Awesome New Idea's and Concepts 2009...Read On!

[Allen H]

Absolutely Spook,
Im director of a Scream Park, we have five haunts and several other attractions. We could do a parade no problem , If I timed it right it might help me alleviate some line issues. I have 11 roaming actors, and If I pulled two from each house thats 10 more, plus two more from the pumpkin patch, thats 23 people to do a small parade or procession, universal throws halloween beads, hmmm just thinking out loud here. with a float or two and our hearse that could be kinda neat. If the parade happened at the right time it could really help the lines (which are my biggest problem). If I try it next season I will let you know how it goes.
Allen H

[spookhaven]

Kevin is correct! We purchased three large costumes last year from him. We actually used two of them in our haunt last year. This year we had to take a look at where to put our advertising monies. I listened to everyone here and went back to grass root advertising and internet for the most part. Guess what got us the most attention at the events and fairs? The Gore Galore Giant Costumes and our Spookywoods Skeleton Costumes. I even have people emailing me wanting to know if they are going to appear outside so the kids can see them.

Just because some of these folks like Larry are big haunts and his ideas are larger than life ideas (LOL) because his haunt is one of the biggest, doesn't mean that us smaller/newer haunts can't take their ideas and scale them down to work for us.

[Gore Galore]

Slain,

I understand your perspective. I don't understand the anger in your tone though (Large font and BOLD).
Since you asked,
I have been involved in designing and building haunts and props and costumes for haunts for OVER 25 years. I have been in business as Gore Galore for 11 years and I have been hired to wear our costumes and puppets at others events throughout the course of that history in addition to making thousands of oversized costumes for Haunted Attractions and Theme Parks. So, I not only understand how to use them, but I use them regularly. We would not be doing this had it not been for my being a part of running a haunted house for over 20 years. Gore Galore stems from my experience at that Haunted Attraction.

But I get it. It might not work for you or your haunt.

That doesn't mean it isn't a good idea.
Our (Gore Galore) perspective isn't exactly about doing a parade on your own grounds but attending events hosted elsewhere to promote your event.
This just fits into that idea.
Again, I can understand why it wouldn't work for you.
And thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[robos99]

Secondly what if people sat around waiting to see it and didn't free up parking spaces...

If you only have a haunt and nothing else (no side attractions or merchandise/concessions) then people waiting around could be a major concern. But whenever you have something else for them to spend money on the idea is to keep the guests inside. This is what Disney did that was so revolutionary. Rather than people spending a few hours inside a park, Disney got them to spend entire days there. Now a full day at a haunt might be a stretch if you only have 1 or 2 actual attractions, but getting people to stick around and watch a parade just might result in them craving some food or drink. Or if you have a parade at multiple times during the night people coming out of the haunt might stick around longer knowing the parade is coming up, and then they need to do something to pass the time, like browse through the merch shop.

Slain I know you think Disney is just for the kids but you do need to remember that Disney created the theme park industry, and haunts today I think are closer to theme parks than the haunted houses of years ago. Disney knows how to make money, and they've been doing it for a long time. Being kid friendly isn't a business strategy, it's just their audience. You can still apply the same principles to any other entertainment venture.

[Slain]

Mr .Galore

Slain,

How it is a bad idea to get thousands of people's attention at a single moment in time. That is what I call maximizing your investment. Maximum exposure for minimal effort.

You have something that is bigger than life demanding people pay attention to what you are doing and it is a bad idea? I just don't understand.

It is only a teaser to your event. When people see this teaser, they just want to know what else to have to offer. How is that not peeking their interest in your event? How is that NOT good marketing.

thanks

Have you ever been to our haunt? Do you own a haunt?
We do entertain all of our guest although we don't put together floats and shut down state highways to let people know we are open for business..
If your don't have a place with plenty of acres to do such a show (which most haunts don't) this will never work...
This would cost thousands to do.. Just the labor would cost a bloody fortune.. I suppose I'll just keep our patrons guessing and let Disney and Universal do their thing...

