Cedar Point Halloweekends vs. Kings Island Haunt

I visited King Island this past weekend and thought I'd share a bit of a Halloweekends/Haunt comparison with Cedar Point. At the end of the day, I'm just one guy with one view, so I'd be interested to see how others compare the two.

Overall Theming and Decoration
I would say CP has more "stuff," but KI did more with theirs. I really liked the zombie habitat and animatronic mutant areas, myself.
Edge: Even (even though CP got rid of the skeleton fisherman and light-changer - shame on them)

Mazes
CP (5): Hexed, Zombie High, Eden Musee, Eerie Estates, Eternity Infirmary, Cornstalkers
KI (11): Kill Mart, Board to Death, Carnevil, Slaughterhouse, Delta Delta Die, Club Blood, Urgent Scare, Wolf Pack, Corn Stalkers, Tombstone Terrortory, Cavern of Terror
As you can see, it's really no contest here. I'm guessing that being so close to a major city allows KI to have such staff available to them, but holy crap it has a lot of mazes. I'm not judging each maze here, but suffice to say, each park has a mix of good, better and great mazes. One thing of note, however, is that KI's Tombstone Terrortory utilizes the train. You ride the train, it gets "hijacked," then have to make your way back. The mere fact that they integrated the train for this was inspired.
Edge: KI (win by overwhelming force)

Scare Zones
KI has only Backwoods Bayou as a specific "scare zone" (i.e. wide-open, outdoor pathway), but other than that, it's mostly the whole park where anyone can come up and scare you at any time. Without buying one of the "No Boo" necklaces for $5, you can be targeted on any major thoroughfare. CP has them in specific areas (Carnevil, Screamworks, etc.), so you can easily avoid them if you wish. Anyway, more scare zones is much better, in that you go through the zones and it's scary, and really, no line. CP has 5 scare zones that you can visit, without having to wait an hour+ in line for. If you want to be honestly scared at KI, you either go through Backwoods Bayou, or you wait an hour+ in a line for a maze.
Edge: CP (offers more non-wait opportunities for scares)

Fright Lane
Only two real points to make here. First, KI's key is WAY better than CP's, if only in terms of being a cool, collectible souvenir (it's actually an ornate, metal key). I'm guessing CP picked the epileptic skull LED because of the "find the skeleton key people inside the maze" aspect, or they didn't have time to have their own keys made up. The other point is that KI gives a LOT more bang for the buck when it comes to FRL. CP gives you 6 mazes to use it on, while KI gives you a whopping 11. Plus, you get a bonus maze of your choice to do again, so it's really 12. Looking back, the fact that CP didn't give at least the extra bonus maze is really pathetic.
Edge: KI (sheer value, by far)

Skeleton Key Rooms:
CP has specific rooms located within the maze that you either found (easily), or the staff found you and guided you in. KI has them all at the beginning of the maze, where you basically enter into a different door, experience the room, then go with the flow into the rest of the maze. I liked CP's version much better, because it seemed more natural and organic as part of the maze. As for the rooms themselves, both parks were relatively equal in creativity, and each had 5.
Edge: CP (because of the organic integration)

Miscellaneous
* KI's Carnevil & Tombstone Terrortory are mazes, as opposed to CP's same-named scare zones.
* KI had neat red neon skull & crossbones signs for the mazes (and scare zone), and neon green spider ones indicating the Fright Lane entrances.
* As mentioned before, KI offers the No Boo things to ward off screamsters, which was cool (btw, it didn't, nor was designed to work inside mazes).

Good reviews.

I find CP a bit better than KI for a few things. I love our Eden Musee over their Madame Fatales just for the scare factor & set design. They did go all out in the Crypt building this year, but it could have been better.

I like how Haunt is the whole park down at KI, CP it's zoned up, but it's appropriate for why each park does what they do.

Some of the mazes at KI just downright suck. Delta Delta & Kill Mart were downright stupid. A zombie frat party? Really? Club Blood is pretty much hot women & men (if that's your thing) with fangs..there's dancing, tight latex, chains, you get the drill. Not scary, just a PG-13 peep show. I wouldn't count Carnevil as a maze, it's a walkthrough in Planet Snoopy. It's like our Screamworks. I give them Kudos for Board to Death, it was original and different, not really scary, but it was cool.

That's my critique. KI may have more zones & mazes, but number isn't always better. I'll take a few good well thought out mazes, than a bunch of random terrible ideas. Whoever thought of the zombie frat party needs to be bludgeoned with one of the glued down bud light bottles in that room. Some of their mazes are good, like I do enjoy Madame Fatales, even if I miss what occupied that room, it does do a good job. Just I think ours was done better.

Overall both parks are good, not great for all haunts. Honestly if you went to an outside attraction like the Haunted Schoolhouse or Lab, Lewisburg Cave, Factory of Terror, etc. It's going to get you scared more & have more intense scenes, because that's what it's for. Keep in mind the parks are parks and most of this is set up in a few weeks or so minus some things that probably stay standing year after year with no changes (Like Wolfpack @ KI). The scares are good, but not great. Fun perk of a season pass, that's what it boils down to for me. Fun fall memories to share with friends. Ride a coaster, encounter a slider. Good stuff

KI's Carnevil is a maze, in a building, with walls. It's nothing like CP's. Now, there is the area surrounding it that is part of the all-over zone, with some random clowns and such, which is where you may be confused.

Oh wait that's right..it's in the boo blasters building..I keep forgetting that..I did it once, it wasn't that good. Well what normally occupies that building isn't either. Probably the worst dark ride ever made.

No, what normally occupies Boo Blasters is what currently occupies it, which is Boo Blasters. Carnevil didn't replace it, but is next to it (or perhaps in a warehouse space of the same building). Boo Blasters is up and running. Have you actually been to KI lately?

