Face Your Fears Hotel of Terror Review (2019)

When I asked the owner how many people were working inside the night we attended, his answer was 25 and I called bullshit. However, he was telling the truth. There were only 25 actors inside, and this is what makes this cast so great at what they do as it felt like there were way more! They are nonstop which creates fewer dead zones. Less dead zones equals less time to recuperate from the last scare.

Face Your Fears gives you the option for no touch or touch. This gives the cast lots of flexibility and almost makes them create dual characters. They really ramp it up for those who pick the touch pass. I thought they wouldn’t be as good for no touch, so I went in without a touch and nope, they still brought it.

With whichever option you pick they do a great job at interacting with the groups. You will be sniffed, and they will be close in which ever way you pick. Interaction with a no touch is well done and they still get as close as they can to their boundaries creating a frightful experience. Interaction with a touch pass is a new level as there is nothing holding them back from creating a whole night of mayhem for you.

The cast is very convincing in their respective scenes. They keep their dialogue to their scene and create a real present in each area. They are not a jump and ‘Boo’ cast they are in-your-face and presenting a real creepiness cast. They never break character even when keeping you contained from your group or holding you up by your shirt.

One of the first characters you see when you enter is the Bellhop and he really sets the tone. He brought great energy. The crazy Butcher will bring you some scary delight. There were many actors in costuming that made the characters feel more believable.

The remarkable makeup that you come face to face with in this haunt are a part of the skill set of Jessica and Ryan. Their talents keep the costuming at Face Your Fears top notch. Some of the designs are very detailed and make you want to look twice. Even the basic ones are done with great accuracy making them feel realistic and creepy at the same time. One that caught my attention was a girl that was up on a barrel. I didn’t see her until the last minute and then she was in my face. Her makeup was crossed between beauty makeup and a level of creepiness that was just fantastic. Another one that our team talked about was a guy right before the haunted lake that had seaweed on his head and his make up complimented the rest of his costume well.

If they didn’t have makeup on, they were utilizing masks. This haunt uses masks to its advantage and executes them well. You will not find an ill-fitting store mask at this haunt. What will be in your face are one of kind pieces that help tell the story of the haunt. The masks are well detailed and some even seem realistic at times. The wild boar stands out to me as one of those great mask pieces. It is perfect for his scene and it is combined with face makeup that make it seem so real.

Completed looks are second nature at this haunt. Head to toe they embrace their character. You will not see cheap costumes that are thrown together. Each piece is planned and thought out to fit in the scene. No one is out of place and it makes the transitions very nice. That brings me to the Werewolf and all the glory that is him. When the lighting hits and lights up the room so you can see him, it is a stunning piece that is completely put together. The actor on stilts is a complete costume and that is a lot of fabric to cover all that tallness up.

Costuming is something you may notice more at this haunt if you take on the touch pass. The trauma of something taking you away from your group or holding you hostage makes you remember more details. You will get to marvel in the details of makeup because they are in your face. There’s nothing like staring a creature in the eyes as it tells you it will rip your heart out.

Before making your plans to attend, you can find all the details on their website and Facebook page. There is no shortage of information. We found the address on the website and plugged it into our GPS. Our GPS lead us straight to the haunt with no problems. On the main drag before pulling in, there is a well-lit sign at the road. It is followed by a creepy school bus. That leads you down a dirt road to the haunt (your car will get dusty and if you are low to the ground this may not be an experience you want). When reaching the parking lot, my initial thought was holy crap there a lot of cars. They had people with vests and lights directing you safely to your FREE parking spot. The parking lot was lit up with portable lights. In its seventh year of operation, the Face Your Fears Hotel of Terror has reached a good problem to have in the haunt industry. They are dealing with max capacity crowds and handling it quite well.

The ticket line was long on the night we attended, as more people are hearing about this haunt. However, the girls in there are knowledgeable about your options and move quickly. There are attraction members roaming about to answer any question you may have. You will notice them as they have Face Your Fear Shirts on. The State Fire Marshall was out and gave them a clean report and they have systems in place for emergencies to get everyone where they need to be. If you get a chance to see the owner and his wife make sure you say hello as they roam about to make sure everything is running smoothly.

