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: 8.87
How Did We Get This Score?
Final Scores:
(15% of Final Score) Cast: 8.73
(15% of Final Score) Costuming: 8.59
(10% of Final Score) Customer Service: 9.41
(10% of Final Score) Atmosphere: 9.6
(15% of Final Score) Special Effects: 8.55
(5% of Final Score) Theme: 8.95
(15% of Final Score) Scare Factor: 8.45
(5% of Final Score) Entertainment & Value: 9.15
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Summary:
SIR HENRY’S HAUNTED TRAIL, voted ‘Most Improved Haunted Attraction’ in 2018 from Team Giraffic Shark, returns again, and once again, massive improvements and changes can be seen on the two trails this year. SIR HENRY’S HAUNTED TRAIL has worked to bring two brand new themes to their trails this year, while utilizing some existing scenery and either enhancing or upgrading from previous years to create the themes for 2019. OMINOUS DESCENT shares the I4 PREMIER FEAR PARK with SIR HENRY’S HAUNTED TRAIL, offering a combo ticket for both.
Cast: 8.73
How Did We Get This Score?
Cast Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of Cast Score) Did it seem like there were enough actors?: 8.75
(30% of Cast Score) How creative, believable and convincing were the actors?: 8.75
(20% of Cast Score) How interactive were the actors (verbally and physically)?: 8.75
(15% of Cast Score) How creatively & appropriately did they use dialogue?: 8.38
(15% of Cast Score) Was there a good variety of characters?: 9
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The Cast at SIR HENRY’S HAUNTED TRAIL is once again very wide in demographic, from young to old, experienced to novice. The creative team at SIR HENRY’S has once again done a great job at placing Performers according to their character type and skill level, allowing more experienced and agile performers to take on some of the more difficult and/or active scares. Because of the wide demographic, SIR HENRY’S is also able to present a very wide variety of characters, including children characters to mature characters as well. The trails are also designed with many areas that can be added or subtracted depending on the number of Performers available for the night, allowing the haunt to function at any level.
One Performer unfortunately had to step out of his role in order to help Guests pace and group themselves through the claustrophobia tunnel, and then apologizing for not scaring people. Kudos to the performer for recognizing the operational need for Guest safety and throughput challenges, but hopefully another role can be added to accomplish this task while this performer in a well-camouflaged suit can focus on getting great scares.
Costuming: 8.59
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?: 8.75
(20% of Costuming Score) Was their makeup creative? Detailed? Realistic?: 8.13
(15% of Costuming Score) How effectively did they use masks (if used)?: 8.75
(25% of Costuming Score) How appropriate were the costumes for their scene/s & theme/s?: 8.75
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SIR HENRY’S has once again stepped up the game with some of their costumes and masks. They have worked to develop more complete looks and have made some smart choices when designing and choosing masks for their attractions. Of special note was the look of the old lady towards the beginning of the attraction (including wig and creepy contacts which popped under the lighting of the scene). There are still a few opportunities for improvement in the costuming area, but at this point, it would primarily be in the details. With these attractions being very strongly historically themed, costuming should reflect that, and while it may be unreasonable to costume all Performers in period appropriate basics (shoes, etc.), special effort should be made to hide personal items (watches, jewelry, etc.) and recognizable footwear (white edged black converse sneakers) in order to fit the period costume look.
SIR HENRY’S has made massive progress in the costume department in the past three years of our visits, so it is exciting to see where they will continue to go as they develop new themes, stories, and are able to continue to focus on the detail work.
Customer Service: 9.41
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?: 9.5
(30% of CS Score) How safe was the attraction?: 9.25
(25% of CS Score) How professional, helpful and friendly were the staff members?: 9.25
(20% of CS Score) How easy was it to find their information before* arrival?: 9.75
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SIR HENRY’S HAUNTED TRAIL and OMINOUS DESCENT share the general staff, ticket booth, and common area employees, all of which are extremely friendly and nice, including being very helpful and communicative with each other and Guests.
All trails are in the woods/fields, and none of them feel unsafe or with uneven footing. Police are onsite for assistance with parking and monitoring the attraction as a whole, and while there is no security checkpoint, the presence of police and security is much appreciated for a worry free night of enjoyment.
