Land of Illusion 2014 Review

Ratings Legend

(1 skull) – Poor
(2 skulls) – Average
(3 skulls) – Good
(4 skulls) – Excellent
(5 skulls) – Best of the best!

Land of Illusion Haunted Scream Park: Middletown, OH

Killer Klowns

Todd
Land of Illusion has finally made a bold move – making the clown house scary again. Gone are the plethora of blacklights illuminating every square inch inch of space to accommodate a “3D” environment. Now it’s dark, dingy and foggy – the ideal environment for clowns if you ask me. Without a doubt the best improvement to the park this year.

Gayle
Well…this was average. There didn’t seem to be many clowns for a clown haunt. It seemed more random. The cage maze seems odd because you can see what’s coming, and I felt stuck there trying to get out amidst crowds of strangers. This haunt was average at best.

Bill
Wanted more scary clowns, there were some dead places, but over all a creepy feel and some good scares.

Gus
Killer Klowns has come a long way in making this a better scary experience. Last year’s wide open areas have been filled in carnival booth’s leading to a natural choke point that the actors take advantage of.

Frightmaster
This haunt was definitely darker than last year with more emphasis on the “killer” part. Although it lost some of the circus appeal you find in most clown haunts of this kind along with the 3-D (I always HATED wearing those stupid glasses!) I liked the overall effect. The haunt also felt longer than last year, but maybe it just felt that way because it was scarier.

Dr. Psycho’s Haunted Estate

Todd
This year Dr. Psycho’s is longer, bloodier and more chaotic. You’ll still find yourself making your way to and through Dr. Psycho’s estate but you’ll find some new additions making this already fantastic haunt even better. The new sets (even a whole new structure) are top-notch!

Gayle
There were some interesting parts of this haunt. There were moments where you don’t really know where you are…inside, outside, inside, outside. There were also some areas where there were little to no actors. Perhaps it was still early in the season and they weren’t fully staffed?? It was average.

Bill
Great scares, and some wonderful rooms that left a spooky impression, found myself look behind just to make sure nothing creepy was lurking to get me.

Gus
Revamped for the 2014 season, Dr. Phycho has added some interesting new rooms for the actors to play in. Dr. Phycho himself makes an appearance this year. This great haunt is now even better.

Frightmaster
Dr. Psycho’s Estate was pretty much the same as last year with a couple of minor changes. The haunt is more fun to walk through than scary but the actors were VERY realistic feeling and the make-up was extremely well done. I really enjoyed this haunt and would do it more than once in a night.

Temple of Terror

Todd
The Temple of Terror has the least noticeable changes this year – at least on the inside. The exterior was upgraded with a roof over the entire line queue. This does nothing for the haunt itself of course, but it does go to show the amount of time, money and consideration goes into the park (hell, just go look at the bathrooms!). Inside, not much has changed. The skeletal corridors in the beginning remain to be a tense area due to the extreme darkness and unpredictable actor scares. From an environmental standpoint, the Temple has always been impressive due to its cavernous walls, the rope bridge over the water, etc. In my opinion this one is due for some more change and is now the weakest link in the park.

Gayle
I liked this one. The elevator ride in the beginning was super cool, and the actor waiting outside for the doors to open is rather terrifying. Great detail and theme!

Bill
Lots of fun, and great work on the rooms. Actors were very interactive, great haunt.

Gus
Temple of Terror is such a great adventure. I always feel like Indiana Jones after I make my way out. Waiting in line for this haunt will now be more comfortable thanks to the new roof over the outside line.

Frightmaster
The Temple of Terror is another haunt that’s more fun than scary. Imagine being in a real Indiana Jones movie. The only thing missing was the dart guns and the big rolling marble! The scenes are very realistic and you get the feeling of claustrophobia from the very beginning. I felt it lacked some live actors but the animatronics were amazing!

Haunted Trail

Todd
The Haunted Trail is a defining attraction for Land of Illusion. It’s very long, very dark and full of experiences. Even the trail this year has been changed, deviated from its previous route and adding a new bunker/research facility which I enjoyed a lot. The Haunted Trail continues to me my favorite attraction because it’s full of energy that haunt lovers crave. The actors are lively and in your face. Portions are so dark and dense with fog you cannot even see 3 inches in front of you. More props have been added (where they get all these old trailers?) to enhance various sections of the trail as well. I have a feeling one of these days we may just see something lunge out of the lake as you pass it…it wouldn’t surprise me.

Gayle
Ok…there were actors all over this mile long trek outdoors. They were hiding in the least likely places and really, really took the extra effort to scare the crap out of you. I was followed by one actor for what seemed like 15 minutes, and every time I thought he was gone…he popped up again. They knew my NAME and at one point I had at least 10 actors surrounding me, calling my name and freaking me way the heck out! It was pretty awesome, and by far my favorite haunt here. Excellent work on the details, the props and especially the actors. It was amazing!

