Features:
✓-Paid Parking✓-Food/Concessions✓-Gift Shop/Souvenirs✓-You will NOT be touched✓-Indoor 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: 9.51
How Did We Get This Score?
Final Scores:
(15% of Final Score) Cast: 9.71
(15% of Final Score) Costuming: 9.53
(10% of Final Score) Customer Service: 9.74
(10% of Final Score) Atmosphere: 8.6
(15% of Final Score) Special Effects: 9.81
(5% of Final Score) Theme:
(15% of Final Score) Scare Factor: 9.45
(5% of Final Score) Entertainment & Value: 9.46
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Summary:
Team Giraffic Shark couldn’t stay away from THE 13TH GATE and had to return after their visit in 2017 to see all the changes and updates for 2018. Needless to say, there was no disappointment. THE 13TH GATE now stands alone as a single haunted attraction, as they did not open NECROPOLIS 13 for 2018, and in its place is CARNEVIL entertainment zone (free to enter), with all kinds of games including three escape rooms, horror-themed carnival games, axe throwing, a heckling clown dunk tank, food, merchandise, live concerts on certain nights, and other entertainment.
Our team was sad to not see NECROPOLIS 13 this year, having really enjoyed the unique attraction, but we are hopeful for what may lay ahead for the future of 13TH GATE. Having reduced to one full scale attraction, a HUGE amount of work went into 13TH GATE updating, changing, and bringing new content to life for its returning Guests, so even if you have been before, 13th GATE is NOT to be missed this year.
Cast: 9.71
How Did We Get This Score?
Cast Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of Cast Score) Did it seem like there were enough actors?: 9.75
(30% of Cast Score) How creative, believable and convincing were the actors?: 9.5
(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?: 10
(15% of Cast Score) Was there a good variety of characters?: 9.75
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Cast at 13TH GATE is always top notch, providing a backstory and delivering complex scares including pop scares along with follow-through, creepy scares. 13TH GATE is so thorough with their performer backstory that often it is difficult to decide whether to pause in a room to hear the script or continue walking and catch what you can.
The cast outside the haunt, while creepy and providing occasional scares did not stay fully in character, largely due to the small crowd and lack of people to creep out or scare. 13TH GATE uses their actors to their best capability, placing them in locations and roles that they will thrive in, based on talent and/or typecasting. The 13TH GATE cast seeks opportunities to scare multiple times when possible, maximizing the scenic design and scene layouts to their advantage.
Costuming: 9.53
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?: 9.5
(20% of Costuming Score) Was their makeup creative? Detailed? Realistic?: 9.5
(15% of Costuming Score) How effectively did they use masks (if used)?: 9.25
(25% of Costuming Score) How appropriate were the costumes for their scene/s & theme/s?: 9.75
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13TH GATE clearly spends a great deal of time and money on their detailed costumes, makeup, and masks. Masks, when used, are perfectly placed and themed, with exquisite detail and realistic features. The only less-than-perfect masks were the prosthetic/masks of the Wicked Witch of the West in the outdoor scene (some tearing/separating was occurring), and some of the Pennywise masks were having some hair challenges. These notes, however, are among hundreds of phenomenal masks and detailed makeup applications done perfectly. Nearly all costumes appeared to be custom designed, built, and purchased for 13TH GATE, as the details and textures are extremely unique and something that can’t be purchased from any regular costume vendor or cosplay-style artists.
Customer Service: 9.74
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 was great at 13TH GATE, from the lady at the ticket booth who sold us on a combo ticket (while not being pushy) to all the employees at the CARNEVIL (including the young ladies working the VR and Escape Game attractions, helping us decide which ones to do). There was a pleasant young lady at the exit of the attraction who talked to us prior to entering, as well as upon exiting, and wanted to hear what we thought, and discuss our favorite parts, etc. She was very friendly and eager to hear about Guests’ experiences immediately upon leaving the attraction, without even knowing that we were a review team.
