tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23873758736283837402024-03-04T23:09:35.068-08:00PA Haunt ReviewsLeslie Gatchelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939836639993779953noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387375873628383740.post-49244403240514383142013-10-04T16:37:00.002-07:002013-10-04T16:39:29.696-07:00Alright people... the time is upon us. Field Of Screams tomorrow nightLeslie Gatchelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939836639993779953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387375873628383740.post-28797983105525929572012-10-31T08:41:00.001-07:002012-10-31T08:41:50.243-07:00Coming SoonShocktoberfest and Building 24 Halloween Club Night reviews coming soon. Hurricane Sandy delay people.. it's hard to write and post when there's no power. Leslie Gatchelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939836639993779953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387375873628383740.post-41879984188720218222012-10-26T09:36:00.003-07:002012-10-26T09:36:41.096-07:00Shocktoberfest TONIGHT!Going with some friends tonight. We'll see how much has changed... crossing my fingers. At least our friends are guaranteed to have a good time. They're all newbies. Leslie Gatchelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939836639993779953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387375873628383740.post-19941778218889286472012-10-16T13:17:00.002-07:002012-10-16T13:34:06.814-07:002012 Bates Motel Review<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><strong><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Bates Motel... Should Have Read Last Year's Review Before We Went. </span></strong></o:p><br />
<o:p></o:p> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
We left our house on Saturday, 10/13/12 at 7PM and made it to Bates parking lot by
8:30PM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We would have been there by 8PM but
haunt traffic had Rt. 352 backed up about a mile before the entrance both ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was definitely a sign of things to
come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
Once parked (surprisingly close to the entrance) we made our
way to the ticket line and found two long rows of stanchion completely full.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Holy crowds!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Despite the huge line the wait wasn’t actually too bad… 15 minutes or
so. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pre-paid ticket line of course was
empty but for the 5 of us it would have cost $12.50 in surcharges which is craziness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The VIP ticket line was also empty because the
VIP ticket is majorly overpriced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Almost
double to skip the lines??!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t think
so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And honestly I don’t think I was the
only person to feel that way since we hardly saw anyone do VIP the whole night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
Anyway, tickets in hand we made our way to the House (our
usual order is House, Trail, and Hayride) and found the line completely full
and spilling out of the stanchion and into the courtyard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We said “what the heck” and hopped in line
only to hop right back out to get away from the group ahead of us which was
rowdy, immature and annoying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Idiots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<o:p> </o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Westward Trail<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
We scooted over to the Trail line to avoid the a-holes in
the House line and ended up only waiting 20 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Guests were being sent out in intervals which
was awesome since it allowed for scenes and actors to fully reset between
groups.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think some people were skipping
this attraction which was truly sad since it was, IMHO, the best of the night.
The sets and layout sadly didn’t change much from last year with the exception
of the mine area which is now a circus but both were still good enough for it
not to be a huge problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The shining
star of the attraction this year was once again was the actors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were beautifully made up and costumed
and they all played their parts perfectly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yes monkey that wiped his ass with my hat… I’m talking to you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hopefully they’ll totally revamp the sets and
layouts next year while keeping the same quality to freshen this one up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eh… I’m not gonna hold my breath.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>House<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
After the Trail we again joined the line for the house which
was way less assholey but still outside of the stanchion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wait ended up being 30 minutes and we
felt glad of this until we got to the door and realized why.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had pretty much abandoned the idea of
groups and were letting a steady line of people stream through the House.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This really doesn’t work… it blows to be
blunt… since most of the scenes have to be reset to achieve the desired scare.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily I ended up seeing most of the rooms
in their full glory but my poor sister who was 5 people back saw pretty much reset
after reset.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said this completely
ruined the experience for her as all of the scares were spoiled or worse…
totally missed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I understand a long wait
is not ideal but paying for an attraction and only seeing 10% of it is way
worse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please go back to groups Bates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 13pt;">IS</span></b> worth the wait since the house was quite
good this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a lot of new banging
and noises which really worked and also some new, cool lighting effects which
were subtle and spooky.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The end room was
a bit underwhelming compared to years past but I think we may have stumbled in there
during the reset.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The actors looked
surprised to see us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Haha.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am hoping for some more changes next year
since a lot of the rooms were exactly the same as the last few years but
overall I enjoyed the House.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>Hayride<o:p></o:p></u></b><br />
Why I didn’t skip the Hayride this year I’ll never
know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We waited 1 hour 30 minutes and it
was of course sooo not worth it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Year
after year I say I’m going to skip and yet year after year I somehow end up on the
damn wagon, in the middle, shaking my head and this year was no exception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I ended up sitting in the middle, cursing the stupid soundtrack and not
seeing a single new or different thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<em><strong>ATTENTION RANDY BATES: The hayride sets and scares are REALLY tired and predictable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, you really need to add sound effects to
most of the scenes and scares… a falling sign that doesn’t bang is just plain
stupid.</strong></em><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><em><strong> Thank you.</strong></em> </span><br />
<br />
Sorry... back to the review... it also seemed that there were less
actors in the woods but maybe that was just me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You don’t get much action in the middle of the wagon unless you count
people’s feet in your ass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Honestly, I don’t
think more actors would have redeemed this one anyway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did want to mention that the zombie
slinking around the line was spectacular and the stuff on the projector was entertaining
although with such long lines a longer loop would have been nice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overall I hated this attraction but then
again I always do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boo!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh… and I don’t mean that in a good way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<br />
Happily I can say that I did enjoy most of this haunt this
year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it had been less crowded I
think I’d be able to say that aside from the stupid hayride I had a great
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course that’s not Bates fault.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can’t hate them for wanting to bring in as
many people as possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh… a couple of
random things… when you go on a crowded night remember to bring your own drinks
and snacks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The line for the concession
stand was 25 minutes pretty much the whole night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not even the most delicious hot chocolate on
the planet is worth that wait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sorry.
Also, be prepared to secondhand smoke at least an entire pack of cigarettes
throughout the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The smoking in the
lines was absolutely out of hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hope
Bates doesn’t add a surcharge for black lung in next year’s pricing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Haha.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
Leslie Gatchelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939836639993779953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387375873628383740.post-82789940931107122252012-10-15T08:39:00.001-07:002012-10-15T08:39:14.406-07:00Coming soon...My Bates Motel Review. Be ready! Haha. Leslie Gatchelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939836639993779953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387375873628383740.post-33500442740470780652012-10-09T12:23:00.001-07:002012-10-09T12:24:41.427-07:00Schedule So Far...So my October 2012 haunt schedule so far is as follows...<br />
<br />
<strong>Bates Motel</strong>- Saturday, 10/13/12<br />
<br />
<strong>Shocktoberfest</strong>- Friday, 10/26/12<br />
<br />
<br />
Subject to change if it rains, if Bob is cranky, if I get pissed about haunts in general and decide to boycott, etc. Haha. Just kidding. See you guys out there maybe!Leslie Gatchelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939836639993779953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387375873628383740.post-50659436951332047762012-10-09T09:43:00.000-07:002012-10-16T13:25:33.799-07:002012 Jason's Woods Review<b><span style="font-size: large;">Jason’s Woods... not bad... not good. </span></b><br />
<br />
We left the house on Friday, 10/05/12 at 4:45PM and hit mega traffic. Google Maps was soooo right about 422 to 222. Too bad we didn’t listen. We hit a few Wawa’s along the way for coupons and finally found them in Lancaster. Yay $5.00 off! We had planned to grab dinner at Fuddruckers but alas it is out of business so we settled for Sonic under the stars. It was a beautiful balmy evening so it worked out in the end. We got to Jason’s woods around <br />
8-ish and were happy to see a moderately filled parking lot. There were a few concessions, a band, some roaming monsters and zero lines. The spooky girl by the ticket booth was a nice touch. 5 Show Grand Slam was $40.00 ($45.00 less our $5.00 Wawa coupons).
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Theater</u></b>
<br />
The first attraction you’re sent to is one of the “bonus/ freebies” called the Theater. It’s basically a huge blow up frontage that looks like an old movie theater. It butts up against some scaffolding and a tent. Inside there were movie monsters, movie posters, props, a balcony and a big screen. A costumed guy comes out and basically makes corny jokes and then directs you to watch the movie which is back story for the rest of the attractions. Since everyone talks through the movie and there are monsters roaming around distracting you… uh… I mean trying to scare you…. you end up missing the details. It doesn’t matter though… the haunt is standard fare. Oh… kudos to Beetlejuce… we asked for the “nice fucking model” line from the movie and he delivered although he did forget the “honk, honk”. Haha. Oh… and shout out to the Haunt Rater guys. <br />
<a href="http://www.haunt-rater.com/"><strong><em>www.haunt-rater.com</em></strong></a> bitches!! We saw them in this attraction and then ran into them a bunch throughout the rest of the night. The were super cool.
