Haunted Attractions Podcast

Home Haunting is where most haunters begin; it starts with lavish decorating and evolves into something that eventually takes over the house and neighborhood. But no matter the size of the haunt, all haunters have one thing that ties us all together – a love for Halloween and entertaining the community. Wilson Halloween House in Ironton Ohio decided this year to move from a yard display to walkthrough – complete with actors. Maximus has today’s story. See what you’re missing with a free demo (https://gantom.com/demo). Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/hauntedattractionnetwork

Scott discusses the importance and benefits of people in the Haunt Community joining and participating in various organizations. View our list of organizations here: https://hauntedattractionnetwork.com/haunted-attraction-associations-groups/

CAMELOT RISES is the brand new horror event coming to the abandoned Camelot Theme Park in Lancashire (https://www.parknpartymcr.co.uk/camelot-rises/) . Drive your car through the fully immersive zombie experience and watch your favorite horror movies! Mikey interviews Russell Feingold, Events Director, all about the brand new event. Scaretrack: https://scaretrack.co.uk

Transworld's Halloween & Attractions Show has posted their seminar lineup; Haunted Overload announces their 2022 Halloween schedule; Phantasmagoria presents "Hauntingly Romantic Tales" on select February dates in a variety of central Florida locations- including Dinner Theatre style performances; Self-guided flashlight tours return to the Winchester Mystery House this February; West Coast Halloween Convention will visit PDX Haunted House on this year's haunt tour; the "13th Floor" specialty rooms and private bar return to this year's West Coast Halloween Convention; Alex Linebrink of HauntPay aka Passage discusses ticketing trends; January's Haunters Toolbox Masterclass featured Scott Swenson with tips to get in the right mindset for creativity; Spookers haunted attraction in Auckland, New Zealand is back on sale for a third time; the 13th Floor Denver has an opening for a full-time General Manager; the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center is seeking a new Attractions & Entertainment Operations Manager; A

This is the first episode of our vendor showcase series, in partnership with the Haunted Attraction Association (https://hauntedattractionassociation.com/). In this series, we’re showcasing HAA member companies are participating in the annual auction happening at this year’s Transworld Halloween & attractions show (https://haashow.com/). In this episode, Scott Tater Lynn explains the new scent boxes from Froggys Fog (https://www.froggysfog.com/). See what you’re missing with a free demo (https://gantom.com/demo). Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/hauntedattractionnetwork

This week we delve into the deluge of opening announcements from attractions around the world and look at two museums that are pivoting. Openings: EPIC Universe, Iron Gwazi, Emperor, Pantheon, Peppa Pig, the NFT Museum, Studio Ghibli Theme Park, Avengers Campus in Paris, Animax’s new China Facility, Universal Studios Beijing’s Chinese New Year Celebration, EPCOT’s Flower & Garden Festival, & Legoland New York. Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/hauntedattractionnetwork

This is the final part of our mini-series covering some of the haunt friendly programming from this year’s IAAPA Expo in Orlando. We’ve already covered vendors, events, and networking, but there’s a final large part of the IAAPA experience – Education. New this year, were the EDUTalks. Presented live on the trade show floor’s EDUTalk Stage, these 15-minute sessions featured tips, tricks, and insights on different topics – and one of those topics was for haunted attractions. “Fear Factors: Creating Terrifyingly Brilliant Guest Experiences” was presented on the EDUTalk stage by Phil Raybourn. Phil is a freelancer know, but many haunters know him for his work with Howl o Scream at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. See what you’re missing with a free demo (https://gantom.com/demo). Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/hauntedattractionnetwork

This is 4th part of our mini-series covering some of the haunt friendly programming from this year’s IAAPA Expo in Orlando. Coming up, we’ll hear how Reaper’s Revenge (https://reapersrevenge.com/) used dynamic pricing and employee retention to increase profitability in a tapped out market. See what you’re missing with a free demo (https://gantom.com/demo). Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/hauntedattractionnetwork

In part 3 of our mini-series covering some of the haunt-friendly programming from this year’s IAAPA Expo in Orlando, we’ll hear how the Kirby Family Farm Scary Train (https://www.kirbyfarm.com/scarytrain) capitalized on last year’s momentum to have their best year ever. See what you’re missing with a free demo (https://gantom.com/demo). Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/hauntedattractionnetwork

This is the 2nd part of our mini-series covering some of the haunt-friendly programming from this year’s IAAPA Expo in Orlando. Coming up, we’re talking with three vendors who all have expanded into new business models, and they’re helping you to do the same: ZTAG (https://www.ztag.com/), Mind Games (https://mindgames-productions.com/), and CFX (https://www.compositeeffects.com/). See what you’re missing with a free demo (https://gantom.com/demo). Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/hauntedattractionnetwork

Nominations for Haunted Attraction Association Board Members are being accepted through February 8th; The Cleveland Haunt Club announced their 2nd Annual Half-Way to Halloween Flea Market will take place on May 28th; Niles Scream Park awards 5 scholarships to area seniors; Arizona students at the Academy of Building Industries High School received $4,000 for their contributions to Scream in the Dark haunted house; New dates announced for HauntX 2022 - June 11th & 12th; Trick or Treat Studios preview new offerings for 2022; Morris Costumes to debut new animatronics at Transworld's Halloween & Attractions Show; Zagone Studios offers new masks for 2022 and will debut new chest pieces in March; Our Benchmark Survey with the Haunted Attraction Association is still accepting responses - submit your answers today to be able to opt-in for an Amazon gift card drawing. Read more: https://mailchi.mp/hauntedattractionnetwork.com/haunt-industry-news-jan-24

