ThrillRide! Special Features

Knott's Scary Farm Halloween Haunt 40th Edition
Season Pass Podcast 2012 Report
Oct. 22, 2012

Here's Jeff, in the middle of telling some animated story, with the delightul Brooke, before she took us through her Trick or Treat. Women who design scary mazes are AWESOME.

I'm no expert on Haunt lore, but those who are probably have very warm feelings for The Green Witch, an iconic Haunt personage. She plays a very big role in this splendid maze.

Like Pinocchio Unstrung, the production values inside and out are as good as you will find at any Halloween spook-fest and it's a small touch, but I loved this detail: you don't just walk right into this maze; you have to ring the doorbell first. And there's a trick-or-treater on the porch who doesn't look so good. I can't recall another maze that starts telling its story outside – again, nothing earth-shaking, but highly appreciated.

Once you are indoors, you'll discover that other trick-or-treaters have come before us and never made it out.

Is this supposed to be a little kid in a cage? I think it is. This kid is in big trouble.

The Green Witch makes her first appearance in the bathroom, but it isn't her last. I'll say no more, as I hope this maze is going to be around for a long, long time, but Trick or Treat's finale is as good as it gets.

Once more for emphasis: there is not a single dud in the bunch. Incredible.

Normally, there are two rides with major Haunt overlays: the Calico Mine Ride and the Timber Mountain Log Ride. This year, according to Jeff, there's a little hit of Haunt inside the Mine Ride, but not enough to earn it a mention on the event guide. That's too bad. I miss my Black Widow Caverns. As for the log flume, it's got an Evil Dead theme but we didn't get to see that in its full glory. Also too bad, because I LOVE Evil Dead, and I love when Timber Mountain goes all dark and scary. But I wasn't all that bummed because also new this year is...

I wouldn't DARE tell you much about this "V.I.P. experience" with still some time to go before Haunt is over. We do discuss Trapped in its entirety in a dedicated podcast, which will be released in the not-too-distant future. For now, I can only recommend that you pop for the extra fees to go through Trapped, if there are still any reservation slots available.

This is how good Trapped is: after a full night at Haunt, with so very much to do, there's no way I can remember every little detail of every maze. Weeks after, the highlights stick with me, but a lot of the rest has faded.

I still remember everything that happened to us in Trapped. Clearly, like it happened ten minutes ago.

I have never experienced anything like it, and god help us all if they make Trapped 2.0 even scarier.

(And there is most definitely going to be a Trapped 2.0 because this mofo is a runaway smash hit.)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

What a day, what a night, what a Haunt. From the bottom of my black, Satan-worshipping heart (I'm KIDDING), thanks to everyone at Knott's for being the (g)hosts with the most, per usual.

And I'll leave you with this painting of Cordelia Knott, who, turns out, was one fine looking berry farmer.

Happy Halloween to all and to all a good fright!