September 23, 2025 • 17 mins
This past weekend, Knott's Scary Farm (Buena Park, CA) opened for its 52nd season, running 26 select nights through November 1st. This year's lineup includes ten mazes, five scare zones, three shows, and more, with over 1,000 horrifying creatures lurking in the fog. Also this week:
Halloween Trends 2025: What Guests Really Want; DoorDash Releases "Trick, Treat and Trends"; Six Flags Reports Attendance Gains Amid Seasonal Event Cancellations; Sesame Place Ends Annual Halloween & Holiday Events in Abrupt Seasonal Operations Change; Pacific Park Debuts New Funhouse with EPIC Entertainment Group; Mall of America Announces Seasonal Thrills and Halloween Fun; Legendary Haunt Tour Itinerary Announced; Michael Myers Returns to the Big Screen This October; "Trick 'r Treat" Gets First Nationwide Theatrical Release. Read more here.
Halloween Trends 2025: What Guests Really Want; DoorDash Releases "Trick, Treat and Trends"; Six Flags Reports Attendance Gains Amid Seasonal Event Cancellations; Sesame Place Ends Annual Halloween & Holiday Events in Abrupt Seasonal Operations Change; Pacific Park Debuts New Funhouse with EPIC Entertainment Group; Mall of America Announces Seasonal Thrills and Halloween Fun; Legendary Haunt Tour Itinerary Announced; Michael Myers Returns to the Big Screen This October; "Trick 'r Treat" Gets First Nationwide Theatrical Release. Read more here.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
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.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
To Darryl Halloween trans for twenty twenty five. What guests
really want and what that means for your attraction. Only
nineteen percent of US adults say they want scary vibes
this Halloween. Well, thirty percent plan to wear multiple costumes,
and seventy percent say organized events are steady or increasing.
In last week's episode of the Green Tagged Podcast, Philip
(00:59):
and Scott unpact the annual Halloween Costumes dot Com survey
and why it matters. The demand for cute, funny, and
couseplay style experiences is growing faster than gore. Audiences are
starting to plan earlier, and AI is already a factor
in how people search for inspiration. They are also discussing
how rising competition and budget conscious consumers may shape event calendars,
(01:20):
citing six Flags, Magic Mountain and Not Scary Farm cutting
weak Nights, while Hershey's Parks, Dark Knights, Leans, unbundled value
and high quality houses the big question. With more families
and casual fans in the market, can giggles and cute
Halloween now generate more growth than scares? Door Dash releases
their Trick Treat and Trans Sweet Halloween Orders Report. Door
(01:43):
Dash release their Trick Treat and Trans Report for twenty
twenty five, uncovering not just the most popular candies, but
which nostalgic treats are crawling back from the dead. Based
on the top candy purchases of October first through thirty
first of twenty twenty four, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups still
hold the top spot for chocolate, followed by M and M's,
Hershey's Milk, Chocolate Bars, and Snickers, though data from August
(02:06):
first through September tenth, twenty twenty five show that Hershey's
Cookies and Cream may be a top contender for this
year's rankings. Nostalgic ninety standouts rose from the grave in
twenty twenty four with Baby Bottle Pop orders spiking in
Eerie six hundred and forty one percent and dumb Dums
climbing one hundred and one percent. The Ultimate Grandma Candies
are also making a comeback, with Strawberry Bonbon sales spiking
(02:29):
six hundred percent year over year and boxed Raisin seeing
a five hundred and twenty two percent growth in sales
on Halloween week. We're seeing a real revival of comfort
classics this Halloween, said Kristin Milner, consumer trans expert for
door Dash Candy has become a kind of time capsule,
with millennial parents passing down the staples they grew up with,
(02:50):
while gen Z and jen Altha are reinterpreting those same
trends as retro comfort. What might have once been written
off as a cringe by younger generations is now being
embraced feel good nostalgia. The resurgence of items like Grandma
Candy and baby Bottle Pop shows how different generations might
be finding joy in the same classics, just in their
own way. While treats are on the rise, the tricks
(03:12):
and trick or treater on the decline. Egg and toilet
paper orders dipped in twenty twenty four. Despite seasonal Halloween
prank spikes. In twenty twenty three, egg orders rose thirty
eight percent and toilet paper twenty seven percent during Halloween
week compared to an average week, but by twenty twenty four,
those bumbs slipped to twenty eight and twenty one percent, respectively.
