Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
Coming up your weekly roundup of news from around the
haunt industry. Welcome to the show. I'm Philip on the
HN Show. We bring you the haunt news, information, and
education you need to prepare for Halloween. On Tuesdays, we
bring you a roundup of news from haunts worldwide. Read
(00:28):
more about these stories and so much more in our
free weekly newsletter. Subscribe at the link in the show notes,
and as always for the news roundup, I'm passing it
off to.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Darryl Universal Studio. Hollywoods Halloween Horror Nights in Universal City, California,
began it's twenty twenty five season this past weekend, and
we'll continue select nights through November second. Fans flocked to
see this year's eight houses, Terror Tram Four, Scare Zones,
The Purge, Dangerous Water Show, and more, with opening weekend
tickets completely sold out. This year's houses include five shared
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with HHN Orlando, five nights at Freddy's Terrifier, Fallout, Jason Universe,
and Horrors of the Wyat six, as well as three
houses unique to Hollywood, Poltergeist, Monstrous three and Scarecrow Music
by Slash. The main difference in HHN Hollywood's approach to
the Houses lies in the acting. At HHN Hollywood, the
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houses focus on scenes where the actors can perform motions
or short vignettes, in contrast to Orlando's Houses, where the
characters simply appear. New for twenty twenty five is the
introduction of the event's first ever Halloween Horror Night's Dining Pass.
The pass entitles guests that two eligible entree items and
four eligible side snack, dessert or beverage items throughout the evening.
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Executive Chef Truly a Thrash or their culinary team have
created an expanded menu with even more options than are
available at HHN Orlando, bringing the same level of details
to those treats as Universal Entertainment's team brings to the
Haunted Houses. Fans can find a variety of foods and
beverages theme to fall Out five nights at Freddy's Terrifier,
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Chason Universe, and more. Guests can also imbibe on a
fleet of cocktails inspired by a collection of Slash's music
at the Slash Bar, located in Jurassic Cove Chainsaw Man.
The Chaos makes its Hollywood debut exclusively within the DreamWorks Theater.
This all original Horror anime short film derives directly from
Universal Studios Japan, based on the popular Japanese manga and
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anime series streaming now on crunchy Roll. The film recounts
the tale of Dengji and the Devil Hunters as they
battle the Halloween Horror Nights Devil and his army of zombies. Dengi,
resurrected into Chainsaw Man, a devil human hybrid with protruding
chainsaws from his body, ultimately takes control in a quest
to combat the Devils. It's an extreme showdown that dares
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guests to survive the chaos of screams and blood. You
can view the full coverage of our HHN Hollywood by
following the links in our show notes to see nine videos,
some photos, and a comprehens of ticket guide. Halloween Horror
Nights Orlando is criticized for premium screen night disappointments, oversold passes,
and controversies around headliner characters. Halloween Horror Nights, a Universal
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Orlando resort in Orlando, Florida, is drawing criticism over the
event's rocky start to the season. Crowds and long lines
have long been present at the event, however, this year's
guests are increasingly frustrated with how the event has structured
its upsell products. In its second year, Premium Screen Night
returned with a promise of early entry, shorter weight, and
unlimited food and soft drinks for the steep price of
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three hundred and seventy five dollars per person. For many, however,
the evening did not go as expected, as wait times
for certain mazes were similar to those on a standard night,
and food stalls experienced food and beverage shortages and long lines.
Lines and overcrowding are also concern for the full HHN season,
as all versions of the Frequent Fear Pass with Express
of sold out. This means thousands of people will now
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be cutting through lines with express access, which may lead
to longer wait times even for those with the express access.
A final source of criticism for this year concerns the
Art the Clown attacks Terrifiers. Art the Clown was planned
to be a roaming presidence in the streets for this season. However,
many guests have reported never spotting him, and rumors suggests
that Universal may pull back his close up experience due
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to reports of harassment. Art the Clown harassment, navigating safety
challenges at theme parks. Universal's roaming art the clown character
has become a lightning rod at Halloween Horror Night's Orlando,
with video showing guests harassing, chasing, and even blocking his path. Meanwhile,
Hollywood's version of the same character ran smoothly, suggesting this
is less about the ip and more about training, staffing,
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and audience management. In this week's edition of Green Tag podcast,
Philip and Scott breakdown why safety lapses around street performers
are a business problem as much as a guest problem,
and how differences in talent pools, training, and crowd rules
create very different outcomes on each coast. Plus what Hershey
Park's recent monorail incident and other headlines reveal about the
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industry's biggest challenge. Safety is a living, evolving plan. Six
Flags Great America's Fright Fast begins September thirteenth. Select dates
September thirteenth through November two. Fright Fast will provide thrills
and chills at six Flags Great America and Gurney, Illinois.
