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: 8.2
How Did We Get This Score?
Final Scores:
(15% of Final Score) Cast: 8.26
(15% of Final Score) Costuming: 8.31
(10% of Final Score) Customer Service: 9.59
(10% of Final Score) Atmosphere: 7
(15% of Final Score) Special Effects: 8.25
(5% of Final Score) Theme: 8.28
(15% of Final Score) Scare Factor: 8
(5% of Final Score) Entertainment & Value: 8.03
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Summary:
THE NEVERENDING NIGHTMARE returns to the West Oaks Mall in Ocoee, Florida this year in a new (and larger) location than 2017. THE NEVERENDING NIGHTMARE continues to grow and develop, with hopes to eventually finding a permanent location in order to expand and fully develop their attraction.
For a rather transient attraction built in a matter of weeks, THE NEVERENDING NIGHTMARE packs some detailed sets, a decent amount of scares, and a fun activity for those in the area looking for a little spooky fun to round out their Halloween season.
Cast: 8.26
How Did We Get This Score?
Cast Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of Cast Score) Did it seem like there were enough actors?: 8.25
(30% of Cast Score) How creative, believable and convincing were the actors?: 8
(20% of Cast Score) How interactive were the actors (verbally and physically)?: 8.5
(15% of Cast Score) How creatively & appropriately did they use dialogue?: 8
(15% of Cast Score) Was there a good variety of characters?: 8.75
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Cast at THE NEVERENDING NIGHTMARE was generally relatively strong, providing good scares and some good dialogue. However, with more time to coach and direct the actors, and deliver one solid storyline, with specific dialogue, the attraction could have been that much stronger. Similarly, if the Cast had more opportunity to workshop scares and determine what works best for each scene based on theme and layout, the attraction could have had more effective and impactful scares as well.
Costuming: 8.31
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
(25% of Costuming Score) How creative / detailed were the costumes?: 8
(20% of Costuming Score) Was their makeup creative? Detailed? Realistic?: 8.25
(15% of Costuming Score) How effectively did they use masks (if used)?: 8.5
(25% of Costuming Score) How appropriate were the costumes for their scene/s & theme/s?: 8.75
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Costumes at THE NEVERENDING NIGHTMARE were simple yet effective and complete. With further developing of the themes and scenes, further costume development will also help deliver the story, but what we saw was effective and got the job done.
Makeup was used well in most places, including the freaky noise clown, with distressed clown paint, which is a nice change of pace from most clowns at haunted attractions. Costuming and makeup have continued to improve at THE NEVERENDING NIGHTMARE, and are expected to continue on this trend for years to come as the haunt develops further.
Customer Service: 9.59
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?: 9.75
(25% of CS Score) How professional, helpful and friendly were the staff members?: 9.75
(20% of CS Score) How easy was it to find their information before* arrival?: 9.25
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Customer Service is nearly perfect at THE NEVERENDING NIGHTMARE. Yard signs have been added along the perimeter road at the mall, helping direct Guests to the proper entrance (near JCPenny), which would be otherwise very difficult to find. Upon parking, a projected logo of the attraction is seen over the entrance door, and signs clearly direct Guests through a few sets of doors in order to get on the main floor of the mall.
Employees at the ticket booth and front of the haunt are friendly, helpful, and engaged in Guest interaction. There are no trip hazards in the attraction, and the few stairs are clearly outlined and well lit to avoid any challenges.
Atmosphere: 7
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?: 7
(40% of Atmosphere Score) How well did the atmosphere prepare you for what you experienced inside?: 7
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THE NEVERENDING NIGHTMARE is located within the West Oaks Mall, and therefore little can be done to change the atmosphere of the fluorescent-lit mall atmosphere. THE NEVERENDING NIGHTMARE did what they were able to considering their limitations, including placing an animatronic outside their haunt and theming the ticket cart, in addition to placing a performer or two roaming the general mall area. Black curtains line the black storefront, and upon entering those curtains, the haunt begins, as you enter the realm of nightmares.
