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: 8.24
How Did We Get This Score?
Final Scores:
(15% of Final Score) Cast: 8.27
(15% of Final Score) Costuming: 8.2
(10% of Final Score) Customer Service: 8.55
(10% of Final Score) Atmosphere: 8.14
(15% of Final Score) Special Effects: 8.23
(5% of Final Score) Theme:
(15% of Final Score) Scare Factor: 8.16
(5% of Final Score) Entertainment & Value: 8.2
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Summary:
Nightmare in the Wilderness (NITW) is a nice long trail in haunt-packed Medina County, south of Cleveland. NITW just completed their 26th year!
We had not been here before, despite it being quite close to our home’in years past we’d planned on it, but something always came up the night we were going. Until this year, that is, and we’re glad we did finally get to go! This is a marvelous haunted trail that we enjoyed quite a bit.
Cast: 8.27
How Did We Get This Score?
Cast Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of Cast Score) Did it seem like there were enough actors?: 8
(30% of Cast Score) How creative, believable and convincing were the actors?: 8.2
(20% of Cast Score) How interactive were the actors (verbally and physically)?: 8.2
(15% of Cast Score) How creatively & appropriately did they use dialogue?: 8.3
(15% of Cast Score) Was there a good variety of characters?: 8.8
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The cast was large and varied, and nearly all of them were game and convincing, performing their parts admirably.
Nearly 50 actors breathed life into the trail. It sounds like a lot, but it’s a long path, and so there were a few unpopulated spots. Mostly, though, it wasn’t too much of an issue as the forest itself provided an enjoyable backdrop and usually some effect or transition to the next set was in view. Overall, we were satisfied with the number of performers.
Some characters to note:
An agreeable scarecrow wandered amongst the entrance crowd and followed riders onto the wagon that takes guests to the trail’s queue. A pair of monkeys on stilts worked the queue to the delight of the crowd. At least one of them displayed a great facility for making monkey sounds. These circus animals led directly into the first scene with the personable clowns and ringmaster.
‘Silly Billy’ gave us a shocking surprise, a group of evil scarecrows creeped us right out, a hang(wo)man and victim staged a distressingly realistic looking performance on the gallows, and we think we spotted a big bad wolf and a not so innocent Red Riding Hood teaming up to scare us.
Michael and Jason looked and acted just like their cinematic counterparts. Jason, in the middle of an excellent campground set, whipped out his machete and thrust it at us, stopping it an inch from one of our noses. It looked like an effect from the 3D Friday the 13th movie! Michael, while threatening, was just kind of wandering around… admittedly it must be difficult to build a Haddonfield, IL set on a trail.
The chattier actors mostly hung out at the beginning, like the ringmaster who welcomed us to the show and the clown who insisted that we had to promise to have fun or he’d poop on us. He followed us for a while and somehow the conversation worked around to how the team members should knit caps for each other. Very entertaining and unexpected!
Costuming: 8.2
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?: 8.6
(25% of Costuming Score) How creative / detailed were the costumes?: 8.4
(20% of Costuming Score) Was their makeup creative? Detailed? Realistic?: 8.3
(15% of Costuming Score) How effectively did they use masks (if used)?: 7.8
(25% of Costuming Score) How appropriate were the costumes for their scene/s & theme/s?: 7.9
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The lighting, or darkness, in some areas made the costuming somewhat hard to see. What we did get to see was pretty well done: complete costumes for the most part, simple but effective makeup jobs, and some cool masks.
Some of the best costumes were front-loaded in the attraction. The ringmaster in the opening scene wore a well detailed and elaborate costume. Paging the Ringling Brothers, we think we located your long lost sibling! The clowns in this area also looked good.
As mentioned in the Cast section, Jason and Michael were on point in every way, including visually. A group of evil scarecrows had us reeling with their menacing masks. However, one of them had taken off his mask and was walking around the scene when we came in. Actors, please remove yourself from the scene or otherwise hide yourself if you’re going to unmask!
Customer Service: 8.55
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?: 8.2
(30% of CS Score) How safe was the attraction?: 8.3
(25% of CS Score) How professional, helpful and friendly were the staff members?: 9
(20% of CS Score) How easy was it to find their information before* arrival?: 8.8
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NITW is in the town of Lodi, about an hour south of Cleveland and a half hour west of Akron. GPS took us right there. We were greeted by an illuminated sign.
Parking attendants guided us into a large area of free parking on grass. The friendly parking staff joked with us about our readiness for the experience. That same sense of joviality continued as we went along; everyone we encountered was very nice.
The trail was pretty well suited for walking. We didn’t stumble much at all, though we avoided a couple large roots that could have caused problems. Just wear something sturdy on the feet and walk cautiously, the best advice to follow whenever on a haunted trail anywhere.
