Guide or No Guide?

[virgil]

We're a relatively small pro haunt with a
through-put of 300 to 400 a night.

Lines are often long and the wait can be 30 to 40 minutes.

We use tour guides.... should we?

[gadget-evilusions]

I say toss the guide, unless it's you of course.

[haunter112]

It really depends on what type of haunt you're running.

If you just have groups walking through differently-themed rooms with lots of startles and jump-out-and-boo type scares, you could probably get rid of the guides.

If you have a theatrical-type haunt that needs narration, or your haunt is "personality-driven" (think RAVEN'S GRIN INN), guides are essential.

Remember that un-guided customers are more likely to break stuff, steal stuff, get lost, and get hurt.

Your haunt will have to be idiot-proofed if you get rid of your guides.

If you can do that, I say go guide-less.

[virgil]

Gadget,

I served as a guide this year....
spent most of my time in the que line
"entertaining"...

It wouldn't offend me to be stuck outside
in the cue line all night long....
I love to improv and creep out the
customers....

Haunter 112,

I totally agree...
many of the guides said very little....
I would spend my time with the group between
scares talking with them... telling stories
and generally keeping them focused on me so
the actors could really get their scare on.....

A guide's job, as I see it, is three fold....

1. Protection (for group and actor)
2. Pacing (presenting and setting up the various rooms)
3. Policing (keeping problems to a minimum and property damage to zero)

[Xeverity]

Yup I say 'toss the guide' as well.

We use a relay approach. A front door greeter welcomes a group of 5-9 (depends on how many 'lads') in and directs them to zone A.... the zone A actors then direct them over to the zone B actors etc. etc.

This approach also works a security measure by 'gating the crowd'. The small groups are literally sandwiched inbetween actors and given the feeling there is more of us than them.

We have never had problems at our haunt as there is no more than 5-8 patrons in a zone at one time and they are surrounded.

It makes it is easier because the show is divided up and the actors are responsible for their zones. In between the zones the hallways have cameras which send the images to a monitor in the next zone. So the actors can see what is coming as well. Any problems and they can can signal security. We have built in as many short cuts or secret doors as we can.

It is a nightmare but safety is paramount. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Only on the Ripper tour and haunted walks does the tour guide approach work. But then they only do a group of about 25-30 adults in one night paying about £30 per head!

People pay because the tour guide is very, very good and is literally the show.

[campdoc]

I've worked both large and small haunts.
I like the guides.
We use radios to control the flow..it help's with small kids too.
when the code (candy) go's out ,it's back off time.. no chain saw's..
works great..now when the code (redneck) go's out .well you can
imagine what we do,, he,he

[Joedog]

.now when the code (redneck) go's out .well you can
imagine what we do,, he,he

Hey now, I resemble that remark......

[SomeThingInTheIce]

We used guides, had to add one on the second night. Our trail is more of a theatrical and a trick-or-treat for the eyes type walking trail. Even with the guides some people tried to keep walking to get away, so we could not have done without the guides. They even added to the show, when they got to the cemetery they would say "Were here, we made it to Farmers Cemetery" they would stand there for a second and say "Oh, go on in because theres no way I am!" the group was then on thier own and a little on edge, they would head in and then the guide would go in after the group was down the trail a bit. haunter112 is right it just depends how it's set up. I like xeverity approach, I may try that next year.

[Jim Warfield]

Isn't there at least one state that mandates tour guides inside a haunt?
I thought I heard or read this once and I thought it was Penn.?
If you delude yourself into thinking that you have fool-proofed your haunt's interior, think again, a drunkie can do things the likes of which nobody would ever think of or do.
I like guides alot.
I like my house pretty much they way I made it .
Thievery, vandalism, mischief all take time to fix and time sure is "Money" on a busy October night, right!

[The Shape]

Isn't there at least one state that mandates tour guides inside a haunt? I thought I heard or read this once and I thought it was Penn.?

Mine does...

http://www.state.ok.us/~firemar/specialamusement.htm