This haunt is not handicap accessible. You will be climbing stairs of a four-story hotel. You will be crossing over bridges and in tight spaces. Make sure you plan and wear appropriate shoes for these types of areas. I know its date night and you want to wear heels but when running for your life down some stairs it could end up bad for you. One of my favorite things at the haunt was the porta potties were clean, had hand sanitizer and a light’ yes, a light! I know the small things count too. While in line there is a warm fire pit and old horror movies playing on the movie screen. Ron’s Holy Smokin BBQ is making warm food for your consumption. There is also a photo op at the end. A large Face Your Fears back drop with a zombie and a pipe wrench sticking out of his head for you to pretend to pull out for your pictures.

As soon as you park and get out of your car you can hear the roars of thunders and the screams of patrons setting the tone for your night. You will walk along the side of the haunt as it’s a distance to get to the front. In this journey the mood gets set. The energy is electric, you will experience what we are calling the Pumpkin King on a cross almost as if he was being crucified. You will pass the zombie parking lot attendant. You reach the ticket booth and that is where you get your first good look at the haunt.

In all its glory stands a hotel that was built in 1858 that is four stories tall. It towers over the line of people. It has colored lights giving it a mysterious glow. It is covered with branches that run up and down the front of it. Two grim reapers are perched high above the ground with their scythes looking down on all the unexpecting victims that will be entering that night. There is a mysterious green light in the top window that makes you intrigued. There is a tree in the front and it’s not an ordinary tree. This tree is colossal adding to the haunting vibe that you feel in the front.

You will find a fire going to keep you warm as you travel through the line. There are old horror films on the movie screen to help pass the time. There are freakish creatures that roam about that might give you an idea of the things you will see inside. Other than that, there are not a lot of clues other than the screams you will hear coming from the hotel. Everything you experience and the energy will get your senses in full gear when it is your turn to step up to the door.

Each scene in Face Your Fears sets you into a different area of the hotel and they do this with great accuracy. The scenes are never half assed giving you a realistic and immersive experience. The scenes are well thought out and provide great details. You never have to second guess what room you may be walking into because you will know right away.

Lighting is correctly used at this haunt. Fake lighting lights up the haunted lake with the right timing so you can get a glance at the creature that is holding you in the air. Fog machines offer the perfect distractions for other things to come your way. Laser lights at the right height make you appear to be wadding through a swamp and maybe close to drowning depending on your height.

Sounds are used more at this haunt than in other haunts I have reviewed. It is not over kill and done with great precision. When you reach the lake, you will hill thunder which sounds very realistic and having you second guess if it was supposed to rain tonight. The soundtrack of the Flight of the Bumblebee plays in an area giving that scene an extra boost. The boat horn used just at the right time not only to startle you but to give presence of a new scene. The sounds of screams, chainsaws, bangs and clangs are everywhere.

Smell. Yes, this haunt makes an attack on all your scenes. We could smell the Butcher’s area before walking in. It was the worst smell ever. It made my stomach turn. I may have walked through this scene the fastest for my fear of vomiting from the vile, repulsive odor that filled the whole entire room.

There are many other special effects to take in at this haunt from changing pictures, moving books in the library, vortex tunnel, laser swamp, the enormous creatures that lurk about and many more. One of the unspoken special effects is your option for the touch pass. Get the touch pass and some of these special effects will become even more special for your night of torments. Face Your Fears does well in this area and makes it all work together like a well-oiled machine.

Face Your Fears Hotel of Terror has a complex backstory with original characters. The best way to find out the backstory is to go to their website and read it under story. Nothing at the haunt will give you the backstory. It is helpful to know it as things will seem more complete and you can understand the big picture of the haunt. It is evident as you make your way through the attraction that it is a haunted hotel and each room is a different part of the hotel. The actors and scenes tie in well with the overall theme. There were just a few rooms that didn’t seem to fit but with creative and imagination you can link them together one way or another. The location and building itself makes it all more realistic and believable. Face Your Fears is one of the fewer haunted attractions that still utilize a theme and are executing it very well.

