Haunted Attraction Network

This weekend - July 17th & 18th, 2021 – Haunters and Halloween fans alike will gather at the Mesquite Convention Center for the Texas Haunters Convention. This two-day cash & carry style Halloween convention is open to the general public and has a wide variety of exhibitors, classes, and activities geared to everyone from haunt owners and industry professionals to enthusiasts, families, and trick-...

At the end of episode 57, Scott mentioned the importance of staffing and retention for the 2021 season. This episode was inspired by that off-the-cuff comment and explores the issue in greater depth.

Universal Studios Hollywood announced the return of Halloween Horror Nights on select nights September 9th - October 31st. The event will feature the new "The Haunting of Hill House" maze based on the popular Netflix series. Fans will encounter many of the show's sinister spirits including William Hill - The Tall Man, The Ghost in the Basement, and The Bent-Neck Lady. The Haunting of Hill House wi...

Stories covered: The Travel industry has a blueprint for reopening international travel; A congressional update from IAAPA; IAAPA Awards are open; The Theas are now free to stream; Universal Hollywood and Disneyland announce Halloween events; Lego’s NY Store has upped the retailtainment game; and Hans Christian Andersen museum opens in Denmark.

Despite the rising Delta Wave, surveys show that Americans are ready to go out. We’ll discuss recent travel surveys and look at new business opportunities for attractions. This week: Surveys from Morning Consult and AnyRoad show a return to events; Marriott on bleasure trends; parades return to Orlando; NCAA ruling; Knott’s Releases Official Podcast; Great Wolf Resorts Moves into Animation with ‘T...

A build season check in with Brimstone Haunt in Wilmington, OH. Brimstone offers 4 attractions: Hayride, Forgotten Forest, Psychosis, and Zomebie Assault.

This week Japanese specially effects makeup artist Jiro premiered a mobile immersive haunted experience, Mugan (or "No Face" in English). Starting July 2nd the single trailer truck experience will visit various areas in Tokyo, Okinawa, and Kagoshima. This short 5-minute experience utilizes surround sound technology and high-end special effects makeup. Groups of up to 5 people can experience the at...

Carnage Haunted House in Columbus Ohio started in 2017, and things were going well. So well, the team decided to get a larger building. They found an old bowling alley and began converting it, but turns out that’s a little tougher than it seemed at first. Then the pandemic came along, and slowed everything to a crawl. So finally, after two seasons of delays, Carnage Haunted House is previewing the...

David Fachman, owner of The Scarefactory, Inc. plead guity to one count of willful failure to pay over tax to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). According to court documents, for at least four years, Fachman withheld and collected the trust fund portion of the employment taxes from his employees’ paychecks but failed to file timely and to remit the payment to the IRS. In total, Fachman failed to...

This week: American cancels hundreds of flights; Knoebels and Seaworld Orlando add incentive programs for new hires; Disney resumes college program in time for 50th anniversary; Royal Caribbean discourages unvaccinated guests from sailing.

This week we’re following up on trends impacting the day to day and the near future. Stories covered: California is reopen; prices for travel services are surging; Universal opened sales for HHN30; the Boo Bash is selling out; Midsummer Scream’s Awaken the Spirits; Dorney reduces summer days due to staffing shortage; and Universal hints at the future of Epic Universe.

In celebration of the event's 30th anniversary, Jack the Clown is returning to Orlando's Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights. The iconic character will be featured throughout the event - from the streets to the haunted houses and more. Visitors will also be able to get a closer look at Jack's past HHN appearances at a limited-time "Jack'd Up" experience, which will take place at Universal's...

The Dent Schoolhouse in Cincinnati Ohio is celebrating their 25th anniversary this Halloween. But after pivoting to open during the pandemic, the team is busy deciding what’s going to go and what’s going to stay. These are the conversations happening all around the country as haunts begin auditioning, and they’re big decisions even without a 25th anniversary. Lucky for you, we have an insider at t...

Haunted Calgary has launched a creative service to celebrate Father's Day, "Creepy Character Deliveries". Surprise your dad with a signature Haunted Calgary creepy character delivering a gift directly to his front door. Packages range from $50 - $100 - with a basic package offering a dozen donuts, a card, and a "disturbing diddy" sung by a scareactor. With the VIP package, your creepy character wi...

Quick Hits, a roundup of some of the new experiences catching our attention, and a discussion on app extensions. Stories: Spain reopens borders to vaccinated tourists; Walt Disney World makes masks optional for guests effective June 15; Fantawild opens new Glorious Orient park in Ganzhou; Cedar Point opens Snake River Expedition; Hasbro unveils new Monopoly experience set to open in London; Musion...

The Haunted Attraction Association Online Auction kicks off on Wednesday, June 9th. Like the annual in-person auction at Transworld's Halloween & Attractions show, this online auction will feature a variety of fantastic products from HAA preferred vendors. The auction will raise money for the HAA to provide members with an array of benefits. The next Haunt Master Masterclass is “Music, Sound, & St...

Scott is joined by special guest Spencer Terry, the president of the Haunted Attraction Association, to discuss the changes planned for the HAA in the future.

This week is full of updates from around the world. The EEOC gave guidance for mandating vaccines, while Universal Orlando became the first theme park to make masks voluntary for all guests. Seaworld Orlando enters into Universal’s territory with a new Halloween event; is allowing 100% ownership by foreign investment; Butterbeer is coming to New York; The Studio Tour in Tokyo is under construction...

Every year the Haunted Attraction Association (HAA) gives a state of the industry presentation. This year however, was a little different (and not just because of the pandemic). Before this year’s presentation, the incoming leadership team sent out a survey. The results revealed some issues. “Overall, how would you rate the HAA and how we're supporting the industry right now? Low is 1 and 4 is hig...

Disney is reopening to out of state guests in California and Universal Orlando Resort is raising wages to compete on staffing. Companies are betting on the future of in-person experiences, but meanwhile media companies are trying to consolidate to combat Disney +. But what’s the big deal? IP is critical because it has extendibility. This week we summarize the state of media consolidation and discu...

This Fall Great Pumpkin LumiNights will take place at Wild Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta, Georgia. 2021 has proved to be the park's biggest opening season yet, and with its success, park officials have decided to add the new Halloween event. Great Pumpkin LumiNights will feature "larger-than-life" pumpkin sculptures throughout the park. The event has already been implemented in the company's s...

Part 2 of our Transworld Halloween & Attraction Show interviews. Featured in this show: Graphitti FX, Psychotic Circus of Savannah, Demski Creations, ScareIT Badges, and Swag Smart.

Maximus Bryant does all the work on this one! Max gets some of the show vendors, actors, and creators on this podcast from the Transworld Halloween & Attractions Show. He chats with: John Moran from Brimstone Haunt Creature Corps Mask-R-Aid Polaris BreachFX Mia Demaree from Grim Trails Fred Hearn from Hell's Dungeon Franken Fab Paul from Haunter's Against Hate Dead Rabbit Studios

The CDC has released new guidelines for fully-vaccinated individuals. Fully-vaccinated people can "resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance". The 2021 SCAR Awards have been announced. Winners include Creepy Caves Resurgence a...

Since we have just passed the "Halfway to Halloween" mark for the 2021 season, Scott wanted to share some thoughts about time management. By working "time smart", your event won't creep up on you.