How Do We Get These Scores?
Our Rating System
UPDATE FOR 2022: Our former “Atmosphere” and “Theme” categories have now been combined and renamed “Immersion.” Our intent with this is to give more appropriate credit to attractions that have shown a clear focus on achieving and maintaining better customer experiences (both inside and outside the attractions) and developing creative storylines.
Each of the category scores in this review are calculated using a weighted average of several questions that we rate on a scale of 1 to 10.
The following breakdown explains what these scores typically mean. All of our Teams use this as a reference for providing accurate ratings:
10: “Peak Performance”This score is treated as if it has a chastity belt on it. “10’s” are reserved for the best of the best; those that we feel could not possibly improve on what they’re doing.
9: “Innovative and Groundbreaking”It rocked! Nearly everything seemed to go as planned and it was one of the best we’ve ever seen! These guys are leaders in the industry, and attractions like this are truly hard to come by.
8: “Solid”A high score on our scale. They had a good handle on it and, overall, they knew how to use it well. Most attractions can learn from what these guys are doing.
6 to 7: “Good”We could tell that a good effort was made. However, we’ve seen this done much better at other places, or can detect areas where significant improvements can be made. This is about the top end of what we’d call “Family Friendly.”
5: “Average / Fair”Compared to the competition, they weren’t the best, but definitely not the worst. Scares and Special Effects in this range are usually considered “Family Friendly.”
3 to 4: “Below Average”We could see that a clear attempt was made, but most other professional attractions are doing a much better job at this.
1 to 2: “Poor”It appeared that very little time, thought or effort was contributed to this aspect.
0 (Zero): “Non-Existent”No apparent effort was made to make this a significant contributor to the attraction.
Afterword:This rating system is standardized across all of The Scare Factor’s official haunt review teams. However, keep in mind there will always be minor differences between Teams, as we all have varying levels of experience. Regardless, we do our best to remain true to our core values, which is to promote all haunted attractions!Perhaps the biggest thing to remember is: sometimes the score – in and of itself – doesn’t tell the whole story about an attraction’s merits. This is why we provide detailed explanations for each category… to help you better understand how and why we chose the score/s that we did.We do our best to not let feelings or emotions rule our judgement, while also viewing the attraction through the lens of the typical haunt-goer. But, because all reviews with ratings are inherently subjective, this is nearly impossible to completely prevent. Though, when in doubt, we tend to give slightly lower scores than our original “gut feelings” to account for this, and also give the attraction more room to improve over time.We also do our best to be fair and consistent across all of the haunts that we review. We know that you’ll be looking at these scores and comparing them to other attractions, so we hope this review helps you out in that aspect.Do you have some feedback about our review system? Contact Us Here to let us know what you think!
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Final Score: 8.99
How Did We Get This Score?
Final Scores:
(15% of Final Score) Cast: 9.31
(15% of Final Score) Costuming: 9.11
(10% of Final Score) Customer Service: 9.35
(10% of Final Score) Atmosphere: 8.3
(15% of Final Score) Special Effects: 8.95
(5% of Final Score) Theme: 8.6
(15% of Final Score) Scare Factor: 8.85
(5% of Final Score) Entertainment & Value: 9.06
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Summary:
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]’.
Cast: 9.31
How Did We Get This Score?
Cast Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of Cast Score) Did it seem like there were enough actors?: 9
(30% of Cast Score) How creative, believable and convincing were the actors?: 9.5
(20% of Cast Score) How interactive were the actors (verbally and physically)?: 9.25
(15% of Cast Score) How creatively & appropriately did they use dialogue?: 9.25
(15% of Cast Score) Was there a good variety of characters?: 9.5
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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.
Costuming: 9.11
How Did We Get This Score?
Costuming Scores (15% of Final Score):
(15% of Costuming Score) How complete / finished did the costumes appear to be?: 9
(25% of Costuming Score) How creative / detailed were the costumes?: 9
(20% of Costuming Score) Was their makeup creative? Detailed? Realistic?: 8.75
(15% of Costuming Score) How effectively did they use masks (if used)?: 9.25
(25% of Costuming Score) How appropriate were the costumes for their scene/s & theme/s?: 9.5
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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.
Customer Service: 9.35
How Did We Get This Score?
Customer Service Scores (10% of Final Score):
(25% of CS Score) How easy was it to locate the attraction, park, and navigate the premises?: 8.5
(30% of CS Score) How safe was the attraction?: 9.25
(25% of CS Score) How professional, helpful and friendly were the staff members?: 10
(20% of CS Score) How easy was it to find their information before* arrival?: 9.75
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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.
Atmosphere: 8.3
How Did We Get This Score?