<b></b><br />
<b></b><br />
<b><u>Mystery Maze</u></b>
<br />
The next attraction you’re shepherded to is also a “bonus/ freebie” called the Maze. It’s basically a wooden maze that is completely dark and on our night was somewhat muddy. The gist is Freddy, Jason and tons of dead ends. About ½ way through we realized that the Nightmare On Elm Street rhyme was split up and written on the walls. If you follow it you get out. If you don’t, don’t know it or don’t see it then you better buddy up to Jason or Freddy or you’re gonna be in there for a while. Anyway by following the rhyme and… hate to admit it but with a little help from Jason Voorhees… we were finally out. Overall I kind of liked this attraction. Especially since it’s free.
<b></b><br />
<b></b><br />
<b><u>Hayride</u></b>
<br />
The next attraction was the hayride and I wasn’t impressed as usual. I will say that Jason’s does it right by not putting anyone in the middle of the wagons but otherwise blah. Seems like there were maybe 3 actors in the whole thing and honestly the set pieces were whatever. Oh well. Oops… almost forgot… I have never seen so many fire blasts in a hayride as I did in this one. Maybe they got a good deal on natural gas?
<b></b><br />
<b></b><br />
<b><u>Lost In The Woods</u></b>
<br />
This attraction is pretty self explanatory… it’s a walk through Jason’s Woods. The trail intertwines around the hayride route and overall I liked this attraction. I guess I liked it the best now that I think about it. It was dark, a little spooky and the trail was a bit treacherous. I don’t remember there being many props or actors but it felt surprisingly creepy. Hmmmmm? Less is more?? Who would have thought? Ugh.
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Barn Of Terror</u></b>
<br />
There were a lot of changes to this haunt since the last time we visited. This is appreciated as it makes you want to come back year after year to see what’s up. The new set pieces were not bad though I have seen better. The floor activated scares were fun but soon felt overplayed. Also, there weren’t many actors and honestly there needed to be. There were a lot of sections that were just a dark maze which felt annoying instead of creepy after a while. It’s a cheap trick IMHO especially since those sections were not punctuated with scares from actors or props. Maybe next year a little more set and actor scares and less dark maze would be better. Overall though The Barn wasn’t too bad.
<b></b><br />
<b></b><br />
<b><u>Pirate’s Revenge</u></b>
<br />
The entrance of this attraction was very Bates Motel but unfortunately that was where the similarities ended. The 3D glasses were awful which was perfect since the 3D artwork was awful too. The props were boring and there were hardly any actors. Also much of the attraction was dark maze. Crutch anyone? Overall I was quite disappointed with Pirate’s Revenge.
<b></b><br />
<b></b><br />
<b><u>Carnival Of Fear</u></b><br />
After the pirate crap we’d just finished I didn’t have a lot of confidence in this one. That changed as soon as we made it to the entrance. The clown at the door was excellent. His makeup was very cool and his attitude and dry, witty banter was even better. Sadly that was the only good part of this attraction. Once inside the layout was weird, again featured a lengthy dark maze and was sorely in need of more engaging props and actors. It’s sad because there was a lot of promise for this one in looking at it and talking to the clown out front but it just didn’t deliver.
<br />
<br />
<br />
Overall we had fun at Jason’s Woods but I can’t say that it was a good haunt. There needs to be more actors and props and less dark mazes. Engage and scare us and we’ll tell our friends how good your haunt was. Keep us bumping into strangers for the whole night and we’ll laugh and have a good time but dismiss you.
Leslie Gatchelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939836639993779953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387375873628383740.post-18323089700476450742012-10-05T09:03:00.003-07:002012-10-05T09:03:54.574-07:00IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN!!!Well people, it's that time again. We'll be skipping some of our regular haunts this year... tired of the same old same old. Planning to hit up Bates Motel, Shocktoberfest, Jason's Woods, Valley Of Fear and fingers crossed, Terror Behind The Walls in the next 3 weeks. Stay tuned for reviews as we get out there.
YAY HALLOWEEN!!!!Leslie Gatchelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939836639993779953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387375873628383740.post-89859749068379859712011-10-28T13:03:00.000-07:002012-10-16T13:25:54.009-07:002011 Terror Behind the Walls at Eastern State Penitentiary Review<b><i>Sorry this took so long. The Salem trip threw a monkey wrench into the works…</i></b><br />
<br />
We visited Terror Behind The Walls at Eastern State Penitentiary on Saturday, 10/15/11. We bought our tickets and parking vouchers online at full price for the 6 of us. I hate paying the service fee but we didn’t want to schlep into the city just for tickets nor did I want to get there only to find out that they were sold out. Tickets were for 8 PM so we left Pottstown around 6:30 PM and made it to the Girard Ave. lot in plenty of time. The lot was about 60% full when we got there. It was well lit, had lots of attendants and a row of port o’ potties. I was happy to discover that the whole online purchase fee was money well spent as the event had sold out earlier in the day. After finding a spot and braving the port o’ potties we got in line for the bus. Since it was a Saturday they had plenty running so the wait was not a long one. The bus ride from last year was so much better and not just because we got to ride the trolley. The guide barely told us a story. Instead she used the ride to mess with some teen girls in the back of the bus. So disappointing. Once at the prison we were directed to the proper line and started our wait. While in line we saw many actors scaring people on the sidewalk which I like. They all had great costumes and makeup and stayed in character. Since we arrived on time we were within the prison walls within 15 to 20 minutes. Once inside we were subjected to the obligatory group picture then joined the line for <i>Yard Out</i>. <br />
<br />
<b>Yard Out</b><br />
The line for this attraction is pretty cool because of the TV’s showing stuff about ESP. The actual attraction is basically you being processed for your prison stay. It is mostly outside and was pretty much the same as last year. The actors in this section are mainly guards and do a good enough job. There is music pumped in (or out as it were) which I usually hate but the volume level was good and the music itself was mostly creepy noises so it works here. Despite this I have to admit that for me this was a throw away attraction. <br />
<br />
<b>The Gauntlet</b><br />
This is a new attraction for 2011 but I seem to remember their being one very similar last year. The entrance is cool and the rest is basically a walk through a cell block that has “cages” full of inmates and props in it. The actors in The Gauntlet do a good job. They yell a lot so the attraction is loud but I imagine a prison in turmoil probably would be deafening. I think my favorite part of this attraction was the Tessla coils. They created a good effect. Overall I was pretty happy with The Gauntlet. <br />
<br />
<b>Lockdown</b><br />
This attraction is a tour through Cell Block 12. The best part is definitely the actors. They make weird noises to get the scares and are still and creepy a lot of the time which I like. There is a part with hooded inmates that was particularly spooky. This attraction is definitely my favorite since it is most like ESP in the day. <br />
<br />
<b>Infirmary</b> <br />
On the way to the entrance to this attraction there is a monster band playing spooky music. The night we were there a guy with a cello and a singer singing through a megaphone were performing. It was a really creepy effect and a REALLY, REALLY good touch. I really loved it in case you can’t tell. Anyway, once inside the Infirmary I suddenly remembered how good a medical haunt can be. Pennhurst should really take notes. The props are realistic and scary and the actors are excellent despite the fact that there aren’t that many. Soooo good. <br />
<br />
<b>Experiment</b><br />
This is ESP’s 3D attraction and I will say it’s quite good. I have seen better art but what is there gets the job done. The actors blend into the art and props a lot so keep your eyes open. So fun. <br />
<br />
<b>Night Watch</b><br />
They basically give you a tiny LED flashlight and send you into a totally dark maze with props and actors. The props are very, very good so be sure to flashlight away. The actors are also good and plentiful. They use weird noises to set you on edge like they did in Lockdown which was very effective. Keep an eye out when you get to the last room. I can’t say too much without spoiling the surprise but I will say that what happens in this room made such an impression on my haunt veteran husband that he went back in the exit and hung out for almost 10 minutes just to watch. <br />
<br />
<b>The Midway</b><br />
There is of course the obligatory concession area at ESP. There is food, drinks and souvenirs. It is expensive but people were definitely buying. This is where you can check out the pics they took when you entered the complex too. We ended up buying our pic as it was very good but I won’t lie… it was overpriced. The best thing about the Midway was the actors. They constantly mess with people trying to shove hot dogs in their faces. They also take pics and as far as I could see NEVER broke character. Another good part about the Midway is the promo area for the daytime tour. There are coupons if you want to come back and a good look at the undecorated prison. <br />
<br />
<b>Break Out</b><br />
This attraction is basically a bunch of props and fog in the space between the Midway and the exit. It’s got atmosphere and an actor or two but I wasn’t impressed. <br />
<br />
Once you exit Break Out you have to snake through a mini museum and what is the gift shop and ticket area the other 11 months out of the year. If you have time definitely look around here. There are things to be learned which are cool and which add to the haunted attraction. When you are ready to leave the bus stop is a very short walk from the exit. We only waited about 10 minutes for a trolley and were back to our car around 11:30 PM. The guide on the bus talked about the prison a bit more that the 1st one did but once again Facebook somehow was the main topic on the ride home. UGH. ESP needs to get the actors from the prison on the busses next year. <br />
<br />
