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: 9.49
How Did We Get This Score?
Final Scores:
(15% of Final Score) Cast: 9.25
(15% of Final Score) Costuming: 9.36
(10% of Final Score) Customer Service: 9.75
(10% of Final Score) Atmosphere: 9.75
(15% of Final Score) Special Effects: 9.54
(5% of Final Score) Theme: 9.63
(15% of Final Score) Scare Factor: 9.61
(5% of Final Score) Entertainment & Value: 9.14
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Summary:
NOTE: SIR HENRY’S HAUNTED TRAIL and OMINOUS DESCENT operated out of the same location again this year, named I4 PREMIER FEAR PARK. While these businesses are completely separate entities, they did naturally share some assets including the general scare grounds, site upgrades, the new laser tag and escape room offerings, and offered combo tickets including admission to both attractions.
OMINOUS DESCENT returns for their second season, now having much more time to establish their trail after the last minute build in 2017 due to hurricane damage. The team is back with a vengeance as the attraction is more aggressive, realistic, and scary as ever before. The attraction is over twice as long as it was in 2017, with much more detail and complexity included for the 2018 season. The creative team of OMINOUS DESCENT continues to prove themselves as strong designers, directors, and deliverers of fine entertainment and great scares.
Cast: 9.25
How Did We Get This Score?
Cast Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of Cast Score) Did it seem like there were enough actors?: 9.25
(30% of Cast Score) How creative, believable and convincing were the actors?: 9.75
(20% of Cast Score) How interactive were the actors (verbally and physically)?: 9.75
(15% of Cast Score) How creatively & appropriately did they use dialogue?: 8.75
(15% of Cast Score) Was there a good variety of characters?: 9
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OMINOUS DESCENT is home to some of the most dedicated and intense scare actors we have seen, featuring aggressive and committed scares with a strong follow through. It is rare that a performer will only get one scare out of a group, due to the clever design and strong direction for the performers.
The team at Ominous Descent once again was able to find the tallest men of Central Florida to act as maniacal henchmen in the attraction. From quick, agile, aggressive scares to slow-moving, looming, and ominous (for lack of a more appropriate word), characters are strong, passionate, and never break character or ease up on a scare.
Costuming: 9.36
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?: 9.5
(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)?: 10
(25% of Costuming Score) How appropriate were the costumes for their scene/s & theme/s?: 9.75
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Costumes, makeup and masks perfectly fit the theme of this attraction. Every detail is paid attention to, including themed ‘attachment bands’ on masks, leaving no elastic to be seen. Costumes are realistically (and excessively) distressed, and masks make you wonder if they actually were attached to an animal at one point in time, since they are hyper realistic (and hyper intimidating as well). Leather, sweat, blood, and dirt combine to create a very realistic costuming experience, and it’s a miracle that Guests don’t run out of the trail looking the same way.
Customer Service: 9.75
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?: 9.75
(30% of CS Score) How safe was the attraction?: 9.5
(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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Customer Service at I4 PREMIER FEAR PARK is always the best. The ticket booth, food stand, and haunt workers are friendly, engaging, willing to help and go the extra mile to engage in conversation when appropriate. The haunt owners of both attractions are also extremely accommodating, friendly, and passionate for what they do, which gets carried through to their Guests, creating a very friendly atmosphere. Safety is also a top priority, and although these attractions take place in the middle of the woods, the team goes to great lengths to ensure safety on the trails including level pathways, and illumination of any potential hazards.
I4 PREMIER FEAR PARK features amenities including restrooms, and though they may be portable restrooms, they are by far the cleanest we have ever seen at a haunt. The ticket booths also have extra bug spray on hand for those buggy evenings, which are plentiful in the Florida forests.
Atmosphere: 9.75
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?: 9.75
(40% of Atmosphere Score) How well did the atmosphere prepare you for what you experienced inside?: 9.75
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I4 PREMIER FEAR PARK has spent extra time on improving the general atmosphere of the attraction for 2018. They have created an impressive entrance arch and fence, along with adding more atmosphere effects (more themed music and lighting) to create an enhanced atmosphere. They added a projection screen behind the SIR HENRY statue to display a loop of trailers and other videos for the haunted attractions, perfectly setting the mood and atmosphere for the location. With the fire pits and other great features of the scare grounds, I4 PREMIER FEAR PARK has worked hard to create a destination for a night out, rather than a couple haunted attractions to visit briefly.