Even Halloween pranks tell the story about the times eggs
(03:35):
and toilet paper wants to write a passage for mischief
during spooky season are dipping. His prices rise, making it
harder to pull from the pantry without parents noticing. Milliner added,
the data also tells us that the families are putting
their dollars towards getting more treats, showing inflation is reshaping
both sides of the trick or treat. Not Scary Farm
debuts two new mazes for twenty twenty five This past weekend.
(03:58):
Not Scary Farm in Point O Park, California, opened for
its fifty second season, running twenty six select nights through
November first. This year's lineup includes ten mazes, five scare zones,
three shows, and more with over one thousand horrifying creatures
lurking in the fog, two new spine tingling mazes have
made their debut this season. Step into a once beautiful
(04:19):
home and marry the Haunting of Worth Home, but beware
of her legion of nightmarish creatures that will do anything
to exact or revenge. In the Zoo, an abandoned zoo
has been transformed into a terrifying laboratory of animal and
human experiments who have turned on their creators and are
planning something that will change everything. Of the eight returning mazes,
(04:40):
two we'll see their final season this year before fading
into the fog Forever the Grimoire and Mesmer side show
of the Mind. Every night, monsters take over the streets
and turn theme park midways into five murderous scare zones.
Ghost Town Streets, the park's original scare zone, the Goring Twenties,
complete with live or rather undead jazz band performances. Carnievil,
(05:01):
where deviant clowns and circus freaks are dying for your attention.
Forsaken Lake, where Gothic creatures wander from their crypts, and
the Gauntlet, populated by an evil king and queen, maniacal jesters,
brutal barbarians, wicked wizards, and lawless peasants, Not Scary Farmers
more than just a collection of haunted attractions and scare zones.
This year's entertainment lineup includes the pop culture filled stunt
(05:23):
Extravaganza of the Hanging, the magic and mystery of Conjurors,
and the death defying feats and carnival acts of the
Le magnifeat Carnival Do Grotesque. The Timber Mountain log Ride
is once again hosting a Halloween hoot Nanny, where eagle
eyed guests can try to spot thirteen black cats spreading
through the festivities into the fog. A Scary Farm Tribute
(05:43):
art show is home to a collection of original Scary
Farm inspired art by unique and talented artists from across
the country. You will your frightful fun with a seasonal
food and beverages that capture the essence of fall, including
wickedly indulgent treats, delicious dinner options, and creepy cocktails to
be enjoyed in the Witching hour. Follow the links in
the show notes for more Not Scary Farm of including
(06:05):
information about the full event, a video of Mary the
Haunted Worth Home, and a tour through the zoo. Their
new Maize six Flags reports attendance gains and seasonal event cancelations.
Six Flags Entertainment Corporation reported a two percent decline for
the nine weeks ending August thirty, first, twenty twenty five,
despite welcoming more than two hundred and ninety eight thousand
(06:27):
more guests than the same period in twenty twenty four.
Attendance grew thanks to promotion and discounts, but per capita
admission spending dropped by seven percent, offset only slightly by
food and merchandise sales. Early twenty twenty six, season pass
sales are pacing ahead of last year, with prices up
three percent, and six Flags reaffirmed its full year earnings guidance.
(06:48):
In samful terms, more guests came through the gates, but
they paid less to get in, which pulled overall revenue down.
At the same time, the company is trimming seasonal operations
across its parks. Not Scary Farm has remo moved all
Wednesday dates for twenty twenty five, while six Flags Magic
Mountain cut its Thursday Fright Fast Nights. Most recently, Sesame
(07:08):
Plays San Diego announced the cancelation of both its Halloween
and Christmas events, even though many guests has already purchased
passes expecting them. These changes follow other Six Flags properties
adjusting their schedules. In this week's episode of the Green
Tag podcast, Philippin Scott discuss how the data and cuts
raise questions about the long term strategy driving attendance. With
(07:29):
discounts and sales, pass only works of guests keep coming back,
and that depends on delivering strong seasonal events and consistent experiences.
