cdunlap
Well-Known Member
Here's my drawing of an Aztec god named Xolotl. He's a dog/human hybrid and guardian of souls as they travel through the underworld!
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The Sorcerer's Apprentice Season 8: Magic Journeys - Hype Thread
- Thread starter spacemt354
- Start date
Half/CartoonHalf/Human
Active Member
That’s actually pretty good! I like it!
Last edited:
Half/CartoonHalf/Human
Active Member
A got a question for all of you because I was just wondering about it: how long do you all typically spend on here a day?
cdunlap
Well-Known Member
Lizzy May Bee
Well-Known Member
If I’m in a competition then like upwards of a few hours on and off
Lord Fozzinator
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
Less than 30 minutes.
cdunlap
Well-Known Member
Here’s the source material!
cdunlap
Well-Known Member
cdunlap
Well-Known Member
Context:
In Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus is advised by Circe to sail closer to Scylla, for Charybdis could drown his whole ship: "Hug Scylla's crag—sail on past her—top speed! Better by far to lose six men and keep your ship than lose your entire crew." She also tells Odysseus to ask Scylla's mother, the river nymph Crataeis, to prevent Scylla from pouncing more than once. Odysseus successfully navigates the strait, but when he and his crew are momentarily distracted by Charybdis, Scylla snatches six sailors off the deck and devours them alive. This is the story that the song is telling.
Lord Fozzinator
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
Ok I have some things to announce that relate to the WDW forums. First I am completely revamping a local park next to me and when I mean park I mean walking paths, sitting spaces, the whole shebang. The second thing is much bigger, I intend hosting my own game similar to citrus dreaming and Sorcerer’s apprentice after What If. So be prepared for that.
Hey look, a decade ago I was at EPCOT for the final day of Maelstrom. (I took the photos, I’m not in any of them).
Chaos Cat
Well-Known Member
The begining of the end...
TheOriginalTiki
Well-Known Member
I know nobody asked for this, but I have thoughts. Overall I absolutely LOVED the four nights I spent at Knott's Scary Farm. I've been two nights before at the tail end of larger Disneyland trips, so it was really great to stay at the Knott's Hotel and just focus the whole trip around Scary Farm. If there's one note I have about the event, it's that I definitely think the entertainment could use an upgrade. The magician in the Birdcage Theater was doing the same tricks I saw in 2019. The Hanging is just very much not my vibe, social satire and political commentary is pretty much the polar opposite of what I go on vacation for. The circus show on the Calico stage was a TRAINWRECK as far as crowd control goes...like oh man, that venue is just NOT IT for larger scale productions. The fact that Krazy Kurk/Billy Hill was also playing on that stage instead of Wagon Camp sadly also made him a one and done during the limited time I spent in the day park. That Calico stage in general needs help. Please ditch the picnic tables and have actual proper rowed seating.
I'm so mixed on the Elvira Experience. While it would have been awesome to have a full show in the Walter Knott's Theater, the rotating clips of all 20 of Elvira's Scary Farm productions playing on the big screen makes for an excellent location to take a break and rest your feet, and not have to worry about a particular show time. I think having a place to just "chill" is actually really valuable for events like this, as much of the appeal of Scary Farm is in the whole "park wide immersion" factor. I genuinely don't know how I would have been able to handle the four nights had I not had access to that theater to just chill in for like 45 minutes watching clips, so for that reason alone I found the space incredibly valuable in spite of the fact that it's pretty clear this year's event really could have used a headlining show.
And now I shall rank the Scare Zones...
5. Forbidden Lake - The only Scare Zone in the park that I think is past its prime and wouldn't mind be swapped out with another theme. The actors in here definitely bring it, but the "New Orleans Zombies" vibe is pretty vague and in spite of many attempts to show up here at various points in the night I never did see the funeral procession that takes place. There's just not a lot of interaction happening here and the storytelling is pretty non existent.
4. CarnEvil - GIANT step up from Forbidden Lake. I love the vibes here! I love the popcorn lights, the "barrel of monkeys" spread throughout the boardwalk, the legit "twisted carnival" atmosphere. It all comes together really well. My only note is that unlike the top three CarnEvil really doesn't have a "storyline" to it. It's basically just creepy clowns for the hell of it. The actors are SUPER on point and energetic, but there's sort of a "party" vibe here with the performers that didn't really hit on my wave length. Still a great time to walk through.
