Todd - Land of Illusion is unlike most haunts we attend on a regular basis. Being a multi-haunt attraction is not all that uncommon, however no other is closest to an actual furnished theme park like Land of Illusion- especially given the potential it has to become one.
Before I get into the haunts, I think it's worth noting that year after year Land of Illusion is doing infrastructure improvements , whether it be for parking, amenities or the overall atmosphere. We were unable to attend Land of Illusion last year due to timing conflicts; the changes over the span of those two years were quite noticeable. There is now even more ample parking in the lot directly in front of the entrance. There are also now official parking booths to pass through as you drive up. Even more of the grounds are paved with blacktop (no more walking on gravel!). As before, there are still food stands and small side attractions. While the center stage seems to be used less for concerts than it has in years past, they always aim to provide entertainment in the main gallery while you are not in a haunt.
As far as the haunts go, the improvements and changes were much more noticeable in some than others. For example, Temple of Terror did not have many noticeable changes since our last visit. It also felt like the weakest executed among the haunts regarding actors. Any thematic element offered relied almost entirely on the atmosphere itself and not the actors. The actors felt a bit scarce and really had no major engagement with the passersby other than a generic “Boo” or “Where are you going?.” It's still fun in the regard that it is very dark and at times disorienting, however, there have been no major renovations or scene changes that I can recall. The theme itself has a lot of potential but it just seems that the temple has not received the attention it arguably in recent years. In the past I did comment on noticeable wear and tear to the environments. I will say that the wear and tear and damage was not noticeable this year so it does appear that upkeep is happening but I really wish that more time was put into revamping it since it’s starting to feel very stagnant and predictable.
The biggest change noticeable this year was no doubt Dr. Psycho’s Haunted Estate. The entire haunt seemed to go through a large decluttering process. A large portion of this haunt used to be full of various knickknacks and cluttered scenery which sometimes made sense and others did not. “Less is more” seems to be the approach now. For example, now outside there are two full sized ambulances staged that really add to the sense of victimization before you enter the house. Inside, it feels a lot more spacious without so much excess props and scenery everywhere. Although it may sound like that would lead to a less stimulating experience, it felt quite the opposite. Each year while going through, you tend to encounter Dr. Psycho, himself. This interaction was never really anything memorable and the character did not stand out much more than any other character throughout. This year we found that the doctor actually stopped us from walking through and showed us an experiment he was working on and proceded to perform an amputation with another live actor. This kind of theatrical presentation is what Land of Illusion’s haunts need more of! The overall structure of the haunt remains mostly the same. Some elements that were added in recent years (such as the barn) have been removed, but I did not really feel that that was a detraction of any sorts. It still flows very well and comes together under the theme more so than it used to. In the past three or four years, the end of Dr. Psycho’s always used to be in some kind of underground sewer(?) with large metal circular openings coming out of the walls. It almost looked like a skate park. I never really understood what that was supposed to be. This final room has been revamped into a dungeon / torture room, which makes more sense. The direction and refinement of Dr. Psycho’s Haunted Estate should be a model of direction for the other indoor haunts.
Next, Killer Klowns. I've said it before - I really don't like blacklight haunts. I think they're too bright and they rely too much on the fluorescent artwork than actual scares. While utilizing the 3D glasses to make blacklight paint “pop” if a fun effect, in my opinion it adds very little to any haunt. Given the circumstances of Covid, these glasses are not currently offered. In our past two or three visits I was happy to see that the clown haunt went dark, minimizing the use of black lights and giving the clowns more of an evil feel than brightly lit, over-animated characters. The haunt has undergone a 180 and returned back to almost full black light use with the exception of the chain link maze which is easily the highlight of the haunt. A few concepts introduced a few years ago like the human pinball hallway still remain, however the main takeaway from the haunt felt mostly just one big glowing area with a few vortex tunnels. Some of the actors inside made for great haunt-stye clowns , even in the evil sense, but they would have fit better in that darker, more sinister environment than among the overuse of blacklights. There were very few animatronics or jump scares which really made me feel like I was just walking through and interactive art exhibit of silliness. It really almost doesn't feel like a haunt unless you are deathly afraid of clowns, which by nature you would be terrified by default. Otherwise, this haunt needs some major attention if it is going to be taken seriously and it does not feel fair to some truly great actors trying to pull off an intimidating performance when their environment is anything but.