Cutting back on Halloween and holiday offerings may solve short
term cost concerns, but it risks eroding guest trust, especially
during the very seasons that bring the highest engagement. As mentioned,
Sesame Play sends its annual holiday events. In an abrupt
(07:51):
seasonal operations change, Sesame Plays San Diego in San Diego,
California will switch to a seasonal operations calendar, effective immediately
ending its previously annual Halloween and Christmas special events. On
September fifteenth, the park announced that its final operating day
for the twenty twenty five season would be just six
days later, on September twenty first. Sesame Place will reopen
(08:15):
in spring of twenty twenty six, with a seasonal calendar
focusing only on the warmer months. Of the year. This
comes in the wake of six Flags similarly canceling Halloween
and holiday events at multiple parks for twenty twenty five.
In an Instagram post, Sesame Place commented on the schedule change, stating,
by focusing on our most popular times of year, we
(08:35):
can deliver the best possible experience from the moment guests
arrive until the moment they leave. Season pass holders will
receive admission to SeaWorld San Diego for the remainder of
twenty twenty five to compensate for the closure. Pacific Park
debuts a new funhouse with Epic Entertainment Group. On September tenth,
Pacific Park and the Santa Monica Peer in Santa Monica, California,
(08:56):
opened a newly reimagined funhouse designed and produced by Epic
Entertainment Group. The twenty eight hundred square foot attraction revives
the historic Toonerville Funhouse with the nine themed chambers filled
with optical illusions to started perspectives and playful yet eerie design.
Guests will discover that the Funhouse is far more than
a maze of mirrors and tricks. Though at the heart
(09:18):
of its low Eliza Sinister Pack sprinkles the clown and
a mysterious fortune teller or in cahoots, luring unsuspecting visitors
deeper into the maze and toward their chilling fate in
the ice cream freezer. Creating the Funhouse for Pacific Park
allowed us to blend nostalgia with new innovations in storytelling,
said Charity Hill, co founder and executive producer of Epic
(09:39):
Entertainment Group. We love digging into history, finding out what
made people fall in love with these experiences in the
first place, and then reinventing them for today's audiences. With
the Funhouse, we're not just paying homage to Santa Monica's
amusement legacy. We're creating a whole new chapter that will
surprise and thrill guests for years to come. The Funhouse
is a permanent addition to Pacific Park, operating year round.
(10:00):
Tickets are now on sale for fifteen dollars per person.
The Mall of America announces seasonal thrills and Halloween Fun.
The Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, has unveiled its
fall lineup, transforming the destination into a seasonal hub of fashion, food, culture,
and Halloween fun. From September through November. Guests will find
(10:21):
everything from haunted attractions to cultural celebrations all under one roof.
Halloween offerings range from family friendly to full throttle frights.
Nickelodeon Universe becomes Booniverse through November second, featuring immersive decor,
nightly fright lights, shows, and costumed characters, alongside special events
such as live Pumpkin Carving, Glow in the Park, Halloween Nights,
(10:43):
and Toddler Tuesday's Treat Trail. Guests can also join unisef's
seventy fifth Trick or Treat celebration with craft games in
the iconic Orange Collection Box Mall wide. Trigger Treating returns
on October thirty first. For those seeking more intense scares,
Thirteenth Floors Twin Cities Fearfa to operate September twenty six
through November two, while families can enjoy Scream and Green
(11:05):
Haunt Awien at Crayola Experience. Spirit Halloween rounds out the
season with its extensive store inside the mall beyond tell Aween.
All deals and experiences include bogo and limited ride wristbands
at Nickelodean Universe weekdays through October third, Bundle detraction packages
and seasonal fashion sales. Guests can also enjoy limited time
(11:25):
dining specials while earning double MOA insider points through November second.
Cultural events bring the community together with highlights such as
the Autumn Moon Festival on October fourth, Among Arts Festival
October twenty fifth, and the Latin Luminos October thirty first
through November tewod. For full details on seasonal activities, deals
and events, visit the mall's official website. Legendary Haunt Tour
(11:49):
a enerary is announced. Trans World's Legendary Haunt Tour, taking
place November seventh and eight, has announced its Haunt line
up for twenty twenty five. All attractions will be fully
operational with actors. The tour begins on Friday, November two
with Castle of Chaos Haunted House in Midvale, Utah and
Nightmares on thirteenth Haunted Attractions in Salt Lake City, Utah.