Overall I had a really good time at TBTW @ ESP. I think it is my favorite haunt of the year… I think. In any case we will definitely be back next year.Leslie Gatchelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939836639993779953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387375873628383740.post-58462488415247972012011-10-18T13:49:00.000-07:002011-10-18T13:49:16.438-07:00Terror Behind the Walls review coming soon...Since I am prepping for our Salem trip I have yet to write a proper review of this past Saturday's trip to TBTW@ESP. I will get to it tonight or tomorrow night cross my heart. Now... which witch hat will fit best in my suitcase. Hmmmm.....Leslie Gatchelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939836639993779953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387375873628383740.post-81573933038664215552011-10-10T18:33:00.000-07:002011-10-10T18:33:05.778-07:00Terror Behind The Walls coming up this weekend (maybe)...Think the fam and I will be hitting up Terror Behind The Walls this Saturday night. Maybe Valley Of Fear if people don't feel like going into the city. We'll see...Leslie Gatchelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939836639993779953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387375873628383740.post-21094982089288128832011-10-05T08:52:00.000-07:002012-10-16T13:26:12.691-07:002011 Shocktoberfest Review From My CuzSince I'm basically boycotting Shocktoberfest this year there won't be a 2011 Leslie review for that haunt. That being said I am not a total hater so when my Cousin Ryan sent me a review of his 09/29/11 visit I thought "Why not?". Hope you all like it. If not then Ryan's home number is...<br />
<br />
<b>SHOCKTOBERFEST 2011</b><br />
A first-timer's review<br />
With spoilers<br />
<br />
Hi all! First and foremost I must let everyone know this is my very first time to Shocktoberfest so I can not compare it to other years. This review will contain spoilers. If you wish to be scared to the fullest please do not read this review. I will however have a conclusion section at the bottom of this page that will not contain any spoilers.<br />
<br />
Shocktoberfest is located outside of Reading Pennsylvania on Willow Glen Park. Willow Glen is also the name of the town where most of the rides "take place". Shocktoberfest was named one of Americas' top 13 haunts by Haunt World Magazine in 2006. There are 5 attractions that this haunt advertises; The Biohazard Hayride, The Prison of the Dead, The Unknown, The Monster Midway and Club Shock. The Monster Midway and Club Shock are free attractions where it will cost you $15 for 1, $26 for 2 or $34 for all 3 of the remaining attractions. They also offer a skip to the front of the line pass, aptly named RIP Pass, for an extra $15.<br />
<br />
Finding the "Fest" was easy enough with the address provided on their site and a GPS. I wish that they had better signs to point the way as you got closer. There was only 1 sign outside the park that didn't even have a light on it. Seeing how this is mostly an after dark haunt some light up signs would really help point the way. My group arrived at 7:20 pm on a Friday night. All though we were some of the first people to get to the Fest the parking attendants where just horrible. We where waved on by one attendant at the front of the parking lot just to find no other employees down in the parking lot. Lucky for us there was still plenty of parking. Unfortunately as the night went on parking became much more sporadic as people just got to decide where they would park. Very disorganized, especially when it would only take 3 people who know what they're doing to ensure that everyone parked where they needed to. <br />
<br />
After we locked our car we made our way to the ticket booth. The lines at this time were empty. The ticket windows were marked for buying tickets and picking up internet tickets. My party had preordered tickets online so we heading to the corresponding line. We did hit a little snag at the ticket window… apparently 2 of the tickets didn't have a bar code print out however they did have the serial number for the ticket. This caused some confusion so it took about 5 minutes for the ticket counter to locate and manually punch in the ticket numbers.<br />
<br />
Turning your back to the ticket office, the lay-out of Shocktoberfest is as follows; to your right is the entrance to the new Unknown, straight ahead is the Midway, at the end of the midway is the entrance to both the prison and hayride. Club Shock is between both of the lines for those 2 rides. Also to the right of the ticket office was a stage where employees had groups stand in front of a Shocktoberfest banner and have their picture taken for the Facebook page.<br />
<br />
I was intrigued by the thought of a "Monster Midway". I had visions of midway games hosted with zombies or some kind of horror theme to the games. Alas it's nothing more than a small carnival midway at best. They had 3 games to play; pop a balloon win a poster, knock down these metal milk cans, and shoot paintballs at this guy. Three games hardly makes a midway in my option. The one saving grace was that food options were plentiful on the other side of the midway. Anything from cheese steaks to tacos were available for your purchase and consumption from one of six vendors. Shocktoberfest's site warns “Beware of the Scare Zones as there is no safe place at Shocktoberfest!" There was not one thing scary about the midway. A disappointment from what I thought it would be. <br />
<br />
<i>The Monster Midway: C</i><br />
<br />
My group then decided it was time to go to the Prison of the Dead. The line was short and it took us about 5 minutes to get on the bus to transport us to the prison. While on the bus you get an audio warning that's pretty much the same for all attractions. No lights, no smoking, no cell phones, NO TOUCHING THE ACTORS. Also included with the pregame warning was a small bit of back story on the prison itself. Once we arrived at the prison, a tour guide fleshed out the story of the prison more. The main points where that it was closed due to corruption and murder. You then enter another line to actually enter the prison. As you go though the door a guard yells "Fresh Meat!". The prison has 3 different types of areas that are prominent throughout; tunnels, woods/swamp and prison cells. I am not going to go into detail on every part of the walk though but some of the highlights are as follows… there are a ton of dark rooms in this walk through, bumping into walls and other people while not being able to see anything is always a favorite of mine.<br />
<br />
The tunnels allowed some neat effects including trying to walk though it with a strobe light going off and actors hitting the sides with chains. During the prison cell area the amount of actors is nothing short of amazing. Around every dark turn there was a spook waiting for you. During one of the outside areas you realize that walking became more difficult, as you were walking on a trampoline type of floor. Near the end of the attraction you enter a bus like the one you came in on. Very quickly you realized it’s another dark room, with actors on the top jumping and slamming into the roof while you try to navigate through nothingness. As we left the attraction some of the actors fallowed us out to the bus. The highlight of our night came as the bus was playing an up beat pop song for our ride back. We looked out of the window to see a one of the actors in full zombie makeup dancing all out to the song.<br />
<br />
<i>Prison of the Dead: A</i><br />
<br />
After such a good time with the prison we decided to give the Biohazard Hayride a try next. We stood in line for about 8 minutes before entering a small stable room. In the room we watched a quick video with the same warnings as the prison, a little bit of back story and on to the hayride we went. First thing that is of note for the hayride is that it’s pulled by a truck and not a tractor. This might not seem to be that big of deal but the truck is much more quite then most tractors. And seemed to give a smoother ride overall. The one thing that sets this hayride apart from other hayrides I have been on is the enclosed rooms that you enter though out the ride. <br />
<br />
The ride starts with a girl being laser beamed to death and then the beam gets turned on us with a laser light show going on above our heads. You then wind though the woods, with all types of actors climbing on board pulling at your feet. During the ride you enter other enclosed room that include hydraulics as well as some great stories. The only down side was that in the first room it really felt like the hayride was going to have a story though out and it ending up just being a mishmash of small stories with no real end result. Just kind of left me wanting.<br />
<br />
<i>Biohazard Hayride: B+</i><br />
<br />
At this point I would like to talk about Club Shock, but there is nothing to talk about. I don't know if it was because we were early into the season or not but Club Shock was nothing but a floor in the middle of the 2 lines with some benches and lights. There was no music and not one actor in the place.<br />
<br />
<i>Club Shock: F-</i><br />
<br />
Finally we get to the new "Steam Punk" inspired The Unknown. Being the new attraction this haunt had the largest line. If you absolutely have to see this hit it first or pay for the RIP. After standing in line for about 15 mins we were let into a small building were we picked up some 3d glasses. We were told by the host for this building that 90% of the attraction was in 3D. You then get treated to a video with the warnings as usual. We then meet the stars of the new show Professor Strangewayes and Melinda Montague. In short they tell you that inside the main attraction that you will be face to face with all your fears. This is by far the best back story for any of the rides and the production for this video was worth note. Once "Eddie" is taken down (you'll have to figure that out yourself), you head to another line to enter the Unknown. They only let in small groups at a time so this line might take awhile to get though. It’s at this time I would like to note that the 3D glasses that are handed to you COMPLEATLY SUCK. They are just cardboard red and green glasses that make it imposable to see out of your left eye. More over they make the dark rooms even worse. The walk though itself has potential to be great but the issues is that all of the effects are triggered by the first person in your party so if you’re the last one in your party you don't get any of the effect. Being the last in a group of 6 I personally didn't see any of the effects at all. I would come in right as the effect was ending. This is a major flaw in the system that needs to be fixed. The 90% 3D was complete BS. As you walk around the labyrinth that is Strangewayes lab you will come across 4 or 5 screen that require you to have your glasses on to get the full effect. The story itself was satisfying in the way that it did have an ending. But basically it’s just a mediocre fun house with a few 3d effects put into it. <br />
