# Winding down?



## jdubbya

For the first time in several years, I'm having mild apprehensions about this upcoming Halloween. My wife and I were talking a few days ago, and the subject of this Halloween came up. We talked about last year, the growing numbers, crowd control issues and the problem we had with the one kid and his mother. We discussed how the haunt had grown so large and draws so many people that maybe it has gotten too big. We talked a little more about the shift from the walk through haunt to doing just an elaborate front yard display and keepng it more manageable. We have more than enough props and ideas to keep it fresh for several years. Eliminating the walk through portion would save me days of work in terms of set-up/tear down, not to mention free up a lot of storage space. We wouldn't need to worry about getting 6-8 helpers each year to man the walk through. All things considered, it sounded like a reasonable change to make, not this year as we have the walk through pretty much planne out, but likely next year or the year after. I see haunts that are simply a great yard display and this is where we started. The walk through has been a lot of fun but a huge undertaking each year and I know that I'm physically spent for a few days after Halloween and the ensuing tear down. I'm almost to the point where the work involved is overshadowing the fun we have and I don't want it to get to this point. I love Halloween and the display/tot/scares/etc.. but don't want to ever feel it hase become a burden to do it all. Kind of just venting here to like minded folks. I know that if we ever scale back, we won't return tothe full haunt again and that's okay with me. As much fun as it is it really is getting to be a lot of work. Still looking forward to this year but it may be one of the last for the walk through.


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## Troll Wizard

I know and understand exactly what your going through. For years I had a walk through including a haunted yard. I reached a point to where I finally said enough is enough and I took a couple of years off. I ended up selling a lot of my displays and had a lot of people angry with me because they had traveled so far to come and see my haunt.

I still continued to give out candy, I mean it was still Halloween. But going into the third year I decided to start again and have just have a graveyard haunt in my front yard. So now for the last several years that's what I've been doing for Halloween. Of course I add new things from time to time, but then I have a sale and it gives me money to buy other things for the season. 

The one thing I started to worry about is what if someone got injured during my walk through. I never carried any insurance for the haunt. So now people come and do the walk through in my graveyard and that seems to be enough for them anyway. Plus the fact I'm outside still in costume and I enjoy interacting with the kids and adults. This year is going to be a little tricky because I've been unemployed for over a year now, and I'm wondering if I'll be able to spend the extra money for my haunt this year. I just turned 56 last year, and I've been doing this as far as I can remember. It was my Mother that got me started decorating for Halloween. There's never been a day that I ever regretted it!


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## jdubbya

Troll Wizard said:


> I know and understand exactly what your going through. For years I had a walk through including a haunted yard. I reached a point to where I finally said enough is enough and I took a couple of years off. I ended up selling a lot of my displays and had a lot of people angry with me because they had traveled so far to come and see my haunt.
> 
> I still continued to give out candy, I mean it was still Halloween. But going into the third year I decided to start again and have just have a graveyard haunt in my front yard. So now for the last several years that's what I've been doing for Halloween. Of course I add new things from time to time, but then I have a sale and it gives me money to buy other things for the season.
> 
> The one thing I started to worry about is what if someone got injured during my walk through. I never carried any insurance for the haunt. So now people come and do the walk through in my graveyard and that seems to be enough for them anyway. Plus the fact I'm outside still in costume and I enjoy interacting with the kids and adults. This year is going to be a little tricky because I've been unemployed for over a year now, and I'm wondering if I'll be able to spend the extra money for my haunt this year. I just turned 56 last year, and I've been doing this as far as I can remember. It was my Mother that got me started decorating for Halloween. There's never been a day that I ever regretted it!


This is largely how I feel. Part of me doesn't want to give up the walk through portion due to the fun things it has allowed us to do over the years. It has become a real draw and so many of the 600+ visitors we get tell us how they come to our house every year and look forward to it, etc.. This is very gratifying, but anymore, it doesn't make up for the time and energy needed to put the whole thing together. I know last year, as much fun as it turned out to be, was taxing. A small part of me is also reticent to admit I'm getting older, and while I'm in good health, am looking to simplify and cut back in certain areas. I don't have the help to do the major set-up (wall panels/facades/etc) so this all falls on me. I get so worn out during the two weeks befoe Halloween just setting up that by the time it gets here I'm almost looking forward to it being over with, and again, don't want to get to that point. I'll always decorate our front yard and we have a very nice cemetery scene we use. I'm changing it up this year, and even at that, we have a good collection of stuff that we an use to make it look different each year. I see haunts from members like lewlew and Motel Sixx and they know the amount of work involved in setting up. lewlew has an awesome walkthrough and the work that goes into it is monumental. He's lucky to have adult helpers for some of it, but we have co-miserated before on how rough it is on us getting it all together. Again, I'm just wanting to keep Halloween fun and not make it an obligation or chore that we come to dislike. Looking at what we have planned for this year I'm already sweating over a lot of details that need to happen. I know it will come off great but at what cost? A smaller manageable display would allow us to still interact with the tots and visitors, but shave days off the work load and let us focus a lot more attention on the little details we really like.


