Land of Illusion Review – 2016 (Updated 11/2/16)

Attraction Overall Score – 3.8/5

(all ratings scored out of 5)
This review has been updated to add the Haunted Trail and Zombie Sniper Patrol, which were closed on our initial visit.

Middletown Haunted Trail

Curb Appeal – 3.7/5
Scare Factor – 4/5
Actor Enthusiasm – 4.3/5
Creativity – 4/5

Overall – 4/5

Paul – I thought the trail was easily the best part of Land of Illusion. It has grown substantially since the last time I went through. The actors did a really good job even though you tend to get bunched up with other people toward the end of it. They were able to reset pretty quickly and since there are so many twists and turns, they could do it in a manner that didn’t give them away to an entire line of people still coming. A huge amount of it is now indoors, there are way more places for the actors to hide, and everything looked great. I can’t wait to see what gets added for next year.

Teresa – This is always one of my favorites every year. I love long haunted trails. This one is almost a half hour and takes you through so many scenes, with fog, crazy actors, great sound effects, and impressive animatronics, including some really big ones. I enjoyed seeing some old favorites and I’m glad they made some new additions for this year. I thought the tunnel near the beginning was really cool. Especially memorable are the dozens of hillbilly-cannibals who threatened us throughout. And the insect-man was great. Area 49 is always awe-inspiring, and I love the buses and headless horseman. The school section was also fun, with a creepy lunch lady. My favorite part of this whole thing, was being behind these 2 guys who were not with our group. The actors were great at startling them and often targeted the second guy, who was rather jumpy. I don’t know if the actors communicated to give each other a heads-up about the funny guy, or if he was just that obvious a target, but it was absolutely hilarious. When some creepy character would ask for a volunteer, I’d point at him, much to his horror. Why would a random stranger do that? So, kudos to the haunt actors for doing a great job! I love this trail, the scenes are very impressive, as are the effects, the actors are entertaining, and it is so full of props and chilling animatronics. There is so much to scare you. Just go!

Todd – This is the best I’ve ever seen The Middletown Haunted Trail (within Land of Illusion). Numerous improvements were clearly noticed, including the incredible new entrance – the sewer.

This new area is legit. I mean, it looks like a real sewer or drainage area. It has tall, metal walls and concrete floors with metal grating along the center. Barrels are strewn about and it’s pretty damn dark. The construction is impressive and a welcome change from the former military area. This new area didn’t feel like it had a lot of theme, but there’s certainly room to develop in.

Other noticeable changes included the outdoor spider infested area. The walls of webbing have been pulled in to get everything very close to your face and give you a but of a claustrophobic feeling. The webbing now forms a tunnel-like pathway so you’re completely engulfed throughout that entire area.

A covered crypt area has also been added. Similar to the cave area that’s been there for a while now, this somewhat smaller area is littered with coffins and tombstones. Not bad decor at all, I just wish this area was a bit longer.

Overall, this attraction is still one hell of a hike. It also features some of the best actors in the whole park. They’re very interactive so if you think you’re going to sneak by unnoticed, think again.

Zombie Sniper Patrol

Curb Appeal – 3.5/5
Scare Factor – 2.5/5
Actor Enthusiasm – 2/5
Creativity – 4/5

Overall – 3/5

Paul – I enjoyed being able to shoot paintballs at the zombies quite a bit. There are other haunts doing it but I haven’t been to one as in-depth as this one. You get into an old army truck with the paintball guns mounted to the sides, they load the guns up for you, then you take off to a few different scenes in the woods where the zombies are supposed to come after you. I like the army truck aspect and that there are several scenes and zombies involved. My complaints are that most of the zombies didn’t move much if at all, and the truck was moving so fast through some of the scenes that it was really hard to shoot accurately. The scenes were well done and the vehicles were fun, but I think there should be something changed with how the zombies interact. Definitely the best zombie hunt I’ve seen though and well worth a go.