Atmosphere: 9.6
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?: 9.5
(40% of Atmosphere Score) How well did the atmosphere prepare you for what you experienced inside?: 9.75
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OMINOUS DESCENT and SIR HENRY’S HAUNTED TRAIL share a common area which is filled with merchandise and food options, roaming characters, photo ops, and the main attractions. The lighting, video, audio, and general atmosphere add so much to the experience and make it a great place to want to hang out for the entire evening. There are fire pits as well which are likely lit when it is a bit cooler out. The entire haunt and scaregrounds is reminiscent of New England haunts, and made the review team think back to their childhoods growing up in the Northeast. Certainly plan on spending some time just taking in the atmosphere around I4 PREMIER FEAR PARK.
Special Effects: 8.55
How Did We Get This Score?
Special Effects Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of SFX Score) How effective were the sound effects?: 8.75
(20% of SFX Score) How creative / original were the scenes & props?: 8.25
(20% of SFX Score) How well were the scenes detailed?: 8.38
(25% of SFX Score) How well did they achieve & maintain the suspension of disbelief?: 8.63
(15% of SFX Score) How effective were the SFX at providing scares / entertainment?: 8.75
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SIR HENRY’S has continued to develop their special effects adding more triggered sound effects (though sometimes special effects are spoiled by visible equipment, though still effective), as well as visual effects. They had a great setup for a laser swamp in one of the attractions, including well placed performers. However, unfortunately, the fog was not captured at the time of our walk through to allow it to be effective, a tricky effect to master. Each year, the lighting gets better and better, becoming more focused and showing off the detail and creating or enhancing ambience.
The team has added and/or enhanced some very effective maze elements within one trail, creating some misdirection, slowing down and pacing Guests, and allowing for some very effective scare positions, where the same Performer is able to scare in multiple locations.
Theme: 8.95
How Did We Get This Score?
Theme Scores (5% of Final Score):
(30% of Theme Score) Could you tell what the theme was?: 9.25
(50% of Theme Score) How well was the theme carried throughout the attraction/s?: 8.75
(20% of Theme Score) How well does their location authenticate the theme?: 9
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SIR HENRY’S creates unique historical based themes generally for their attractions, which work well with their setting and scenery, and provide a very unique theming not usually offered in haunted attractions. Often feeling like a twist on folklore, or some traditional haunted story, these stories are unique and original, and it’s always fun to see how they are translated into a haunted attraction. They do, however, do a good job of making things generic enough that if Guests don’t take the time to read the description (though highly recommended to fully understand the concept and backstory), they will still understand the story and themes of the trail well enough to have an enjoyable experience.
Scare Factor: 8.45
How Did We Get This Score?
Scare Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):
(30% of Scare Factor Score) How scary was it?: 8
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide scares to the entire group?: 8.5
(25% of Scare Factor Score) How predictable were the scares?: 8.88
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide a wide variety of scares?: 8.75
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How strong was the ending / finale?: 8.25
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SIR HENRY’S has continued to develop a very good balance of strong scares and creep out moments, providing a variety and pacing through the attractions. Once again, some of the strongest scares come from the ability of Performers to camouflage and hide in plain sight in the trail, with Guests passing within feet of them prior to the scare. Occasionally groups would get too close, not allowing time for Performers to fully reset for the next scare, especially with the longer scenes where Guests are able to see further ahead. Because of this, Performers need to work on developing a Plan B scare, where they are already revealed and can still effectively scare or intimidate the Guests, even if a full scare is not possible at that point.
SIR HENRY’S has worked hard to increase their scares every year, and they have made some clear momentum this year, including better utilization of existing scenes to provide stronger scares, perhaps most notable in the new path through the village scene, creating a twisting walk through rather than the straight shot that they have used in previous years.
Entertainment & Value: 9.15
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?: 9.25
(25% of E&V Score) How satisfied were you with the entertainment that’s available with* the ticket price, excluding the main attraction/s?: 9
(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?: 9.5
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Sharing a location and ticket options with OMINOUS DESCENT at I4 PREMIER FEAR PARK, these two attractions (including three trails, and upcharge offerings [Laser Tag/Escape Room], as well as a variety of food and merchandise opportunities) add up to a full night’s entertainment, a great feature of a haunted attraction. I4 PREMIER FEAR PARK offers a variety of ticket options including common area access only (no access to haunted attractions), general admission for all trails, front of line access for all trails, and their best deal for repeat Guests, a full season pass option. With deals this reasonable, and a full night’s entertainment, this is a great destination for those after a scary night out!
Even on opening weekend, this attraction was very busy this year, so plan accordingly and get there at the beginning of the night if looking to maximize the evening for the ticket price.
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!
