Here is the Haunted Attraction Industry News for April, 18th.
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This Weekend
The Spooky Swap Meet will take place this weekend – April 29th & 30th – at the Heritage Square Museum in Los Angeles, California. This year’s event will have over 60 vendors, food, fortune-telling, and – new for 2023 – an original walkthrough haunt created by Fear Farm. Guests of all ages are encouraged to trick-or-treat at the seven stops of Heritage Square’s manors whose exteriors have been decorated by “house hosts” including AdamJessFx, Art’s Sideshow, a Bones’ Gulch and Samhain’s Lot collaboration, A Mr. He Slasher, LA Haunted Hayride, and Vamp & The Fiends. LVCRFT and Skeleton Sam will host a Halloween dance party at the top of each hour. Tickets are on sale now, starting at $18 for General Admission. Be sure to purchase your tickets in advance, as many entry time slots have already sold out. Want to learn more? Check out our highlight reel from 2022.
Be a Part of Our 2023 Hauntathon
Theme Parks
The Maleficent dragon caught fire during Fantasmic! at Disneyland (Anaheim, CA) on April 22nd during the 10:30 p.m. show. The fire was extinguished before it spread to other structures, and no series injuries were reported – however, several cast members were treated for smoke inhalation. Disneyland officials released the following statement, “…We are temporarily suspending fire effects similar to those used at Disneyland park’s Fantasmic! at select shows and entertainment experiences globally out of an abundance of caution following the Fantasmic! prop fire at Disneyland park…”
Cedar Fair will implement chaperone policies across its parks for the 2023 summer season – including Knott’s Berry Farm (Buena Park, CA), Carowinds (Charlotte, NC), King’s Island (Mason, OH), King’s Dominion (Doswell, VA), Valley Fair (Shakopee, MN), and Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom (Allentown, PA). Cedar Fair released a statement regarding the new policies: “Over the past two years, there have been increasing incidents of unruly and inappropriate behavior across our industry and at other major entertainment venues. We are committed to keeping [our park] a place where families and friends come together to enjoy a one-of-a-kind park full of experiences and immersive entertainment.” King’s Island (Mason, OH) would require guests ages 15 and under to be accompanied by an adult 21 or older from 4:00 p.m. to close. This comes when Ohio SB 30 is being considered and would allow children under 16 to work until 9:00 PM.
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party will return to the Walt Disney World Resort (Orlando, FL) for 38 select nights from August 11th to November 1st. This separately-ticketed nighttime event will feature spellbinding entertainment, trick-or-treating, festive foods, photo ops, Disney characters dressed in their Halloween best, and more. Entertainment highlights include: Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade, Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular (featuring projections, special effects, music, fireworks, and the Pumpkin King himself, Jack Skellington), and the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular stage show. Guests of select Walt Disney World Resort hotels, Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels, and Shades of Green can purchase tickets starting April 27th, and tickets will be available to all guests starting May 2nd.
On 24 select nights this September – October, Disney California Adventure Park (Anaheim, CA) will host Oogie Boogie Bash. This family-friendly event includes after-hours park access to treat trails, photo opportunities, entertainment, attractions, spooky fun décor, and more. Tickets and dates are not yet available.
Halloween at the High Seas will return to the Disney Cruise Line on select itineraries departing late September through Halloween. Thrills and chills await at every turn, thanks to not-so-scary activities, eerie entertainment, and bewitching décor—including a magical Halloween tree. Highlights include: Mickey’s Mouse-querade, themed character meet & greets, Halloween craft activities, and spine-tingling treats. Even more spooky surprises await you on board! Be sure to pack your favorite costumes and get ready for happy haunts.
U.S. Haunts & Events
Scare USA (Two Rivers, WI) will host a Halfway to Halloween Lights Out event on May 19th & 20th. Experience the haunt with only a flashlight to guide you. Arrows will guide your way – and some may lead to killer prizes! If you want to survive, don’t turn off your light! Tickets are on sale now, starting at $15 for General Admission and $30 for Fast Passes.
Springtime is for screaming at Fear Factory SLC (Salt Lake City, UT). Get your early Fear Factory fix on May 19th – 20th at their Halfway to Halloween event. Tickets are on sale now starting at $29.99 for General Admission, $39.99 for VIP Admission, and $81.99 for Instant Entry Admission.
Conventions & Mixers
The Ohio Haunters Association‘s Halfway to Halloween event will take place this weekend on Saturday, April 29th from 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. at Carnage Haunted House (Columbus Ohio). Sponsored by the Midwest Haunters Convention, the OHA’s Halfway to Halloween event will feature Halloween vendors, food trucks, make-up demos, Halloween Character Contest, a tour of Carnage Haunted House, roaming scareactors, raffles, and more. Attendance is free.
Jobs
Knott’s Berry Farm (Buena Park, CA) is hiring a Knott’s Scary Farm Venue Supervisor. Venue Supervisors oversee and manage the operation of the haunts during the Halloween season and are responsible for ensuring the safety of guests and associates while maintaining a high level of customer service and show quality. Tasks include: keeping a daily schedule for the cast and crew, tracking all scheduling adjustments, managing & reporting any guest complaints/concerns/questions, and handling personnel issues with the crew & cast. An ideal candidate will have 2-5 years of leadership experience in an entertainment-driven field, with Haunt/Themed Entertainment Industry experience a plus. Interested individuals should apply on the Cedar Fair jobs
Retail
Games Night became more terrifying with “Screamville Cursed Acres” from Screamville Haunted House (Knoxville, TN) and Scorpion Lair Games. This card game for 2-6 players features all your favorite and most feared Screamville characters from the Cursed Acres storyline. Gather your friends and escape from the haunted house – the player with the lowest fear rating wins! The game is available for purchase online for $35.
Last week, Spirit Halloween unveiled its exclusive life-sized Ghostbusters Proton Pack replica. The officially licensed costume piece features movie-quality details with light & sound features, and has three different activation modes: power-up, shoot, and power-down that you can trigger with the push of a button. The detachable light-up wand, high-voltage warning stickers, and tangled wires add extra authenticity to your Ghostbusters getup. The adjustable straps make wearing this proton pack easy and comfortable for a long night of ghost-busting. The replica was on sale for $249.99 on the Spirit Halloween website, but has since sold out. There has yet to be an announcement as to when more will become available for purchase.
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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
Fear Columbus (Columbus, OH) – April 28 – 30
Field of Terror (East Windsor, NJ) – April 28 – 29
Fright Kingdom (Nashua, NH) – April 28 – 29
Lincoln Mill Haunted House (Philadelphia, PA) – April 29
Nightmare Acres (South Windsor, CT) – April 29
Reign of Terror (Thousand Oaks, CA) – April 28 – 29
Waldorf Estate of Fear (Lehighton, PA) – April 29
Woods of Terror (Greensboro, NC) – 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
Akron Haunted Schoolhouse & Laboratory (Akron, OH) – May 12- 13
Deranged Haunted Attraction (Romulus, MI) – May 12 – 13
Factory of Terror (Canton, OH) – 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
Fear Factory SLC (Salt Lake City, UT) – May 19 – 20
Haunted Hills Farm (Jasper, GA) – May 20
Scare USA (Two Rivers, WI) – May 19 – 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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Industry News Roundup for April 18th
Read more here.
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