Todd – Paintball shoots at haunted houses are becoming more commonplace. However, that doesn’t mean they are all created equal and fortunately Land of Illusion reigns towards the top with Zombie Sniper Patrol.

Blessed with a lot of land rich with trees and corn, this attraction gives riders a fairly long trip spanning 6 scenes and 2 car chases. The sets are fully painted and diverse. Each features an average of 2 live targets.

Each gun is equipped with a load of paintballs; extras will cost you $5 per refill. It’s easy to run out – there’s a lot to shoot out. The best is saved for last when another vehicle chases the truck. I found myself really wanting to derail the driver by totally unloading on the windshield…but that’s me.

This ride isn’t scary at all, but it’s not meant to be. In fact the most frightening aspect is wearing the recycled safety glasses. If you’re a germ freak – bring your own.

I’ll be interested to see what Land of Illusion does in the future to re-innovate this type of attraction.

Temple of Terror

Curb Appeal – 3.4/5
Scare Factor – 3.6/5
Actor Enthusiasm – 3.6/5
Creativity – 3.6/5

Overall – 3.6/5

Bill – Excellent scars, right out of the starting line one of the actors jumped out of the door and scared me. All of the actors were very enthusiastic. Great haunt both the actors and props.

Teresa – This is a pretty long haunt with a good variety of scares. They do a good job with building the theme and there are dark passages, moving floors, some great large props and animatronics, and lots of actors providing jump scares.

Gayle – This one is my favorite exhibit.  I love the entry from the elevator!  It starts a jolting ride throughout this long haunt filled with spooky twists and turns.  The props are well done and the actors are both energetic and spirited!  The tomb filled with coffins and corpses is creepy, and you never quite know what is a prop and what is an actor, until they’re in your face!!  I also love the swampy, jungle area with the bridge…there’s a few unexpected startles there, which make for some great screams!!  The effects like the animatronics and the drop ceiling are fantastic!  Even though I’m typically terrified from the moment I enter until the moment I exit this tomb…I always want more!  Great job!

Andy – Do you dare disturb this hallowed tomb? I loved the design and scares offered by this haunt. The actors have several opportunities to jump out at you, and you’re never quite sure what is around the next corner. Rope bridges, curses, giant beasts…there so much going on that you’ll have to go through several times to catch it all!

Todd – Temple of Terror, at it’s core, continues to impressive simply because it’s a 10 minute-long cavern with a plethora of nooks for its residents to hide within. This is great…if they’re there.

On our visit, I do not recall more than 5 actors in the entire maze. Perhaps there were more, but it felt very vacant. There is a fair amount of automatic interaction in TOT but the near-pitch dark corridors lend much more opportunity for actors, whom can make or break a successful haunted house, I certainly wish there were more and of those that were there, I had hoped there would be more characterization based on the them then just jumping out from a corner screaming “argh!”.

There were not many noticeable changes in TOT this year. Signs of wear and aging are evident throughout. Such damage is inevitable, especially given the tremendous volume of visitors each year.

I couldn’t help but feel that our old friend Temple of Terror could use some TLC, both in cosmetics and actors.

Dr. Psycho’s Haunted Estate

Curb Appeal – 3.6/5
Scare Factor – 4.0/5
Actor Enthusiasm – 4.4/5
Creativity – 4.0/5

Overall – 4/5

Bill – Again, great haunt, lots of scary props and the actors were excellent at keeping you on the edge.

Teresa – This one was my favorite out of the 4 that were open when we visited (the Middletown Haunted Trail and Zombie Sniper Patrol were closed due to excessive rain). It is a classic haunted house theme. The actors were enthusiastic, professional, and one had a skinned-alive costume I’ve never seen before. There were lots of jump scares, mostly delivered by actors. I like that it is a mix of indoor and outdoor.This one is fun if you go with jumpy people!

