ENIGMA HAUNT returns for 2019 with a large section of the haunt upgraded and changed, as well as a very strong Cast, with a balance of both returning and new Performers. ENIGMA HAUNT is ever changing and improving year after year, and the time spent in Casting and Cast Training as well as physical upgrades to the attraction are extremely evident as Team Giraffic Shark returns for their third consecutive year. Even for returning Guests, there is a lot new to see, and surprises and scares are in store for returning Guests as well as first timers. As one of our Team Members said to a Guest entering, when asking ‘Is it REALLY scary?’, ‘You’ll like it, it’s fun'[evil laugh]’.
ENIGMA HAUNT features a lot of returning performers as well as a good amount of new performers for 2019 as well. Even the returning performers were much stronger this year, providing very creative dialogue and interactions. Of note were the performances of JED, MAD HATTER, PINOCCHIO, and of course our new favorite comedy queen, PETUNIA. A welcomed break from Characters attempting scares, the local resident PETUNIA is charming in her own special way. You’ll just have to visit to see what we mean. In addition, the horde of clowns aggressively used their multiple scare locations to their advantage making it feel like there were clowns around every corner. Performers were dedicated to Character, and did not drop or reset until the group was long gone from the room, including several Characters which followed extensively through the scene and sometimes beyond, never dropping their roles.
For the most part, ENIGMA HAUNT knows where to spend their time on Costuming, focusing on the characters which are seen for longer durations of time, including the queue actors, and those performers which linger in scenes and provide more dialogue than a quick pop scare. However, this is not exclusive, and there are certain costumes that could have more detail and finishing touches to provide (i.e. the MAD HATTER seems a bit simplistic and lacks detail [including an odd visible nose ring of the actress] in a scene directly next to the QUEEN OF HEARTS/RED QUEEN character, of extreme detail and quality.There is a very healthy mix of mask and makeup, and makeup quality has improved quite a bit in the past three years (we got a hint that PETUNIA is very crafty with an airbrush before taking her ankled panties on a walk around the establishment). It is nice to see a good mix of masks and makeup as having too much of either rarely bodes well.
Once again, the Customer Service experience is great at ENIGMA HAUNT, with everyone friendly, helpful and professional, especially when navigating the somewhat confusing entrance to the haunt, due to the layout of the building. If it weren’t for the proactive and attentive staff it could quickly turn into a bit of a crowd control disaster. A large staff is on hand to manage the Guests and flow through the attraction. Some of the staff also perform in and around the attraction, allowing them to blend in to the haunt while also having a keen eye on the operation, security and safety of the attraction as a whole, a clever idea rather than having Security lurking throughout the haunt.
The team at ENIGMA HAUNT has once again done what they could with a less than ideal exterior to make it as themed and attractive as possible. This year they have an upgraded projection system above the entrance to the attraction, creating an identifier and helping Guests find the entrance to the attraction. The preshow in the extended queue is also utilized on busy nights to help give Guests some additional entertainment beside the queue Performers roaming the area.
With each year of updates to ENIGMA HAUNT, the creative team adds more detail to their new scenes, and hones the special effects in returning scenes. The attraction has not only added a lot of special effects but has really fine-tuned how they are used, including utilizing animatronic figures as distractions at times rather than scares, including a prime example within the first few rooms of the attraction. While neither the animatronic nor the Performer positioning would prove to be very scary, the combination of both of them acting as a team scare was extremely effective. ENIGMA HAUNT has added several areas of claustrophobia which are very effective including passageways forcing Guests to duck, and low ceilings in places with hanging bits to create feelings of entrapment. Smells have also been extensively used, both pleasant and very unpleasant, adding to the theming, allowing Guests’ senses to be triggered.
SFX Effective at Scaring, Entertaining (35% of score): 9
Could Tell What Theme Was Without Asking (15% of score): 8.75
Theme Well Executed, Believable (25% of score): 8.75
Location Authenticates Theme (10% of score): 8
How Scary (15% of score): 9
ENIGMA HAUNT once again is a melting pot of themes, however this year I feel that the lines are more clearly drawn and the scenes are more easily discernible in the past, separating one theme from the other with a bit more definition. We hope ENIGMA HAUNT’s Creative Team continues this path, keeping themes well defined and not allowing themes to bleed into each other, especially in a haunt covering such a wide gamut of genres.
ENIGMA HAUNT has upped the ante this year with scares, and it has really improved the overall experience at the haunt. Performers have become more aggressive and clever in their scares, maximizing their potential in order to get the most scares possible. Similarly, the creative team has developed smarter ways to use their scenes and performers, placing effects and performers in prime locations to gain the maximum scare, utilizing distractions and team scare elements to their benefit. 2019 is the strongest season witnessed since Team Giraffic Shark began visiting in 2017. It is clear that the creative team has learned a lot about what scenes are effective and which can be fine tuned, and reacted accordingly. The dedication to growth and development is what makes the haunt so competitive among its competitors, and keeps things fresh and exciting for returning Guests, even with returning scenes and themes.