WOW! What a difference a year makes...
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The PNE hired Scare
Factory (an American
company based in Ohio) to design a brand new haunted
attraction for the 2009 season and what a fantastic
job they did. The result is a vast improvement over
the amateurish, sensory deprivation labyrinths of previous
years.
Gone are the cheesy chicken wire encased
displays and endless hallways of darkness, instead the
redundancy of their previous attractions has been replaced
with a quality and professional attraction worthy, in
my opinion, of international recognition!
From the moment you see the facade (pictured
above) you know you are in for a treat. The attraction
is designed as a mansion with all your typical rooms
and hallways. Scare Actors seamlessly blend into the
presentation and the Animatronics are expertly synchronized
to your movements.
But don't rush through it otherwise you
will miss the fabulous display work. Scare Factory's
attention to the visual details reveals their passion
for the craft which has elevated this haunted attraction
to "MUST SEE" status.
There are however, a few cautionary statements
worth mentioning without spoiling anything:
- There is an area punctuated by strobe
lights and could be an issue for individuals with a
particular type of epilepsy known as photosensitive
epileptics where seizures can be triggered by strobe
lights.*
- There is also an area where individuals
suffering from motion sickness may have a problem navigating.
In both cases the solution is simple:
Close your eyes, place your hands on the shoulders of
a friend, and have your friend guide your through the
area.
And for those of you who may be of a
claustrophobic nature, don't worry, the hallways are
wide and I must point out here, wheelchair friendly,
and you should have no problem navigating them. But
should you feel that the attraction is too much for
you to handle, there are security people within the
attraction who will expeditiously guide you out through
behind the scenes passage ways.
The use of cameras and video cameras
of any kind within the attraction is strictly forbidden
and I saw first hand the consequences of using a camera
so believe me, you don't want to have to deal with security
so just leave the cameras in your pockets and purses.
There is really only one thing that bugged
me: The cashier at the entrance to mansion was wearing
a PNE white corporate polo shirt instead of being in
a spooky costume, which kind of through me off for a
moment but as soon as I stepped into the foyer with
that grand skeleton fireplace, all was forgotten.
The Haunted Mansion is rated PG and although
you can bring young children through, it is probably
best not to and certainly do not force them to go in,
after all, it's you that will have to deal with the
nightmares - Mwhahahahaha!
* TIP: If you are using high-power strobes
in a haunt, you might want to bounce the light off of
some light-colored surface instead of aiming the strobe
straight at patrons.
- Parking = Expensive during PNE
but cheaper during Fright Nights
- Handicap Accessibility= Yes
- Waiting Line = Definitely on Busy Days/Nights
- Lighting = Excellent
- Sound = Excellent
- Displays = Excellent
- Scare Actors = Very Good
- Safety = Very Good
- Security = Very Good
- Over All Scare & Fun Factor=
Excellent