(12:09):
On Saturday, November eighth, the tour continues with a visit
to the Haunted Forest in American Fork, Utah, and then
returned to Nightmare on thirteenth through a behind the scenes
tour and the night at Fear Factory in Salt Lake City, Utah.
With a full show walk through, lights on self guided tour,
guided behind the scenes tours, and after party Tickets for
the legendary Haunt Tour on sale now starting at three
(12:31):
hundred and fifty dollars for the bus tour and three
hundred for the self driving tour. Prices will increase by
twenty dollars after October sixth. Zero Latency VR announces its
first fully immersive horror experience, Haunted. Zero Latency VR has
announced the launch of Haunted, its first fully immersive horror experience,
set inside a mysterious shifting house that seems to live
(12:54):
and breathe. Haunted offers players an intense cinematic horror experience
featuring wireless warehouse scale gameplay, five K visuals, and response
of spatial audio. The title places up to eight players
inside a psychologically onsetting narrative where a survival is never guaranteed.
Group dynamics are tested as players are drawn apart, guided
by whispers laughter, in a presence that always seems one
(13:16):
step ahead. This is an experience that Lingers, said Tim
Rue's CEO of Zero LATENCYVR. Haunted is a deeply immersive,
sensory rich story designed to stay with players long after
they leave the arena. It taps into fear in unexpected ways.
Sometimes it's loud and chaotic, sometimes it's quiet and intimate.
Either way whereat, participants come out of it talking, laughing,
(13:38):
and often a little shaken. Haunted will be available at
zero latency venues worldwide beginning on October third. Bookings are
now available on their official website. Michael Myers returns to
the big screen this October. Michael Myers is lashing his
way back to the big screen. This October, John Carpenter's
Halloween nineteen seventy eight returns to theaters nationwide, joined by
(14:00):
Halloween four, The Return of Michael Myers, and Halloween five,
The Revenge of Michael Myers. Together, these classics will screen
on more than eighty markets and nearly four hundred theaters,
with additional locations being added daily. Cini Life Entertainment and
treich As International Films are once again partnering to bring
the films back for the season, giving fans and families
a chance to relive the suspension, dread, and terror of
(14:23):
Michael Myers on the big screen. For many, seeing Halloween
in theaters has become an annual tradition, and this October,
both longtime fans and first time viewers will have the
chance to share the scares with Michael Myers where he
belonged in the dark. Check local listings to find a
theater near you. Trick or Treat gets its first nationwide
theatrical release on October fourteenth and sixteen. Legendary Pictures, Warner
(14:46):
brother Pictures, and Saga Arts are bringing Trick or Treat
from two thousand and seven to screens nationwide for the
first time ever in a partnership with Fathom Entertainment. A
modern Halloween classic, Trick or Treat is injured as a
fan favorite for its chilling tales and its unforgettable guardian
of tradition, Sam, the mischievous spirit who punishes those who
break the rule. Written and directed by Michael Dougherty, Godzilla,
(15:09):
King of the Monsters, and Crampus, the film We've Sinister Stories.
Set on Halloween night, a high school principal moonlights as
a killer, a young virgin search for the right man
turns horrific, Emma and her husband learn the cost of
ignoring rituals, and a cantankerous old man faces Sam in
a terrifying showdown, darkly funny, gruesome, and endlessly rewatchable trick
(15:30):
or treat secures Sam's place as a true spirit of Halloween.
The screenings will include a special feature rat of director
Michael Doherty discussing the Halloween memories that inspired the film,
and a restoration of the nineteen ninety six hand drawn
short films Season's Greetings that first brought the iconic Sam
to light. Visit Fathom Entertainment's official website to locate screenings
(15:50):
near you. Midnight Syndicate, Gothic Horror and Haunt Music Hunters
Toolboxes hosting a live Q and A session with Edward
Douglas and Galvin Gozka Night Syndicate on Tuesday, September thirtieth
at five thirty pm to seven pm Pacific daylight Time.
Midnight Syndicate is an American musical duo known for creating dark, atmospheric,
(16:11):
and gothic themed instrumental music. Since nineteen ninety seven, composers
Douglas and Gozca have produced what they call soundtracks for
the Imagination, blending orchestral scores with sound effects to evoke
a sense of horror, mystery, and fantasy. Their tunes and
ambient sounds are used in themed attractions worldwide. Tune into
this ninety minute live session to hear about their inspiration
(16:32):
and learn how to create your own hot music, along
with sound tips and tricks. Some upcoming events this September
through November of twenty twenty five include Son of Monster
Palooza October tenth through twelfth and Burbank California i APPA
November seventeenth through twentieth in Orlando, Florida, and creep It
Real Festive November twenty one through twenty third in Santa Ana, California.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
And that's all for the news this week. Today's episode
was produced by me Philip Fernandez, with reports by Darryl Plunky.
