Woods of Terror Review (2019)

WOT has nearly a hundred costumed actors. While you can find about ten of these in the Monster Midway, the vast majority are scattered through the various haunts on the wooded trail. Most scenes have a designated entrance, marked with the name of the area beyond. In some cases, these entrances are staffed by actors who are great at dialogue, capable of keeping up some witty banter while managing the flow of guests.

Within each area there are a selection of appropriate actors, all with individual roles to play within. Some make great use of distraction to assist the other haunters nearby, while others get right up in your face. Some will even leave a mark upon you before you pass.

The haunters in the Midway deserve a special bit of attention ‘ working under lights, these actors move throughout the Midway, even entering the well-lit shops. In such conditions and at such close quarters, everything about them must be on point. Makeup and costuming, of course, but also, they have to stay in-character for hours while under the wide-eyed stare of dozens and dozens of guests. That they’re able to deliver on this consistently, not only throughout the night but also season after season, online and in-person is a testament to the time and dedication of the WOT crew.

Costuming is an area where WOT really shines. Aside from the aforementioned Midway actors, the rest of the crew is also very well done. There are few masks used and for the sheer number of cast involved, the makeup and costuming is complete, recognizable, and often individually tailored. While of course each actor’s costumes and makeup are geared towards the scenes they work in, there is very little that could be considered generic or off-the-rack. The vast majority of pieces are fitted for their actors if not made custom for the individual.

Because everything seems to be so well-done, when there are slips and minor mistakes, they have the potential to be distracting. While our eagle-eyed Team noticed a couple of small things ‘ one involving a mask ‘ we also feel that most visitors to WOT are going to be overwhelmed by all the sights and sounds around them enough that such minor details will be overlooked.

From the sign beneath the McLaurin Farms entrance to the large ‘exit’ signs in the parking lot, there is always something to guide visitors to where they need to be. There are plenty of non-costumed staff around inside the attraction that can answer questions about the haunt and its 28 year history or that can direct guest to the folks who can. The Midway Monsters may never break character, but they will point a visitor on their way, often with a horror-filled spring in their step, should they be asked a question.

WOT also has a ‘No Scare Zone’ tucked off in one corner of the Midway. This area, complete with its own tables and separated by a fence, is an area of safety where those who might be too overwhelmed by the roaming actors can retreat to catch their breath. Though the area is separated, it still offers a clear view of good section of the Midway ‘ no monsters will be accidentally bumped into while a guest leaves. The sights and sounds of the Midway are not muted, except by distance, but the No Scare Zone is dimmer and tucked up in a corner near the exit to the parking lot.

WOT is a walking trail. Though many of the 12 areas within are self-contained in buildings, there are some whose ‘floors’ are just the bare dirt of a North Carolina forest. Too, the occasional path between scenes traverses well-worn forest trails. Because of this, there will be uneven ground and the occasional, unavoidable tree root. Visitors should be sure to wear close-toed shoes and to watch their step.

On a similar note, at one point within the haunt there is a non-costumed staff member waiting at the top of a set of stairs. Equipped with a flashlight, he was there to warn guests of the sudden descent and provide a bit of illumination to the twisting passage. His presence, even out of costume and sudden as we avoided a creepy actor, was neither unwelcome nor alarming. It was an added bit of safety and security that didn’t break the flow of the haunt.

The Monster Midway not only gives guests a bit of a preview to the haunt itself with its creepy inhabitants, but the Parade, should visitors arrive early enough to see it, allows you to see every actor all at once. This full-costume, ready to scare event is a bold act ‘ guests can see all the actors up close and personal. The trust that WOT puts into its costumes and makeup is an unspoken part of this display.

Guests entering get tickets labeled with various creepy names or phrases. Instead of waiting in one huge line, visitors roam the Midway or sit at one of the many tables scattered throughout. The names and phrases from the tickets are called out in intervals, inviting those holders to approach the waiting line in front of the entrance. The evocative names are called out over loudspeakers and actually add into the creeping unease.

