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Events News

Virtually Prepared: Haunt & Attraction Conference

Virtually Prepared: Haunt & Attraction Conference

Virtually Prepared is a haunt & attraction virtual conference taking place on March 28th – 29th, 2020. Register on their website at: https://gantom.zohobackstage.com/VirtuallyPreparedASeasonalAttractionConference?fbclid=IwAR280TtcvHMnxWeHiia-wmH33uoZw5UIZx0xBmu4CaeSpBqGEwV3DFXbikQ#/tickets?lang=en

Covid-19 has derailed all plans for industry events this spring. With major trade shows being postponed/cancelled for the foreseeable future, many of us in the events & attractions industry have lost valuable resources for networking, purchasing, and learning. Spearheaded by Philip Hernandez of Gantom Lighting & Controls and Seasonal Entertainment Source Magazine, Virtually Prepared aims to bring together industry professionals to discuss the challenges we face – both for 2020 and future years.

This online event will include two days of programming using Zoom conference service as well as a virtual show floor. Many of the panels will bring the Covid-19 discussion to the forefront with industry experts weighing in on what haunters and attraction owners can expect in the coming months. They are also courses on prop controllers, courses on planning your upcoming season, and online social events. The virtual show floor will include special offers from vendors and links for online ordering of your favorite props, costumes, and more.

Space in each panel is limited (first-come, first serve), but registration is free. Visit Virtually Prepared’s website to sign up.

A New Format -What Will It Change?

I am looking forward to seeing how this new format for industry events works out. Nothing can fully replicate face-to-face interaction with trade show vendors, but this can open up a myriad of opportunities. We can learn from new experts whose jobs may not allow for time to travel to the usual industry events. We can also network with colleagues around the world who may not be able to afford to travel to standard event locations. As much as I love seeing familiar faces, I hope to see many newcomers to this event as well.

Will this new format change the face of events as we know it? Only time will tell. I hope to “see” all you at this new and exciting event!

See You at the Virtually Prepared Conference 2020!

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Attractions Events News

Reign of Terror’s Ho-Ho-HORROR 2019

Reign of Terror’s Ho-Ho-HORROR 2019

Celebrate a Scary Christmas with Reign of Terror’s Ho-Ho-HORROR event! For two days only, Reign of Terror will operate a special yuletide-themed haunt. Reign of Terror’s halls are decked with dark holiday fare and sinister creatures are stirring. The event takes place on Friday, December 13th and Saturday, December 14th from 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. Tickets are $25 for Regular Admission, $40 for VIP Express, and $80 for Front of Line Admission. Purchase your tickets early!

The event promises a twisted winter wonderland with foggy snowstorms, bizarre decorations, creepy Christmas trees, and more. You can also find ghoulish characters like a jeering Jack Frost, Rudolph the Rotten Reindeer, and evil elves. Finally, top off the evening with a free photo op with a scary Santa Claus – great for Christmas cards!

About Reign of Terror

Reign of Terror haunted house is Southern California’s largest indoor walk-through attraction. Spanning over 25,000 square feet, the haunt features 9 inter-connected attractions and 115 horrifying rooms. The 2019 attractions include: The Haunted House, Miner’s Revenge, Casa Blood, Quarantine, The Asylum, Infected, Inbred, and Fun House. New for 2019 was Containment.

Reign of Terror is also a haunt that gives more than just chills and thrills. Each year the event raises thousands of dollars for charity through its normal October season as well as special events (such as Valentine’s Day and this new Christmas event).

Reign of Terror's Ho-Ho-HORROR Details

Reign of Terror is located at Janss Marketplace, 197 N. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks, California 91360. Free parking at Janss Marketplace parking garage and surrounding lots. Enter behind Gold’s Gym.

Tickets are available online at: https://secure.interactiveticketing.com/1.26/070ebc/#/select . All ticket sales are final. No refunds or exchanges allowed. Tickets are only valid for the date selected. Doors open Friday, December 13th and Saturday, December 14th from 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. All ticket holders in line by 11:00 p.m. are guaranteed entry to the haunt.

  • General Admission: $25
  • VIP Entry: $40
  • Front of Line: $80

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Categories
Attractions Destinations Theme Parks

Disney’s ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter

Disney’s ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter

Disney theme parks are not usually known for attractions that terrify guests. One of the greatest exceptions to this is Disney’sΒ ExtraTERRORestrial Alien EncounterΒ (often referred to as just “Alien Encounter”). From June 20th, 1995 – October 12th, 2003 this scary theater in the round style show frightened audiences with the scariest alien Disney has ever designed.

No, not this Guy. Poor Skippy.

This attraction took guests into X-S Tech (yes, the name is a bit of a pun and helps to set a mood of dark humor) where the founder of the company was ready to demonstrate a new form of technology to help intergalactic travel. His opening spiel included many lines of dry humor, my favorite being, “Profit is just a by-product we’ve learned to live with”.

The second pre-show area featured a robot known as Simulated Intelligence Robotics or “SIR” – voiced by Tim Curry – who showed how the teleportation technology worked by transporting poor Skippy (the cute alien pictured above) from one side of the room to the other – with only minimal side-effects (Skippy was pretty singed after his trip). Then SIR showed how the technology can indefinitely suspend subjects in teleportation. The audience heard one last cry from poor Skippy before being herded to the main show area.

Photo From Disney Marketing Pamphlets

The main show area was theater in the round style, with a large “teleportation tube” in the center of the room. Guests would sit in chairs with shoulder restraints (used during the attraction to imply that the alien was climbing over the audience, create intimate directional sounds of the alien breathing, and have the alien “taste” guests’ hair).

When the director of X-S tried to teleport into the theater, a slight error occurred, causing a horrific alien beast to arrive instead. The alien inevitably escaped, ran rampant through the theater, and guests barely made it out alive from their encounter. All the while darkly humorous dialogue from both the X-S staff and “other guests” were heard. Some memorable lines include, “Don’t eat me, eat that guy!” followed by a loud crunch. Or when the alien first appeared, “It’s ugly”, “It’s horrible”, “It’s my mother in law!”

The experience was one of the most immersive and clever in Walt Disney World, but its cult following was not enough to keep Disney from closing the attraction due to its excessively scary nature. In November 2004 the attraction was toned down and re-themed to becomeΒ Stitch’s Great Escape, a horrible assault on the memory of this once great attraction.

We can no longer experience the magic of this show, however we can still reminisce while watching videos on Youtube. Here is a full walk-through of the show:

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