Post production by David Swope. This hant News Update is
a production of the Hanted Attraction Network and you can
sign up to our weekly newsletter at Haunted Attraction Network
dot com. Support for this episode comes from Gantam Lighting
and Controls. Until next time, Haunters Stay Scary. This is
(17:20):
a Haunted Attraction Network production.
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.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
To Darryl Halloween trans for twenty twenty five. What guests
really want and what that means for your attraction. Only
nineteen percent of US adults say they want scary vibes
this Halloween. Well, thirty percent plan to wear multiple costumes,
and seventy percent say organized events are steady or increasing.
In last week's episode of the Green Tagged Podcast, Philip
(00:59):
and Scott unpact the annual Halloween Costumes dot Com survey
and why it matters. The demand for cute, funny, and
couseplay style experiences is growing faster than gore. Audiences are
starting to plan earlier, and AI is already a factor
in how people search for inspiration. They are also discussing
how rising competition and budget conscious consumers may shape event calendars,
(01:20):
citing six Flags, Magic Mountain and Not Scary Farm cutting
weak Nights, while Hershey's Parks, Dark Knights, Leans, unbundled value
and high quality houses the big question. With more families
and casual fans in the market, can giggles and cute
Halloween now generate more growth than scares? Door Dash releases
their Trick Treat and Trans Sweet Halloween Orders Report. Door
(01:43):
Dash release their Trick Treat and Trans Report for twenty
twenty five, uncovering not just the most popular candies, but
which nostalgic treats are crawling back from the dead. Based
on the top candy purchases of October first through thirty
first of twenty twenty four, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups still
hold the top spot for chocolate, followed by M and M's,
Hershey's Milk, Chocolate Bars, and Snickers, though data from August
(02:06):
first through September tenth, twenty twenty five show that Hershey's
Cookies and Cream may be a top contender for this
year's rankings. Nostalgic ninety standouts rose from the grave in
twenty twenty four with Baby Bottle Pop orders spiking in
Eerie six hundred and forty one percent and dumb Dums
climbing one hundred and one percent. The Ultimate Grandma Candies
are also making a comeback, with Strawberry Bonbon sales spiking
(02:29):
six hundred percent year over year and boxed Raisin seeing
a five hundred and twenty two percent growth in sales
on Halloween week. We're seeing a real revival of comfort
classics this Halloween, said Kristin Milner, consumer trans expert for
door Dash Candy has become a kind of time capsule,
with millennial parents passing down the staples they grew up with,
(02:50):
while gen Z and jen Altha are reinterpreting those same
trends as retro comfort. What might have once been written
off as a cringe by younger generations is now being
embraced feel good nostalgia. The resurgence of items like Grandma
Candy and baby Bottle Pop shows how different generations might
be finding joy in the same classics, just in their
own way. While treats are on the rise, the tricks
(03:12):
and trick or treater on the decline. Egg and toilet
paper orders dipped in twenty twenty four. Despite seasonal Halloween
prank spikes. In twenty twenty three, egg orders rose thirty
eight percent and toilet paper twenty seven percent during Halloween
week compared to an average week, but by twenty twenty four,
those bumbs slipped to twenty eight and twenty one percent, respectively.
Even Halloween pranks tell the story about the times eggs
(03:35):
and toilet paper wants to write a passage for mischief
during spooky season are dipping. His prices rise, making it
harder to pull from the pantry without parents noticing. Milliner added,
the data also tells us that the families are putting
their dollars towards getting more treats, showing inflation is reshaping
both sides of the trick or treat. Not Scary Farm
debuts two new mazes for twenty twenty five This past weekend.