Phobia, which replaced the Voodoo Bayou Shanty three years ago, has improved since our last go through, however in essence it remains the same. The concept - staged areas depicting peoples’ most common fears (the dark, spiders, bugs, snakes , claustrophobia) is a very direct approach to initiating a fear response, but the execution still feels imbalanced. The majority of the haunt is spent navigating very dark hallways, requiring the use your hands to feel where corners and turns are. Throughout, you will encounter a staged room for each one of the other fears, but it's just that – a singular room. As soon as you go through that room you're back to another dark hallway. Some rooms are executed better than others. For example, the cockroach room is accompanied by a slow strobing light which is very disorienting and it works well. The snake room on the other hand is really just a small jungle/vine room with a big snake statue and a hidden actor, which didn't really fit the room's theme (I couldn’t tell what she was supposed to be). The best two aspects of this haunt are the darkness and the claustrophobia (which only has one very short section with narrow walls to pass through). I think to make phobia more effective, they need to implement even more of the claustrophobia factor. Not one of these fear areas is entirely effective by itself so adding darkness or claustrophobia on top of the theme may prove to be more effective - cockroaches and snakes are less intimidating from afar than they are right in your face. The construction of the haunt itself may create a challenge to executing a variety of scenes, so I understand there may be limitations and spatial restraints.
The real showcase of Land of Illusion is no doubt the original Middletown Haunted Trail. Not only is it long and entirely worth its value but it is also overall the best decorated, the best executed and has the best actors and intensity. The trail goes through many, many scene changes throughout so of course they all cannot be listed here. I will say though, that for the first time in at least five years I was once again swarmed by at least four people with chainsaws all at once in the hillbilly / shanty area. I used to love people coming from every direction with chainsaws circling around people, creating total chaos. That is back! The trail is well staffed so there are a number of areas where you will encounter multiple characters at one time exhibiting a lot of energy. There are a few quiet areas to the trail where there may only be one actor per section but the formula works because it doesn't feel like stimulation overload throughout the entire thing. The end of the trail was pure pandemonium, ending the journey on a very high note and a bang with some fantastic, pumped-up actors. While some areas included a thematic and mildly interactive presentation to build a small story, most of them let the environment set the mood and utilized the actors to provide the energy. Almost every actor engaging us was very good at impromptu dialogue when I would ask them something or play along with their threats. Hats off to the trail for a great job!
Other attractions at the park include Big Momma's Revenge, which we did not go through, as well as an old Haunted Mansion carnival ride from the 60s. It's exactly what you would expect. It's funny, lame, but ridiculously awesome at the same time. I would totally put it in my backyard. Zombie sniper patrol is once again not operating this year but we have been told there are plans to restart it (hopefully) next year with some exciting additional plans for the park.
It’s important to keep in mind that Land of Illusion isn't just a set of haunts - it's a whole night out. You can go get some drinks, watch the entertainment, hit up a haunt or two, come back, sit by the fire for a while, get something to eat, go through another haunt, etc. It's a very different experience from a traditional haunt - paying admission, waiting in a line, and then going through the haunt which exits right out in the parking lot. My wish list for Land of Illusion would be for it to open other things to do such as an arcade or even a restaurant; adding other ways to give the evening a total variety of things to do, even for those who aren't haunt lovers. Land of Illusion is definitely the most ambitious operation of its kind and while not all of its developments go towards haunts, it's clear that each year it gets closer to being an actual theme park. I just hope they remember they started as a haunted SCREAM park and don’t stray from their origins too far.
