FrightFest

THE BARN OF TERROR

Fear:

During the walkthrough, there were a few jumpscares that caught us off-guard as we were walking around the corners in the barn. This really added to the fear, as it put us on edge and made us worried when the next one might come. There was also a portion of the barn that had intense flashing white lights that made it very hard to concentrate, and consequently putting us even more on edge and expecting a jumpscare at any moment.

Thrill:

Unlike the other attractions, The Barn of Terror provided us with a disturbing backstory prior to starting the walkthrough about the barn and its owner: it was the laboratory in which a mad scientist performed gruesome experiments on animals and children for his research. Immediately then walking into said barn with this knowledge made it very nerve-wracking, which greatly contributed to the overall thrill of the attraction. During the actual walkthrough, we walked through narrow hallways while lights flashed on and off overhead, diminishing sight to a periodic state. This had an extremely disorienting effect; it was literally as if we were opening and closing our eyes repeatedly, except it was slower than blinking speed. They were full seconds in which we could not see a thing and had to guess where to step and where not to look. Because of this, the jumpscares that did come were ten times as thrilling as they would have been without these lights.

Special effects:

At the beginning of the walkthrough, we entered a room with an old, 1950s TV that gave us the plot surrounding the barn. The room utilized its decoration (ripped drywall/wallpaper) to hide various speakers and electrical devices that gave off loud noises and sparks during the explanation of the plot.

Performance:

The focus of this attraction was more on special effects and noise-induced jumpscares rather than actual actors, so there weren’t many to critique. There was, however, the odd tortured child that would scream in convincing agony as we passed by (the test subjects of the mad scientist), as well as an eerie old woman that introduced us to the attraction in the room with the 1950s TV.

THE COVEN

Fear:

The fear created in this attraction was impressive. The Coven featured long trails at the beginning, which contributed to the fear factor of the walk through. The positioning of actors, buildings and other effects were incredibly well-placed and they made sure that we were always alert for any jumpscares, even while we were walking along the outdoor paths.

Thrill:

The main contributors to the overall thrill of the attraction were the disturbing things the witches were saying to us as we walked through it. Right at the beginning, for example, one witch was chanting what sounded like some sort of curse or warning in an off-putting manner. Like the The Barn of Terror with the explanation of the backstory of the barn, this had us on edge before even starting the walkthrough. As well as the start, many witches throughout the attraction had unsettling and threatening things to say to us as we walked by rather than jumpscaring us by screaming or making some other loud noise. In this way, this attraction was much more thrilling than it was frightening.

Special effects:

The special effects at this attraction were decent. During the later portion of the walk through inside the house, there was lots of witch-like art and props that were surprisingly realistic, although the lighting effects were not as good as the ones in The Barn of Terror. There was one hallway that had a strobing white light, although it was not as intense. Overall, though, the special effects were pretty good.

Performance:

The witches in The Coven were extremely convincing. While we didn’t personally find witches scary, the eeriness of everything from their voices to their postures may have changed that for the duration of the attraction. Not only were the witches omnipresent throughout the walkthrough, there was even one wandering around the waiting line as well, sneaking up on unsuspecting groups or individuals and giving them a fright they didn't think they'd receive until entering the attraction. This was a clever feature that differentiated The Coven from other attractions.

HAUNTED HAYRIDE

Fear:

The fear of the Haunted Hayride was great. The actors did a terrific job making the audience think that they were actually insane, the props and mechanisms effectively scared the guests, and the path that the attraction followed gave a very spooky vibe, making the passengers even more terrified than they already were.

Thrill:

No attraction came close to Haunted Hayride when it came to thrill. Despite having the longest wait time, there was no greater enjoyment of the Saunders Farm experience than riding through the night on a stumbly yet steady tractor with the cold wind dashing past us. The ride alone would have been enough to win the title of “most thrilling”, but on top of that are the actual scares of the attraction. With a variety of sights ranging from a giant monkey head in a cage to a bright, spinning tunnel of colour, we never knew what to expect on Haunted Hayride, which made it even more thrilling than it already was.

Special effects:

The special effects for Haunted Hayride were very good. There were a lot of large props and mechanisms that popped up just beside the tractor, always giving the guests a big scare. There were even a few special attractions along the ride inside of which some actors hid, and then hopped out to scare the passengers, which gave a unique jumpscare.

Performance:

The main theme of the actors on Haunted Hayride seemed to be clowns, and with the assistance of appalling make-up and literal chainsaws, they could effectively convince the passengers of their insanity. There were even a few instances in which the actors would chase the tractor while laughing and screaming, which was terrifying. What we found particularly impressive too is that in these cases, even after the tractor had escaped the actors, they continued to stay in character as we drove away. It wasn’t until they were entirely out of our sight that they may have dropped their act as they waited for the next tractor to come.

SHAMBLES

Fear:

The fear during this attraction was incredible. There were multiple jumpscares, chases and loud noises to both terrify and disorient the guest. The actors helped us along through the attraction by chasing us or by making loud noises, which really gave us an incentive to move along quickly and walk into the next scare faster without time to breathe.

Thrill:

A large section of Shambles took place outdoors rather than indoors like the other walkthrough attractions. Being inside was always a controlled environment in which we expected that an actor may have been waiting around the corner or a loud bang may have emanated from overhead, whereas being outside was much less predictable, especially in the dark. We were told not to run, but we had much more space to do so in a forest than we would have had in a building, and we definitely utilized it to move quickly away from the horrors of Shambles.

Special effects:

The special effects in Shambles were great. The props looked incredibly realistic, from the fake carcasses that hung from the ceiling to the chainsaws used by the actors. Another impressive special effect used by Shambles was the lighting. The lighting used in the attraction was well chosen and placed, giving off a very unique and terrifying atmosphere. There were even some strobe lights that disoriented the guests and made the attraction more terrifying than it already was.

Performance:

The actors in Shambles were not particularly impressive; they all wore masks and made no sound, so it was difficult to judge their performance. By staring at us in silence and walking quietly behind us as we progressed through the attraction, they did however convey a creepy sensation of being watched unique only to Shambles. What also contributed to this fear was that all of the actors were quite tall, which, paired with the live chainsaws in their hands, made them very intimidating.

In general, Fright Fest was an incredibly fun, terrifying, and exciting event. Each attraction was executed very well, from the lighting, to the acting, to the special effects and more! Saunders Farm has a bunch of attractions for all ages, as well as a good canteen, a gift shop, a restaurant, and many bathrooms. It never fails to give its guests a good scare, but also a good time. We would highly recommend going to Fright Fest before it closes until next Halloween, because it creates an unforgettable experience with every visit.