(03:58):
Not Scary Farm in Point O Park, California, opened for
its fifty second season, running twenty six select nights through
November first. This year's lineup includes ten mazes, five scare zones,
three shows, and more with over one thousand horrifying creatures
lurking in the fog, two new spine tingling mazes have
made their debut this season. Step into a once beautiful
(04:19):
home and marry the Haunting of Worth Home, but beware
of her legion of nightmarish creatures that will do anything
to exact or revenge. In the Zoo, an abandoned zoo
has been transformed into a terrifying laboratory of animal and
human experiments who have turned on their creators and are
planning something that will change everything. Of the eight returning mazes,
(04:40):
two we'll see their final season this year before fading
into the fog Forever the Grimoire and Mesmer side show
of the Mind. Every night, monsters take over the streets
and turn theme park midways into five murderous scare zones.
Ghost Town Streets, the park's original scare zone, the Goring Twenties,
complete with live or rather undead jazz band performances. Carnievil,
(05:01):
where deviant clowns and circus freaks are dying for your attention.
Forsaken Lake, where Gothic creatures wander from their crypts, and
the Gauntlet, populated by an evil king and queen, maniacal jesters,
brutal barbarians, wicked wizards, and lawless peasants, Not Scary Farmers
more than just a collection of haunted attractions and scare zones.
This year's entertainment lineup includes the pop culture filled stunt
(05:23):
Extravaganza of the Hanging, the magic and mystery of Conjurors,
and the death defying feats and carnival acts of the
Le magnifeat Carnival Do Grotesque. The Timber Mountain log Ride
is once again hosting a Halloween hoot Nanny, where eagle
eyed guests can try to spot thirteen black cats spreading
through the festivities into the fog. A Scary Farm Tribute
(05:43):
art show is home to a collection of original Scary
Farm inspired art by unique and talented artists from across
the country. You will your frightful fun with a seasonal
food and beverages that capture the essence of fall, including
wickedly indulgent treats, delicious dinner options, and creepy cocktails to
be enjoyed in the Witching hour. Follow the links in
the show notes for more Not Scary Farm of including
(06:05):
information about the full event, a video of Mary the
Haunted Worth Home, and a tour through the zoo. Their
new Maize six Flags reports attendance gains and seasonal event cancelations.
Six Flags Entertainment Corporation reported a two percent decline for
the nine weeks ending August thirty, first, twenty twenty five,
despite welcoming more than two hundred and ninety eight thousand
(06:27):
more guests than the same period in twenty twenty four.
Attendance grew thanks to promotion and discounts, but per capita
admission spending dropped by seven percent, offset only slightly by
food and merchandise sales. Early twenty twenty six, season pass
sales are pacing ahead of last year, with prices up
three percent, and six Flags reaffirmed its full year earnings guidance.
(06:48):
In samful terms, more guests came through the gates, but
they paid less to get in, which pulled overall revenue down.
At the same time, the company is trimming seasonal operations
across its parks. Not Scary Farm has remo moved all
Wednesday dates for twenty twenty five, while six Flags Magic
Mountain cut its Thursday Fright Fast Nights. Most recently, Sesame
(07:08):
Plays San Diego announced the cancelation of both its Halloween
and Christmas events, even though many guests has already purchased
passes expecting them. These changes follow other Six Flags properties
adjusting their schedules. In this week's episode of the Green
Tag podcast, Philippin Scott discuss how the data and cuts
raise questions about the long term strategy driving attendance. With
(07:29):
discounts and sales, pass only works of guests keep coming back,
and that depends on delivering strong seasonal events and consistent experiences.
Cutting back on Halloween and holiday offerings may solve short
term cost concerns, but it risks eroding guest trust, especially
during the very seasons that bring the highest engagement. As mentioned,
Sesame Play sends its annual holiday events. In an abrupt
(07:51):
seasonal operations change, Sesame Plays San Diego in San Diego,
California will switch to a seasonal operations calendar, effective immediately
ending its previously annual Halloween and Christmas special events. On
September fifteenth, the park announced that its final operating day
for the twenty twenty five season would be just six
days later, on September twenty first. Sesame Place will reopen
(08:15):
in spring of twenty twenty six, with a seasonal calendar
focusing only on the warmer months. Of the year. This
comes in the wake of six Flags similarly canceling Halloween
and holiday events at multiple parks for twenty twenty five.
