Haunt Weekly

This week on Haunt Weekly we're winding down the holiday season, the year and the decade by looking back at some of the greatest hoaxes and urban legends throughout history,The reason for this is pretty simple, A good haunt deserves a good legend but not every haunt comes with a pre-made one. So, sometimes you have to make your own.In this episode, we're going to look at some of the most famous hoaxes, pranks and urban legends, how they get started and how you can apply those techniques to ethically start your own legends.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersA Quick Update on Our HauntWhy This Week's TopicItaly's Secret Pasta GardensMythical MonstersWar of the WorldsAdvertising Fake ProductsCrop CirclesAmityville HorrorAnastasia RomanovCardiff Giant Balloon BoyTies Into HauntingConclusionsAll in all, whether you're interested in expanding your haunt's lore or just want to talk about a few big hoaxes, this is an episode you do NOT want to miss! Get in Touch a

This week on Haunt Weekly, we're doing the news! But before you worry that we're going to bring down your holiday season, this is actually a pretty happy episode. We have some positive arrests, we have lots of cheery charity news and even a bit of comedy from a police department haunt.So, if you're wanting an episode that will keep your spirits up during this holiday season, this may actually be it. We're not exactly brimming with cheer, but we won't cost you your faith in humanity either.See... We can be upheat...This Week's Episode Includes;IntroConference RemindersQuick Update on Our HauntArrest in Carrollton Haunted House Arson (https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/arrest-in-carrollton-haunted-house-arson)Man Accused of Punching Kids at Haunted House Makes First Court Appearance (https://www.news8000.com/news/man-accused-of-punching-kids-at-at-haunted-house-makes-first-court-appearance/1145867491)Planning Commission Approves Plans for Haunted House Attraction Next Fall (https://w

It's the holiday season and that means presents, cold weather and trips to visit family and friends. But just because this is the season where no work gets done doesn't mean that you can't do things to improve your haunt. Even better, there are things you can do no matter where you are. If you've got a laptop, or even a cell phone in some cases, there is much that you can to improve your haunt and make your 2020 season go easier.To that end, here's our suggestions for ways you can work on your haunt, no matter where you are...This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersQuick Update on Our HauntAbout the TopicThings We Assume You've Already Done7 Things You Can Do for Your Haunt NowConclusionsAll in all, whether you're staying home for the holidays or traveling many miles, this is an episode you do NOT want to miss! Get in Touch and Follow Us!Facebook: @HauntWeeklyTwitter: @HauntWeeklyYouTube: @HauntWeeklyEmail: info@hauntweekly.com

A day at the renaissance festival can be a lot of fun. However, if you're a haunt owner or builder, it's also a chance to do some really good research and pick up a few pointers.The reason is that haunted attractions are increasingly moving to a more festival atmosphere, trying to capture as much customer time and money as they can. To this end, ren fests have been doing it amazingly successful for decades, all the while operating a seasonal attraction and deailng with many of the same challenges and pitfalls we do.So we compiled a short and woefully incomplete list of things that haunters can learn from ren fests and put them into this episode.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersQuick Update on Our HauntThe Reason for the EpisodeThe Flow of Human TrafficAlways Something to DoImmersionVariety of ActivitiesSpecial EventsReduction in Pain PointsImportance of a Unique ExperienceConclusionsThough we suspect a lot of you ARE big ren fest fans, whether you are or not this is an epi

We've had a pretty serious few episodes so let's take a break shall we? We haunters are a strange, weird and borderline insane bunch. Best of all, we're proud of it.Still, it's sometimes fun to take a step back and look at all of the ways we are decidedly not normal. I mean, working year-round to scare people a few nights of the year is crazy enough. But to throw in all of the things we do to get there and it becomes a cry for help.So, with that in mind, here's a look at just 13 ways that we haunters are not normal. Are there more? Absolutely. Let us know yours and we may include them in a future episode!This Week's Episode Includes: IntroConference RemindersA Quick Update on Our HauntWhy We Wanted to Do This Episode13 Things Haunters Have/Do That Aren't NormalConclusionsAll in all, if you're a haunter and want some humor, this is an episode you do NOT want to miss! Get in Touch and Follow Us!Facebook: @HauntWeeklyTwitter: @HauntWeeklyYouTube: @HauntWeeklyEmail: info@ha

