This attraction was reviewed on October 26, 2019 by Team Jefferson Starship.

Final Scores:

(15% of Final Score) Cast: 8.85

(15% of Final Score) Costuming: 8.46

(10% of Final Score) Customer Service: 8.68

(10% of Final Score) Atmosphere: 8.9

(15% of Final Score) Special Effects: 8.68

(5% of Final Score) Theme:

(15% of Final Score) Scare Factor: 8.4

(5% of Final Score) Entertainment & Value: 8.94

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Team Jefferson Starship visited Sweet Dreams Scarehouse this year with three veterans and one new member to experience their R-rated, full contact show. Like always, Sweet Dreams pulled out all the stops and put on an impressive show starting with a quick little escape room (featuring fans of the haunt including one of the members of the team) and ending like all the best southern haunts.

Sweet Dreams has two different ways to experience their event. One is standard where guests go through and it’s a normal no-touch haunt. For a nominal upgrade fee, guests can opt to enjoy their full contact R-rated show. Their waiting line has a ton of fun to offer with plenty of creepy cast members interacting with the waiting victims, and on certain nights you can enjoy a show from the talented folks from Cyanide Suspension (check Facebook to see when they will be performing.)

During our visit, we opted for the full contact show. As a result, our review below will reference quite a few events and behaviors that are exclusive to that level of the performance. The standard performance at Sweet Dreams is more akin to what guests might experience at other haunts ‘ no contact, but lots of creepy dialogue, jump scares, and the like. In our opinion, the full-contact show is not something for everyone, but if you’re someone who visits a lot of haunts and you want something a bit more extreme, then Sweet Dreams is the place to find it!

Cast Scores (15% of Final Score):

(20% of Cast Score) Did it seem like there were enough actors?: 8.4

(30% of Cast Score) How creative, believable and convincing were the actors?: 9.1

(20% of Cast Score) How interactive were the actors (verbally and physically)?: 9

(15% of Cast Score) How creatively & appropriately did they use dialogue?: 8.8

(15% of Cast Score) Was there a good variety of characters?: 8.8

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The cast of Sweet Dreams is diverse and delightful. They feature a wide variety of nightmare-inducing characters, including a Lullaby Siren who sung a sweet song that lured us deeper into the haunt, Jessie the Junk Girl who wanted to share her wares and treasures with passing guests, and Tips the Clown whose sharp wit leads to delightfully cutting dialogue.

For those guests opting for the R show, they can anticipate coarse language and cutting insults. There is also a good bit of physical interaction. For example, our team members experienced being put into both a barrel and a refrigerator, having their hair pulled, ‘tickle fights’, being carried away from the group, and so much more.

The cast does a great job of adapting their dialogue and responses to the reactions of the guests. Too, they seem to enjoy getting physically active with their props and surroundings. That can mean anything from popping out of hidden doors and panels to using their props and sets to get into their visitor’s heads.

Costuming Scores (15% of Final Score):

(15% of Costuming Score) How complete / finished did the costumes appear to be?: 8.9

(25% of Costuming Score) How creative / detailed were the costumes?: 8.9

(20% of Costuming Score) Was their makeup creative? Detailed? Realistic?: 8

(15% of Costuming Score) How effectively did they use masks (if used)?: 8

(25% of Costuming Score) How appropriate were the costumes for their scene/s & theme/s?: 8.4

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With Sweet Dreams being a mostly outdoor trail style haunt, there are some ingenious costuming choices that allow the cast freedom of movement as well as comfort in the wide variety of elements that make up the regular haunt season in South Carolina. With the full contact option, there are times that the cast is heavily exerting themselves in what can be strenuous heat, yet despite all the physical activity the costumes, makeup, and masks all held up well.

It was particularly enjoyable to see how well each scene incorporated careful costume choices to enhance the guests’ experience. In some places, there were angry home-owners or cannibalistic mountain men, but others held vengeful priests, mourning spirits, or excitable clowns.

Customer Service Scores (10% of Final Score):

(25% of CS Score) How easy was it to locate the attraction, park, and navigate the premises?: 8.3

(30% of CS Score) How safe was the attraction?: 8
Explanation:

Outdoor trail, some trip hazards

(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?: 8.5

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Sweet Dreams has done a lot of work to make their attraction even more visible and easy to find. They’ve invested in signage and vehicles to promote their haunt, as well as staff to help guide vehicles in their parking lot. Staff is easily spotted because they’re either in costume or in gear that has the haunt’s name on it. They’re all very responsive and eager to help ensure their guests have the most entertaining experience possible.

