I Ran A Haunted Theme Park

Did the title jump out at you? Good, that was my intention. I think right now, as the season of horror and haunting approaches, is the perfect time to share this part of my past.

Truthfully, I wasn't going to participate in this Challenge, but a sudden inspiration sparked, and I thought why not tell my most exciting life experience? It contributes to my love of horror, my love of Fall, and my love of world-building.

The very first job I ever had was at an amusement park. Maybe you've heard of it? I'll give you a hint: it's not Disney or Universal, but one of their competitors in SoCal. (Although I did work at Disney as well, but that's irrelevant to this story)

Anyway, the HAUNT! It was back in 2014 (holy shit I'm old), and I was quite young for the position. But I was damn good at it. Those of us who ran behind the scenes were called Haunt Coordinators, and it was a tough gig to snag. Everyone wanted to do it, but only a select few were chosen. I was fortunate enough to be one of them. (Don't ask how, Allan- my boss- saw potential in me, I guess 🤷🏻‍♀️.)

My zone's 'scarefactor' was the highest out of all the zones that year. It became legendary. You might've seen advertisements for it; Infected. It was an interactive zombie maze that took up almost half the park. Guests got to run around with fake guns and shoot at the zombies, racking up scores on a leaderboard. If they ranked high enough, they could win a prize: usually bypassing the line for another maze of their choosing or a photo-op with a squad leader.

Now, I bet a lot of you are thinking, 'how exciting!' And for the most part, it was. But it was also a lot of work. Every day had its surprises, and I don't mean with monsters jumping out at me. I loved when they did that, even though I was a tough cookie to scare 😉. No, my surprises were more on the administrative side of things, and some nights had me close to running away screaming.

For me, Haunt started in June. I'd attend meetings going over the season; important dates, which attractions would be open, what new shows they'd be performing, and other details. It was a lot of planning. Then, I had to build a story for the mazes and create various acting roles pertaining to them. For Infected, it was easy- a zombie outbreak. The guests were the survivors and needed to find their way to the 'safe zone' with the help of Squad Leaders while avoiding getting bitten.

I remember when I learned I'd be running the show. I was scared of zombies then, and my boss Allan assigned it to me as a prank. But also, I'd been a Haunt Coordinator the year prior, and he knew I could handle the pressure that'd come with this attraction. It was both a challenge and an honor. We had a good laugh over it- before nerves hit and I realized I had a huge responsibility on my shoulders. And I do mean HUGE.

It was the largest scare zone in the park with 151 positions. Can you imagine little me managing all those big, scary monsters by myself? 🥲

Kidding, I wasn't alone. I was the Coordinator, but I had a team consisting of a Talent Captain, two Project [Scare] Leaders, and my own assistant (hehehe). But I was charged with the functionality of the show. I made sure that the monsters showed up on time and got in costume. That all roles were filled. I'd see to it that the props were all set and ready to go. During the event, I had to monitor the line since it could get up to two hours long. Any guest complaints, I had to deal with. But primarily, I spent most of my time inside the maze, keeping an eye on things, and running around like my pants were on fire.

Ah! I'm getting ahead of myself!

July came, and it was time for the auditions. It was an all-day thing for almost two weeks. And I still had my duty as a Ride's Manager on top of it until Haunt started. I was exhausted, but high on adrenaline because it was such an exciting time getting ready for Scary Farm. I was in my zone with this position. Building a world where people could come and live out their fears? Fuck yeah! My vision for this attraction was to make it as realistic as possible. I wanted the guests to feel as if they were actually being chased by zombies. I was dead serious about the immersion of it all. (No pun intended)

With the help of other entertainment artists, we brought the world to life, using the environment as our canvas. Camp Snoopy was the perfect backdrop for it. A mountain range with hidden caves, a lake with a bridge, abandoned campsites, plenty of wooded areas, a "small town" stationed with special ops forces, a quarantine site, and everything in between. If it sounds like a perfect setting for a zombie apocalypse, that's because it was! See why I'm so proud of it?

