Haunted MansionOogie Boogie Bash at Disneyland ResortHauntHaunted houseClassic, of course. Sometimes my penchant for chaos gets the best of me and I end up rolling with mattress actresses who have “cum slut” tattooed on the back of their legs at the precise eye level of small children just learning to read. I’ll get better.
Cinema SlasherKnott’s Scary FarmHauntHaunted houseDawg… they had Frankenhooker split in two and stuck to a wall in one of the backgrounds. When there’s that much attention to detail on a niché property, you know the haunt is great.
Mesmer: Sideshow Of The MindKnott’s Scary FarmHauntHaunted houseKind of a staple, it hasn’t changed from year to year, but still very enjoyable and usually fast to get into.
Delusion: Nocturnes & Nightmares - [Season 2023]DelusionHauntHaunted houseThis year’s edition of Delusion (an annual immersive theater experience) up in Pomona was called “Nocturnes and Nightmares.” It was considerably less intense, less dark (both in terms of lighting and subject matter), and involved way less physical exertion than last year’s cult theme and design. Something tells me that there must have been problems with audience members (or something along those lines) last year that led to this year getting intentionally tamed so much. Even still, there was a group getting kicked out as we were about to go in because a guy actually tried to punch an actor, the whole group kept taking out their phones to film (you’re explicitly told not to), and they kept disrupting the whole performance for the actors and fellow audience members.
Valley of Hollows [Season 2022]DelusionHauntHaunted houseDelusion: Valley of Hollows. I’m going to be real: cults don’t move the needle or fascinate me whatsoever. Maybe losing battle raps to Charles Manson while he rotted away in Corcoran removed all the sheen (if we’re old friends, you’ve likely heard some of those recordings). However, I do love immersive theater, I love practical effects, I love narratives from 70’s California, I love historical sites becoming modern haunts, and I do love a large degree of physicality with my theater experiences. So this was fun… and a lovely way to celebrate the season. Out of respect for the performers, I didn’t take any pictures during the actual encounter, but it was a solid mix of indoor/outdoor scenes covering a lot of ground that was fairly successful in the immersion aspect. Overall, it more resembled a video game narrative and feel than anything else. The sound design could have been less ham-fisted in that regard, as noise was constant, a bit tinny at times, and I don’t think they trusted attendees with their own theaters of the mind. But moments of silence would have really helped make this thing more dynamic and creepy overall. Finally, the creature designs were fun!! There’s an eight-legged one in particular that I feel they should have leaned into more… Anyway, I’m glad I went. Not recommended if you have any physical impairments, as you will run, crouch, climb, and be stuffed into uncomfortable positioning.
Pumpkin EaterKnott’s Scary FarmHauntHaunted houseOne of the cool aspects of this one is the sound design. I seem to remember lots of squishes. Pumpkin guts writes itself…
Wax WorksKnott’s Scary FarmHauntHaunted houseI always loved the exterior of this one a bit more than the inside. Not the best at the park, but decent.
![Delusion: Nocturnes & Nightmares - [Season 2023]](https://res.cloudinary.com/mortyapp/image/upload/c_limit,w_260/f_auto/v1/store/s/00d0529f-219f-4325-b2d9-0f79322d7746.png)
![Valley of Hollows [Season 2022]](https://res.cloudinary.com/mortyapp/image/upload/c_limit,w_260/f_auto/v1/store/s/a9a56f07-fd16-4329-a53b-906859a3dd0a.jpeg)