<br />
<i>The Unknown: B-</i><br />
<br />
<br />
Shocktoberfest ends with an overall grade of C. If going to this haunt don't worry about checking out Club Shock or The Monster Midway (aside form getting something to eat). Head straight for the main attractions and you will have spent your money well and be in and out of the park in short time. The cast was great at this haunt, aside from the snag at the ticket window we had no problems. This haunt combines its massive staff and its large area to create a huge scream park that should be fun for young and old adults alike. I would recommend everyone to stop in and enjoy the screams.<br />
<br />
- Ryan GatchelLeslie Gatchelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939836639993779953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387375873628383740.post-8732511815885763062011-10-05T08:44:00.000-07:002011-10-05T08:44:38.176-07:002011 Bates Motel ReviewSorry for the delay... the weather was nice and I got lazy. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<b>The Bates Motel… 2 Outta 3 Ain’t Bad. </b><br />
<br />
We decided at 7:30PM on Saturday, 10/01/2011 to hit The Bates Motel at Arasapha Farms. It was cool and cloudy with a possibility of rain in the forecast but we said “What the hell?” and jumped in the car anyway. We arrived around 8:30 PM and right off the bat noticed that there was no one at the entrance directing traffic due to the light crowds. The parking lot was about ¼ full and there was no line to speak of for tickets and minimal lines for the attractions. Not sure if this was due to the Phillies playoff game or the possibility of rain but we weren’t sorry. <br />
<br />
<b>The Courtyard</b><br />
There was no fire pit or picnic tables in the courtyard area like in years past. I believe this is due to weather (thanks Mother Nature) but I’m not positive. I missed them truth be told. Hopefully this is a temporary thing. We also were happy to see projector at the hayride line once again. I really like the “hang” aspect of this Haunt. It suits the mood of the place and I am sure it encourages concessions sales. <br />
<br />
<b>The Bates Motel</b><br />
We decided to do TBM 1st. As we were standing in line it started to sprinkle but since the line was only out to the 2nd set of stanchion we didn’t mind. I think the wait ended up being 15 minutes. TBM is almost always my favorite attraction at Bates and this year was no exception. Enough things were changed and enough stayed the same to satisfy. Both the old and the new props were good and used well and the actors as always were excellent. Overall TBM was very well done this year. Make sure you look up when you exit the attraction… the roof has some interesting residents. <br />
<br />
<b>The Haunted Corn Maze</b><br />
I think this attraction is now called The Westward Trail. When we exited TBM we headed straight for this line since it was very short. There are now talking heads (literally) as you approach the entrance reading you the rules and yapping. It was a nice touch. Just as we entered the trail the sky finally decided to open up and pour on us. I think the suffocation feature right past the entrance was turned off because of the rain but we didn’t mind because we used the space to wait out the downpour. After about 5 minutes we realized that although it had let up a bit the rain was not going to stop so we hiked up our pants, zipped up our jackets, pulled our hoodie strings tight and ventured out into the mud. This attraction is mostly the same as in years past which is not a bad thing. We enjoyed ourselves despite the rain as did the other people around us. I especially like the structures and the casts within them. They are very well done and unique. I did find myself wishing for less of the animal animatronics though. Yes, rubber wolf I am talking to you. You really suck. Most of the vignettes featuring animal animatronics look bad and are not scary. When you have a naturally spooky environment like a corn field you don’t need a bunch of badly lit, uninspired hunks of rubber popping out at you. BTW, I do not mean the prop scarecrows in the corn. They are subtle and great. They blend in enough to make you jump when you realize they aren’t corn and make you scream when you realize they sometimes aren’t props. Boo Ha Ha!<br />
<br />
<b>The Hayride</b><br />
By the time we were done the Trail I fully expected the hayride to be closed due to the torrential rain and resulting mud but it wasn’t. The projector was turned off (of course) so we didn’t get to see anything while waiting in line but since the line was basically nonexistent it really wasn’t a big loss. We were on the wagon in about 10 minutes but got stuck in the middle which really sucked. Honestly for what people pay to do a haunted hayride these days haunts should give them a seat around the outside of the wagon This is especially true on a night when there were only a few crazy wet people sloshing though the miserable, cold mud hole that was The Bates Motel. I think I would have enjoyed the hayride more had I not been required to sit in the muddiest hay with a stranger’s mucky shoe in my ass. Or maybe not. Once again I cannot say that I liked the hayride. The soundtrack that I always bash is still in place and is still distracting. They did add some new and surprisingly better music but will never be better than silence. The few new vignettes that were added/ changed had a distinct white trashy feel which I am honestly not sure if I liked or not. I think management was going for a Rob Zombie vibe but it ended up feeling more Wild & Wonderful Whites of WV instead. The animatronics on the hayride are really the worst part of this attraction. What do we have to do to persuade PA Haunts to ditch the hokey ass rubber monsters? No one is afraid of them and some people in our wagon this weekend actually booed a few of these ridiculous creatures. The tree monster, the hydraulic thing that is ass impaled and the mine creature need to be put on Craigslist ASAP. They truly hurt The Bates Hayride.<br />
<br />
<br />
I keep thinking… 2 outta 3 ain’t bad when looking back over our 2011 Bates visit. We will definitely come back next year but will seriously considering skipping the hayride when we do. It’s a shame because snuggling up in a wagon on a crisp autumn night and taking a ride through a haunted woods is one of my favorite things about the Halloween season. Unfortunately the Bates Motel just doesn’t deliver here. Oh well... 2 outta 3 ain’t bad. See… there it is again.Leslie Gatchelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939836639993779953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387375873628383740.post-43280444224394203282011-10-03T09:18:00.001-07:002011-10-03T09:18:48.901-07:00Bates Motel review is on it's way...Yes, we went on Saturday night. Yes, we got wet. Working on the full review tonight.Leslie Gatchelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939836639993779953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387375873628383740.post-56315052403962576212011-09-26T16:12:00.001-07:002012-10-16T13:26:31.374-07:002011 Pennhurst ReviewOK...so I actually got this review done tonight. Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<br />
We arrived at about 7:30 PM on Saturday, September 24th and parked in the onsite lot. Although it was really, really muddy the staff did a good job telling us where to walk to avoid getting stuck or soaked. As always we enjoyed the walk through the woods to the ticket booths. The ticketing area has been rearranged this year and quite frankly I hate it. It makes no sense not to have guests enter the complex via the raised walkway like last year. I have a feeling the change is due to Management’s desire to force you through their new concession area but this is unnecessary. Put ticket booths and stanchion in the space around the raised walkway entrance… people will still go down to the concession area to buy tee shirts and hot dogs when they are done. Also new this year is a stupid fence maze called The Rat Race also located in the concession area. This is corny and again unnecessary. Food and souvenir stands are fine but Pennhurst is supposed to be a REAL haunted place… you don’t need to yuk it up to get people to come and spend their money so don’t. The effect is cheap and corny. Anyway, once you have a ticket, make it through security and past the concession area you ascend a staircase and are finally on the raised walkway and on your way to the attractions. <br />
<br />
<b>Asylum</b><br />
This is the attraction that started it all so it was the 1st thing we did. It was pretty much same as last year and still quite good. The scenes are appropriate for the site and storyline. The actors all did a good job with their characters and were both disturbed and aggressive which was good. There was a little bit more medical gore this year but it felt right. I think they put more props in the rooms this year… a change I did not love. You don’t need rubber ghouls at Pennhurst if there are supposedly real ones lurking about. Fake looking, disemboweled corpses hanging from the roof are just plain silly. Overall I think this attraction is still quite good… enough things were changed and enough things stayed the same. I guess my only suggestions would be that overall less would be more. Oh… and keep your eyes open as you exit the attraction. There is a very, very cool special effect right before the door. <br />
<br />
<b>Dungeon</b><br />
We did this attraction 2nd and the 1st thing I noticed is that the line sucks and will be really confusing on busy nights. You basically have to wait in the Asylum line till you’re right at the building and then go in a side door that isn’t marked (I didn't see a sign) and is shabby with has debris on the ground around it. They do have lots of staff members on hand to direct you but when people are in line and chatting I think the directions will be ignored. There may be a different line that they weren’t using due to the small crowds but it will still have to funnel into the same place as the Asylum line since that’s where the door is located. Because the entrance is so ho hum the attraction gets a little lost and lacks punch when entering it. I think it would be better if the Asylum & Dungeon were combined into 1 attraction. You could do the Asylum then exit through the side doors and continue on to the line for the Dungeon finally exiting through the back of the building and onto the raised walkway. Anyway, another issue I have with this attraction is the name of it. I really HATE the name Dungeon. The space is not a dungeon nor is it themed as a one so it why call it that? Why not just call it The Basement? Anyway, aside from the name and confusing entry way this attraction is actually pretty good and kind of scary. There was a small sound issue with TV screen cell doors and a bit of prop overload in some rooms but overall the effect is still good. The thought that less is more totally rings true here too however. Next year Management should work on not distracting from the creepy basement feel of this space… too much stuff, noise, etc. will ruin it. <br />