[WelchWitch]

At an amusement park that I used to work at we would do a walk from one end of the park to the front of the haunt. We would all follow a hearse. It wasn't all the actors but most of them. We had people lining up along the whole path to see what they would soon see inside. We did it to announce that the park was no longer for kids and non scary, the park had now turned scary for adults.We had our sliders, guys on stilts and few others. Lots of pictures taken, way to promote your costumes and scare people in the daylight

Then beginning this month in honor of the movie Zombieland, we with few other haunts did a Zombie crawl through downtown. We started at one location and ended at one of the haunts about 2 miles later. It was early in the day. At the end we had a costume contest that the people watching voted on and the winner won tickets for themselves and 10 friends with a limo ride to 6 haunts. People from the movie were there and handed out swag for everyone.

[Nightmare_Trance]

Not only the oversized costumers, but you could incorporate sliders and other entertainers into the mix.

[drfrightner]

I think its a great idea actually I think its an awesome idea and once I heard about it that was all I could think about was if I should do something like that. In the past I have considered doing a parade something that entertained the lines and always thought about how could I pull that off.

Once I heard someone simply bought all the big oversized costumes that seems like an easy way to do it... me personally I couldn't just do that I would have to go another step or two but still he's onto something here with all those oversized costumes.

The problem is ... and yes I agree there is a MAJOR problem here is that it would take a TON of labor to do it. Secondly what if people sat around waiting to see it and didn't free up parking spaces, and well the cost the investment would be high.

Those are major hurdles to overcome for sure however would it be worth it if you figured the whole thing out. Does Universal or Knotts do things like this do they aim to entertain or simply scare. I say entertain and they have 40,000 per night while we struggle to do 40,000 in an entire season.

I think the whole industry should move more and more towards entertain people give them everything including the kitchen sink if you can and your crowds will grow bigger not smaller.

NO one is saying DO NOT SCARE THEM inside the haunt, simply entertain them from start to finish. I think its a fantastic idea personally but with all great idea's there might be a problem or two.

I have to think it through more before doing something like this but I am at least considering it as a viable option to offer a level of entertainment that no one else offers!

Larry

[Gore Galore]

Slain,

How it is a bad idea to get thousands of people's attention at a single moment in time. That is what I call maximizing your investment. Maximum exposure for minimal effort.

You have something that is bigger than life demanding people pay attention to what you are doing and it is a bad idea? I just don't understand.

It is only a teaser to your event. When people see this teaser, they just want to know what else to have to offer. How is that not peeking their interest in your event? How is that NOT good marketing.

thanks

[scattered screams]

We now have a building on a main street here in town and my wife gave notice to what a great location we have, that in May we have a parade down this street and we could open our doors maybe do some sidewalk entertainment scares that kind of stuff, hand out candy to the kids. I know its not during the season but its get people thinking ahead. Just my 2 cents.

Andrew

[Raycliff Manor]

We've been having a number of our characters perform the Thriller Dance at opening each night and it appears to be catching on. Each weekend there are more people arriving early to see it. Of course we don't have the entire cast doing the dance so there are plenty of character surprises inside. Our challenge with two attractions and providing outside entertainment mid-show would be our parking. It looks like we're going to need to address this for next year.

Kel

[bhays]

as soon as I pass disney in ticket sales I will stop looking at their model.
Allen H

Amen brotha!

[Allen H]

Halloween Horror nights has been doing a parade for years, its pretty cool. Its a great atmosphere.
Slain,
as soon as I pass disney in ticket sales I will stop looking at their model.
Allen H

[Slain]

stupidist idea ever

A parade? Come on guys!! Isn't that what the haunt business is all about? Anticipation of what's inside? This will only work if it's Disney or something like that.
Yes it is about entertaining the crowd but if its not scary they won't return.. How many people here have ever been scared at Disney?
Oh that's right they don't have a haunted house they have a haunted ride...

[Nightmare_Trance]

Larry,

You could use some of the giant creatures or stalkers up around the stadium. Bring the hearse and Garry and promote away.

Shane,
I think that the band would really be a big hit! It would help draw more people to the attraction and keep them around...