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## Troll Wizard

jdubbya said:


> This is largely how I feel. Part of me doesn't want to give up the walk through portion due to the fun things it has allowed us to do over the years. It has become a real draw and so many of the 600+ visitors we get tell us how they come to our house every year and look forward to it, etc.. This is very gratifying, but anymore, it doesn't make up for the time and energy needed to put the whole thing together. I know last year, as much fun as it turned out to be, was taxing. A small part of me is also reticent to admit I'm getting older, and while I'm in good health, am looking to simplify and cut back in certain areas. I don't have the help to do the major set-up (wall panels/facades/etc) so this all falls on me. I get so worn out during the two weeks befoe Halloween just setting up that by the time it gets here I'm almost looking forward to it being over with, and again, don't want to get to that point. I'll always decorate our front yard and we have a very nice cemetery scene we use. I'm changing it up this year, and even at that, we have a good collection of stuff that we an use to make it look different each year. I see haunts from members like lewlew and Motel Sixx and they know the amount of work involved in setting up. lewlew has an awesome walkthrough and the work that goes into it is monumental. He's lucky to have adult helpers for some of it, but we have co-miserated before on how rough it is on us getting it all together. Again, I'm just wanting to keep Halloween fun and not make it an obligation or chore that we come to dislike. Looking at what we have planned for this year I'm already sweating over a lot of details that need to happen. I know it will come off great but at what cost? A smaller manageable display would allow us to still interact with the tots and visitors, but shave days off the work load and let us focus a lot more attention on the little details we really like.


This is what I also had to deal with, I started to put out my decor on October 1st, and was finished by around the middle of the last week of October just in time for Halloween. I have now really gone back to my roots of just keeping it simple.

I decided that there were enough places for adults and older teens to go to were I live. So I've made it so that younger kids and their parents can enjoy Halloween. I even get to the point when I'm outside interacting with them that if the younger ones become to afraid, I will usually take off my mask to show them that it's just a person behind the mask.

Being frightened is one thing but I don't want younger kids to be afraid of Halloween or the experience! I want them to understand that Halloween is a time to have fun! And yes, it's okay to be scared once in a while! :jol:


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## Headless

I am by no means ANY expert in this however it occurs to me that with ANY hobby or interest - if it starts to impact your life in a negative way - financial/emotional/physical - then it's time to re-assess what you are doing. I see the work that goes into so many of these fantastic haunts you all create and think WOW. I know the work we put in for our very first haunt last year. It WAS a lot of work and at the time I felt it was worth every moment. However I can understand that the enthusiasm might wear a bit thin over the years. And I still remember the stress you went through over that one kid and his mother. I think the only sensible thing to do is to tailor your haunt to what you can cope with and still have it be an enjoyable experience. I don't remember who it was, but I do remember someone last year posting about how stressful and horrible the whole Halloween experience was - and my first thought was - why bother?????? I know for myself I would rather put on a smaller show and enjoy it than work my a$$ off for something that made me unhappy. Wishing you all the best for whatever you decide.


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## jdubbya

Headless said:


> I am by no means ANY expert in this however it occurs to me that with ANY hobby or interest - if it starts to impact your life in a negative way - financial/emotional/physical - then it's time to re-assess what you are doing. I see the work that goes into so many of these fantastic haunts you all create and think WOW. I know the work we put in for our very first haunt last year. It WAS a lot of work and at the time I felt it was worth every moment. However I can understand that the enthusiasm might wear a bit thin over the years. And I still remember the stress you went through over that one kid and his mother. I think the only sensible thing to do is to tailor your haunt to what you can cope with and still have it be an enjoyable experience. I don't remember who it was, but I do remember someone last year posting about how stressful and horrible the whole Halloween experience was - and my first thought was - why bother?????? I know for myself I would rather put on a smaller show and enjoy it than work my a$$ off for something that made me unhappy. Wishing you all the best for whatever you decide.


Thanks Headless. I appreciate that. I think you nailed it when you mentioned it has worn thin after so many years. We can't expand it any more (which is a good thing I think!). Having to come up with fresh ideas each year for multiple scenes is getting to be a chore, and while we pull it off, it seems we're running out of ideas given our space. Without having to spend considerable time/money re-vamping things, it would be difficult to keep it interesting. Maybe part of it is the "sameness" I sense each year, even though we change it up a bit. Doing only a front yard display would allow me to rotate my stuff less frequently, thus keeping it new, at least to the patrons. We're leaning towards having three themes that we rotate through, allowing us to have something "different" each year, and then add a few things to each theme as we use it. We're really looking forward to doing our witches forest theme this year instead of the cemetery in the front yard. It will be the first major change-up in over 15 years. I think the anticpation/excitement of doing something totally new is part of our reasoning, along with the things mentioned earlier. It boils down to manageability; less time, less work, less staff, less money, less stress, more fun. The incident with the kid last year is a factor but not a driving one, although that did give us pause and made us rethink the issue of crowd control. I also know full well that at 6:00 p.m. on October 31st, the adrenalin will be coursing through our veins and we'll be as ramped up as ever to put on the show. Somehow we get through it but I'm thinking it's time to go back to a simpler way of celebrating Halloween night. I would so enjoy having everything put away by noon on November 1st, rather than November 6th!


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## debbie5

Go with your gut. Scale back a bit. I know that as I've gotten older and the physical demands seem to take a toll on me, my enthusiasm has dampened. ((hugs)) to you. A simple, fresh take on your display may be just the invigoration you need to be renewed in your Halloween love.


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## Pumpkin5

:jol: I agree with the other's sentiments. You should do what you love to do, not what you feel obligated to do, by people traveling to see your haunt, neighborhood kids, etc. People who really appreciate you will appreciate whatever you do, and scaling back seems the way you want to go. I completely understand the love/dread relationship. Although I have never operated a walk through, I imagine the demands and work involved are tremendous. After all, Halloween should be fun for you, not so much work that you feel dejected. I just do a big front yard display, with lots to look at and I have fun, and the TOT's and their parents enjoy it as well. No matter what you decide don't feel guilty, you are one of the good ones that keeps Halloween alive! Whatever you end up doing, we love you for that!


