With the popularity of gory horror movies and TV shows like “The Walking Dead” and “Face Off” combined with the high demand of horror-based video games, it looks as though mainstream America is embracing the same thrills with Halloween entertainment  all across the country.

pic5

Haunted house owners have taken the task of inducing blood-curdling screams to a whole new level. Today’s modern haunted attractions are pioneering modern mazes with Hollywood-quality creature make-up and costumes along with breath-taking special effects and clever cutting-edge scares.

pic6

pic3

(Un)lucky visitors can travel to the Orlando area to experience the greatest fear that money can buy at Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights, or drive a little further to Busch Gardens Tampa for Howl-O-Scream. These bastions of fright draw millions of visitors annually, but the scares are sometimes muffled by the sheer volume of people parading through the cramped hallways.

For a more individualized experience, thrill-seekers have been known to travel long distances in search of the perfect scare. Less than 200 miles south of the bustling Orlando area, you will find some of the best themed fear factories on Earth.

5) Bedner’s Fall Festival – Not every Halloween event has to rattle your bones! From now until November 2nd, Palm Beach County’s favorite farmers market is offering up a cornucopia of harvest season fun for everyone to enjoy. Not since Linus searched for the Great Pumpkin has such an amazing Traditional Pumpkin Patch been found anywhere on Earth! The farm will also be offering Hayrides around their beautiful 80 acres of working farm and a Bigger and Better Corn Maze for only $4 per person. They also offer a petting zoo, games, and so much more! For details, check them out on line at http://www.Bedners.com.

4) Halloween Horror Cruise – Things have not gone well aboard the Bahamas Celebration Cruise, and the spirits of dearly departed passengers and crew have taken over the lower deck of the ship!  For less than $120, passengers are granted access to multiple horror events, including a walk through the off-limits bottom deck of the ship inhabited by former passengers and crew members, some dead, some alive and some we don’t know what they are. Warning, this tour is not recommended for any person with a heart condition. For more details, check out their website at http://www.bahamascelebration.com/Halloween-Horror-Cruises-Celebration-Cruise-Line.html.

pic4

3) Boo at the Zoo – The public is invited to have a howlin’ good time at Palm Beach County’s most-loved Halloween event: “Boo at the Zoo!” Guests can enjoy trick-or-treating, costume contests, the decorate-your-own pumpkin patch, live music from a DJ in the Interactive Play Fountain area, giveaways, haystack hunt, face painting or airbrush tattoos, roving animal encounters, not-so-scary wildlife presentations and much more.  For details, including dates and pricing information, visit their webpage at http://palmbeachzoo.org.

2) X-Scream Halloween – In 2014, visitors can enjoy a hauntingly good time at the G-Star School of the Arts, which runs for four weekends in October, and gives terrified visitors a glimpse into the centuries long conflict between vampires and werewolves. In addition to the vampire and werewolf themed haunts, this year’s event features an all new haunted amusement park, compete with “Ghoulie Golf,” bounce houses, thrill rides, and concessions of all kinds. It also includes a special behind the scenes theatrical presentation that is included with your paid admission. For all the terrifying details, visit http://xscreamhalloween.com, if you dare!

pic2

1) Fright Nights – Fright Nights at the South Florida Fairgrounds consists of three all new haunted houses, two scare zones, live music and entertainment, thrill rides, food, games, prizes, and more. New this year is a behind the scenes tour, where on Thursday, Oct. 9 you will be guided through the houses by some of your favorite recurring characters and given the chance to see how the houses come together in a lights on, slightly less scary environment. Another night not to miss is Oct. 26, when the scariest place in all of Palm Beach County (not counting government offices) will be hosting it’s second annual Monster Bash; a costume party and contest. For advance tickets and more details, visit http://myfrightnights.com

So, what do Haunted House visitors want?  Recent studies suggest that what customers crave most is an unforgettable experience with friends and family when visiting a haunted attraction.Group bonding is critical for a memorable event as excitement grows on the car ride to the haunt and finishes on the way home with stories about who got scared and the crazy stuff they just shared.

Everyone in the group plays a role, from The Thrill Seeker to The Brave One to The Ringleader; most of the group’s attention is focused on reactions of their group members, rather than the event itself.

“When getting a group together to attend a haunt, people go out of their way to bring an easily scared friend or a haunted house expert to come along, and constantly watch how they react to the event,” says Ben Armstrong of America Haunts.

The more common roles in a group attending a haunted attraction include:

The Offering: Usually terrified, they are pushed in front of the group and offered to the monsters. They sometimes relish the role – screaming and smiling all the while. Sometimes, however, they just want to GET OUT!

The Offerer: They are often more interested in The Offering’s reaction than what is going on around them. Sometimes they are scared and use The Offering as a shield.

The Brave One: The person who marches on bravely to attain higher status from the group or to test their own fears.

The Thrill Seeker: The most delightful type of patron who screams and laughs at all the right times and is a joy for the actors. Like The Offering, the group fixates on this person and is delighted with every scream.

The Detail Seeker: More excited by sets and props, The Detail Seeker loves haunted houses, but is less scared of the actors and studies every detail in the room. They want to know, “How did they do that?”

The Ringleader: The guest responsible for the group going to the haunt. Often, Ringleaders have already attended the attraction. They relish watching their friends experience the horrors and go to great lengths to convince “chickens” to come along for everyone else’s entertainment. Sometimes they handpick The Brave One to see if they get them to crack.

Halloween is a time for fun and frivolity. It is a time to come out of your shell, and to acknowledge the mischievous spirit that resides within all of us. What are the roles of you and your friends?

 

Sharing is caring!

Adam Sinclair
Adam is a lover of travel, and has always been interested in finding and exploring new and exciting places. In these tough economic times, travel can help provide an escape from the stresses of everyday life. He plans on sharing his favorite getaways with the readers of MiceChat.com, and hopes to visit some of the best area attractions with the world with his audience at his side. Follow him on twitter (@faborplumbs) as he searches for his next amazing destination, and check out some of his other favorite places at Faborplumbs Funtastic Finds as well as the Local Getaways section of Examiner.com!