are immense. You get out what you put in, and to make it truly immersive, bring in all the figurative bells and whistles. Lights, actors, décor—get creative.” Of course, the additional hours and pro- duction of a nighttime operation calls for additional safety considerations. “Our days extend into the evenings, and our staff stay later,” says Very. “We typically shut down for an hour or two between our daytime and night activities to test all equipment and shift gears. We provide light throughout the course and high-traffic areas, and our staff have reflective vests and light sources, as well. We hire scare actors to ensure we are delivering a high-quality experience to our guests. Additional training is provided to staff to ensure they are equipped to manage safety in a darker environment.”
these woods, and the only means of escape is to jump on this scary steel cable,” he says. “It’s more of a ‘Blair Witch Project’ vibe than a haunted house or hayride, with the occasional screams from the zip line off in the distance,” says Cellini. The zip lining itself is done in near-total darkness, adding another layer of “fun scary” to the experience, notes Cellini. “Guests have no idea how high they are or how far they are going,” he says.
een-themed Glow in the Park events are the same price as our standard Glow in the Park.” Marketing boost. Even without yielding up, though, it’s still well worth the effort. A unique event like a Halloween experience can make a splash in the marketplace and raise awareness of an operation generally. “The Halloween theme drives press coverage and awareness, which gives us some earned media boost and drives volume during the Halloween sea- son,” says Fisher. “It also gives people a reason for an additional visit if they have already come out to the park, and is something fun to talk about in our marketing communications and social media. The key is starting the promo- tion of Halloween events right after Labor Day.” “From a marketing perspective, a lot of people learn about us because of Zom- bie Zips,” says Cellini. Follow a plan. Regardless of what Hal- loween theme you choose, Zip World’s Earl advises park operators to “have a clear direction you want to take the experience.” “Even if budget doesn’t allow you to ful- fill the production you dream up, don’t let it hold you back,” he says. “Do what you can with the budget you have, don’t overspend, get as much content as you can, and then invest back into the event next year. Focus on repeat business, and give people a reason to come back.”
THE PAYOFF
Things like extra staff, costumes, scary statues, lighting, and hay bales cost mon- ey, of course. Mountain Ridge Adventure charges a small premium for Zombie Zips: $59 last year, compared to the usu- al $54 admission fee. And whereas the park’s normal pass allows for multiple zip line rides over a two-hour period, the Zombie Zips ticket only allows for a sin- gle time through the experience, which typically takes about 1.5 hours. “It typically sells out; it’s profitable, but not as much as our daytime experi- ence,” says Cellini. “But it’s fun to do and is kind of an end-of-year party for us.” Other parks just absorb any extra costs and keep ticket prices the same for Hal- loween as for normal operations. “We have Halloween decor as part of our normal operation during this period, but we don’t charge any premium on tickets,” says Candie Fisher, president of Outdoor Venture Group. “Our Hallow-
RAISING THE FEAR FACTOR
Halloween glow events tend to be family friendly, but some operators get serious about being scary. Mountain Ridge Adventure, for exam- ple, warns up front about its Zombie Zips: “Intended for mature audiences. This is not your Disney-esque horror. This is the real deal and will scare the **** out of you.” Guests follow a half- mile, bone-strewn “terror trail” through the dark to the park’s 10-station zip line, with costumed “zombies” acting as guides and zip line attendants as well as providing scares along the trail. Tell a scary story. Storytelling can be just as important as special effects in creating an immersive Halloween ad- venture park program. Zip World’s Ffear Fforest, for example, harkens to the mysterious disappearance of a group of carnival guests: “Legend says that each Halloween, Mr. Wallace comes back to town, and lures unsuspecting guests to the Fforest to attend his cursed carnival, but very few make it back out,” accord- ing to the attraction’s website. At Zombie Zips, guests are told they need to follow the trail to a tower to escape the horde of ravenous undead, says Cellini. As the story goes, “Back in the ’70s, 18 people went missing in
Getting ready to play the part of zombie guide on the 10-station zip line at Mountain Ridge Adventure.
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