Warning, looonnngggg response!
What kind of scenes do you already have planned? Are you geared scary or creepy/spooky. I see you have burger king as a sponsor, if you don't mind my asking, is it a monetary sponsorship or product? We are non-profit too.
The hayride portion of our haunt will be kid/family oriented, more to the creepy/startle with a bit of humor. Here are my main scenes for it.
• We'll have the cemetery, as wagon passes that, another scene on other side of road (still not decided what) to divert attention and zombie hoard will emerge from cemetery.
• The ride passes by an obstacle coarse, so we'll use the huge net like a web and put spiders up in it, then have an activated spider drop towards the wagon from the trees, not over but near wagon, just in case.
• A row of hanging tires will be a line up of ghouls, I'd like to have UV LEDs in them for eyes, which will make entire form glow. There are also a couple of elevated wooden platforms and a zip line I would like to use, but not quite sure how yet.
• There is a shack which will be a guard shack... a sign as wagon approaches "CAUTION approaching Federal Penitentiary, do not pick up hitch hikers" There will be columns on either side of road, pvc fencing, a guard/traffic arm that is broken (we hope to have part of this moving up and down, like it’s malfunctioning). Will have a guard dummy on the ground, sign on shack Asylum for the criminally Insane. One of those red rotating lights with sign "Warning, if this light is flashing an emergency lockdown is in effect." When we’ll have “lunatic” actors.
• Haunted train effect, recording, sound of approaching train, fake section of track, RR crossing sign w/ flashing red lights, wagon stalls on track, sudden bright light, loud train horn, and fan blow.
• There is a long portion of road in a very dark section. I want to have glowing figures in the trees, need to use LEDs. No electricity in area. Will have various actors in area just for creepiness and quick startles. Stalk around here too. Howling and growling sounds.
• Crashed flying saucer n little green men (finally a use for that ancient 6’ satellite dish! Fogger, chase lights, etc
• Dinosaur park… will have columns w. arch, lettering similar to Jurassic park. Solar tiki torches on columns. Rope or cable to look like high voltage fence, broken of course, w/ high voltage warning signs. 1 or 2 MM smaller dinos, signs on existing 12’ fence with broken gate “caution, velociraptor enclosure. “nest” w/10”-12” mache eggs. TRex footprint w/ water in it. Broken up outhouse looking john w/ toilet w/two legs from knees down (ala Jurassic Park Lawyer scene). Recordings of “dino” sounds. I really want a TRex head to come at the wagon but can’t quite figure out how… the only idea I had I don’t think the head will hold up to the repetitive physical shock to the prop.
• Playground w/ creepy singing, child ghosts on swinging swings, UV LEDs to make ghosts glow.

Can you use any of those ideas? Also, if anyone can think of a good way to have dino head startle, let me know.

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