Interesting idea. Let’s take the one thing everyone hates in haunt mazes (light) and make it an Upcharge feature.
Kings Dominion Halloween Haunt 2024
- Thread starter horsesboy
- Start date
Worst idea I’ve seen in a long time. Good thing it seems so incredibly useless and expensive that hopefully not many people will buy it.
I might buy one for shits and giggles but beyond that I don't know who would spend that much money on what is essentially a bluetooth flashlight.
Seems like a spin on the wand features at Universal in Hogsmead and Diagon Alley. While expensive, those are at least a fun tie-in with a massive IP and easy to sell, though I personally didn't snag one. Also, much cooler to see the environment react to the wand rather than the other way around.
However, this seems like a massive waste of money to me and terrible placement. If it was something the park decided to do during normal operations, I could see it being successful (maybe not at $40 though). Doing it strictly for Haunt, plus putting it in the mazes where the whole point is to be freaking dark, is a massive own goal. Would be shocked if it returns next year.
However, this seems like a massive waste of money to me and terrible placement. If it was something the park decided to do during normal operations, I could see it being successful (maybe not at $40 though). Doing it strictly for Haunt, plus putting it in the mazes where the whole point is to be freaking dark, is a massive own goal. Would be shocked if it returns next year.
Doesn't seem to interact with the mazes, but they specifically say you can use it to light the way in the mazes. So people will be walking through with lit up lanterns.
That's assuming people actually buy them
It would be fine for GrimmWoods but it would ruin every other maze for other guess.
I've seen a number of people complain about using these within the mazes, and rightfully so. However, nowhere have I seen that it will be used in mazes. In fact, the haunts around the chain that have already started (Cedar Point as an example) released maps designating where this specific interactions can take place, and they all appear to be in scare zones, and not in any of the mazes.
That being said, even if there aren't any interactions in the mazes, does it create a headache of trying to mitigate people taking them in? Yes. However, hopefully the light itself is not super bright, and it's really more of an interaction tool with a dim light.
I personally think these will be relatively successful this year, just with the amount of curious people wanting to try them out, and not necessarily because they will actually have amazing interactions such as Universal. I'm also hopefully that the interactions will not just be little lights flickering, or a silly scream sound come out of a sound box (akin to cheap Spirit Halloween effects). I hope at least some of them will turn on a fog machine for 30 seconds, or possibly change some of the scare zone light colors (maybe from red studio/stage lighting to purple, etc). That way, your interactions can actually impact other parkgoers as well, and their experience, and not just some little individual interaction. Want the scare zone to have even more fog? Go to a couple of the interaction points for a brief moment and see the ambience totally change! Great way to continue to improve the feel of the event without breaking the bank on smoke, which has become very expensive over the years.
No way to know if that's how the interactions work, but that's my hope, and I feel the best way to make the $40 worth it, and to invite people to actually want them.
EDIT: I stand corrected I just saw on the special events KD website that they can be brought into the mazes. I swear it didn't say that originally, but my hope is still that they are so dim it almost doesn't matter.
Side note, there's always a chance that certain interactions within a maze that aren't advertised can actually shut your lantern off, using the same technology. Example, walk through the opening room of a maze then the next corridor a sensor triggers your lantern to shut off for a certain length of time (maybe most of the maze). Will this be implemented this way, almost certainly no chance at all, but is it possible? Yes, it's possible.
That being said, even if there aren't any interactions in the mazes, does it create a headache of trying to mitigate people taking them in? Yes. However, hopefully the light itself is not super bright, and it's really more of an interaction tool with a dim light.