It's another episode that's divisble by four and that means its time to do the news! And what a week do we have for you guys. We have attempted arson, a haunted house run by a retirement community and one of the craziest haunt moves I've ever heard of.Since this episode covers a bit of the end of season and most of November, we get a good mix of in-season news and stories about upcoming holiday shows and haunt moves. It's a jam-packed episode but we make at least a little bit of time to talk about the goings on at our haunt, or more specifically our street, and a few other personal odds and ends.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersQuick Update on Our Haunt (And Our Street)Man Tries to Burn Down Haunt Three Times (https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/carrollton-police-searching-for-arson-suspect-in-haunted-house-fire)Petition to Close McKamey Manor Reachers 133K Signatures (https://www.wkrn.com/news/petition-to-shutdown-torture-chamber-in-lawrence-co/)Slaughterhouse Moves

Last week, we discussed how to find what your pricing should be for your haunt. This week, we're looking at how to increase your prices if you decide you need more pert ticket and how you can make it more palatable to the customer.The simple truth is this: Price increases suck. Nobody likes them. That said, there are ways that you can raise your prices and not lose your customers. In fact, you can help your customers feel like they got a better deal.How do you do it? That's what this episode is about, finding ways to raise your prices and keep customers happy.This Week's Episode IncludesIntroConference RemindersQuick Update on Our HauntFollow Up on Last WeekThe Problem with Raising PricesStep 1: Survey and Analyze Your Potential AudienceStep 2: Seek Ways to Offer More at No/Low CostStep 3: Raise Your Prices the Smallest Amount You CanStep 4: Double Down on MarketingStep 5: Offer DiscountsStep 6: Take a BreakConclusionsAll in all, if you charge money for your haunt, this is an episode you do NOT

This week on Haunt Weekly, we're talking about pricing your haunt.Choosing the price fior your haunt is one of the most important decisions you'll ever make with it and it's one of the easiest to get wrong. Price too high, no one comes. Too low and you can never turn a profit.So how do you do it? That's the topic of this week's episode as we look into some approaches for finding your haunt's ticket price.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersQuick Update on Our HauntSome Housekeeping NotesHow Much Should a Haunt Cost?Approaches That Don't WorkWhat Can Work?Covering CostsMarketingOther Tips and ThoughtsConclusionsAll in all, if your haunt charges money, this is an episode that you do NOT want to miss! Get in Touch and Follow Us!Facebook: @HauntWeeklyTwitter: @HauntWeeklyYouTube: @HauntWeeklyEmail: info@hauntweekly.com

Everyone, the 2019 season is in the bag and that means all eyes should be on 2020. But, before we get back to slinging panels and building props, it's worthwhile to take a moment and examine the lessons that we learned.However, this year is a little bit different as we were actually closed due to road construction. So, we have to look outisde our haunt to find things we can learn and, fortunatley, we have a lot of lessons in that regard.So, without any further ado, here's a look at our lessons from the 2019 haunt season.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersA Quick Update on Our HauntOur Lessons for 2019The Power of MarketingThe Power of Add OnsThe Failure of Small but ManyThe Need to Focus on FundamentalsThe Power of ActorsThe Importance of TightnessThe Importance of Credit CardsThe Power of Customer ServiceConclusionsAll in all, if you're planning on haunting in 2020, this is an episode you do NOT want to miss! Get in Touch and Follow Us!Facebook: @HauntWeeklyTwitter: @H

Happy near end of haunt season everyone! By the time we meet again haunt season 2019 will be in the books and we'll all be celebrating with whatever beverage we deem appropriate.As usual, the news is very busy this time of the year so we have a lot to go over including two allegations of sexual assault at a haunted attraction, several haunts getting burglarized and some really good news including how one woman's life was saved by an infrared camera.It's a jam-packed hour of haunt news to get you through the rest of your haunt season!This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersQuick Update on Our HauntWoman Claims She was Groped at Haunt, Offered Beer After Complaining (https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-pasco/woman-claims-she-was-repeatedly-groped-inside-scream-a-geddons-interactive-haunted-house)Same Haunt Had Alleged Rape Happen Two Years Earlier (https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-pasco/former-scream-a-geddon-worker-says-she-was-sexually-assaulted-in-2017-accord

