Summary:

This year the Realm of Terror had an Asylum theme.  Throughout the haunted house, most of the scenes had a moderate level of detail and were consistent with the main theme of the attraction.  The tour started in a small room, where an actress told us the rules of the house.   As we listened to the rules, a couple of actors entered the room and circled the group.  Eerie colored lighting flashed on and off, in sync sound effects playing in the background.  This allowed the actors to "disappear", then reposition themselves to surprise patrons when the lights came back on.  There were a couple of times inside the room when actors surprised us from cleverly concealed hiding places.  Continuing through the rest of the haunted house, I passed through many areas that had white, blood-stained walls. In several scenes, strobe lights were used to enhance the atmosphere.  Throughout the attraction, there were a number of actors wearing straight jackets and other costumes consistent with the asylum theme.  One scene featured an animatronic electric chair with realistic movements and sound effects, accented by a strobe light.  I enjoyed the clown area, where patrons had to enter the scene by walking through a clown car.   The walls were painted with polka-dots and clown artwork that glowed under black light.  Clowns taunted the group as we walked through the scene.     

The actors at the Realm of Terror really took it up a notch this season.  Most of them had had very high-energy performances and they all stayed in character.  There was a good number of actors in most of the scenes; however adding a couple more would have enhanced the atmosphere of the attraction.  Timing inside the attraction was good, for the most part; however, there was one time when I heard a prop trigger before I even entered the scene.  By the time I got there, I had missed the effect completely.    

Overall this was another good show put on by the Realm of Terror crew.  They did a great job of creating a haunted house that followed a central theme and their actors were more intense than last season.  The Realm of Terror is Located behind Kristof's Entertainment Center.  After visiting the Haunted House, patrons can check out a number of great activities that they have to offer (Bowling, Mini-Golf, Go-Karting, Batting Cages, and more).  Since this event has something for everyone, check it out if you get the chance. 

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