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Sleepy Hollow Haunted Hayride
and the Graves Motel
http://www.midnightpro.com/HHouse.htm
(If you wish to submit a review of an event, e-mail it to Reviews@ScaryPlace.com)
Two events in one!
Active Acres Haunted Farm has teamed up with Midnight Productions to bring you a double event on the same grounds, while providing other forms of entertainment as well.
Scuttles and Nurse Spasm were joined by their good friends Death and Scott for this event. We purchased "combo tickets" that gave us access to the grounds and entry to both the Haunted Motel and the Haunted Hayride. The weather was just right, with enough nip in the air to remind you that it is Fall.
We planned to get there around 8pm, figuring that there was plenty of time to do both events and grab a bite to eat... but as it turns out we barely made it through both events before closing after midnight.
The problem was lines... lots of lines. There were lines to get into the parking lot. There was a 30 minute wait to get to the gate. There was a 40 minute wait to get into the Haunted Motel. There was another 40 minute wait to get onto the hayride.
We had not eaten, figuring we could grab a bite once there. But we ended up snarfing down some junkfood from a concession stand just to keep our bellies happy while we waited to get into the Graves Motel.
The Graves Motel was very well done, with attention paid to details and professional behavior. They had a no-touch policy, much like the late, great Haunted Theater, so we were encouraged by that. The actors did a good job of ushering us through the building, which was actually built into an old Quonset hut (but you would never know), and there were some very professional special effects that were executed to perfection.
There was a good mixture of weirdness, atmosphere, suspense and the occasional jolt, which whipped up into a well done presentation. Not to give anything away, but the fun doesn't end after you leave the building... you have an excellent graveyard to get through before you are "safe"... One of the galloping ghouls is particularly effective when he appears, causing most of the party to yell and bolt. Watch for him and his unnatural gait after you leave the motel, and keep and eye out for his friend who rises straight out of the ground just like that voodoo guy in that James Bond film. (Dang... can't remember the title...)
The Graves Motel reminded us of the Haunted Theater, which is no small praise. While it was not perfect, it was the best we had seen in several years of trying different haunted events.
After leaving the Motel and Graveyard, we stood in line for the Hayride, fearing the worst. Most hayrides we have been on are pretty lame.
We were seated on haybales and on our way. The announcer stated that there was to be no touching of the actors, but that they might touch you. That was a black mark for them as far as we were concerned. A good Haunted Event does not need to resort to manhandling or pawing the patrons.
Since our expectations were low, we were not surprised to be driven through a hut that had a badly staged prison scene... until we got to the electric chair... They did a great job with that scene, with the victim bouncing and thrashing while a truly amazing amount of electricity rained down on him from a giant electrode above. Cool!
There were the usual lame "dark figure climbing into the wagon" events, but most of us had been predisposed to urge these bogeymen to take one particularly obnoxious 12 year old off the wagon and do what ever they wanted with him. After several passengers tried to forcibly feed him to the passing creatures, he clammed up and let everyone else enjoy the show.
The wagon ride was an impressive 45 minutes long, and although there were the usual "jump out and go boo" events and the ubiquitous chainsaw guys, there were just as many really, really well done scenes and events. One in particular that stands out was a huge dragon-like creature rocking a schoolbus full of terrified passengers, and joined by smaller leaping buddies who spouted flame. And all of this was life-sized and real... not a digital effect... Death was particularly impressed that the dragon was able to track us with the position of its head, eyes and body. Kudos to the creators!
When the ride was over, we rushed to the concession area to gram a bit, only to find the only things left were some severely overcooked hot-dogs. Out of desperation we ate one, but it was pretty rank. We went to go sit by the bonfires and listen to the band, but they started packing up and putting them out.
Oh well...
So it was a mixed bag. If we had eaten first, gotten their earlier and expected the lines, we would have had an even better time. As it was, I was glad we went.
Chills...
Scuttles