<br />
<b>Tunnels</b><br />
We did this attraction 3rd and I was extremely disappointed. The Tunnels were just stupid this year. Stupid, stupid, stupid. In case you are confused about how I feel… I thought they were totally F-ing STUPID. Now that that is out of my system… having been in the tunnels before Pennhurst went public I was very, very excited to see what they were going to do with all the new space they made down there. They definitely did stuff but none of it was good. Basically everything eerie and frightening about this space was covered up. Instead of silence there is a ludicrous soundtrack. Instead of darkness there is distracting lighting everywhere. Instead of a desolate, abandoned tunnel system where real ghosts might be lurking there stupid killer bees, a lame crypt and a ridiculous nuclear disaster area. WTF??!! Why would there be bee hives underground? Why is there a crypt in the service tunnels of an abandoned mental hospital? This truly is the most disappointing haunted attraction I’ve ever been to. Please, please, please Management take my advice and take all of the hokey, corny stuff out of the tunnels ASAP. Your catch phrase is “The fear is real.” so why are you covering up everything that makes Pennhurst scary? Enhance not engulf. Ugh! As a side note... this attraction for some reason puts you outsided the security area when you're done. Not sure why and on busier nights you might have to wait in line to get back in so maybe do this one last if you don't want the hassle. Hopefully they change this for next year. <br />
<br />
<b>Ghost Hunt/ Mayflower Building Flashlight Tour</b><br />
We did this attraction last and after the Tunnel debacle I was more than skeptical. Thankfully Management did 100% the right thing here. The building is basically exactly the same as it was when Pennhurst was abandoned in 1987. Of course some asbestos is missing and some graffiti has been added but the artwork kind of adds to the atmosphere… it is very Candyman. From what I remember a bunch of furniture and tons of papers are also gone too but basically it’s as close as you can get to the pre-public Pennhurst experience. The line was nonexistent on the 24th but there is a huge stanchion area off of the raised platform for this attraction (for others too I think). I can see it being full on Saturday nights as people will want to spend some time in this building. When it’s your turn to go in you are given 1 flashlight per group and sent in to explore the whole building as you see fit. There are no actors or effects nor are there any lights except in the stairwells. There are 2 floors with 10 or so rooms per floor. The third floor and basement are not open yet. This building was used as a dorm so most of the spaces are dorm rooms, lounges and bath facilities. The feeling is definitely eerie and if you go on a quiet night and wander away from your group and the flashlight it is very easy to find yourself alone in a pitch black room with a shiver up your spine. Sooo spooky. There are staff members positioned throughout the building for guest safety. They know a lot about the complex and tell a mean ghost story for sure. If you want the goods on what goes on at Pennhurst when the crowds go home definitely talk to these people. Our group had a cell phone ghost tracker app which was really fun. It has radar like screen which shows when ghosts near you. It also spits out words sometimes based on the spirit energy in the area. Very cool addition to this attraction for sure. Of course once people find out I’ve done the Ghost Hunt/ Mayflower Building Tour the 1st question I get asked is “Did you see a ghost?”. I don’t know honestly but what I do know is that a girl that night totally thinks she did because she freaked out to the point that security had to get her out of the building. She was so spooked in fact that she left the site and didn’t use the rest of her multipass. I say “Let this be a lesson” but not in the way you might be thinking. This lesson is for Management not visitors. Honestly why is it that the only building without actors or props is getting the most buzz? Why is this attraction the only local one I’ve ever been to that makes makes me want to spend the money to come back again this season crowds be damned? Hmmmmmm… I wonder?<br />
<br />
Overall I enjoyed Pennhurst once again this year. I still wish they would let the “real fear” shine through a little more and let the fake ass fear stay in the prop closet but maybe that’s just me. I also wish they would ditch the bonfire, hang out concession area thing. This isn’t Bates Motel and we don’t want it to be. Here’s to 2012 unless the lure of The Mayflower brings me back in the next month. Ouch… my wallet.Leslie Gatchelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939836639993779953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387375873628383740.post-81293792229623875162011-09-26T15:52:00.001-07:002011-09-26T15:52:36.428-07:00Coming soon....Tomorrow my Pennhurst 2011 review. I know you all are holding your collective breath...Leslie Gatchelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939836639993779953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387375873628383740.post-39836383381853319042011-09-06T11:48:00.000-07:002011-09-06T11:48:14.777-07:00Discount tickets abound!So I got discount ticket e-mails for Bates & Pennhurst and Shocktoberfest too I think. Only downside is that there is a $4.50 per ticket surcharge. Ouch! Think we're going to buy the Pennhurst tickets anyway and do the VIP since we will only be able to go on a Saturday night this year. Exciting!! Anyone else buying haunt tickets now?Leslie Gatchelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939836639993779953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387375873628383740.post-2504679473646837362011-07-18T11:47:00.001-07:002011-07-18T11:47:08.105-07:00It will be that time soon!So most haunts... local and not... are gearing up for the season. Are you ready?Leslie Gatchelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939836639993779953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387375873628383740.post-2639735497424294662010-11-01T20:59:00.000-07:002010-11-01T20:59:37.256-07:00Halloween Costumes from 2006 to 2010<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>10/31/2006- Home- Sexy Vamp</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvMegqGixpv-nFQ-y8Jm25_M5_VCj3DYHFVo41GlfvIra3Z_EDrj5TD6eJNEB9uiiWDTcqG4rB7lIgHsl7sqfuA1bnOkMhClfD_vwspnnlS5PexOTCDEwaKqBmfPzzzoV26VjgwYzVOl0/s1600/2006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvMegqGixpv-nFQ-y8Jm25_M5_VCj3DYHFVo41GlfvIra3Z_EDrj5TD6eJNEB9uiiWDTcqG4rB7lIgHsl7sqfuA1bnOkMhClfD_vwspnnlS5PexOTCDEwaKqBmfPzzzoV26VjgwYzVOl0/s320/2006.jpg" width="279" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><strong>10/27/2007- Halloween Party- Sexy Witch</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXJSV7jIbNPyn-xP9cy2y59eJ6EueCPrKiuYNixcluY4KtehYLlGGN1a7gbkwvatG5USYKm_kQ-RASxcs74Rw1_MVLlggJm3k-IRLVud5LFbhegTe5QEIz8nJgqxJ2BxIQImb8Q9p7jU/s1600/2007+Party.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXJSV7jIbNPyn-xP9cy2y59eJ6EueCPrKiuYNixcluY4KtehYLlGGN1a7gbkwvatG5USYKm_kQ-RASxcs74Rw1_MVLlggJm3k-IRLVud5LFbhegTe5QEIz8nJgqxJ2BxIQImb8Q9p7jU/s320/2007+Party.JPG" width="242" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><strong>10/31/2007- Home- Lunatic</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL0M1vSlCm-rlViDLySk2NOB_Owk5_lqvpEjAfE6dSvB6AG6u7lomzHFiwhDuksVnW39YtxIhXonPnhgBfqZbYt7tjqCW0sLKH4B4G9EcpuWzsIXgUq7KvcxZkwxy_vCo1PoihbCKQEC4/s1600/2007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL0M1vSlCm-rlViDLySk2NOB_Owk5_lqvpEjAfE6dSvB6AG6u7lomzHFiwhDuksVnW39YtxIhXonPnhgBfqZbYt7tjqCW0sLKH4B4G9EcpuWzsIXgUq7KvcxZkwxy_vCo1PoihbCKQEC4/s320/2007.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><strong>10/28/2008- The Roxxy- Wicked Witch</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ovsdidXJiMO6O3FtNBVVwQT7XODrebNRl-kM_IUeeCDPtb2gR5S174cGS-jkcwLxfy4muk-hz_OTYPoe8Dsq_LJEAp39tOGFVsewt7_p09VxbSS5J0VqisCc91b0So0ChKDTDhlLB74/s1600/2008+Club.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ovsdidXJiMO6O3FtNBVVwQT7XODrebNRl-kM_IUeeCDPtb2gR5S174cGS-jkcwLxfy4muk-hz_OTYPoe8Dsq_LJEAp39tOGFVsewt7_p09VxbSS5J0VqisCc91b0So0ChKDTDhlLB74/s320/2008+Club.jpg" width="199" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><strong>10/28/2009- The Roxxy- Snow Bunny</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4V87x2r150QoD5M9EcnlTDQE69PS4i5zxPt74cTUcON4VxsysUinI5CrPf3Njcc7akgwBI-7eZEPus0yaWCTo6YOpXLDE1D_od5MygJuRDVO_jaCY4pYeUfAlYHDYzdPkRQfR5jQab4/s1600/2009+Roxxy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge4V87x2r150QoD5M9EcnlTDQE69PS4i5zxPt74cTUcON4VxsysUinI5CrPf3Njcc7akgwBI-7eZEPus0yaWCTo6YOpXLDE1D_od5MygJuRDVO_jaCY4pYeUfAlYHDYzdPkRQfR5jQab4/s320/2009+Roxxy.jpg" width="112" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><strong>10/29/2010- Work- Groovy Bitch</strong></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDGfaZj8DdAXnvM-uteeVwtczoNp-_On_LUVzF3PBAByYpFnu05K5pkkbq9fX79dDZBQ_Bn2zoEnEAPDXyA0EcNwptdo5s2IhRE1_y3KyrNCBaWkKqLGgVwtaP2IjJbvjvxYO9twpqZE4/s1600/2010+Work.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDGfaZj8DdAXnvM-uteeVwtczoNp-_On_LUVzF3PBAByYpFnu05K5pkkbq9fX79dDZBQ_Bn2zoEnEAPDXyA0EcNwptdo5s2IhRE1_y3KyrNCBaWkKqLGgVwtaP2IjJbvjvxYO9twpqZE4/s320/2010+Work.jpg" width="132" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><strong>10/30/2010- The Roxxy- Vampire Bride & Groom Victim</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0T1KWKVZj1hPuosLBLs2r0dR5m0NeJk3vE_EZX9TzmW9cAzbq9CqAgbZqAFqZYCXNj3rg8So2felpcva8Rrn84Wxpdag-iKj6edBlRC3NgtmoUhXHnrBh_Lc5-QWqngaVr6pU51QEAfY/s1600/2010+Club.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0T1KWKVZj1hPuosLBLs2r0dR5m0NeJk3vE_EZX9TzmW9cAzbq9CqAgbZqAFqZYCXNj3rg8So2felpcva8Rrn84Wxpdag-iKj6edBlRC3NgtmoUhXHnrBh_Lc5-QWqngaVr6pU51QEAfY/s320/2010+Club.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Leslie Gatchelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939836639993779953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387375873628383740.post-46162120462221273542010-11-01T20:08:00.000-07:002010-11-01T20:09:54.376-07:00Our House- 10/31/2010Here are some pics from our place Halloween Night 2010...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>Mommy's munkin.