3. Ghost Town Streets - Probably super controversial to not have this higher, but I actually thought Ghost Town Streets was a bit of a step down from previous years. The performers here are great at jump scares but there's not a ton of interactivity to them. Generally speaking I just remember the streets being more packed with monsters where it felt like there were maybe two or three on any one stretch of street which is still solid but just not the full on ASSAULT of scare actors walking through the fog used to be. One thing that does put this really over the edge is how well the Origins maze ties the storyline together. That maze ending with you literally walking through "the fog" is such a chef's kiss storytelling moment.
2. The Gauntlet - While I definitely miss The Hollows, it was really cool seeing this classic scare Zone from the early days of the haunt be brought back to life. There's a TON happening here, so much so that I definitely don't think I picked up on all the storylines. The area maybe could use some more lighting as it's legitimately kind of hard to see the performers and not in a "hidden by the fog" kind of way. This area gets a lot of points mostly through the sheer amount of STUFF at play, and the history behind it all. Chilling Chambers being the maze in this area is really fitting as another excellent throwback to Scary Farm history.
1. The Gore-Ing 20's - Not just hands down the best scare Zone I've ever experienced, probably THE highlight of the whole trip. Oh man, this thing just DELIVERS. The prohibition storyline is set up beatifully and is super easy to follow. I love all the details of the lore, the Blind Tiger speakeasy, the Devil's Elixer drink, the protesters, the zombie flapper girls, THE SWING DANCERS AND JAZZ BAND. I'm telling you, the jazz band and swing dancers on the roof mixed with the way the actors interacted with the music and guests on the street made for some of the absolute "I can't believe this is actually happening!" moments of interactive spontaneity I've ever experienced. Definitely the closest I came to getting parasocial with some of the performers because I just couldn't get enough of the vibes here. I think I probably attended at least half of the jazz performances over the course of the four nights.
Next up: The mazes get ranked!
I'm so mixed on the Elvira Experience. While it would have been awesome to have a full show in the Walter Knott's Theater, the rotating clips of all 20 of Elvira's Scary Farm productions playing on the big screen makes for an excellent location to take a break and rest your feet, and not have to worry about a particular show time. I think having a place to just "chill" is actually really valuable for events like this, as much of the appeal of Scary Farm is in the whole "park wide immersion" factor. I genuinely don't know how I would have been able to handle the four nights had I not had access to that theater to just chill in for like 45 minutes watching clips, so for that reason alone I found the space incredibly valuable in spite of the fact that it's pretty clear this year's event really could have used a headlining show.
And now I shall rank the Scare Zones...
5. Forbidden Lake - The only Scare Zone in the park that I think is past its prime and wouldn't mind be swapped out with another theme. The actors in here definitely bring it, but the "New Orleans Zombies" vibe is pretty vague and in spite of many attempts to show up here at various points in the night I never did see the funeral procession that takes place. There's just not a lot of interaction happening here and the storytelling is pretty non existent.
4. CarnEvil - GIANT step up from Forbidden Lake. I love the vibes here! I love the popcorn lights, the "barrel of monkeys" spread throughout the boardwalk, the legit "twisted carnival" atmosphere. It all comes together really well. My only note is that unlike the top three CarnEvil really doesn't have a "storyline" to it. It's basically just creepy clowns for the hell of it. The actors are SUPER on point and energetic, but there's sort of a "party" vibe here with the performers that didn't really hit on my wave length. Still a great time to walk through.
3. Ghost Town Streets - Probably super controversial to not have this higher, but I actually thought Ghost Town Streets was a bit of a step down from previous years. The performers here are great at jump scares but there's not a ton of interactivity to them. Generally speaking I just remember the streets being more packed with monsters where it felt like there were maybe two or three on any one stretch of street which is still solid but just not the full on ASSAULT of scare actors walking through the fog used to be. One thing that does put this really over the edge is how well the Origins maze ties the storyline together. That maze ending with you literally walking through "the fog" is such a chef's kiss storytelling moment.
2. The Gauntlet - While I definitely miss The Hollows, it was really cool seeing this classic scare Zone from the early days of the haunt be brought back to life. There's a TON happening here, so much so that I definitely don't think I picked up on all the storylines. The area maybe could use some more lighting as it's legitimately kind of hard to see the performers and not in a "hidden by the fog" kind of way. This area gets a lot of points mostly through the sheer amount of STUFF at play, and the history behind it all. Chilling Chambers being the maze in this area is really fitting as another excellent throwback to Scary Farm history.
