Here is the Haunted Attraction Industry News for April, 18th.
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Theme Parks
The Walt Disney World Resort began their halfway to Halloween celebration by inviting local eighth-grade students for a hauntingly great day with some of their costuming and cosmetology cast members. The students experienced a behind-the-scenes tour of one of Disney parks costuming production spaces and had the opportunity to learn how to distress a costume piece and apply some ghostly makeup.
Both the Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort will feature limited-time Halloween Treats from April 20th – 23rd.
Disneyland Paris (Chessy, France) has canceled its traditional Halloween & New Year’s Eve parties for this year. Instead of separately-ticketed events, in 2023, the park will extend its hours for all general attendees on Halloween & New Year’s Eve. According to a press release, the special events usually planned will be replaced by “unique moments to share.” Details on those “unique moments” will be released later. The park’s general Halloween festivities will take place October 1st – November 5th, and its Enchanted Christmas will take place November 11th – January 7th.
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U.S. Haunts & Events
The Hotel of Terror (Springfield, MO) successfully gathered 1,568 signatures on a referendum petition, thus suspending the eminent domain bill on the property. The City Council must now either repeal the eminent domain ruling or put it to a public vote. Owner Sterling Mathis celebrated his efforts in an interview with the Daily Citizen, stating, “We’re excited that we got enough signatures… It’s a shame that a business has to do this, jump through these kinds of hoops. But I feel confident if the city does not do a recall and they do want to extend it to the voters — we’ll come out ahead… If it goes to the ballot, I will never leave that spot.” According to Mathis, the city’s most recent offer on the property was $550,000 – which would only cover sprinklers and roof repairs at the anticipated new location for the haunt. Mathis had requested a larger sum to fully cover the costs of relocating the 45-year-old haunt to a new location at his other property, Dungeons of Doom. “Certification of referendum petition” has been placed on the agenda for the April 17 City Council meeting as a “placeholder” if a vote is taken up. The Council may, however, opt to postpone a vote until the May 8th City Council meeting, when newly elected council members will be present.
Jobs
Scream Dreams (Thomasville, NC) is seeking an experienced General Manager. Required skills include: Personnel and event management, scene and set design, carpentry, audio/video, and knowledge of pneumatic animatronics. Hours are Monday-Friday during off-season with some Saturdays. Hours during haunt season vary but do require late-night weekends. Interested applicants should apply via Indeed.
Pumpkins
Looking for the perfect time to plant your pumpkins so you can have those picture-perfect Halloween jack-o-lanterns? Better Homes and Gardens released an article with pumpkin planting tips last week to help with your efforts. Most pumpkins require at least 75 – 100 frost-free days to ripen – with some larger varieties needing even more time. For gardeners in northern locations, pumpkins are usually directly sown outside in late May. Because pumpkins mature faster in warmer areas, gardeners in more mild climates may want to wait until June or early July to sow their seeds outdoors. Some of the best, fast-growing pumpkins to try include: “Justify”, “Bellatrix”, and “Connecticut Field”. For proper growth, pumpkin seeds should be planted 1 inch deep and spaced 18 to 36 inches apart in rows 6 to 10 feet apart. Alternatively, place 2 to 3 pumpkin seeds in each hill and space hills 4 to 8 to four apart.
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Upcoming Events: April - June 2023
April 29 – 30: Spooky Swap Meet (Los Angeles, California)
May 5-7: Southeast Hollows Haunt Convention (Savannah, Georgia)
June 2 – 4, 2023: Monsterpalooza (Pasadena, California)
June 10 – 11, 2023: Midwest Haunters Convention (Rosemont, Illinois)
Spring / Summer Haunts
April
Folklore Haunted House (Acworth, GA) – April 22
Hellstead Manor (Hallstead, PA) – April 22
Fright Kingdom (Nashua, NH) – April 28 – 29
Reign of Terror (Thousand Oaks, CA) – April 28 – 29
Woods of Terror (Greensboro, NC) – April 29
Fear Columbus (Columbus, OH) – April 28 – 30
Field of Terror (East Windsor, NJ) – April 28 – 29
Lincoln Mill Haunted House (Philadelphia, PA) – April 29
Nightmare Acres (South Windsor, CT) – April 29
Waldorf Estate of Fear (Lehighton, PA) – April 29
May
C and D Bunner Family Spooky Yard Haunt (Fairmont, WV) – May 6
Fear Columbus (Columbus, OH) – May 5 – 7
Field of Screams (Mountville, PA) – May 6
Field of Terror (East Windsor, NJ) – May 5
Kims Krypt Haunted Mill Scream Park (Spring Grove, PA) – May 5 – 7
Maniacs in the Woods (Warren, OH) – May 5 – 6
13th Floor Haunted House Denver (Denver, CO) – May 12 – 13
13th Floor Haunted House Houston (Houston, TX) – May 12 – 13
13th Floor Haunted House Jacksonville (Jacksonville, FL) – May 12 – 13
Deranged Haunted Attraction (Romulus, MI) – May 12 – 13
The Haunted Hydro (Fremont, OH) – May 12 – 13
House of Torment (Austin, TX) – May 12 – 13
Nashville Nightmare (Nashville, TN) – May 12 – 13
Nightmare on 13th (Salt Lake City, UT) – May 13
The Old Joliet Haunted Prison (Joliet, IL) – May 12 – 13
Wicked Woods of Terror (Caro, MI) – May 13
Doom Haunted Attraction (Idaho Falls, ID) – May 19 – 20
Bedlam (Scottsboro, AL) – May 18 – 20
Haunted Hills Farm (Jasper, GA) – May 20
Terrorfied Forest (Pickney, MI) – May 20
The Haunted Hotel (Louisville, KY) – May 26 – 27
June
Scream Hollow Wicked Halloween Park (Smithville, TX) – June 2 – 3, 9 – 10, 16 – 17
Eloise Asylum (Westland, MI) – June 3
Hollerin Haunts Hayride (Clinton, NC) – June 2-3
Castle Blood (Monessen, PA) – June 9 – 10
Dark Castle (Elgin, SC) – June 10
SRD’s Haunted Attractions – Pocatello (Pocatello, ID) – June 23 – 24
July
AMS Haunted Attractions (Maryville, TN) – July 8
Cinema of Horrors Haunted House (Kelso, WA) – July 14 – 16
Everhaunt (Angola, NY) – Jully 21
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