Haunt Constructive Criticisms

[nothanks]

I just hope they have fog again.  Last year was embarrassing. 

[SonofBaconator]

Would it be feasible to have Haunt run on Thursdays without the rides- where it would be mazes and scare zones? They could say that the “No Boo” necklaces wouldn’t work those nights and it would just be for those who want to get scared. In theory, could a ride-less Haunt even work?

[Tr0y]

4 hours ago, SonofBaconator said:

Would it be feasible to have Haunt run on Thursdays without the rides- where it would be mazes and scare zones? They could say that the “No Boo” necklaces wouldn’t work those nights and it would just be for those who want to get scared. In theory, could a ride-less Haunt even work?

We don’t have the hotels to make it profitable. 

[Klabergian Empire]

So I've though about Haunt and what all has been said here (as well as another thread) and here are my thoughts:

Kings Island's Haunt (or Fearfest when it started way back in 2000) has always been an event where the purpose was to take most of regular Kings Island and add a Halloween twist to it in the form of later operating hours, scare zones and scare mazes, and scare actors roaming a fog covered park. Boiled down, Kings Island infused with haunted houses (sorry if this sounds rather simplistic; I really don't know how else to say this lol) The point is that its supposed to be scary. Halloween is the holiday of fear. Scary and fear is not family friendly is most instances. A scare maze themed to a shopping mall overrun with zombies is NOT family friendly. Haunt in general is not a family oriented event and its not supposed to be. If families want to experience Kings Island during the Halloween season but do not like the gore of Haunt, there is literally an ENTIRE family friendly event that takes place 11-6 (which is a little over half of the operating day) on Saturdays and basically all day Sunday. So families with young children should plan accordingly or else not be surprised when 6 and 7pm come around. Kings Island literally advertises that Haunt is not suitable for younger audiences. Families dragging their kids around Haunt and then complaining about the intensity of it is just ridiculous. Its the same logic as bringing your family through Dent Schoolhouse and wondering why all of your kids have soaked pants and then blame the people who run Dent Schoolhouse. In this specific regard, Kings Island should not catch flak for the poor planning of families. Tricks or Treats Fallfest is family oriented. Haunt is not. Period.

Anyways, getting to some more specific details, roaming scare actors have been a staple of Haunt since its inception. Having scare actors themed to their respective areas is the best possible use of that resource. It adds to the areal theming of each haunt area and it adds to the atmosphere of haunt itself. The fog at Kings Island is also a staple. Walking around the park when its covered in fog (with the scare actors roaming around) as well as getting the LEGENDARY night rides with the fog is something that only can be understood by experiencing it.

To end this off, I know that Kings Island has been facing budget cuts this year.  I will say its certainly affecting and has affected the atmosphere of haunt so far this year and in the last several years. All I can say is that hopefully Kings Island doesn't cut any more budgets and that hopefully in the near future they can raise budgets.

[PKIDelirium]

Emphasize the "mature audiences" part more, and maybe ditch the no-boo necklaces. If it means doing the KD method of separate ticket but passes are still good, I'd be all for it.

[BeeastFarmer]

The scariest haunt experience I ever had was back in like 2010.  We rode last ride on beast.  The train before we got back to station, somebody took my friends backpack from the bin. He tore off to the front entrance.  I walked back alone, in very dense fog, with nightmare on elm Street music playing while diamond back sent empty trains.  No screams.  

This was before I got into parks.  

[PKIDelirium]

The back of the park is eerie in such situations. I've been among, if not the last to leave The Beast plaza numerous times and routed around through Rivertown because the direct path to the Eiffel Tower had already been cleared and guarded for the night, and especially before Mystic Timbers the area where the station and queue are now was really creepy because of the old worn-down funnel cake building and patio with no lights on.

[jbeast]

Ahh the good old days of Fearfest! It has become quite a bit tamer it seems over the years.

I can remember the fog being so dense quite a few years back that while riding Drop Zone at the time, you could not see the ground halfway up.

