You know, it's funny

[Duke of Darkness]

I have given this top a lot of thought, and several things occur to me.

1- First off, as several others have pointed out, it is not necessarily all about scares, but about entertainment. That is why my philosophy has always been to design my haunt not only to startle, but also to creep people out, and -- importantly -- make them laugh.

2- Don't assume that "stone faces" are not enjoying themselves. I can't count the times when I would get groups like that, and would comment about it to my barker or ticket taker, only to have them tell me that the person came out raving about the show. That is simply how some people react to stress. For others, like many of us here, they derive their enjoyment of the haunt from something other than being scared.

3- In the big picture, those who don't openly react are not that big a deal. They don't compare to the smart smart ass types that mock actors, touch props, tip scares, and in general do everything they can to ruin the show for everybody. And as the original poster said, Mr. Stoneface paid for his ticket, he deserves the same show as everyone else.

Just the rambling thoughts of someone addled from to many hours tearing down a haunt...

Dave

[Madhaus32]

Don't assume that the stone faced people aren't scared or entertained. I truly think that the lack of expression is an involuntary reaction to their fear and the ownknown situations that they are immersed in. As we all know, there are a myriad of reactions to fear or being startled. Some people take a swing, some people laugh, some scream, some pee, and some throw up a wall that turns off their expressions. When you see these people, remember that they aren't like that naturally, you are CAUSING them to shut off their emotions even if they don't know why. We've all heard of fight or flight. But it may be more like, fight, flight, or freeze. And these people are freezing. Then again, some people are just arseholes.

[Jim Warfield]

Some of them have innocent motives

Those young boys who give away the scare before the rest get the chance to get it. I have seen a "Boy Scout" mentality in this, an innocent look as they try to "Help" by pointing out those fearfull experience waiting just around the corner.
Of course I mention this to them and still ask them to stop doing this since it is possibly ruining the tour those others have paid for!
Sort of like going to a movie and having someone sitting near you be talking telling everything that is about to take place on the screen! (And they ARE NOT simply "Psychics" either!)

[Frightener]

Those young boys who give away the scare before the rest get the chance to get it. I have seen a "Boy Scout" mentality in this, an innocent look as they try to "Help" by pointing out those fearfull experience waiting just around the corner.
Of course I mention this to them and still ask them to stop doing this since it is possibly ruining the tour those others have paid for!
Sort of like going to a movie and having someone sitting near you be talking telling everything that is about to take place on the screen! (And they ARE NOT simply "Psychics" either!)

Exactly, that's a theory for adults as well! I think that a lot of folks get into it all and to them, they're not harming anything, or at least don't realize it. And thus, the MAIN reason I do NOT like being first! I WANT to be scared, startled or entertained, but the thing is, I'm so "LOOKING" at everything, and trying to learn, it's hard for me to not guess or "know" So sometimes I find it hard to NOT look at the actor that we're not suppose to see. Most of the time I cut my eyes, so my head doesn't turn, and if I think they see me, I wink or smile to let them know.

No matter WHAT is said here, you're STILL gonna have the arsehats that don't care and are there for a front, showing how "cool" or macho they are. W/E i say. I hate fake ppl and I hate ppl like that. I understand that, but I really think there's more innocent ppl that have the walls up than the ones "TRYING" not to get scared, because it's less manly to. Hope you see what I'm trying to get at.

[James Wilson]

In my case, I've been working haunts for almost 14 years now, and I don't usually pay any attention to the actors. I'm too busy checking out the scenery, lighting, FX, and sound scheme. Those give me ideas, or inspiration. I've spent most of the last four haunt seasons going to haunts and teaching myself to ignore the actors while I check out the things that are cool to me. I'm not a pro haunt owner, but I consider myself a pro haunt patron. This is just my 2 cents on the subject at hand, though. Please take it with a grain of salt.

[krazedklownkilla]

As a Haunt vet I walk though the haunt looking at the props. But what I love the most is how GOOD actors try different ways to scare me. It really shows how good of a haunt team they have. I tell my actors try your best to scare them and if its not going to happen then make them laugh. they paid money to be entertained so do it.

[Jim Warfield]

Most Rooms Here

the customers are allowed to "settle Into" physically and most of the rooms here are very well lit which also makes settling in more possible, all creating distractions of being able to see everything . There are no sound tracks playing here .. all is pretty calm (before the storm)
Myself or my crew are narrating the show pretty much non-stop not just growling , no screaming, which does also tend to engage most people's minds via their ear-holes, right before the brain.
All these distractions and odd statements do distract to the level of making most people's sense of time passing becoming very skewed and surprise is a common reaction when the tour ends that so much of that "Time -Stuff" has escaped their notice from everything else here around them.
The time factor also allows most people to calm before the next "Thing", a reset (for most, not all)
Just when they anticipate the tour coming to it's finale, the next passage opens and a foreboding long tunnel opens up before them, a tunnel with no visible exit, just when they assume they have probably seen this entire property.
First timers here can use all their previous haunt experience knowlege ... and they still won't anticipate how the tour and travel through this house will be.

[Frightener]

DAMMIT BOY! Yer just gonna have to stop doing this crap to me! It feels like you're targeting ME everytime you post here lately haha. Like you've seen my post where I wanna come out and all you do is keep antagonizing me.

Man your place keeps sounding like what I'd want my haunt to be, except for the fact that it doesn't seem feasible on the time issue. I keep thinking "get em in, get em out" or at least put enough space between the groups so the chain doesn't buckle. The only way to move a chain w/o carrying it is to PULL it, so no kinks happen, amirite? But your haunt seems / sounds to break all the rules lol.

Can't wait Jim! Joo better have some free time after the haunt btw, I wanna meet / talk with you too :P

BTW:
" I tell my actors try your best to scare them and if its not going to happen then make them laugh. they paid money to be entertained so do it."

I couldn't have explained it better myself. THIS is what I was trying to think of. THAT'S the way it should be, really. If you can't break them with fear, break them with humor! Let me tell you about an experience. We were in the Horror in the Hollow one time, the Dead Mine or w/e it was. We were unbreakable. Then one guy jumps us with a scare and did ok. Got a jump... still though, "Silence" then the freaking monster goes "Giggedy" like Quagmire from Family Guy. Dude, we busted out laughing so hard I almost passed out. Was great. ... THAT was entertainment.