Ebola and Enterovirus Concerns and Attendance

[Abunai]

I didn't want to be the first to ask the question, but I'm wondering if it's on the minds of any professional haunted attraction owners:

I suspect that if more people begin to be diagnosed with Ebola or the Enterovirus in the U.S., the public will opt to stay at home and as far away from crowds and gatherings of people (like haunted attractions) as possible.

Has anyone else, here, considered this?

We are about to begin the first weekend following the first diagnosis of Ebola in the U.S. I'm wondering (among other things, obviously) how it will affect this week's attendance numbers.

Moreover, how might this affect the overall economy, with both the Halloween season (haunted attractions, trick or treating, parties) and the Christmas season (shopping, parties, etc.) coming up?

[haunter1313]

I can't image Ebola being a factor on attendance unless we have an outbreak here like Africa.

[~nail in the coffin~]

I think this is a very valid question and I'm glad it was brought up here. My haunt isn't opening until next year, but there's a local haunt we are considering visiting this weekend. At the end of the haunt there's a maze in which a "cloth hood" is placed over your head so you can't see. At work today at my salon I mentioned this to a client and the very first thing out of her mouth was "no way in hell with all the disease going around." And you know what, I hadn't thought about it until she said that. A cloth hood with people sweating all over it? And spitting in it (that's inevitable)?? Then you get this lovely thing placed on your head? I won't even get into head lice. I've got 3 kids, I've been there enough times to know this is a VERY BAD idea. I'm sure there's a way to opt-out of this last attraction but I think it should have been an add-on in the first place, not just included in the whole attraction.

Don't think people aren't thinking about it because they are. Just scrolling down my fb I see people going into panic mode and buying out grocery stores so they don't have to leave their house "in case". And I live in PA.

[dawn408]

Nasty claustrophobia tunnels

Maybe this will give people a good reason to get rid of those nasty claustrophobia tunnels. Thousands of customers all having their mouths and noses pushed into the tunnel fabric. The perfect way to spread all types of illnesses. I have always thought the tunnels were a terrible idea. You couldn't pay me to go through one of them.

[monsterwax]

We are discussing two different topics here, really. I do not think Ebola is going to be a concern this year in attendance, but I also think the woman who said she would not put her head in the bag was right: it is a good way to get lice and transmit flu virus. I wouldn't reuse anyone else's tissue for the same reason, or floss, or utensils.

For the same reason, we should all make a point to spray lysol or other disinfectants in our masks after each use, to reduce bugs making the rounds in our staff.

As far as Ebola is concerned, I think it is was insane for the government to send 3,000 of our troops to the middle of that plague, insisting they are not at any real risk of infection. NBC just had a cameraman come back from there with the virus, and he certainly was aware of the danger and took precautions, yet he still got it. Send them medicine and money, but not our sons and daughters, because it is not in our national interest to send 3,000 to ground zero, and then return them here to expose another 300,000,000 Americans.

Next year, who knows? We might all have very good reasons to fear a drop in attendance because it could be at our shores. If that happens, attendance will be the LEAST of our worries.

[monsterwax]

After all the concern about Ebola, we ended up using it in our show -- and the public loved it. Like they say, if life gives you lemons, make lemonade!

[drfrightner]

I just saw a story that said the US is Ebola Free.

I'm not sure the Ebola situation really impacted Halloween that much because it was so isolated to a handful of cases. But yeah I actually thought about it.

Larry

[Jim Warfield]

9-11 Impacted our business.

As silly as it might sound people cancelled buses full of kids from a Park District who were scheduled to be here. Did someone really think people from half-way around the world would be ambushing school busses in the center of Illinois?
I guess they did?

[Lochness]

Don't be paranoid about Ebola. No one has to worry about anything unless they went to Africa or other infected areas.

[Jim Warfield]

"The Hot Zone" N.Y. Times best seller 1989

A complete book about Ebola. All the gory details of what it does, ex cetra. http://www.amazon.com/Hot-Zone-Terri...s=the+hot+zone