Features:
✓-Paid Parking✓-Food/Concessions✓-Gift Shop/Souvenirs✓-Optional Games/Midway✓-Original Characters✓-Uncovered Outdoor Waiting Line✓-Indoor/Outdoor Attraction
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: 8.67
How Did We Get This Score?
Final Scores:
(15% of Final Score) Cast: 8.45
(15% of Final Score) Costuming: 8.52
(10% of Final Score) Customer Service: 8.98
(10% of Final Score) Atmosphere: 8.8
(15% of Final Score) Special Effects: 8.59
(5% of Final Score) Theme: 8.86
(15% of Final Score) Scare Factor: 8.59
(5% of Final Score) Entertainment & Value: 8.86
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Summary:
SCREAM A GEDDON returns for 2018 with a continued dedication to improving their haunts by adding, updating, and switching out attractions. For 2018, three new attractions were added, including RAGE 3D, DEMON’S REVENGE, and the upcharge attraction ZOMBIE PAINTBALL ASSAULT.
RAGE 3D is a massive improvement from the previous BEDLAM 3D, adding effects, better scares, and a fun soundscape. ZOMBIE PAINTBALL ASSAULT replaces the previous CURSED HAYRIDE and, while some may miss the fun of the hayride, the paintball attraction is very well done and lots of fun. DEMON’S REVENGE is a fantastic addition to the lineup, featuring immersive, detailed sets, intricate technical programming and effects, as well as a great storyline.
After talking to Geoff, of the creative team, SCREAM A GEDDON has no intention of slowing down, with plans to continue to update the attraction in future years. With a reasonable ticket price, and great new things to see, SCREAM A GEDDON is highly recommended for a fun night out for newcomers or folks that have been to the haunt in previous years.
Cast: 8.45
How Did We Get This Score?
Cast Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of Cast Score) Did it seem like there were enough actors?: 8.55
(30% of Cast Score) How creative, believable and convincing were the actors?: 8.35
(20% of Cast Score) How interactive were the actors (verbally and physically)?: 8.85
(15% of Cast Score) How creatively & appropriately did they use dialogue?: 7.95
(15% of Cast Score) Was there a good variety of characters?: 8.5
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SCREAM A GEDDON currently staffs over 120 actors throughout their various attractions, with more joining in the weeks leading up to Halloween. Performers go through a thorough training to learn the various types of scares and the creative team works to perfect technique and place actors based on their skills and strengths. This attention to training and placement really shows as Cast is dedicated to their scares, distractions, and storytelling. Cast works together to create great team scares, especially in BLACKPOOL PRISON (though not as separation-driven and aggressive as in years previous), and the finale scene of RAGE 3D. Cast in DEAD WOODS struggled to get good scares with groups running into each other, and repeating the same lines for each group, ruining any illusion or storytelling by parroting the same words over and over.
Costuming: 8.52
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?: 8.5
(25% of Costuming Score) How creative / detailed were the costumes?: 8.3
(20% of Costuming Score) Was their makeup creative? Detailed? Realistic?: 8.4
(15% of Costuming Score) How effectively did they use masks (if used)?: 8.63
(25% of Costuming Score) How appropriate were the costumes for their scene/s & theme/s?: 8.8
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Costuming at SCREAM A GEDDON runs a wide spectrum from dirty distressed ‘street clothes’ in DEAD WOODS and BLACKPOOL PRISON to fully-themed, elaborate costumes with gorgeous detail in DEMON’S REVENGE. The makeup and masks are very well done also, including detailed and accurately-distressed and -affected human makeup, and realistic masks and makeup for various creatures, clowns, etc. With DEMON’S REVENGE being the newest attraction, the attention to detail and exquisite costuming shows great promise for the level of time and detail SCREAM A GEDDON is willing to put into their show. RAGE 3D shows a strong improvement in costuming and masks from BEDLAM 3D, and BLACKPOOL PRISON continues to offer hyper-realistic costuming and makeup with gangs of prisoners throughout in tattered, dirty and distressed clothes. DEAD WOODS, while accurately representing forest folk, could benefit from some greater variety in characters and more detailed looks to assist with storytelling and scares.
Customer Service: 8.98
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?: 9.25
(30% of CS Score) How safe was the attraction?: 8.25
(25% of CS Score) How professional, helpful and friendly were the staff members?: 8.75
(20% of CS Score) How easy was it to find their information before* arrival?: 10
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Customer Service received at SCREAM A GEDDON is normally top notch, with fun employees interested in chatting with Guests and clearly having fun with their job. While some of these employees were encountered, especially the patient, helpful, and funny guy running the hatchet throwing attraction, there were also a small number of employees going through the motions of the job without taking the extra step to provide excellent Guest Service. The haunt puts an extreme amount of effort and dollars into their marketing, with a large amount of billboards, social media, and radio advertising. The website is thorough and detailed, and information is very easy to find. The attraction itself is in the middle of nowhere, however with the address on hand it is easy to locate with GPS directions.
