Knott's Scary Farm 2022

[chris.g]

Yeah, had heard some KSF die hards say HHN blows it out of the water this year. Very telling.

 

[viking_wizard_eyes]

Yeah, had heard some KSF die hards say HHN blows it out of the water this year. Very telling.

The writing was already on the wall last year, IMO. I knew we were getting at least two new houses this year, but I felt like unless they really invested in sprucing up the OGs, it wasn't gonna be worth the trip, and yeah -- just hearing some really rough stuff. See ya in 2023.

 

[Jerroddragon]

Was about 80% sure I was skipping this year, then I heard a buncha bad stuff about last night (outside of Bloodline and Grimoire both being strong -- especially Grimoire) and now I'm for sure out. Sounds like more than a few houses really need to be put of their misery.

Will plan on next year when there will hopefully be at least four new-to-me houses and the event will finally feel fresh for once.

Honestly my plan is go every few years

just no reason to go every year for me as well

 

[Spookies n' Stuff]

I'm still gonna visit as a guest this year, but the whole bag thing has got me pretty weary.
I've got 3 different medications I have to take between the hours of 7 pm and 1 am so trying to squeeze all of those into a tiny bag is a near impossibility, so I'll probably just have to keep them loose in my pocket and just hope I don't lose them. Tbh I really don't see the rule lasting the way it is at this point, like, how do you expect to sell any of that new merch you've got when you're gonna force people to lug around whatever they buy by hand. Speaking from experience, not being able to fit something in a backpack and having to carry it around all night is absolutely a dealbreaker for some people. Seems like a really misguided decision all around.

 

[Clive]

Was about 80% sure I was skipping this year, then I heard a buncha bad stuff about last night (outside of Bloodline and Grimoire both being strong -- especially Grimoire) and now I'm for sure out. Sounds like more than a few houses really need to be put of their misery.

Will plan on next year when there will hopefully be at least four new-to-me houses and the event will finally feel fresh for once.

Would love to hear some specifics if you're willing to share. Trying to decide if we're going to make a visit - after such an excellent experience last year, I'd hate to have that memory sullied.

Seems like both major events are having serious operational and casting issues.

 

[JS610]

Dark Entities had the worst scare actor shortage last night, along with a number of animatronics sitting still. Mesmer wasn't well staffed on my first walk thru, but was full on my second.

This does feel like an in-between year. But crowds were very light, and the general atmosphere is still super fun. As someone who only first visited this event last year (and only one night), I had a great time.

The bag policy absolutely needs to change though.

 

[viking_wizard_eyes]

Would love to hear some specifics if you're willing to share. Trying to decide if we're going to make a visit - after such an excellent experience last year, I'd hate to have that memory sullied.

Seems like both major events are having serious operational and casting issues.

They went through Dark Entities twice and saw a total of five scare actors. None of the cues and other effects were operating well, if at all. Pumpkin Eater was apparently more lively but had the exact same issues with the effects and cues — they said both mazes felt like walking through the yard display section of a Spirit Halloween store. Dark Ride was good actor-wise, I guess, but it also wasn’t operating right — the whole control room scene was dark when they went through.

There just seems to be general west and tear all around, outside of the newer houses. So idk. Could just be that they need to work out some kinks but IMO these issues with quality 100% date back to last year, too.

 

[DTH]

This is definitely why I go every other year. And even then, it's still not always worth it. Quality control has been this event's biggest problem since 2008. For them to still not be self-aware and fix that is at first, poor creative sense, then poor operational sense, and now it's just bad business sense.

It's such a shame, because KSF could easily be better than HHN any day. Even with a lower budget, they are fully capable of just making some alterations to their operations/management and some creative tweaks, and you'd have a can't miss event for all haunt goers even internationally, but it'd also be a multi-night visit event.

Find a way to keep every maze staffed, keep every monster in their locations and in character, and create set/trigger scares along with roaming monster scares. Boom. Done. The event would be a masterpiece every year. But no. They mess it up. It's the easiest fix too. It's so simple. Is it a lot from a business/legal sense? Maybe, but creatively that's one sentence that makes everything better and everyone happy.