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## jdubbya

debbie5 said:


> Go with your gut. Scale back a bit. I know that as I've gotten older and the physical demands seem to take a toll on me, my enthusiasm has dampened. ((hugs)) to you. A simple, fresh take on your display may be just the invigoration you need to be renewed in your Halloween love.


 Well put Deb! That about sums it up. I'd probably do it this year if it weren't for the fact that my 15 year old is so into Halloween and really likes taking part in the haunt. He and I layed out the plans for this year several months ago and he has his own scene he's in charge of. I know he'll be disappointed when we scale back but I can still incorporate him and a couple of his friends to work as scare actors. I'd like to focus on more animation and get into some pneumatic props that we could have a lot of fun with. I want to still be "that house" but on a smaller scale, just with some good scares.:smoking:


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## kprimm

There is no reason at all why you can't just do the yard haunt portion and have a blast all the same. Maybe taking a break for a year or two is all you need. There is no reason at all why you couldn't go back to the walk through later if you feel the bug for it again. As long as you haunt the night, that is all that matters.


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## jdubbya

Pumpkin5 said:


> :jol: I agree with the other's sentiments. You should do what you love to do, not what you feel obligated to do, by people traveling to see your haunt, neighborhood kids, etc. People who really appreciate you will appreciate whatever you do, and scaling back seems the way you want to go. I completely understand the love/dread relationship. Although I have never operated a walk through, I imagine the demands and work involved are tremendous. After all, Halloween should be fun for you, not so much work that you feel dejected. I just do a big front yard display, with lots to look at and I have fun, and the TOT's and their parents enjoy it as well. No matter what you decide don't feel guilty, you are one of the good ones that keeps Halloween alive! Whatever you end up doing, we love you for that!


Thanks Pumpkin! I agree, even scaling back, no one in our immediate neighborhood does anything remotely close to what we do. Motel Sixx has a killer haunt but he's a mile or so away. It would be an adjustment cutting back and going through that awkward year of explaining to people that we're cutting back, but I think they will still come to see what we do and enjoy it. Even if we got less tots, I'd be okay with that. 600 visitors a year is daunting at times!
We also had the idea of hosting a small Halloween get togehter for friends and neighbors on Halloween night. We have a covered back patio that is now used as a scene in the haunt. My wife would like to set up some snacks and drinks, along with a few decorations and allow a few folks back to have a drink and visit for a bit. We'd still incorporate the castle wall facade across the driveway as a barrier, only allowing those we know back to the party. Everyone else would be limited to the front display. Lots of possibilities here. I enjoy hearing your insights, and I think we are on the same page with a lot of this.


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## jdubbya

kprimm said:


> There is no reason at all why you can't just do the yard haunt portion and have a blast all the same. Maybe taking a break for a year or two is all you need. There is no reason at all why you couldn't go back to the walk through later if you feel the bug for it again. As long as you haunt the night, that is all that matters.


No argument here kprimm! I am, however, certain that once we scale back, we won't start up the walk through again. Our front yard display, while small, is where we started close to 25 years ago, so we've just come full circle with it. I could then justify buying a high end prop or two each year. My ultimate goal is to have a skullttonix skeleton talking to the tots and narrating the given scene for that particluar year. I'd be in Halloween heaven!:jol:


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## Pumpkin5

jdubbya said:


> My ultimate goal is to have a skullttonix skeleton talking to the tots and narrating the given scene for that particluar year. I'd be in Halloween heaven!:jol:


:jol: You are not in alone in that dream. I 'haunt' the Skulltronic website all the time wishing and wanting, they are so fantastic....and when I win the lottery I will buy a couple, and send one to you! Then we can both have our Halloween dreams answered!


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## RoxyBlue

Seeing as how you have one of the best small front yard displays I've seen here, I don't know why you'd even bother with a walk-through:jol: That display should be more than enough for anyone.

The true test of what's best for you to do has already been noted - if it ceases to be fun and becomes a chore, it's time to scale back. Spooky1 and I have only done a yard display for many years now and we find that more than enough, especially since we set up and take down the bulk of it in one day. That also forces us to keep things manageable. We add a few things here and there, change some things out, and that keeps it fresh. The ToTs that visit also change a bit year to year as kids come into or out of the neighborhood, so we don't worry about anyone getting bored by what might appear to be a sameness in the display.

Perhaps as a way of prepping your visitors this year about upcoming changes is to post a sign stating "Final Appearance of the Fabled Walk Through" or words to that effect There may be some disappointment and you're sure to get questions, but folks will understand if you say you just need a break so you can spend more time enjoying the holiday and your visitors.


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## jdubbya

Pumpkin5 said:


> :jol: You are not in alone in that dream. I 'haunt' the Skulltronic website all the time wishing and wanting, they are so fantastic....and when I win the lottery I will buy a couple, and send one to you! Then we can both have our Halloween dreams answered!


I need to step up my own lottery efforts too! THanks!



RoxyBlue said:


> Seeing as how you have one of the best small front yard displays I've seen here, I don't know why you'd even bother with a walk-through:jol: That display should be more than enough for anyone.
> 
> The true test of what's best for you to do has already been noted - if it ceases to be fun and becomes a chore, it's time to scale back. Spooky1 and I have only done a yard display for many years now and we find that more than enough, especially since we set up and take down the bulk of it in one day. That also forces us to keep things manageable. We add a few things here and there, change some things out, and that keeps it fresh. The ToTs that visit also change a bit year to year as kids come into or out of the neighborhood, so we don't worry about anyone getting bored by what might appear to be a sameness in the display.
> 
> Perhaps as a way of prepping your visitors this year about upcoming changes is to post a sign stating "Final Appearance of the Fabled Walk Through" or words to that effect There may be some disappointment and you're sure to get questions, but folks will understand if you say you just need a break so you can spend more time enjoying the holiday and your visitors.


