| VERONA FIELD OF SCREAMS:
Clowns and other monsters stalk the queue line area outside the entrance
to the hayride. A bleeding, sickle carrying, skeleton
appears behind the wagon as it departs into the Field, pursues for
awhile, then wickedly laughs while warning he’ll be waiting IF we make
it back. A variety of monsters jump out of hiding, and some even
climb aboard the ride. One carries a large axe, and bangs it loudly
up against the wagon, while Leatherface and his trusty chainsaw
take dead aim on those appearing weak. A bulldozer attacks with its
plow raised high in the air, and continuously banging up and down, as it
continues its relentless chase practically all the way into the woods!
More ghouls climb onboard, as you pass by the scene of a car crash, where
victims are trapped inside a wrecked automobile. The crazed creatures
disembark the ride, and turn their aggression on the people stuck inside
the totaled vehicle. A "big surprise" is soon encountered, followed
by attacks by an evil scarecrow, and a second Leatherface character,
who turns his chainsaw on the on the poor, unfortunate straw man.
Still to come are encounters with a disgruntled farmer who shoots at trespassers,
a masked fiend riding a black horse, and a cemetery where the undead leave
their caskets to pursue the hay wagon. The ride exits into a fog-filled
haunted
house, where shackled prisoners plea for help, a demented doctor tortures
his patient, Michael Myers appears from out of nowhere, and the
original skeleton character waits as promised, as you make your way out
of Verona’s Field of Screams. But is the adventure
really over? You’ll have to visit to find out!
Analysis:
LENGTH – 9½, 25 minutes!
ACTORS – 7, Mostly masks, but some welcomed dialogue.
Monsters did their best to provide scares, but need more to cover dead
zones. Banging their weapons loudly against the wagon is an intimidating
touch.
SCARINESS – 7, Bulldozer and surprise are best.
Also like the way characters bang their weapons on the wagon while giving
chase or onboard.
DESIGN – 6, A lengthy course, and a novel finish exiting
the wagon into a haunted house. Surprise and bulldozer pursuit
are excellently placed, but need many more like them. Graveyard is
about the only detailed area along the way. Love the pre and post
ride antics. There’s just too many uneventful, undecorated areas
to score higher.
PROPS – 5, Other than those already mentioned, there’s
not much else to see. Plenty of opportunities exist to fill in barren
areas with some sort of action and/or décor.
VALUE – 7, It’s a fun, lengthy ride, but needs to provide
many more scenes and scares to rate higher. New attractions should
hold prices down their first season in order to better establish not only
themselves on the haunt scene, but a fan base as well. Expecting
to debut at the average going rate is a tough way to go, and keeps many
away.
RATING: 6½, Hayrides are always fun,
and this first year haunt is no exception. Look for them to learn
from their first year experiences, and in the meantime, pay them a visit
for a seasonal good time! |