In an Instagram post, Sesame Place commented on the schedule change, stating,
by focusing on our most popular times of year, we
(08:35):
can deliver the best possible experience from the moment guests
arrive until the moment they leave. Season pass holders will
receive admission to SeaWorld San Diego for the remainder of
twenty twenty five to compensate for the closure. Pacific Park
debuts a new funhouse with Epic Entertainment Group. On September tenth,
Pacific Park and the Santa Monica Peer in Santa Monica, California,
(08:56):
opened a newly reimagined funhouse designed and produced by Epic
Entertainment Group. The twenty eight hundred square foot attraction revives
the historic Toonerville Funhouse with the nine themed chambers filled
with optical illusions to started perspectives and playful yet eerie design.
Guests will discover that the Funhouse is far more than
a maze of mirrors and tricks. Though at the heart
(09:18):
of its low Eliza Sinister Pack sprinkles the clown and
a mysterious fortune teller or in cahoots, luring unsuspecting visitors
deeper into the maze and toward their chilling fate in
the ice cream freezer. Creating the Funhouse for Pacific Park
allowed us to blend nostalgia with new innovations in storytelling,
said Charity Hill, co founder and executive producer of Epic
(09:39):
Entertainment Group. We love digging into history, finding out what
made people fall in love with these experiences in the
first place, and then reinventing them for today's audiences. With
the Funhouse, we're not just paying homage to Santa Monica's
amusement legacy. We're creating a whole new chapter that will
surprise and thrill guests for years to come. The Funhouse
is a permanent addition to Pacific Park, operating year round.
(10:00):
Tickets are now on sale for fifteen dollars per person.
The Mall of America announces seasonal thrills and Halloween Fun.
The Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, has unveiled its
fall lineup, transforming the destination into a seasonal hub of fashion, food, culture,
and Halloween fun. From September through November. Guests will find
(10:21):
everything from haunted attractions to cultural celebrations all under one roof.
Halloween offerings range from family friendly to full throttle frights.
Nickelodeon Universe becomes Booniverse through November second, featuring immersive decor,
nightly fright lights, shows, and costumed characters, alongside special events
such as live Pumpkin Carving, Glow in the Park, Halloween Nights,
(10:43):
and Toddler Tuesday's Treat Trail. Guests can also join unisef's
seventy fifth Trick or Treat celebration with craft games in
the iconic Orange Collection Box Mall wide. Trigger Treating returns
on October thirty first. For those seeking more intense scares,
Thirteenth Floors Twin Cities Fearfa to operate September twenty six
through November two, while families can enjoy Scream and Green
(11:05):
Haunt Awien at Crayola Experience. Spirit Halloween rounds out the
season with its extensive store inside the mall beyond tell Aween.
All deals and experiences include bogo and limited ride wristbands
at Nickelodean Universe weekdays through October third, Bundle detraction packages
and seasonal fashion sales. Guests can also enjoy limited time
(11:25):
dining specials while earning double MOA insider points through November second.
Cultural events bring the community together with highlights such as
the Autumn Moon Festival on October fourth, Among Arts Festival
October twenty fifth, and the Latin Luminos October thirty first
through November tewod. For full details on seasonal activities, deals
and events, visit the mall's official website. Legendary Haunt Tour
(11:49):
a enerary is announced. Trans World's Legendary Haunt Tour, taking
place November seventh and eight, has announced its Haunt line
up for twenty twenty five. All attractions will be fully
operational with actors. The tour begins on Friday, November two
with Castle of Chaos Haunted House in Midvale, Utah and
Nightmares on thirteenth Haunted Attractions in Salt Lake City, Utah.
(12:09):
On Saturday, November eighth, the tour continues with a visit
to the Haunted Forest in American Fork, Utah, and then
returned to Nightmare on thirteenth through a behind the scenes
tour and the night at Fear Factory in Salt Lake City, Utah.
With a full show walk through, lights on self guided tour,
guided behind the scenes tours, and after party Tickets for
the legendary Haunt Tour on sale now starting at three
(12:31):
hundred and fifty dollars for the bus tour and three
hundred for the self driving tour. Prices will increase by
twenty dollars after October sixth. Zero Latency VR announces its
first fully immersive horror experience, Haunted. Zero Latency VR has
announced the launch of Haunted, its first fully immersive horror experience,
set inside a mysterious shifting house that seems to live
(12:54):
and breathe. Haunted offers players an intense cinematic horror experience
featuring wireless warehouse scale gameplay, five K visuals, and response
of spatial audio. The title places up to eight players
inside a psychologically onsetting narrative where a survival is never guaranteed.