All good points RB. I'd be perfectly happy with a front yard display and I've seen so many great ones that it makes me want to revert back to doing just that. The walk through was an offshoot of the original display and allowed us to display more stuff and have a more interactive haunt. I think it has seen it's best days and it's time to close the curtain on it after this year. I like the idea of notifying people about it's final appearance and could come up with a creative way of letting them know, and at the same time inviting them to come back each year to let us share Halloween with them. I have some new resolve now and will discuss with my son, who would be the biggest objector. A cash bribe might be in order.


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## debbie5

I have to chime in again, as I have a 15 year old, too. It might be cool to throw the whole thing to HIM, with you as a mentor to over see it. It might be interesting for him to dream up something new, or to even make a actor-heavy/themed front yard scare, where he & his friends trigger off scares, or lay under a pile of leaves. Just an idea....


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## jdubbya

debbie5 said:


> I have to chime in again, as I have a 15 year old, too. It might be cool to throw the whole thing to HIM, with you as a mentor to over see it. It might be interesting for him to dream up something new, or to even make a actor-heavy/themed front yard scare, where he & his friends trigger off scares, or lay under a pile of leaves. Just an idea....


That could be a lot of fun! He really gets into it and has a lot of neat ideas. He's already said he wants all the Halloween stuff when I don't do it any longer (i.e. I'm dead) and that he'll rent a big building and put on a commercial haunt. I raised the boy right! I see some triggered scares in our future as we scale back. We still have some good scare zones even with using less real estate.


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## DEADicated

JW
Iv'e been thinking along the same lines. While I don't have a walkthru I have been expanding every year and it takes some of the fun out of it trying to top it every year. This last year was an education. In Mass. we had a power outage and Halloween was canceled (If that isn't the scariest Halloween for kids I don't know what is)and they had it latter over the weekend. I couldn't possibly get everything together after the storm so I scaled back and spent more time on individual scenes and enjoyed the night far more talking with all the visitors. Whatever you do you should enjoy it and if that means pulling back a little so be it.


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## jdubbya

DEADicated said:


> JW
> Iv'e been thinking along the same lines. While I don't have a walkthru I have been expanding every year and it takes some of the fun out of it trying to top it every year. This last year was an education. In Mass. we had a power outage and Halloween was canceled (If that isn't the scariest Halloween for kids I don't know what is)and they had it latter over the weekend. I couldn't possibly get everything together after the storm so I scaled back and spent more time on individual scenes and enjoyed the night far more talking with all the visitors. Whatever you do you should enjoy it and if that means pulling back a little so be it.


The comment about "topping it every year" hits home. It does become harder each year to step up the game and make it "better", especially when you're doing multiple scenes/scares. I don't want to feel as though I have to make it better each year, just different and entertaining.


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## jdubbya

Done deal! Talked to my son this afternoon and discussed the idea of scaling back and he was fine with that! What a relief. I'm excited about how we can develop the smaller haunt and am looking forward to a lot less work/stress. Now back to making the last year the biggest and bestest yet! Thanks to everyone for their input and support. I truly appreciated your insights and ideas.


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## Spooky1

Sounds like you made the right decision. If your haunt has become so big it's become a chore, it's time to scale back. Sounds like you'll have fun with the last year for the walk-through, and I bet you'll feel much more relaxed next year with just the yard haunt.


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## jdubbya

Spooky1 said:


> Sounds like you made the right decision. If your haunt has become so big it's become a chore, it's time to scale back. Sounds like you'll have fun with the last year for the walk-through, and I bet you'll feel much more relaxed next year with just the yard haunt.


Absolutely. I'm feeling more relaxed even about this year!


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## niblique71

Chiming in. First, congratulations on the acceptance of scaling back by your son. Second, I really don't mind the 6 weeks it takes to set my stuff up. The part I mind is that I've outgrown what I can comfortably take down/ store in one day afterwards. Given that I have to do almost everything by myself, I've become burnt out beyond belief.

For me, scaling down on a front display and doing a small walk through in the back might actually save time. Once (If) that happenss everything will be within 40' of it's storage area and can remain in place once set up (50% of my front haunt must be set up and folded away multiple times throughout pre-halloween setup time).

Now, with that said, I totally agree with You, Roxy and others. It has recently transitioned from a labor of love to a borderline "Chore". Now I'm going to be searching for a nice balance and hope I can manage my expectations Pre- Halloween... and the overt depression after halloween. I'll feel a lot better about everything if I can find a nice balance of old/ new/ and size..


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## Pumpkin5

:jol: Well, let me chime in one last time. My 'haunt' is just my front yard/porch and the side yard is the graveyard. And a couple of years ago I started inviting all my "Halloween" friends over on Halloween night to help me give out candy. Most of them have no trick or treaters at their houses and I have 300 plus, so it is fun for them too. Then after 9:00 all the 'haunters' come in for refreshments (beer, wine, soft drinks) and food. Last year a couple of people brought some food too. It was the easiest year ever! And everyone had a fun time and left with lots of candy because we had a rain out last year. This year I am hoping for the same kind of deal, with no rain.... You will start loving Halloween again very soon, and the 'chore' will vanish into the air. You can kill anything you love if you heap too much stuff on your shoulders.


