The Dark

I thought this place was great because I got a few scares from it, but now that I look back on it, it’s not as great as it could have been.
My boyfriend and I came here with a coupon and I suggest you do the same because it is not worth the 20 dollar ticket price.
Anyways, it takes place in a big showroom/​business type place. I admit they made good use of the dark, but when it came to the rooms, they could have filled it with more props because the rooms were a little empty. The actors were pretty good, some better than the others.
The line did not take too long… about 45 minutes, but I guess it’s cause not too many people knew about it. You’re not the get the same line waiting time as you would at the Haunted Trails in Balboa.

I have a problem. It is literally impossible for me to turn down a haunted house excursion. Just when I thought I had my Halloween weekends planned full of such adventures, LivingSocial sends me an offer to this haunt, and I snatched it up faster than Swiper stealing Dora’s map. At $ 9 admission per person, this was an offer I simply couldn’t refuse.
As my friend and I drew closer to the haunted house, I was starting to get a little bit nervous because I didn’t know what exactly I was expecting. At least I knew what Halloween Horror Nights was about when I was going there. Los Angeles Haunted Hayride? Well, it’s kind of in the name! While going to the Dark, I realized that not only had I never heard of it, but neither had any one else. I was about to enter… A NOOB HAUNT. The scariest of them all. Where paying victims don’t know whether they are entering a haunted house prodigy or the product of the imagination of a 7-​year-​old.
The Dark was located in a section of an open shopping mall outlet. Awkward? Yes. Spaceous? Surprisingly, yes. The queue went by quickly, there were not many people in line. Shocking? No. Thinking that there may be a reason these tickets were sold with more than a 50% discount? Yes. The advantage of few people however is that my friend and I got to experience the haunt by ourselves. Before we entered the haunt, one of the volunteer children who may be counting these hours for college credit asked me if I was scared. I had never answered «NO» more confidently in my life.
Boy did The Dark prove me wrong.
While this haunt contained about as much guts and gore as a paper cut, The Dark provided the most scream-​worthy surprises I have ever witnessed. All of the rooms are incredibly large and full of open space, yet the actors still jump to you with elegant stealth and make you feel as if you were cornered in a box. One room had you trying to figure out which clown «statue» was the real one (or ones). Another time you will find yourself in complete blackness; while you can’t see your own hand, you could’ve sworn you just saw several darkened silhouettes dancing tauntingly around you. The greatest optical illusion was when a farmer threw a gigantic hay bale toward you… there was lots of room to step back,; thus there was a lot of room for the bale to project itself at you before it launched backwards again like a yo-​yo.
In what I believe to be an attempt to stand out from the haunted attraction scene, The Dark focused less on the violence and more on the startle. And they pulled it off brilliantly. Honestly, this house has a lot of potential to become extremely legitimate, maybe someday to reside among the ranks of infamous San Diego haunts such as the Haunted Hotel in Gaslamp.
Two things that need adjustment: the haunt literally lasted 5 minutes. I felt like I deserved another go-​around. Thank God I only paid $ 9. If I had paid $ 20, I probably would have demanded another round. Once The Dark learns to immerse their victims in the environment rather than stick to a scare-​and-​go policy, then I predict that this haunt will gain the legitimacy and claim to haunted house fame that it deserves.

I thought it was pretty good! Went with my fiancé and another couple on a weeknight so we didnt hit a line. We only paid $ 10 ea. which I think was a perfect price, anymore I would feel like its a bit much. I was definitely scared ;) but it did go by a bit quick. But I do think its a must try!

Good haunted house for tweens and up.
We used coupon so price was ok. Don’t pay $ 20.

SO much fun! I had to be dragged through!

Price too high for the experience. Not enough scare factors. My 12 year old son was scared, he loved it. I would have been mad if I paid full price, not worth it for $ 20.
The rooms were to opened with not though props, the smaller the rooms and halls the better. You get the sense of being trapped. These rooms were just too wide.
If you’re too lazy to drive to Balboa park for the trail then go here, but only if you pay $ 10 our less for your ticket.
Hopefully with time this gets better, it has the potential.
Another thing, there is no signs pointing to the place, not even as you’re driving into the parking lot.