Nightmare at the Dole Plantation recently opened its doors for the third year in a row. Nightmare at the Dole Plantation will be open 7 to 11 p.m. every Friday and Saturday night until Halloween, said its website. Pricing is set for $15 (or $11 online) per person to go through the haunted house, and $10 per person ($8 online) for the Nightmare Express.
The Dole Plantation has opened its doors to ‘Nightmares Live,’ a locally grown haunted house group, to come and set up shop on the Dole plantation’s haunted grounds.
Nightmare at the Dole Plantation features the Nightmare Express this year, a 25-minute train ride through the plantation and a haunted house that’s “longer, bigger, and scarier than ever,” according to the company’s Facebook page.
“It’s a lot bigger,” said Becky Metland, one of the coordinators for Nightmares Live.“We’ve brought back a ton of different nightmares… you’re experiencing more than just one single theme, you’ll walk through a gothic room, [maybe] mixed with some clowns and circus carnival type stuff, and so much more.”
Becky stated one of the biggest improvements over last year is the quality of the actors.
Staffed by Nightmares Live employees and a few volunteers from the Hawaii Harlequins Football club, the actors masterfully timed their jump scares and ghoulish screeches when this writer walked through the haunted house.
Jordan Haider, A senior from Utah studying IT said, “The haunted house was fun. Very jumpy and creative; I wish it would have been longer but for what they had, they did a great job.”
Evan Furlong, a sophomore attending the University of Utah studying pre-med had a similar experience. “The haunted house was well thought out and had unique themes of horror. It was jumpy and had parts that made your hair stand on end. It would be a good date activity for a couple that wants to hold onto each other. It was a little too short and didn't have enough monsters jump out, but overall was fun.”
Furlong added, “The train ride was fun, though the benches were uncomfortable, but not over-bearing to the point of not enjoying the ride. The train ride would be an excellent opportunity for cuddling and a kiss. It would have been [scarier] if monsters jumped out on the train ride.”
The train offers a ride through the plantation to the tune of a few ghost stories told by master story-teller, Lopaka Kapanui, known for his work telling Hawaiian ghost stories and author of several books, including, “Haunted Hawaiian Nights” and “Mysteries of Honolulu.”
Kevin Okata, founder of Nightmares Live, mentioned ancient Hawaiian natives allegedly haunt the area, adding a unique feel of authenticity that may not be found at other Halloween attractions.
Peder McOmber from California studying history said, “If you can survive the pain of the hard bench it's worth the ride. Allow yourself to be in the moment and look out at the pitch-black plantation. The atmosphere of the darkness and the cranky noise of the train sets the scene for the ghost stories told. They take scary stories and add a level of suspense by placing you in a position where you are already on edge. Worth the value I think. A great date idea and with food at the entrance.”
Okata said they have seen the biggest grand opening this year out of all three years the company has been with the plantation.
This year, the company is not utilizing the pineapple maze like it has done in years past simply because Hawaii is expected to have hurricane weather this year and the maze would not work well with all the predicted rain. More information can be found at www.nightmareslive.com or at www.facebook.com/nightmareslivehawaii.