Premium scream night was a MESS last night. A pretty nasty storm can be blamed for some of it, but the event was extremely oversold. We waited an average of 30-40 min/house (contrasted with last year’s 10-20), and 10-20 min for food lines. It was still better than a normal night not paying for express, but nowhere near worth what they were charging. Last year’s PSN was amazing, this year was a letdown. It took us until event close to finish all of the houses and shows. It you have one night to do everything and the money to burn a RIP tour is a better use of your money. If you want to go and absorb atmosphere with less crowds in the scare zones, PSN is better.
That said, the rest of the event is feeling very back to form. The SZ’s were all amazing, Cat Lady is truly inspired and a LOT of fun. Masquerade is creepy and detailed and the scareactors are great. I didn’t spend a lot of time in NY due to time constraints so I don’t have a lot to say about that zone. Conservatory is super neat for a photo zone. Chainsaws are back, not a lot to say about that. Club Horror is lame and needs more energy but might be better on a full night.
Houses! Nothing is as bad as Chucky. I think most of the houses are solid this year with Fallout being the only exception. We got a good run, hit every scare, but it does not work and feels very flat. I liked the show and love the property so it’s very disappointing. WWE, Jason, Dolls, and El Artista were my standouts this year. Jason is terrifying and the best use of that space I have seen. Honorable mention to FNAF which is not scary at all but has some incredible animatronics and puppets if they’re working on your run.
Nightmare Fuel is great, maybe the best iteration, this year as a direct sequel to last year’s story, and the lagoon show is fantastic and worth a watch if you have time.
My overall house ranking based on one night and one run each house at “Premium” Scream Night:
WWE, Jason, El Artista, Dolls, Terrifier, Hatchet and Chains, Galkn, FNAF, Grave, Fallout.