hauntguy

Thanks guys for all the tips/help/advice, it is greatly appreciated. I still think I will go to the Interview day on the 29th, going for Ecology. Here's another thing, I am 17 and will be for the interview. But for actually working (if I get hired) I will be 18... Should I fill out all the papers as me being 18 or 17? Also, What do I need to provide at the interview? Thanks guys. -Hauntguy

I believe that PKI will make it VERY clear in the future that the H-B side of the park is for the kids...more of a Disney atmosphere. They will also state that Oktoberfest, The Coney Maul, and Shivertown (like that didn't ya!) is more for adults and teens. I think just getting the info out there better to the customers would ressolve this problem. -Hauntguy

Let's think...... Fright by Night: Teens, Couples, Families with older kids, Young adults and younger married couples. I have seen some seniors there but not very many. The demographic of Fearfest is about 13-45 years old. Fun by Day: Kids, yound teens, Families with children, seniors, and some couples. This demographic is anywhere from 3-12 year's old. PKI attracts HUGE ammounts of people from both demographs. This "tag-line" is actually MORE people than Fearfest did when PKI first started out. PKI is simply stating that Fearfest is now a family event. Both scary and terrorfying to gently and a little spooky. Fun for everybody!!!

Well, I did apply for Taco Bell here in town. LOL!!! But I did come to the aggreement that if I can't work at PKI over the summer, then I will audition for Fearfest! So in some way, I will be working at PKI this year. Thanks for the advice, it's good to hear someone else thinking the same as my dad! LOL!

Help me with this..... I am seriously wanting to work at PKI because I am in love with the park and ever since I was 8 years old I said I wanted to get a job there. I live in KY, in fact it's a two hour drive with a truck that DRINKS gas (about 11-15 miles a gallon). I am 17 about to turn 18 and will have to drive back and forth everyday to work. 1.) Would you suggest me even trying to work at PKI? 2.) Where should I get a job at? What role? 3.) What type of shifts does PKI offer? 4.) Does PKI adjust salery depending on the employee's needs? 5.) Does PKI still offer it's on-site housing? Thanks guy, this is an important topic to me (as for others) and any help is greatly needed. -Hauntguy 3.)

Fearfest is (most likely) a HUGE profit maker. They pack the park everytime with famillies and guest. I will go as far to say that the Fearfest attendence at PKI could be compared to Knott's Scary Farm's attendence. Fearfest is a iron-fisted money maker. The hints of improvement will tell you that Fearfest is making money. Added decor, added haunted attractions, attraction renovation, more actors, new props..... it is simply making money. I see Fearfest hanging around for a LONG time!

The park still use some of the animations (the figures) at set pieces and park decor during Fearfest. If you are ever at the park in late September and October, go the Action Theater.... you are sure to see some old PT stuff "hanging" around there. -Hauntguy

You have to look at this from a business stand-point and not a "guests' appreciation" stand-point. Sure, people will come to Winterfest and in the "good old days" PKI was a great place to visit for winter fun. But times have changed, the economy is not as good as it used to be, we are at war, the weather has changed ALOT from what it was in the old Winterfest days! The cost of running Winterfest would be much more pricey than it did back when Winterfest was an every-year thing. I like the way PKI is running right now, event's wise. They close early enough to get the new rides built and working correctly and PKI also has time to refurbish older items like rides, games, shops, etc. With Winterfest, PKI would have to start later, and risk not getting the jobs done.... unless they opened later in the year. -Hauntguy

Very good points, but I just don't see it coming back. I could be wrong though. -Hauntguy

The Zoo and Clifton Mill do a good job on the Christmas displays they have. PKI would have to offer something totally new and un-seen to visitors. Just throwing up lights and opening a few rides isn't going to cut it. PKI also has to think about drawing the same crowd to Winterfest that they would during the summer. I am sure PKI just doesn't want to attract local people, but people from Indiana, Kentucky, Up-state Ohio, etc. PKI would have to "go-all-out" in Winterfest to even make a profit. The have the Halloween season basically dominated, so why worry with the Winter season? I also believe that the later the park stays open (like in the winter), the later the park will open (like in Mid May or June). Just my thoughts. -Hauntguy