There is a great attention to detail and a high degree of professionalism at WOT. Though there were some bottlenecks where our Team either ran into the group of visitors in front of us or were caught up by the hurried steps of someone behind us, we had little time to look at all the amazing sets.

There are some towering facades at the start of some of the regions of WOT that took our breath away. We encountered a lot of custom scenes as well as some actor-driven puppets. These large constructions can be found at a number of haunts, but WOT has managed to squeeze in a variety of them scattered throughout the interior haunts in appropriate places.

In addition to the visual details, there were also lots of sounds used at WOT. In many cases this consisted of musical accompaniment or background noises to help set the scene. There were occasions when the banging of metal on metal was so loud as to be overpowering. A bit too much and too loud; so much so that while some of our Team were covering their ears, we couldn’t help but wonder if the actors working nearby had earplugs in. However, despite the volume, there wasn’t a great deal of sound bleed from scene to scene ‘ once we were able to get past the banging, it didn’t interfere with any of the other sets and scenes nearby.

The only thing we missed in terms of effects at WOT would be the inclusion of scent. However, since most haunts that use scent do so with fog-effects, the absence of this additional sense isn’t a huge deal. With no scented fog, we were able to see the detail of the sets without distraction.

While there isn’t an over-arching theme to WOT, each of the interior haunts were easily recognizable. Each of these is described on their website and each had a sign for their entrance. While there’s not a single, unifying theme to the individual haunts, each of the sections is executed well.

Too, since each of the sections is a sizable area and not just a single room, we felt that there was enough time to get invested in the theme of the area. While there are some places where there was little to no space between the themed areas ‘ those transitions were occasionally very sudden ‘ there was very little dead space that wasn’t used in some way.

Our Team screamer got herself a workout during out visit to WOT. The haunters inside each of the interior haunts do a good job of spreading the scares around to the whole group so that no one feels neglected for long. Even when bottlenecks (or scares) caused more than one group to bunch up together, the actors did a good job of working the whole group while trying to spread us out.

There are several jump scares ‘ some of them we were able to see coming, but there were some actor-driven jump scares that managed to catch at least one of us off guard each time. But WOT doesn’t just rely on simple jump scares. Aside from environmental effects like lowering ceilings or shifting floors, there were also moments of dialogue between us and the cast as well as between cast members.

The Movie Monsters area has some scenes that seem to be lifted directly from the movies they are trying to portray.

The final house ‘ Blackout Terror ‘ is a great bit of a finale. While there are elements of this dark maze in other haunts, WOT adds its own unique and shocking twist that will be sure to leave guests talking afterwards.

WOT provides guests a lot of value for the money spent. Our time within the Haunt came out at a 45-minute walk. But, there is a lot to see at WOT that isn’t part of the haunt. The Midway and its crew, shops, music, and add-on attractions can really add a great deal of time to your evening and come as part of your general admission. Tickets range from a general admission, to a fast pass that lets you pass the general admission line, to all-access tickets that move you to the front of the line whenever you want.

While it should be noted that these upgrades are only applicable at the initial entrance, there really isn’t much time that guests spend waiting in front of the individual interior haunts. Too, since it is one long trail from the entrance through the individual haunts, visitors are paying to decrease the wait-time in the Midway. If you can’t afford an upgraded ticket, you’re still being entertained in the Midway. If you don’t want to visit the haunt but ONLY want to experience the Midway, there is a ticket option for that for only $5. WOT offers different pricing options as well depending on the day of the week. Saturdays are the most expensive nights to visit, but Thursdays bring a discount to general admission. If you keep an eye on their social media pages, you can frequently find discounts for online ticket purchases.

Again, we think we should mention the No Scare Zone just off the Midway for those who get too frightened, and the initial parade before opening every night. These things are an additional value for visitors that shouldn’t be overlooked.

As we stated at the top of this review, our rating system has actually changed since the last time we reviewed WOT. What might appear to be a drop in the rating should not discourage anyone from visiting this amazing haunt. WOT strives to get better every year and this year was no exception.