Before I get into the haunts, I think it's worth noting that year after year Land of Illusion is doing infrastructure improvements , whether it be for parking, amenities or the overall atmosphere. We were unable to attend Land of Illusion last year due to timing conflicts; the changes over the span of those two years were quite noticeable. There is now even more ample parking in the lot directly in front of the entrance. There are also now official parking booths to pass through as you drive up. Even more of the grounds are paved with blacktop (no more walking on gravel!). As before, there are still food stands and small side attractions. While the center stage seems to be used less for concerts than it has in years past, they always aim to provide entertainment in the main gallery while you are not in a haunt.
As far as the haunts go, the improvements and changes were much more noticeable in some than others. For example, Temple of Terror did not have many noticeable changes since our last visit. It also felt like the weakest executed among the haunts regarding actors. Any thematic element offered relied almost entirely on the atmosphere itself and not the actors. The actors felt a bit scarce and really had no major engagement with the passersby other than a generic “Boo” or “Where are you going?.” It's still fun in the regard that it is very dark and at times disorienting, however, there have been no major renovations or scene changes that I can recall. The theme itself has a lot of potential but it just seems that the temple has not received the attention it arguably in recent years. In the past I did comment on noticeable wear and tear to the environments. I will say that the wear and tear and damage was not noticeable this year so it does appear that upkeep is happening but I really wish that more time was put into revamping it since it’s starting to feel very stagnant and predictable.
The biggest change noticeable this year was no doubt Dr. Psycho’s Haunted Estate. The entire haunt seemed to go through a large decluttering process. A large portion of this haunt used to be full of various knickknacks and cluttered scenery which sometimes made sense and others did not. “Less is more” seems to be the approach now. For example, now outside there are two full sized ambulances staged that really add to the sense of victimization before you enter the house. Inside, it feels a lot more spacious without so much excess props and scenery everywhere. Although it may sound like that would lead to a less stimulating experience, it felt quite the opposite. Each year while going through, you tend to encounter Dr. Psycho, himself. This interaction was never really anything memorable and the character did not stand out much more than any other character throughout. This year we found that the doctor actually stopped us from walking through and showed us an experiment he was working on and proceded to perform an amputation with another live actor. This kind of theatrical presentation is what Land of Illusion’s haunts need more of! The overall structure of the haunt remains mostly the same. Some elements that were added in recent years (such as the barn) have been removed, but I did not really feel that that was a detraction of any sorts. It still flows very well and comes together under the theme more so than it used to. In the past three or four years, the end of Dr. Psycho’s always used to be in some kind of underground sewer(?) with large metal circular openings coming out of the walls. It almost looked like a skate park. I never really understood what that was supposed to be. This final room has been revamped into a dungeon / torture room, which makes more sense. The direction and refinement of Dr. Psycho’s Haunted Estate should be a model of direction for the other indoor haunts.
Next, Killer Klowns. I've said it before - I really don't like blacklight haunts. I think they're too bright and they rely too much on the fluorescent artwork than actual scares. While utilizing the 3D glasses to make blacklight paint “pop” if a fun effect, in my opinion it adds very little to any haunt. Given the circumstances of Covid, these glasses are not currently offered. In our past two or three visits I was happy to see that the clown haunt went dark, minimizing the use of black lights and giving the clowns more of an evil feel than brightly lit, over-animated characters. The haunt has undergone a 180 and returned back to almost full black light use with the exception of the chain link maze which is easily the highlight of the haunt. A few concepts introduced a few years ago like the human pinball hallway still remain, however the main takeaway from the haunt felt mostly just one big glowing area with a few vortex tunnels. Some of the actors inside made for great haunt-stye clowns , even in the evil sense, but they would have fit better in that darker, more sinister environment than among the overuse of blacklights. There were very few animatronics or jump scares which really made me feel like I was just walking through and interactive art exhibit of silliness. It really almost doesn't feel like a haunt unless you are deathly afraid of clowns, which by nature you would be terrified by default. Otherwise, this haunt needs some major attention if it is going to be taken seriously and it does not feel fair to some truly great actors trying to pull off an intimidating performance when their environment is anything but.