Last weekend we had to record early because we were making the long trip to Houston. Well, we're back and, after having hit nine haunts in just three nights, we have a LOT to talk about. We visited two trail haunts, three scream parks, one tourist attraction and three traditional haunts. It was a wild trip with hours and hours punctuated with trips to some of the best-known haunts in the region.So how did it all go? You'll have to listen to the episode to find out.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersThe Basics of the TripFright TrailLost HollowsRedrumCreepy HollowScare Fest HoustonDungeon of DoomTerror DomeThe Haunted HotelTexas Maze of TerrorThe Price DifferenceWhat Others Can Learn from HoustonConclusionsAll in all, this is a REALLY long one and we're sorry for that. But we had a lot to say and this is an episode that you do not want to miss! Get in Touch and Follow Us!Facebook: @HauntWeeklyTwitter: @HauntWeeklyYouTube: @HauntWeeklyEmail: info@hauntweekly.com

We're more than just haunt builders, we're major haunt customers. It's one of our favorite things to do and we spend north of $1,000 per year just going to haunts. But, as much as we love it, there are times that haunts kind of tick us off. Usually not intentionally, but they're things where, if the haunt had just done nothing, we would have been much happiier.So, with that in mind, here are seven things you can avoid doing and keep us, as well as your other customers, very happy. This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersQuick Update on Our HauntWe're Going to Houston!Intro to the TopicLie About Number of AttractionsMislead About Size/ScopeHave Copyright Infringing Characters (or Knockoffs)Give Us FOMO AgainOffer Clearly Subpar Shows for Same PriceHidden FeesTalk Bad About Other HauntsConclusionsAll in all, if you want to keep your customers happy, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss! Get in Touch and Follow Us!Facebook: @HauntWeeklyTwitter: @HauntWeeklyYouTu

This week on Haunt Weekly, we're playing catch up as we cover all of the news we didn't get to cover in Episode 200 due to our anniversary celebrations.And news we do have as it's the busy season for haunted attraction news. We start off with a two-fer about a haunt in Missouri that was so bad it hurt other haunts in the area, We discuss the second coming of both the Slipknot haunt and the Six Flags coffin challenge and tell the sad story of a popular home haunt facing closure.All in all, this is a busy episode so, without any further ado, here's a look at what's in store.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersHousekeeping/Update on Our HauntMissouri Haunt Draws Backlash from Guests (https://www.ky3.com/content/news/ON-YOUR-SIDE-Customers-raise-concerns-over-Christian-County-haunted-attraction-560372911.html)And Hurts Other Haunts (https://www.ky3.com/content/news/Haunted-attractions-speak-out-after-being-confused-with-Christian-County-haunt-561086591.html)Slaughte

It is our 200th episode and, to celebrate, we're going through our entire library and highlighting the best of the best. That's right, we both blindly picked 12 episodes we thought worthy of mentioning. Of the 12 we each picked, we had four we agreed on leaving us with 16 episodes we each wanted to highlight and 4 that we both agreed on. This gives us our top 20 episodes (with some extreme caveats).So sit back and relax but pay attention. There is a quiz at the end and, if you're one of the first to answer the questions correctly, you could win some neat (but admittedly small) prizes.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroductionConference RemindersA Quick Update on Our HauntThe Rules of the Selection16 Episodes One of Us Nominated4 We Agreed OnContest DetailsConclusionsAll in all, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss, especially if you like prizes! Get in Touch and Follow Us!Facebook: @HauntWeeklyTwitter: @HauntWeeklyYouTube: @HauntWeeklyEmail: info@hauntweekly.com

It's been a rough few days around here. Earlier this week we learned that we have no choice but to cancel our 2019 season due to road construction and safety concerns.This, obviously, has us gut wrenched and we were forced to throw away our planned episode this week and, instead, talk about this. So, if you don't want a bummer of an episode, skip this one or revisit any of the other 198 that we have. But, if you want an autopsy on the season that won't be, this is your chance to sit down and muddle through it with us.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersUpdate on Episode 299A Long, Sad Discussion About This SeasonA Funny Urban Legend About Our NeighborhoodConclusionsUsually this is where I tell you why this is an episode you don't want to miss but, this time, you may want to miss it. Sorry to be a bummer this week but stay tuned for Episode 200 next week! Get in Touch and Follow Us!Facebook: @HauntWeeklyTwitter: @HauntWeeklyYouTube: @HauntWeeklyEmail: info@hauntweekly

