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2010 Schuster's Haunted Forest Event Reviews


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4 total reviews. Showing 3 of 4 on this page (1 filtered).

Page 1

Please note: this review is for the 2010 season rather than the current season.

Schuster's Haunted Forest

by blazepi13 (Newbie Review Crew Member) after attending on Saturday, October 23, 2010 at about 2 p.m.

Submitted: Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Fun Factor: High Fear Factor: Medium

Review

Schuster's Haunted Forest is one of the many fall activities at Schuster's Playtime Farm in Deerfield, WI.  I was really excited to go to an outdoor haunt at a farm and really didn't know what to expect - a quaint little farm with a few patrons and a petting zoo?  Sure, their playfully-decorated website talks a big talk (http://schustersfarm.com/haunted-forest/) but could this "playtime" farm really bring the big scares?  

My jaw dropped when Mr. K (the easily frightened), Mr. G (the curmudgeon), and I arrived at our destination.  There were TONS of cars parked in huge lot, a huge ticket line, and another line weaving between two buildings.  I DEFINITELY underestimated this place!  The wait was pretty long - about 30 minutes in a line to get tickets and about an hour and a half waiting to take the ride to the forest.  Another 30 minute wait awaited us at the forest entrance and there was about a 10-15 minute wait at the end of the haunt.  There were plenty of treats around to keep us occupied and 'Children of the Corn' was projected on the side of the building by the wait to get on the "wagon," so that was nice, but be prepared for a long wait!  
The ride out to the Haunted Forest was our favorite part - hold on to your seats!  The haunt itself had its strong points (the ghoul who kept scaring me in the line to get into the forest and a particular clown-laden section of the forest stand out to me) and its weaker points where some actors seemed a bit tired of doing the same thing over and over.  For the most part, however, the energy was high and the scares just kept coming!  
As always, Mr. K was holding on tight for most of the forest - this haunt is definitely not for the younger kids!  Mr. G didn't appreciate the long waits in what was a line of 99% 13-18-year olds (clearly the target audience).  Everyone at Schuster's Haunted Forest clearly seemed to be having a great time, however, and it was definitely quite the experience!  I can't finish this review without recommending that everyone buy some of the Kettle Corn being sold on the site.  I think we ate the entire bag in about 10 minutes!  Delicious!

Signage / Visibility / Location


Because Schuster's Haunted Forest is such a big attraction with a huge draw, I would recommend just following all the other cars in that area!  It's definitely easy to find!

Wait Area / Line Entertainment


The wait is LONG!  We estimated our total time waiting (from ticket purchase to arriving back to the farm after the haunt) was about 2h45m.  This could depend on your arrival time (we arrived around 8pm), but I would definitely recommend arriving early and preparing for the wait!  Bring warm clothes as all of the waiting is outdoors.

Actors' Performance


The actors' performances varied from fantastic to a little confused, but all-in-all they did a great job.  We kept being scared in various ways throughout.  

Sets Scenes / Props / FX


The setting is great - what's better than a dark forest to set the creepy mood!  The "wagon" transportation to the forest is pretty amazing, as well - a gigantic tractor driven by the creepiest of old ladies hurls you left and right through a corn field.  Prior to leaving the main area while sitting in the wagon you are played a story that we think was giving us a little background on the Haunted Forest but we couldn't hear a single word.  The scenes throughout the forest were great, but my personal favorite (and one I ran straight through, eyes mostly covered) was the clown-filled carnival.

Length


The wait, as I said before, was tremendous, and the haunt itself lasted about 30 minutes.

Crowd Control


We only ran into another group once during the forest but only, I think, because Mr. K was pushing us through a bit!  We held up for a half a minute and then never ran into anyone else.

Most Memorable Moment


Standing in line waiting to get into the forest I kept laughing at the people who were getting scared by the "Death" character who kept pacing throughout the line.  At one point I turned around to talk to Mr. K, and started to say something when I realized I was staring at Death who had been standing there, patiently waiting for me to notice him.  I screamed so loud I had everyone around me giggling.  Well played, Death...well played.

Summary

I had a great time at Schuster's Haunted Forest, though I could have done without all of the waiting.  Not that I didn't enjoy the wait and the smells of the caramel apples wafting over me, but I wasn't expecting to spend over three hours at the farm that night!  So be prepared to wait and I think you'll have a fantastic time.  Not only was the Haunted Forest a treat, I definitely think I will go back to Schuster's during the day.  What a great place!