Phobia, which replaced the Voodoo Bayou Shanty three years ago, has improved since our last go through, however in essence it remains the same. The concept - staged areas depicting peoples’ most common fears (the dark, spiders, bugs, snakes , claustrophobia) is a very direct approach to initiating a fear response, but the execution still feels imbalanced. The majority of the haunt is spent navigating very dark hallways, requiring the use your hands to feel where corners and turns are. Throughout, you will encounter a staged room for each one of the other fears, but it's just that – a singular room. As soon as you go through that room you're back to another dark hallway. Some rooms are executed better than others. For example, the cockroach room is accompanied by a slow strobing light which is very disorienting and it works well. The snake room on the other hand is really just a small jungle/vine room with a big snake statue and a hidden actor, which didn't really fit the room's theme (I couldn’t tell what she was supposed to be). The best two aspects of this haunt are the darkness and the claustrophobia (which only has one very short section with narrow walls to pass through). I think to make phobia more effective, they need to implement even more of the claustrophobia factor. Not one of these fear areas is entirely effective by itself so adding darkness or claustrophobia on top of the theme may prove to be more effective - cockroaches and snakes are less intimidating from afar than they are right in your face. The construction of the haunt itself may create a challenge to executing a variety of scenes, so I understand there may be limitations and spatial restraints.
The real showcase of Land of Illusion is no doubt the original Middletown Haunted Trail. Not only is it long and entirely worth its value but it is also overall the best decorated, the best executed and has the best actors and intensity. The trail goes through many, many scene changes throughout so of course they all cannot be listed here. I will say though, that for the first time in at least five years I was once again swarmed by at least four people with chainsaws all at once in the hillbilly / shanty area. I used to love people coming from every direction with chainsaws circling around people, creating total chaos. That is back! The trail is well staffed so there are a number of areas where you will encounter multiple characters at one time exhibiting a lot of energy. There are a few quiet areas to the trail where there may only be one actor per section but the formula works because it doesn't feel like stimulation overload throughout the entire thing. The end of the trail was pure pandemonium, ending the journey on a very high note and a bang with some fantastic, pumped-up actors. While some areas included a thematic and mildly interactive presentation to build a small story, most of them let the environment set the mood and utilized the actors to provide the energy. Almost every actor engaging us was very good at impromptu dialogue when I would ask them something or play along with their threats. Hats off to the trail for a great job!
Other attractions at the park include Big Momma's Revenge, which we did not go through, as well as an old Haunted Mansion carnival ride from the 60s. It's exactly what you would expect. It's funny, lame, but ridiculously awesome at the same time. I would totally put it in my backyard. Zombie sniper patrol is once again not operating this year but we have been told there are plans to restart it (hopefully) next year with some exciting additional plans for the park.
It’s important to keep in mind that Land of Illusion isn't just a set of haunts - it's a whole night out. You can go get some drinks, watch the entertainment, hit up a haunt or two, come back, sit by the fire for a while, get something to eat, go through another haunt, etc. It's a very different experience from a traditional haunt - paying admission, waiting in a line, and then going through the haunt which exits right out in the parking lot. My wish list for Land of Illusion would be for it to open other things to do such as an arcade or even a restaurant; adding other ways to give the evening a total variety of things to do, even for those who aren't haunt lovers. Land of Illusion is definitely the most ambitious operation of its kind and while not all of its developments go towards haunts, it's clear that each year it gets closer to being an actual theme park. I just hope they remember they started as a haunted SCREAM park and don’t stray from their origins too far.
Donna - Land of Illusion offers a variety of individual haunts all centered around an open courtyard equipped with tables and chairs and a large gas bonfire for those chilly fall nights. Food and alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages are also sold along with a well-equipped gift shop. There is also nightly entertainment such as freak shows and midget wrestling if you want to take a break from visiting the various haunts situated around the courtyard. The individual haunts offer something for everyone.
