Halloweekends 2012

SSL488 said:
What was the Pharo's secret? I was too scared to go in haunted houses back then.

Pharaoh's Secret was the former haunt in Disaster Transport. I believe it was removed in 2008.

I wonder when Carnevil will be replaced? I believe that it has been running since 2004, so it is getting a bit old.

Carnevil is the oldest running outdoor haunt to not receive an update. Even when the time comes to change it, I can't imagine it not still being some sort of clown theme. The clown thing just plain works.

CarnEvil being moved to Camp Spooky was a huge update. Much better location for scaring, lighting, fog and traffic flow.

I would like to see Carnevil removed and the theme unused for a couple years. Then bring back the clown theme but within a house and only use clown. No other characters used like sideshow freaks, carnival workers, etc. Keep it simple with just clowns.

That is true, the update and new location in 2009 was a huge improvement for that zone. Personally, the next outdoor zone I'd like to see redone is Fear Faire. They've put some work into it the last few seasons which made huge improvements, but I still have never been a fan of the medieval theme.

An indoor, all clown themed house would be really awesome to see. I imagine it would be quite popular.

Ralph Wiggum said:
Personally, the next outdoor zone I'd like to see redone is Fear Faire

It just needs to go altogether, I haven't liked it since day 1. The location is awful for an "outdoor" haunt, especially one that has an awful theme. Those pavilions should be better utilized by having more of an actual house than zone. The outdoor area around those pavilions could be used as a zone that carries the same theme as the house.

It would be great to see the pavilions enclosed and turned into an indoor/outdoor hybrid kind of thing. Of course, that would mean spending money to install a fire system in there, but it could be done.

Ralph Wiggum said:
It would be great to see the pavilions enclosed and turned into an indoor/outdoor hybrid kind of thing.

I've been talking about this for the past two years. I would love to see it blended with Club Blood or any other house that is in that location. Instead of there being an outdoor theme inside the building to get to the club part, why not have it actually outside.

I'm not positive, but didn't Knott's have an outdoor section in their Dia De Los Muertos?

I think fear faire could be better if the fog would actually stay thick. It also seems too spaced out, like the area is too big for the contents.

Fog quality is entirely dependent on the weather. If there is a moderate breeze off the bay, there isn't much they can do about it. I've been through FF a number of times with pretty significant fog.

^This. Weather is the biggest battle the Fog Techs have during Halloweekends. It doesn't take much wind at all to blow all your fog away. And as John said, there are times where the fog is so thick in Fear Faire that you can't see your hand in front of you. There was a time I got lost and found myself in a corner not knowing which way to go. This coming from a guy that has blueprints of the zone and the layout memorized.

Not to go off-topic, but given the earlier discussion of Instagram, I had to share this. :)

I think Fear Faire might be the most "Fog-dependent" zone. I've been through it when there's almost no fog on a windy night, and you can see things coming from a mile away because it's so open. I've also been there on calm night's when the fog is so thick that you can get turned around trying to walk in a straight line.

Makes the haunt go from a 1 to a 10 just like that.

99er said:
...the Fog Techs...

That amuses me. Carry on...

^This. Weather is the biggest battle the Fog Techs have during Halloweekends. It doesn't take much wind at all to blow all your fog away. And as John said, there are times where the fog is so thick in Fear Faire that you can't see your hand in front of you. There was a time I got lost and found myself in a corner not knowing which way to go. This coming from a guy that has blueprints of the zone and the layout memorized.

Lucky! I've been through Fear Faire so many times, but I've never gone through it when the fog was thick. I'm sure it's much more scary like that, so maybe I'll get lucky this year.

Speaking of Fear Faire, the improvements made to it last year were GREAT!

FF was always pretty good, but last year it was the best outdoor haunt in the park (IMHO).

Jeff said:

That amuses me. Carry on...

At Disney they are called "Special Effects Techs". I know, so professional.

Is "Fog Tech" something you can major in at the University of Phoenix?

I'd take that course in a heartbeat! :)

I think it'd be neat to see some kind of cave style path for Fear Faire. It could be utilized in the pavilion, replacing some of those walls. Not only would it fit well with the theme, it would also be a nice way to capture some of the fog that's lost due to the slightest wind. Plus, I think it'd be safe from the whole extra safety requirements (fire system and whatnot) if it was just used as walls instead of an actual enclosure.

Great idea!

I tend to have them. :)