</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fO6V_VRpttqqZ7pTCWNP8Vr-9IjSAn5TzUXLZceumXB2HVG652PGzjLun6ojZX79W3S4BQKWFvzt5twl6cfSMBxc9S1zXyE5GSbhCXPgEZ9tMbG35nqKnUU_dGA5C8l1YBZkQLSS2i0/s1600/Mommy's+Munkin+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fO6V_VRpttqqZ7pTCWNP8Vr-9IjSAn5TzUXLZceumXB2HVG652PGzjLun6ojZX79W3S4BQKWFvzt5twl6cfSMBxc9S1zXyE5GSbhCXPgEZ9tMbG35nqKnUU_dGA5C8l1YBZkQLSS2i0/s320/Mommy's+Munkin+2010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Spooky front porch.</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HZn8f36vYdZh1E8IHrSwiwjF70TYmgz7LgPuVwvEvTm9ukqzmgRne566UyZQf2iucPe_92KH_az6KQpoZ7BlDzdn6rJZ85RmzVxtQdjnA_Oloh0mOnDgFJJsLvntXKmJvwiDg0c-fqo/s1600/Foggy+Front+Door.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HZn8f36vYdZh1E8IHrSwiwjF70TYmgz7LgPuVwvEvTm9ukqzmgRne566UyZQf2iucPe_92KH_az6KQpoZ7BlDzdn6rJZ85RmzVxtQdjnA_Oloh0mOnDgFJJsLvntXKmJvwiDg0c-fqo/s320/Foggy+Front+Door.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>My and Hubby's munkins. </strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbzkRRhQeIONYGog_Sg-1ttwr-1hfnGgf8f_3EoAeo2f8nSRa6diBKGIqVyHGIBDlyRNtF1hpOG6zfvkReaqRQDpleVHAXdN-R-LBsT9Rqc8HlJ69DiRz2TDXr5NAOObil71UYQz7z9LA/s1600/IMG_0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbzkRRhQeIONYGog_Sg-1ttwr-1hfnGgf8f_3EoAeo2f8nSRa6diBKGIqVyHGIBDlyRNtF1hpOG6zfvkReaqRQDpleVHAXdN-R-LBsT9Rqc8HlJ69DiRz2TDXr5NAOObil71UYQz7z9LA/s320/IMG_0002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Momo's costume. He rocks.</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxp4RxozyxmFd9r1ZNy0sLfOLNdG2HKVZILFGTR4-KG9zCAJsW5zoIWmtQgyopwptm9d1JjG4z0t8sJaKYYrkMZcbVKEM1xWe533NTyyIz-b5XiWVBeiVLoVsxJBQVIgtGeaUiNlHt6pQ/s1600/Momo's+Costume+Rocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxp4RxozyxmFd9r1ZNy0sLfOLNdG2HKVZILFGTR4-KG9zCAJsW5zoIWmtQgyopwptm9d1JjG4z0t8sJaKYYrkMZcbVKEM1xWe533NTyyIz-b5XiWVBeiVLoVsxJBQVIgtGeaUiNlHt6pQ/s320/Momo's+Costume+Rocks.jpg" width="279" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Leslie Gatchelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939836639993779953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387375873628383740.post-42838209722805928432010-11-01T19:57:00.001-07:002010-11-01T20:13:05.150-07:00The Roxxy- Saturday, 10/30/2010<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hubby and I picked up my Chippy up at 8:30 PM and made it to Delaware Ave. by 9:15 PM. Hooray for light traffic!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We haven’t been down there since Sugarhouse opened so we did a lap and checked things out before landing a parking spot on the street, right across from the club.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to say that I LOVE the crosswalks they installed for the casino.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You used to have to climb over a big weird median thingy which was not fun while intoxicated and wearing 5” stilettos.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">Since there was no line our “skip the line” privilege was wasted but we didn’t mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As we were being patted down 3 school busses full of drunken Villanova students pulled up and a line began to form.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a sign of things to come for sure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once inside we were quickly introduced to our VIP hostess Sandy and taken up the stairs and to our booth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was perfectly located with a great view of the whole club.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sooo happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got a bottle of 3 Olives Grape Vodka, cranberry, Coke, Sprite and bottled waters to start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">By 10:00 PM the club was really, really packed with a very young and drunk crowd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The music was dance/ house which we loved and the lasers and fog were in full effect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Surprisingly there was nothing “Halloweeny” this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last year there was a haunted house, a fire eater, an electric violist and costumed dancers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I kinda missed it to be honest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wonder if the economy hurt the 2010 Halloween Party budget.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway, by 10:30 PM we could barely get out of our booth and our hostess was nowhere to be found.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sooo crazy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When she did finally come back around 11:00 PM she looked beat up and explained that she was the only one and that she was sorry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt bad for her honestly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Poor <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Sandy</place></city>... it wasn’t her fault.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She refreshed our mixers and warned us to watch our bottle as rowdy, drunks are apt to grab it you look away. We should have realized then that things were about to get out of hand. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">Chippy and I went downstairs… OK… we tried to go downstairs to pee and smoke (her not me) at 11:15 PM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>OMG it was an adventure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The stairs really were a fire hazard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once down we were greeted by a 15 minute bathroom line full of drunken girls all pushing and shoving to get in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually it wasn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was dangerous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seriously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Girls were pushing… hard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were also waiting so long that some of them opted to pee on the floor and outside in the smoking area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So not appropriate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe they actually closed off the men’s room to men for a couple of times to allow girls to pee in there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bad job here Roxxy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You should have stopped letting people in the club once the stairs and bathrooms got out of hand and dangerous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ugh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">Once out of the bathroom we battled back up the stairs and to our booth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hubby told us that while we were gone 8 million people tried to sit with him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lame. There is a reserved sign but there really should also be a security guard or two or some stanchion around the VIP area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It should not be your job to kick other patrons out of your area all night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not for what you pay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I seriously can’t tell you how many people tried to put their empties, costume accessories and asses in our booth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We drank and danced some more and then… of course… I had to pee again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bathrooms were still horrible… maybe even worse since bitches were drunker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I came back up we pretty much kicked the bottle and had to close our curtains a bit to keep people out. Ugh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Around 12:15 PM the music started to lean towards Top 40 and Hip Hop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was still dancey but not like it was earlier in the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We grabbed <city w:st="on"><place w:st="on">Sandy</place></city> and asked for my Credit Card and Driver’s License back and she disappeared and didn’t come back until 1 AM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grrrrr.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">Of course we all had to pee the second we got outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chippy and Hubby said they needed some grease and salt and I can always use another drink so we decided to go to Sugarhouse next.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were no lines for the bathroom, they didn’t mind that we were in costume and the restaurant was sufficient.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gotta love chili dogs and fries at 1 AM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also gotta love not having to guard your drinks from drunken college students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to admit that aside from the smoking I kinda liked Sugarhouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This may be our new after club spot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">We left Sugarhouse around 2:00 AM and were in <place w:st="on">West Chester</place> right as the bars let out which was interesting to say the least.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We dropped Chippy off, got home at 3 AM and basically fell into bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overall we had a good time but the poor crowd control at really detracted from our experience at the Roxxy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is our 4th year going there for Halloween and I can honestly say it’s never been that bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe we’ll have to find a new spot next year.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;">Here are some pics...<br />
<br />
<strong>Me and Hubby</strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJy_yRAKEvN_fBqcoGrVdhHNyVfNpHlsZzHlGky2Z3icUVHlHeBZM6qJb0JC_Hm5EP8dKPoVf5LIPoMOM7IuR6uNJwVqkYyOcbDi-u_ngpft2MYXsjw2xpxqsjQvK7nvK44CyoUPEAJ-8/s1600/Me+&+Bob+Ween+2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJy_yRAKEvN_fBqcoGrVdhHNyVfNpHlsZzHlGky2Z3icUVHlHeBZM6qJb0JC_Hm5EP8dKPoVf5LIPoMOM7IuR6uNJwVqkYyOcbDi-u_ngpft2MYXsjw2xpxqsjQvK7nvK44CyoUPEAJ-8/s1600/Me+&+Bob+Ween+2010.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
<br />
<strong>Me and Katy Perry. </strong><br />