Atmosphere Scores (10% of Final Score):
(60% of Atmosphere Score) How obvious was it that you were at a haunted house before entering?: 8
(40% of Atmosphere Score) How well did the atmosphere prepare you for what you experienced inside?: 8.75
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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.
Special Effects: 8.95
How Did We Get This Score?
Special Effects Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of SFX Score) How effective were the sound effects?: 8.5
(20% of SFX Score) How creative / original were the scenes & props?: 9
(20% of SFX Score) How well were the scenes detailed?: 9.25
(25% of SFX Score) How well did they achieve & maintain the suspension of disbelief?: 9
(15% of SFX Score) How effective were the SFX at providing scares / entertainment?: 9
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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.
Theme: 8.6
How Did We Get This Score?
Theme Scores (5% of Final Score):
(30% of Theme Score) Could you tell what the theme was?: 8.75
(50% of Theme Score) How well was the theme carried throughout the attraction/s?: 8.75
(20% of Theme Score) How well does their location authenticate the theme?: 8
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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.
Scare Factor: 8.85
How Did We Get This Score?
Scare Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):
(30% of Scare Factor Score) How scary was it?: 9
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide scares to the entire group?: 8.75
(25% of Scare Factor Score) How predictable were the scares?: 9
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide a wide variety of scares?: 8.75
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How strong was the ending / finale?: 8.5
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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.
Entertainment & Value: 9.06
How Did We Get This Score?
Entertainment & Value Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):
(30% of E&V Score) How satisfied were you with the entertainment received during the main attraction/s?: 9.25
(25% of E&V Score) How satisfied were you with the entertainment that’s available with* the ticket price, excluding the main attraction/s?: 8.5
(30% of E&V Score) How appropriate is/are the ticket price/s?: 9
(15% of E&V Score) Have they effectively used their available space?: 9.75
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There are a couple different ticket options, including VIP options and single haunt options (though not recommended by our team, spend a few extra dollars and nearly double your walk through time). A portion of proceeds are donated to ‘Don’t Be A Monster’ an Anti Bullying Initiative, as well as other charity opportunities (see the ‘Charities’ tab on the website for full details).
For the length of this haunt (29.5 minutes), it is a great value compared to other haunts with similar ticket prices and significantly shorter walkthroughs. Whether Boca Raton is in your backyard, or a bit of a drive, take the time to go check out this attraction and see what all the hype is about.
How Did We Get These Scores
Our Rating System
Each of the category scores in this review are calculated using a weighted average of several questions that we rate on a scale of 1 to 10.
The following breakdown explains what these scores typically mean. All of our Teams use this as a reference for providing accurate ratings:
10: “Peak Performance”This score is treated as if it has a chastity belt on it. “10’s” are reserved for the best of the best; those that we feel could not possibly improve on what they’re doing.
9: “Innovative and Groundbreaking”It rocked! Nearly everything seemed to go as planned and it was one of the best we’ve ever seen! These guys are leaders in the industry, and attractions like this are truly hard to come by.
8: “Solid”A high score on our scale. They had a good handle on it and, overall, they knew how to use it well. Most attractions can learn from what these guys are doing.
6 to 7: “Good”We could tell that a good effort was made. However, we’ve seen this done much better at other places, or can detect areas where significant improvements can be made. This is about the top end of what we’d call “Family Friendly.”
5: “Average / Fair”Compared to the competition, they weren’t the best, but definitely not the worst. Scares and Special Effects in this range are usually considered “Family Friendly.”
3 to 4: “Below Average”We could see that a clear attempt was made, but most other professional attractions are doing a much better job at this.
1 to 2: “Poor”It appeared that very little time, thought or effort was contributed to this aspect.
0 (Zero): “Non-Existent”No apparent effort was made to make this a significant contributor to the attraction.
Afterword:This rating system is standardized across all of The Scare Factor’s official haunt review teams. However, keep in mind there will always be minor differences between Teams, as we all have varying levels of experience. Regardless, we do our best to remain true to our core values, which is to promote all haunted attractions!Perhaps the biggest thing to remember is: sometimes the score – in and of itself – doesn’t tell the whole story about an attraction’s merits. This is why we provide detailed explanations for each category… to help you better understand how and why we chose the score/s that we did.We do our best to not let feelings or emotions rule our judgement, while also viewing the attraction through the lens of the typical haunt-goer. But, because all reviews with ratings are inherently subjective, this is nearly impossible to completely prevent. Though, when in doubt, we tend to give slightly lower scores than our original “gut feelings” to account for this, and also give the attraction more room to improve over time.We also do our best to be fair and consistent across all of the haunts that we review. We know that you’ll be looking at these scores and comparing them to other attractions, so we hope this review helps you out in that aspect.Do you have some feedback about our review system? Contact Us Here to let us know what you think!
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