Atmosphere: 8.8
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
(40% of Atmosphere Score) How well did the atmosphere prepare you for what you experienced inside?: 8.5
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SCREAM A GEDDON attractions surround a central area, called MONSTER MIDWAY, featuring many different food and drink stands along with games and other activities. There are several picnic tables and fire pits (with s’more kits being sold) allowing for a fun area to relax, unwind, and watch the roaming monsters as Guests catch their breath between attractions. Teasers of the attractions can be seen without giving too much away, including the church from DEMON’S REVENGE, and the flame thrower and nearby house from INFECTED: GROUND ZERO. Facades for each of the attractions create a setup and beginning to the story and theme of the haunt, including the impressive queue, fa������ade, and holding area of DEMON’S REVENGE, where they have used a great amount of natural wood to create a courtyard leading into the church fa������ade, blocking out light and noise from the rest of the attractions.
Special Effects: 8.59
How Did We Get This Score?
Special Effects Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of SFX Score) How effective were the sound effects?: 8.7
(20% of SFX Score) How creative / original were the scenes & props?: 8.35
(20% of SFX Score) How well were the scenes detailed?: 8.65
(25% of SFX Score) How well did they achieve & maintain the suspension of disbelief?: 8.6
(15% of SFX Score) How effective were the SFX at providing scares / entertainment?: 8.65
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SCREAM A GEDDON uses a wide range of special effects, and has implemented an impressive amount in the past year with RAGE 3D and DEMON’S REVENGE. RAGE 3D uses many 3D tricks and techniques to garner impressive scares and disorientation, including that impressive and disorienting finale. DEMON’S REVENGE is home to impressively complex technical programming with lighting, sound, and effects triggered by Guests walking through the haunt. Multiple tents are used to help weatherproof this outdoor attraction and the massive amounts of technical equipment and special effects for a haunt of this type. DEMON’S REVENGE smartly uses the sense of quiet and near silence to their advantage, with white noise simulating a feeling of a silent church, amplifying the scares and adding to the experience. DEMON’S REVENGE also uses ‘actor-matronics’ very well, though it would be great to see them performed a bit more dynamically/aggressively to achieve bigger scares.
With all the attractions besides DEAD WOODS using a large amount of great special effects, it would be nice to see a little more added into the woods, even if just some pin spot lighting to highlight details and increased sound or an animatronic or two to enhance the experience. Overall, the creative team and technical designers are doing all the right things to continue special effect improvements year after year to fine tune and enhance the experience, even in the repeat attractions.
Theme: 8.86
How Did We Get This Score?
Theme Scores (5% of Final Score):
(30% of Theme Score) Could you tell what the theme was?: 8.95
(50% of Theme Score) How well was the theme carried throughout the attraction/s?: 9
(20% of Theme Score) How well does their location authenticate the theme?: 8.35
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SCREAM A GEDDON attractions deliver strong and solid themes, with high attention to detail and storytelling. Having said that, the one attraction that seems to be missing that level of detail in storytelling is DEAD WOODS. The performers don’t seem to have the same storyline, and the design details seem to be incongruous as well. The use of mannequin pieces and parts throughout is confusing and not explained, and details are often missed due to very low lighting. Scares are still delivered, and the attraction is lots of fun, but it would be great to see the amount of attention poured into this attraction as there is in the other attractions.
Another new attraction with great theming is the ZOMBIE PAINTBALL ASSAULT, with a dark military feel featuring highlights of neon, and a smattering of thousands of fluorescent paintball hits, a simple yet effective post apocalyptic feel for a paintball warzone.
Scare Factor: 8.59
How Did We Get This Score?
Scare Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):
(30% of Scare Factor Score) How scary was it?: 8.55
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide scares to the entire group?: 8.6
(25% of Scare Factor Score) How predictable were the scares?: 8.6
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide a wide variety of scares?: 8.45
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How strong was the ending / finale?: 8.75
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SCREAM A GEDDON features a wide variety of scares, and they continue to look for ways to scare Guests that are more inventive, creative, and original, promising to surprise Guests with things they have never seen before, but we won’t give any of those away here. The time and attention given to training performers shows as performers work well together to create team scares as well as strong individual scares. These, combined with effective and strong effects-driven scares, create a high caliber scare throughout all attractions. Should a trip be taken through the woods of SCREAM A GEDDON, keep a guard up as scares will come at any time and from any location.
Entertainment & Value: 8.86
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?: 8.75
(25% of E&V Score) How satisfied were you with the entertainment that’s available with* the ticket price, excluding the main attraction/s?: 8.75
(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
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SCREAM A GEDDON features one ticket price for all attractions (besides ZOMBIE PAINTBALL ASSAULT, which is an upcharge attraction, and therefore not included in the total minutes of entertainment provided), allowing Guests to enjoy the night as they please, whether hitting all the attractions at their pace, or rushing from haunt to haunt in an effort to visit their favorites again, or multiple times, at the end of the night. Compared to other haunted attraction prices, the ticket price is competitive and well priced for the average Guest. Ticket prices are tiered based on the night, so bargain hunters may want to aim for the middle of the week for the best deal (plus potentially a drink discount on certain nights, follow their Social Media platforms for details). Parking is paid, so plan accordingly, and carpool if desired (can be purchased online ‘ cash only at the location). Those looking for a great bang for their buck should consider SCREAM A GEDDON over the nearby theme park attractions.
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
Most Creative Chainsaw Use