Just stating the obvious. -Hauntguy

DISCLAIMER: THE FOLLOWING ARE MY THOUGHTS AND I NEVER WANTED THIS TO OFFEND ANYBODY!!!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!! Hey guys, On the subject, I have been to Winterfest and it totally blowed. I mean this thing sucked more than Paris Hilton at the Playboy Mansion. Fearfest is the single greatest event the park has ever had! So many people come out to fearfest and with PKI attracting families and kids to the "friendly" side of Fearfest, even more crowds are coming. In todays world, winter is now cold and rainy more than cold and snowy... like it used to be in the Winterfest days. Trust me, NO ONE (except the hardcore PKI fans) will drag thier butts out in freezing rain only to see some Christmas lights on the Eiffel Tower and ride the bumper cars. It will be close to impossible to make money during Winterfest, Fearfest is a money-making machine! Now I am not praising Fearfest for my love of halloween, there are still alot of problems with the event... but PKI is slowly working out the bugs. I am simply stating (from a business stand point) that by eliminating Fearfest to bring back Winterfest will be the dumbest business mistake the park has ever made. If PKI where to shorten Fearfest by any means, the park would not open Fearfest until later in the month and run until Halloween. Not open up and run until the second-to-last weekend in October to prepare for Winterfest. I hope I didn't **** anybody off, I am simply stating my views on this topic. Take Care. -Hauntguy

So are you more likely to get hired if you show-up like sometime this week or go on the open interview day at the park on the 29th? Just wondering. -Hauntguy

Actually, Oak Island Productions out of Tampa Bay Florida designed and built the attraction. The reason why it lacked the scares is because... Due to the recent hurricanes hitting Florida, Oak Island had to buckle down. Until recently, did the company actually get all there stuff shipped out. Two Saturdays ago (Toyota Familly Day) they were just starting to put up the basic walls of the haunt. So PKI and Oak Island were really rushing to get Sleepy Hollow Horror open Saturday. And with that said, I think PKI did a AWESOME job with the haunt. Happy Haunting. -Hauntguy PS: Here's the company that built the haunt- www.oakislandinc.com Enjoy!

Maybe, PKI could attach a ply-wood wall to the inflatables. This will cause the actuall walls to come in on you, without putting to much pressure on the body. I agree, the theming in the Coney Maul was top-notch. Happy Haunting. -Hauntguy

I just wrote a review of my trip, you might want to check that out. Happy Haunting. -hauntguy