It was like you went up into the clouds. It lent a fantastic and a bit scarier ride with all the fake fog covering the ground. And walking through the park, some areas were completely shrouded in fog so you couldn't see a scare actor creeping up on you in the midway. Loved that aspect and believe that adds so much to the ambience of the event.

[disco2000]

9 minutes ago, jbeast said:

Ahh the good old days of Fearfest! It has become quite a bit tamer it seems over the years.

I can remember the fog being so dense quite a few years back that while riding Drop Zone at the time, you could not see the ground halfway up.

It was like you went up into the clouds. It lent a fantastic and a bit scarier ride with all the fake fog covering the ground. And walking through the park, some areas were completely shrouded in fog so you couldn't see a scare actor creeping up on you in the midway. Loved that aspect and believe that adds so much to the ambience of the event.

And the times the wind rolled it out over 71 prompting calls from the OSP to turn the fog down 

Now there is more vape smoke than fog LOL

[Ki Man]

Haunt Scareactors - has leadership continued to do the nightly/weekly award to the house with best performances or scares? Winning that gross bloody little man statute and having it presented at the house your represented was a badge of honor and something we all strived to win every night. 

[rexpostal]

Here is my question:

Why is Knott's Scary Farm, which is in the Cedar Fair chain,  one of the absolute best (and possibly the best) Halloween event,  while Haunt,  which is also in the Cedar Fair chain,  has become such a low budget,  bottom of the barrel event? Why is there such dramatic differences between the events?  I know one is in LA,  and one is in southern Ohio,  but why can't KI take some of what makes Knott Scary Farm so great and apply it here?  I just don't understand it. 

[BeeastFarmer]

4 hours ago, rexpostal said:

Here is my question:

Why is Knott's Scary Farm, which is in the Cedar Fair chain,  one of the absolute best (and possibly the best) Halloween event,  while Haunt,  which is also in the Cedar Fair chain,  has become such a low budget,  bottom of the barrel event? Why is there such dramatic differences between the events?  I know one is in LA,  and one is in southern Ohio,  but why can't KI take some of what makes Knott Scary Farm so great and apply it here?  I just don't understand it. 

 Kings Island seems to either want to attract, or has attracted a more family focused Haunt. They have cut back on spookiness and Haunt attractions.  This is what probably makes them the most money. Knott's seems to have a different target audience.

[brenthodge]

59 minutes ago, BeeastFarmer said:

 Kings Island seems to either want to attract, or has attracted a more family focused Haunt. They have cut back on spookiness and Haunt attractions.  This is what probably makes them the most money. Knott's seems to have a different target audience.

Right, as Disneyland has gotten into the Halloween game more and more, Knotts can go darker and more adult oriented to carve out a different niche. We have no Disney to do family friendly, so instead we try to do both as cheaply and inefficiently as possible these days. 

[SonofBaconator]

4 hours ago, rexpostal said:

Here is my question:

Why is Knott's Scary Farm, which is in the Cedar Fair chain,  one of the absolute best (and possibly the best) Halloween event,  while Haunt,  which is also in the Cedar Fair chain,  has become such a low budget,  bottom of the barrel event? Why is there such dramatic differences between the events?  I know one is in LA,  and one is in southern Ohio,  but why can't KI take some of what makes Knott Scary Farm so great and apply it here?  I just don't understand it. 

So here’s my take:

When it comes to Haunts, KI actually competes with some pretty big names like Dent, USS Nightmare, Land of Illusion, etc. These attractions are only open for a few weeks (Land of Illusion is a different story) so they pull out all the stops- if you want a good scare, check those out.
 

Truth be told, there aren’t a lot of family friendly Halloween events to do in Greater Cincinnati at night; I think this is where KI comes in. If they can focus more on their night rides and atmosphere while offering the haunts as a side dish, they’re able to bring in a wider range of people. Sure this will upset those who enjoy a good scare, but as mentioned previously- you’re more than likely to go to actual haunted houses if that’s your thing. 
 

