[Haunt Review] Shocktoberfest - Three Times the Thrills

Our second stop on the Philadelphia leg of Haunt Tour 2014 was a bit of a mixed bag. Shoctoberfest, located up near Reading, PA is definitely a unique and weird place. From first glance you may think a carnival has stopped for the season as there is a lot to do with games food and other entertainment. However, the screams that fill the woods around the parking lot indicate that something far more sinister is going on out of sight.

There's a couple of really cool things that they do too, like the Zombie Night Run and the "Almost Naked and Scared" experiences that make things all the more interesting. There's also being able to made into a zombie and put into the prison to scare people, definitely cool! They also have what's called Club Shock, which can be rented out for parties with live DJ's and other stuff too. So again, a lot being offered and some really interesting twists on things.

• Date Visited: 10/10/14
• Review Team: +Carrie H.C.  +Filip Muncan and +Kitsune Hazard 
• Rating: Good (Probably Very Good with more actors showing up)
• Recommendation: Go if you're in the are or there's no rain forecast at all for that night.
• Likes: There's a lot of really unique and innovative things happening here and the actors were great (the ones that did show up that is). Absolutely loved the insanity of Prison of the Dead as well.
• Dislikes: Not enough actors, the hayride definitely fall completely off for us due to many not being there the night of our visit.
• Pro-Tip: If it looks like it's going to be busy, VIP is definitely going to help you out here as the lines can get a bit crazy. 
• *Warning: The actors inside Prison of the Dead will touch you and there are several areas that are a bit more physically demanding than most haunts out there.

Disclaimer: We were invited out to review this year's Shocktoberfest and were given complimentary tickets. As always, this never has and never will influence our reviews! Also, we have been informed that due to the threat of rain that night, many actors called off or just didn't show up the night of our visit. Shame on you actors!

So, let's get down to it then, shall we?

The first stop for us after parking was The Unknown. They pretty much stick to the theme here too, what's going to happen inside? That's anyone's guess, especially with the entrance being a ton of crates. Either you're going to find the Ark of the Covenant or something else horrible is gonna happen. Safe bet is on the latter.

The Unknown uses some pretty interesting and unique aspects to it to get things across. However, it's a big risk and many things do in fact fall flat due to that.

Our first stop was a bit of a pre-show that's done in 3-D and has some interesting surprises through it. Here we got the full back story of the haunt and a little idea of what to expect. Yes, you're given glasses, the paper kind, and once out of the room we were instructed to keep them with us as we'd be needing them in the future. From here we were split into groups and then let into the main haunt.

The Unknown is a crazy experiment that's gone a little wrong and there are periods of darkness between scenes that really can set up the anticipation as you never know what's coming next. The actors in here were trying their hardest, we just wish there were more of them during our visit but can imagine the place going full tilt. The other issue was the glasses, they're pretty unreliable being made of paper and definitely beat up some. The instances where you need them? You don't really get a chance to see the screens throughout the haunt due to moving constantly.

The other issue that we all had with this one was that the face characters were nowhere to be seen. Neither of them were physically part of the actual show inside and that really should be a thing, they should be there, especially for the climax. Overall, it's a gutsy attraction and I applaud them for trying something new here, but it needs some work to fully work completely. Better 3D glasses are also a thing that needs to happen here.

Next up, we went after their Zombie Revenge Hayride. While we didn't have the paintball option for this one, it is offered, we still were ready for something interesting. No disappointment here either. While they definitely were hurting for actors here, the whole premise was definitely cool and the ride was long and unique. There was a story being told here too, something you don't get on every hayride (usually they're a hodgepodge of random things) and that was great to see.

This is made clear by the first stop where we get a little taste of what's to come and learn a little about the facility that we're entering. Really great job by the actress that was in there too, got a few good laughs and the zombies definitely got some screams. After this we found ourselves going throughout the town, which was less of a town and more like a zombie preserve, that was not only inhabited by zombies but also a few insane folks who have stuck around...best not to mess with them too much.

Overall, we really enjoyed the experience and the few actors that they did have show up (shame on you non-showing actors!) were doing everything they could to get a scare and for the most part they were effective. That said, a few of the more scripted "stop for a scene" areas and the finale fell completely flat due to the no shows. I really wanted to like this one more and I'm sure that on a better night they have to be pretty spot on with things.

By this point we were feeling a little worried about the final stop, Prison of the Dead. However, things quickly got weird for us. First off, you don't just walk up to this one. Oh no, you have to board a prison bus and via the in ride voice over (hilarious by the way) we were told a little bit about the prison and wishing us a great stay.

Our moods were already instantly lifted for this one and we were all asking the same question, "Wait, is it really 50,000sqft?" The answer to that one, is yes.

We really had no idea what to expect from this insane labyrinth that looked more like a real prison than any of us could've imagined. It truly is one of the best things going here and while some areas were again devoid of actors, the ones that were here? Yeah, they were on it. From the intake and offices into the bowls of cell blocks (kodus to the guy in the crumbling cell block, knocked it out of the park!), sewer tunnels, overgrown prison yards and more, there was just stuff everywhere and scares seemed to be all over the place. None of them went for the simple scream and there were some sections that were so overloaded that it was a constant onslaught of mayhem. However, if they were spread out a little, maybe some areas wouldn't have seemed so dead. There was also some great use of the "slow strobe" and the actors in and around those areas really played the effect to its fullest.

It took us a good 45minutes to make it through and every moment we kept going "How long is this thing?!". Definitely a great way to close out the night and lifted our spirits big time. Just be aware that there are stairs, places where you'll have to bend over and even crawl through as you make your way along it's very twisted path. We really had a blast with this one and can see why so many folks like Shocktoberfest as a whole.

In the end, we did enjoy our time at Shocktoberfest and our visit was heavily impacted by the threat of rain and the lack of actors. It's a shame really because it would be great to see this one going full tilt, but we have to review what we see and while we can see where a lot of scares would come from, still wish they were there and were left wanting. Hopefully that's more of a "one bad night" thing as opposed to a bigger issue with the place.

However, there are some conceptual and functional issues with The Unknown that need to be sorted out as well before that one's truly great.

Even with all the problems, we had a lot of fun and definitely would recommend going. Here's to hoping that in the future they get some of the problems and other issues sorted out to really send this one over the top!

For more information on tickets, hours, directions and more, check out the official Shocktoberfest website!

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