Moving on, rehearsals. Oh, god. Such a nightmare. It was our initial gathering to see how it all came together. This was where the stress of it all really hit me. Were there gaps in the run that needed filling? Did the scenes make sense with the characters? Did the sections blend smoothly? Were props ready? Were costumes ordered? Did I have enough makeup artists? Were there any conflicts with the shifts? All of these and more were factors I had to consider with only two weeks left until opening day. If there were alterations that needed to be made (and there were) then I needed to get those things fixed ASAP.

I'm sure many of you are wondering about my relationship with my cast. Honestly, 151 people is a lot to manage, and I wasn't in my position to socialize, but I cherished my team regardless and had fun with them when it was appropriate. Afterward, we'd have playful banter about their costumes, their makeup, and their acting. But during the event professionalism was my top priority and I maintained it.

It wasn't a concern of mine if they'd take me seriously despite my young age and gender. These people were pretty chill and recognized me as their leader. Not to mention being attracted to the adrenaline rush it gave them, and wouldn't do anything to put their jobs in danger. From the very first interaction, I was clear about my expectations from them. I took staying in character as seriously as a heart attack unless we were backstage, and they knew that. So if I ever went through the zone to check on a burnt-out light or a defective fog machine, they still HAD to perform like I wasn't there. I will say that I was the most strict with the ones who had a script to follow, for obvious reasons. But I also encouraged improvision, so long as it made sense with the scene, and wasn't violating any rules.

I have to admit, it was both daunting and exhilarating to be in charge of such a massive operation and a pack of monsters. I enjoyed myself immensely. But I also had the burden of making sure that everything went smoothly. So while fun was a huge part of it, safety was my priority. Healthy monsters equal a happy Haunt. I'd run myself to the ground some nights going without a break just to make sure everyone else got a meal and stayed hydrated. It never bothered me- it was my job. We were a family and took care of each other. That's perhaps the part I miss most about it.

For those wondering, yes, I did have my turn to join in on the fun and pretend to be a part of the dead. Actually, I played a surviving Girl Scout, surprising all my monsters as I didn't tell any of them beforehand. The guest's objective was to lead me to safety with the help of the Squad Leaders. Now, I'm no actress, but I shocked everyone, myself included, with how perfectly I performed my role as an annoying victim screaming and jumping at everything.

My monsters got a kick out of it and rudely made it their mission to ensure I didn't get out alive.

Ah, the good old days.

I really do miss them. I retired so I could focus on school, but if the opportunity ever arose to do it again, I would in a heartbeat.

As fun as it was, it did have its hardships. Guests were absolute jerks to me. Injuries happened daily and I'd have to do the statement reports on top of my butt load of paperwork. I was there 11 hours a day, sometimes longer if I stayed behind to do press interviews. No, I was never on screen. I've always been a behind-the-scenes kinda gal. But the chosen monsters and Squad Leaders would be there, along with the park's PR person. Since I was responsible for the actors, I was obligated to be there as well. Not a big deal.

What truly got to me was returning to old routines so abruptly once Halloween ended. I had no life outside of this, and it was depressingly noticeable when Haunt concluded- my loneliness distinct. How was I supposed to say good-bye to the world I'd been in for weeks? It was incredibly hard. To this day I'm still not over it, wishing I could just go back and relive it. But alas, it was time to move on. Though it was bittersweet, it was a necessary step. I wouldn't do anything differently. This part of my life showed me I'm capable of doing many things. I wasn't a writer back then, yet I still developed a universe that people got to enjoy. I think it's another contributing factor that led me to storytelling. <3

Thanks guys for reading! I hope it inspires you to go to a haunted theme park this year, and if you do, with a new appreciation toward maze attractions. After all, they are the designs of someone's imagination.

P.S. Here's a photo from my time as a Haunt Coordinator. :)