Knott’s kind of has the opposite problem. While I’m sure there are plenty of haunted houses in the LA area, their target market isn’t families. If you want a family friendly Halloween event to do at night, you’re going to Disneyland/California Adventure. When it comes to haunted parks, Knott’s has to compete with Universal so they’re going to pull out all the stops to stay competitive- KI has no amusement parks to compete with when it comes to fall events in general.

 

TL;DR: Cincinnati has a competitive haunted house market but not a competitive family friendly Halloween market so they’re going to opt for the market they don’t have to put as much effort into attracting.

[BeeastFarmer]

I think it's more overt than that.  While I hold Mr. Kootnz in very high regard, he has stated that he wants Kings Island to be more family friendly. So I think, under his reign, he has changed Haunt as much as his influence will allow for this demographic. I don't like it, but I'm only up there one or two times for haunt.  This isn't to say that the scareactors and tech, park services etc dont work hard, they do the best they can given their constrictions. 

I don't do much with Tricks N Treats, but it does look to be very well done, besides being crowded in Planet Snoopy.  

But there is no way that we deserve to be ranked #4.  That is just targeted advertising from the past that carries over today, much like a tradition.

 

[SonofBaconator]

11 minutes ago, BeeastFarmer said:

I think it's more overt than that.  While I hold Mr. Kootnz in very high regard, he has stated that he wants Kings Island to be more family friendly. So I think, under his reign, he has changed Haunt as much as his influence will allow for this demographic.

Well that does promote brand consistency. How can you claim to be family friendly when you host scary events?

[shadowscare]

 

Are they really trying to make it a family event?

Then stop calling it Haunt, with a tagline of "fear is waiting for you," calling it a transformed park with big red warning labels that it is intended for mature audiences, and too intense for children, along with intense imagery to advertise it. There is absolutely nothing in the marketing to make anyone think it's even remotely family friendly.

I don't believe they're intentionally making it friendlier for families. If they did they wouldn't promote it the way they do, and they certainly wouldn't shut down the kiddie area. They're finding ways to make cuts and still keep people interested.

[Kenban]

17 hours ago, rexpostal said:

Here is my question:

Why is Knott's Scary Farm, which is in the Cedar Fair chain,  one of the absolute best (and possibly the best) Halloween event,  while Haunt,  which is also in the Cedar Fair chain,  has become such a low budget,  bottom of the barrel event? Why is there such dramatic differences between the events?  I know one is in LA,  and one is in southern Ohio,  but why can't KI take some of what makes Knott Scary Farm so great and apply it here?  I just don't understand it. 

Scary Farm is a separately ticketed event, the park closes at 5 PM, and kicks the guests out of the park, and reopens at 7 for Scary Farm.  No annual pass gets you into the event, and some add one like meal plans do not work.  The event runs 5 nights a week.

Kings Island has to justify any Haunt expense based on a handful of nights and one in which pass holders get in for free.  While Knott’s has to be good enough to justify an expensive ticket.

[BeeastFarmer]

6 hours ago, shadowscare said:

 

Are they really trying to make it a family event?

Then stop calling it Haunt, with a tagline of "fear is waiting for you," calling it a transformed park with big red warning labels that it is intended for mature audiences, and too intense for children, along with intense imagery to advertise it. There is absolutely nothing in the marketing to make anyone think it's even remotely family friendly.

I don't believe they're intentionally making it friendlier for families. If they did they wouldn't promote it the way they do, and they certainly wouldn't shut down the kiddie area. They're finding ways to make cuts and still keep people interested.

What they advertise and what they do are different things. The event has definitely evolved from 2016 until now ..for many it's much better because it's more inclusive to families.  For others, it is a shadow of it's former self. It's no longer edgy and pushing the boundaries. 

[brenthodge]

1 hour ago, BeeastFarmer said:

What they advertise and what they do are different things. The event has definitely evolved from 2016 until now ..for many it's much better because it's more inclusive to families.  For others, it is a shadow of it's former self. It's no longer edgy and pushing the boundaries. 

