Some Helping Ideas please

[dangrusliason83]

I am in charge of an organization, and we have held an annual Haunted Hayride fro the last 3 years. we just had this years and knowing what we have done, I know we need to improve to make it scarier. Each year it gets a little better, but we are non profit and we can't afford actors, so we have to use community volunteers, and most of the ones we get are high school students, anyway, I would really like some suggestions on how to improve and make this event even better for next year. I am looking for prop suggestions, costumes suggestion, scare tactics, anything anyone can help me with I would much appreciate it.

[Jim Warfield]

Haunted Hay ride.
Have two really good actors sitting on the wagon talking about the terrible accident last year and how the hay rack rolled into a gulley and several people were really messed up.
Paint canvas or other material with flat black paint and display it next to the trail with warning signs coming up to it about "Dangerous Drop Off", then have some small , shallow holes right there for the wagon wheels to dip into to make it seems as if the whole wagon is tipping over.
I recommend experiementing with the depth of those wagon-rocking holes , you don't want them too deep to actually roll the wagon over, you know.
Installing some pipe railings on the wagon would pretty much be a "Must".
You do have to anticipate what could happen in all situations.
If you had more than one trail or path for your wagons then you could bill the one as the "Dangerous" ride and maybe even only allow more able-bodied people on that wagon, versus Mothers holding small children.
(Disclaimer: I have never operated a hay ride myself, I just have alot of ideas.

[Medusa53]

I am in charge of an organization, and we have held an annual Haunted Hayride fro the last 3 years. we just had this years and knowing what we have done, I know we need to improve to make it scarier. Each year it gets a little better, but we are non profit and we can't afford actors, so we have to use community volunteers, and most of the ones we get are high school students, anyway, I would really like some suggestions on how to improve and make this event even better for next year. I am looking for prop suggestions, costumes suggestion, scare tactics, anything anyone can help me with I would much appreciate it.

Could you tell us a bit more about what you have already done.I do a haunted trail each year so I could probably give you lots of ideas!!

[ReedSBF]

We have been running a hayride for the past 15 years. Surveys!!! Surveys are important. take your feedback and work from there. The best way to get ideas is to experience other attractions. Don't take anothers hayride and make it yours. It is ok to use anothers idea. Hayrides are hard to make scary. The amount of people on each hayride kills the reallity. IF you want to talk more let me know I have a bunch of ideas and experience in constructing a hayride.

[Heritage Haunt]

Could you tell me some of your ideas? Were doing our 2nd hayride!

[Scary Harry]

I have been in the haunted hayride business for 20 years and like Reed can tell you that it can be hard to scare a wagon with forty patrons on it. Go big, meaning things that take up space , example: we use a real semi truck facing the wagon, when the wagon goes by we turn on the lights and blow the air horn, very simple but very effective. You can find a truck anywhere. We purchased one just for haunting, we have it painted up with a flame thrower on top of it. a truck is also a great air compressor to use for other animation. No hayride is complete without a headless horseman also very easy and effective ( given the right horse and rider). Hope these help.

[Scary Harry]

Reed I sent you a pm

[WelchWitch]

I was on one hayride once where unbeknown to us that there a couple people that were in line with us and waited to board were actually volunteers and were part of the show and become victims to a scene. It freaked us out because it looked so real with prop touching involved making it more realistic. I like Jim's ideas also. For me though, just try to have more things hidden in places people would not expect. To see someone walking up to me may not get me as much as someone hanging on underneath to surprise me from coming underneath. Or to enter into a dark covered bridge to have things hanging overheard. I have said it may times, but I love things from out of the normal range of sight. Maybe have some deep holes along the path, were actors can come out of the holes last minute.