I know one thing. After speaking to a region person last year Spirt has been planning for Halloween 2020 for YEARS. Its a Saturday so they have big plans.
Looking way ahead, I see that Halloween 2021 is slated for a Sunday. That's probably gonna be a slow one. Maybe not? I guess everyone will still have the whole weekend to celebrate.
Last time Halloween fell on a Sunday was 2010. I remember that Saturday the 30th was declared the day/night for trick or treating for our city/community. Wonder if that'll happen again next year.
Well if last years weird pier with clowns, zombies, pirates & dolls is any prediction as to what they'll do this year then I predict more clowns, zombies, pirates, jumping 3 headed cats, some more Zombie Babies, a few creepy scarecrows & fogging pumpkins, another version of Pinhead or Regan that's juuuuuuust different enough that collectors will have to buy it, & Jason from Ft13th Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan, but they'll all be..............................................wait for it.......................................wait for it...........................................................................................................................ON A MOTHERFORKIN' PLANE!!!
I hope I'm totally wrong but when that actually happens I get to say I told you so & I totally called it.
What I'd like to see is coherence. No clowns or Zombie Babies on wharfs, but stuff that makes sense in context of the theme they've picked. Actually I'd be glad if they cut waaaay back on the clowns in general.
I really liked the pier and shark display from last year. I often have a skeleton pirate on a dock display so it resonated well with me.
I'm always looking for the classic Universal Monsters but I guess the licensing makes them too expensive.
This year I'm hoping for a ghost theme with a haunted house set but without any gore (slaughter houses bore me).
Maybe something more along the lines of Disney's Haunted Mansion (fun with jump scares and lots of ghost noises).
Spirit also needs a "Haunter" position and by that I mean someone to show how to make a quick display with a few items or maybe have a weekend "class" teaching how to make an outside scene with lighting, sound and smoke.
Or at the very least have some small static prop areas to show how easy it is and to give some ideas to people.
The massive professionally designed displays they have in the store are fun but beyond the skill set for most.
When I worked in retail we had fish tank "starter kits".
It was a static display that gave you an idea of how it would look with a list of everything you'd need get started.
Spirit should do that for a graveyard Zombie scene or a witch at her cauldron, for example.
I think it's overwhelming for the beginner Haunter to know how to get going.
And I think we all know that one good display can start a lifelong obsession.
phantom of the opera and dracula are 59.99 so I guess that'll be the price.I already contacted them about getting the wolfman they said it was still early in the development stages
Been struggling with a theme myself. Which is unusual as I always have next years’ theme on my mind as I’m creating the current one! I’ve done 80’s horror movies, asylum, Carnevil, and basement. I’m thinking mausoleum for this year, however, zombie apocalypse is an option and it does kind of depend on which theme will have more merch available depending on what retailers come up with this year.
Spirit generally disappoints me. They used to sell some quality static items and props, but they tend towards cheap animatronics and costumes now. That being said....I'd like to get my hands on their Winter Forest Dragon. I have a spot picked out for him on top of the mausoleum.
So true!! I have both the Forest and winter that I'm thinking about trying to get both under the 10x20 shelter. Thinking of doing an undead Army right now with the dragons behind . Have ideas swirling the head now if I can just do them.
I'm very excited to see what's in store for this year! Here's something I've been thinking about as well... Back in July, Spirit made an Instagram post where they told people to comment a theme they wanted to see in 2020, stating that the theme with the most likes would win.
Because this was on the post where they were giving away Rusty, it could be that they meant the theme with the most likes would win Rusty. However, my initial thought when I read it was that whichever suggested theme got the most likes would be the theme for 2020. If this were the case, we could know what the theme is by looking through every comment and seeing which got the most likes. The former is more likely the case, though.
As for returning animatronics this year, often the theme influences which animatronics return as well, but these are my predictions at the moment:
Crouchy
Jack Straw
Abandoned Annie
Bloodthirsty Betty
Sam is a notable mention as well considering how well he sold, but Spirit has only re-released licensed animatronics a second year twice (Jason in 2007 and 2008, and Jack Skellington in 2017 and 2018). Because of that it is possible he'll return this year, but still unlikely.
