Haunted Attraction Network

Our weekly roundup of news from around the industry. Plus – we’ll hear from a business on how they’re partnering with a nearby haunt. In episode 532, we heard from Scream N Stream – a drive-through haunt at the Oviedo Mall. In that episode, Patrick mentions the partnerships he’s building at the mall to fill out the spooky offerings for guests coming. Now – you’re going to hear from one of those partners. Caliope Street (https://www.calliopestreet.com/) is a privately owned small business in the Oviedo Mall and they’ve added some Halloween-themed activities to coincide with Scream N Stream. The owners are passionate about creating and those are the type of people you need to partner with. Read the news: https://mailchi.mp/hauntedattractionnetwork.com/haunt-news-oct-5

Crowds continue to swell at mega fall events, leading to more accidents. We dive into the incident report from Glenwood Caverns and the fighting at Six Flags properties, then discuss how attractions are responding. Plus, are unvaccinated people more likely to visit theme parks?

It’s been a crazy few years for Blake Bushong and his team. After steadily growing their home haunt over years, the team was ready to open in a commercial location for the first time 2020. That didn’t work out as planned, but now their haunt is open and ready to scare. DeadWater State Penitentiary (https://hallowseveinc.com/tickets) is now open weekends through Halloween at Launch Pointe in Lake Elsinore, CA. Coming up, owner Blake Bushong on what to expect this year. Support from this episode comes from Gantom (https://www.gantom.com/demo). Follow along to our Hauntathon: https://linktr.ee/hauntedattractionnetwork

We’re visiting Hundred Acres Manor in Bethel Park Pennsylvania and Madworld in South Carolina with The Scare Factor. Team Houdini (Scott Gibellino) chats with Spencer at Hundred Acres Manor (https://www.hundredacresmanor.com/) about how demand is going so far. Meanwhile, Team Jefferson starship is at Madworld (https://madworldattractions.com/) getting feedback from guests on the event. Find a haunt near you at The Scare Factor (https://www.thescarefactor.com/). Follow along to our Hauntathon: https://linktr.ee/hauntedattractionnetwork

Coming up, Temecula Terror is the Inland Empire’s newest haunted attraction. Today is their opening day, but I went out to preview the experience and I’m sharing it with you! This Indie-Style Haunt invites thrill-seekers to visit the Inland Empire’s first-ever sinister Halloween harvest carnival starting Friday, October 1, through Halloween weekend, for 19 nights of spooky fun. Hiding in the shadowing hills of the Temecula Valley Wine Country at Galway Downs, Temecula Terror is a haunted event for all ages offering 3 terrifying mazes, a clown scare zone, food vendors, a spooky pumpkin patch, photo ops, a carnival ride, bars, and more (https://www.temeculaterror.com/). Support from this episode comes from Gantom (https://www.gantom.com/demo). Follow Follow along to our Hauntathon: https://linktr.ee/hauntedattractionnetwork

Sir Henry’s Haunted Trail in Plant City Florida is celebrating their 8th season by releasing a full-length novel, written in collaboration with two local writers (Amanda Rosenblatt & Brad Acevedo). Owner Zach Glaros explains more about the novel and how his trail expanded for 2021. Sir Henry’s Haunted Trail is open select nights October 1- November 6th 2021. “Sir Henry's Haunted Tales: Dark anthology based on the universe of Sir Henry's Haunted Trail” is available on Amazon (https://amzn.to/3D1NLtH). Tickets are now available for Sir Henry’s Haunted Trail (https://www.sirhenryshauntedtrail.com/). Follow along to our Hauntathon: https://linktr.ee/hauntedattractionnetwork

Last week we talked about affordable media outreach for your haunt. Today we're diving into one specific tactic - hosting a media night. Today’s expert is Tori Elder, owner of victori solutions (https://victorisolutions.com/). In the haunted attraction space, Tori is best known for her work with The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor, Dark Horizon, and this year’s Temecula Terror. Follow along to our Hauntathon: https://linktr.ee/hauntedattractionnetwork

This week's news:
Halloween event returns to 香港迪士尼樂園 | Hong Kong Disneyland; The Haunted Attraction Association Top Haunts list is out; The Haunted Hotel - Kentucky implements new safety measures; Ohio scareactor charged with negligent assault; Busch Gardens Williamsburg announces new bag policy for Howl-O-Scream; Utah's Hogle Zoo cancels Boo at the Zoo event, adds days to BooLights event; Screemers moves to new location; M&Ds Scotlands Theme Park hosts 2 Halloween events and drive-in screenings; Eloise Asylum promises high-tech scares; Clackamas County Fairgrounds & Event Center & Creatures of the Night offer customizable haunt experience; Screams Park celebrates 25th season; Freakling Bros. Horror Shows add new event to Gates of Hell; National Retail Federation expects consumers to spend a record $10.1 billion on Halloween; Spirit Halloween to sell exclusive Cheetos Flamin' Hot costumes; Baskin-Robbins brings back Trick OREO Treat, Pumpkin Cheesecake, and Zombie Unicorns. Read more: https://mailchi.mp/hauntedattractionnetwork.com/haunt-industry-news-sept-27

Quarterly reports from Disney and Cedar continue to show good trends, but more people at fall events means more conflict. Media has been latching on to anything that can be viewed as unsafe at attractions. In this episode we touch on larger trends and discuss what some folks are doing as a defense. Plus, we finish up with some killer collaborations at ScareHouse, Hershey Park, and the first haunted house NFT.

This is Day 26 of our 61 day Hauntathon. Today, Reign of Terror in Thousand Oaks CA reopens in a new location after an 18 month hiatus. Owner Bruce Stanton discusses how they’ve pivoted this year. Follow along: https://linktr.ee/hauntedattractionnetwork