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No Way Out Miami: The Cabin is Insane and I Loved It

This single haunted house attraction is one to experience for sure!

By Delise FantomePublished about a year ago 4 min read
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Folks I don't want to get ahead of myself and throw around hyperbolic statements but . . . this may be the best Halloween attraction I've been to this year.

This is the second scary attraction I've been to in Doral, Florida, and I got to hand it to them- they're two for two right now. This one is located in Dolphin Mall, a huge place that I've rarely visited (the 826 can be rough, and I don't need that kind of conflict in my life), and it sits sort of outside the mall, yet attached. I was drawn to it because 1) it's one of the few haunted attractions South Florida has (most haunts seem to be in Central Florida for whatever reason?) and 2) it was only $25. And every penny of that was well spent on this thing.

I'm not even sure where to start, it- it was just so scary?!

Like, first off: the production value of this place. Top notch, it's the kind of quality work touted by major haunts like Halloween Horror Nights. So, think of one perfect HHN house, but longer. It took, perhaps . . . ten minutes for me to walk through? Granted, I was walking slow- half to try and appreciate what I could take in of the set design when I wasn't being herded by the scare actors, and half because I was filled with a generous dose of trepidation that occasionally spiked into fear. The lighting was a gentle mix of deep reds and clears . . . and at the end of the house you got pitch black darkness which- no!

While you're waiting in line (and the line was surprisingly light for a Friday night) there are scare actors who come and snap at you, or talk to you in character. Scaring you, taunting you- they get very close too, which had me worried for them a couple of times, but thankfully no major assholes were in the lines this night. One particular actor would duck under the barriers to creep up close to people in the line. He'd slowly stalk up and down, muttering to people and then breaking into random fits of shouting. He would stop and allow pictures at times, and when other scare actors came up he'd interact with them, even going so far as to choke out a scary girl's fake baby. The very first scare actor you come across inside is a grinning, filthy young man with a thick southern accent (at least on my go around) telling you that it might be scary, but if you don't touch the scare actors nobody will touch you- and I appreciate that they ensure a verbal warning is in place. A lot of places I've been to only put that on signs, but I think it's important to have that rule reiterated by a person. They do have scare actors that will sometimes play off your reactions, your responses, and I just love that extra bit of immersion they put into it.

So I'm content to wait in line, but in the back of my mind I'm thinking to myself "whoa, is the line longer than I'm thinking it is? Are people so scared they're backing it up? Because we're not really moving." And, I'm in the mindset that they're, you know, allowing a few folks in at a time and then stopping the line for better flow. But, what they were actually doing was spiritually worse (for me)! They were letting in only one group at a time. Just one group! And when that group finally made it, I don't know, either all the way out or half way maybe, then they slammed open the giant door and beckoned in for the next group. So you and your friends get the house, and most importantly the scares, all to yourself! Which meant that I, with no one able to accompany me that night, went alone into that house!

It was quite the experience, you could say. All I could do to keep myself cool was mutter broken song lyrics and keep my fists tightly held in fists by my waist, pressing into my shirt and ribs as a reminder that this wasn't reality- nothing was gonna hurt me, and I've done lots of objectively scarier things. Still, being by yourself inside of a haunted house is a . . . it's a challenge. My own mother scared me enough to yelp when she hid behind the door as I was coming into the house, and popped a bag full of air while shouting. So you can imagine the kind of stress I was under. But I love it, still, even in that moment when I'm scared, it gives me a sense of pride to be able to say that I can do these things by myself- I can feel the fear and feel the satisfaction just underneath it.

Now I'm not sure if they have an alternate accessible route, because I did have to walk up and down stairs in the house. I couldn't find any such information on the website. They don't have any strobe lights though, so that's great for those with light sensitivities. No fog effects either! As previously stated its $25 for general admission, and a higher charge to get the pass that allows you to skip the line for it. They're only open from Thursday to Sunday. It's fun going by yourself, and I'm sure it would be loads of fun to go with friends too! I hope that if you're a local, or if you're going to be in Florida until October 31st, that you give this place a try because I am so sure you won't regret it. Support your local haunted houses and, as always, Happy Haunting~!

halloweentravel
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About the Creator

Delise Fantome

I write about Halloween, music, movies, and more! Boba tea and cheesecake are my fuel. Let's talk about our favorite haunts and movies on Twitter @ThrillandFear

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