Warehouse 31 Unleashed Review (2018)

The Cast at WAREHOUSE 31 UNLEASHED is talented, providing some strong scares, as well as improvisational style interaction, letting Guests guide their verbal choices and customized dialogue based on reactions and responses. Overall, Cast held character well, though some could be further developed with increased dedication to maintaining the illusion of character. Some performers, notably Mr. Tasty, are highly interactive, heckling Guests while they queue up for the next portion of the attraction. Commitment to Character and themes is mostly clear, with cast dedicated to providing an immersive experience for Guests. One confusing moment was the performer in the room prior to the laser swamp who made Guests crawl under the rubber flaps in the doorway (on concrete flooring), therefore entering beneath the laser swamp, to which we saw the performer hiding under the laser swamp prepared to scare, and she yelled at us to stand, ruining her scare. The team is unsure if this was a performer choice that didn’t work with the design and layout of the attraction, or if it is an unclear layout and direction, but the interaction is noted and accounted for in this category.

WAREHOUSE 31 UNLEASHED’s employees are helpful, friendly, and informative. Those working outside the attraction are friendly and interactive. In contrast, those placed within the attraction, though still professional and providing great service, made efforts to fit into the theme of the attraction a bit more. This worked well to not pull Guests out of the atmosphere with a huge smile and overly-friendly disposition.

WAREHOUSE 31 UNLEASHED is easy to locate, the address brings you right to the strip mall location, and it is hard to miss the life sized pirate ship prop in the middle of the parking lot. Extra effort is put into making sure Guests are safe, including lighting, padding, etc. when any obstacles need to be navigated through the attraction.

WAREHOUSE 31 UNLEASHED provides some commonly seen themes in uncommon and creative ways. Unique obstacles have been added to the attractions, throwing Guests that are used to haunted attractions off guard, including moments of ducking, crawling, sliding, etc. Special effects were well used and placed throughout the house (including the aptly-titled ‘Tentacle Face Smasher of 2018’), providing theming and scares around every corner.

Some areas were rough around the edges, including the UV clown section, with visible wooden supports and rigging that we feel weakened some of the effects. Some equipment (notably fog machines) were visible and out in the open on the floors, which weakened the illusions and theming, while also potentially provided trip hazards for misdirected Guests.

Despite those nuances, WAREHOUSE 31 UNLEASHED most successfully takes common haunt effects and repurposes them in less than common ways to surprise and shock Guests even if they have seen many haunts previously.

WAREHOUSE 31 UNLEASHED is one walk-through attraction that features four distinct themes: LOCKDOWN, MR. TASTY’S MEAT FACTORY, DEAD WATERS, and SLAUGHTER’S CIRCUS. Although the overall themes are “common,” WAREHOUSE 31 UNLEASHED still strives to make their themes unique through their layout, characters, effects, and scares, providing a nice variety in theme throughout the attraction..

We were especially excited to see the clown section begin in a dark abandoned circus/carnival feel, however it quickly turned into the typical fluorescent clown theme that’s so often seen at haunted attractions, where sticking to the dark circus/carnival clown theme could have been really unique and scary.

WAREHOUSE 31 UNLEASHED packs some great scares through its performers and effects, with creative layouts that camouflage some of the best scares. The Performers are dedicated to scaring Guests from many different angles, often scaring guests multiple times as well. Some of the best scares come from the hidden effects that are hidden from view in dark corners. Some characters go for the creepy invasive tactics, which is a nice balance to jump-scare attempts. As a whole, we feel the intensity could continue to increase, especially in the final section; perhaps adding to the maniacal clown themes and matching the environment closer would help achieve this.

WAREHOUSE 31 UNLEASHED features tiered pricing, with tickets more expensive on weekend days than weekdays. Additionally, Guests can upgrade tickets beyond General Admission to gain front-of-line access with a VIP ticket.

WAREHOUSE 31 UNLEASHED has made an effort to make the atmosphere and included entertainment to be well worth the price of admission, including the paintball (for a nominal fee), pirate ship walkthrough (free with admission!), the DJ providing atmosphere club style music, and a variety of roaming characters, allowing even passersby to get the flavor of the haunted attraction inside. Come on down to the Warehouse this year, as the inhabitants inside just may make your skin crawl.