After that, all we'd complain about MAYBE is that it needs bigger budget for better sets and makeup. Line ops are generally fine (mazes at least, not the rides), crowds can be tolerable, the repeats everyone seems to be okay with for the most part, the ideas and execution are generally pretty good, and KSF easily has the best scare zones I've ever been in so park atmosphere is not even an issue. It all comes down to managing the mazes better.

 

[DTH]

On another note, I gave the walkthroughs a watch of the new mazes. And um...I don't know what KSF is trying to do this year with theatricality, but they should stop. This is the type of thing that only works when it's done well and it sadly just looks a little ridiculous here. Not to mention, the stop and go nature of what they're doing, and how I'm sure by the end of the run, it'll just become walkthroughs without a care in the world. I definitely think there's a place for this type of maze, and I admire their sensibilities to want to try it more, but I personally just don't think this is the place for it. I can't take any of the vampire stuff seriously as they try to talk through their lisps while having their fangs in. And Grimoire, I feel like the acting is getting in the way of the scares. I also think the space for Bloodline looks a little cramped -- Special Ops had a bit more open areas and outside scenes. I also think zombies just made a little more sense, somehow, I don't know. Grimoire looked the better of the two, for sure, but Bloodline looked like something that should be closed within a year or two if they had any sense. I still wouldn't put Grimoire on par with anything new from the last 4-6ish years though (Mesmer, Origins, or even Shadowlands and Trick or Treat -- definitely not a good replacement of Paranormal Inc or Special Ops).

Granted, that's also just my perspective of watching a video without being there in person. But from what I saw, I honestly wouldn't even care to see them when I finally go next year.

 

[deadbydawn]

Alright, so I was at the park Thursday for opening night. Here are my observations about how the event went for us.

First off, I am going to weigh in on that bag policy. Thankfully, I was tipped off about this before we left the house and I was able to let my fiance know. I am guessing they are just being overly cautious, but that bag size is ridiculously small. We saw many people being turned away and going back to their cars, etc. Hopefully word about this spreads a little more and people are able to be prepared. Also wanted to mention about the chaperone policy - we still saw a ton of kids at the event but I will say they all seemed to be with their parents/guardians. I don't know how that will shake out for the whole event but we didn't see as many kids running around in general.

In no order, here are my thoughts about how the mazes are looking this year.

Mesmer: They dropped the pre-show which I think is fine. You flow in a little better now and there is no bottleneck. This is still a fun maze! I particularly really enjoy the (small but neat) secret room, the metronome scene and the grandfather clock scare. It's only year two, but this is one is still a good time.

Dark Ride: Some may already know this but I am a staunch defender of Dark Ride, and I think it's probably my favorite maze they've done in recent years. That being said, as sad as I am to see it go it is looking really rough. My blue sky thought is it would have benefited from the Lights Out treatment probably one or two years ago, but alas.

Origins: This one still rules. That is all.

Wax Works: I always feel like I am the only person who really enjoys this one! I would love to see them change some things up to keep it a little fresh (they should be doing this will all the mazes) since it still has a couple seasons left in it.

The Depths: This one has some great moments in it, but I think some of that has lost its wow factor over the years. I won't be too sad to it changed out. Hopefully before it's too late.

Dark Entities: I am shocked - nay - floored that this maze will be at the event for Scary Farm's 50th next year. The entire back half of the maze was essentially dark and empty for us (in terms of puppets, larger set pieces, that kind of thing) and again I really feel like it has really outstayed it's welcome. That is coming from someone who is a huge Alien fan. Time to send this one back to space.

Pumpkin Eater: Really not too much to say about this one. Our group actually skipped it. I may go through at some point on a repeat visit but overall I am completely fine with it being replaced.

Grimoire: Without going into spoilers too much I will say there is one segment of this maze that is pretty intense and unexpected. This one also feels super long but in a good way! There is a pre-show, so expect bottlenecking and long lines. Overall, this one was the highlight for our group. Only complaint is the story is a little hard to follow, but it isn't that big of a dealbreaker for me.

