[SpiderWitch]

My hubby hands out candy while I take our son around the neighborhood- as a result, I don't get to see the reactions to our haunt. This year, he videotaped part of it for me. The kids were very enthusiastic about our efforts, thanking us for doing it for them, for "giving us something to talk about tomorrow" as one girl put it, and for making Halloween great.

This video best illustrates the evening- some young'uns, some tweens, and a few less-than-appreciative teens. But the reaction from the girls toward the end really justifies all the hard work, the expense, the labor, and even the blood!

 

[StanFam3]

Rock on!!!! I agree completely!!! The kids and adults alike who had similar reactions to props we made --- and truly enjoyed themselves at our haunt --- made every single splinter, hot glue burn, cut, dollar spent, and every hour invested worth it!!

 

[StaceyLynn]

That is awesome! The girls at the end were very, very sweet.

 

[Gym Whourlfeld]

This afternoon just a couple were here to see Ravens Grin, but they were all that I really needed. They really had fun here. I feel very happy when I am making someone else laugh.
October is the time of the year when some people will come to see this place and give it a bad rap, if they would have read some reviews first and not just come here hanging their personal expectations on this place, everybody could be happy. This year Haunted Illinois.com had THE best review/preview of what happens here, Very excellant! We had one customer say she hadn't laughed so much in her effing " life as she did here!
People will laugh here but also scream, but mostly laugh....

 

[Dr. Phibes]

95% of the 60 or so TOT I got we very gracious and nice. Some complimented the decorations. But my real issue is with the parents. I would guess 75% of the TOT had no costume!!! WTF! You can get your kid a mask for under $10 easy and tubes of makeup would cost less then $5 bucks for different colors to do something. Could buy a wig for cheap at the thrift shop. It isn't lack of money. Just pure laziness! I'm too damn nice to mention it as I don't want to make 8 year olds feel like crap cause mom/ dad suck.

 

[TheMayor]

I didn't get many TOT but most of them loved the display and had only great things to say...and I made it on the news! super cool

 

[kuroneko]

Well, I'm not sure what to say since most of the kids that came to mine refused to come all the way up the walkway (too scary). lol But yea, I love the ToTs reactions to everything, young and old.

 

[dbruner]

Great video SpiderWitch. Thanks for sharing.

 

[tomanderson]

Ah, time was, you could do a hobo with a ratty shirt, a stick, a handkerchief stuffed with newspaper, and some burnt cork (remember THAT makeup material?) for the five o'clock shadow. People were better trained to throw a costume together out of nothing back then.

This year, I was very surprised and pleased with how much FUN everyone seemed to be having! People would see this display and approach the spooky front porch, and they were already having a good time, they had that "it's like going to an amusement park for free!" kind of enthusiasm. For the first time in a long time, we tried hard to put on a good show, and the audience appreciated it, and let their appreciation be known. It was gratifying to say the least.

 

[Zombastic]

That's awesome. I'm gonna have to start recording reactions in my haunted garage.

We got so many compliments.
The drop panels work like a charm every time, and after people screamed and jumped back,
so many of them would shake my hand and say something along the lines of "great job".
One lady claimed to be an artist and was amazed by the giant pvc spider in the yard.
She said that I needed to put a tutorial of it on the internet so others can make them.
I told her "that's where I got the idea" LoL!
One kid dropped his mask and had to come back for it and another dropped her bag of candy.
I love the teenagers who walk through all big and bad and then nearly soil themselves when we strike.
Or the people who come through, and then come through again with their friend and lead them right to the drop panel.

Every year there is a kid or two who repeatedly comes through and becomes irritating.
They warn people about where we are and then start smarting off with comments like "you don't scare me man".
There were 2 teenage punks who came through a few times and began overreacting and purposely jumping back into
the walls, trying to create chaos.
Once we catch on, we stop trying to scare them and ask them to leave.
But the vast majority of people really love it and appreciate what we do.
Lots of people took pictures with us, the spider and in the torture stock.
Every year I say that I'm gonna take a year off, but it's so hard to do.
I took a year off in 08 and it seemed like every kid that came up to my house was letdown.
I'm lucky that my neighbor/buddy feels just like me about it. We're both a couple of big kids who love Halloween and scaring the kids.

To me, it seems like Halloween was bigger than in past years. Maybe it just seems that way to me.
I don't come out of the garage haunt much but the few times that I did, there were kids all up and down the street.
We had hundreds.
And just think, next year it's on a Friday...Should be even bigger.

 

[hallorenescene]

spider, looked like you had a fun crowd. cute clip. all the compliments are what makes it worth it. your place from what I could see was sweet. happy Halloween

 

[zombieprincess]

Nice clip. It's always great to hear the compliments. I may have to set up a video camera next year as I am the one that takes my youngest out TOTing and misses 90% of the scaring. Great idea.