Review Date: October 7, 2006

Length: 35 - 40 minutes

Location:
“Oh what fun it is to ride” out to Reindeer Manor in Red Oak, Texas. From I-20 & I-35E: Go SOUTH on I-35E. Exit Bear Creek Rd. Turn LEFT on Bear Creek and follow to Houston School Rd. Turn RIGHT and go past Reindeer Rd. to 410 Houston School Rd. The narrow, bumpy, twisting and turning roads is the only way to the Reindeer Manor & 13th Street Morgue. The drive alone will help build excitement for the evening to come!

Atmosphere: 9.5 out of 10
This year Reindeer Manor has added a midway/carnival area between Reindeer Manor and the 13th Street Morgue. The area contains several vendors and various Halloween themed games including Severed Head Basketball, where you shoot hoops using… you guessed it… a severed head. Standing in line at Reindeer Manor can be quite interesting in its own. The line leading up to Reindeer Manor has been extended and now includes a more graveyard type feeling to it. Patrons in line are kept entertained with various shows that the actors of Reindeer Manor put on. These shows include a roof top show to the tune of a chainsaw, several different graveyard shows, and even the hanging of a witch from the gallows.

Scare Factor: 8.5 out of 10
The first part of Reindeer Manor is more of a theatrical show then it is your typical haunted house. There is none of the typical jump out and scream or say boo scares inside Reindeer Manor, but once outside on the trail that changes. After each scene inside Reindeer Manor comes as a surprise or scare tactic. Some of these are completely unexpected and others may make you laugh.

Set design / Props / FX / Animatronics : 9.5 out of 10
The set design of Reindeer Manor is one of the more detailed haunts in the DFW area. Being a theatrical show they can do several things that other haunted houses in the area are not able to do. We love how much Reindeer uses their creative freedom throughout the haunt… from the specific rooms detailed for each scene, to the quicksand in the forest. This is by far the place to see if you want something different and unique instead of a walk-through boo.

We normally don’t like to give away any part of a haunted house in our reviews, but we are talking about Reindeer Manor here…

*** Spoiler warning *** Use your mouse to highlight the text below if you don’t mind knowing about the surprises ahead of time.
Several of our favorite rooms out of any haunted house in the DFW area are located inside Reindeer Manor. These are rooms that just wouldn’t work right inside the other haunted houses in the area. The first room will scare anyone with claustrophobia as you find your surroundings getting smaller in a confined pitch black room. The second of our favorite rooms allows you to only see the scene from behind a wall with a voyeuristic point of view…. The wall has wooden slats and you are peering down into the room showing a young female lying on the table with her guts hanging out, spitting blood. The third favorite scene is a smoke filled room behind plexi glass. You see a cute innocent girl behind the glass, and then a couple seconds later you see an evil rabbit wielding a big knife. Can you guess what happens next? A new scene added this year details a Rib Kitchen where the chef is looking for more meat, and can you guess where he finds it? These are just some of our favorites, but there is much more to see. And who could possibly forget the flames in the water pond? How cool is that?!

Live Actors: 9 out of 10
Over the past couple years we have seen a dramatic increase in the quality of actors in Reindeer Manor. What’s their secret? During the off season the owners of Reindeer brought in Chuck Williams, a Hollywood movie Horror Director and Actor, to give workshops on acting to haunt owners and actors in the area. Since these workshops started taking place we noticed an increase in the number of better actors around the DFW area. Since Reindeer Manor is more of a theatrical show, most of the actors have speaking roles. These actors do an excellent job of telling the story of James Sharp and the story of Reindeer Manor. Individual scenes should be given special attention, so please make sure not to chat with your friends while the actors are performing, as this is the same as talking during a movie.

Entertainment Value: 10 out of 10
At Reindeer Manor, you might as well purchase their combo pass for $25.00. If you grab our $5.00 off online coupon this brings down the price to only $20.00. The combo pass includes the 13th Street Morgue, the unique Reindeer Manor, and the new Uncle Stinkys Playground. Toss in the free hayride from the parking area to the haunts and you have a great evening to come. For those that are not into haunted houses you can hang out in the carnival/midway area and take in some of the other free entertainment that the grounds of Reindeer Manor has to offer.

Summary:
Reindeer Manor is by far one of the most unique haunted houses in the Dallas / Fort Worth metroplex. The haunt is more of a theatrical show then it is of a typical haunted house. Unlike other haunted houses where the actors will not touch you, Reindeer Manor has a different twist. Take note of warning signs posted… the actors WILL touch you, and YOU might become part of the show. In fact, you might even get an unexpected surprise to find out just how scary this concept can be… can YOU handle being a part of the show?

*** NOTE *** The lines for 13th Street Morgue and Reindeer Manor get really long… We highly suggest that you arrive early or plan to stay real late. Lines have been known to last until 2-3 am on most operating nights…

OVERALL SCORE: 9





See the 2005 Review

See the 2004 Review




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