WJAA Haunted Woods – Full Review
WJAA Haunted Woods is a Haunted Attraction located in Williamsburg, OH.
3759 Old St Rt 32, Williamsburg, OH 45176View All Details
Features:
Free Parking, Restrooms/Porta Potties On-Site, Food/Concessions, Gift Shop/Souvenirs, Optional Games/Midway, Special Events, “Old-School” (Low Tech), “Extreme” Attraction, You may be touched, Original Characters, All-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: 7.79
How Did We Get This Score?
Final Scores:
(15% of Final Score) Cast: 8.38
(15% of Final Score) Costuming: 8.05
(10% of Final Score) Customer Service: 10
(10% of Final Score) Atmosphere: 6.6
(15% of Final Score) Special Effects: 7.68
(5% of Final Score) Theme:
(15% of Final Score) Scare Factor: 6.3
(5% of Final Score) Entertainment & Value: 7.75
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Summary:
Once darkness settles in, the family fun begins! Starting the journey with a wagon load of co-passengers, we make our way up to a wooded hilltop lit with candles and plenty of string and spotlights. This trail boasts some dedicated acting and eye candy… Well, if by eye candy you mean signs of mayhem and a lot of blood! You can leave here satisfied with the trail itself and knowing your ticket helps the junior athletic department.
General admission tickets cost $20 and parking is free.
Cast: 8.38
How Did We Get This Score?
Cast Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of Cast Score) Did it seem like there were enough actors?: 9.5
(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
(15% of Cast Score) How creatively & appropriately did they use dialogue?: 7.5Explanation:
Some of the cast did do a great job of chting with us while we were with them. The ability to adlib gets better with time, and practice. We experienced lots of screaming.
(15% of Cast Score) Was there a good variety of characters?: 9
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First and foremost, we were bombarded with clowns of every shape and size who followed us through quite a few stopping points along the early parts of the trail. Being at the back of the line allowed me to hang out a little longer with them. Boy, did they have plenty of lessons to teach. All in all, we found characters everywhere while on the trail. While we saw a plethora of clowns, both original and well-known favorites like Pennywise and Captain Spaulding, they weren’t the only characters we ran into. We saw our fair share of creepy nuns, both dirtied and bloodied. Schoolgirls were doing what they do, screaming. We got a long look at Michael Myers (and perhaps Hannibal Lecter), butchers, a roughed-up bunny, chainsaw slingers, a raccoon carrying wildman and tarantula loving shrouded lady, a fortune teller, and a few carnies. We also had some bloodied people out and about.
Dialogue varied among the actors, some did not talk at all, some snorted and smelled us, some blocked our path, and several continued to remind us we were moving way too slowly. We had a few share dialogue with us and had a slight conversation, but many didn’t. Some screamed, some sniffed, some grunted and others simply seemed hysterical. The Tall Clown did some fun chit-chat with us as we waited to get to the next area. Hannibal Lecter even had the nerve to warn me to watch my fingers!
Costuming: 8.05
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
(15% of Costuming Score) How effectively did they use masks (if used)?: 7.5Explanation:
Most masks were ok and looked good. There were a few that didn’t fit or the actor needed to tie up their hair. Black eye makeup helps hide the skin under the mask a little better.
(25% of Costuming Score) How appropriate were the costumes for their scene/s & theme/s?: 8.5
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We saw evidence of different styles of costumes. We saw some mask-wearing devil with a black long-sleeved t-shirt and black jeans, and later on, saw another masked devil wearing a long cape. Some characters were sporting white T-shirts with blood spatter, and some topless with cuts painted on the body. There were three witches at work with their cauldrons, wearing the traditional attire of long dark dresses and cloaks. The several clowns we came across also were varied, from traditional clown jumpers to street clothes. The nuns were wearing the expected habit and the schoolgirls wore private school uniforms one would expect to see for the scene they were in.
Stand-out costumes here would go to It, Jinxx, the Ringmaster, and the striped vest-wearing snack bar carnie. Their costumes looked the most complete and detailed. Unfortunately, we did see just a few ill-fitting masks, and even some long hair poking out of the back on some of the masks. A little black eye makeup under some of those masks helps hide the person wearing them. All characters and costumes fit in the areas they were placed. The Ringmaster at the end had very nice makeup. We saw makeup on other characters too, all different from each other. Pennywise and Captain Spaulding’s makeup was also nice and certainly allowed us to find out right away who they were. Several characters were dirtied and bloodied with various afflictions.
Customer Service: 10
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?: 10
(30% of CS Score) How safe was the attraction?: 10
(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?: 10
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We used the haunted house’s Facebook page and website to gather any information we could imagine. We were able to plug the address into GPS and had no trouble getting to the attraction. There was a slight hiccup from one of the parking attendants who waved her wands in a fashion that was confusing to drivers. Several drivers drove right past her mostly because they could not tell what she was wanting them to do. All the staff was polite and friendly and answered any questions we had.
