Special Feature
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“Adding Phantom Fright Nights (and now Happy Hauntings) has enabled
us to stay open for the month of October, and even opened the door for us to give Holiday Lights (Christmastime) a try. Compared to when the season ended at Labor Day, it creates a lot more potential for Kennywood to succeed,” reports Paradise. “Even though the Halloween industry has seemingly boomed in recent years, it still seems to be growing. Being scared can bring such an adrenaline rush, and consumers have responded in a very positive way to Phantom Fright Nights. The challenge is that the competition for these events has also continued to grow—but that’s a good thing. It forces everyone to step up the game, so in the end, the guests win.”
Kennywood Park, USA The Pennsylvania amusement park dives all in for the season, bringing a spooky Halloween atmosphere to the whole park: meaning lots of fog machines, changing lights everywhere (including some restrooms where guests find blood-red light washing over them), and walk-through scare zones where characters can roam freely. Main event Phantom Fright Nights stems from the park’s top thrill ride, the Phantom’s Revenge: “On a cold October night, riding through pitch-dark and fog so you can barely see, it’s a real thrill,” says Nick Paradise. “For Phantom Fright Nights, we’re always tweaking scenes and scares within the haunts, and our actors – many of whom have been with us for years – look for ways to up their scare game continuously. We also introduced an escape room last fall that we’ll be moving into a more central area of the park – last year was a test of the concept for us, and it did well but would benefit from additional exposure. In 2017, Kennywood added a kid-friendly Halloween event, Happy Hauntings, for the first time, to give younger children the opportunity to enjoy some fall favorites like pumpkin decorating, trick or treating, and participating in costumed dance parties.
A Liseberg Halloween Kiddie friendly Halloween at Gardaland
Universal Orlando Resort, USA Universal’s annual Halloween Horror Nights are a love letter to the holiday: everyone that creates is a fan of the genre of horror and huge fans of the holiday Halloween itself. This year the team is working to create “a bizarre take on the traditions of Halloween,” according to Patrick Braillard, show director - creative development. “From our Twisted Traditions scare zone to an all-new haunted house based on the film “Trick R’ Treat,” we are going to bring to life these traditions and the rules of the holiday.” This year is the first year that the report will incorporate ten haunted houses - is
more than it’s ever had before. “This is the most ambitious slate of houses that we have ever done and we are thrilled that the guests will be experiencing it soon.” Braillard definitely believes Universal Halloween events bring additional value
to the park. “The overall guest experience while on vacation during this time of the year is unparalleled in its opportunity for entertainment. Guests have the chance to stay in our hotels, visit all three parks during the day, and then at night enjoy the spectacle that Halloween Horror Nights has to offer. Preparations for Halloween Horror Nights 2018 began just before last year’s
event opened, and Universal is already working towards building the slate of houses and other entertainment offerings for next year’s event. “When you factor in our sister parks (Hollywood, Singapore and Japan) and the amount of work goes into creating Halloween Horror Nights on a global level, the event is in development at least one year in advance.”
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