May 28, 2025 • 12 mins
This week: How trends from InterPark Magazine and theme parks impact haunts; Monsterpalooza Comes to Pasadena This Weekend; Six Flags validates horror IP expansion & themed F&B; Spirit Halloween Cancels Flagship Store Grand Opening; Queen Mary's Dark Harbor To Open June 13th; Zombies Takeover Hello Kitty Land This Summer; Ghostly Manor Debuts at Paultons Park; ScareCON's 2025 SCAR Awards Winners Announced; The Mystic Museum's Total Grotesque Live (TGL). Read the stories 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 to Darryl.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Celebrate the art of monsters in movie magic this weekend
May thirtieth through June first at Monster Palooza in Pasadena, California.
Taking place at the Pasadena Convention Center, Monster Palooza features
over four hundred exhibitors, a monster museum, special guests and
makeup demos, presentations, and more. Early bird tickets are on
sale online until May thirty, eth starting at forty dollars
(01:00):
plus fees for Friday admission, forty five dollars plus fees
for Sunday admission, and ninety dollars plus fees for the
three day admission. Saturday tickets are currently sold out online.
A limited number will be available for purchase at the
door on Saturday for fifty five dollars each. Spirit Halloween
has canceled their flagship store grand opening event. In a
(01:21):
May twenty second Facebook post, Spirit Halloween announced that due
to international disruptions and supply chain challenges, they have been
forced to cancel their annual Egg Harbor Township grand opening event,
typically taking place in early August. The grand opening event
allows fans and influencers to get a sneak peak at
the animatronics, props, costumes, and more to come. Over one
(01:41):
thousand stores across the US for the upcoming Halloween season.
While Spirit intends to bring the grand opening celebration back
for twenty twenty six, the company did state that over
fifteen hundred stores are on track to open their doors
for twenty twenty five, some as early as mid August.
A list of locations has yet to be released. Their
next stop is Mattison Scare Park. Spirit Halloween tease their
(02:03):
twenty twenty five theme on Facebook with a video showing
some of the new products for this Halloween season, from
giant sewer rats to zombie raccoons. The Spooky Subway theme
is sure to include chills and thrills for all six
flags presses. Reset. On May twentieth, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation
unveiled plans for the Great Reset, their new strategic plan,
(02:24):
in which they aim to reach fifty eight million in
annual attendance and three point eight billion in revenue by
twenty twenty eight. The eighty eight slide presentation boils down
to one thing, a better product makes more money. The
plan gives concrete examples of what industry professionals have known
for decades. Improving the guest experience means guests will want
(02:44):
to come back and spend more, convert to annual passes,
bring their friends, and grow market penetration. Halloween and other
seasonal events were cited as being critical for the plan,
which makes it likely that six Flags intends to keep
or expand those events at the fifteen properties they are
focusing on. One example given in the presentation was how
the creative themed Halloween blood bags drinks increased transactions per guest.
(03:09):
The company will look into other upgraded dining experiences to
boost food and beverage revenue. Listen to Philip and Scott's
complete analysis of the presentation on this week's episode of
The Green Tag Podcast by following the links in our
show notes Zombies takeover Hello Kitty Land this summer. Sanrio
piro Land in Tokyo, Japan, home to the cute characters
(03:30):
like Hello Kitty, Kiromi and Pompomperen, will be overrun by
zombies on June twenty eighth and July fifth as part
of a special collaboration with Obakan, Obakan Zombie Land and
Sanrio piro Land. Rebirth Code will challenge brave guests and
navigated dystopian nightmare, where a long dormant infection has mutated
(03:51):
and triggered an emergency lockdown. The infected roam the grounds
while special forces attempt to contain the chaos. Participants must
reverse the seven themed zones and complete missions to prove
that they are uninfected. If they survive the night, they
will receive exclusive merchandise. Twenty twenty five marks the tenth
anniversary of the event. Tickets are on sale now for
(04:13):
nine hundred and eighty yen. Only one thousand tickets will
be sold for each night. The Ghostly Manor debuts at
Paulton Park in New Forest, United Kingdom. Paulton's Park welcome
their newest dark ride this week. Ghostly Manner. The new
three point five million pounds scare attraction will feature interactive gameplay, storytelling,
(04:35):
and plenty of ghostly surprises. We're thrilled to celebrate the
launch of Ghostly Manner at Paulton's Parks that its creator's
Mack ride. Step inside the Haunted Halls where guests become
part of the story, combining thrilling interactivity, immersive set design,
and playful scares for the whole family. This is not
your average dark ride. It's a game, a theater, and
(04:56):
a ghostly good time all in one. Housed in the
Armer forty Cinema building, the ride transports visitors through a
series of spooky scenes, combining large projections with sets and
special effects as they try to capture a collection of
escaped ghosts. Guests can compare scores at the end of
the ride to determine who is the most skilled ghost
hunter of their group. Learn more on Fulton's Park's official website.
