Ten years ago or even 5 years ago halloween was something the Americans did and the rest of the world sort of watched them and a few people would maybe put a 99p skeleton up that they bought from Wilkos but that was about it. The same can be said for the theme park industry. Knotts Berry Farm is now preparing for their 18th haunt. That’s right, these guys have been doing this every year since ‘89 and if it’s anything towards what Alton Towers or Thorpe Park will look like in 2 decades then I’m all for it.

I personally am a big lover of horror mazes and last September actually designed Freak Frenzy for my old company, a 3 story play area, converted into mental asylum, which recieved great reviews from Haunted Attractions but 5 years ago I would never have even dreamed of it and there certainly wouldn’t of been a demand for it, well at least not in the UK. Over the past few years though, we have seen exciting developments in the UK’s parks with the welcoming additions of Thorpe’s Fright Nights and Alton’s Scarefest. These events, already pencilled in for a return in 08 hopefully show a bright future for the UK’s haunted attractions.

Having experienced Knotts Scary Farm in 2007 these are some of the things we will hopefully get in our parks within the next few years:

• Scare Zones: These are parts of the park that are fully ‘dressed for the occasion,’ pumped with thick fog as you try to pass through the area monsters. The creatures try and head you off from all angles making your passing as unpleasent as possible.
• Live rides: A prime example of this is the log flume at Knotts, by day a standard flume with a great indoor section similar to gold rush (or whatever the mine trains called a blackpool) with miners working away. By night it becomes the backdrop for a horrificly twisted version of Little Red Riding Hood with live actors actually positioned in the rides indoor and outdoor section to jump towards the boat and rattle cans in your face. Imagine getting on the flume at Alton and during halloween the duck in the tunnel isn’t there but actually a bloodthirsty live pirate actor wielding a sword towards your face?
• Rapids draining: Some parks drain their rapids during Halloween, which creates a natural horror maze path. Obviously with the route changed slighty to avoid turntables and lift systems it creats a great atmosphere and is ideal for live actors to jump in and out of. Let’s be honest who wants to get soaked when its only 4 degrees outside?!
• Live queue lines: This would be great for dark rides such as X:/ No Way Out or Hex or even smaller rides. This once again adds to the anticipation and the anxiety of getting on the ride, after all what could be worse than queing for Xcelerator at Knotts when a chainsaw weilding clown is at the other side of the queue fence?

All in all, Halloween events in the UK are growing and although it will never be as big as it is in the USA, we will certainly try, especially if I have anything to do with it! If we can even get close to what Knotts has achieved, the events which were put on last year will look like child’s play.