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## jdubbya

niblique71 said:


> Chiming in. First, congratulations on the acceptance of scaling back by your son. Second, I really don't mind the 6 weeks it takes to set my stuff up. The part I mind is that I've outgrown what I can comfortably take down/ store in one day afterwards. Given that I have to do almost everything by myself, I've become burnt out beyond belief.
> 
> For me, scaling down on a front display and doing a small walk through in the back might actually save time. Once (If) that happenss everything will be within 40' of it's storage area and can remain in place once set up (50% of my front haunt must be set up and folded away multiple times throughout pre-halloween setup time).
> 
> Now, with that said, I totally agree with You, Roxy and others. It has recently transitioned from a labor of love to a borderline "Chore". Now I'm going to be searching for a nice balance and hope I can manage my expectations Pre- Halloween... and the overt depression after halloween. I'll feel a lot better about everything if I can find a nice balance of old/ new/ and size..


Sounds like you have ten times the work I do. For us, the biggest decision was just agreeing that we were going to downsize. We had enough reasons to do it and only a few not to, most of which had to do with not wanting to disappoint others. We figured that is was more important not to disappoint ourselves first, and the rest wouls fall into place. I'm thinking it will. Best of luck in what you decide.



Pumpkin5 said:


> :jol: Well, let me chime in one last time. My 'haunt' is just my front yard/porch and the side yard is the graveyard. And a couple of years ago I started inviting all my "Halloween" friends over on Halloween night to help me give out candy. Most of them have no trick or treaters at their houses and I have 300 plus, so it is fun for them too. Then after 9:00 all the 'haunters' come in for refreshments (beer, wine, soft drinks) and food. Last year a couple of people brought some food too. It was the easiest year ever! And everyone had a fun time and left with lots of candy because we had a rain out last year. This year I am hoping for the same kind of deal, with no rain.... You will start loving Halloween again very soon, and the 'chore' will vanish into the air. You can kill anything you love if you heap too much stuff on your shoulders.


Your yard display is awesome, and we want to get back to this; sitting in the drive or on the porch, talking to neighbors and visitors, taking some pics, watching people enjoy our display, handing out candy. As it is now, we're doing crowd control, running around making sure everything is ok, making sure our 8 helpers don't need anything, etc... It had become a stressful two hour job and not an enjoyable evening. We loved seeing the crowds and listening to the comments and screams and laughter, but at the end of the evening, we were exhausted, both physically and mentally. I'm looking forward to reverting back to what we used to have and enjoy.


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## lewlew

Jerry,

I think I can speak for all of us here that no matter what the size your haunt, we know it will be quality work. Relax and do what you enjoy. If YOU enjoy it, then the folks visiting will enjoy it as well.

(Besides, I've heard it's not the SIZE of the haunt...it's how you USE it that counts!!!)


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## jdubbya

lewlew said:


> Jerry,
> 
> I think I can speak for all of us here that no matter what the size your haunt, we know it will be quality work. Relax and do what you enjoy. If YOU enjoy it, then the folks visiting will enjoy it as well.
> 
> (Besides, I've heard it's not the SIZE of the haunt...it's how you USE it that counts!!!)


Leave it to you Mark!!

I think one of the things we are shooting for is to really make the smaller haunt a really cool experience. I'm thinking we can focus more on the detail and some new things rather than expansion and just trying to fill space. I got tired just visiting your haunt last year seeing all the work that goes into it! Holy Moly! I can live vicariously through you and Dave now, but with all the free time I'll have, just don't expect me to help you tear down! lol! I'm still counting on future collaborative efforts and prop build though. Did someone say pneumatics?:smoking:


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## RoxyBlue

You and lewlew just need to buy the houses on either side of us and we'll put together one humongous front yard haunt


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## jdubbya

roxyblue said:


> you and lewlew just need to buy the houses on either side of us and we'll put together one humongous front yard haunt


oh yeah!!!:d


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## Headless

lewlew said:


> Jerry,
> 
> I think I can speak for all of us here that no matter what the size your haunt, we know it will be quality work. Relax and do what you enjoy. If YOU enjoy it, then the folks visiting will enjoy it as well.
> 
> (Besides, I've heard it's not the SIZE of the haunt...it's how you USE it that counts!!!)


ROFLMAO - Yes I heard that one myself.... I think.........


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## scareme

jdubbya said:


> Thanks Pumpkin! I agree, even scaling back, no one in our immediate neighborhood does anything remotely close to what we do. Motel Sixx has a killer haunt but he's a mile or so away. It would be an adjustment cutting back and going through that awkward year of explaining to people that we're cutting back, but I think they will still come to see what we do and enjoy it. Even if we got less tots, I'd be okay with that. 600 visitors a year is daunting at times!
> We also had the idea of hosting a small Halloween get togehter for friends and neighbors on Halloween night. We have a covered back patio that is now used as a scene in the haunt. My wife would like to set up some snacks and drinks, along with a few decorations and allow a few folks back to have a drink and visit for a bit. We'd still incorporate the castle wall facade across the driveway as a barrier, only allowing those we know back to the party. Everyone else would be limited to the front display. Lots of possibilities here. I enjoy hearing your insights, and I think we are on the same page with a lot of this.


I understand what you mean about explaining to everyone about your haunt. I always have people asking why don't you have "this" this year, or I really liked "that", where is it. First, I want to ask them if they noticed the new things I do to try and keep things fresh. And second, since they don't even put out a pumpkin, how can they keep expecting so much in return. Does it sound like I'm burning out too? Not yet, just venting. 

