Episodes

Sept. 25, 2020

Halloween News Briefing for September 25

Top Stories: The CDC released updated guidelines to address COVID-19 that are specifically geared to Halloween and other holiday events and gatherings. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html#halloween Florida's...

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Sept. 23, 2020

Green Tagged BONUS: Halloween Special

On this Bonus Green Tagged: What 11 drive-in haunted attractions have in common, where they differ, and why it matters; a rundown of what every major US theme park is doing for Halloween; musings on The Haunted Toilet Experience; what …

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Sept. 22, 2020

[Haunt Weekly] Episode 251 - 13 Things Haunters Wish Customers Knew

This week on Haunt Weekly we are expanding on a previous question of the week to look at things that haunters wish customers knew. Though the haunt industry has opened up a lot in recent decades, there's still a lot …

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Sept. 20, 2020

Green Tagged: Top Theme Park News for Sept 20

This week on Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30 - Halloween-themed drive-in movies debut at theme parks in the US and UK; Round One is slated to Replace a Sears store in Florida; while droves of escape rooms pivot virtual …

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Sept. 13, 2020

Green Tagged: Top Theme Park News for Sept 13

This week on Green Tagged: ‘Schoolcation’ packages debut at Four Seasons Resort Orlando, Cancellations for Mickey’s Christmas Party and IAAPA Expo, live performances are coming back, and the theme park capital of the world battles public attitude....

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Sept. 6, 2020

Green Tagged for Sept 6

We divided this week’s news into three piles: the Florida and New York governors’ responses to how themed attractions can move forward during the pandemic, the evolution of IP experiences, and the trend to virtual. Full show notes here:...

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Sept. 6, 2020

How To Reopen Your Haunt During The Pandemic - A Case Study

Right now, the haunt industry is being faced with something we’ve never done before—reopening our attractions in the midst of a pandemic. We’re all wondering when and how to make this happen. In this article, you’ll hear from the general …

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Sept. 4, 2020

[A Scott in the Dark] Episode 47 - Come Together

Scott discusses the importance of unity within the industry during the 2020 Halloween Season.

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Sept. 1, 2020

How to scare with intent from 6 feet away!

2020 is giving haunters a wonderful opportunity to birth novel ways of telling our stories. In this podcast, presented by David Jones, we explore effective methods of scaring from a distance. Specifically, you’ll learn how to create a cohesive...

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Sept. 1, 2020

[HaunTopic Radio] How To Open Your Attraction in the Middle of a Pand…

Learn from the mistakes and accomplishments of the Fear Factory in Salt Lake City, Utah, and how they opened their attraction in the middle of a health pandemic and successfully did it! Here's a link to their Contingency Plan to …

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Sept. 1, 2020

[Haunt Weekly] Episode 248 - August News

This week on Haunt Weekly we're doing the news and, unfortunately, that means covering a lot of COVID-19 related things including limited haunt openings, closings and more things in between. But that's not all we have this week, we also …

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Aug. 31, 2020

What Do You Say To Them? How to personalize your haunt messaging duri…

This podcast is a recording from a recent panel on personalizing your messaging to guests in preparation for opening your haunted attraction this season. The discussion is divided into three sections—recommendations about messaging for guests before...

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Aug. 30, 2020

Green Tagged: Theme Park in 30 for Aug 30

“Green Tagged” - The Top News in Theme Parks This Past Week An insider's take on the attraction industry's trending news. August 30th Edition - Welcome to the Green Tagged blog, based on our first podcast episode of Green Tagged, …

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Aug. 24, 2020

[Haunt Weekly] Episode 247 - Virtual Escape Rooms

As bad as COVID-19 has been for haunts, it's been similarly bad for our sister industry: Escape rooms. However, many escape games have taken a different tact, launching virtual experiences that come in a wide variety of flavors. These include...

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Aug. 11, 2020

[Haunt Weekly] - Episode 245 - Lessons From Our Closure

Last year was a very rough year for us. Due to some serious road work taking place, we were forced to cancel our 2019 season. Now, due to COVID-19, many haunts are finding that their 2020 season is hanging into …

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Aug. 1, 2020

[HaunTopic Radio] Pre Season Haunt Checkup: Getting things ready to o…

This is the year of COVID cancellations and many Haunted Attractions are closed for 2020. Those that will be opened are doing things a little differently. The Haunt Master members of the Haunter's Toolbox share their thoughts on this year's...

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July 29, 2020

[Haunt Weekly] Episode 243 - Social Media for Haunters

Pretty much every haunted attraction has a Facebook page. However, is there more that you could be doing with your social media presence? The answer is yes. Social media is a powerful tool for haunt promotion and, thanks to COVID-19, …

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July 26, 2020

[A Scott In The Dark] Episode 46 - Is Halloween Dead?

Based on the recent announcements that several large haunted attractions have decided not to open for the 2020 season, Scott discusses the options for both haunters and haunt fans to keep the spirit of Halloween alive.

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July 16, 2020

[Haunt Weekly] Episode 241 - Masks for Haunters

It's becoming more and more clear that, if haunts are able to open at all this year, it's going to be with a good deal of restrictions and limitations. Those limitations will likely include masks for actors and customers alike. …

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July 10, 2020

[A Scott in the Dark] Episode 45 Phases of Recovery

Scott discusses the three basic phases of post-crisis recovery and how they apply to the Haunt Industry...its more fun than it sounds. PLUS He announces his new email newsletter, "A Shout in the Dark". To join visit ScottSwenson.com and click …

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July 7, 2020

[Haunt Weekly] Episode 240 - June/July News

This week on Haunt Weekly we're doing the news and what a rough news episodes it is. We slog our way through the first round of haunt closures due to COVID-19. However, we work hard to bring you a great …

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July 1, 2020

[HaunTopic Radio] DIY Haunt Animatronics with Steve Koci

Steve Koci, many of you know him as Halstaff on the webs, is the author of The Ultimate Guide to DIY Animatronics. In this podcast, learn the best way to get started in moving props and how to animate many …

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June 30, 2020

[Haunt Weekly] Episode 239 - What the Haunt Industry Can Learn from H…

No matter what happens between now and haunt season, the haunted attraction industry is facing an extremely challenging year. Even the best predictions call for smaller crowds, shortened seasons and limited capacity. In 2005, the city of New Orleans...

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June 23, 2020

[Haunt Weekly] Episode 238 - Making Haunting a Safe Space for Everyone

The haunted attraction industry prides itself on being a welcoming space for anyone who loves scaring. However, as some recent events have shown, that's not always an ideal we live up to. The truth is that we have many of …

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