Bill
Great scares, the actors were really on the ball, scaring and keeping the chills coming.

Gus
The haunted trail has a little bit of everything. This is both it’s strength and it’s weakness. Its great that you get to see so many different things, but having so many different themes spread out over such a long path means that you don’t really have a lot of time to get immersed in the experience before it changes.

Voodoo Bayou Shanty

Todd
The Shanty has received a bit of a facelift this year. You’ll enter through the same facade as before, but find yourself in a new area immediately following. On one of our trips in, this new area served as a separation point for our party. A door was closed by an actor half way in forcing us to go around the alternative way. Beware if you’re concerned about getting separated from your group! For the most part, the remainder of the Shanty is unchanged. The actors still excel in playing their hillbilly alter-egos and the sets are more disastrous than ever. I did notice the addition of imitation feces used by some of the actors. Why not? It fits!

Gayle
This one seemed average…didn’t seem like it adhered to the theme throughout the haunt. There were wide open spaces with no actors, and I found myself waiting to be startled…but nothing happened. The most intense part of this haunt was being literally chased out by a chainsaw-wielding monster! Again…I found this one seemingly understaffed perhaps due to it being early in the haunting season.

Bill
Good scares, really gruesome rooms, had a great scare or two.

Gus
I really like the changes that were made this year. The actors split our group up this year through the use of a clever sliding wall. By the time we all got back together, the more timid in our group were clearly freaked out, which only set them up for the chainsaw chase.

Frightmaster
The Voodoo Bayou was so much fun to walk through I almost forgot that it’s purpose was to frighten us. Imagine several backwoods shanties inhabited by mutated inbred misfits out to get you for their next meal or worse! The actors were great and kept us in stitches with their comments. The scenes were creative (loved the alligator in the swamp!). The best part was the end when one of the actors chased one of our reviewers out of the haunt with a chainsaw. It sounds pretty normal but it was hilarious!

Zombie Sniper Patrol

Todd
First and foremost – it’s not scary. However, it’s not intended to be. For a few more dollars this interactive ride (which seemed to be longer this year..?) is a welcome break from standing in lines or walking. There’s an instinctual satisfaction received by pelting the zombies with a hail of paintballs. It’s VERY easy to run out of ammo well before the halfway mark so either pace yourself or bring cash for refills. Although there are no scares or surprises, the Zombie Sniper Patrol offers something different that most haunts in the area do not.

Gayle
OMG…this was so much FUN! Who doesn’t love an “no rules” ride with a loaded paintball gun? This part of LOI was my hands-down favorite. For those of you wanting to try this however…bring extra cash! They start you out with a fair amount of ammo…but I assure you, you’ll go through that quickly, and they charge $5 for each reload. 🙂 EXCELLENT ADDITION!

Bill
Too much fun shooting zombies.

Gus
You would be hard pressed to get scared on this attraction, but man is it fun shooting zombies! Bring some extra cash for a refill of paintballs so you can go to town.

Frightmaster
We really enjoyed the Zombie Sniper Patrol. Riding in an army truck shooting moving live zombies with paintball guns – what’s not to like? I did feel that they could use a few more zombies (we saw a total of five?) but honestly, I would not want that job!

Overall

Todd
Overall, Land of Illusion continues to be worth every penny for the price of admission. In addition to going through the haunts as much as you want, don’t forget they now have a full bar, snacks and an amazing bonfire. This is a place you go to for the evening, not before or after dinner. This is your entire night. It’s an experience and an ever-growing attraction that shows every sign of continued growth and innovation. If only they offered season passes…

Gayle
Overall, I find Land of Illusions entertaining…but more due to the attractions other than the haunts. I loved the atmosphere, the huge bonfire, the “Skarioke”, the Voodoo Lounge, and the Zombie Sniper Patrol. It’s a great place to be with a group of friends to spend some time just hanging out. 🙂

Bill
Great set of haunts, with great facilities to relax after a haunt.

Gus
The ambiance of the Land of Illusion is just so much fun. Even if you are too scared to go through any of the haunts, there are American Gladiator type inflatables around the fire pit, karaoke on the main stage, snacks, a full bar with the most amazing bathrooms you’ve ever seen at a haunted house and all available. Have a favorite haunt? go through it again! You’d be hard-pressed NOT to have a great time at Land of Illusion!

Frightmaster
The Land of Illusions is a bit more expensive than your average haunted house but it is an entire evening’s entertainment. After you enter the gates you are met with a huge bonfire in the center of the complex. There is a karaoke stage that also offers bands and other entertainment, a restaurant and a mini-sports bar. There are actors in all sorts of costumes roaming around the place looking to scare unsuspecting haunt-goers. The overall place has a party atmosphere with dark, gruesome undertones. It’s definitely “THE” place to visit to get your Halloween on!!!!

Overall score: 3.98 Skulls (Excellent)

Visit their web site at www.landofillusion.com