goblinhaus.com - Haunted House review: Dungeon of Doom, Arlington, Texas

By Kara

Dungeon of Doom is apparently one of Arlington's best kept secrets. They don't get the traffic that some of the other metroplex haunts get, and it's a damn shame. The Dungeon of Doom consistently provides a good scare at a very reasonable price. Check out their website for special events and special prices. If you go during the next two Friday nights, October 7th or 14th, you'll be able to get in for buy one ticket, get one free. Click here for that special, or here for a $2 off coupon.

They will have a live band playing most nights this year and are hoping to get the okay from the city of Arlington to have a street party on the last Saturday in October. Go to their website for updates.

We were able to walk right into the haunt this past Friday, September 30th. Within the first 20 seconds inside, we got the shock of the night. I'll expand more on that later. The actors do a great job at the Dungeon of Doom. They're some of the best paid haunt actors in the metroplex and get a raise every year they work for the house. Some of them have been there for 15+ years. There was some new scenery this year and they've added some new rooms. The repeat rooms were great as well, The Wizard of Oz room is always a good'un. This year you may catch Dorothy showing off some of her dominatrix tendencies. The actors are able to change it up every year. No house can afford to totally re-do all the rooms every year, so it's good that the Dungeon of Doom's actors can keep it fresh and getcha every time.

The Dungeon of Doom always does a great job of making the creepy feeling stick with you till the grim end. They have some great props and scenery. The lighting is better than most of the haunts we've been to so far this year, so you'll be able to absorb it all in full detail if you're brave enough to look. You'd be surprised how much of an impact lighting can have on your haunt experience. Be sure to keep your senses alert as you may actually be able to smell some of the different rooms. Dirt in the cemetery, cotton candy in the clown room, etc. I didn't catch any of these smells when we went through, but I think I breathe through my mouth in preperation for the next scream when I'm venturing through haunts. I'll be sure to pay better attention to my nose next time.

The only negative thing I can say about this year - Oh come on. I'm a reviewer. It's what I do. - was that a couple of the actors were having very loud conversations about how they loved each other and thought the other was sexy. Took the creepiness out of that hallway, but the other actors and scenery were able to grab our attention and creep us out again. Overall, we walked out of the haunt happy and scared by the experience. Hopefully we'll have time to go back for a second visit later in the month when it's busier so we can catch the actors pulling out all the stops.

Now, back to the shock of the night. Be sure to watch for Aaron. He's an 18 year old who has worked at the Dungeon of Doom for a few years now. He was the creepiest part of the show last year when he played the ghost from Ju-on (the Grudge). At the end of the haunt, you were cornered as he came slithering HEAD FIRST down the concrete stairs, using only his arms to maneuver the tricky stunt, in a dress and long black wig. This year, he has a restriction. A BIG restriction. Right before the haunting season began, Aaron broke his neck -yeeouch! -in a tumbling accident (he's a cheerleader when he's not scaring the bejeebus out of you and me). You'll be able to recognize him by the halo that keeps his neck perfectly still - he's going for and achieving a SAW look. You may have read about him in Saturday's Star Telegram. Our masks go off to Aaron. Thanks for the dedication. You made our night two years in a row .