Yep--it’s time for this year’s Haunt!
Larry and I went to the park on Saturday, October 6. We hit the park before opening, so we got in plenty of rides on Twisted Timbers and I305 before the hordes arrived. We also bought Fright Lane, which was a smart move as Haunt was crazy busy that night.
Kings Dominion goes a bit more “over the top” with mazes and scare zones than Busch Gardens (which has better shows). Some of their sets are surprisingly elaborate for a theme-park Haunt. Knott’s Scary Farm is a fairly strong influence.
So, what about KD’s mazes this year? Here they are, from best to worst.
Blood on the Bayou (near Windseeker)--Although this maze lacks an actual swamp, it makes up for it with excellent sets and plenty of voodoo priests, priestesses, zombies, and even a cannibal BBQ. This was an import from Knott’s Scary Farm, and the craftsmanship really shows; plus, the scare actors actually talk to the guests, rather than resort to nothing but loud noises and jump scares.
Trick or Treat (near Drop Tower)--This “halfway house” for witches and lost souls is another excellent import from Knott’s. Creepy dolls and evil magic abound as you wander through this seemingly innocent farm house.
Cornstalkers (International Street)--This is a better-than-average “corn maze.” What’s really cool is that the scare crows and other monsters blend in really well with the claustrophobic pathway. This maze has been here for a number of years, and I’ve always liked it.
Zombie High School (near Windseeker)--For some teenagers, the end of high school seems like the end of the world, and this maze takes that literally. This is an old one, too, and it’s OK--watch out for dangling jock straps in the gym, along with brain-dead (and brain-eating) young punks.
Lockdown (Flight of Fear queue; ride is open during the day)--Dozens of men died in a riot at the old Doswell State Pen, which has been abandoned for 50 years. Or are the inmates and guards still there? This is a standard "haunted house" type maze, but the spooky prison atmosphere is well done.
No Vacancy: Condemned (new for 2018--Action Theater in Old Virginia)--This is a redress of the old No Vacancy maze. An entire wedding party disappeared at the old Darkside Manor hotel, and you’re a “paranormal investigator” working on the case. The power’s off, so you have to use a flashlight. It’s not a bad concept, but I liked the previous version of the maze (a creepy haunted hotel) better. The flashlight gimmick is effective in a few spots, but you can still see who and what is coming from quite a ways off.
Blackout (Planet Snoopy, near Snoopy’s Space Buggies)--You stumble around in the total darkness while people dressed in black try to scare you. While not the most elaborate maze at Haunt, it is kind of fun, but you need to have a high tolerance for people bumping into you.
We skipped Tollway Terror (car ride) because it wasn’t on Fright Lane and the line was very, very long.
The best of the park’s scare zones was the Necropolis in Old Virginia, followed by the Yard (evil prison guards) by Flight of Fear. There were plenty of evil circus folk at Cleaver Brothers Carnival (Candy Apple Grove), and some bloodsuckers in the Lair (near Grizzly). For those of you into steampunk, there’s Ironworx on the path behind the Eiffel Tower.
Let’s go in, shall we? Be sure to stand close together. Not that it’ll help, but you might feel a little safer.
