Haunt Tours Transworld 2016

[drfrightner]

What is realistic here? What haunts do you think could be toured as pre-tour or after tours or even during the show itself.

How far away are you really willing to go? The subject came up so I'm interested to know. What days are you willing to travel on a bus for several hours and be away from the hotel party action? In other words is Saturday out of the question? Is Friday out of the question?

Would you be willing to stay on a Sunday for a really big tour?

Cites from St Louis that are even reasonable ...

Chicago 360 plus miles 5 hours
Des Moines Iowa 340 5 hours
Indianapolis 250 4 plus hours
Kansas City 260 4 plus hours
Memphis 284 4 plus hours
Milwaukee 380 6 plus hours
Nashville 316 5 plus hours
Louisville 261 less than 4 hours

Then you have smaller towns and cities like Columbia Missouri or Branson Missouri. I'm sure there are other haunts within 3 hours drive but I don't know what all of those are off the top of my head.

Does any of these cities seem appealing? Keep in mind a tour to KC would take 10 hours probably with time spent at the haunts themselves... as an example.

Larry

[wickedfarmer]

3 one way max

For me 3 hours one way is MAX...and I am still not likely to go more than 2 hours one way. And I am crazy enough to drive from Michigan to St. Louis twice during the week so different crew members can go (I'm hauling farm tillage steel so it isn't wasted trips) But while there... I do not want to travel more...even on a booze cruise.
Wicked Farmer

[wickedfarmer]

More thoughts...

I think I have to lower my previous statement to 2 hours one way max. And I am not likely to just jump on a Transworld website and buy tickets for a long booze cruise bus ride without knowing first if some of the other nutjob friends I have made in the industry are going as well. Sure it would be nice to see something else besides Darkness. BUT Larry I have to say you deliver every year after year. Even after year after year it almost seems you just copy and paste your previous 5 years comments that "this year will be biggest most unbelievable undertaking we have ever done" you do deliver. And truthfully...I'm going where the crowd is. There is something to be said about meeting other haunt owners while standing in line outside of Darkness. It is another atmosphere away from LOUD show floor or where those who just want to get smashed at the bar. Don't get me wrong...have had many a good conversation at Ren bar...but line outside of Darkness with the masses is another animal by itself. I rather wait in line there 45 minutes than in a bus seat for 45 minutes. And lets face it...I want to see some props up close by some who do not display at Transworld. Darkness is the perfect spot as long as Transworld is in St. Louis. If Darkness is same some year with no redo...I'll grudgingly hop on a bus.

Wicked Farmer

[teamzombie]

Larry,

I ready your other comments about bus tours and now I get it. Now after reading even more comments I totally got it! I suppose the true nature of visiting St Louis is the tradeshow itself not haunt tours as we see with other conventions. I understand why people would not want to sit on a bus for hours on end. However I do think as I posted on the other thread a pre and post tour wouldn't hurt anyone.

As far as your list goes I'm doubting I would want to sit on a bus either for 4 hours there, 4 hours back, and 2 hours between. Personally and it's just me but if these tours came available I'd rather take my own car.

Chris

[MillersThrillers]

Kansas City

Head out Tuesday/Wednesday morning (or Monday for a post tour) west to the Beast and Edge of Hell! On the way there stop at Fear fest for a haunt and paintball hayride which greatly breaks up the trip and gives something to talk about the 2nd half of the trip there. On the way back people will be discussing the 2 KS haunts. Halfway back have a speaker do a class on the bus while everyone listens. Im sure Gore Galore could rig up some sort of standing seatbelt harness. Maybe throw a cable system on the bus so they could zip back and forth down the aisle!!

[wickedfarmer]

Kevin with Gore Galore might be a little busy

At least for a pre-show haunt tour. Just guessing post tour would be better.

Wicked Farmer

[haunter1313]

Personally not interested in sitting on a bus at all. I have been to Hauntcon and typically visit the haunts nearby. Here is how I see it if you want to visit far away haunts you can do it on your own time during the season. If I attend a tradeshow then I want to attend the tradeshow, visit with other haunt owners, attend seminars, and have fun. I also am not one who can do all the pre-tours or stay after shows because I have a real job. So when I attend tradeshows or conventions want to say nearby.

[TheDarkestHour]

A real job? Is being the owner of a haunt a fake job?

[darkstudiofx]

He might have meant a day job. Not everyone in this industry can survive on haunting alone. I'm trying to start a company moonlighting at night as a would be haunt designer but by day I have a real job as well. LOL Rick

[TheDarkestHour]

I know, I'm just busting his balls. I too have a "real job".

[gorezone]

When we go to Transworld we are not concerned with haunt tours or seeing haunts for that matter. We are interested in the seminars and the tradeshow floor. I would not be interested in any way to hop on a bus for any length of time. Visiting the Darkness is a no brainer because its close and because its educational. We have several of the how to videos which helps as well. Even if we didn't attend Darkness tour this year or any year it wouldn't change at least my own personal view that tradeshows are about seminars and vendors.

We will take in the behind the scenes tour of Darkness because we want to take photos and see new stuff. We will also invest our money into buying seminars and spending as much time as possible visiting with trusted vendors.

[TheDarkestHour]

Gorezone, do you go to hauntcon as well? From what I've seen, HC puts a much larger focus on the education side of things. Leonard Pickle runs the thing, so, it only seems natural that would be the way it is.

[gorezone]

Yes we've been to Hauntcon, MHC and Transworld. Here's the deal my friends:

MHC: Lots of haunt tours all great. They also have a lot of seminars probably more than Transworld and Hauntcon. Their tradeshow floor is good not great but growing. The great thing about MHC is just hanging out with everyone in a very relaxed environment. You can basically let your hair down! The seminars are hit and miss.

Hauntcon: We actually went to Hauntcon last year while taking in the Halloween retail show at the same time. The tradeshow floor is almost gone so that is a minus. Seminars are very much like MHC hit and miss. I like Hauntcon because you get out to new cities and see different haunts. I think when visiting Hauntcon taking in the haunt tours is the #1 priority.

Transworld: We have visited The Darkness and find that to be very educational experience. With that being said haunt tours aren't really the top of the agenda I don't believe. The tradeshow floor is packed with new exciting products. The seminars are a bit lighter than Hauntcon and MCH still hit and miss but they are overall stronger.

MHC does a lot of bus tours sometimes they aren't worth the drive so as a rule I tend to skip bus tours.

[terrormasue]

Yep "Real job" here too. Actually I have two full time real jobs... one I absolutely LOVE!! aka...The haunt... and the other to make the bills. Hopefully one day after EVERYTHING is paid off I can retire and do the job I love full full time... So as far as traveling about 1.5 hours one way is it for me. If I were to drive farther the haunt would have to be over the top amazing. Now thats if I'm at a convention or tradeshow. One year after we closed the season at Graystone we drove to Netherworld no problem. They are open the following weekend after we close. It was a 10 hour drive, had a blast. However if I am attending a convention or tradeshow 1.5 hours one way would be my max, as I mentioned above.

Sue