Special Effects: 8.25
How Did We Get This Score?
Special Effects Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of SFX Score) How effective were the sound effects?: 8.25
(20% of SFX Score) How creative / original were the scenes & props?: 8
(20% of SFX Score) How well were the scenes detailed?: 8
(25% of SFX Score) How well did they achieve & maintain the suspension of disbelief?: 8.5
(15% of SFX Score) How effective were the SFX at providing scares / entertainment?: 8.5
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THE NEVERENDING NIGHTMARE was built in just a few weeks due to some challenges with building codes, which almost threatened their opening this season (and did delay their opening). Because of this accelerated build time, some elements seemed a little less detailed and finished than 2017. However, the amount of work that the team was able to pull off in a short time was very impressive. Lighting for this year was much improved, including some tight focused lighting, highlighting details and hiding areas that Guests are not meant to see. The laser swamp effect was a near perfect effect technically, however was under-performed by the actor in that scene, not achieving maximum scare. Animatronics and other specialty effects were well placed, though sensors and triggers could have been finessed a bit more with more time, in order to trigger at just the right moment.
The creative team at THE NEVERENDING NIGHTMARE is clearly very talented, and we look forward to seeing them develop in the coming years, especially once they have a permanent location to spend more time building and testing/adjusting all of the effects and details.
Theme: 8.28
How Did We Get This Score?
Theme Scores (5% of Final Score):
(30% of Theme Score) Could you tell what the theme was?: 8.75
(50% of Theme Score) How well was the theme carried throughout the attraction/s?: 8.5
(20% of Theme Score) How well does their location authenticate the theme?: 7
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THE NEVERENDING NIGHTMARE is themed as just that, a nightmare of every type, triggering Guests by featuring things out of their nightmares. It would be great to see the attraction really grow on this concept, delving further into additional fears and nightmares (snakes, spiders, other critters, darkness, claustrophobia, falling, being lost, dying, etc.). Simulating panic at the end of the nightmare by an aggressive finale leading to a wake- up moment prior to exiting the haunt, or as you are exiting the haunt, would really solidify the theme further, continuing the great framework that’s already started.
Scare Factor: 8
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?: 8.25
(25% of Scare Factor Score) How predictable were the scares?: 8
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide a wide variety of scares?: 8
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How strong was the ending / finale?: 7.75
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THE NEVERENDING NIGHTMARE has some good scares within their attraction between some talented performers and some well placed effects (animatronics, sound effects, etc.). More time spent perfecting the layout and cast training would help solidify and maximize the scares, creating an even scarier attraction.
After exiting, several other groups ran (and even laid down to catch their breath), so it does seem like some find this experience VERY scary. The attraction did happen to scare our seasoned team several times, and from the screams heard from other groups, it is apparent that folks with less haunt experience definitely find THE NEVERENDING NIGHTMARE truly ‘nightmare-ish’ in the best way possible.
Entertainment & Value: 8.03
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?: 8.5
(25% of E&V Score) How satisfied were you with the entertainment that’s available with* the ticket price, excluding the main attraction/s?: 7.5
(30% of E&V Score) How appropriate is/are the ticket price/s?: 7.5
(15% of E&V Score) Have they effectively used their available space?: 9
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THE NEVERENDING NIGHTMARE is aptly priced at a spooky $13 dollars which is a fair price for a somewhat short, yet detailed walk through. THE NEVERENDING NIGHTMARE will frequently appear on Groupon with a deal for an even cheaper ticket price.
Though this is a shorter walk through, the variety of experiences and detailed sets and costumes make for a worthwhile ticket price. However, don’t expect to spend the entire night at this attraction.
If you find yourself in the Orlando area looking for a Halloween attraction at a reasonable price, head on over to Ocoee and check out THE NEVERENDING NIGHTMARE at the West Oaks Mall.
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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