Theme parks are winning Halloween

Some of you may wish to be anywhere besides a haunted house, but scaring the bejesus out of people is big business.  

We love a good home haunt or an inventive immersive show, but theme parks are some of the largest — and most profitable — fright destinations, per The Hollywood Reporter. 

Theme parks rake it in during spooky season: 

• Most Halloween events happen at night, requiring a separate ticket from parks’ daytime and family-friendly attractions.  
• Guests can buy add-ons — e.g., fast passes to skip lines, season passes, behind-the-scenes tours, access to themed bars, etc.  
• Parks sell Halloween-exclusive food, drinks, and merch.
• Even events that begin in August or extend past Oct. 31 are popular, with some selling out. 

Halloween is bigger than ever

Americans spent a record $12.2B on Halloween last year and, despite inflation concerns, ~50% of respondents in a recent Lending Tree survey said they intend to spend big this Halloween. 

For those looking for the most bang for their buck, that may be a sprawling theme park.

They’ve grown significantly in scale over the years to compete for visitor dollars, and now offer numerous activities, including multiple mazes, fog-filled “scare zones” with roaming monsters, and live performances. 

• Universal annually spends an estimated $100m+ to produce its Halloween Horror Nights offering. It’s worth it — HHN attracts ~1.5m visitors each autumn.

Many events are also connected to, and in promotion of, blockbuster IPs: Universal has maze collaborations with Ghostbusters, A Quiet Place, and musician The Weeknd, while select Six Flags parks have Saw and The Conjuring universe attractions. 

OK, but… 

… why do people pay money to have costumed actors jump out at them in the dark? 

One theory is that millennials like Halloween due to a delayed adulthood, as many are unable to achieve home ownership or start families when their parents did. 

Yet, considering that Terrifier 3 — a gorefest about a killer clown — was No. 1 at this past weekend’s box office, there may be a simpler answer. 

Many people just like the adrenaline rush that fear in a safe environment, such as a theme park or movie theater, provides. It can be fun, cathartic, and a way to bond with others. 

And afterward, you can get an overpriced churro. Worth it.