RECAP:  An expanded Fall Festival decorates the queue line area outside the infamous Dent Schoolhouse consisting of a seasonal photo-op and many booths offering various carnival-like games and activities including Costume Contests, “Boo Blasters,” “Bobbing for Apples,” “Dracula’s Revenge,” “Head Shot,” and so on.  Cornstalks contribute to décor and a gigantic “Kurbis” monster peers downward from an elevated perch overlooking hundreds of freshly carved pumpkins on display throughout, while Pumpkin Smasher, Charlie The Janitor, and other ghouls entertain and interact with customers during their wait outside.

Flashing caution lights from an abandoned school bus beckon entrance into 3-time OVH Haunt of the Year, the Dent Schoolhouse, where a living-statue surprise initiates the experience that winds its way through a darkened desk maze of death, then beyond lockers, slide down panels, mechanical monsters, tilting bookcases, living dolls, CGIs, an animated teacher paddling a disobedient pupil, and a live, screaming, overhead ceiling flyer!

Descent into the wretched basement is complicated by hanged bodies dangling from above as the course maneuvers through dimly-lit archways giving rise to a number of unseen assaults by killer, horn-honking clowns emerging from lightless concealment.  Spooky music plays as a young student is hung by his wrists and violently shakes!  Soon, a diabolical doctor, armed with a knife cuts into a cadaver while offering passersby to, “Stay here with me! You can be my next experiment!”  Carved pumpkins; enormous, animated spiders; cobweb covered, chained caskets; short-circuiting electricity; strange creatures coming forth out of walls; and an oversized, carnivorous insect swallowing a person whole all must be sidestepped before a face-to-face confrontation with a blue-eyed, 12-foot tall “Impaler!”

Water gushes from a cistern of large sewer pipes that hide a surprise before circus music signals entrance into a demented carnival area where carousel horses mysteriously come to life and a stuffed animal surprise awaits!  Still to come is a walk-thru freezer preserving human corpses, a murderous saw splitting a human torso in two, a tight squeeze through a claustrophobic garbage dump of dismembered body parts and cadavers, a ghostly prom, smoldering electrocution, exploding toilet, smoke-filled boiler room, and the reanimation of Frankenstein!

Pneumatic monsters assault progression in advance of a large, man-eating python slithering down from above to encircle its mortal prey, lift her off the ground, and choke the life right out of her while another massive, green-eyed snake (actortronic) stalks other potential victims!  Exiting outdoors discovers a school bus maze hiding an oversized rodent attack, then it’s into a blinding, Mr. Bubble-filled fence maze obscuring a viciously barking guard dog that protects escape from The Dent Schoolhouse!

ANALYSIS:  A loud, frightening soundtrack fills the air from start to finish and combines with dim, flickering lights to produce a most spooky atmosphere!  The “haunted” environment is further enhanced by tilting bookcases, vibrating lockers that open on their own and quickly and noisily slam themselves shut, etc.  Unique, site-designed costumes create elaborately dressed characters, many of which utilize full or partial prosthetic masks.

Uncharacteristically, not a lot of significant changes to the course from last season with the exception of the the expansion of The Fall Festival area and the return and increased density of bubbles to the fence maze, which fill the area from top to bottom often making it difficult to see where you’re going!

The attraction is renowned for its highly detailed scenes.  Favorite scares include live ceiling-flyer/zip line character, mechanical teacher spanking student, python capturing a live victim, snake actortronic, smoking electrocution, sparking circuit boxes, claustrophobic garbage dump of body parts, and Impaler.  Standout performers are the aforementioned ceiling flyer, diabolical doctor, Pumpkin Smasher, and python victim.  Charlie is conspicuous by his absence inside the haunt, as is chainsaw chase-out.

The only drawbacks result from the popularity of the event itself which results in long lines, and unfortunately causes groups to catch up to one another while proceeding through the house, so get there early!