Bloodline 1842: Again I won't dive into spoilers here but here are my quick pros and cons. There are some really neat sets in this one. The actors were all on it big time and the length is good! Unfortunately this can all be cancelled out by the fact that you have these guns and that each scene is heavily dependent on where you are in the group. The first time I went through this one I was in the back and missed a ton of story elements, but the next time I was in front and it was an entirely different experience. Oh yeah, and both times my gun decided not work in various parts of the maze. I heard that a lot throughout the night. Ultimately I think the maze would have worked a lot better without the guns. For me, that novelty wore off by the last year or two of Special Ops. The entrance and entire front of the maze leaves a lot to be desired, too. I am in no rush to do this one again.

I'll be back a few more times this year so I'm hoping to check out the shows and soak in the scare zones a little more! I hope (and believe) the 50th will breathe some new life into Scary Farm. Curious to hear everyone else's opinions!

 

[Freak]

Reading these reviews, it sounds like I made the right call to attend HHN Orlando rather than KSF opening night.

Also that bag policy is RIDICULOUS. Like, at that point, why not just say no bags allowed, period?

Eh, I’m going to go next Thursday. It doesn’t sound like it will be that crowded thanks to the overzealous bag and chaperone policies.

 

[Spookies n' Stuff]

Reading these reviews, it sounds like I made the right call to attend HHN Orlando rather than KSF opening night.

Also that bag policy is RIDICULOUS. Like, at that point, why not just say no bags allowed, period?

Eh, I’m going to go next Thursday. It doesn’t sound like it will be that crowded thanks to the overzealous bag and chaperone policies.

Tbh as much as I think a lot of things that have been said will remain true for the whole run, I'm kinda against going to haunts in their opening week in general at this point. The difference between a fresh week 1 cast and a week 2 or 3 cast in their groove is pretty staggering

 

[HHNspeculator]

Opening weekend always has weaker mazes than the days closer to Halloween.
Dark Entities has constantly been possibly the weakest maze that I have ever been in at a haunt and I doubt anything can improve it.
Dark Ride is clearly a good maze that has been around too long.
Pumpkin Eater and the Depths had solid theming but were light on the scares.
Wax Works and Origins delivered on the scares and the atmosphere, though the final scene in Origins was for some reason not running.
I saw the Grimoire and Mesmer as almost anthology mazes, and while the Grimoire was good, Mesmer was definitely the stand out for the night.
Bloodlines relies heavily on its gimick to elevate an otherwise weak maze (though I do love the gimick)

The scarezones are way better than those at any other California haunt, and in my opinion the fact that the mazes do not rely on black wall boo holes for the scares, and the fact that the mazes have good transitions elevates the mazes to a similar level as HHN

 

[Tobias]

Just got back from a three-day trip (Thurs - Sat), and I had a pretty darn good time with my Parents who were attending for their first time. They honestly really enjoyed it! Both of them really liked the creativity in the various mazes, and the whole park-wide atmosphere/scare zones.

Since this is my second time, I'll be keeping it fairly quick and simple.

Bloodline 1842 - Definitely a lil twist to the vampire maze, and overall it worked pretty well for me. It pulls off a fast n' frantic action/adventure kind of feel, and they get you hustling pretty quick through it all. Now due to that, I acknowledge that things can be a tad hit or miss when it comes to some of the show moments. If you're on the tail end of them the maze can be kinda' eh, but on most of my run throughs I was able to catch most of them which is more rewarding.

The Grimoire - Out of the two new mazes, this one was my favorite. It's a big maze, and it takes a lot of unique directions be it storytelling and visuals. There's a lot of dark nooks and crannies for the monsters to use, so it gave some pretty good scares! The queue video for it is wonderfully off-kilter as well, delivering quite an 80's blast from the past in-between the backstory segments.

Mesmer, Origins, Wax Works and The Depths still worked nicely for me, though no sign of Catawampus in Origins. And while I did like the pre-show in Mesmer, I'm fine with this year removing it so there's not too many mazes with a pre-show. (As Bloodline and Grimoire both have one.) Dark Entities is still the weakest maze of the bunch. I do love the theme and lighting effects, but it just hasn't fired on all cylinders like the other ones can.