Special Effects: 9.54
How Did We Get This Score?
Special Effects Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of SFX Score) How effective were the sound effects?: 9.25
(20% of SFX Score) How creative / original were the scenes & props?: 9.5
(20% of SFX Score) How well were the scenes detailed?: 9.75
(25% of SFX Score) How well did they achieve & maintain the suspension of disbelief?: 9.5
(15% of SFX Score) How effective were the SFX at providing scares / entertainment?: 9.75
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OMINOUS DESCENT has upped the stakes more than imagined with even more effects, detail, theming, and improved layout, creating an even more impressive level of effects than their extremely strong year in 2017. We hope to see that OMINOUS DESCENT continues to find new ways to do what they do best in haunts, including misdirection, entrapment, and using commonly used effects (laser swamp) in less than common applications. We are also excited to see the variety in different themes that OMINOUS DESCENT can provide as they expand in the future.
OMINOUS DESCENT does a great job of packing scenes with details, giving Guests so much to look at that an effect or scare is very well camouflaged.
Theme: 9.63
How Did We Get This Score?
Theme Scores (5% of Final Score):
(30% of Theme Score) Could you tell what the theme was?: 9.75
(50% of Theme Score) How well was the theme carried throughout the attraction/s?: 9.5
(20% of Theme Score) How well does their location authenticate the theme?: 9.75
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A strong theme is evident in the OMINOUS DESCENT trails. Though a specific backstory is posted at the entrance to the trail, even if not reading the description, the theme is clear though some details may not be caught without reading the specifics of the story.
This ‘middle of nowhere’ feel from the attraction is authentic as it is, in fact, located in the middle of nowhere. The team uses all of the natural landscaping to their benefit, creating attractions that send Guests deeper and deeper into the scary woods prior to returning back to the front.
Scare Factor: 9.61
How Did We Get This Score?
Scare Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):
(30% of Scare Factor Score) How scary was it?: 9.5
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide scares to the entire group?: 9.75
(25% of Scare Factor Score) How predictable were the scares?: 9.5
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide a wide variety of scares?: 9.75
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How strong was the ending / finale?: 9.75
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Aggressive, relentless, and thorough. These are the words I would use to explain the scares found at OMINOUS DESCENT. Performers work from unsuspecting angles, scaring Guests multiple times while using the scenery as a jungle gym to climb and jump over props to achieve dynamic scares, as well as hitting and moving props and scenery to create noise-induced scares.
OMINOUS DESCENT is also scary by design, with the heavy use of fog, lighting, and winding pathways through rugged corrals and sheds, adding to the theme of a decrepit wasteland in the woods. Effects are well hidden and camouflaged among the scenes to provide true surprises and shock, adding to the strong performer-driven scares.
Entertainment & Value: 9.14
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?: 9.75
(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?: 9.25
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I4 PREMIER FEAR PARK features a combo ticket option for all three trails, totaling 30 dollars, prior to any add-on options (escape room, laser tag, multiple admissions, etc.) For a mere $45 dollars, Guests can access the three haunted attractions multiple times, along with one admission to laser tag AND the escape room, which is a great value for an entire night of entertainment. We spent a total of 26 minutes in all haunted attractions, giving them a MPD (minutes of entertainment per dollar) of 0.87.
Food, snacks, and beverages are also very reasonable and help round out the evening with even more to do. For much less than the local theme park Halloween events (and MUCH less crowded), and just as many (if not more) scares, I4 PREMIER FEAR PARK (featuring SIR HENRY’S HAUNTED TRAIL and OMINOUS DESCENT) is a Central Florida ‘Must-See’ this Halloween season!
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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Awards:
2018
Best Chainsaw Performance
Highest Rated Haunt in Florida
Most Aggressive Characters