(05:20):
Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party tickets are now on
sale as Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party returns to
Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom Park in Orlando, Florida thirty
eight select nights from August fifteenth through October thirty first
of twenty twenty five. The festive fun includes a new
meet and greet with Mickey and Minnie Mouse at town
(05:40):
Square Theater, the transformation of Storybook Circus into a Happy
Haunt for families with younger children, and a dance party
inspired by Zombies four Dawn of the Vampires. Many longtime
fan favorites are reappearing as well, including Mickey's Booty You
Halloween Parade, Disney's Not So Spooky Spectacular Fireworks show, and
the hocus Pocus Villain spell Tacular. Don your costumes and
(06:04):
satisfy your sweet tooth with trigger treating at various locations
in the park and limited time Halloween food and beverages.
Event tickets range from one hundred and nineteen to two
hundred and twenty nine per person. Scare CON's Scar Award
winners have been announced. Scare Con from United Kingdom announced
their twenty twenty five Scar Awards winners at their May
(06:25):
twentieth scare Ball. The twenty twenty five awards were based
on events and attractions that opened or operated for a
significant duration between April twenty twenty four and March twenty
twenty five. All fifteen categories were judged by the scare
Con and scare Tour review team and were scored upon
specific requirements for each category, including public reviews. Awards were
(06:45):
received by Screamfest Burton, The Nightmare Realm, Extreme, Scream Park,
Tali's S, October Fest, Traumatica, York, May's Hallow Scream, Screams
at Thornton Hall, Wallsale, Scare May's London Bridge Experience, Thorpe Park,
Horror At Hitchings Brook House, The Howell Scream Park, and
Horror Land. Queen Mary's Dark Harbor presents Butcher's Blackout on Friday,
(07:11):
June thirteenth. Dark Harbor returns to historic Queen Mary in
Long Beach, California for a special, one night only off
season event on Friday, June thirteenth. Experience Butcher's Blackout, a
walk through the Feast Maze incomplete darkness with only a
glowstick to guide you. The maze will feature an all
new Grizzly Finale sequence Combo. Ticket Holders will also have
(07:34):
the opportunity to experience the Summoning of Samuel, where they
can join Psychic Lady Mabel in the interactive Seance, where
the veil between the living and the dead lifts and
something ventful steps through. More fearsome festivities around the ship
include the Spirits of Dark Harbor Bar and the Engine Room,
where you can learn more about the haunted history of
(07:55):
the ship. Tickets will go on zale soon. Sign up
to the event's official website to get early act so
that's the tickets once they are available. The Mystic Museum's
Total Grotesque Live launches May thirty first. Get ready for
the newest immersive exhibit at the Mystic Museum in Burbank, California.
Total Grotesque Live TGL Launching on Friday, May thirty first
(08:16):
and running for a full year, This interactive photo experience
invites brave souls to step inside the screen and become
the main character in detailed recreations of ten iconic horror
scenes crafted by the same twisted minds behind Mystic Museum's
previous hit experiences. Pre sale Grand opening Day tickets are
available online for twenty two seventy eight. Urban Death's twentieth
(08:38):
anniversary show in May Friday and Saturdays now through June fourteenth.
Zombie Joe's Underground Theater Group in North Hollywood, California celebrates
twenty ghoulish years of Urban Death with an all new
Signature horror production and twentieth anniversary Mays directed by Denise
Devin and Jana Weimer, the music by Joseph Peshara. This
(08:59):
new iteration of Urban Death fuses the phantasmic and shocking
with a terrifyingly human, guiding audiences through a bone chilling
walk through maze followed by a forty five minute sit
down horror theater thrombosis. Each night, brave guests will be
led into the darkness and thrust into a series of haunting, grotesque, freaky,
and often beautiful vignettes that have defined Urban Death as
(09:21):
a genre breaking theater phenomenon since it was created by
Zombie Joe and Jana Wimer two decades ago. Tickets are
on sale now for twenty dollars online and twenty five
at the door. This production is for audiences ages seventeen
plus due to graphic content and full nudity. Haunt Doll's
experience coming to the Midwest Haunters Convention. Haunt Dolls MHC
Booth thirty thirty nine, an exhibitor that creates collectible crochet
(09:44):
Horror Dolls announced they are bringing a new experience to
the Midwest Haunters Convention in Rosemont, Illinois, June sixth through eighth.