One licensed animatronic I REALLY want to see make a comeback is Leatherface, and I'm sure most collectors would agree. The new horror merchandise sold very well last year, which definitely gives hope for more licenses coming this year as well!
As for returning animatronics this year, often the theme influences which animatronics return as well, but these are my predictions at the moment:
Crouchy
Jack Straw
Abandoned Annie
Bloodthirsty Betty
Sam is a notable mention as well considering how well he sold, but Spirit has only re-released licensed animatronics a second year twice (Jason in 2007 and 2008, and Jack Skellington in 2017 and 2018). Because of that it is possible he'll return this year, but still unlikely.
One licensed animatronic I REALLY want to see make a comeback is Leatherface, and I'm sure most collectors would agree. The new horror merchandise sold very well last year, which definitely gives hope for more licenses coming this year as well!
Leatherface would be a good character to make into an animatronic but I'm hoping for a 2018 Michael Myers since Halloween Kills is coming out and the one they made in 2018 was awful.
I know in 2018 they were only selling part of the display some of it they were reusing for 2020, at least I thought 2020 could have been 2021. As I'm usually in the store soon after they open and have my name down for some part of the display. Couldn't get some items I wanted that year as they were saving them.
Yeah, I could care less for clowns. I want more "traditional" Halloween characters, such as reapers, witches, etc. Though, I've read online that people are suspecting a carnival theme, considering that 2020 is the tenth anniversary of Cirque Du Spirit. People also want Uncle Charlie to make a comeback, and Seasonal Visions has already introduced two animatronics at this year's Halloween Expo; Mr. Happy and Candy Creep. Both animatronics hold a lolipop, so it might serve as an allusion to Uncle Charlie's return, but it could just be a coincidence.
I also love the more traditional. Witches, vampires, werewolves. But since I'm coming to the USA in October and it will be my first Spirit experience (if stupid virus hasn't ruined my plans) then anything will be good.
I ended up burning I think $120 on their fencing last year, it really helped the yard. Also had 33 pukkins haha. When it comes to SH and their animatronics....whatever it is Really has to get at me to consider buying it. I really wanted the two girls holding hands, $180(??) but my budget was blown. I've already started putting back $$ for Halloween2020, I'm hoping for $2K this year (don't judge me!). I also started a lemax spooky town, daaaaame that stuff is expensive.
I'm hoping that Spirit brings back some of the older animatronics. The ones I have in mind are Uncle Charlie and Wacky Mole Clown. I know the animatronics are not that great but the designs of them are really good in my opinion and since one of Season Vision's newer animatronics (Candy Creep) has a lollipop (which is not exactly the same sculpt as Uncle Charlie's lollipop) and a mallet (which is the same sculpt as Wacky Mole's mallet) then this could mean that they are also using the molds of the sculpts to produce new Uncle Charlie and Wacky Mole animatronics for 2020 (this is just a theory). They could also improve them either by giving them more animation or just improve some things (kind of like what they did with Limb Ripper in 2017).
Spirit Halloween updated their website to where most of the animatronic pages are labeled as "Online Only". The ones that are not labeled include Crouchy, Pennywise, Sam, Man's Possessed Friend, Jack Straw, Demonic Dahlia, Sitting Scarecrow, and both versions of the Jumping Spider. So this could mean that these animatronics are returning to stores this year.
I think the 2020 theme for Spirit Halloween should be spirit hallows day care and on one side you can have double trouble girls and swinging sally and jumping spider and demonic dahlia on one side and on the other side have abandoned Annie and tug of war guys and rocking horse dolly and up front have a day care sight and hanging from it cocooned corpse and on the other side creepy rising doll that was used in 2015 swamp tours and in the back have a play ground with ring around the Rosie group
And roaming Rosie red Antigue doll and some new animatronics this year
I think the 2020 theme for Spirit Halloween should be spirit hallows day care and on one side you can have double trouble girls and swinging sally and jumping spider and demonic dahlia on one side and on the other side have abandoned Annie and tug of war guys and rocking horse dolly and up front have a day care sight and hanging from it cocooned corpse and on the other side creepy rising doll that was used in 2015 swamp tours and in the back have a play ground with ring around the Rosie group
And roaming Rosie red Antigue doll and some new animatronics this year