I personally think these will be relatively successful this year, just with the amount of curious people wanting to try them out, and not necessarily because they will actually have amazing interactions such as Universal. I'm also hopefully that the interactions will not just be little lights flickering, or a silly scream sound come out of a sound box (akin to cheap Spirit Halloween effects). I hope at least some of them will turn on a fog machine for 30 seconds, or possibly change some of the scare zone light colors (maybe from red studio/stage lighting to purple, etc). That way, your interactions can actually impact other parkgoers as well, and their experience, and not just some little individual interaction. Want the scare zone to have even more fog? Go to a couple of the interaction points for a brief moment and see the ambience totally change! Great way to continue to improve the feel of the event without breaking the bank on smoke, which has become very expensive over the years.
No way to know if that's how the interactions work, but that's my hope, and I feel the best way to make the $40 worth it, and to invite people to actually want them.
EDIT: I stand corrected I just saw on the special events KD website that they can be brought into the mazes. I swear it didn't say that originally, but my hope is still that they are so dim it almost doesn't matter.
Side note, there's always a chance that certain interactions within a maze that aren't advertised can actually shut your lantern off, using the same technology. Example, walk through the opening room of a maze then the next corridor a sensor triggers your lantern to shut off for a certain length of time (maybe most of the maze). Will this be implemented this way, almost certainly no chance at all, but is it possible? Yes, it's possible.
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Well I guess KD is putting out conflicting information because I just checked on the website and they say the can not be taken inside but that they also interact with mazes, so unless the select maze is only Grimm... 
Even ignoring the light issue in mazes, if these things were to get even slightly popular, scare actors WILL be bashed in the head with them—both unintentionally and due to natural fight/flight reactions from legitimately scared guests. Hand holding, arms at one's side, and even hands up around one's face are not remotely offensive stances. If you get a handful of people walking around with an arm up carrying an easy to swing object, it's clear what WILL happen.
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This sounds like the higher ups smoked a joint and thought it sounded good and went to far. It's fun to bring up and mention but should not ever actually be a thing. But hey $40 for a $5 item from 5 below? Cha ching
I was hearing that the lanterns could be used in the 2 outdoor mazes (Cornstalkers and Grimm Woods); but, not in the indoor mazes. Should be interesting to see how this all pans out.
"Used" as in they interact with those 2 mazes or that people can just turn them on to light their way? For interacting with the maze, Grimm Woods is pretty open, so that's honestly not a big deal. But in the close quarters and sort of actual maze-like setup of Cornstalkers, seems like a bottleneck waiting to happen.
I’m not personally familiar with other Cedar Fair parks but I definitely would bet on another GrimmWoods or at least a variation of it at one of the parks eventually if there’s a preexisting path such as the old Dinosaurs Alive path at Kings Dominion.
Just my opinion but I honestly do not think the lantern is THAT big of a deal in the mazes. Lets be real, if you're going though a real spooky place you're going to have a flashlight on typically. I think lanters fit that "mystic" or like adventerious on the bayou searching type feel. They do not seem to be that bright at all and to be honest most mazes arn't so dark where it really is gonna be that noticable. We all know these pop outs already in the KD mazes so the element of suprise is is kinda over.
If you're so against being with someone in a maze who has one then just stand at the entrance of the maze for 10 seconds and just wait till a group or 2 show up without 1 and then get in line. It's really not that serious, and judging off Sharp Productions park walkthough with it. it does seem to gain alot of attention with the actors.
If you're so against being with someone in a maze who has one then just stand at the entrance of the maze for 10 seconds and just wait till a group or 2 show up without 1 and then get in line. It's really not that serious, and judging off Sharp Productions park walkthough with it. it does seem to gain alot of attention with the actors.
I was at SCarowinds last weekend, and people in front of me brought one of the interactive lanterns into a maze. It wasn’t bright enough to bother me.
They really aren’t that bright, it’s not like a high powered flashlight or anything in that nature.
I don’t know how well the “interactive” part works. I kinda saw one kinda interact with the music in the blood yard show at SCarowinds, but nothing spectacular.
They really aren’t that bright, it’s not like a high powered flashlight or anything in that nature.
I don’t know how well the “interactive” part works. I kinda saw one kinda interact with the music in the blood yard show at SCarowinds, but nothing spectacular.
