Top 3 Haunted Attraction Trends Creating a Fury of Fear

WHY IT RATES: Many travel agents serve clients who love the Halloween season, and the latest data on haunted house trends will keep travel professionals ahead of the curve.—Donald Wood, Breaking News Senior Writer.

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America Haunts, an association of the most successful U.S. haunted attractions, has announced the scare trends for Halloween 2018. While the industry has its mainstay characters from zombies and werewolves to witches and vampires, and the best haunted houses have their own haunt-borne characters to manufacture fear, these trends are recognized for those elements that bring frightful traction to the experience.

De-mystifying what it takes to heighten fear is second nature for America Haunts' members, given their decades in the business offering high-caliber fear attractions. Kansas City member Edge of Hell opened in 1975, and despite being the oldest commercial haunted house in the nation, it continues to be recognized for its adaptations to petrify visitors.

This year's trends incorporate the mystic, the innately frightful, and raises the undead from cemeteries from another century. The coast-to-coast trends include:

Dragons

Magical and mythical. Fiery dragons come to life with technology that makes realistic fire-breathing, and roaring sounds – appearing from the depths of dark, fantasy storytelling.

"Dragons will definitely have a big presence this year and do their job to create fear," said Amber Arnett-Bequeaith, Queen of America Haunts. "They are spell-binding and attack from above while breathing fire that can burn you alive. They're terrifying."

Killer Bees & the Creepy Crawly

Killer bees, spiders and creepy insects tap into our phobias. Inside haunts, the scare is amplified when these creatures touch visitors.

"The old days of haunted attractions with scary sets visitors view from behind glass are gone," Arnett-Bequeaith explained. "Today, all senses are activated. It's 4D. See, feel, hear and smell inside the haunts. Horror is big because horror is smarter. Guests may hear buzzing sounds and suddenly feel the sensation of killer bees swarming over their face, igniting the phobia of getting stung in a swarm of bees – then discover they are underneath giant hives with killer bee animatronics creating buzzworthy fear."

Graveyards Resurrected

Massive realistic graveyards within the haunt attractions create a perfect scene for screams.

"It's human nature to run from death," said Duane Sandberg, 13th Gate in Baton Rouge. "A staple of the south, our New Orleans-style graveyard has elaborate stone crypts and mausoleums - creating an uneasiness that something is lurking behind the tombs. The smell of death leaches from the coffin and penetrates your nostrils."

For a haunt near you, visit www.americahaunts.com.

For more information, reach out to your local travel agent.

SOURCE: America Haunts press release.