The IAAPA Expo in Orlando is the largest trade show for the attractions industry. From networking to education, tours, and a massive show floor – it can be so overwhelming that you miss a lot. But fear not, we rounded up some of the haunt-specific programming from this past expo just for you. This is the first part of our mini-series covering some of the haunt-friendly programming from this year’s IAAPA Expo in Orlando. Coming up, we’re talking ticketing trends with Haunt Pay (https://hauntpay.com/). See what you’re missing with a free demo (https://gantom.com/demo). Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/hauntedattractionnetwork

This week we’re discussing Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard and what that means for the Themed Entertainment Industry. Plus, how 2 large attractions are combating staffing issues. Participate in the Haunted Attraction Benchmark Survey here (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HAAHANSurvey). Subscribe: https://linktr.ee/hauntedattractionnetwork

This past Halloween was crazy. Between the staffing shortages and varying restrictions, it was a challenging year for most haunters. During our Countdown to Halloween, we partnered with The Scare Factor to get as many on-location interviews with haunters as possible and gauge how each was dealing their local issues. As you can imagine, things also got a little crazy for us. We couldn’t air all the interviews we collected this Halloween- Until now. Today, we’re airing two on-location interviews submitted by The Scare Factor’s Team Skelegore: Grimsley’s Gorge (https://www.facebook.com/GrimsleysGorge/) and 13th Hour Rising (http://www.13thhourrising.com/). Both interviews are from New York area and took place mid-season. Why are we still airing these? Because they offer insight into how haunts adapted. Insight you can use when planning for 2022. If you want to hear more of these on-location interviews, check back in our feed for the “On-Location” label. See what you’re missing with a free demo (https://gantom.co

Disney’s Haunted Mansion is an inspiration for many haunters, and the Nightmare Before Christmas an annual watching tradition. So in 2001 when Jack Skellington took over the haunted mansion – it was a glorious. Today – we’ll hear the story behind this holiday takeover. Garner Holt (http://www.garnerholt.com/) was tapped by Disney to bring Jack Skellington’s Nightmare to life, and although he had a background in haunting, the path was anything but predictable. This episode contains excerpts from a panel recording from the inaugural Season’s Screamings event in Pasadena. In it, you’ll hear garner holt live on stage recounting the process behind the attraction layover. And in case you’re wondering, Season’s Screamings will return to Pasadena for year 2 this coming December. https://fightface.com/). See what you’re missing with a free demo (https://gantom.com/demo). Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter: https://hauntedattractionnetwork.com/newsletter/

This is the fourth and final episode in our mini-series covering some of the haunt friendly wholesalers from this year’s Halloween & Party Expo in Las Vegas. Coming up, we’ll hear from three vendors with very different perspectives on what’s important for Halloween: Ghoulish Productions (https://ghoulishproductions.com/), Savvi (https://savvistuff.com/), and Fight Face (https://fightface.com/). See what you’re missing with a free demo (https://gantom.com/demo). Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter: https://hauntedattractionnetwork.com/newsletter/

The Haunted Attraction Association and Haunted Attraction Network launched their industry-wide Benchmark Survey; Nominations for the Haunted Attraction Association's OSCARES Awards now accepted through January 23rd; Salem, MA considering expanding the city's Safety Enhancement Zone for Halloween 2022; Tickets now available for Midwinter Ghost Stories at Ed Gannon's Chambers of Terror; Park N Play announces Camelot Rises horror drive in & interactive zombie experience at Camelot Theme Park; A drive-through haunt in Indonesia offers COVID-safe scares; Locals in Kirklareli, Turkey celebrated the Halloween-like festival of Koleda on January 8th; Exhibitor registration now open for this year's Texas Haunter's Convention; Fear Expo Live takes place this weekend; Indy Horror Story announces the sale of its business and commercial property; Valentine's Day Haunt List. Complete the survey here (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HAAHANSurvey). Read more: https://mailchi.mp/hauntedattractionnetwork.com/haunt-industry-news-

This is the third episode in our mini-series covering some of the haunt friendly wholesalers from this year’s Halloween & Party Expo in Las Vegas. Coming up, we’re chatting with Tony Zagone, owner of Zagone Studios (https://zagonestudios.com/) about why he thinks this Halloween will be one of the best ever. See what you’re missing with a free demo (https://gantom.com/demo). Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter: https://hauntedattractionnetwork.com/newsletter/

Scott Swenson led this Haunt Master Class for the Haunters Toolbox members, covering: saving money on design, creative brainstorming, and the 2022 mindset. To listen and view this entire Master Class, become a Haunt Master member at www.HauntersToolbox.com

This week we explore stories about how attractions keep the guests flowing. From combating low staffing to setting attendance records, Half a Billion Dollar Renovations and new seasons of fun – this week we’re showing the resilience of attractions. Take the Haunted Attraction Benchmark Survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HAAHANSurvey