Group dynamics are tested as players are drawn apart, guided
by whispers laughter, in a presence that always seems one
(13:16):
step ahead. This is an experience that Lingers, said Tim
Rue's CEO of Zero LATENCYVR. Haunted is a deeply immersive,
sensory rich story designed to stay with players long after
they leave the arena. It taps into fear in unexpected ways.
Sometimes it's loud and chaotic, sometimes it's quiet and intimate.
Either way whereat, participants come out of it talking, laughing,
(13:38):
and often a little shaken. Haunted will be available at
zero latency venues worldwide beginning on October third. Bookings are
now available on their official website. Michael Myers returns to
the big screen this October. Michael Myers is lashing his
way back to the big screen. This October, John Carpenter's
Halloween nineteen seventy eight returns to theaters nationwide, joined by
(14:00):
Halloween four, The Return of Michael Myers, and Halloween five,
The Revenge of Michael Myers. Together, these classics will screen
on more than eighty markets and nearly four hundred theaters,
with additional locations being added daily. Cini Life Entertainment and
treich As International Films are once again partnering to bring
the films back for the season, giving fans and families
a chance to relive the suspension, dread, and terror of
(14:23):
Michael Myers on the big screen. For many, seeing Halloween
in theaters has become an annual tradition, and this October,
both longtime fans and first time viewers will have the
chance to share the scares with Michael Myers where he
belonged in the dark. Check local listings to find a
theater near you. Trick or Treat gets its first nationwide
theatrical release on October fourteenth and sixteen. Legendary Pictures, Warner
(14:46):
brother Pictures, and Saga Arts are bringing Trick or Treat
from two thousand and seven to screens nationwide for the
first time ever in a partnership with Fathom Entertainment. A
modern Halloween classic, Trick or Treat is injured as a
fan favorite for its chilling tales and its unforgettable guardian
of tradition, Sam, the mischievous spirit who punishes those who
break the rule. Written and directed by Michael Dougherty, Godzilla,
(15:09):
King of the Monsters, and Crampus, the film We've Sinister Stories.
Set on Halloween night, a high school principal moonlights as
a killer, a young virgin search for the right man
turns horrific, Emma and her husband learn the cost of
ignoring rituals, and a cantankerous old man faces Sam in
a terrifying showdown, darkly funny, gruesome, and endlessly rewatchable trick
(15:30):
or treat secures Sam's place as a true spirit of Halloween.
The screenings will include a special feature rat of director
Michael Doherty discussing the Halloween memories that inspired the film,
and a restoration of the nineteen ninety six hand drawn
short films Season's Greetings that first brought the iconic Sam
to light. Visit Fathom Entertainment's official website to locate screenings
(15:50):
near you. Midnight Syndicate, Gothic Horror and Haunt Music Hunters
Toolboxes hosting a live Q and A session with Edward
Douglas and Galvin Gozka Night Syndicate on Tuesday, September thirtieth
at five thirty pm to seven pm Pacific daylight Time.
Midnight Syndicate is an American musical duo known for creating dark, atmospheric,
(16:11):
and gothic themed instrumental music. Since nineteen ninety seven, composers
Douglas and Gozca have produced what they call soundtracks for
the Imagination, blending orchestral scores with sound effects to evoke
a sense of horror, mystery, and fantasy. Their tunes and
ambient sounds are used in themed attractions worldwide. Tune into
this ninety minute live session to hear about their inspiration
(16:32):
and learn how to create your own hot music, along
with sound tips and tricks. Some upcoming events this September
through November of twenty twenty five include Son of Monster
Palooza October tenth through twelfth and Burbank California i APPA
November seventeenth through twentieth in Orlando, Florida, and creep It
Real Festive November twenty one through twenty third in Santa Ana, California.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
And that's all for the news this week. Today's episode
was produced by me Philip Fernandez, with reports by Darryl Plunky.
Post production by David Swope. This hant News Update is
a production of the Hanted Attraction Network and you can
sign up to our weekly newsletter at Haunted Attraction Network
dot com. Support for this episode comes from Gantam Lighting
and Controls. Until next time, Haunters Stay Scary. This is
(17:20):
a Haunted Attraction Network production.
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