Hayride Trouble

[Bear]

I need some advice on a Haunted Hayride. I have done quite a few successful haunted attractions over the years ranging from trails to houses to one small hayride through the woods. Two years ago I started working with som friends to make a really big haunted house and it became a huge success. However, last year the people financing this for us wanted a hayride... Through a field. We did up a few scenes last year but it just really didn't do too well since, because of safety reasons, they put really high cages around the trailers. It just felt too safe for the customer and they complained about dead time. This year if we don't really step it up a notch, I feel like te hayride will die out. Now we have over 8,000 people come through every year for the house... but I don't want to charge them for an attracton that is not worth the price. PLEASE... Any advice?

[Jim Warfield]

Maybe the extensive cage "safety" feeling could be circumvented by things that fit through the bars?
Like skinny snakes?
Like faux pointy weapons? (No real metal or solid pointies!)
Swarms of bees?(just sound effects and acting for the bees)
Poison gas? (fog machine)
Make the safety of the cage bars into a prison containing them for the imagined abuse.