using plants (not like the leafy type, the people type)

[OdetteDespairr]

How many people here use plants in their Que Lines or send them in with other groups for an added scare when the plant gets taken by the actors. Just curious this was a conversation a group of us was having a few nights ago and i remember we used to have a girl that would pretend to be by herself / got stood up etc.. and join up with a group before they went in thus giving them time to chit chat and bond a bit. The about halfway thru the house an actor or a group of actors would surround the group and take her away kicking and screaming. Does anyone here use a similar strategy from time to time. I think if incorporated correctly plants can give a great scare to larger groups throught the night.

[Allen H]

In my early days I used to use them but now my shows are are so busy and actors such a valuable resource I need the bodies in the show. I have between six and eight groups in my shows at once, so I would need at least 4 or so and that amount of actors I think would serve me best in costume. I had a partner in MD who had 6 sons spaced about a year apart. they would all act as plants. A T rex head was on a lever and it would drop down over one of them he would scream and kick and grab a bar inside and be pulled up over the wall, really freaked the group out. Once we grabbed the wrong kid, that was hilarious.
Allen H

[HauntPhReAk]

Grabbing the wrong kid must have really freaked the poor kid out! lol

We haven't used people or actors as plants, nor do I recall anyone close who has mentioned that they do. Sorry that I can't help with this one, but it sounds like a great idea if you can spare the people/actors.

[Coasterbp]

Howl-o-Scream in Tampa, FL. used a plant in one of their houses (The Hunted) for a couple of years. Was pretty effective. HHN Orlando tried it a couple of years ago in one of their mazes in my opinion, not as well as HOS... and they are pretty mainstream haunts.... so yes, it can be done, like Allen said, IF you have the manpower.

[BarbieHaunt]

We've actually used a plant that's an actor dressed as a potted plant sitting somewhere inconspicuous in a room. It looks very real. When people approach, he jumps at them and causes quite a commotion.

[BruiseMuse]

We've used plants in the crowd for several acts, but my favorite would be for the zombie attacks. We attach a pack to to the plant's waist that is filled with stage blood and intestines, which is then covered by their clothes. They go through the line and mingle with the customers as the que line zombies play amongst the crowd.

Suddenly, the zombies focus in on the plant, grab the actor and "gut" them open, pulling out the intestines and blood splatters to the ground. They feed on the body before they carry the actor away from the crowd.