The event will feature five mesa The Conjuring Universe, Saw
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Legacy of Terror, Texas, Chainsaw Massacre twenty twenty two, Big
Top Terror for Carnival three D and the Estate at
Wretched Meadows, as well as seven scare zones, including three
new editions, Poddity's Circus of Madness, Headbangers, and Los Muertos
Knew This year, The Raths and Wake the Dead join
the live entertainment lineup, alongside returning fan favors like Their
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Ring Master's Cabaret and Love at First Fright. Family friendly
fall activities return as well, with the daytime Kids Boofest
event and October Fast Food Festival. The park's Hometown Square
area will transform into Pumpkin Hollow with seasonal decorations and
family friendly experiences including live entertainment, a Trick or Treat trail,
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corn Maze, and more. October Fast returns with craft brews
and German inspired menus. Tickets for all Halloween and Fall
activities are on sale now. Scare Zones, live shows, and
most rides are included with park admission. Haunted mazes require
the purchase of a Haunted Attraction Pass starting as low
as forty dollars per person. Adventureland debuts a new Haunted
House for Phantom Fallfest. A new Haunted House is coming
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to Adventureland in Altoona, Iowa, this Halloween season is part
of Phantom Fallfest Spellkeeper. Spellkeeper features a wicked spellkeeper that
has escaped the Abyss, where he was condemned for defying
the ancient order. He is now on a mission for revenge,
and the more souls he steals, the more power he wields.
Alongside the new attraction, guests can test their courage and
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four other bone chilling haunts, including Malice in Wonderland, Carnievel, Cornstalkers,
and Spirits of the Swamp. Fearless. Guests can also face
four scare zones through their nighttime visits to the park,
including Dead's Nordic Nightmare, The Fallen, and hell Billies. Phantom
Fallfest has become the ultimate Halloween tradition in Iowa, and
this year we're raising the stakes like never before, said
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Adventureland General manager Mike Lusky. With the debut of Spellkeeper,
our most intense haunt yet. Alongside four other haunted houses,
four scare zones, and endless fall fun, guests will experience
the biggest and most chilling Phantom fall Fest in Adventureland history.
Phantom fall Fest runs Saturdays and Sundays, September twentieth to
October twenty six. During the day, families can enjoy a
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variety of rides, attractions, entertainment, seasonal suites, and fall decre
The freights come at night with five haunts, four scare zones,
and more. Tickets are on sale now starting as low
as twenty nine ninety nine. Presno Fright Nights comes to
the Central Valley October third. The Central Valley is about
to get a lot scarier this October with the grand
opening of Presno Fright Nights and Fresno California owner operators
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Immersive Attraction Group LC have enlisted the help of legendary
Halloween haunt expert Alan Hobbs, past president of the Haunted
Attraction Association, owner of Stiltby Studios and Dark Hour Haunts,
to create four new distinct experiences across the sprawling six
acre Halloween attraction. The Chilling Journey begins with a quarter
mile long immersive experience through Fresno Advanced Chemicals, an abandoned
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plant where experiments went horribly wrong. Guests then navigate cool
Town Trails, a cemetery filled with their darkest fears, before
encountering the layer of the Fresno Nightcrawler at night Crawler's Pizza.
The terrifying adventure concludes the fun little trip through the
Blood River Bayou Swamp beyond the scares of the Midway
at Fresno. Fright Nights will offer food trucks, twelve creepy
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photo ops, two full service bars, and a variety of
live entertainment. Tickets are on sale now starting at forty
to fifty dollars for general admission. Zombie Joe's Underground Theater
Group presents Phantom, an immersive horror experience this September. Zombie
Joe's Underground Theater Group in North Hollywood, California, invites audiences
deep into the shadows of Phantom and immersive horror experience
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and adapt to of Gaston LaRue's classic tale. Written and
directed by Charlotte Cocker and produced by Zombie Joe, this
fully immersive, forty five minute performance transforms Zombie Joe's Underground
into the Phantom haunting domain. Dripping away the romance and grandeur,
Phantom plunges audiences into the world of dread, obsession, and horror,
where the Upper Ghost lurks inches away in the darkness.