MHC will mark our second in the Flesh collection release,
limited edition crocheted pieces that you can only access by
meeting us in the Flesh at an in person events
at Alex Berland, CEO and founder of Haunt Dolls, we
(10:07):
want to connect these pieces with a truly one of
a kind experience. You will leave with a limited edition
display piece and a story to go along with it.
Specific details are still under wraps, but the basic premise
is that participants will complete an immersive experience before receiving
their limited edition doll entertainment and products combined. Haunt Dolls
as partnering with ktl Illist, Moonhawler Productions, Brandybeast, and Lost
(10:31):
Soul's Chicago for the experience. Follow Haunt Dolls on social
media or sign up for their mailing list for more
information as it is announced, Ask the Haunt expert Bart Butler.
Coming up in live streams, Hunter's Toolbox is hosting a
live Q and a session with Terror on the Corn
Show director Bart Butler on Tuesday, June tenth, at five
(10:52):
point thirty pm Pacific daylight time. In this ninety minute
live session, Butler will discuss scare actor management, scenic design
and construction, character development, increasing attendance, and more. Haunted Attraction
Network founder Philip Bernandez is featured in an article in
Interpark Magazine. In this interview from the twenty twenty four
(11:13):
Halloween season with editor Beth Whittaker, Philip discusses the history
of the Haunted Attraction Network, has favorite haunted attractions, and
the significant changes in the haunted attraction industry he has
witnessed in recent years. Some upcoming events this May through
July twenty twenty five include Monster Palooza from Pasadena, California,
May thirtieth through June first, the Midwest Haunters Convention in Rosemont, Illinois,
(11:37):
June sixth through eight in the Texas Haunters Convention in Dallas,
Texas July twenty sixth then twenty seventh.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
And that's all for the News this week.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Today's episode was produced by me Philipernandez, with reporting by
Daryl Plunky post production by David Swope. This Haunt News
Update is a production of the Haunted Attraction Network and
you can sign up to our weekly newsletter at home
Anti Attraction Network dot com. Support for this episode comes
from Gantum Lighting and Controls. Until next time, Haunters stay scary.
(12:09):
This is 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 to Darryl.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Celebrate the art of monsters in movie magic this weekend
May thirtieth through June first at Monster Palooza in Pasadena, California.
Taking place at the Pasadena Convention Center, Monster Palooza features
over four hundred exhibitors, a monster museum, special guests and
makeup demos, presentations, and more. Early bird tickets are on
sale online until May thirty, eth starting at forty dollars
(01:00):
plus fees for Friday admission, forty five dollars plus fees
for Sunday admission, and ninety dollars plus fees for the
three day admission. Saturday tickets are currently sold out online.
A limited number will be available for purchase at the
door on Saturday for fifty five dollars each. Spirit Halloween
has canceled their flagship store grand opening event. In a
(01:21):
May twenty second Facebook post, Spirit Halloween announced that due
to international disruptions and supply chain challenges, they have been
forced to cancel their annual Egg Harbor Township grand opening event,
typically taking place in early August. The grand opening event
allows fans and influencers to get a sneak peak at
the animatronics, props, costumes, and more to come. Over one
(01:41):
thousand stores across the US for the upcoming Halloween season.
While Spirit intends to bring the grand opening celebration back
for twenty twenty six, the company did state that over
fifteen hundred stores are on track to open their doors
for twenty twenty five, some as early as mid August.
A list of locations has yet to be released. Their
next stop is Mattison Scare Park. Spirit Halloween tease their
(02:03):
twenty twenty five theme on Facebook with a video showing
some of the new products for this Halloween season, from
giant sewer rats to zombie raccoons. The Spooky Subway theme
is sure to include chills and thrills for all six
flags presses. Reset. On May twentieth, Six Flags Entertainment Corporation
unveiled plans for the Great Reset, their new strategic plan,
(02:24):
in which they aim to reach fifty eight million in
annual attendance and three point eight billion in revenue by
twenty twenty eight. The eighty eight slide presentation boils down
to one thing, a better product makes more money. The
plan gives concrete examples of what industry professionals have known
for decades. Improving the guest experience means guests will want
(02:44):
to come back and spend more, convert to annual passes,
bring their friends, and grow market penetration. Halloween and other
seasonal events were cited as being critical for the plan,
which makes it likely that six Flags intends to keep
or expand those events at the fifteen properties they are
focusing on. One example given in the presentation was how
the creative themed Halloween blood bags drinks increased transactions per guest.