Dr. Psychos Haunted Estate - was two floors of creepy, spine-tingling scenes in a dark haunted house. This was my favorite of all of the haunts at Land of Illusion this year because it’s the more traditional old fashion haunted house theme done up to the max with attention to detail and nerve-racking dark corridors. You never know what’s waiting for you around the next corner!
Phobia - this was the most improved Haunt in my opinion this year. Last year it was mostly a dark haunt and this year they added many rooms containing various things to send you back the way you came screaming. If you have a fear of spiders, snakes, creepy dolls, ceilings collapsing and other creepy crawley‘s in the night this will be without a doubt your favorite Haunt of the evening. This was so much fun you may want to do it twice!
Temple of Terror - I thought this was improved this year as well as it was much darker on the inside and more claustrophobic than in the past. I did feel there could’ve been more actors along the way but the animatronics definitely made up for the lack of human actors. This one was probably the scariest of all of the haunts to go through.
Killer Klowns - I did feel that killer Klowns could probably have used twice the number of clowns that I encountered. The scare factor in here was probably the lowest of the night and it felt like a typical clown maze nothing special stood out to me. I felt that there was a lack of enthusiasm in this haunt but all in all it was fun to walk through and probably terrifying if you are afraid of creepy clowns!
The historical mystery mansion - this was an old carnival ride from the 1960s that for me was just a blast to go into. It brought me back to the old rides at Coney Island and some of the traveling carnivals back in the 50s and 60s. This was a nice added touch to the park and, even though it was not scary it was fun to go through to see what haunted houses looked like 60 years ago.
All in all I would highly recommend a visit to land of Illusion this year for a fun evening of scares screams and entertainment. It is definitely worth the cost of admission for an entire evening.
Dr. Psychos Haunted Estate - was two floors of creepy, spine-tingling scenes in a dark haunted house. This was my favorite of all of the haunts at Land of Illusion this year because it’s the more traditional old fashion haunted house theme done up to the max with attention to detail and nerve-racking dark corridors. You never know what’s waiting for you around the next corner!
Phobia - this was the most improved Haunt in my opinion this year. Last year it was mostly a dark haunt and this year they added many rooms containing various things to send you back the way you came screaming. If you have a fear of spiders, snakes, creepy dolls, ceilings collapsing and other creepy crawley‘s in the night this will be without a doubt your favorite Haunt of the evening. This was so much fun you may want to do it twice!
Temple of Terror - I thought this was improved this year as well as it was much darker on the inside and more claustrophobic than in the past. I did feel there could’ve been more actors along the way but the animatronics definitely made up for the lack of human actors. This one was probably the scariest of all of the haunts to go through.
Killer Klowns - I did feel that killer Klowns could probably have used twice the number of clowns that I encountered. The scare factor in here was probably the lowest of the night and it felt like a typical clown maze nothing special stood out to me. I felt that there was a lack of enthusiasm in this haunt but all in all it was fun to walk through and probably terrifying if you are afraid of creepy clowns!
The historical mystery mansion - this was an old carnival ride from the 1960s that for me was just a blast to go into. It brought me back to the old rides at Coney Island and some of the traveling carnivals back in the 50s and 60s. This was a nice added touch to the park and, even though it was not scary it was fun to go through to see what haunted houses looked like 60 years ago.
All in all I would highly recommend a visit to land of Illusion this year for a fun evening of scares screams and entertainment. It is definitely worth the cost of admission for an entire evening.
Solomon - Land of Illusion has some awesome sets! I would need to walk super slowly to really notice everything in each room/area, because they really take the time on the little things. Each haunt has its own theme, with a unique feel and set. Combining both typical jump-scares, spooky decorations, and creepy actors, along with physical engagements like spinning rooms, moving floor tiles, and narrow passages, keeps it very fresh in each haunt (get ready to be chased too). The park itself is maintained very well, with an amazing entrance, next-level bathrooms, a covered bonfire, and even a wrestling ring! And there's only room for improvement with all the untapped land and plans for new haunts next year too. Loved it!
Questions? Have a story to share? Leave it in the comments!