Halloween 2010 is over.

This was a mellow Halloween for me. It was the first one in a long time in which I went to outside haunts as opposed to the big haunt (big being Knotts and Universal; although I have some insight into both). I decided to check out three haunts in the Orange County area, and I must say, three things occurred. I saved money, I got scared and I was impressed.

The first haunt I went to was a small one close to my house in Yorba Linda, called the "Yorba Linda Cemetary of Lost Souls," what else did you expect? Based within a martial arts dojo (you heard me), this maze proved to be really impressive! First off, it's located in a mini mall of small businesses, off the 91 freeway and La Palma in Yorba Linda. There was a local radio station in the parking lot blasting music, a costume contest for kids being held, and lots of other mini-booths selling, and giving away little trinkets. The admission was free, but donations were accepted. I gave five dollars, and got four tickets for my crew.  Once we were out I realized I should have given more, as the maze was well worth the five dollars and more! The wait was the longest of the night (45- 50 minutes). That was really the only down side. Once we were in, they kept the groups limited to each party's size, so it was just the four of us with the maze all to ourselves. Once inside the scares came fast and furious. There were monsters everywhere..and worst, or best of all, the place was pitch black and the walls were claustrophobic. Everyone once in a while we entered rooms that provided some relief from the close quarters, but we then had to deal with clever misdirection tactics! The maze lasted maybe 5 minutes, but it felt like a lifetime, as the couple I went with kept falling down and getting the life scared out of them. Once we were out, we laughed and gave credit to the little maze that could. This one is definitely one that should be on your to do list next year!
Rating Scale: Price ***** Scare **** Wait **1/2
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Next we headed over to Garden Grove, where the city took over an abandoned Black Angus and turned it into a 10,000 square feet maze, called the Diner of the Dead! It was empty when we arrived,  with maybe five or 10 people walking either in or out of it when we pulled up. It cost 10 per person with a coupon you could get off the net or at stores. As soon as I paid, we were walking in the maze within minutes. I must say part of the fun for me was seeing all the booths with the high back, and walking through a condemned looking Angus. There some fun moments like walking through a dance floor with monsters standing around, not knowing which one was a real person or just a doll. Walking into a bloody kitchen with a pig chef banging and making noise, while shuffling through the blood splattered room. The maze had some big moments (the air compressor blasting people from underneath was quite effective), but didn't deliver quite the punch that the previous haunt did, for far less than half the price of admission. In fact, the garden grove haunt cost $40 dollars for all of us, compared to the $5 dollar donation for all four in Yorba Linda.  This haunt might have been great, had I not been to the dojo in Yorba Linda.
Rating Scale: Price:**1/2 Scare**1/2 Wait:*****
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Finally we ended up at the Empty Grave at the Anaheim Garden Walk. I'm already tired of talking about the mazes, cause it was more fun walking through them. This maze was like a bigger version of the Diner of Death in Garden Grove. Lots of scares, some dead spots (no pun intended), but overall, high quality effects. I feel there were some spots that looked like they ran out of ideas to fill space, so at times the scares were few and far in between. Tickets were $10 dollars once again, with a coupon that was from the website, and they had a $22 fast pass if lines were too long. I almost bought those online, anticipating long lines on a Saturday, but thank goodness I didn't. The fast pass is a nice idea, but not worth spending $22 for this one. Luckily, the wait was short, as there was a 5-7 minute wait, which was fine with my crew. The Empty Grave was fun, but was just that....an empty maze.
Rating Scale: Price:** Scare:**1/2 Wait:****
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
So with a heavy heart I bid farewell to Halloween until 2011. I look forward to more scares and mazes. One more thing before I end this post, I heard Knotts was "OK", and that the monsters weren't enthusiastic. The price is still best for 13 mazes, and coasters, plus shows. Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights was over packed. Tickets were oversold, so it was shoulder to shoulder to walk through the park. Front of the line passes were over sold, so someone buying a pass was no more a VIP than regular ticket holders. In other words, people payed $25 dollars more, to wait in lone lines. (No thanks!). OK, that's it for me, I will see you and report on another Halloween in 2011!!!