Overnightmare: Surviving Peacock & Blumhouse’s Halloween Horror Occasion on the Stanley Lodge [Report]

Positioned in Estes Park, Colorado, the Stanley Lodge is the inspiration behind Stephen King’s basic horror novel The Shining, and the sold-out inaugural Overnightmare occasion delivered a novel, immersive, horror-filled expertise that took full benefit of the long-lasting horror setting. The occasion started nicely earlier than arrival: selecting your horror journey.

Attendees needed to signal waivers for participation, select from an inventory of actions, and, extra importantly, select which concern expertise to endure, every one themed to one in all 4 Blumhouse movies—Insidious, The Purge, Freaky, and Blissful Loss of life Day. Insidious guarantees probably the most intense scares for these searching for most thrills, like yours really, whereas Blissful Loss of life Day lets the simply intimidated in on the Halloween enjoyable because the least scary possibility. It was a no brainer, not less than for this horror fan, to go for probably the most thrills and chills this Halloween season.

Upon arrival, company had been greeted by the “conci-scare-ge,” Avery. Or somewhat, one in all a number of. A number of Averys wandered the Lodge lobby, keen to assist the company and reply no matter questions they might have. One very type but creepy Avery confirmed me to my room on the second flooring, throughout the corridor from the closed-off third flooring that had been transformed for a number of themed experiences. As for my room itself, it was embellished proper out of Insidious, with a metronome on the dresser and an lively child monitor on the nightstand. Baby drawings of the Lipstick Demon adorned the partitions. Books on demonology and astral projection accompanied my itinerary and directions for the keep.

A welcome dinner on the Lodge’s Brunch & Co, full with a themed Overnightmare menu, gave scenic views of the world and the spooky ambiance whereas an Avery gave a rousing efficiency that not solely set the stage for the immersive interactions that will come however set expectations on how the occasion would go. The greatest and most essential rule was easy: take note of your schedule and be in your room fifteen minutes earlier than your scheduled concern expertise to hold the designated “Please Do Disturb” signal on the door. This signal signaled you had been prepared and accessible to be “dragged” out of your room…to your potential doom.

On the primary night time, each visitor would endure the Freaky expertise. At my designated time, post-dinner, a teen knocked on my room door, in search of Freaky’s MIA heroine, Millie Kessler (performed by Kathryn Newton within the movie). She requested me to accompany her to the raging get together the place Millie’s suspected to be, but additionally as a result of it is a horror film and there’s security in numbers. We had been met by one other good friend, who used the movie’s trademark dance to confirm our identities earlier than heading into the get together correct. Let’s simply say that the body-swapping climax of Freaky performed out amidst a powerful neon and blacklight get together setting that required company to recall these dance steps not less than twice extra earlier than it was secure to move again downstairs to renew the festivities.

The ultimate occasion of the night was a screening of Blumhouse’s Communicate No Evil within the Live performance Corridor, a spot with no scarcity of ghost tales of its personal. 

Day two started with brunch at Brunch & Co, the place you would select amongst a plethora of tasty choices just like the “Mrs. Grady,” a candy and savory tackle hen and waffles, or the “Room 217,” a custard soaked biscuit coated in honey marscapone, raspberry jam, lemon curd, and a “redrum” gastrique. It was each bit as scrumptious because it sounds.

The second, fuller day is the place the chosen actions come into play. I selected the Shining Tour, the place a tour information took our group to numerous locations within the Stanley whereas telling its historical past with Stephen King. Suffice it to say that King’s keep on the Stanley Lodge within the ’70s, the fated journey that impressed his novel, didn’t simply change the course of his life however the historic lodge’s too. King’s presence is felt in all places, from the darker colour that he deemed crucial for filming the 1997 Shining miniseries proper right down to the detailed Caretaker’s Cottage that was restored in 2022 and recreates the long-lasting lavatory in Kubrick’s adaptation. Our information coated every little thing from the lodge’s historical past to King’s half in it and even the historical past of ghosts that linger within the Stanley’s hallowed halls. 

