but the ones in YLHRO, too? That's gonna kill the ambiance...

What ever happened to the female ladies who were supposedly going to be gagged?