| WILMINGTON HAUNTED HOLLOW RIDE:
Every Halloween, the fields of Clinton County come alive with fire breathing
terror! Open-air buses, having their tops removed serve as transportation
into Wilmington’s Haunted Hollow. These man made convertibles
speed into spook infested woods, where chainsaw wielding ghouls, witches,
mechanical monsters, bulldozers, and the patented flame-throwing, horn
blasting semis desire to claim their next victims! This ferocious
forest produces repeated all out assaults, complimented by numerous surprises
from start to finish. Everyone makes it in. What’s in question
is whether the fire breathing behemoths allow anyone to survive Dead
Man’s Curve and escape the Wilmington Haunted Hollow.
Only Undertaker, Gravedigger, and Widowmaker
know
for sure.
Analysis:
LENGTH - 9, 20 minutes.
ACTORS - 8½, There's no shortage of highly agitated,
weapon and chainsaw wielding crazies. The Hollow is well known
for its abundance of masked, energetic characters and this year is no exception.
Total Characters = 38.
SCARINESS - 9½, Repeated run-ins with various
motorized vehicles deliver multiple terrifying chases, supplemented by
aggressive monsters, both on and off the bus.
DESIGN - 9½, Arguably the most unique haunt around!
Additional scenes and extensive structures have been built insuring that
the experience is better than ever before. Finish is second to none!
It’s so different from all the rest, you’ve just got to see it for yourself!
PROPS - 9½, Several additions including newly
added animatronics. These, along with trucks, bulldozer, and substantial
use of fire are impressive standouts.
VALUE - 9½, No price increase in comparison to
last season, and the combo ticket presents the best bargain.
RATING: 9+ , New scenes and new scares make
The
Hollow better than it's ever been! Crowds flock to experience
perhaps the most unique haunt in the world, so it’s advisable to arrive
early, as lines get extremely long as the night progresses. |
| SLAUGHTER HOTEL:
Check into the once glamorous Hotel that's now in a state of disrepair.
Climb aboard the late Samuel Slaughter's surprise containing elevator,
and ride down "twelve stories beneath the ground!" Darkness
rules in the depths of The Hotel, where irate beings have taken up residence,
and aren't pleased to find their homes invaded! Wicked sounds,
apparitions, and a secret door maze, haunt the experience, and the only
escape is via a steep ramp that leads back “above ground” and eventually
out of Slaughter Hotel.
Analysis: 10-15 minutes in duration, but easily
longer depending on one’s success on the lightless 13th floor. Assaulting
sounds and surprising characters unnerve your progression. At less
than $7 a head as part of the multi-haunt combo package, Slaughter Hotel
brings a more traditional haunted house themed event to the Wilmington
Haunted Hollow site. Obviously, it's not really 13 stories beneath
the Earth, but it makes for a good tale! If you get too scared, don't
bother calling out for help, because underground, no one can hear you scream! |
| NIGHTMARE
PENITENTIARY: Disorienting sirens and alarms,
maniacal chainsaws, and crazed, imprisoned convicts rule the barbed-wire
fence enclosed Nightmare Pen. Explore the foggy maze, entrapments,
and even a false finish or two that arise from jail cells of the undead.
Once they get you locked in, you may never break free of Nightmare Penitentiary!
Analysis: Less than 10 minutes long, but
filled with uncertainity. Enraged prisoners struggle to cope with
their destiny, and take desperate measures to seek freedom. While
limited by its length, the experience delivers non-stop nervousness from
the moment you first step inside, until you finally break free. Scenes
are continuous and authentically decorated, and the course is changes from
year to year. Nightmare Penitentiary is best enjoyed as part
of the 3-haunt combo ticket. |