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Please note: this review is for the 2010 season rather than the current season.

Schuster's Haunted Forest

by x0char0x (Newbie Review Crew Member) after attending on Friday, October 22, 2010 at about 3:30 p.m.

Submitted: Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Fun Factor: Medium Fear Factor: High

Review


This was my first year attending Schuster's Haunted Forest and was really impressed with all the activities they offered for you to do, especially during the day.



At the beginning of the haunt they take you on a tractor trailer ride. To me this is the most creative transportation that I have yet to see at a haunt. You feel like you are being loaded up into a fenced in trailer that will lead you to your death.



The haunt itself I was a little disappointed with. It started off kind of slow with not a lot of actors involved to scare you. They do have different scenes set up throughout the woods but it just seemed like there was something missing. I love the haunts that interact with you and make you part of the scene, and this was missing that aspect so maybe that had something to do with it. It could also be the fact that it was 11pm by the time I actually got in and the actors were getting tired.



At the end, you are then loaded back up on the trailer and taken back to the parking area.

Signage / Visibility / Location


The location of this haunt was kind of hard to find. They do have a sign with lights out front but it is in the middle of no where so you don't really know where it will be on the hwy.

Wait Area / Line Entertainment


I had to wait in 3 different lines at this haunt. The first one being the ticket line. While waiting in line I got a chance to peak at the map of their grounds to see what they had to offer and it was really cool all the things they had set up. The second line I waited in was to get onto their tractor right that leads you to the actual woods. They had a movie set up to play but for whatever reason they forgot to push play on the movie. The third and final line was in the woods waiting for your turn to go in. They had a man outside with a shotgun greeting you.

Actors' Performance


To me I felt that it needed a few more actors in place. The actors they did had did a good job at staying in character and were right on cue with their scripts.

Sets Scenes / Props / FX


The sets they had were pretty good. I will say I was very impressed with their grave yard scene. Just the atmosphere surrounding it made it perfect. Overall, just the fact of being the woods scares me so they did a good job.

Length


This was definitely a longer haunt. Be prepared for a wait though. I waited for about 2 hours to get in and then about 45 minutes to walk the entire haunt.

Crowd Control


For it being a busy night, I felt they did a good job with crowd control. At one point I did run into the group ahead of me but the actors did a good job at holding us back so it didn't happen again.

Summary

Overall, this was a pretty good haunt. I would recommend it to anyone over the age of 13.

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Please note: this review is for the 2010 season rather than the current season.

Schuster's Haunted Forest

by louiscyphre (Newbie Review Crew Member) after attending on Saturday, October 23, 2010 at about 3 p.m.

Submitted: Monday, October 25, 2010

Fun Factor: Very High Fear Factor: High

Review

Schuster's is a great nighttime-on-a-spooky-working-farm haunt, with much to keep you occupied and setting a monstrously good mood that one only gets in the wonderfully isolated wilds of Wisconsin -- Shadowy Wisconsin Farms In the Middle of the Night, we salute thee!.  


Signage / Visibility / Location


Very easy to find, follow Google, right off the main highway.  If you're coming from Madison and you get to Deerfield proper, you've gone too far.  Be warned, though, it's out there on it's own, you are really stranded in the middle of nowhere, nestled within spooky undulating cornfields and rolling hills....oh, and parking is on a huge grass lot, so be prepared if it's been raining, I could see this getting messy.  

Wait Area / Line Entertainment


These guys do a bang-up job, we waited literally about 1.5 hours, and it went by fast; there are two waits before you get to the haunt proper, but because it's all spaced out (and there's a hair-raising ride in a filthy cattle pen/cage thingy in the middle of one of them, more on that later), it seems like not a lot of time has passed. 

There are all kinds of things to do while waiting in the first line, there's a bakery barn where they sell pumpkin baked goods and cookies and fudge and some other kinds of stuff like pumpkin carving kits, and there's also a food stand where you can get stuff like burgers and popcorn, oh and they sell fresh kettle corn, which appears to excite many people.  There's also a corn maze (that I think you can wander around in after dark, too) and there appeared to be lots of things for kids to do, but they seemed to be closing by the time we got there, so be warned.  They also have the original Children of the Corn movie projected onto the side of one of the barns while you're waiting patiently, nicely adding to the mood; nothing like a 20 foot tall closeup of Malachi's screaming face to get you all revved up for some corn-fed horror!

