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Have you ever had display complaints?

5K views 48 replies 39 participants last post by  MR David Person 
#1 ·
I've been at the store and over hearing the comment regarding some of the Halloween decorations that are starting to go on sale
" no wonder our kids have nightmares'" .

Anyone get this reaction from your props or displays?
 
#2 ·
I don't think our display is scary enough to give anyone nightmares:jol:

In all the years we've done a yard display of any kind, we've had nothing but good comments. Of course, we don't do gore, so that might be one of the reasons:)
 
#4 ·
Mine are definitely not cutesy. The parents are with the kids and talk to them so they're not too scared. Last year a kid wouldn't even come to the house at all. When they get to that point of fear I try to show the ToT's that a prop is harmless and try to get them to laugh at something silly about the prop.
 
#6 ·
I don't to a lot of gore. With mine being a cemetery with a few animitronics, I find I'm usually the most frightening thing on the premises. That being said I do have a few each year that are to afraid to come.

The only time I received a negative comment was from someone that was trying to save me from my path to satan. My response was a respectful thank you and to remind them that it's my path to take. No problems since.
 
#7 ·
None from the parents but then there is VERY little gore (one arm coming out of a grave) and have only had one little girl that didn't even want to come up the driveway. She finally got over her fear last year and made it up to the candy cauldron.
 
#9 ·
The only real regative comment was last year, as we were taking everything down, a kid with his grandpa were watching. The kid loved our haunt, asking tons of questions. Then the old gizard mumbles out "what a waste of time, why you do this?". We look at him, shocked, and we look at the kid running around, all happy, "That's why!" we said. He mumbled something more and left. Old Grinch.
 
#10 ·
We haven't had any real complaints at this house. Just one guy grumbling because I took too long to check out at Home Depot. At our old house, neighbors would call code enforcement, the police, city hall, the HOA, etc. at least 3 times a season. We lived in an older house (Pre-HOA) in a snooty neighborhood, and they couldn't do anything about it because we made sure we were completely legal. At this house, our neighbors ask throughout the year what we're doing new and different, and when we plan to start setting up.
 
#11 ·
Lots of complaints and moans... from the zombies...no real complaints from any tots or there parents... as of yet...:eek::googly::D
 
#12 ·
99% of the people love it and thank us for putting up the display. A few quacks complain about the Satan worshipping going on, but we just ignore them. One year someone wrote "Crap Satan" on the sidewalk in front of our display, in chalk. We just got a laugh out of it. That's what comes from haunting in the heart of the bible belt.
 
#16 ·
The only complaint that I've ever had is from a few people thought that I didn't have enough out one year because I had scaled back some. So after that...everything comes out no matter what.

It is safe to say that I live in a city that pretty much lets you do whatever you want for Halloween, as long as it's within reason. Through the years I now can say that I'm not the only one who decorates outside anymore. But for a very long time, I was the only one on my street with anything outside. :jol:
 
#18 ·
Never heard any complaints but I am also an anti-gore guy. I do a spooky goofy thing ala Disney. Still, I used to have a MIB variation using a coffin that had a motion trigger. The little TOTs were afraid to go past it, so I got rid of it. I have a LOT of little TOTers in my sphere of influence, and my display is aimed at them so I try to make it as friendly as possible. Otherwise, the people love it. My HOA members all have those little TOTs so are quite on board with my display.
 
#19 ·
I have never had any complaints on my display and actually have almost every neighbor loving it. Of course it could be because I have their names on tombstones. We do hand deliver flyers for the neighborhood Halloween party each year. I did have one tell me we don't celebrate Halloween, we are Christian (Actually J Witness but whatever). I said Great So am I and this is the best outreach Holiday of the year. What other day can you get all your neighbors and kids together and show them how a Christian lives.

I just don't go back there anymore. Oh well. But my display is definitely on the radar of the city. At least 3 officers a year stop and take a picture :)
 
#20 ·
I get a few complaints about tearing the haunt down before the people have a chance to get over to see it before 10pm.

Last year I had one adult complain that I "was going soft". I asked what he meant and he pointed out that my animated Hex wasn't working in the hearse. I told him that I didn't have time to fix him last year. He also pointed at my display and before he could talk I said "it's worth every penny you provided to pay for it" and he walked off.

I was thrilled with how my display looked last year - a new theme, built from scratch with animated props too!

 
#23 ·
Thanks everyone for sharing! and Haunti What a fantastic display.

I'm am so thrilled there is so much positive feedback to the displays.
Gives me inspiration to keep going. Most important to me is making it fun for the kids and maybe my efforts will rub off on a neighbor or two.
Because of where my house is located the highway has a great view of the front window. Getting to the house can be confusing though. so not so many Tot's yet.
that's a whole other issue to trouble shoot
 
#24 ·
I've never had any complaints. Everyone who went through my old haunt loved it and often times went through more than once.

The closest to a complaint I can recall was last year. We moved to a new neighborhood and a guy who lives across the street was taking his convertible out for a drive while I was setting up the cemetery fence. He said "Looks good, but you know the Fvck1ng kids are just going to wreck it, right? Why bother?"

Nobody wrecked it. Shows what he knows.
 
#25 ·
I usually have a cemetary yardhaunt which is scary and not gory. However, the only complaint that I received was on Halloween of 2006 was that they missed me and my yardhaunt in 2005 because I went to Salem on Halloween in 2005. I can't believed they remembered.

In 2005 I decided that I needed to take a break from decorating/setting up the inside and outside of my house and went to Salem, Massachusetts for Halloween instead. I needed to reenergize my Halloween batteries take in the sites and be inspired. Best thing I did for myself.
 
#27 ·
Hey, DD....there is nothing wrong with taking a break from Halloween. Everyone puts in so much for that one day that over the years it's good to get away and re-create or re-charge the batteries! I think we all do that from time to time.
 
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