As for the retiring mazes, Dark Ride was certainly showing its age. I absolutely adore the theme, but it's time for something new. Meanwhile with Pumpkin Eater, like with last year I still enjoyed it quite a bit! I had some nice run throughs, especially my last one on Saturday with a whole bunch of monsters hiding and popping out of places I didn't see them use before, and that led to the biggest single scare of the trip with one flying out of the darkness right in front of me! It was very akin to Paranormal Inc. giving me a giant scare on my final run, so that's a great note to end out on!

Overall, the mazes were fun. Now I will agree they weren't 100% for the first couple nights, certain effects weren't working (was quite apparent in Dark Entities the first night) and some monsters were missing completely. (Catawampus in Origins, the tattooed man in Mesmer.), but things were getting back in order on Saturday with fuller casts, the casts getting into their groove and effects working. (Case in point, the effects were up and running in Dark Entities on Saturday. (didn't go through on Friday so I don't know if they kicked back in then.)

Scare Zones - Now something that was fully up and running from the get-go were the zones, once again the awesome casts just delivered the scares, laughs and sheer chaos this event is known for. GTS is still a GOAT, CarnEvil is delightful pandemonium, Forsaken Lake is eerie as usual, and Gore-ing 20's is making a name for itself quite nicely! It may be one of the smaller zones, but the cast is taking full advantage with great interactions and lively atmosphere. From the live band which really draws a crowd, and the cast delivers one of the best WTF?!/Creepy as heck moments anytime the clock strikes. All in all, no sophomore slump for that zone! Finally, there's the Hallow which is in its final year. I'm gonna' miss that one with its classic fall/Halloween atmosphere, and I'm intrigued to see what'll come next!

Shows

Puppet Up! Uncensored - The zany troupe is back, and this show still kills. I still don't know how they got this show approved for a major theme park, but that's not a complaint as they really pull no punches. This year they brought back full audience participation up on stage ( eg. Audience puppeteer), and they brought in several new improv skits I haven't seen them do before, along with a new recreation skit! (Cool Jazz). And while the show is always different due to the very nature of improv, this year a couple of my suggestions made it on the show. A very notable one was a skit where the audience was asked to give the name of a bedtime story, and my choice "Why are you at Scary Farm?!" made it. All it took was the storyteller to mention a bag and Grant eagerly cracked a joke on the bag and chaperone policy and the whole audience LOST IT.

Conjurers - Never saw this show before, and my family and I enjoyed it quite a bit! The magician we saw was Zabrecky, who delivered a nice bit of close-up and mentalism tricks, complete with some great laughs as well. I also commend him for holding the packed crowd well since you can hear the thrum/roars of The Grimoire right outside the theater.

Carnaval Du Grotesque - Last year this show was admittedly one of the weak links in a rather strong entertainment lineup, the cover bands and occasional sideshow act was fine, but it was probably better suited for the Summer Nights crowd as most everyone just passed it by at Haunt. So, I'm happy to confirm this show got a top-to-bottom reworking, so it's now a rapid-fire circus extravaganza with a dance troupe (most likely from last year's Fiesta Village dance show which can't perform for obvious construction reasons), aerialist, fire performer, chair balancing and wheel of death. This show is a massive improvement over last year, and not only did this show draw a crowd, but the crowd also dug it quite a bit! Hat's off to them fixing this show as it now fits at the event and on this stage very well

----

All in all, it was a great weekend with the family. Other bits of note, line ops were totally fine, crowds were really manageable. All three nights the biggest lines were Ghostrider, Bloodline and Grimoire, and every other maze was pretty much 5-10 minutes. Thinking about it, I think it could be due to the mix of lack of Scary Farm passes, the new Chaperone policy and maybe a smidge of the bag policy...though I honestly think it's more of the former two. From what I saw they were enforcing that chaperone policy, and due to the incident at Scarowinds, I don't see them letting up on that, either.

Memorable Moments - There's a lot to choose from, so I do have to mention a couple. A big one is a shout-out to the casts of Mesmer and GTS, since they were able to do something that doesn't happen often, and that's scare my mom. Mesmer pulled it off, and it's no surprise to me that the monsters of Calico would be able to get a scare in as well here and there!

