Dismaland comes to Orton

Disney has been an integral aspect of many of our lives. From theme park trips to Disney princess shirts, Disney and its myriad characters have been with us since most can remember.

Orton Haunted Hall has been an all-campus Halloween tradition for years. Each year a new theme is chosen, and each year patrons come to support the hard work of the students who put on the haunted house event. Countless hours were spent rehearsing and perfecting the story, and the volunteers are ready to show WSU their hard work.

“I want (the audience) to be terrified,” said Kerissa Dean, who is playing Snow White.

Dismaland is also a safe alternative to many other Halloween traditions for students looking for something to do.

It is the scary, creepy twist on Disney stories and characters we are all familiar with. There’s blood everywhere; the characters are not themselves, they are something altogether different than anything seen before. Dismaland promises to be an enjoyable evening full of suspense and jump scares.

“Peter Pan’s shadow is loose and possessing Disney characters. The groups hunt the shadow and try to find it before it kills Peter,” tour guide Hannah Roach said.

The groups will be led through Orton Haunted Hall by a tour guide, a lost boy or girl from Peter Pan. The strobe lights and dimly-lit rooms allow glimpses of characters from Belle to Aurora in grisly adaption.

“Dismaland is the opposite of Disneyland — the characters are evil,” said Rigo Vargas, Orton Hall director of programming.

Dismaland asks that each patron bring a $1 donation or one canned food item that will be donated to the food pantry at TRiO Student Support Service on campus.

“We wanted to focus on helping the students. We chose TRiO food bank to be easily accessible to students because many do not have cars to reach other food banks in the area for the food they need,” said Shyanne Elher, co-chair on Orton Hall’s Leadership Council.

Find out the end of the story for yourself at Dismaland. Maybe we will finally see what happens when Peter Pan cannot control his shadow anymore.

Dismaland will last from 8 p.m. to midnight tonight and Saturday at Orton Hall.