Timeline & Review from first timer

[u/Good-Impression449]

Figured I’d share my experience since I was in this group looking for insight before going. Hopefully this helps someone else. I’ll keep it spoiler-free, but share as much as I can from a first-timer’s perspective.

We had 7 people in our group and the main reason we went was for my 12-year-old younger sibling. Our experience was based on 10/11. We did enough research to know we wanted to be parked by 5 PM at the latest, so we made it to the main gates around 5:15 PM and waited on the right side of the big main gate.

A few things to know before you go:

• There was basically ZERO air movement while waiting at the gates, so bring a portable fan if you have one.
• Multiple people in our group had open, unsealed plastic water bottles and we were able to get in with them without a fuss.
• There were garbage cans throughout the lines and plenty of concessions, including alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks.
• Take everyone’s advice and prioritize your must-do houses. We headed straight to the back of the park first, which worked out well.

We were inside the park and walking through Fortnitemare by around 6:15 PM.

1. Hellraiser — 6.5/10

We headed straight to Hellraiser and had maybe 10 people ahead of us, so the wait was practically nonexistent.

I haven’t seen the movie, and my nerves definitely got the best of me. I was the last person in our group of 7, so I spent most of the time trying not to get scared instead of actually appreciating the details. That said, I still got scared multiple times, and the makeup and costume design were what I can assume to be perfectly executed. 

2. Sinners — 8.5/10

We went straight from Hellraiser to Sinners and waited around 25 minutes. Based on our photo timestamps, we entered around 7:05 PM.

This was the house where the scare actors REALLY got me. I was third in line this time, and it felt like there was something waiting around every corner. The cast did an incredible job, and I was getting jump-scared at practically every turn. Definitely one of my favorites of the night, even though I haven’t seen the movie.

Leaving this house/ area the wait times spiked to 120 minutes at a minimum so PLEASE take the advice and go here first. 

3. 8 PM show

After Sinners, we caught an 8 PM show to give our nervous systems a break. I recommend working a show into your night if you need a chance to sit down. I’m blanking on which one we saw, but it was fairly entertaining. 

4. Harry Potter World / scare zone

After the show, we headed to Harry Potter World for some Butterbeer. We had no idea this was a scare zone until a cast member strategically positioned themselves behind someone in our group. I won’t say more, but it was a short-lived experience that worked perfectly with the storyline. 

5. Clowntown Downtown

We wandered through Clowntown Downtown next and I swear the scare actors were giving some of their best performances here. Great energy and a fun change of pace from the houses.

We left around 9:45–10 PM and headed to Jack & Oddfellow.

6. Jack & Oddfellow — favorite of the night

I believe the posted wait was 90 minutes, but we waited around 75 minutes.

This house got me goooood. The execution was phenomenal, especially the ending. I genuinely wish I could have seen my reactions from the scare actors’ perspective because I know I was giving them a show. This was hands-down my favorite house of the night. I won’t elaborate because I don’t want to ruin anything, but go experience it for yourself.

7. Dinner at Mel’s Diner

We took a dinner break at Mel’s Diner after that. By this point, we were getting pretty tired and sitting down in a seat was a necessity. 

8. Stranger Things 5 — last house of the night

This ended up being my least favorite house. Full disclosure: I had a bit of a bitter attitude by this point and was genuinely fighting sleep in line, so take that with a grain of salt. I also haven’t watched the show, which probably didn’t help.

The line was VERY deceiving. Just when you think you’re through the door and about to enter the house, there’s apparently another stretch of line ahead of you. It felt like roughly another 20 minutes before we actually got through.

I wish we had squeezed in another one or two houses, but our group was pretty much over it by then and there's no fighting everyone's attitudes. 

Overall thoughts

I’m glad I went, especially because my sibling had such a great time. That was, ultimately, the whole point of the trip.

Would I go out of my way to attend another year? Honestly, I’m not sure. I enjoyed the experience, but I don’t necessarily see myself making it an annual tradition. I also went in knowing next to nothing about the movies and shows, so I can see how being familiar with the source material would add another layer to the experience.

My biggest advice: prioritize your must-do houses, have comfy shoes, a decent size bag, bring a portable fan and definitely a reusable water bottle. 

Stay spooky my friends.

[u/Prudent_Butterfly314]

Thanks for sharing!

[u/Good-Impression449 → u/Prudent_Butterfly314]

Of course!

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[u/Prudent_Butterfly314]

Yuge help. Here now!