Gayle – Well…no time is wasted here!  The moment one enters this estate, the scares begin!  The long walk through the woods is the stuff of nightmares.  You can hear the not so distant sound of rabid dogs, or perhaps werewolves, and CHAINSAWS as the intensity builds.  The actors here were enthusiastic, and very much into character throughout the entire tour.  The props are just creepy, the lighting is perfect…just dark enough not to see those psychos lurking around the corners, and light enough to really enjoy the props.  This is a great haunt!

Andy – I look forward to a trip through Dr. Psycho’s every year and this year is the best yet. New and updated rooms help the Dr. Psycho theme closer than in years past, and provide new opportunities for scares, even among returning visitors. My favorite part about this haunt is how you transition from inside to outside, then back in again. The actors are engaging and make Dr. Psycho’s a crazy ride from start to finish.

Todd – Dr Psycho’s is always a tie for my favorite LOI attraction. Since the Haunted Trail was unfortunately closed due to weather on our visit, this one surely wins haunt of the park (for me).

There were many some additions and changes, first starting at the VERY beginning creating the best outdoor feel (indoors) yet. Although the path outside was largely the same, the first indoor area we walked back into was a new hazard contamination scene (too bad that section wasn’t longer).

The actors in this haunt were fantastic. VERY energetic, especially those playing tortured victims.

At times Dr. Psycho’s can feel a little over-stimulating; it seems every 10 feet, something is making noise, an actor is screaming or a prop is activated. For the easily-startled, that’s probably your worse nightmare. For me, it takes a bit away from the eeriness of the atmosphere but the weak-hearted will certainly be rocked by those within this amazing estate.

Voodoo Bayou Shanty

Curb Appeal – 4.0/5
Scare Factor – 3.2/5
Actor Enthusiasm – 3.8/5
Creativity – 4.0/5

Overall – 3.8/5

Bill – This was just ok this year. I’m not sure if the actors hadn’t gotten their motivation yet, but they mumbled most of the time and didn’t really feel scared. The props were excellent, lots of creepy stuff around every corner. The puddles were a bit problematic, but it made me feel like I was in the swamp.

Teresa – This one is my favorite as far as decorations and themes go. They do a great job with the shanty theme, if you can imagine a little shanty going on for 10 minutes. There were also some great masks, enthusiastic actors and chainsaws!

Gayle – This one has that back-woods feel, with the old log cabin and the bluegrass playing in the background.  You feel like you’re sneaking through someone’s shack in the middle of the night.  I’m not sure if it was an off night, but there were few actors in this one, so the jump scares were somewhat more limited that what I expected.  We spent most of the time silently walking though the old house looking at the props…which are great, but I would have loved more actor presence and interaction here. I do know that some of the attractions were closed down due to weather, and that’s what I thought may have been the case here.

Andy – Welcome to your hillbilly nightmare. Come for the smells, stay because your leg got chopped off by chainsaws! This haunt engages all your senses. I love how cut off and claustrophobic this haunt makes you feel.

Todd – Voodoo Bayou Shanty is certainly the most consistently themed haunt at LOI. Although Killer Klowns doesn’t stray away from it’s circus origins, the shanty hits all of the supporting elements – backwoods hill folk, cabin interior throughout, disheveled surroundings, relevant soundtracks throughout and if you get them on a good night, even hints of incest!

The Shanty gives you an interactive experience of a conventional, cinematic “middle of nowhere” experience. The level of detail is great – many authentic and old appliances, canned goods, trailers (!), filth, etc.

The actors were good and fairly energetic but I felt some of them needed more substance. Some play their roles very well while others feel more like maze fodder.

The shanty also had its share of noticeable changes this year including a pretty cool canopy-covered downgrade at the end, complete with giant boar!

Killer Klowns

Curb Appeal – 3.4/5
Scare Factor – 3.6/5
Actor Enthusiasm – 4.6/5
Creativity – 3.6/5

Overall – 3.8/5

Bill – I’m not a bit fan of clowns, but this was excellent, and every year it gets a bit darker. I really loved it. The actors had great enthusiasm and one even made people smell her armpit. Excellent clown humor and not repetitive. Keep up the good work, loved it!