Second wait is different, you're dropped off at the edge of a dark forest and have to find your way up a path to a leaning, fire-lit cabin, and there's nothing connected to the "real world" anymore, so take those potty breaks and fill those tummies before stepping foot in the cattle pen, people!  They rev up the terror at the final wait, with an awesome chainsaw guy at one point who literally split the line down the middle with his swingin' chainsaw.  Also, be warned, shots will be fired at one point, so pack your kevlar, although they appeared to be shooting into the air while we were there.  Maybe we got lucky.  

Actors' Performance


Consistently most excellent -- ghouls are obviously thinking about their roles here and some have clearly developed little patters or styles; love that sometimes they approach you and try to talk to you or warn you, other times they walk around and make unsettling noises, other times they just stand or lay there, other times they just want you to come up and see them.  Shout out to the hordes of clowns this haunt apparently employs, and to one of the best things in the whole haunt, the creepy creepy creepy little old lady with the hands of a man, who does announcements and drives the cattle-pen-pulling tractor, she is one awesome spook; nothing like watching an old lady in a headscarf hang off the side of a cattle pen turning her head awkwardly and silently up toward the stars, and then suddenly jumping over the cage wall and trying to grab the waiting patrons!  This guy deserves something for this performance, and damn, he's freaking funny, too.  That quivering voice, yeesh....

Sets Scenes / Props / FX


Setting is terrific, and, as above, they do a wonderful job of setting the mood, with loud and unexpected sounds and a general atmosphere of isolated rural creepiness.  I mean, how can you not start to feel something when you're loaded into a rusting cattle pen dragged behind a speeding tractor driven by some crazy old lady who was just a few minutes ago trying to grab people?  And man, that lady has one hell of a lead foot!  

Within the haunt proper, you're basically wandering up and down this hillside in a dark forest and coming upon scenes, sometimes in little houses or structures, sometimes just outside under the moon.  There appears to be a little story playing out at times, I think you're told the basis for it by the Little Old Lady's Animatronic Sister, but we weren't able to hear it due to some annoying tweens talking about important issues that apparently concern them more than listening to the story they just paid $12 for!  I think the story has to do with a Family Stew or something, I would advise listening more closely to this, I think it puts some things in the haunt into a clearer context.

Schuster's also plays with your senses, smells and sounds and physicality (not to give it away, but claustrophobics  might want to pack a little extra valium for the hanging hemp rope scene (I think it might have been a mine, but am unsure).  There is also precious little animatronic stuff in this haunt, praise Satan, and more emphasis on the little scenes and ghoulwork; people come at you from all angles, and not always just to yell loudly in your ear, sometimes they just want to be of assistance...assisting you right into a trap! 

Oh, and for those of you who love a carnival, you'll be happy to know you've been taken into account here and the joy and wonder of a carnival is hereby corrupted quite nicely.  

HERE THERE BE SPOILERS:

At one point, apparently broken down en route to clown college (or more likely the clown penitentiary), you have to walk through an abandoned school bus....filled with delightful clowns who are not particularly helpful, let me tell you.  Awesome clownwork here, people!  Also love the military mannequin, and the troll around the bridge with the long long nose and the unsettling approach and retreat.  Oh, and try the Ghoul Aid, it's quite...surprising.  

Length


Took about a half hour to get through, just right.  Also felt that they do such a good job with the lead-up to the haunt while you're waiting that that's actually part of the fun.  Plenty of entertainment here.  

Crowd Control


Good job, never ran into another group, they space you out in groups and are willing to be flexible to accommodate people; we had a really large group and they offered to let us all go in together, but we decided to split it up, which worked nicely.  Too large of a group = too many people who don't get the full scare.  

Most Memorable Moment


--Little Old Lady with the Man Hands
--So many wonderful clowns

Summary

Most excellent haunt of the kind one only gets in Wisconsin, this is part of why I love living here.  I suspect Schuster's has been doing this for a long time, and it shows; they seem to have things down to a science and it's got a great home-grown feel to it.  No fancy flashing store/convention-bought horrors here, my children, just a bunch of imaginative people and a dark forest and an urge to scare the crap outta ya.  

One tip, though, we thought we were being all cool and went on the night of a full moon, and this both added to the fun, in that it's cool looking out over the hills or up past the trees in the creeping moonlight, and detracted from it, in that we could see things a little too clearly sometimes, and so some of the scares weren't as effective as they could have been.  I would advise attending on the darker evenings, if possible, if you want the full effect.  Whatever the case, though, it's a thoroughly enjoyable haunt that has a lot going for it -- you can make a whole night of this one if you want, and you'll definitely get your money's worth.  