About the snacks and party inside. That's how we started. But after a couple of years of me outside alone, while everyone was inside getting plastered. I stopped that. A few times people got to drunk and I didn't want the tots to see that. And also it cost twice as much to host a party inside, and a couple hundred tots outside. I might be a kill-joy, but I wanted some company outside, even if it was cold. And now with 700 tots I need, more than just want, help. But your friends might be different. Just as long as you are having fun too.


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## niblique71

scareme said:


> And now with 700 tots I need, more than just want, help. .


One or two people helping berfore, during, and after would make a world of difference. I know I'll find a nice balance eventually. Besides, even with some misgivings about the amount of self imposed work my haunt has become, I have many untapped ideas which I really want to try before I drastically scale down.

Also I think in my case, it could also be a matter of effeciency that is lacking. I'll begin to dismantle the "Tedious" set-ups and keep the simpler (Faster) areas to set up and tear down, as long as they remain somewhat effective.

BTW, I was checking out your haunt page jdubbya, and you have a very impressive graveyard scene with some fantastic props and stones. I saw the facade to your walkthrough. I totally undetstand why you want to scale back.


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## Headless

I guess because this year is only my second year, I'm still enthusiastic but I'm mindful of the amount of work that went into year 1. I will only do it while it's fun. The day it becomes a chore is the day I'll look for something else to play with. Why put yourself through the stress - life is too short. It is a thing to be enjoyed and the fact that it is something others obviously appreciate is one thing. But living up to other's expectations is often a trap we can easily fall into in many aspects of life. I'm going to try to improve on what I have each year while I have the opportunity to do it but I don't want to kill myself in the process.


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## jdubbya

scareme said:


> About the snacks and party inside. That's how we started. But after a couple of years of me outside alone, while everyone was inside getting plastered. I stopped that. A few times people got to drunk and I didn't want the tots to see that. But your friends might be different. Just as long as you are having fun too.


We weren't thinking of a full blown party indoors, just some light snacks, coffee, cider and pop on the back patio. The last thing I would want is 50-60 people extra while we were out handing out candy. We're talking a handful of neighbors and some close friends who stop by each year. A rather nice bunch if I must say.



niblique71 said:


> Besides, even with some misgivings about the amount of self imposed work my haunt has become, I have many untapped ideas which I really want to try before I drastically scale down.
> 
> BTW, I was checking out your haunt page jdubbya, and you have a very impressive graveyard scene with some fantastic props and stones. I saw the facade to your walkthrough. I totally undetstand why you want to scale back.


We also had some ideas we would like to try but figure we can incorporate these into the smaller set-up too.

Thanks for the comment on our front yard display. This is our favorite part and the section we put the most effort into as far as detail. Before we ever had a walk through, this was what we did and everyone enjoyed stopping by just to see it. I'm thinking it will be the same now. I can set this up and take it down all in one day, which will make a huge difference. The facade will stay as a place for people to get their candy and take pics. We have some ideas to make this a more functional part of the haunt too. The biggest part of the set-up takes place behind the facade, in the drive, patio and garage. This is essentially what we're eliminating and this will ease the load a lot!



Headless said:


> I guess because this year is only my second year, I'm still enthusiastic but I'm mindful of the amount of work that went into year 1. I will only do it while it's fun. The day it becomes a chore is the day I'll look for something else to play with. Why put yourself through the stress - life is too short. It is a thing to be enjoyed and the fact that it is something others obviously appreciate is one thing. But living up to other's expectations is often a trap we can easily fall into in many aspects of life. I'm going to try to improve on what I have each year while I have the opportunity to do it but I don't want to kill myself in the process.


I envy your enthusiasm and you have a lot of great years ahead of you. I remember when we made the decision to expand past the front yard portuion and how we were tossing all kind of ideas around about what to do, etc. It was really exciting and as the years went on it just evolved to what it had become. We accumulated more props, more lighting, enlisted several helpers to assist. It was a lot of fun but it came with a price! I'm looking forward to what you come up with!


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## debbie5

Just as an aside...this whole discussion made me chat with hubby....he & I are also going to take a break. Thanks for the inspiration.


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## jdubbya

debbie5 said:


> Just as an aside...this whole discussion made me chat with hubby....he & I are also going to take a break. Thanks for the inspiration.


Hey now! Don't blame me!!!


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## Haunted Bayou

jdubbya,

There is a sense of obligation there that is difficult to shake that comes from pleasing so many people. I get it. I hate to disappoint people. They expect to see a big display and say they look forward to it every year. Then there is gratification and then the competition to get better each year ("can't wait to see what you do next year")....DOH.

I can't expand any further than my front yard and garage. I can only set up the day of and take it down that night. I have props that I have made that I can't even use so I quit doing that. I am concentrating on small changes in the garage and yard but that probably isn't necessary. The neighbors can't remember every detail so there is no need to be too fussy.

It is supposed to be fun not dreadful. 

Sounds like your teenager can have fun each year making a scene or designing a set for the garage or yard, and you can work on small props during the year for fun.

Congratulations on your acceptance to scale back and have a good time, which is what Halloween is all about Charlie Brown.


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## jdubbya

Haunted Bayou said:


> jdubbya,
> 
> There is a sense of obligation there that is difficult to shake that comes from pleasing so many people. I get it. I hate to disappoint people. They expect to see a big display and say they look forward to it every year. Then there is gratification and then the competition to get better each year ("can't wait to see what you do next year")....DOH
> 
> It is supposed to be fun not dreadful.
> 
> Congratulations on your acceptance to scale back and have a good time, which is what Halloween is all about Charlie Brown.