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The show will run Fridays and Saturdays September nineteenth through
twenty seventh. Tickets are on sale now for twenty dollars
online and twenty five at the door. Man Farms in Abatsford, BC,
Canada has announced their first Helloween Fright Festival, taking place
September twenty seventh through November first. Their three haunted attractions
are returning, but the event has evolved with new interactive elements,
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more scares, and new evergreen Halloween moments. Every year we
aim to reimagine our farm and we feel that we
have added layers of atmosphere and performance, making this our
most immersive season yet, says the mere Man farmer at
Man Farms. The driving inspiration behind the Freight Festival was
to extend the magic of Hellowe beyond a single night
reminiscent of childhood nostalgia where we gathered with our friends
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wandered the streets in costume, feeling spooked by the lurking darkness.
Every corner of the festival has built the start with
a surprise transition to a delight and for the brave,
culminate in a series of horror. In addition to the haunts,
the frightfully fun forest, pumpkin patches built for wandering beneath
miss shrouded trees and among photo ops. A live show
will introduce the night, and live entertainment will be dispersed
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between the attractions and stage. Mama Man's Country Kitchen will
serve savory favorites and delicious seasonal desserts. Tickets are on
zail now starting at sixty nine dollars to ninety nine
dollars Canadian for general admission. M and D Scotland's Theme
Park offers family fun and thrilling scares. M and D
Scotland's Theme Park and Motherwell Scotland will offer Halloween fund
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for the whole family. There is October with its Pumpkin
Festival running October fourth through twenty sixth, and their Zombie
Checkpoint and Freak Show Uncaged running select dates October tenth
through thirty first. Family friendly fun of bounds with the
Pumpkin Outdoor Festival, guests will enjoy the interactive storytelling session,
Pumpkins Got Talent, the Pumpkin Express Train, themed Halloween games,
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arts and crafts, and Pumpkin Trail. Another highlight of the
event is a visit to the Pumpkin Patch, where pumpkins
of all sizes and shapes. Await tickets are on sale
now starting a nine pound ninety five per person and
include a hot drink. This season, Scotland's Theme Park and
Zombie Adventure creators Zombie Infection are teaming up for a
thrilling thirty minute attraction, Zombie Checkpoint. Guests will navigate a
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vast maze, crawling with the undead as they locate and
activate a network of RFID security terminals to earn their
team points in a race against other squads to be
the top survivors. Brave guests can also enter Freak Show
Uncaged for more thrills and scares. This sequel to the
last year's mind bending Hit Dar's guests to step inside
a circus where the freaks are in charge and flesh
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is the only applause they crave. Tickets for both attractions
are on se now starting at twenty four pound ninety
five per person. Home Haunter Awards Show twenty twenty four.
Triangle Hollow Productions and Halloween Yard Haunts and Props hosted
their annual Home Haunter Award Show this past weekend, honoring
outstanding haunters from the twenty twenty four Halloween season. Categories
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include best Costume, Digital Display Display, haunt cycled, modified prop,
motorized prop, pneumatic prop, static prop, and walk through. Congratulations
to all of the winners. Some upcoming events this September
through November include creep it reeal oc in Santa Ana, California,
September twelfth through fourteenth, Son of Monster Palooza in Burbank,
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California October tenth through twelfth, Ayappa in Orlando, Florida, November
seventeenth through twentieth, and creep it Real Festive in Santa Ana, California,
November twenty first through twenty third.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
And that's all for the news this week. Today's episode
was produced by me Philip Bernandez, with reporting by Daryl
plunk Key, post production by David Swope. This hant News
Update is a production of the Haunted Attraction Network and
you can sign up to our weekly newsletter at Hanta
Attractionnetwork dot com. Support for this episode comes from Gantum
Lighty and controls until next time, Haunters Stay Scary. This
(13:19):
is a Haunted Attraction Network production.