So... I did eventually go to the Trail of Terror. The first thing I noticed was the huge line. Roped off and weaving back and forth, the mob filled a field. I knew it would be a long wait. But I would have never guessed
four hours!
I guess the wait was so long because it was getting close to Halloween by this point, and because of all the rain we were getting, this was one of the only good weather nights to check out the trail before it closed for the season.
They had a few creatures wandering the line to keep your entertained while you wait. But the real scares were inside. I'd say it was pretty comparable to last year. They took out some scenes, but replaced them with pretty good ones.
They do a lot of scenes based on movies, including some very recent ones. One theme I didn't expect to see was a dark version of Tim Burton's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." You get to walk through a mini chocolate room where a goggled Wonka threatens to turn kids into fudge. There's also a nut room with rabid squirrels.
I'm not crazy about the parts that make you crawl on your knees. But there was a cool slide when dumps you into a well with Samara from the Ring. With no visible exit, it first appears that the only way to escape the wrath of Samara is to climb up and out of the well.
There were plenty of other themed areas during the 30-40 walk through the trail. One of my favorites is still the twisted circus where you get lost in a maze of halls and doors, until you're all dumped out into a carousel tent with a giant demented clown. The clown eventually revealed the hidden door once you offered him a human sacrifice. I'm gonna miss my cousin.