1. The Gore-Ing 20's - Not just hands down the best scare Zone I've ever experienced, probably THE highlight of the whole trip. Oh man, this thing just DELIVERS. The prohibition storyline is set up beatifully and is super easy to follow. I love all the details of the lore, the Blind Tiger speakeasy, the Devil's Elixer drink, the protesters, the zombie flapper girls, THE SWING DANCERS AND JAZZ BAND. I'm telling you, the jazz band and swing dancers on the roof mixed with the way the actors interacted with the music and guests on the street made for some of the absolute "I can't believe this is actually happening!" moments of interactive spontaneity I've ever experienced. Definitely the closest I came to getting parasocial with some of the performers because I just couldn't get enough of the vibes here. I think I probably attended at least half of the jazz performances over the course of the four nights.
Next up: The mazes get ranked!
cdunlap
Well-Known Member
Finally, a Halloween event I can get behind!
TheOriginalTiki
Well-Known Member
Maze rankings!
10. Mesmer - Honestly, this is just a really bad location for a maze and requires way too much effort to physically get to. I really like how it's connected to CarnEvil and some of the optical illusion stuff is neat, but that's really about all this has going for it. The sideshow "plot" is kind of all over the place and I honestly never wrapped my head around how much of what was happening was meant to be an active threat vs. how much of it is meant to be an illusion the villain of the maze is playing with us. I've never really loved mazes in this location and Mesmer is no exception.
9. Wax Works - An absolute banger on opening year, Wax Works unfortunately felt like it was definitely on its last legs. Maybe I just hit it during shift changes but I sensed a bit of a lack of energy from a lot of the performers in here. I do like the authentic feeling of being in a wax museum. The exterior is iconic and it's a really cool throwback to Buena Park's historic Movieland Wax Museum. The scent is absolutely Magic Candle Company worthy. It's a great concept with some really cool sets, but I feel like performance wise you can't really do a lot with the concept.
8. The Grimoire - Now it starts to feel like picking children. Grimoire took a while to warm up to, but the last run through it really hit. This has a DENSE storyline to it, but once it clicks into place it really is one of the most flawless narratives out of any maze, with very recognizable main characters and even a three act structure. Definitely one of the less actively scary mazes of the event, but also one of the mazes with the coolest set pieces. The WWI trench warfare scene is especially harrowing. I also really love the transitions into the different time periods via the tents. Of course this being in my beloved and long lost Mystery Lodge also gives it some nostalgia points.
7. Room 13 - Soooooo much goodwill of this maze comes from how expertly well it ties the lore of the Gore'in 20s area together. Once again I love the set pieces in this. The room where you're on the "scaffolding" of the hotel exterior is classic Scary Farm set design. I had one really good run through this thing with lots of good jump scares, and two runs where the actors were pretty much non existent. The actual cast makes or breaks mazes for me a lot, so for that reason I can't really place this one much higher in spite of it being tied to my absolute favorite thing from the whole trip.
6. Widows - I definitely think this thing is getting a bit over hyped and is kind of a one trick pony. I also did the HHN Orlando "Bugs" maze from 2022 which puts this to shame in the scare department. It's got a decent progression and escalation of scares, and obviously the "queen" makes for an iconic final set piece, but I feel like so much of the maze is kind of just window dressing to get to that WOW moment. I feel similar to Origins, but at least that maze has a ton of old school Knott's Easter eggs in its more low key moments. I LOVE the grandma performer right at the beginning. She's super responsive and emotive, and I really like the humor of her being totally fine and insistent that absolutely nothing's wrong no matter how concerned you are. I tried a different line with her every time I went in and it was super fun seeing the different responses. Other than her, the queen, and two spider-hybrid costumes near the end, I really think a lot of this maze is repetitive. Sooo many rubber spiders which loses its impact when that's all you're showing me.
5. Origins - As a piece of storytelling, Origins is a masterclass with hands down the best queue for any maze at the event. This has never been the scariest maze, but it's got some really wonderful moments. The Catawompus costume already puts this over the edge. As I already said, I adore the "walking through the fog" ending. It really makes you feel like you've succumbed to Sarah Marshall's curse and become one of the Ghost Town monsters. Let's face it though...were all here for THAT scene with the "flying" witch and oh man does it deliver every time. Truly an iconic moment.