<strong>Anyone else really hungry for a cupcake all of a sudden?</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJPZStKezfddz1t4L81vcqt5_GmA2SIVcQOawCt2HfBWRtTzaOvL_PUoEQxaTBNS3PrPNbt5yOMnHPod5nRW_vFTTTnlEFJrj5Zqy6zJ8jq7nco7_sO2xTTDP_kjaRomj5SEr00WJAYSg/s1600/Me+and+Katy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJPZStKezfddz1t4L81vcqt5_GmA2SIVcQOawCt2HfBWRtTzaOvL_PUoEQxaTBNS3PrPNbt5yOMnHPod5nRW_vFTTTnlEFJrj5Zqy6zJ8jq7nco7_sO2xTTDP_kjaRomj5SEr00WJAYSg/s1600/Me+and+Katy.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<strong>More me and Hubby.</strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX70r_rYhwxuPUp07iSAchQlZ2oQch9n1n59RgMV588y_eJPYl1xjReA9Uxm9By1ghVz7eUuoIvMkSl3yuM78Dg0jU4N4WknhNk8ovauwSWRC274CSBSS6fS_9KaN9duMLFkaxXH7LXVc/s1600/Vamp+Bite+Bright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX70r_rYhwxuPUp07iSAchQlZ2oQch9n1n59RgMV588y_eJPYl1xjReA9Uxm9By1ghVz7eUuoIvMkSl3yuM78Dg0jU4N4WknhNk8ovauwSWRC274CSBSS6fS_9KaN9duMLFkaxXH7LXVc/s1600/Vamp+Bite+Bright.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<strong>Crowd shots from our VIP booth. </strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJyKtBgtR0hI67y-CNBebSiQ_UJF0SyIcUx8iuzNTYunpXvSZwT3e94IHvvjFX-lUOyV4HccMssg9H93-lEFKdjwKiriGhrYVWYGrGzJOaS0tD_1Zjr2HhgTDoguFgbApFUqjcuAlR90k/s1600/IMG_1029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJyKtBgtR0hI67y-CNBebSiQ_UJF0SyIcUx8iuzNTYunpXvSZwT3e94IHvvjFX-lUOyV4HccMssg9H93-lEFKdjwKiriGhrYVWYGrGzJOaS0tD_1Zjr2HhgTDoguFgbApFUqjcuAlR90k/s1600/IMG_1029.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqtpvZbJFT5dOM8Yrjq58SC1tt21E18pSzuiONu3IwswW1lsxO2yMCMbtYQv002UotpOsJm5LbXgofrx-LfGbCuIQbTjI9PEHX8EjZ_wo8HmxmZE-49qkSpnmuScwfw4gckeLE9PlOREM/s1600/IMG_1031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqtpvZbJFT5dOM8Yrjq58SC1tt21E18pSzuiONu3IwswW1lsxO2yMCMbtYQv002UotpOsJm5LbXgofrx-LfGbCuIQbTjI9PEHX8EjZ_wo8HmxmZE-49qkSpnmuScwfw4gckeLE9PlOREM/s1600/IMG_1031.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYhkyUpv-Qzvn2uIWEe3hxO3_ELQbSQmRAGgUwynLHKEjqTiu4f9QATGdTHWC7XaLW14lIj_VsmDfBYVa-fFyDvbexibaRiPePZkAX8HqwQ8Jf6DfZ9zlAYgeqnoDiihBL7bUVTazfzdw/s1600/IMG_1032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYhkyUpv-Qzvn2uIWEe3hxO3_ELQbSQmRAGgUwynLHKEjqTiu4f9QATGdTHWC7XaLW14lIj_VsmDfBYVa-fFyDvbexibaRiPePZkAX8HqwQ8Jf6DfZ9zlAYgeqnoDiihBL7bUVTazfzdw/s1600/IMG_1032.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUw6faiwpTlvEIY3tzFsb8EXgazZ6Lf9KMx4P3OxOFB5PQhyFcjvpGDQSK6Ze9sHu-6gTH5FMWoft25M0WhOb3-ZnYQ7dsAbc8bs04DONJINpELm3WNy8geG-36bYcCVq_Wq4XPJSb-bE/s1600/IMG_1033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUw6faiwpTlvEIY3tzFsb8EXgazZ6Lf9KMx4P3OxOFB5PQhyFcjvpGDQSK6Ze9sHu-6gTH5FMWoft25M0WhOb3-ZnYQ7dsAbc8bs04DONJINpELm3WNy8geG-36bYcCVq_Wq4XPJSb-bE/s1600/IMG_1033.jpg" /></a></div></div>Leslie Gatchelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939836639993779953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387375873628383740.post-20023782363679720122010-10-28T12:57:00.000-07:002012-10-16T13:26:56.539-07:002010 Terror Behind The Walls @ Eastern State Penitentiary Review<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Sorry this took so long but I’ve had a hell of a cold and have also been busy working on my and Hubby’s Halloween costumes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Anyway…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Like I said in an older post I won free tickets from the Pottstown Mercury but they were for Thursdays and Sundays only.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since I can barely get out of bed on a Monday we decided to go on Thursday 10/21/10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We also decided to park in the zoo lot like they suggest and take the free shuttle to the prison.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I highly recommend this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It wasn’t that expensive, it was simple to get to and leave from and kinda added to the experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got to the parking lot around 7:30 PM and jumped on the Ghost Bus which is what they call the shuttle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was full but not crowded by the time we shoved off and the people onboard were mostly couples and small groups in their late 20’s to mid 40’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We made our way thru Fairmont Park and were told a ghost story and some of ESP’s history on the way which was pretty cool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got off the bus around 7:50PM and noticed a lot of guests and staff milling about making for a very festive atmosphere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were a lot of costumed actors on the street both helping and scaring people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was also music and eerie sounds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overall the block ESP is on feels very spooky and exciting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We made our way to towards the ticket booth stopping on our way to fill out the required release forms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>FYI, be sure to do this before trying to buy tickets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While signing our lives away we noticed the bushes moving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suddenly they jumped up and scared some teens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sooo cool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway, once we made it to the ticket booth (a trailer down the street from the main entrance) we were a bit dismayed to find that the 1<sup>st</sup> time slot available was 10:00PM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bummed out we were about to commit to that time but then we noticed that our comp tickets said we could upgrade for $5.00 per person and by-pass the line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah VIP!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe that paying customers have to pay double their ticket price for this option so needless to say we were very, very happy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tickets, VIP passes and waivers in hand we made our way back thru the escaped, crazy prisoners and screaming tweens to the main entrance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a bit plain Jane but I think that’s on purpose so that people don’t line up there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are corrals for each time slot where they want you to line up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Once inside the main entrance you go thru security then into the prison yard for pictures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes we got a pic… no we didn’t buy it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After pics there is a section of stanchion and then you are in receiving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are TV’s throughout the lines but we didn’t have time to watch them because there was zero wait for VIP.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the line ends you make your way thru more of the yard, thru delousing and into the building for receiving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There aren’t many actors in this area which gave me a sinking feeling that maybe the rest of the haunt would be that way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not so though which makes me wonder if maybe a few more people out here would be better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m honestly not sure if an underwhelming start was a good thing for this attraction or not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hmmmm?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a brief reading of the rules (DON’T TOUCH THE BUILDING) you are then inside the cellblock area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
The first part of the inside portion of TBTW is called Lock Down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really it is exactly what you expect and want from this haunt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cells, prisoners, spooky quiet, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perfect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The floor is a bit uneven and you CAN’T TOUCH THE WALLS so wear good shoes but otherwise I have no complaints about this part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make sure you take your time and look around, up, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are some cool, subtle spooky things that you’ll miss if you don’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep an eye out for the Tesla coils.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hubby LOVED them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overall I think this was my favorite part of the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the way out of this attraction you make your way thru the central part of the prison.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The day tours clearly go thru here… you can tell by the placards and numbers on the walls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a beautiful view if you look up and some creepy ass, decrepit halls and cells here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately you have to stay with the group they assign you to so we didn’t get to look at everything for as long as we would have liked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Guess this is what the day tour is for but really we would have liked more time in this area in the dark with the screams and noises and stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe some stanchion here would have let you mosey thru the area and check everything out in a more organized fashion and at a slower pace. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or maybe not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
The next part of the haunt is The Infirmary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You queue for this part outside and the actor playing the Dr. who lets you in stunk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sorry dude but your character was seriously lacking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not so much that it ruined the experience but bad nonetheless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The attraction, in comparison, was quite good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not as good as the prior part but the props and stuff felt authentic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overall it was very well done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Really this is what Pennhurst should try to do… highlight some of the architecture and the medical equipment and sprinkle in a few boos. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Didn’t top Lock Down but The Infirmary was definitely my #2… no pun intended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