Teresa – I think this one is the most improved over previous years. They added some fun decorations and improved the maze, but what really sells it is the clowns (actors). They manage to be humorous and scary all at the same time. This is a solid fun-house-type haunt.

Gayle – I can tell this attraction had stepped up its game.  It was far more intense and dark than the years before.  The props were better, the actors and costumes were better, the changes made to the maze were so much better in that you can’t really see other people scurrying around.  I was definitely pleased with the improvements made here!  Loved it!!

Andy – This carnival of evil is sure to make you quake with fear. The actors really took it up a notch this year. The clowns are in your face, and sure to make you laugh, and hope their threats are just a cruel joke. For the younger crowd, or those that are not sure what they are getting themselves into in Land of Illusion, this might be a good starting point.

Todd – Killer Klowns continues to evolve. A few years ago, the consistent use of blacklight was abandoned (for the better) and it turned more into a dark haunt.

Now, KK is still a dark (sometimes VERY dark) haunt but rather than the clowns still trying to be “creepy” clowns, the acting direction has turned more psychopathic.

These clown actors are GREAT. They’re bursting with vile energy and they hold nothing back. One informed us he was going to shove his feet down our throat and use our corpses as stilts!

This is a great change in direction, separating KK even further from its other clown-themed peers who still heavily rely on blacklights and 3D glasses. The clowns are now more reminiscent of those found in the new Rob Zombie film, “31”. Less emphasis on neon makeup; more emphasis on the threats and violence.

Killer Klowns keeps stepping closer to the ideal circus-hell dystopia that hopefully other haunts will learn something from. Having not seen the changes to the haunted trail yet, Killer Klowns certainly gets the “most improved” nod in the park.

Overall Impressions – 4.2/5

Bill – Well worth the price of admission. There are tons of scares and great food and drinks. The actors are amazing, and you will leave with a bundle of nightmares for weeks to come.

Teresa – All four haunts are solid, with a variety of scares, fun actors/costumes, and good themes. Plus the venue is enormous with lots of other entertainment options, like a stage with live music, a mechanical bull, a demon drop, a big bonfire, and a bar and cafe (and nice restrooms), food booths, a fortune teller, not to mention the two attractions we were not able to see the night we went (the Middletown Haunted Trail and the Zombie Sniper Patrol). They even have a gift shop now. This place makes for a fun night. I can see this being a great place to take a group of people for the evening.

Gayle – I have to give props to LOI for being an all-around GREAT haunting experience.  We didn’t get a chance to review the Zombie Patrol, or the Haunted Trail during this trip due to weather/flooding, but nonetheless, we’ve reviewed them before, and this place is simply awesome.  There are so many other things to occupy people of all interests, from the giant bonfire, to the live music, a place to grab some suds, and so much more.  It’s just an amazing atmosphere…loads of fun with lots of screams!!

Andy – Land of Illusion is like a party. For one low price, you can take your pick of the different themed haunts – there’s something for everyone. Go through your favorite haunts as many times as you like! The night we went, there was a country concert in full swing on the main stage, and plenty of people hanging out near the fire-pit. At Land of Illusion, you’ve never had so much fun being so scared!

Todd – Land of Illusion is just a place you need to see if you haven’t already. Much like its haunted attractions, the grounds themselves are ever being amended to. Live concerts have been added all season which are included with the price of admission. For some, it’s like going to a concert and getting to go through the haunts as an added bonus…or for me, it’s having the convenience of these great haunts all together with some live entertainment playing in the background.

We were unable to see the Haunted Trail or Zombie Sniper Patrol due to the weather, so we are hoping to go back sometime later in the season to see these.

Overall, Land of Illusion is easily worth the price of admission given the haunts, bar, concerts and other attractions all offered. LOI also just received Amusement Park status so we may be in a treat for even crazier things to come.

No Responses to “Land of Illusion Review – 2016 (Updated 11/2/16)”