(03:09):
The company will look into other upgraded dining experiences to
boost food and beverage revenue. Listen to Philip and Scott's
complete analysis of the presentation on this week's episode of
The Green Tag Podcast by following the links in our
show notes Zombies takeover Hello Kitty Land this summer. Sanrio
piro Land in Tokyo, Japan, home to the cute characters
(03:30):
like Hello Kitty, Kiromi and Pompomperen, will be overrun by
zombies on June twenty eighth and July fifth as part
of a special collaboration with Obakan, Obakan Zombie Land and
Sanrio piro Land. Rebirth Code will challenge brave guests and
navigated dystopian nightmare, where a long dormant infection has mutated
(03:51):
and triggered an emergency lockdown. The infected roam the grounds
while special forces attempt to contain the chaos. Participants must
reverse the seven themed zones and complete missions to prove
that they are uninfected. If they survive the night, they
will receive exclusive merchandise. Twenty twenty five marks the tenth
anniversary of the event. Tickets are on sale now for
(04:13):
nine hundred and eighty yen. Only one thousand tickets will
be sold for each night. The Ghostly Manor debuts at
Paulton Park in New Forest, United Kingdom. Paulton's Park welcome
their newest dark ride this week. Ghostly Manner. The new
three point five million pounds scare attraction will feature interactive gameplay, storytelling,
(04:35):
and plenty of ghostly surprises. We're thrilled to celebrate the
launch of Ghostly Manner at Paulton's Parks that its creator's
Mack ride. Step inside the Haunted Halls where guests become
part of the story, combining thrilling interactivity, immersive set design,
and playful scares for the whole family. This is not
your average dark ride. It's a game, a theater, and
(04:56):
a ghostly good time all in one. Housed in the
Armer forty Cinema building, the ride transports visitors through a
series of spooky scenes, combining large projections with sets and
special effects as they try to capture a collection of
escaped ghosts. Guests can compare scores at the end of
the ride to determine who is the most skilled ghost
hunter of their group. Learn more on Fulton's Park's official website.
(05:20):
Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party tickets are now on
sale as Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party returns to
Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom Park in Orlando, Florida thirty
eight select nights from August fifteenth through October thirty first
of twenty twenty five. The festive fun includes a new
meet and greet with Mickey and Minnie Mouse at town
(05:40):
Square Theater, the transformation of Storybook Circus into a Happy
Haunt for families with younger children, and a dance party
inspired by Zombies four Dawn of the Vampires. Many longtime
fan favorites are reappearing as well, including Mickey's Booty You
Halloween Parade, Disney's Not So Spooky Spectacular Fireworks show, and
the hocus Pocus Villain spell Tacular. Don your costumes and
(06:04):
satisfy your sweet tooth with trigger treating at various locations
in the park and limited time Halloween food and beverages.
Event tickets range from one hundred and nineteen to two
hundred and twenty nine per person. Scare CON's Scar Award
winners have been announced. Scare Con from United Kingdom announced
their twenty twenty five Scar Awards winners at their May
(06:25):
twentieth scare Ball. The twenty twenty five awards were based
on events and attractions that opened or operated for a
significant duration between April twenty twenty four and March twenty
twenty five. All fifteen categories were judged by the scare
Con and scare Tour review team and were scored upon
specific requirements for each category, including public reviews. Awards were
(06:45):
received by Screamfest Burton, The Nightmare Realm, Extreme, Scream Park,
Tali's S, October Fest, Traumatica, York, May's Hallow Scream, Screams
at Thornton Hall, Wallsale, Scare May's London Bridge Experience, Thorpe Park,
Horror At Hitchings Brook House, The Howell Scream Park, and
Horror Land. Queen Mary's Dark Harbor presents Butcher's Blackout on Friday,
(07:11):
June thirteenth. Dark Harbor returns to historic Queen Mary in
Long Beach, California for a special, one night only off
season event on Friday, June thirteenth. Experience Butcher's Blackout, a
walk through the Feast Maze incomplete darkness with only a
glowstick to guide you. The maze will feature an all
new Grizzly Finale sequence Combo. Ticket Holders will also have
(07:34):
the opportunity to experience the Summoning of Samuel, where they
can join Psychic Lady Mabel in the interactive Seance, where
the veil between the living and the dead lifts and
something ventful steps through. More fearsome festivities around the ship
include the Spirits of Dark Harbor Bar and the Engine Room,
where you can learn more about the haunted history of
(07:55):
the ship. Tickets will go on zale soon. Sign up
to the event's official website to get early act so
that's the tickets once they are available. The Mystic Museum's
Total Grotesque Live launches May thirty first. Get ready for
the newest immersive exhibit at the Mystic Museum in Burbank, California.
