For sure we learn from our mistakes and as more people come to our haunts we have to keep up with what changes have to be made. This last season I was in the same boat as you all I could see out my front door was heads, I don't think the front door ever closed for the longest time. We were nervous because of all the CORDS (even tho they were covered) outside & no one out there to watch things, also all I had in help was my neighbors 8 yr. old & he took care of the fog machine in the cemetery which belonged to him & he kept the cd playing with our music outside. He is just wonderful...... works a lot w/ us thru the year building things.
To be honest this last season was the 1st time in all of my life & all of the big halloween stuff I did at my Diner ( we had live entertainemnt & hay rides too when I had the diner) that I felt like I really lost control of watching things. We were very lucky to say the least that nothing got stolen as I have many small trinkets along the route through the inside of my house.
After joining this forum that is where the idea came from to let them come inside the house & to be honest our inside was way more decorated than the outside but no one ever saw any of it. Thats when we all sat down & said ok in everything we have in the house if something disappears or gets broke how upset will we be.
So we decided to try it & I will tell ya what....it was just great...people enjoyed all that we did inside and the biggest complaint was that they had to go through to quick & it was hard to look at everything. For me it was overwhelmingly wonderful to see people enjoy themselves with their children like that. Many said>>>oh wait I have to go get my husband to see this. This last season of 2007 was crazy cause whole families came through along with aunts & grandma's.....man I loved it!! All these big smiles on everyones face.
I have a lot of inside decorations from when I had the diner ......people use to come from all over for any holiday as we decorated like crazy!
Sooner or later something will happen that most likely will make me feel different so that is why I'm going to try & get some help. In my haunt they make their way to the "Cadaver Cafe & Candykitchen", thats our house kitchen. In there they get their treat bag plus we have a commercial popcorn machine so the house smells like a theater. They get a big bag of fresh popcorn. This last season I was sick so I did not have time to bake but 2006 I baked all kinds of stuff and parents stood in the kitchen eating!!lol
This season we will give out caskets to the parents filled with the gourmet chocolates I make in my business and we will have a bride & bridal party handing out plates of cake & punch. I use to cater weddings & made cakes for the Miss Nebraska Pageants, so I'm gonna bake a big gothic wedding cake to go along w/ our deranged bride/funeral parlor scene. This last season people asked>>>>Oh no she didn't bake this year??lol Nobody seems afraid to eat here !!lol
So yes I too sat & looked at the setbacks from last season & I am trying to makes amends in those areas.....I guess we all can call it "Growing Pains", as I have read many a posts on here about haunts that continue to grow. I was going to do some marketing of my haunt this year but we have decided to wing it one more year w/ the locals before we start promoting outside of our community boundaries. I honestly have 5 tablets I keep notes in of plans for upcoming seasons. We have a huge yard so the potential outside is enormous. Halloween is my biggest hobby & I devote time to it when I am not working at making chocolates! This forum is the right place for lunatics such as myself!!!lol
And beware, cause if ya hang in here........decorating is contagious with all these people!!
the Muffster
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