Post by kandw on Oct 31, 2011 9:21:44 GMT -5
CMC's Sets the Standard in CNY
I wish I could have gone sooner, but it wasn't in the cards for me.
What can I say that hasn’t already been said about CMCs? Great haunted house, as usual! Admission is very fair at $10, and reentry is only $3. We went on the last night of their season, Oct. 30, and were concerned the wait would be ridiculous. Turns out it wasn't bad at all... We hung around a cozy fire and saw the sights.. While waiting they had a big (10ft tall?) creature on some sort of stilts with a great makeup job making the rounds, and every now and then an evil clown would appear- chasing victims out... We chatted with some people near the fire and watched a horror flick projected on the building. The average wait for everyone seemed to be a 1.25 hours. Not bad at all for the night before Halloween! They have a cool "bus pass" number/ticket system that frees you up to walk around, get a tarot reading, hair beads, fried dough, hot dogs, etc.
When our number was announced, we lined up for the bus.. Groups going through were kept small which is awesome. The staff was super friendly, and while it may not be anyones criteria for a great haunt, it certainly makes you feel appreciated as a customer, whereas some other haunts can feel somewhat like a "money grab".
The haunt starts aboard an empty old school bus. When you board and have a seat, the driver, who played his character quite well, provides somewhat of a back-story/setup for what's to come. When you turn around the bus is littered with dead students. After exiting the bus, you enter the building, which begins with some great, dark, school scenes and more great scareactors. there's a "lunch line" with again, more great scareactors passionately in character, and plenty of unexpected startles. Walking through, I was thoroughly impressed with the scenes and creativity. One of the things many people DON'T like at a haunt (myself included), is when actors touch, pull or grab them. I think for many it crosses a line, and with women walking through, it's a very fine line.
CMC's is smartly interactive, and makes you feel like part of the action WITHOUT crossing any lines. Whether it's handing you a lunch tray, or being squirted with blood from a guy sawing a victim, or finding yourself literally INSIDE a cage when bright lights suddenly shine down, and you're looking up at a killer above.
After that scene in particular, I enjoyed one of the best electric chair scenes I've seen. The victim played it awesome, and the chair design itself made for a great effect! In the same room, was a girl with hundreds of syringes in her body, shaking furiously... The uncontrollable shaking in this scene alone outdid the acting in damn near every haunt in town!
The haunt is a winding maze which also takes you outdoors for some more great scenes! On several occasions, I was tricked by what I THOUGHT was a prop, one time "it" dropped from upside down and scurried off like a rat. Before reentering the building, we walked through a very cool scene with birds.. Ravens all over, birds projected, dead kids strewn about a playground (not props!) and some unexpected scares.
Upon exiting, we were greeted with free cider and donuts & cookies, just like every year.
I can't say enough! The girls screamed as if we were their FIRST customers, and at 9:30 on October 30th, were were nearly their last. The acting at CMCs is top notch, and everyone puts their heart and soul into their respective roles. The scenery is creative and creepy... It's all quite impressive.
Some of the "bigger" haunts should take notes. Seriously.
I wish I could have gone sooner, but it wasn't in the cards for me.
What can I say that hasn’t already been said about CMCs? Great haunted house, as usual! Admission is very fair at $10, and reentry is only $3. We went on the last night of their season, Oct. 30, and were concerned the wait would be ridiculous. Turns out it wasn't bad at all... We hung around a cozy fire and saw the sights.. While waiting they had a big (10ft tall?) creature on some sort of stilts with a great makeup job making the rounds, and every now and then an evil clown would appear- chasing victims out... We chatted with some people near the fire and watched a horror flick projected on the building. The average wait for everyone seemed to be a 1.25 hours. Not bad at all for the night before Halloween! They have a cool "bus pass" number/ticket system that frees you up to walk around, get a tarot reading, hair beads, fried dough, hot dogs, etc.
When our number was announced, we lined up for the bus.. Groups going through were kept small which is awesome. The staff was super friendly, and while it may not be anyones criteria for a great haunt, it certainly makes you feel appreciated as a customer, whereas some other haunts can feel somewhat like a "money grab".
The haunt starts aboard an empty old school bus. When you board and have a seat, the driver, who played his character quite well, provides somewhat of a back-story/setup for what's to come. When you turn around the bus is littered with dead students. After exiting the bus, you enter the building, which begins with some great, dark, school scenes and more great scareactors. there's a "lunch line" with again, more great scareactors passionately in character, and plenty of unexpected startles. Walking through, I was thoroughly impressed with the scenes and creativity. One of the things many people DON'T like at a haunt (myself included), is when actors touch, pull or grab them. I think for many it crosses a line, and with women walking through, it's a very fine line.
CMC's is smartly interactive, and makes you feel like part of the action WITHOUT crossing any lines. Whether it's handing you a lunch tray, or being squirted with blood from a guy sawing a victim, or finding yourself literally INSIDE a cage when bright lights suddenly shine down, and you're looking up at a killer above.
After that scene in particular, I enjoyed one of the best electric chair scenes I've seen. The victim played it awesome, and the chair design itself made for a great effect! In the same room, was a girl with hundreds of syringes in her body, shaking furiously... The uncontrollable shaking in this scene alone outdid the acting in damn near every haunt in town!
The haunt is a winding maze which also takes you outdoors for some more great scenes! On several occasions, I was tricked by what I THOUGHT was a prop, one time "it" dropped from upside down and scurried off like a rat. Before reentering the building, we walked through a very cool scene with birds.. Ravens all over, birds projected, dead kids strewn about a playground (not props!) and some unexpected scares.
Upon exiting, we were greeted with free cider and donuts & cookies, just like every year.
I can't say enough! The girls screamed as if we were their FIRST customers, and at 9:30 on October 30th, were were nearly their last. The acting at CMCs is top notch, and everyone puts their heart and soul into their respective roles. The scenery is creative and creepy... It's all quite impressive.
Some of the "bigger" haunts should take notes. Seriously.