October 2nd, 2004- I arrived at PKI at 12:46pm, I was glad to see that the park had such a great turn-out for Fearfest. As I walked lazily through the park I could notice several changes in the scenery from just one weekend ago (Toyota Familly Day). The Coney Mall (Maul) seemed naked with it's hanging ropes removed. I was pleased to see the fog machines still remained for the use of Fearfest. I started out the day with a nice ride on The Racers. From the top of the lift I could clearly see several of the mazes and entrance to the parks haunted trail- Psycho Path. After The Racers I headed a few feet down to the Adventure Express. This ride is small but really fun! I really think PKI should do something cool with this ride to tie it in with Fearfest. Just some colored lighting and fog would do the trick. After my fast paced ride on AE, I stumbled my way over to Son of Beast. I had a bruising, rough but fun ride on the SoB, reminding me that my favorite ride in the park is still The Beast. After my ride, I ate some delicious pizza at the Festhaus were I walked upon the NEW facade of the Circus of Horrors. I was very happy to see PKI painted over the HPI TerrorVisions in 3D facade with there own design. From here, I will review the haunts in order as I attended them. So read on very carefully: Curse of the Crypt: I jumped in line for this attraction 30 minutes early prior to it's opening. In return I only waited about 45 minutes to tour the haunt. What can I say besides the attraction was DARK!! To dark in fact that it took away from the whole experience! My group DID NOT get to experience the tunnel that you have to crawl through or any other room of meaning. We ended having to be lead out due to the darkness. I was REALLY disappointed after this attraction. The year before (2003) this was a great haunt. But now it is a waiste of time. So I give this attraction a 2 out of 10. Why only 2? I will give PKI credit for having a well kept facade up for the haunt and for being orginized and prepared for the crowd. Maze of Madness: PKI has really done alot with this attraction. The great acting alone in this haunt is enough to please the most avid haunt tourist. But the "cool" factor of this haunt is AMAZING. With the re-design of the floorplan and maze layout, one is sure to get lost. The chainlink fence, strobe light, mirrors, fog, constant sounds, and awesome acting makes this one sweet attraction. I also noticed that PKI add a few animated props from Distortions Unlimited (Haunt industry prop/animation creator). I was pleased to see that PKI is keeping this haunt updated and nerve racking. I would go into detail on what I think would make it even better (as a pro-haunter myself) but that is not my job. I give the Maze of Madness a sweet 8 out of 10 for being one awesome attraction and PKI's desire to keep it updated and scary. Dracula's Haunted Castle: I thought this was going to be one cool ride, but man was I wrong. I waited in line maybe an hour for this ride and it SUCKED. I was down right ****ed off that PKI added this attraction. Elvira's Superstition is a better ride than this. I was glad to see the old Phantom Theater animations in the line, and actually working! It also pleased my ears to hear the music from PT as well. I was really expecting an deep, heart felt apology after this ride. With barely any sound, almost ZERO seat movement and a story that would bore my baby neice... I could make a ride way better than this. I give DHC a horrorific 1 out of 10, I don't want to go into this. Circus of Horrors: For once I am glad to be going through a Halloween Productions (Haunt Industry leader) haunted attraction. I know there was alot of cunfusion in past years when the park maps said "Circus of Horrors" but the actual facade read "TerrorVisions in 3D". So I was pleased that PKI painted over this and added there own design to the attraction. This unique 3D attraction always pleases me everytime I tour it. This year, PKI added a mirror maze to lose you in the haunt. Hint: Don't trust the clown, he WILL NOT help you out of the maze! It seems as if the actors in this haunt have improved 200% from last years actors. Whatever PKI did, they did it right. Several moments in the haunt made me jumpback, sometimes into other actors! I will give the Circus of Horrors a 3D-rific 9 out of 10. This is just one great and fun haunt. Sleepy Hollow Horror: I waited about 45 minutes for this haunt, but it was WELL worth the wait. Let me just say that the EXTREME detail in this haunt actually puts you into the 1700's! The Barn, Wine Cellar, Farm House, Attic... it's all detailed to the bone, it was a sight to see. The effects in this haunt are top-notch. The severed heads, portraits that follow you, and drop windows and doors all add to the overall "fright-factor" to the whole haunt. Then the inflated walls at the end add that extra "thrill", as if you can't get out makes it worth while. The haunt might look small (since it is under a tent) but it is massive! I give Sleepy Hollow Horror a goretastic 10 out of 10. Everyone on this forum should tour this haunt! Friday the 13th: Jason's Extreme Cuts: This was a really cool, multi-sensory event. The movie itself is gory, bloody, and sometimes un-easy to watch. The added "spews" into the front rows of the crowd adds to the event. But watch out! Jason is on the prowl in the theater and you just might be his next victim at feared Camp Crystal Lake! Hint: The goofy guy from Magic of the Movies is back as a camp employee for this one. Hint2: The front rows will get sprayed with water, "toxic waiste", and pieces of a smashed fruit!!! I give Friday the 13th a bloody 7 out of 10. This is a fun attraction for all Jason fans. House of Darkness: This is the parks traditional haunted house, and what can I say but SPOOKY!!! PKI decided to add a dark maze right in the middle of the haunt to lose it's guest. The swimming pool "noodles", crunch's on the floor, and (what felt like) artificial fishing worms on the wall added to the wierd level of the maze. After you find the way out you travel through more twisted corridors and paths until you come into a "butcher shop" like area. It looks like PKI had some left overs from the Maze of Madness becuase the walls were chainlink fence and those white curtains as before. I was also glad to see that PKI added some more new props from Distortions. I will give this haunted haven a 8 out of 10. This fright fest should not be skipped. Psycho Path: This is the same as previous years with the addition of a corn maze style haunt in the beiginning half of the trail. This gore fest kind of a let down due to minimal actors and scares. The wait wasn't bad, about 30 minutes. The sounds of scream from the woods filled the sky as you approached the entrance. I was somewhat please to see that the trial was easy to walk on and well kept. I must give Psycho Path a passing 5 out of 10. You don't have to wait for this one, some might be very disapointed. Overall I was really pleased with PKI's new take on the Halloween experience. The decor in the Coney Maul was nice. The slidders were startling and very effective. The fog just added a more "dead" look to the park. And the purple Eiffel Tower was just plain spooky. I hope PKI continues to take FearFest on it's upward trend to greatness. I had an AWESOME time and think any haunt lover would too. Happy Haunting. -Hauntguy

