Photo TR: "Terror at the Inn" Orlando

Just last week a friend brought to my attention that a new haunt attraction has sprung up in Orlando, and with that, it didn't take long to make our plans to go over and check it out firsthand! As it turns out, the Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Suites - Waterpark is hosting this new Halloween offering this year, in partnership with the team behind Dark Harbor at the Queen Mary II in Southern California! It wouldn't surprise me if this is that team's way of gauging market interest for a larger Halloween presence in Orlando in the coming years...

If you've never been before, you'll be surprised by just how big the Holiday Inn property is... Located close to Walt Disney World, the resort has a large pool and water fortress with slides (hence the water park) and a large marketplace area in the center of the resort that features lots of shops, dining options, a 4-D theater, a stage venue for variety acts, a laser maze and an arcade. Take all of these elements and add in the a series of new Halloween offerings including a surprisingly lengthy haunted house, a family friendly 4-D film called Panic House (with no shortage of jump scares), a midway with custom themed games of chance and a themed bar to grab drinks and light bites!

Starting with the main event, the maze is a bit of surprise in that is incredibly effective despite being filled with a small cast of live scare actors in a venue not designed for this function. Guests are pulsed into the maze in groups of no more than 18 at a time (and for us, we were among only a few others) so the scares are more intimate and there is no "conga line" effect like you find at the major Halloween attractions in Central Florida. The house is filled (almost to excess) with animatronic spooks, some moving by default and others springing to life in response to those passing by... But as a result of there being so many "dead spirits" surrounding you, you're hard pressed to prepare yourself for the moments in which the live scares jump out. There are no drop doors, shaker cans or triggered scream effects with these performers. They rely solely on their own screams and some creative placement to scare you in multiple places without leaving their post. You'd never realize just how few actors are actually in the house (I didn't until I asked) because of just how effective the layout of the maze and the placement of these scare actors is in relation to the animatronics. The maze is hosted in the resort's variety stage venue, but you'd never realize it thanks to the dark and foggy air inside. You twist through a progression of corridors within the space that twist and turn within the room, going up onto what would normally be the stage and returning to ground level later in the house. Add in the light story that has been added with a live pre-show delivered by one of the house cast, as you're looking for a professor who has gone missing in the tomb. I am easily startled, but I cannot deny that some of the jump scares I got in Terror at the Inn: The Mummy's Curse rivaled those of Howl-o-scream and Halloween Horror Nights. You can't argue that this haunt has the same set quality as what you'd find down the street at Universal, but the intimacy of the experience (with the limit of guests allowed in at once) really makes a difference and amps up the vulnerability that makes for a great scare.

Panic House was the special 4-D theater film for Terror at the Inn, running you through one person's nightmare encounter in a haunted house teeming with zombies and a variety of creatures looking to feed. The film is presented in a first person point of view, giving all in the audience the perspective that they're being chased through this haunted house. There are water effects from overhead and the seats move in tandem with the onscreen action. There's no excessive gore but there are a few good jump scares that make this a neat experience for horror fans and families alike.

The midway features a variety of classic redemption games custom built to match the macabre theme of the event and they are a fun diversion in between runs through The Mummy's Curse and Panic House.

The event runs through October 31st on select weekdays from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm, and 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm on Friday and Saturday. For $19.95 (plus tax) you get unlimited access to The Mummy’s Curse haunted house and unlimited entry to the Panic House 4D (and other films in the theater). The Midway games are an extra cost per game. There are discounts for Florida and Georgia residents, military personnel and first responders and parking is free for the event. You can find more info about the event here: http://www.terrorattheinn.com/

Attachments

Signage throughout The Marketplace area of the Holiday Inn remind guests that Terror at the Inn is running during October.

There's some fun photo opportunities inside!

A look at The Marketplace including Terror at the Inn.

We've got to go looking for the doctor... He's gone missing inside of the tomb.

Time to head in!

Animatronics don't just adorn the entrance of The Mummy's Curse...

They can be found throughout the house.

See if you can spot some of the scares...

A taste of the lighting and feel inside of the maze.

Live actors interact with animatronics and are creatively interspersed throughout the maze to scare you in multiple areas without moving too far.

You think you're prepared for a scare because you see the animatronic, but it is in that moment that a live scare actor can get you!

I might have let slip a few non-PG words inside here.

It isn't what you can see that scares you...

It is what you can't see that jumps out at you when you least expect it!

The mummy is huge!

Panic House is a SimEx-Iwerks film offered just for the Terror at the Inn season...

And it is a really fun addition to the overall event!

Land ringy dingy ding-a-ling dings on the mummy's hands to win a prize in the midway!

Adam did a pretty good job!

The classic frog-on-the-lily-pad game but with a brainy twist.

Use a slingshot to knock over the vultures to win even more prizes.

Not my forte, but definitely fun!

In case you need some liquid courage, the Hideaway Lounge has plenty of drinks to choose from.

More details about the event.

If you're looking for a change of pace when it comes to haunts in Central Florida, I definitely recommend the intimate experience of The Mummy's Curse at Terror at the Inn. Here's hoping next year brings even more scares (and perhaps even more houses)!

Last edited by jedimaster1227 on Fri Oct 12, 2018 5:36 am.

I had no idea this event existed. I've stayed at that Holiday Inn Waterpark resort a few times and really enjoyed it, it's the perfect kind of property for my kids at the age they are so having an on site haunted walk through it just a bonus this time of year. Great report.

I'm always for more haunted attractions and Queen Mary has been on my bucket list since I first heard of it. This haunt should do well for itself in a sea of theme park conga lines. I'm excited for the future of Orlando haunts.

Looks like a nice addition to Mickey's Not So Scary and Halloween Horror Nights. The themed carnival games look like fun.

The themed carnival games look wonderful!

Kudos to them for really thinking "beyond the walkways and haunts", etc.

I wish Playland (Take Note, Playland!) did this with some
of our Arcade games during Fright Nights.

absolutely adore the Mummy themed midway games.

what a brilliant idea, and well executed at that. (the brain into Mummy Head looks like the hardest one).