Speaking of GTS (and the whole zones in general), it was always awesome seeing the sliders in action. Being a bit of a slider myself, it's killer to watch others pull off some crazy maneuvers for the scare. The corner of Bird Cage Theater and Fireman's BBQ is always a great spot, from sliders flying out from under the stagecoach to one slider who did this animated crawling on all fours slide which looked downright terrifying!

But the best slider moment for me happened on Saturday at the very end of the night. I got myself a churro and went into fog alley, and instead of sitting on a bench to watch the action, I just stood back against one of the awning supports facing the street. One of the werewolf sliders was around and I noticed he went behind me, and I just sensed to stay where I was and don't move. Sure enough, once a group of people were walking through the street with enough of an opening, he comes FLYING from behind to the point where I can feel the wind off of him on my left side, tearing clear across the street and disappearing in the cover of darkness of the shooting gallery on the other side. It was a really killer moment and for a while he was darting back and forth, threading the needle between the crowds in the street and around either side of me.

I don't know who that werewolf is, but they made for one heck of a fun show to end the trip!

 

[deadbydawn]

Great review, @Tobias! I am excited to go back next week and compare differences.

 

[Tobias]

Great review, @Tobias! I am excited to go back next week and compare differences.

Many thanks, and yeah since you were there on opening night, there'll be differences. Especially Grimoire since there were certain monsters, effects and even the queue video which wasn't there on that night.

And oh! I totally forgot!

Calico Candy Mine Ride - So this fever dream of an overlay has returned, complete with versions for both during the day and during Haunt. Thankfully, they've given it some extra new theming, projections and storyline to help tell it better. The ride is running with the Legend of the Pink Fairy, and the legend is posted right inside the queue house so read up to learn the legend and a bit of ominous forewarning for night. For me I feel this all works quite a bit better than last year which felt like one heck of a swerve if you just rode it at night.

 

[viking_wizard_eyes]

Question: why would Knott’s invite media on a night when their houses were incomplete?

 

[Tobias]

Question: why would Knott’s invite media on a night when their houses were incomplete?

Same reason any haunt invites the media when things aren't 100%, media night is media night. You give them what you got at the time, and with it being a seasonal event there's no pushing it back because the actors weren't able to be in their rooms to due to needing the paint to dry (Welcome to Silent Hill/HW), or if a house was missing key characters including the big head honcho right at the end due to budget cuts (Hades/Orlando.).

 

[viking_wizard_eyes]

Same reason any haunt invites the media when things aren't 100%, media night is media night. You give them what you got at the time, and with it being a seasonal event there's no pushing it back because the actors weren't able to be in their rooms to due to needing the paint to dry (Welcome to Silent Hill/HW), or if a house was missing key characters including the big head honcho right at the end due to budget cuts (Hades/Orlando.).

Not sure this is 100% accurate. Haunted Hayride in Griffith Park isn’t having their official media night until next weekend. And with all the influencers and celebrities around, HHN is ready to go night one — maybe there are adjustments or changes in the weeks after but I can’t remember a single opening night HHN house being literally half empty and half dark all night long like Dark Entities apparently was this year.

 

[StopMakingSense]

Went last night (Sunday). I was amazed at the crowds, or the lack thereof. Every maze other than Grimoire and Bloodline were basically walk-ons. 5-10 mins max for each one. I managed to do Grimoire once at open before the queue built up, and did every other maze 2-3 times (with the exception of Bloodline), the log ride a couple of times and Silver Bullet once all before 10 pm all without express. I had a good time, but it really does feel like the mazes are lacking a bit. Personally I feel like some of the better mazes with actual scares - Paranormal Inc, Dark Ride, Trick or Treat - are leaving to be replaced with mazes that convey the ongoing storyline - Origins, Grimoire - which is cool in theory, but it starts to feel less like a haunt and more like an immersive story. I get the concept but the collection of mazes just don't feel as creepy as they used to, which is what I want out of a haunt.

The scare zones were amazing, as always. It's really the best part of Scary Farm...they're just all so good. I'm a little bummed The Hollows is leaving along with Pumpkin Eater. That's such a great area of the park, hopefully we get something else there that will make it continue to stand out.

All in all a really nice night. The lack of crowds everywhere made it a lot more relaxing than usual. Skip the express pass this year, at least until later in the season. It doesn't seem necessary at all.