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Sunday, September 20, 2015

Camp Blood, Carrolton, GA 2015

     Camp Blood in Carrolton, Georgia is one of usual season opening attractions.  That was the case again this year.  We wrapped up a busy night with a visit to the woods and stayed to visit until well after closing (resulting in our own arrival home at almost 4 AM!!).  We may be tired today, but it was worth the late hour to have this experience once again.
     Walking from the parking area to the ticket booth should be ranked as an attraction in and of itself.  Alone on a country road in rural Georgia, surrounded by trees.  The night pierced by the sounds of distant screams and chainsaws mingled with crickets.  As you approach you should take a moment to look up at the night sky where you can see a multitude of stars that we don't usually see in more urban areas.
     Our greatest tip to anyone going to Camp Blood is to remember that you will be spending an abundance of time outside, including time on the trails.  With that in mind you should consider: the shoes you choose, the temperature of the evening, and your ability to see in low light settings.  If you think about those things before deciding to go you should be ready.
     This attraction has a special place in our hearts because they love to donate so much to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and other local charities.  No matter how their own lives are going, and we've known their struggles, they strive to enhance the attraction every year and give their guests an enjoyable experience.
     The staff are friendly, and the majority are volunteers.  It is always difficult to find volunteers who are going to live up to what you want.  Camp Blood has been fortunate to find a staff where the majority are hard workers and want to see you enjoying your evening.  The few who spend their evenings crawling around on the forest floor are intensely qualified for their roles.  Please be careful not to kick them when you suddenly encounter them.
     Bring along a little extra cash so that you can grab a snack or check out some of the redneck games located around the bonfire.  We also were granted a sneak peak at something that they are working on for next year and we LOVE it!
     This year we are rating them at 3 and a half severed heads out of 5.  We know that they want to be a 5, but that's a very tricky thing for anyone to achieve.  We've been asked before what it takes to reach a 5 and the simplest explanation that I have is that we have to become so involved in the situation that we forget we are in a haunted attraction.
     Happy haunting!

Nightmare's Gate, Douglasville, GA 2015

     On Saturday, September 19, 2015 we attended the VIP/Media Night event at Nightmare's Gate Haunted House in Douglasville, Georgia.  It was great to take with us a friend who had never been as well as seeing our friends from Atlanta Haunt Review at the event.
     Nightmare's Gate is rising through the ranks very quickly.  Their thorough theming and consistent attention to detail makes a trip through their prison a memorable occasion for anyone.  Visits begin with encounters with scareactors while you are in line.  They are extremely skilled at staying in the zone with their acting.  We have attempted to get them to break out of their characters and failed miserably each time.  When we share one of our videos from this night you'll see that they were even sticking to us like glue during portions of the filming.
     Our friend who went with us is relatively new to haunts and is a fairly skittish person.  She positively loved it!  Everyone we saw was laughing and smiling.  If that sounds odd to you let me share something with you that may help you understand.  Most people get startled or scared at some point and after their initial reaction they laugh.  If an actor is truly skilled they will realize when they can't scare you and attempt to entertain you.  Either way you end up laughing and enjoying your evening.
     We can't begin to fathom why Nightmare's Gate is not on one of the national lists of amazing haunts.  They went from near the bottom of our list not so long ago, to one of the top haunts we have attended.  We are excited to rank them with 4 and half severed heads out of a possible 5 this year.  Happy haunting!

We're Baaaack!!!

     It has been a long time in the making, but we are finally back and ready to resume our reviews.  For those of you who do not know we spent the past two years working with a not for profit haunt in our hometown.  It was highly rewarding to see them grow and thrive over that time.  At the end of the last haunt season we decided to step away and spend more time on us and other aspects of haunt season that we enjoy.  If you are a haunter you know that it is almost impossible to visit haunts when you are growing your own and working it during October.  That's where we ended up as well.
     We look forward to sharing our reviews and your own.  Feel free to send us reviews and we will publish them as well.  Our goal, as always, is to provide reviews on a variety of haunted attractions from a variety of people.  We want to see a wonderful community of haunters and their fans that supports continuous improvement and enjoyment for all.