Halloweekends 2016

I hope there's an especially disappointing key room I can pay extra for

Maybe CP should take a page from KI's book, and just stay closed from Labor Day to the end of September. That way they won't have to deal with guests complaining about such an immense transformation of the park not being perfect on the first weekend... 45 days before Halloween.

Reading the description of that thing...

It comes with cassette players. Oh my. I thought we were past that point :P

The Ogre at CP is probably 8 or 9 years old, it came from another park (though not sure which one) and it is not the exact same as the one in the link. The CP Ogre is from Distortions Unlimited who sold the design and stopped making them, the CP version is much better built bu is also just showing it's age. Oh and it is not a tape deck, it was upgraded to use a solid state player at some point.

It's even older than that. It came from Geauga Lake, and was part of the Six Flags era Fright Fests.

It's tough being a giant, elderly ogre. He has to sleep outside too. Give him a break!

Did anybody see Skeleton Crew? Any new acts in it?

djDaemon said:

Maybe CP should take a page from KI's book, and just stay closed from Labor Day to the end of September. That way they won't have to deal with guests complaining about such an immense transformation of the park not being perfect on the first weekend... 45 days before Halloween.

Well if it's not perfect on the first weekend, they shouldn't have it... People have a right to complain if they are paying for something that isn't up to par. I wouldn't say anything if it was something minor, but it was a overwhelming theme I couldn't put behind me. I'll probably wait a couple weeks before I go again based on the feedback.

I've never understood the pass people give the Halloweekends attractions on opening weekend.

CoasterGuy15 said:

Well if it's not perfect on the first weekend, they shouldn't have it... People have a right to complain if they are paying for something that isn't up to par. I wouldn't say anything if it was something minor, but it was a overwhelming theme I couldn't put behind me. I'll probably wait a couple weeks before I go again based on the feedback.

Looking at the complaints here, the main issues were:

• Some sporadic staffing problems (some noticed, while others, like Rosealyn430, didn't encounter the same issue, so it seems like it wasn't an ongoing thing)
• One haunt out of seven (?) closed due to weather/leak
• One zone out of six that disappointed

I agree that it's disappointing, but I think you need to keep things in context. Not only was the majority of Haunt stuff up & running this weekend (during what appeared to be a substantial amount of rain Saturday, no less), but so too were some 70 rides and attractions.

But you're right - if I were CP, I would say "to hell with you guys" and just not even start Haunt until the last weekend of September. Because apparently having all the normal rides and attractions open, plus most of the Haunt stuff, isn't enough for some people. Give a mouse a cookie...

xfireboyx said:
Did anybody see Skeleton Crew? Any new acts in it?

This year's lineup includes a slack line routine, high-wire walk, and an impressive balancing act along with the Cyr wheel and of course the Skeleton Crew trampoline routine.

xfireboyx said:

Did anybody see Skeleton Crew? Any new acts in it?

I put my summary under the news forum (20th Halloweekends). Yes all new stuff except the Skeleton crew ending. Check it out!

My son and I really dug the sword eater from last year. His pic is on the Haunt splash page for the Skeleton Crew show. The "Hot Dog Song" was stuck in my head for days after we saw the show. Sorry to hear he's not back.

djDaemon said:
Because apparently having all the normal rides and attractions open, plus most of the Haunt stuff, isn't enough for some people. Give a mouse a cookie...

I don't think its too much to ask that all the Haunt attractions be open and fully staffed to provide the best show possible since that is why I am paying to go. The whole point of going to Halloweekends is for the extra added attractions so I don't understand why some people are ok with the park "half assing" it when it comes to the event. For years we have heard "It's the first weekend. Give them a break". Sorry but I don't understand why I have to give them some slack on something they have been doing for years now. If the park fails at staffing a haunted house properly then the experience is actually altered and can be a total waste of time for a guest. I went to Halloween Horror Nights on Friday, opening night, and everything was open on time and fully staffed all night. Nobody needed to give Universal some slack because it was opening night.

As for the haunted house with the water damage being closed. Well that house leaked really bad for the 11 years I worked at the park. So it bothers me that a guests experience might have been changed simply because a known problem was ignored over and over again. It never should have happened to begin with. The whole event is based on haunted attractions so the park should do everything possible to make sure those attractions stay open.

Maybe my problem is having high standards for a park that claims to be one of the best.

Fair enough, and I don't disagree. I just thought it pertinent that some perspective were in order.

After all, the park didn't "half-ass" it. They "eleven-thirteenths-assed" it. ;-)

...and the park is still hiring for Halloweekends. I bet they'd rather have a full trained staff opening day, instead of continuously adding people. If not enough people apply, then you end up short staffed and have to make due with what you have.

Perhaps they should draw an imaginary line down the middle of the park, build a fence and new gates, and charge everyone full price admission again.

Maybe then they could full-ass it the first week?

If they can't get enough people now, then maybe they should adjust the Halloweekends schedule and start it a week or 2 later.

What an idea...

Yeah! And they could call them "Bonus Weekends"!