You are given 3D glasses as you enter The Experiment next.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is your typical 3D/ black light haunted attraction but the actors and artwork are phenomenal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be on the lookout for people blending into and coming out of the walls and stuff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are sneaky and got some good scares this way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a spinney tunnel thing in this part which doesn’t really make any sense but I guess people like it so I can understand why it’s there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t usually like to spoil the specifics of a haunt but I had to call out the tunnel because quite frankly it F’d a lot of people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were told on the bus home that puking happens often but there are actors around to help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our group got stuck in the damn thing for like 2 minutes cause someone ahead of us was freaking out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good thing Hubby kept his eyes closed or I would have seen the puking firsthand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Once thru the 3D part you turn in your glasses for a mini LED flashlight and you enter Night Watch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This part is completely dark and it’s up to you and your flashlight how much light you want or don’t want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I liked this concept and enjoyed this part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again don’t forget to look all around and up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of cool stuff can be found this way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were fewer actors in this part but you don’t mind since you are blundering through the darkness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
When you exit Night Watch you have to give back your flashlight then you are led into a courtyard area full of vendors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The picture people are here as are some souvenir and food vendors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also in this area is a place where you can catch a glimpse of Al Capone’s old cell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was pretty neat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only complaint is that there was nowhere to sit and eat or just hang.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next is a museum which you can bypass if you want.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a bit cramped but cool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally there is one last gift shop and then you are back on the street… exiting from the same place that you originally entered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a short walk we paid for our parking and caught the bus back to the lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The stoner bus employee asked the crowd some fun questions and gave some more history which was entertaining and appropriate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were back in the car right around 10:00PM which should have been the time we were starting the haunt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, yay VIP.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Overall we really enjoyed Terror Behind The Walls @ Eastern State Penitentiary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So much so that we would have gone back again this year if we’d had more time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We like the damn thing so much I think we might even do the day tour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yay ESP!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keep up the good work and we’ll see you next year. Oh… and thanks again Pottstown Mercury.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hubby and I plus the couple we gave our other pair of tickets to really enjoyed ourselves.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Next up maybe one more haunt and then my TR for the Roxxy’s 7 Deadly Sins Party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
Leslie Gatchelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939836639993779953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387375873628383740.post-85244139312582101672010-10-26T12:19:00.001-07:002010-10-26T12:19:09.726-07:00Coming soon...My review of Terror Behind The Walls At Eastern State Penitentiary. Fighting a bad cold so...Leslie Gatchelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939836639993779953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387375873628383740.post-4538623047797855262010-10-19T16:15:00.000-07:002010-10-19T16:15:30.381-07:00Haunts left to hit up.Hoping to get to Eastern State Penn on Thursday night and Field of Screams either Friday night or Saturday. Will keep you all posted. Next Friday maybe Jason's Woods and Saturday party at The Roxxy. Hopefully I can talk hubby into VIP. Yeah bottle service!Leslie Gatchelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939836639993779953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2387375873628383740.post-66149011299562481482010-10-19T09:35:00.000-07:002012-10-16T13:27:33.263-07:002010 Shocktoberfest Review<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Shocktoberfest...oh how the mighty have fallen.</span></strong><br />
<br />
<br />
So we ended up going to Shocktoberfest on Saturday 10/16/10. It was not good. I will explain...<br />
<br />
We pulled into a very crowded lot around 8:30 PM and parked all the way up by the prison. There was some confusion as to where to go so some people ended up parking IN the hayride. Ugh. The parking situation really was a cluster-f but more wranglers would easily fix this. Once out of the car we walked past all of the attractions and made our way to the ticket booth. Since we got to see the lines we decided that RIP passes were going to be the way to go. $15.00 more per person was worth it to get us home and in bed before 2AM. There was barely a line for the ticket booth which was unexpected given the parking lot... we were pleasantly surprised. I suspect there would have been no line had there been a sign stating CASH ONLY on the ticket booth. Lots of people were getting up to the cashier only to be sent over to the ATM and then to the back to the back of the line. Just a suggestion. Anyway, tickets in hand we made our way to the 3D Asylum first... it's right next to the ticket booth. The regular line had about a 30-45 minute wait but we walked right up to the door. In past this has been a favorite attraction not because it's innovative or great but because enough stuff was changed year to year, the 3D artwork was beautiful and the actors made it fun. Not so this year. Although the art was good it was <strong>exactly</strong> the same as last year. Seriously... exactly the same paintings in exactly the same places. Not one thing was different. The rooms/ layout were also exactly the same. The actors and props were... the same. Same bang, same giant rat, same ghoul popping out from behind a barrel. Seeing a trend here? We came out disappointed to say the least. The midway had a few new vendors and attractions and unlike years past was filled with a mixed crowd instead of a million tweens. It was a nice atmosphere and kind of a cool place to hang before heading up to the prison and hayride. After a cold apple cider and a hot churro we decided to do the prison next. Just like in years past the lines for the prison and hayride snake thru Club Shock which is Shocktoberfest's "nightclub". I put that word in quotes BTW because it's insulting to real nightclubs to call a tent and a shoes in the dryer DJ a nightclub. Haha. Seriously it's not really that bad considering and it does appeal to the tween crowd. The music was top 40/ hip hop. Noticeably missing was Halloween music or imagery. Would have been nice to hear the Halloween Theme Dance Mix after doing the Dougie. Anyway, the RIP line for the prison was virtually nonexistent so we were on the bus and at the prison in no time. The regular line had about a 45 minute wait. The buses seem on the verge of breaking down but I think it adds to the experience. Tour recording was the same as before. Whatever. Girls at the prison entrance were very good. Prisoner outside was nice touch and good too. Inside the prison was same set up as years before right down to the actor and prop placement. Happily there were a lot of good actors in the prison who made it work. Guy in the showers was really, really good. Cudos! Some of the effects in catwalk area weren't working. I was sad about that and even sadder that I knew they weren't working. Ugh. Tunnels were the same but we enjoyed them despite this. They really are a unique feature and th actors in there got a lot of scares with loud noises. Outside areas needed more actors. Did add a bus attraction in there that was new but only OK. Left the prison feeling like I had been there and done that. Oh well. Once off the bus we made our way to the front of the line for the hayride. There was 5 minute wait but we didn't mind. The tweens humping in the club were plenty entertaining. The regular line had an hour wait. For some reason they now have you go to a staging area to watch a movie before you get on the wagon. Of course the movie screen is tattered... the place is haunted people... but it was too tattered to actually see the movie. Lame. Luckily for us the people in our group realized that the tatters were perfect for shadow puppets and kept us entertained until we were allowed to board the wagon. We were happy to see that despite the lines they were not seating people in the middle of the wagons. Good move. No one wants to wait an hour and pay $15.00 to be kicked by their fellow passengers the whole ride. The hayride had the most changes of all the attractions but I can honestly say they were too little too late and not good. The best parts of the hayride were honestly the parts outside of the buildings. The actors were all very good and the props outside were good enough. The damn stuff in the buildings however is awful. The sound is terrible, the props look fake and it's just not scary. The greenhouse is a freaking abomination. Sooooo bad. It's sad because the buildings used to be the best part of Shocktoberfest. Now they just piss you off. IMO they should ditch them, lose the ornate props and get more actors. Sorry but that's just how I feel. Once off the hayride we felt really disappointed. Although the actors and midway were good everything else was either the same as last year or shoddy. I hate to admit it but I think this is our last year for for Shocktoberfest. I'm sad but that's life. The Shocktoberfest era has ended and I for one am mourning it's passing. Later.Leslie Gatchelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05939836639993779953noreply@blogger.com0