Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Guide or No Guide?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Guide or No Guide?

    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?
    44
    Yes, Keep The Guides
    22.73%
    10
    No, Get Rid Of The Guides
    77.27%
    34
    Virgil: Master Of The Ethermuse

  • #2
    I say toss the guide, unless it's you of course.
    Brian Warner
    Owner of Evilusions www.EVILUSIONS.com
    Technical Director of Forsaken Haunted House www.Forsakenhaunt.com
    Mechanical Designer (animatronics) at Gore Galore www.Gore-Galore.com

    Comment


    • #3
      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.
      Guerilla Haunter

      Comment


      • #4
        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)
        Virgil: Master Of The Ethermuse

        Comment


        • #5
          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.

          Comment


          • #6
            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 :twisted:
            Ghoul Town

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by campdoc
              .now when the code (redneck) go's out .well you can
              imagine what we do,, he,he :twisted:
              Hey now, I resemble that remark......
              http://www.myspace.com/joedog158
              Personal MySpace


              My Mottos:
              When in doubt, get the hell out - Jason Hawes

              Of all the things I have taught you, remember this:
              If you see me running, KEEP UP! - Joe Dog

              Comment


              • #8
                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.
                Giving People The Chills Since 2005

                http://www.warehouse31.com

                Comment


                • #9
                  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!
                  hauntedravensgrin.com

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by 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.?
                    Mine does...

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

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      California mandates it, as well. But, I still do not see that a "tour guide" has to be someone who is always with the group.

                      The Greeter guides them in at the beginning and then they are on their own for a few rooms. They are then met by security disquised as what I call an "Enigma." The Enigma guides them through three rooms and they are on their own again.

                      I plan to get a bit more "theatrical" this coming year. A few guides throughout will probably be essential. However, I have a special way I think I'm gonna pull it off....

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        We used a guide for years, but our lines were getting too long. So this year we dropped the guide and went to a room by room design, kinda how Xeverity described. It worked great, and kept the line moving. The only place they are left alone is some of the hallways, where they can't do to much damage to us or them. So I say drop the guide, put him out front as Q entertainment.
                        Heartstoppers
                        Haunted House

                        Sacramento, CA

                        www.scaredyou.com

                        www.fb.com/heartstoppers
                        www.twitter.com/heartstoppershh

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          During parts of the tour the patrons might think they are "alone" but they are not.
                          Even "empty" hallways can fall victim to magic markers and gum and having holes kicked through them, oh, I forgot, human waste, if fecal doesn't matter, then urine trouble.
                          hauntedravensgrin.com

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            We have guides and they work well they prevent the running groups from runing up on th slow group and keep the slow group of "donwannamovs" from slowing up evereryone. One gropup of "donwannamovs" can turn the haunt into a 100 person congo line.
                            http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...ryptreaper.jpg

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              The zone guides have complete visibility of the groups when they walk in the connecting hallways.

                              Also the majority of zones - rooms go 'room to room' without a hallway inbetween. In addition there are a couple places where the guides interact with each other - introducing the group 'this one screams a lot' .... one of the guides in the haunt is a 'dungeon victim' who introduces and delivers the group to 'his master'.

                              Of course what is funny is that the whole time he was guiding the group through his zone and displaying his master's work he was actually priming the group for the next scene.....and dropping bits of vital information

                              then they meet the master ........

                              Technically this would still comply with the guide/group ratio - because we don't allow more than 6 in a group and basically they are always with a guide. If the hallways were a major problem there is no reason why the guide couldn't walk them down.

                              It does keep it flowing. This allows people such as magicians, greeters, contortionists, etc. to do what they do best in their zone...

                              Of course we still have a maximum flow rate - haven't yet thought of a way around that....

                              6 people every two minutes is 180 per hour (in a pinch we can speed it up)

                              What are your flow rates?

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X