This is an outdoor trail, and they warn all customers to ‘be sure to pick your feet up’ while on the trail, as it is made to wind along several trees and their roots.
Atmosphere: 6.6
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?: 7
(40% of Atmosphere Score) How well did the atmosphere prepare you for what you experienced inside?: 6
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Driving up to the entrance, there was a well-lit advertising sign with the name posted. A light-up Halloween inflatable could also serve as a marker for people to know from a distance where the parking was located in the dark, as the sign itself looks like a typical business sign.
Once we entered the property, we were pointed to the ticketing booth. There was no music or other forms of entertainment available. Walking around the grounds, we came to the concession stand and a small bonfire (it had been raining most of the day, so this was a feat.) Adding an actor or two at the ticketing area would help set the mood for ticket holders waiting in line to get their ticket and also those waiting to board their wagon.
Special Effects: 7.68
How Did We Get This Score?
Special Effects Scores (15% of Final Score):
(20% of SFX Score) How effective were the sound effects?: 8
(20% of SFX Score) How creative / original were the scenes & props?: 7.5
(20% of SFX Score) How well were the scenes detailed?: 7.5
(25% of SFX Score) How well did they achieve & maintain the suspension of disbelief?: 7.5
(15% of SFX Score) How effective were the SFX at providing scares / entertainment?: 8
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We were treated to different sounds on the trail. We heard a music box, metal music, sirens, honking, buzzers, and banging.
We saw a spark prop that let out sparks then the actor hit a metal fence. The lit Faris wheel was in motion, and we encountered a few chainsaws. The wheel of fortune was fun, even though they stacked the deck against players with all bad outcomes. There were body parts lying around in the scenes, and some attached to the wall and hanging from the ceiling. There were a couple of places littered with long-abandoned baby dolls. Along the way, there were mattresses partially buried in the ground, angled flooring, and a shifting mini bridge to challenge our balance. Oh, did we mention they had a spinning tunnel that was guarded with a cackling clown? They did, and it was quite effective at making us dizzy. It seemed there were a lot of handheld horns and flashlights, and I got a blast of air from a hidden air hose. We walked through several places with varying thicknesses of fog, strobe lights, and lasers. There was a laser swamp with more than one bog beast waiting for us. At one point, I thought we were going to be undone by a semi pushing its way through. We found a wrecked car and a school bus among the trees.
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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This attraction did not utilize an overall theme.
Scare Factor: 6.3
How Did We Get This Score?
Scare Factor Scores (15% of Final Score):
(30% of Scare Factor Score) How scary was it?: 7.5
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide scares to the entire group?: 6
(25% of Scare Factor Score) How predictable were the scares?: 6
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How well did they provide a wide variety of scares?: 6
(15% of Scare Factor Score) How strong was the ending / finale?: 5
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Scare tactics included a lot of handheld horns, some pop scares here and there, and lots and lots of pounding and alarms. There were bloodied scenes in different areas including a doctor’s area and a butcher’s area. We walked into a club scene with neon accents and were asked for some blood. There were places where our vision was compromised with strobe lights, thick fog, and a blackout room. Creepy dolls stared at us with their moldy faces and dead eyes. We walked through many mazes, some with tarp, wood, or plexiglass and wooden doors. We were followed by somebody at nearly every step. We weaved our way through more than one room or maze with hanging obstacles.
We somehow ended up being at the end of the line the entire time, as we were looking at and enjoying everything, unfortunately, we missed some things that happened with those in our group that were at the front.
Entertainment & Value: 7.75
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
(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
(30% of E&V Score) How appropriate is/are the ticket price/s?: 8
(15% of E&V Score) Have they effectively used their available space?: 8
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We were hurried along to keep up with our partnered group this time, so we wouldn’t fall too far behind to damage the actors’ timing. We clocked 33 minutes of entertainment, without the small wait for the wagon to bring us back down the hill, giving us a minute per dollar ratio of 1.36, which is a great amount of time per dollar.
We appreciated the additions of a hot food concession stand, bonfire, and hayride.
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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Guest ReviewsGuest Average: 5 out of 10
Adam – 5/10 – October 6, 2018Had all the right elements to be a unique and fun haunted house, but the execution was poor. Its …show more all home made, which is pretty cool, but very difficult to get around inside as they made a lot of low clearance entry ways and sketchy pallet buildings. Also they were apparently understaffed, because there were apparent places where someone was supposed to be for a scare, and there wasn’t. So a lot of walking through and no scares. Worse part was the wait. I forget how long it was, but it was at least 1.5-2hrs. At least you got to sit by a fire and hang out, but it was excruciatingly long, and I’ve been to many haunted houses and I think this was the longest wait. You had to sit and listed to the PA for them to call your name. That made it very suspenseful as you hope they would call your name every time, but they didn’t.
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Past Awards
2020 Awards
Best Hometown Charity Haunt (Given by: Team Teachers of Terror)