I attended Fearfest this past Saturday and never waited more than a hour. All of the attractions for AWESOME except Curse of the Crypt and DHC. The Sleepy Hollow attraction is one of the best haunted attractions I have EVER been too. The detail was AMAZING. I really enjoyed fearfest this year, PKI is really picking it up. Happy Haunting. -Hauntguy

Will the haunted attractions be open if it is raining? Most are indoors or are covered so I would think that they would be open. Thanks for the help. Happy Haunting. -Hauntguy

Last I saw the clock was still (none functional) and was decorated for fearfest. Several bones and skeletons are in the ground as well as alot of cob webbing. Happy Haunting. -Hauntguy

Heres another one for you guys. If you were a head manager at PKI, would you bring back the Phantom Theater? Were would you locate it? Would you leave everything intact or update some of the gags, props, animations while still keeping the "feel" of the dark ride? Think on those and tell me what you think. Happy Haunting. -Nightgore

You will still be able to enjoy most if not all of the rides and attractions during Fearfest. Yes, the haunt decor will be overwhelming and NO, no one will grab you while you wait in line. An actor might come close to you and scare you, but not physically touch you. I think it would be cool if the walk-arounds had those AirZookas with the fog stick in them. That way they can shoot us with a blasting fog ring!!! Happy Haunting. -Hauntguy

It looked like they had all the outer wall panels built and set-up for Sleepy Hollow, but hardly any of the interior "maze" walls looked to be up. The Coney Mall (Maul) is completely dressed for Fearfest this year. I really don't think PKI will postpone Fearfest. If Sleepy Hollow doesn't get all the stuff in, then they just won't open that haunt. It looked as if the rest of the haunts were ready to go. The only thing that I would have liked to see was alot more haunt decor in Rivertown and Action Zone. I would also like to see the Paramount Theater and the Festheus dressed up for Fearfest. SIDE NOTE: The Swinging Ship (Vikings Fury) has some skeleton pirate decor on it (on the side over the water). Happy Haunting. -Hauntguy

I am just saying why not sell them for needed equipment. Give them to another Paramount Park. Or use them! Just sitting there, that just looks and sounds kinda dumb. The only other reason I could think of keeping them there is for spare parts for SD&THM. But seriously, PKI needs a truly scary dark ride. Happy Haunting. -Nightgore

Does anybody know why PKI is still hanging on to some old Phantom Theater people movers. They are still in there black color as we remember them. They are still sitting in the corner off the park and not being used for anything. Could PKI want to open another, truly scary dark ride?? The Phantom Thearter 2... Or is PKI planning on getting rid of these things. Also, PKI is still hanging on to the animations from the ride. It kinda makes someone think... Happy Haunting. -Hauntguy