This sums it up perfectly! Thanks for weighing in on this!


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## Haunted Bayou

Sure thing. :jol:

Glad you are feeling better.


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## Troll Wizard

Some years ago I really went very simple in my Halloween. I just went back to handing out candy, and nothing else. I didn't set up any decor inside or out. I took that break that I needed for me to regroup. Yes, I did still hand out candy, that's just something I couldn't stop doing. I did go a little farther and had hot spiced apple cider (sounds kind of good right now) for anyone who wanted it. It was kind of cold that year and there was a slight breeze.

That's when I decided to begin to scale back on what I did for the next year. Yes, I did get some complaints from the adults, but not so much from the younger kids. So I went ahead and started building on that again from year to year and once again I had a large haunt. It was last year that I had decided to start shrinking my haunt down again so it could be more manageable. 

This is why I stated earlier that I want to scale it back down again, so that I can start to enjoy it once more, and not be so obligated to always do it big. I stated earlier in some other comments that I wanted to do a Mirror Mirror and that's what I'm going to do this year. I think that by doing just one or two things and doing them well, I will succeed in what I've wanted to do for sometime now. Plus that fact I will enjoy it better. :jol:


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## MotelSixx

Jerry,. 
Say it ain't so!!!!!!!!! I tried that once, once. Found my ass out at the crack of dawn playing catch up on 10/31. Now you see why I start in August HAHA. I say continue the walk through to back of driveway using a creepy ambiance. With the zombie apocalypse you cant quit now. BTW I had the pleasure of meeting one of your helpers, Steven, he's been hanging out at the house alot. He mentioned your Zombie attack from last year!!!!!!!


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## jdubbya

MotelSixx said:


> Jerry,.
> Say it ain't so!!!!!!!!! I tried that once, once. Found my ass out at the crack of dawn playing catch up on 10/31. Now you see why I start in August HAHA. I say continue the walk through to back of driveway using a creepy ambiance. With the zombie apocalypse you cant quit now. BTW I had the pleasure of meeting one of your helpers, Steven, he's been hanging out at the house alot. He mentioned your Zombie attack from last year!!!!!!!


Spoken like a true haunter Dave!We're doing the full walk through this year and then will use only a portion of the driveway starting next year, along with the front yard. We're very comfortable with the decision and I've even gone over the "what if I have regrets" scenario several times in my mind. It's a good decision. It'll make crowd control so much easier, keep people out of my garage and back yard, save me a ton of work and energy too! I've already dismantled the cage panels we used and will have some black plastic sheeting if you can use it. Just let me know. I'll still be driving by your place three times a week starting the last week of August so don't be alarmed:jol:
We didn't have anyone named Steve helping us last year, so not sure who this is? Interesting:zombie:


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## MotelSixx

jdubbya said:


> We didn't have anyone named Steve helping us last year, so not sure who this is? Interesting:zombie:


WHATTTTTTTTTTTTTTT I Don't recall his last name, he should be going into 9th grade and is one of your scouts. Or at least thats what he says hahahaha.


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## jdubbya

MotelSixx said:


> WHATTTTTTTTTTTTTTT I Don't recall his last name, he should be going into 9th grade and is one of your scouts. Or at least thats what he says hahahaha.


I know who you mean. We were at camp this past week and I talked to his dad and he said his son knows your daughter. He's helping me THIS year.


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## waldiddy

jdubbya said:


> The walk through was an offshoot of the original display and allowed us to display more stuff and have a more interactive haunt. I think it has seen it's best days and it's time to close the curtain on it after this year.


My wife wants me to stop doing an elaborate walk-through was well. The amount of work it takes is always more than what you estimate, and then there's tearing it all down, all for a single night. Plus, we're in a new house with a smaller garage 

I do love the idea of a Halloween night neighborhood haunted house, but it's really tough to balance that against all the pre- and post-event effort. Maybe the answer is getting more help from our communities. A cooperative effort would certainly help.


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## Ryan Wern

I hear you loud and clear. I did not do my walk through last year and just did a yard display for the same reason you mentioned. After a few years of planning, building, setting up, tearing down, I got burned out. The work overshadowed the fun, like you said. My 2011 yard display was fairly elaborate and cool and alot less work than the walk through, it was more kid-friendly than my normal thing, and people liked it. I didn't get the same reaction as when I did the walk through in previous years. Plenty of compliments but everyone was asking "what happened to the haunted house" and wanted to know if I was doing it again in 2012. So I gather that the neighborhood wants my walk through. All in all, basically taking last year off felt good, I needed a break. Folks that don't "haunt" don't understand how much work it really is. So, I'd say, do a yard haunt and see how it goes. I'm sure it will be a great yard haunt. I'm doing another walk through this year, but I'm doing it with another guy and not at my house. I'm combining my haunt and his into one big thing and my job is to build props, plan, and do a little construction. My place will be dark this year for the first time since 2007 but I'm still enjoying my hobby with alot less stress. Good luck to you, don't turn your hobby into a chore.


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## Troll Wizard

Ryan Wern said:


> I hear you loud and clear. I did not do my walk through last year and just did a yard display for the same reason you mentioned. After a few years of planning, building, setting up, tearing down, I got burned out. The work overshadowed the fun.


The one thing your going to find out is that people don't like change that much, especially when it come to haunts. It's good that you took some time off and gave yourself a rest. It can and does get very boring after several year of doing the same thing (unless your Disneyland) year after year. But even they change their themes from time to time.

