# Layout and Crowd Control - 2008 in Hindsight



## Terrormaster (Sep 27, 2007)

Okies, and some may have heard me mention, while 2008 was an awesome year it wasn't without it's share of design trouble. Outside of a couple props not working right the biggest issue I had was crowd control. Several factors affected this. Here's a diagram and I'll explain the issues following it.










Narrow space, large groups -- the walkway is of average length, about 5' wide. As you can see above that based on the fence and columns that there was really only one way in to the treat table.

Normally this wouldn't be a problem. But two things really complicated it:

1. Fog -- There was three foggers going filled with Froggy's chillin juice and only the 1000w one was actually chilled. Froggy's is great stuff, uber thick. But not what you want flowing into a small area insufficiently chilled and backed by two unchilled 400w foggers. The chilled 1000w fogger was on the porch and the idea was for the fog to roll off. Fogger two was powering the witches cauldron on the right side of the steps. Fogger three was powering a Guardian of the Grave prop. Long story short - visibility was low.

2. The Game -- at the table I let kids play the bonus candy game (draw tokens and get a prize or have to do something to get the prize). This obviously backed up the line when the flow got heavy and ToTs and their parents would often pile around the front of the table. Kids are impatient and getting them to play the game one at a time was difficult at best.

Between the fog and the congestion things felt a bit out of control. Over the course of the night the tombstone on the left kept getting trampled. By the end of the night it was totally ruined and had to come out. Fortunately it was a cheap $6 Wally World tombstone so I wrote it off.

For 2009 I want to do something different that will address these issues. For the fog I'm gonna build a bigger chiller. I actually had bought the parts for a trashcan chiller last year but ran out of time so it didn't get build. The trashcan chiller SHOULD sufficiently chill the vast amounts of fog coming out of the 1000w fogger. The ice chest chiller will power the cauldron this year. For the Guardian of the Grave I may nix the fog or move it deeper in the yard.

That leaves the game. I still want to do a game but looking for ideas that's not so time consuming that it will hold up the line.

Also, gonna try and convince the SO to let me use the driveway space and maybe setup the treat/game table there.

I'm open to and looking for any suggestions on how to improve the setup in a way that'll help things run smoother.

Thanks,
TM


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## Front Yard Fright (Dec 23, 2005)

I would simply move your table to your driveway... Frees up spaces and also lessens the chance of prop damage...
.


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## scareme (Aug 29, 2006)

Driveway looks like you best bet. However, one year when I handed out treats in the driveway, people still went to the front door. I had a sign on the front door stating treats were passed out at the garage doors. I stood in the driveway and waved to people, and some people still walked up and rang the doorbell. Maybe I just have a dumb group of tots. 
If it was in the driveway, it would be wide enough to section it off and make an in and out path with dividers. And a wider treat table, so one side could be for just treats, and the other side, (or second table) could be for the game. Knowing my tots, half would walk in the in side, and half would walk in the out side. And they'd all get lost. lol


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## Terrormaster (Sep 27, 2007)

Driveway is actually sounding good and was shocked that the SO agreed as well. That may have solved a lot of problems. Thanks all.


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