Cedar Point Halloweekends 2012 Review

Cedar Point Halloweekends: Sandusky, OH

Indoor Haunts

GA Boecklings Eerie Estate
This award winning haunt was still our favorite and still packs a scare, but after three years needs some fresh ideas and scenery. The old fashioned haunted house is meticulously decorated in period furniture and nick-nacks, the actors are extremely convincing (we did miss the original old Mr. Boeckling greeting people at the door, though) and the lighting is perfect for setting the mood. This haunt won our Frightmaster award last year and with the addition of some new scenes and a little more creativity, could very easily grab that award again!

Rating: 10 – Excellent

The House on Boo Hill
This is a family oriented haunt perfect for the kids. It’s well lit with just a little bit of creepiness but was actually one of the best surprises this year. I loved that they took out the mirror maze from last year and added new rooms. The alligator bathroom was awesome and the bed of nails was a nice touch! It was just enough for the kiddies to experience a little Halloween chill without really scaring them. Good job!!!

Rating: 9.5 – Excellent

Club Blood
This is a your worst nightmare dance club – unless of course you LIKE vampires, blood, fog and very loud music! Lots of banging around, sneaking around and misdirection make for a haunting experience. Different but fun! Good actors. Great sound. Could be a bit longer, though.

Rating: 8.5 – Very Good

Eternity Infirmary
This was my personal favorite haunt this year at Cedar Point. The actors were over-the-top convincing with more enthusiasm and in your face scares than any of the other haunts. The rooms were fairly sparse but just enough furniture to get the point across of a creepy sanitorium where the patients have taken over. Lots of screaming and yelling and just enough jump out scares to keep you on your toes. Kudos to the actors in here! High energy scare. Great job!

Rating: 10 – Excellent

Outdoor Haunts

Cut Throat Cove
This pirate themed haunt was just ok for me but could have been a lot better if the actors were more involved and the placement of the actors was a bit more creative. Most of the actors we encountered just stood still in the middle of the trail and didn’t do anything to try to scare us. The fog was dense but it wasn’t used to create disorientation like in the Screamworks haunt. You just walked through it with nothing jumping out on the other side when you least expected it. This haunt has great potential and with some reworking (put more actors behind things and more jumping out in the fog) and tell the actors to be a bit more vocal (I didn’t hear one actor even open his/her mouth all the way through) this could be an excellent haunt. It was very long (almost too long).

Rating: 7.5 – Good

Blood on the Bayou
This was an outdoor haunt that meandered along a very dark trail flanked by very realistic creepy-looking river cabins. The creativity and design was excellent on this haunt and the actors didn’t disappoint either. The actors were creepy and believable and jumped out when you least expected it. It was hard to see some of the way with the intense fog but that just made it creepier and more claustrophobic. This haunt could use a bit more length and maybe a surprise at the end just when you think you’ve made it out safely.

Rating: 10 – Excellent

Maniacal Mechanical Screamworks
This was a big favorite this year. The fog makes it spooky but the actors and props make it terrifying! It’s 360 degree scares and no where to hide as you make your way through this outdoor walk that is a combination of futuristic thrills and old-fashioned in-your-face screams. Although it could use a few more actors and more fog, it still is an absolute must-see at Cedar Point Halloweekends!

Rating: 10 – Excellent

CarnEvil
Evil clowns – EVERYWHERE!!! Definitely a must see for all clown-a-phobes!!!! Best costumes and make-up we have seen in ANY haunt!!!! The scenes are pretty much the same every year but it never fails to send chills down your spine as the demented clowns jump out of nowhere and invite you to “join the show”. Lots of fun and a few “gotchas” thrown in as well.

Rating: 9.5 – Excellent

Overall rating: 9.3 – Excellent

Visit their web site at www.halloweekends.com