I Co-Run a fairly large Haunted Attraction in Alabama. We are starting now to compete with the likes of some better known haunts like Sloss Furnace and even got some comparisons last year to Netherworld. (No where near on that level yet.) However we did bring in a nice group of around 8,000 last year... which is not bad considering we are in a rural area. Several experienced haunters have came through from magazines and larger haunts and told us how much we have progressed in such a short time of just 4 years. We seem to be doing quite well...
Or so I thought... The original guy who started our haunted house and the man who has final say so wants all the rooms to either be based on a movie or a phobia. I didn't think it was such a bad idea even though my haunts on my own have always had a theme tying it all together. We have butted heads a few times on it but overall it is HIS attraction. This was never really an issue until the other day when I received a phone call from the Chief Editor of 13th Hour Magazine about our attraction. He seemed really interested in us to be featured in their next editions "Feature Haunts" article... That is until he asked about our overall theme. The entire conversation was really optimistic until I mentioned that we covered movies and phobias. I even told him how we duplicate movie scenes down to the smallest detail along with having live snakes and spiders. He was still really nice about it all but I could tell by his tone that he was no longer interested. Eventually he did say that we were not quite what they were looking for. He then tried to sell me on buying an ad in the magazine but my heart was already crushed.
Now I know we are not in the top 25 haunts in America, but it really bugged me at the turning point. My question to you all is this... Which do you find a more professional haunt? A house with Leatherface and Jason hacking everybody or an original theme/storyline to tie it all together. I have been doing this for 8 years and have seen both successful... But what is considered the cream of the crop in the business today? Can a house still covering movies ever be considered one of the best in the world? What do you all think?
Or so I thought... The original guy who started our haunted house and the man who has final say so wants all the rooms to either be based on a movie or a phobia. I didn't think it was such a bad idea even though my haunts on my own have always had a theme tying it all together. We have butted heads a few times on it but overall it is HIS attraction. This was never really an issue until the other day when I received a phone call from the Chief Editor of 13th Hour Magazine about our attraction. He seemed really interested in us to be featured in their next editions "Feature Haunts" article... That is until he asked about our overall theme. The entire conversation was really optimistic until I mentioned that we covered movies and phobias. I even told him how we duplicate movie scenes down to the smallest detail along with having live snakes and spiders. He was still really nice about it all but I could tell by his tone that he was no longer interested. Eventually he did say that we were not quite what they were looking for. He then tried to sell me on buying an ad in the magazine but my heart was already crushed.
Now I know we are not in the top 25 haunts in America, but it really bugged me at the turning point. My question to you all is this... Which do you find a more professional haunt? A house with Leatherface and Jason hacking everybody or an original theme/storyline to tie it all together. I have been doing this for 8 years and have seen both successful... But what is considered the cream of the crop in the business today? Can a house still covering movies ever be considered one of the best in the world? What do you all think?
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