The wagon ride back to the exit/entrance area dropped us off at a food stand. They had a wide selection of beverages, snacks, and heartier fare including walking tacos, hot dogs, corn dogs, and freshly sliced and cooked french fries… complete with all the fixins: salt & pepper, malt vinegar, and ketchup. We can say from personal experience that the fries come out piping hot and yummy!
Atmosphere: 8.14
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?: 8.1
(40% of Atmosphere Score) How well did the atmosphere prepare you for what you experienced inside?: 8.2
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Being an outdoor trail in a rural area, the ‘out in the autumnal woods’ vibe made itself felt big time. A series of fire barrels with neat jack o’ lantern stencil-style cut-outs that were stationed throughout the grounds added more seasonal flair and provided a great, warming presence.
The wagon ride to (and from) the woods was surprisingly fast and fun-bumpy, amping up the excitement as we sped across the dark grounds. We were really moving! Entertaining queue performers included the aforementioned scarecrow and stilted chimps.
The monkeys on stilts related to the first section of the trail. Before entering, we came across big top sounds and decorations, setting up the first area, which was a dark carnival.
Special Effects: 8.23
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?: 8.4
(20% of SFX Score) How well were the scenes detailed?: 7.8
(25% of SFX Score) How well did they achieve & maintain the suspension of disbelief?: 8
(15% of SFX Score) How effective were the SFX at providing scares / entertainment?: 8.6
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There were lots of effects used on the trail, and just about all of them were quite good.
NITW employed a variety of really nice lighting effects that threw a riot of colors and patterns onto the trees and ground. A long walk through a hanging jungle of illuminated vines was a very cool touch.
We walked past lots of inventive and/or impressive sets, including the opening carnival, a gallows scene with a realistic looking hanging, a large cemetery, Camp Crystal Lake, a creepy take on The Blair Witch Project, and a creative cribbing from The Walking Dead. That’s a lot of movie/TV references, but aside from those, most of it was filled with original scenes.
They wasted no time in setting up the effects; first up as soon as the entry curtain parted was a vortex (the first of two on the trail) leading to the carnival.
The maze was a seriously long and twisty endeavor filled with a quite disorienting mix of fog and slow pulsing strobes, plus an actor or two.
Lots of sound effects and appropriate musical selections enhanced our walk.
Theme: N/A
How Did We Get This Score?
Theme Scores (5% of Final Score):
(30% of Theme Score) Could you tell what the theme was?:
(50% of Theme Score) How well was the theme carried throughout the attraction/s?:
(20% of Theme Score) How well does their location authenticate the theme?:
This score is left “N/A” when we believe the haunt is trying to target a random variety of themes or phobias, rather than a single overarching “Theme” or “storyline.”
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The website establishes a little bit of a story about a haunted forest out past an apple orchard. The residents of a house there were shot and still haunt the grounds.
Really, though, there was no overall theme… and that was just fine with us. It was a series of scenes that worked perfectly well without a theme.
Scare Factor: 8.16
How Did We Get This Score?
Scare Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):
(30% of Scare Factor Score) How scary was it?: 7.6
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide scares to the entire group?: 8.3
(25% of Scare Factor Score) How predictable were the scares?: 8.4
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide a wide variety of scares?: 8.7
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How strong was the ending / finale?: 8.2
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The woods were legitimately scary. The actors and effects were more fun than flat-out scary, but we bet most people, like us, will get some good scare mileage out of the path… based on the screams we heard coming from all different parts of the trail as we walked through it!
A good startle when we entered the jungle vines area made one of us yelp so hard, the actor made sure to gloat about it. Silly Billy got a charged response out of us as we walked below his metallic outpost. The Blair Witch set was genuinely creepy. Actors used the woods and natural hiding spots well.
The finale was somewhat bizarre, more of a piece of performance art that required some reading. It was certainly original and something we’ve seen nowhere else.
Entertainment & Value: 8.2
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?: 8.2
(25% of E&V Score) How satisfied were you with the entertainment that’s available with* the ticket price, excluding the main attraction/s?: 7.6
(30% of E&V Score) How appropriate is/are the ticket price/s?: 8.5
(15% of E&V Score) Have they effectively used their available space?: 8.6
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Get set to burn some calories, it was a long walk! NITW says it’s more than a mile, and that seemed about right. We took 39 minutes to walk the path, and it could be a good deal longer than that depending on if you’re a maze master or a labyrinth lame-o in the tricky maze structure.
General admission is $20, which made for a MPD (minutes of entertainment per dollar) of 1.95. That’s almost double the industry average. Anything approaching 2 is great, and it’s always a bonus when the time is spent at a genuinely fun attraction like this one.
Those who are age 10 or under can get in for $15. Please note, NITW is cash only and there is no ATM on the grounds. If you come armed only with plastic money, you’ll be driving a couple of miles away before returning.
Nightmare in the Wilderness was very entertaining and fun, and certainly one of the best trails we’ve enjoyed in northeast Ohio. Give it a try if you’ve never been here before!
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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