MadWorld is a sprawling attraction in upstate South Carolina. Though they have only been in business for six years, they are well on their way to becoming a major haunted attraction for the region. The amount of progress, the quality of additions, and the level of detail that they have been able to add in the past few years are astounding. If you haven’t been to MadWorld in a few years, you owe it to yourself to pay a return visit soon.
The cast of monsters, madmen, and miscreants haunting the scenes at MadWorld are great. There are haunters popping out from all manner of places around you. There are a few actors that roam the large waiting area that you need to take some time to interact with or even just watch ‘ they love chasing visitors back and forth across the area. The actors in the initial entrance are interactive and entertaining; but, after you pass through an elevator, most of the monsters are of either the sudden scream or silent looming variety. Despite that, they do make good use of the props and scenes around them to provide scares. Be ready for the distraction of the laser tunnel and watch for the monsters that appear and disappear within it.
Masks and costuming are given a lot of attention at MadWorld. While makeup falls just a little behind, it’s likely a factor of the sheer number of actors (nearly 100) scattered across the haunt. Costumes and actors all fit well within their respective scenes and, like the scenes around them, many of the actors have lots of details and little touches that really help to bring things to life. We really liked the attention to detail paid to the queue entertainers’ outfits.
MadWorld’s haunt is mostly outside, but you’ll occasionally enter small rooms and scenes that are enclosed in small shelters. The combination of dim lighting and stepping up or down from little floor edges can sometimes be daunting, so be alert when entering and exiting scenes. Also, be sure to wear appropriate footwear for navigating nighttime woods. The staff themselves (differentiated by staff t-shirts) are friendly, approachable, and eager to help. Before or after you traverse the haunt itself, there is still plenty to entertain yourself at MadWorld. A big roaring fire pit, concessions, a large projector screen, music, photo ops, a gift shop, and even escape rooms (an additional $25 per room) surround a huge waiting area where you can just soak up the variety of entertainment.
Music and masked actors stalk the waiting area and a huge fa������������������ade helps to get you in the mood for some scares. The entrance to the site is decorated with a huge, gaping skull from whose mouth guests exit. Occasional bouts of flame erupt from somewhere near the site entrance and beckon people in. The music and movies playing inside are of a more carnival-like atmosphere, but they are still entertaining. With creatures like vampires, living dolls, giant monstrosities and more wandering around, you firmly feel like you’re within a haunt while you wait.
There are a lot of effects inside MadWorld that you have probably seen or experienced somewhere else. However, they are being used in a variety of ways here, such as being integrated into their scenes instead of standing apart. An elevator journey, a crazy floor that walks under your feet, squeeze tunnels and vortex lasers are all here… blended with attention to detail into the sets. In addition to sights and sounds, there are scents drifting through the obscuring fog as well.
Enough Sound FX? (35% of score):
Sound FX Effective? (15% of score):
Sounds Appropriate? (25% of score):
Creative, Original FX? (10% of score):
Special FX Effective? (15% of score):
There isn’t really a unifying theme across MadWorld’s haunt. At first, it seems as if there will be when you check into a decrepit and crumbling hotel, but once you descend into the hotel’s rickety elevator, you venture through a variety of scenes from traditional horror scares ‘ asylums, haunted woods, butcher shops and so on.
We ventured through MadWorld as part of a group of eight. Scenes worked to push scares through the whole group and, though some scares were predictable, they were still very effective. There were even times that one of our reviewers had to go back to fetch one of our group members who was cowering or hiding from a monster.
147 Country Manor Road, Piedmont, South Carolina 29673