The public likes things they are used to. You said that you got a great response from people when you just did your yard display. So you see that people like whatever you do. Your always going to get someone who like the old stuff. But as you stated, they don't realize how much work and money goes into providing a haunt.

I see that you have joined with another neighbor or friend to do a walk through. It's good that your going to have help and that you don't have to do it all alone. But there is nothing wrong with downsizing. It can release a great amount of stress and make your life a lot easier. :jol:


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## Ryan Wern

As far as JDUBBYA's situation, I told my story to provide him info on what happened when I downsized, even if it was only for one year. I'm sure if we all ran pro haunts and had plenty of staff, space, and money, we would all have an easier time year after year of creating a quality experience. We all know how hard it is to do what we do on a shoe string or non-existant budget every year. I tried to create a quality yard display, and I did the best I could, but didn't get the same reaction as normal. I guess there was less of a "wow factor" for the ToT's than in previous years, but that was just me. jdubbya, I'm sure that you can pull of a better yard display than I did and it would be a hit. Maybe time off doing a walk through would help you recharge your batteries, whether it be a permanent downsizing or just a short break.


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## jdubbya

Thanks for weighing in on this Ryan. Interesting to compare our situations. I truly believe that we won't go back to doing the walkthrough again, for all the reasons mentioned. It's fun, popular with the guests, but it has just become too darn much work. I'm excited to do it one last time this year but really looking forward to just doing the yard display from there on. As the saying goes, you never say never, and if circumstances change, who's to say we wouldn't at some point do the walk through again, but as of now, it's not in the plans. I guess I won't really know until we see how it goes next year.


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## Ryan Wern

Well have a good, final year with your walk through and go out with a bang this year! I've seen many awsome yard haunts and displays (see Hi-Rez Designs, DC Cemetary, etc.) that are extremely impressive and I'm sure that you will be able to transition from one to the other with sucess. I have more or less "retired" my house from the walk through thing at least for a while. The only reason I'm doing one this year is because my neighbor and I have almost competed every year and now we said screw it and decided to collaborate. I did the yard haunt in 2011 and imagine I will go back to it in 2013, assuming that this year isn't the end of the world after all...
Good luck and POST SOME PICS of your final year!


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## EerieEstate

I'm a little late to this thread but the topic sure does hit home. This will be the 9th year of home haunt and it's grown exponentially since we first started. The last several years have pretty much required all available time from July through December to set it up and take it down. All for the sake of two private parties and the general walk through on halloween night. The final product is always great to see but it's definately taken a heavy toll on the original excitement of doing it all. This year... it appears that my wife is far less motivated than ever to put as much effort into our tranformation and I'm somewhat inclined to recognize that I too as not quite as interested in going so 'over the top' this year. We normal have an adult party and then an adult party/bring the kids... we'll the last two years the 'kids' party has turned into a nightmare with the kids literally destroying parts of the haunt which has really turned us off, so... our scaling back this year will also include NOT doing the kids party. 

Working so hard to 'top' all the previous years or come up with completely new scenes and designs has indeed become less fun and that's surely not what I ever intended to have happen to this hobby. Now as I sit here and scour the site for fresh ideas or new takes on old ones... trying to get the 'fire in the belly' lit for this year, I'm questioning just how much effort I want to put into the set-up this year.


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## jdubbya

EerieEstate said:


> Working so hard to 'top' all the previous years or come up with completely new scenes and designs has indeed become less fun and that's surely not what I ever intended to have happen to this hobby.


Well said! It is, for many of us, a hobby, and as such should be enjoyable, or they lose their purpose. Sounds like you do a ton of work for a few hours of enjoyment but the fun has ben waning. Good luck with your plans to scale back. Personally, I'm already jazzed about next year, knowing it will be so much less work and more manageable.


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## doctarii

My sons did a haunt walk through one year and quite frankly it scared he bejessus outta me... All I could think of was... what if someone gets injured, I'll be screwed. too much worry. Kudos to you for having done one for so long. 

It sounds as if a lot of people will be angry if you scale back but they arn't taking the risk, doing the work, or spending their time to make other people happy. I'd advise you not to think of those few. Do what you can/want you'll still satisfy most everyone and you'll be happier.


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## jdubbya

doctarii said:


> My sons did a haunt walk through one year and quite frankly it scared he bejessus outta me... All I could think of was... what if someone gets injured, I'll be screwed. too much worry. Kudos to you for having done one for so long.
> 
> It sounds as if a lot of people will be angry if you scale back but they arn't taking the risk, doing the work, or spending their time to make other people happy. I'd advise you not to think of those few. Do what you can/want you'll still satisfy most everyone and you'll be happier.


We greeted everyone last night who came through and asked them all if they had been to our haunt before. Many of them had, and said they looked forward to coming every year. We then told them that this was the last year for the walk through haunt. The reactions were overwhelming! People saying how much they would miss it, and that Halloween wouldn't be the same. Several of them even almost pleaded for us to keep it going. We just explained that it had gotten too big and too much work, that we were still decorating and doing a smaller scale haunt scene. It was really touching to hear all the favorable comments from long time visitors but sad just the same thinking of not doing something we've built over the past several years. I guess we'll see what next year brings. I know I vowed while setting up this year that there was no way in hell I'd do this again, but then there's the excitement of the night and the screams, laughs, and compliments that make it all worthwhile. My son and his friends who came to hewlp also told me afterwards that we had to do it again and that they would all be available to help set-up and tear down. We'll see!!


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