Yeah. I cringed a bit when I saw that post. 

[BeeastFarmer]

9 minutes ago, brenthodge said:

Yeah. I cringed a bit when I saw that post. 

I mean, I love seeing kids having a great time!  But this is what replicates the cycle...the comments were overwhelming with "my littles love haunt" and "the actors were so nice and friendly!".

So, for me, I just accept that the haunt of the past has disappeared into the mist.  Parents...if your kids can handle it, get them in!  Scareactors...love on those kids and scare those who want to be scared!

Just don't vote for this to be in the top ten poll for scary events.  If there were a top ten for kid friendly haunts with monsters, that would be appropriate!

 

[disco2000]

4 hours ago, BeeastFarmer said:

What they advertise and what they do are different things. The event has definitely evolved from 2016 until now ..for many it's much better because it's more inclusive to families.  For others, it is a shadow of it's former self. It's no longer edgy and pushing the boundaries. 

 

The scareactors are simply following the lead of Mr. Selfie 

[shadowscare]

16 hours ago, BeeastFarmer said:

What they advertise and what they do are different things.

 

Bingo. If they really wanted to pivot and make it a family event, they would market it as such. I believe it's becoming a more family friendly event because they keep making cuts, not because they decided that's what they want. It's not like they were hurting for guests when the Haunt was more intense. The park was always packed. Shoot, I can recall visiting on a misty Friday night when temps hovered around 40 degrees. Still crowded.

[Snowball]

15 hours ago, disco2000 said:

 

The scareactors are simply following the lead of Mr. Selfie 

I mean, if a kid (politely) asks me for a picture, I’m not gonna say no. There’s a difference between being scary and just being rude. Taking pictures with people is part of my job.

[disco2000]

8 hours ago, Snowball said:

I mean, if a kid (politely) asks me for a picture, I’m not gonna say no. There’s a difference between being scary and just being rude. Taking pictures with people is part of my job.

And you are one of the better ones, but there are many scareactors that appear to be more into selfies than scares.  Go sit say in Coney for 10-15 minutes and you will see the actors basically walking up to groups encouraging selfies. 

Scare first, selfie second LOL

[Delirium13]

It’s a haunt event. Keep roaming Scareactors, get rid of the “no boo” option (they won’t because they can charge for it)… if you don’t want to be scared, don’t go or just go during by the day. 

[SonofBaconator]

4 minutes ago, Delirium13 said:

It’s a haunt event. Keep roaming Scareactors, get rid of the “no boo” option (they won’t because they can charge for it)… if you don’t want to be scared, don’t go or just go during by the day. 

But what about the people who just want to enjoy the night rides? 

[BeeastFarmer]

3 minutes ago, SonofBaconator said:

But what about the people who just want to enjoy the night rides? 

Because it's also billed as a scary event (even though it's more of a family event now with all the littles and then there are the adults who wear onesies) people who show up to enjoy night rides can accept the risk they might get a startle. 

[disco2000]

3 minutes ago, BeeastFarmer said:

Because it's also billed as a scary event (even though it's more of a family event now with all the littles and then there are the adults who wear onesies) people who show up to enjoy night rides can accept the risk they might get a startle. 

Even if they eliminated the rides and made it all Haunt, people would still complain about wanting to go for the atmosphere and see the decorations but don't want to be scared LOL

[DispatchMaster]

On 9/30/2023 at 9:58 PM, shadowscare said:

I believe it's becoming a more family friendly event because they keep making cuts, not because they decided that's what they want. It's not like they were hurting for guests when the Haunt was more intense.

One possible explanation would be that the park is trying to attract families, who by-and-large tend to be much higher per-cap guests compared to a bunch of teenagers. That's a natural pivot especially given the chaperone policy. More revenue from the same number, or better yet, fewer guests is a wise strategy. It sucks for anyone who just wants haunts, but there is no shortage of haunted entertainment outside of the park.