Who is open year round?

[Twin Locusts]

Ripley's is currently using two actors stalking the entire route in summer. We were in E. Tenn and went this month, nearly no make up, not even airbrush. Took 8 adults 17 minutes moving slowly. Lady at the gate suggested 20-30 mins, if you took a ten minute nap half way through maybe. The actors did try hard and were cool kids.

The only thing well done is audio and well placed air blasters. Otherwise no detail, 75% of the haunt is pitch black walls with low pile carpet, two scenes well accent lighted, that's it. didn't even use a the drop panels available, pretty weak.

While there we went to the "moving theater" Adult was 8.99 we got 15% off, two 3D movies 14 minutes each. I may be behind the times having never done one of these but for children it far exceeded my expectations, well placed air and mist blasts and a snow making machine that puts down a nice large flake during the snow movie, the 3D added a lot and it was a really good time for any age. Some nice audience participation.

Never did the portable mall style moving seat movies but this permanent system was really well done, think it held a max of 60 @ 5 rows of 12, which turn every :30 minutes.

[krazedklownkilla]

In general they are different animals. Year round haunts tend to be in tourist areas (with the possible exception of Raven Grinn!) and are usually able to survive with minimal staff during periods where they will have minimal attendance. Most may have only one actor stalking you through the event, with bigger ones like Ripleys having only 3 or 4.

All of the rest of us open for the Halloween season, and the bigger you get the HARDER is is to open nights without many guests, the cost on ONE night can be thousands in labor costs alone. Opening with a paid cast of 100 on a Tuesday in Feb. doesn't sound like fun to me!

We love horror, but most of the folks out there only want it on vacation or close to Halloween it seems.

Personally I like the cycle of retheming, rebuilding, operation and off season. It makes each part fresh, and lets you go crazy knowing you will have a while to rest when it is over!

Thanks!

Very well put ben we are a very diffrent haunt than these year around haunts. And I want to add a few of the crew from horror fields will be making the 4 hour drive to see netherworld here soon on a night we arnt open. Ill see you soon.

[damon carson]

Some crazy guy up near the Illinois - Iowa boarder. His name slips my mind! Something like Captain Kirk...no wait a minute. War World II no no.........Somewhere out in a field? I dont know.
Damon
Frightmasters

[The Forsaken Crypt]

Well in my honest opinion I would have to say all year haunts aren't as good. Since I live in Buffalo I have taken multiple trips to Clifton Hills, Canada (Right across from Niagara Falls) and all the year round operations there are abominable...

Every house is pitch black with a few cheap scares and for the price your paying? No thanks, I'll stay away from those. Of course that is for the ones I've been to. I bet there are tons out there are much better.

[Jim Warfield]

Putting on a "Show"

Is what it's all about, meeting and exceeding the customer's expectations, impresses them and then they do a large part of your advertising for you.--works here!
The RAvens Grin Inn is in the worst location (according to the experts) that one could ever have for a "Haunted House".
It is comforting to be told I am such a failure, now I know! I guess all those customers who have kept me doing nothing but this house for these last 25 years must be uninformed and have minimal brain activity?
If you judge the success of a haunt via the amount of money they spend on advertising and someone else's creations, then you won't understand my place or even give it a second thought, I SURE have fooled a huge number of people though into thinking that my place is special, worthy of seeing it, paying to see it again and again, but I'm obvious doing nothing right here.......here's a little secret, don't tell anyone, I have more pure fun here than anybody. (Maybe this rubs off on my patrons?)

[Jim Warfield]

"Cheap Scares!" Said with distain...

But why? Give most haunt owners a dozen cheap scares any day and they would most likely say, "Thank You!!" I didn't have to spend thousands of dollars on "Expensive Scares" that work no better than the cheap ones, which means, I Just Made Money!"
I would like to know what constitutes a "Cheap Scare"? Would be something only costs a few dollars?
Would it be something that only the very timid react fearfully to?= No good for consumption by the core group?
If a designated "Cheap Scare" scares a customer will the customer feel insulted or taken financial advantage of because it was "cheap"?
Would "Cheap" be just suddenly screaming in a customer's face for no known reason? Maybe, I think.
Would "Cheap" involve some very good mere acting? Instilling real deep fear in others just from using facial expressions and language? Cheap but if it's working that actor either has a unique natural talent or has practiced and has experience under their belt, that if a price could be placed on it .. would actually be considerable.
Maybe this would be the ultimate cheap scare:"There's a woman asking for you at the door, she says she know knows , after last night, that she is in love with you, she looks trashy, smells terrible and seems very cheap!"