Atmosphere: 8.6
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?: 8.5
(40% of Atmosphere Score) How well did the atmosphere prepare you for what you experienced inside?: 8.75
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13TH GATE sits right on a street corner in a warehouse district, with an entirely black building, and the carnival-themed CARNEVIL across the street is built somewhat from shipping containers but somehow fits in with the warehouse theme.
With the amount of detail inside 13TH GATE, it seems as though there must be some sort of city ordinance preventing the creative minds of 13TH GATE from giving their building a phenomenal fa������ade to match the attraction inside. However, upon nightfall, when spooky characters emerge from the shadows, and lights/effects are turned on, it is apparent that this is, indeed, the location of a haunted attraction.
Special Effects: 9.81
How Did We Get This Score?
Special Effects Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of SFX Score) How effective were the sound effects?: 10
(20% of SFX Score) How creative / original were the scenes & props?: 10
(20% of SFX Score) How well were the scenes detailed?: 10
(25% of SFX Score) How well did they achieve & maintain the suspension of disbelief?: 9.25
(15% of SFX Score) How effective were the SFX at providing scares / entertainment?: 10
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Rather than buying the newest item at Transworld, and finding a place to incorporate it into their attraction, the creative minds at 13TH GATE clearly do their research, but then take these types of effects and ideas to the next level, making custom creations and effects not seen anywhere else. These effects match so well to their scenes and themes that they blend in perfectly, and even if the ideas have been purchased from a vendor or were seen at the convention, they are perfectly integrated into the landscape and made custom for 13TH GATE’s use. The only exception is the animatronic figure in the final scene of the haunt, which seems to be a somewhat last minute add, with a visible trigger sensor and a very ‘off the shelf’ ending to an otherwise extremely original and creative attraction.
Everything is just so perfected at 13TH GATE, especially in the scenes that have returned from previous years. Sound is programmed just perfectly including background along with triggered effects. The white noise faux-silence works so well in the attraction between the loud scenes. Similarly, lighting is very well done, highlighting the details, while leaving many shadows, mystery, and suspense in every scene.
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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Scare Factor: 9.45
How Did We Get This Score?
Scare Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):
(30% of Scare Factor Score) How scary was it?: 9.75
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide scares to the entire group?: 9.25
(25% of Scare Factor Score) How predictable were the scares?: 9.75
(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?: 8.25
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13TH GATE has something to scare everyone, whether it’s clowns, snakes, spiders, darkness, enclosed spaces, or the cost of incredibly detailed beautiful scenic design. Did I mention this attraction is beautiful to look at, and it’s a shame most of it is spent scurrying through rooms in near darkness?
Similar to the amazing details, every scare is perfectly laid out and designed for maximum impact, with scares designed to keep Guests guessing, as they are unpredictable, random, and each unique from the other. Performer scares as well as special effect scares are equally effective, and balanced very well so there is no need to rely on one more heavily than the other. Special effect scares are themed, and well-placed among the various scenes as well, showing that extreme thought went into making sure everything fits within the stories of the scenes. 13TH GATE still stands as one of the most intense, pulse-pounding experiences this team has experienced.
Entertainment & Value: 9.46
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?: 8.75
(30% of E&V Score) How appropriate is/are the ticket price/s?: 9.5
(15% of E&V Score) Have they effectively used their available space?: 10
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13TH GATE is priced very reasonably for a haunt of its length (about 26 1/2 minutes) and quality. The employee at the ticket booth sold us on the combo ticket including the main attraction, axe throwing, a virtual reality experience, and an escape game, all for 40 dollars, a slight upcharge from the single attraction ticket of 30 dollars.
By the time we did all of the attractions at CARNEVIL and crossed the street for the main attraction, there was hardly a line, making for a fun-filled, yet efficient evening. 13TH GATE is also partnering with Dr. Pepper, offering a $5 discount on general admission (not applicable to the combo deal), as well as an offer with other local attractions, featuring upgrades (VIP line access) and free general admission at certain other Louisiana haunts (see haunts for details).
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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Promo Images:
Click to Enlarge
Awards:
2018
Best Scenic Design/Scene Layout