Total Grotesque Live TGL Launching on Friday, May thirty first
(08:16):
and running for a full year, This interactive photo experience
invites brave souls to step inside the screen and become
the main character in detailed recreations of ten iconic horror
scenes crafted by the same twisted minds behind Mystic Museum's
previous hit experiences. Pre sale Grand opening Day tickets are
available online for twenty two seventy eight. Urban Death's twentieth
(08:38):
anniversary show in May Friday and Saturdays now through June fourteenth.
Zombie Joe's Underground Theater Group in North Hollywood, California celebrates
twenty ghoulish years of Urban Death with an all new
Signature horror production and twentieth anniversary Mays directed by Denise
Devin and Jana Weimer, the music by Joseph Peshara. This
(08:59):
new iteration of Urban Death fuses the phantasmic and shocking
with a terrifyingly human, guiding audiences through a bone chilling
walk through maze followed by a forty five minute sit
down horror theater thrombosis. Each night, brave guests will be
led into the darkness and thrust into a series of haunting, grotesque, freaky,
and often beautiful vignettes that have defined Urban Death as
(09:21):
a genre breaking theater phenomenon since it was created by
Zombie Joe and Jana Wimer two decades ago. Tickets are
on sale now for twenty dollars online and twenty five
at the door. This production is for audiences ages seventeen
plus due to graphic content and full nudity. Haunt Doll's
experience coming to the Midwest Haunters Convention. Haunt Dolls MHC
Booth thirty thirty nine, an exhibitor that creates collectible crochet
(09:44):
Horror Dolls announced they are bringing a new experience to
the Midwest Haunters Convention in Rosemont, Illinois, June sixth through eighth.
MHC will mark our second in the Flesh collection release,
limited edition crocheted pieces that you can only access by
meeting us in the Flesh at an in person events
at Alex Berland, CEO and founder of Haunt Dolls, we
(10:07):
want to connect these pieces with a truly one of
a kind experience. You will leave with a limited edition
display piece and a story to go along with it.
Specific details are still under wraps, but the basic premise
is that participants will complete an immersive experience before receiving
their limited edition doll entertainment and products combined. Haunt Dolls
as partnering with ktl Illist, Moonhawler Productions, Brandybeast, and Lost
(10:31):
Soul's Chicago for the experience. Follow Haunt Dolls on social
media or sign up for their mailing list for more
information as it is announced, Ask the Haunt expert Bart Butler.
Coming up in live streams, Hunter's Toolbox is hosting a
live Q and a session with Terror on the Corn
Show director Bart Butler on Tuesday, June tenth, at five
(10:52):
point thirty pm Pacific daylight time. In this ninety minute
live session, Butler will discuss scare actor management, scenic design
and construction, character development, increasing attendance, and more. Haunted Attraction
Network founder Philip Bernandez is featured in an article in
Interpark Magazine. In this interview from the twenty twenty four
(11:13):
Halloween season with editor Beth Whittaker, Philip discusses the history
of the Haunted Attraction Network, has favorite haunted attractions, and
the significant changes in the haunted attraction industry he has
witnessed in recent years. Some upcoming events this May through
July twenty twenty five include Monster Palooza from Pasadena, California,
May thirtieth through June first, the Midwest Haunters Convention in Rosemont, Illinois,
(11:37):
June sixth through eight in the Texas Haunters Convention in Dallas,
Texas July twenty sixth then twenty seventh.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
And that's all for the News this week.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Today's episode was produced by me Philipernandez, with reporting by
Daryl Plunky post production by David Swope. This Haunt News
Update is a production of the Haunted Attraction Network and
you can sign up to our weekly newsletter at home
Anti Attraction Network dot com. Support for this episode comes
from Gantum Lighting and Controls. Until next time, Haunters stay scary.
(12:09):
This is a Haunted Attraction Network production.
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