4. Eight Fingers Nine - I was actually shocked how much more effective I thought this was than Widows. It's far less repetitive in spite of most of the scares coming from the same monster. There's soooo many Boogeyman actors in here, it really starts to mess with your head. I'm also a sucker for sets where you're going in and out of buildings designed around a "town square", and this does that really well. Some really great puppet work in here too. The storyline is definitely on the confusing side and I'm still not sure exactly what the demon tree has to do with anything. I think this maze lacks a big "WOW" moment like the spider queen in Widows or the flying witch in Origins, but I think the scares are a lot more consistent and aggressive than anything listed so far.
3. Bloodline - This was THE dark horse of the trip. The maze I was least excited about became one that I couldn't get enough of. While there's definitely some cool Steampunk set design in here, this one absolutely lives and dies by its FANTASTIC cast. I love a maze that has two different sides with you stuck in the middle, and Bloodline does that flawlessly well making you feel caught in the middle of a vampire war. The WIRE WORK in here is absolutely next level. Truly some of the most shocking, visceral scares I've ever experienced. Stilts performers, branching pathways, passages you have to duck down to get into, "WOW" moments of storytelling. I just really couldn't get enough of this thing.
2. Chilling Chambers - My second least anticipated maze of the event became an absolute freaking gem. I loved this thing. Even if I didn't understand all the references, the attention to detail and loving callbacks to the history of the event really shined here. The first chunk of the maze through the asylum is just okay, but I absolutely ADORE the Club Chubacabra and Doll Factory sections. Club Chubacabra is so freaking unique and gave me the same kind of vibes that The Weeknd HHN maze from a couple years ago gave me but on an even more fun scale. The Doll Factory is bright, colorful, and immaculately detailed. The colors here alone really make it pop out from the rest of the mazes. All the history, Easter eggs, and lore within this one really makes it a treat.
1. Cinema Slasher - A masterpiece, pure and simple. I adore everything about this. The transitions through the lobby and movie auditoriums that get more and more twisted are an incredible way to build escalation for how twisted things are getting. I also feel like the escalation is a really cool commentary on how Slasher franchises are constantly needing to raise the stakes. The actors playing the Slasher are freaking AGGRESSIVE with their knives. There's one scene in particular right at the start of the second "movie" where the Slasher corners you in a narrow walkway and swings his knife right in your face that genuinely got me scared. Every time I went through when I got to that scene I'd be like "okay...here we go..." It was awesome to have a scene be THAT unnerving to me that it made me genuinely nervous every single time I went through it. I only saw the costumed film monster thing twice but it's such a creepy costume. The "chainsaw" finale is yet another iconic Scary Farm set piece. I'd honestly love for this to be just a year round attraction. It's THAT good.
10. Mesmer - Honestly, this is just a really bad location for a maze and requires way too much effort to physically get to. I really like how it's connected to CarnEvil and some of the optical illusion stuff is neat, but that's really about all this has going for it. The sideshow "plot" is kind of all over the place and I honestly never wrapped my head around how much of what was happening was meant to be an active threat vs. how much of it is meant to be an illusion the villain of the maze is playing with us. I've never really loved mazes in this location and Mesmer is no exception.
9. Wax Works - An absolute banger on opening year, Wax Works unfortunately felt like it was definitely on its last legs. Maybe I just hit it during shift changes but I sensed a bit of a lack of energy from a lot of the performers in here. I do like the authentic feeling of being in a wax museum. The exterior is iconic and it's a really cool throwback to Buena Park's historic Movieland Wax Museum. The scent is absolutely Magic Candle Company worthy. It's a great concept with some really cool sets, but I feel like performance wise you can't really do a lot with the concept.
8. The Grimoire - Now it starts to feel like picking children. Grimoire took a while to warm up to, but the last run through it really hit. This has a DENSE storyline to it, but once it clicks into place it really is one of the most flawless narratives out of any maze, with very recognizable main characters and even a three act structure. Definitely one of the less actively scary mazes of the event, but also one of the mazes with the coolest set pieces. The WWI trench warfare scene is especially harrowing. I also really love the transitions into the different time periods via the tents. Of course this being in my beloved and long lost Mystery Lodge also gives it some nostalgia points.