The second exercise chosen took me to the Vault on the underside flooring of the Stanley. This expertise provides company a non-public, curated tasting from the uncommon assortment of The Stanley’s different spirits (pun meant) that additionally explores a little bit whiskey historical past, classifications, and one of the simplest ways to take pleasure in it. Our fantastic information and his pup Ollie pulled out a few of the rarer spirits within the Vault, together with the Shining collaboration with Jack Daniels and a preserved bottle of Hannisville Pure Rye Whiskey that was bottled in 1927.

Dinner on night time two came about on the Cascades Restaurant, with one other Overnightmare-themed menu that included tasty choices like Whiskey Peach Glazed Duck or a Rocky Mountain Grilled Flight that allow company strive elk, venison, and bison. As for downtime between occasions and actions, Peacock’s “Teacup“ hospitality suite lets company get cozy alongside the fireplace with snacks and beverages- hydration is essential at excessive altitudes. The Blumhouse bar subsequent door to the suite lets company pattern the brand new Blumhouse recreation, Concern the Highlight, and peruse screen-used props from Blumhouse horror movies whereas partaking in themed cocktails. And if that’s nonetheless not sufficient, Peacock’s expansive Halloween horror library was accessible in every visitor’s room. 

Company might additionally watch the primary two episodes of “Teacup“ within the Live performance Corridor, the proper look ahead to my concern expertise finale: Insidious. Shortly after midnight, again in my room, the infant monitor erupted in eerie sounds of screaming, harsh whispers, and a child crying. It stayed lively proper till an Avery got here to gather me; I used to be advised I’d been summoned to room 1310 upstairs.

Avery walked me to the tip of an extended, darkish hall with only some purple lights lighting the way in which. This Avery gave express directions to stroll the lengthy hallway and knock exactly 3 times on the door. It slowly, eerily creaked open as soon as I did, the place I used to be greeted by scare actors resembling Elise and Tucker, who had been gathered round a small desk with Elise’s gasoline masks and recorder within the darkly lit room. I used to be instructed to say aloud every little thing that Tucker was writing down on his notepad as Elise searched the Additional for indicators of the lacking boy who’d ventured too far there. With the room getting intense and exercise choosing up, Elise despatched me into the Additional- an especially foggy room subsequent door solid in a deep purple glow. The one factor I might see was a child crib, and behind it was the place the Lipstick Demon emerged, creeping nearer and nearer till Elise pulled me again. Her digicam started to flicker, making a strobe impact that left the room pitch-black. The proper setup for each the Lipstick Demon and a Additional ghost to land their efficient bounce scare second.

Elise yanked open the door and ordered me to run. Simply outdoors was Avery, ready to see me again to my room. It was right here the place she confessed that nobody had been within the room in any respect; she discovered my summons on a hand-written word. So as to add to the ambiance, the metronome on my room’s dressed went off, as if to greet me once I returned.

It was the showstopper finale of a powerful, fulfilling Halloween occasion. Peacock and Blumhouse pulled out all of the stops with an impressively produced immersive expertise that lets company tailor the enjoyable to their very own pursuits and luxury ranges. The scenic Stanley Lodge and its grounds present a wealthy backdrop of horror earlier than the occasion even begins, and Overnightmare incorporates that historical past at each step. The meals is implausible, and the manufacturing worth for every immersive expertise is unimaginable; it actually feels such as you’re stepping right into a Blumhouse film. 

Nevertheless it may be the scare actors and the Avery conci-scare-ges that steal the present. The extra you take note of them, the extra you discover backstories and hierarchies emerge that additional immerse you on this cozy little horror area. You additionally discover how they’re at all times observing, ready for the precise second when company are at their most susceptible to ship a jolt of fright.

Overnightmare makes nice use of a historic location intertwined with horror historical past, an ideal backdrop to induce modern Blumhouse and Peacock impressed frights. In the event that they remodel this into an annual occasion, and hopefully they do, it has the making to rapidly turn out to be a requisite Halloween vacation spot occasion.