A brief snippet of the backstory:
Walter and Margaret Edwards grew up working in their mother’s hotel. As they got older the mother would no longer let them work together, saying they were becoming ‘too close.’ The siblings got angry and made the mother vanish. The siblings renovated the hotel making the dungeon a basement. However, the guests didn’t know. Most of the victims were women, many of whom were hotel staff, but the Edwards Siblings weren’t picky ‘ they preyed upon men, too, and even children. Rooms in the hotel included victims asphyxiating, being roasted alive, poisoning, stripping bodies to sell the skeletons to medical schools and organs on the black market. One day when the siblings went into town, the staff got nosy and found what they didn’t want to find in the basement and called the police to begin an investigation. However, the townspeople decided to take the matter into their own hands. When Walter and Margaret returned to the hotel, the townspeople had become a violent, revenge-obsessed mob, hanging Walter from the large tree in front of the hotel and beating him to death while forcing Margaret to watch, then, in turn, beating Margaret to death. Or so they thought. Returning the next day to try to cover up what they had done, the townspeople discovered Margaret’s body was missing, never to be seen again.

Face Your Fears Hotel of Terror is conjuring up evilness on many levels. No matter if you pick a touch pass or regular admission, they are bringing it to you on many levels. This haunt is so well thought out that the scares never stop, and it was always a “what am I walking into,” in-your-face moment for every minute that you are in the attraction. Many people always ask us about family friendly haunts. On the night we attended this haunt, it was too much for some adults. So just air on the side of caution with younger children.

Let’s talk about the Touch Pass first. If you are wearing one of these glowing necklaces of terror, you are in for an experience. You will be sniffed, touched, picked up, pulled by the ponytail, and even separated from your group. These are not all back to back creating a night of regret. They are perfectly placed and sometimes when you least expect it. The creatures are feeding off your energy and can up your haunt experience. Some of these scares may be too much for smaller children as some are intense and last over a long period of time. If you are not a chicken, grab you a light and enjoy the next level of haunting.

With the above being mentioned, don’t think the non-touch pass isn’t as scary. The haunt is still bringing the intensity and scares at a high level. They will not physically touch without the pass, but they can still crowd your space and lurk down on you while you pass. You will still be tested and of course sniffed. Personal space is not known at this haunt.

They offer fright from the small startling sounds of basic things to the special effects mentioned above. All the elements cohesively worked with the cast in their respective scenes to give you one hell of a night of entertainment. Even if you are not easily scared the banter is fun. Laughing at your friend(s) who wants to tap out makes for a great night. Only downside is that this is a self-guided tour. The team does a great job at trying to time it correctly, but they cannot predict the group that has the scared member doubled in the corner or that you got taken from your group and you are frantically trying to find them. Sometimes this may cause a bottle neck situation. However, when you reach the end you will meet carver and he is ready to hang his next victim up.

Face Your Fears Hotel of Terror is not a haunted attraction you want to miss this year. It is quickly becoming one of the most talked about Haunted Houses in its area. We think General Admission is more than a fair price for this level of haunt. Let’s get you some details so you can plan your stay.

General Admission is $15.00 per person. It took our group about 20 minutes to get through the hotel. However, this will depend on how scared you are and if you do touch, they like to relocate you from your group or even hold you in the air for a lengthy amount of time. That gives you 1.33 minutes of torment for every dollar you spend.

The touch pass is an additional $2.00 per person making it $17.00. The touch pass will take your haunt level to a whole new experience. The Touch Pass gives actors the ability to invade your personal space. At our 20-minute walk through time you will get 1.18 minutes per every dollar you spend. However, like I mentioned above, I am sure you time will be longer due to the extra circumstances the touch pass offers.

The VIP Pass includes the touch pass and it is $25.00 per person. The haunt is doing well this year, which means lines can be long, so the Skip The Line Pass includes the touch pass and it is $35.00. If the night you plan on going was as busy as the night we attended, this may be worth it. The haunt reserves the right to limit the number of VIP and Skip The Line passes sold per night due to volume of guest.

They are offer discounts and promotions which you can easily find on their Facebook page. They have Ron’s Holy Smokin BBQ Food Truck on site offering yumminess for your belly. They also offer horror movies on the big screen to help pass the time. The fire ring is clutch on cold nights to keep you toasty. They offer photo opportunities for your visit as well.

If you’re looking for an intense, in-your-face-scare, add this one to your must-see list!