This week on Haunt Weekly we're doing something a bit different. Since we're home haunters, we get to spend much of our season not just building and running a haunt, but going to others. The problem is, that can get very expensive very quickly.Over the years, we've found a lot of ways to ethically lower our costs quite significantly including finding great deals on haunted attractions and and other tools for lowering our costs. Best of all, we are going to take this and flip the script, telling haunt owners which of these deals are worth it for you and which are just your customers getting in for less money.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersQuick Update on Our HauntUpdate from CrystalFollow Up on Last Week's PostThe Basics of Getting Good Haunt DealsNewsletters and Social MediaDon't Buy Tickets OnlineGroup RatesHaunt ToursGoing on Off NightsBundling Haunt TripsGroupon and Other CouponsPrice Segmentation for Haunt OwnersConclusionsWhether you're a haunt ow

It's easy to think about nothing but the ways that we make our customers happy. We love building great scenes, amazing scares and giving customers the screams they paid us for. But here's the thing: A lot about going to a haunt kind of sucks... and not just the ticket price.Every haunt has pain points. These are things that the customer has to do to go to a haunt, but that diminish the customer experience. Minimizing these pain points keep customers happy and can help improve your cash flow.So take a ride with us as we look at the parts of haunting that suck for your customers and how you can make them suck a little less.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroductionConference RemindersA Quick Update on Our HauntA Primer on Pain PointsFinding/Getting to the HauntParkingBuying a TicketQueue LineThe AftermathConclusionsNo matter what kind of haunt you run, these are challenges you need to work on making this an episode you do NOT want to miss! Get in Touch and Follow Us!Facebook: @HauntWeeklyTwitter:

This week on Haunt Weekly, we're doing the news and, as we approach the beginning of season, we have a LOT of news to go over including some of the last HHN news, some major haunt openings and a big anniversary for one of the most important haunted attractions of all time.So, without any further ado, here's a look at what is going on in the haunt industry this past month!This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersA Quick Update on Our HauntNew Haunted Theme Park to Bring Hollywood-styled Chills to Western Pennsylvania (https://www.openpr.com/news/1823625/new-haunted-theme-park-to-bring-hollywood-styled-chills)Scarehouse Announces New Attraction in Strip District (https://www.wtae.com/article/scarehouse-announces-new-attraction-in-strip-district/28689727)Haunted Attraction Company Takes Over Old West Festival (https://www.clermontsun.com/2019/08/09/haunted-attraction-company-takes-over-old-west-festival/)The New "House of 1000 Corpses" Horror Maze Will Be The Scariest Thing

This week on Haunt Weekly illness is in the air as a severe case of stomach flu has crippled 1/2 of the team but we are determined to persevere. Unfortunately, we had to scrap our planned episode and, instead, we're pulling together a quick one as we talk about a topic we're hoping to turn into a conference talk down the road: Scare Tactics 101.This is going to be a pretty basic overview of how to place and use scares to maximize their impact. So, if you're a vet at this, it might be kind of boring. But it's a topic we're passionate about and have been eager to talk about for some time.So sit back and relax while we go through the world of haunt tactics.This Week's Episode Includes: IntroConference RemindersQuick Update About Our Haunt (and Illness)Spotting Haunts without TacticsRules of Scare TacticsEvery Scare Should Have a Distract and StartleEvery Scare Should Have a Visual and Sound ComponentNo Two Consecutive Scares from the Same DirectionNo Two Consecutive Scares the SameM

This week on Haunt Weekly we're talking about how you, yes you, can give a talk that will help improve the haunt industry.With HAuNTcon extending the deadline for speakers, now is a great time to think about what topic you may want to speak on and how you can assemble a great presentation.To that end, there's a lot that you can do. You have experiences and knowledge that is valuable to the haunt industry and that's whether you're the newest home haunter or the longest-running veteran in the industry. As a veteran speaker, including 5 haunted attraction conventions, I will take you through the ins and outs of making a great talk and building up your confidence to speak in front of a crowd.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersQuick Update on Our HauntFollow Up on Last Week's EpisodeHAuNTcon Extended Its DeadlineChoosing Your TopicCreating the TalkGiving the TalkTopics We'd Love to SeeConclusionsWhether you're giving your first talk or your 100th, this is