7. Room 13 - Soooooo much goodwill of this maze comes from how expertly well it ties the lore of the Gore'in 20s area together. Once again I love the set pieces in this. The room where you're on the "scaffolding" of the hotel exterior is classic Scary Farm set design. I had one really good run through this thing with lots of good jump scares, and two runs where the actors were pretty much non existent. The actual cast makes or breaks mazes for me a lot, so for that reason I can't really place this one much higher in spite of it being tied to my absolute favorite thing from the whole trip.
6. Widows - I definitely think this thing is getting a bit over hyped and is kind of a one trick pony. I also did the HHN Orlando "Bugs" maze from 2022 which puts this to shame in the scare department. It's got a decent progression and escalation of scares, and obviously the "queen" makes for an iconic final set piece, but I feel like so much of the maze is kind of just window dressing to get to that WOW moment. I feel similar to Origins, but at least that maze has a ton of old school Knott's Easter eggs in its more low key moments. I LOVE the grandma performer right at the beginning. She's super responsive and emotive, and I really like the humor of her being totally fine and insistent that absolutely nothing's wrong no matter how concerned you are. I tried a different line with her every time I went in and it was super fun seeing the different responses. Other than her, the queen, and two spider-hybrid costumes near the end, I really think a lot of this maze is repetitive. Sooo many rubber spiders which loses its impact when that's all you're showing me.
5. Origins - As a piece of storytelling, Origins is a masterclass with hands down the best queue for any maze at the event. This has never been the scariest maze, but it's got some really wonderful moments. The Catawompus costume already puts this over the edge. As I already said, I adore the "walking through the fog" ending. It really makes you feel like you've succumbed to Sarah Marshall's curse and become one of the Ghost Town monsters. Let's face it though...were all here for THAT scene with the "flying" witch and oh man does it deliver every time. Truly an iconic moment.
4. Eight Fingers Nine - I was actually shocked how much more effective I thought this was than Widows. It's far less repetitive in spite of most of the scares coming from the same monster. There's soooo many Boogeyman actors in here, it really starts to mess with your head. I'm also a sucker for sets where you're going in and out of buildings designed around a "town square", and this does that really well. Some really great puppet work in here too. The storyline is definitely on the confusing side and I'm still not sure exactly what the demon tree has to do with anything. I think this maze lacks a big "WOW" moment like the spider queen in Widows or the flying witch in Origins, but I think the scares are a lot more consistent and aggressive than anything listed so far.
3. Bloodline - This was THE dark horse of the trip. The maze I was least excited about became one that I couldn't get enough of. While there's definitely some cool Steampunk set design in here, this one absolutely lives and dies by its FANTASTIC cast. I love a maze that has two different sides with you stuck in the middle, and Bloodline does that flawlessly well making you feel caught in the middle of a vampire war. The WIRE WORK in here is absolutely next level. Truly some of the most shocking, visceral scares I've ever experienced. Stilts performers, branching pathways, passages you have to duck down to get into, "WOW" moments of storytelling. I just really couldn't get enough of this thing.
2. Chilling Chambers - My second least anticipated maze of the event became an absolute freaking gem. I loved this thing. Even if I didn't understand all the references, the attention to detail and loving callbacks to the history of the event really shined here. The first chunk of the maze through the asylum is just okay, but I absolutely ADORE the Club Chubacabra and Doll Factory sections. Club Chubacabra is so freaking unique and gave me the same kind of vibes that The Weeknd HHN maze from a couple years ago gave me but on an even more fun scale. The Doll Factory is bright, colorful, and immaculately detailed. The colors here alone really make it pop out from the rest of the mazes. All the history, Easter eggs, and lore within this one really makes it a treat.
1. Cinema Slasher - A masterpiece, pure and simple. I adore everything about this. The transitions through the lobby and movie auditoriums that get more and more twisted are an incredible way to build escalation for how twisted things are getting. I also feel like the escalation is a really cool commentary on how Slasher franchises are constantly needing to raise the stakes. The actors playing the Slasher are freaking AGGRESSIVE with their knives. There's one scene in particular right at the start of the second "movie" where the Slasher corners you in a narrow walkway and swings his knife right in your face that genuinely got me scared. Every time I went through when I got to that scene I'd be like "okay...here we go..." It was awesome to have a scene be THAT unnerving to me that it made me genuinely nervous every single time I went through it. I only saw the costumed film monster thing twice but it's such a creepy costume. The "chainsaw" finale is yet another iconic Scary Farm set piece. I'd honestly love for this to be just a year round attraction. It's THAT good.