They’ve even recently invested in a small bus to help with transportation from their overflow lot to the main area so that guests can save their energy for fleeing from the creepy delights inside.

Since it is an outdoor trail, it’s recommended to wear closed-toe shoes and clothing that’s both appropriate for the weather and something that you don’t mind getting dirty. If you’re opting for the full contact show, be aware that you may need to tuck in necklaces or articles of clothing that are easily caught on things.

Atmosphere Scores (10% of Final Score):

(60% of Atmosphere Score) How obvious was it that you were at a haunted house before entering?: 8.6

(40% of Atmosphere Score) How well did the atmosphere prepare you for what you experienced inside?: 9.7

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From the moment that guests arrive in the parking lot, which also doubles as both a portion of the waiting line and the exit point for the trail, it is easy to tell that a fun time awaits. The sound of screaming and chainsaws roar through the night, and there are some fun little photo ops available, including their ‘Free Candy’ van and hearse. Guests will also have the chance to experience a little piece of the haunt in the line, as some of the queue actors also happen to be active actors in the haunt as well. One of our members was both scared and excited to find one of her tormentors from the line pop-up inside the haunt ready to pick her up and carry her away from the group!

Special Effects Scores (15% of Final Score):

(20% of SFX Score) How effective were the sound effects?: 8.6

(20% of SFX Score) How creative / original were the scenes & props?: 9.7

(20% of SFX Score) How well were the scenes detailed?: 8.7

(25% of SFX Score) How well did they achieve & maintain the suspension of disbelief?: 8.3

(15% of SFX Score) How effective were the SFX at providing scares / entertainment?: 8

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The staff has been working hard at making their haunt a fun and unique place to visit. Special attention to detail has been paid to the balance of visual detail and the rest of the senses. This is only improved upon by opting for the R-rated upgrade because it brings a physicality to their haunt that so few other places tread! Sweet Dreams has worked hard at making sure their scenes are immersive and well decorated and they’ve done a great job at doing some innovative and unexpected things, but it would be amiss to not praise their actors yet again for carrying the show. In some places, it’s possible to detect a hint of different odors that only help to bring visitors physically into the spaces that these creeps and monsters are inhabiting. Definitely a haunt with that old-school haunt vibe, the sets and props are largely built on-site by the crew themselves. This year, they’ve added even more creepy locations to their trail.

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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While there wasn’t an overarching theme this year, Sweet Dreams touches on the joys and nightmares of most people. Clowns, crazy people, living toys, and the darkness are just a few different aspects that are touched on.

Scare Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):

(30% of Scare Factor Score) How scary was it?: 8.5

(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide scares to the entire group?: 8.8

(25% of Scare Factor Score) How predictable were the scares?: 7.8

(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide a wide variety of scares?: 8.3

(15% of Scare Factor Score) How strong was the ending / finale?: 8.9

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We find that the R-rated, full contact, upgrade amps the guests’ experience up and increases the fear that the crew at Sweet Dreams brings. The actors are great at making sure that no one feels left out as they hit the group from all sides. That said, there are times that it’s a bit obvious where the next scare is coming from. Despite that, they do a great job of going beyond expectations and keeping their guests guessing as to what’s going to happen next. Mingling with some of the physical effects, some actors are able to seemingly appear from out of nowhere, ready to deliver a sudden scare. Others, like the Lullaby Siren, do their best to simply create a creepy and disturbing atmosphere that set our hair raising. Like all good southern haunts, Sweet Dreams works at ensuring their guests have a heart pounding exit, escorted by the growl of chainsaws and homicidal maniacs.

While the standard show at Sweet Dreams is a great one, we simply have to recommend the full contact experience for visitors who are looking for that next level of fear in a haunted experience. That won’t be to everyone’s taste, of course, but it is an event that we look forward to year after year.

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?: 9.3

(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?: 8.8

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The actors and staff at Sweet Dreams push themselves to the max to provide as much bang as they can for their entrance fee, but the entertainment isn’t just inside the attraction! The queue entertainment (Cyanide Suspension and a fire eater on the evening that the team visited) works hard at interacting with waiting guests and making sure that none of the time spent waiting is dull.

While they have room to grow, and we fully expect them to do so in the years to come, Sweet Dreams has done an amazing job at filling their space with stellar sets and amazing actors, so there’s not a dull moment anywhere at Sweet Dreams Scare House.

How Did We Get These Scores

Promo Images:

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Awards:

2022

2019

2018

2017