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Please note: this review is for the 2010 season rather than the current season.

Schuster's Haunted Forest

by DarkWolf1088 (Newbie Review Crew Member) after attending on Saturday, October 9, 2010 at about 2:30 p.m.

Submitted: Monday, October 11, 2010

Fun Factor: Very High Fear Factor: Medium

Review


Ah outdoor haunts...how they have always held a special place in my heart. It takes a special breed of actor to work in and work with the elements to achieve a scare. Schuster's Haunted Forest did not disappoint. First and foremost I have to say that this attraction used strobe lights and darkness amazingly well. If you are expecting to be able to attain your night vision on this outdoor attraction you can just forget about that now.



There has always been something about wandering through the woods, freely, and getting scared that most people enjoy. The Schuster's have set their haunt up for success. When you begin the haunt you really feel as if you have been dropped off in the woods and you are working your way back home. This aspect I really enjoyed.



The haunt had plenty of scare variety. Haunts can get boring if all they are is actors jumping out and screaming. This haunt had a good combination of role playing type scenes and flat out jumping out of the darkness. The one thing I was disappointed in, however, is that there are some spots that are dull due to the lack of scares or scenery.



This minor "hic-up", however, was few and far between. The haunt still did well with keeping the creep factor up. Being in the woods alone (mostly by yourself) is enough to put anyone on a bit of an edge, but the way the haunt moves you around and pinch points that it puts you through it definitely keeps you up on your guard.



Schuster's Haunted Forest is definitely a must for those that want that "Halloween feel". Nothing quite beats woods, creeps, and only moonlight to guide you home.

Signage / Visibility / Location


A bit of a problem. A huge sign but no lights to speak of. You are coming to the haunt off of a highway so if you miss that sign...forget about it. You will definitely have to turn around and come back. There is also a distinct round barn on the property that you might be able to see. Look for that. If you have GPS or you are looking at addresses and the location is getting closer, slow down, and you will be able to see the sign. From there pull in and enjoy!

Wait Area / Line Entertainment


During the day Schuster's is an entertainment farm with plenty to offer. The night is just the same. There is a market where you can buy Halloween goodies and gifts. There are also several concession stands were you can purchase snacks, drinks, and my favorite, kettle corn. There was also a bonfire and other smaller activities that you could do.

Don't have the nerve to be scared but still want to be out on a fall night. The event also offers the ability for visitors to take a night time tour of their corn maze. All in all there is plenty to do before and after the haunted attraction.

Actors' Performance


The actors did a great job, especially those that were in the positions of role playing. I never saw any actors break character and all actors kept to their roles. Further each actor had a unique way of scaring. This is refreshing to see as screaming gets boring and, eventually, annoying. This troop of actors definitely deserves to know that they did a good job.

Sets Scenes / Props / FX


All I can say is that there is nothing better than use nature as your set. This may sound easy but to really make this type of attraction work you got to know what you are doing. The scenes fit the set...a mine shaft, a shack, and an old time carnival are all things that fit ones idea of a haunted forest. This definitely helps you feel as if you are in a movie. Finally the props and FX were appropriate as well as simple which was fitting for the landscape. Everything worked together to really create a first class attraction.

Length


The length all together was about an hour. The problem was that half of that hour was spent waiting to board a wagon, waiting to enter the haunt, and then waiting to be taken back to the farm. Granted the farm had a busy night, as they should, but what this means is that the haunt should be longer or a better way to move patrons through should be found. Is the wait worth it...I would say so but just be prepared for such a wait.

Crowd Control


Again another haunt that utilizes our boys in blue to help with crowds, disorderly people, and other trouble makers. Two Dane County deputies were there to assure that everyone behaved. Not one minute did I feel that there was going to be a problem.

Traffic control, on the other hand, left a lot to be desired. The event had A LOT of vehicles tightly packed into one parking area with little room to back out and head home (without hitting another vehicle). When I left there was a line of cars jockeying to get into a spot. That is another time you need to factor in.

Most Memorable Moment


I would have to say that the most memorable moment, honestly, was the wagon ride to the beginning of the attraction and from the end. The ride really sets the mood and brings the creep factor up. With the design of the wagon and hard core music playing as you are hauled off it really does set the mood.

Summary

Although this haunt has its rough spots it does not hurt the haunt itself. It is still well worth it to come out and brave the woods. I would definitely recommend this for anyone who wants a true Halloween haunt.

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