Please note: this review is for the 2011 season rather than the current season.

Dr. SCary's (PERMANENTLY CLOSED)

by Budda after attending on Friday, October 7, 2011 at about 3 p.m.

Fun Factor: Very High Fear Factor: Very High

Review

Having attended Dr. Scary's last year my wife and I returned for another good scare. Our overall impression was that the haunt had been revised enough to create a fresh and even more intense experience. Read on to learn about the pros and cons.

The Cons.
First, the bad news. The entrance to the haunt is from a dark road onto a narrow private drive that leads through a campground. Two employees were posted at the entrance to sell admission tickets and direct visitors to the haunt. Neither of them wore reflective garments, carried flashlights or showed much situational awareness regarding traffic. They parked a golf cart nearby, thus restricting traffic even more. My advice is to go slow and watch out for pedestrians, as they are apt to step in front of your vehicle. The same problem arose when we reached the parking area for the haunt. Several people were standing in the way even as they directed us to pass by, which I declined to do until they stepped aside. Once again, none of them wore reflective gear or carried flashlights and there were plenty of children running about so be careful. In terms of safety, I considered the situation unacceptable for a public event.

The second problem was that even though we arrived at 7:38 PM and the event was scheduled to open at 7:30 PM, we waited until 8:20 PM when the event was finally ready to open. We were actually the first customers in line and Dr. Scary's was simply not ready. That lack of planning is irksome, especially considering we had the same experience last year.

The Pros.
If you are still reading this then I assume you are willing to tolerate the previous complaints. The haunt was well worth the wait and provided plenty of entertainment value, with 39 actors hidden inside ready to scare the devil out of us. There was plenty of spooky atmosphere, ambient sound effects, movie-like sets in each room, and the entire haunt was quite well designed. I enjoy haunted house events but generally laugh my way through them. Dr. Scary's has proven to be the most frightening of the haunts we have visited in recent years. The staff and other visitors have always been friendly and in spite of the intensity of the scares, it was a family-friendly atmosphere.

Summary

This is well worth the drive and a good scary value for the money. Be sure to check out this haunt.

View all Dr. SCary's (PERMANENTLY CLOSED) reviews

Comments: (2)

 

HPpeople

Oct. 23, 2011, 9:34 a.m.

I would like to clarify the 'Cons' The haunted house is in the middle of Jellystone Campground, that is set off in the country in a wooded area. This makes things very spooky. And because it is a campground, you will see children playing, people walking and enjoying the night air, and a few golf carts which are many of the campers' transportation around this large campground. Yes, you have to drive carefully, and be watchful of people and children, but after all, it is a campground that many families visit every year.

HPpeople

Oct. 23, 2011, 9:39 a.m.

I would like to clarify the 'Cons' The haunted house is in the middle of Jellystone Campground, that is set off in the country in a wooded area. This makes things very spooky. And because it is a campground, you will see children playing, people walking and enjoying the night air, and a few golf carts which are many of the campers' transportation around this large campground. Yes, you have to drive carefully, and be watchful of people and children, but after all, it is a campground that many families visit every year.

Also, about the waiting time...I have been to several haunts, and sometimes there are technical problems. Wouldnt you rather experience a haunt that has everything workng properly than one that isnt? I have waited at some other haunts for a great length of time, not only the wait time, but when smething technical happened, we waited even longer. But I enjoy haunts greatly, and the wait is ALWAYS worth it.

 





March 28th, 2024 1:25 p.m. CDT 24.01