And again, ride enjoyment is a matter of opinion. You write that it's the worst dark ride ever made, but it's easily one of the top 3 for my kids. I think adults tend to be way too hard on dark rides and children way too forgiving. I know I LOVED Earthquake and Pirate Ride as a kid, but they weren't much better than Boo Blasters. Worse, in fact. Blasphemy, I know.

I don't get all the hate for Boo Blasters. It's a nice family ride. Enjoy it before it gets ripped out.

When did I say it replaced it? I said "it's in the Boo Blasters Building" which is correct, Carnevil is inside of the same building. In the "Well what normally occupies the building" refers to Boo Blasters..and it does suck. I know it's there. It's what I was referring to, I actually went through Boo Blasters two weeks ago on Sunday...All three guns didn't work, which is why I hate shoot-em-up dark rides. Just give me a dark ride.

Earthquake did suck, Pirate Ride was a joke, totally agree.

Give me a Curse of Dark Kastle @ BGW, or hell even Verbolten if you want a coaster/dark ride combo. I'd love to see a Haunted Mansion kind of thing at CP or with new technology a Harry Potter: Forbidden Journey/Gringotts deal, but that will never happen. But Dark Kastle is incredible, and reasonable for CP to install.

^I must add that the Disney dark rides' newer enhancements have been quite impressive, too. I believe that Carnevil at King's Island is in an empty section of Boo Blasters, since before it there has been Scooby-Doo, Haunted Theater, Smurfs, Hannah Barbara Fantastic Journey, the list goes on! That may have led to some confusion.

^^Maybe you're just a bad shot? Ha!

Seriously though, I've just about given up on CP putting a new state of the art dark ride in.

Just keep watching all those other parks put new interesting dark rides in while we get stuff like Pipe Scream and a refurbished coaster. (Not to say I'm not intrigued by Rougarou...sure beats a couple of flatrides)

Haha it's sad when literally some of the targets I can put the laser right next to the target and nothing happens.

Like I said, I think eventually we will get a dark ride, hopefully something good. Coasters are important, but I think the park knows it's missing this..

I hope you're right, man. I consider myself a coaster enthusiast, but a park needs variety.

Yesterday, I wasn't hardly hitting anything and my daughter got well into "master blaster" status. I told her I thought my gun was malfunctioning, but she just scoffed. I took the other gun and tried a two fisted approach. That didn't work either. My biggest problem is that there is no laser sighting like on other shooters. Even the Boo Blasters at Kings Dominion has it and makes it easier to hit the targets.

thedevariouseffect said:
Good reviews.

Some of the mazes at KI just downright suck. Delta Delta & Kill Mart were downright stupid. A zombie frat party? Really? Club Blood is pretty much hot women & men (if that's your thing) with fangs..there's dancing, tight latex, chains, you get the drill. Not scary, just a PG-13 peep show. I wouldn't count Carnevil as a maze, it's a walkthrough in Planet Snoopy. It's like our Screamworks. I give them Kudos for Board to Death, it was original and different, not really scary, but it was cool.

KI may have more zones & mazes, but number isn't always better. I'll take a few good well thought out mazes, than a bunch of random terrible ideas. Whoever thought of the zombie frat party needs to be bludgeoned with one of the glued down bud light bottles in that room.

Sure I follow your train of thought here. Zombie frat party extremely dumb, but a high school full of zombies you see no problem with. A zombie football team hanging out in the locker room and a zombie prom are both pretty stupid, just as stupid as a zombie frat party. I would say these two houses are very similar and for me they are a push when it comes to which one is better

I never said I didn't have a problem with Zombie High School, it sucks too haha

Give me Eerie Estate, that's the clear winner out of both parks. Maybe Eden Musee, but I enjoy it just for some props & a few good scares (namely the creeper). I moreover go through with my girlfriend just to see her flip out like no other. Totally worth it.

Boy, you're mean to that lady. lol

It's worth it..trust me, someone give me a go pro, we'll make millions off of her reaction in there :)

It's a love/hate for her. Take for example, she hated clowns, and wanted to watch It..She hated it, but after it was over loved it.

I think Zombie High School is brilliant, I love the different props, attention to detail and how the house is basically a tour through different parts of a high school. One of best houses at the park. Eerie Estate is probably the best though, totally agree with that.

Zombie high school has some really inspired stuff. The projector room is brilliant.

I guess my complaint is I go several times to the great haunted houses with huge attention to detail outside of the park (Haunted Schoolhouse and Lab) that honestly I know the park can't compete to that level, but after you get the best it's hard to enjoy something lesser

When talking set design and lighting I would say Cedar Point's newer houses are at the same level as the ones outside the park. Hexed and Zombie high have the same level of detail as say Haunted Schoolhouse and Ghostly Manor ect. They do focus on different items but the attention to detail are the same.

Now when it comes to actors it's hit or miss. Some Screamsters really develop their characters and oters just show up, jump out, and hide again. Of course CP also pushes the Scare Forward, High Startle scare which means you only get a few seconds to get the character. Zones are a little different when it comes to Character but the houses kinda loose character.

Not one bit...

Also Ghostly Manor is in NO way close to Haunted School/Lab..Thats honestly a slap in the HSHLABs face

So you're saying this: http://media2.newsnet5.com//photo/2011/10/18/TeslaCoilWEB_201110181...40_480.JPG

Is equal to this: http://www.sanduskyregister.com/sites/www.sanduskyregister.com/file...k=9NdbCVp7

Or this: http://northeastohiofamilyfun.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Indoor...y-Ohio.jpg

Beg to differ, big time..