NEWS: Quality vs. Quantity: Universal and Six Flags Split Halloween

0:07 Coming up your weekly roundup of news from around the haunt industry. Welcome to the show. I'm Philip. On the HN Show. We bring you the haunt news, information and education you need to prepare for Halloween. On Tuesdays, we bring you a roundup of news from haunts worldwide. Read more about these stories and so much more in our free weekly newsletter. Subscribe at the link in the show notes, and as always for the news roundup, I'm passing it off to Darryl. This message is from Philip Pernandez, publisher of the Haunted Attraction Network. Between Midsummer's Scream and earnings week, this issue is dance a few observations to guide you through it.

0:50 Disney six Flags in the United Parks dropped earnings this week, and the news is positive overall for our industry. After the softness described by Universal They's experiences segments at fiscal third quarter records for both revenue and operating income, six flags new leadership is successfully re orienting the company towards repeated visitation. Yes this quarter, its debt cost than its parks earned the upcoming Halloween season with four hundred and forty eight Halloween themed experiences and one hundred and seven mazes from coast to coast should supercharge that strategy. United Parks showed fewer guests but higher spending and management, pointing to the new Sony licensed haunted houses and early hellow screen ticket sales as opportunities for the next quarter break down.

1:38 All three calls in this week's Green Tagged Insights and the Halloween bets On sees Universal has quality reputation, but six Flags now operates the most haunted mazes in the world. One hundred and seven added into parks that already have infrastructure and passholders. I wrote in July that operators with permanent locations, infrastructure, and scale play by a different set of rules, and one hundred and seven mazes is what those rules produce. In Orlando, Universal has original mascot in Hollywood, they're leaning into films, particularly independent films, where they have more leeway. Art the Clown returns of the whole narrative built around him. The terror Tram becomes every day in art miss framed as a twisted children's story book with original music by Ice nine Kills Kilsenera. The new Original House has got original score by Slash and the event's first ever singing villain, and they got obsession into the park.

2:36 Fast Fans sent creative director John Murdy a video of director Curry Barker saying he loves the event, and a character encounter came together immediately. Two weeks ago, we wrote about the IP wars, and Hollywood is running a middle path license the indie film where you can still create then build original on top thirteenth floors, making format moves in both of its La Fi flagships. Festival Fright Nights at Winchester, Mystery House is evolving into an actual festival rather than a linear experience, the same shift we covered when Scared House rebuilt its season a round a hangout. The La Haunted hay Ride is running its most ambitious trail upgrade in years, adding a drive in scene choreographed by the Pussycat Dolls Bobby Newberry, and serving alcohol in midnight falls for the first time. Also this week, Midsummer's Scream is moving to Anaheim for twenty twenty seven and reviving season screamings in Long Beach. Spirit Halloween's owner is buying hot topic. The real Freddie Fasbear's Pizza opens an American Dream in twenty twenty seven, Diablo Maz's Land at Cedar Point in King's Dominion, Six Flags, Magic Mountain, Freight Fast Ads Final Destination, and Krispy Kreme's Fall Collection is back with Pumpkin, Spice and tow Here's what you need to know this week in Halloween Horror Night News Art, The Clown takes over h Jen Hollywood's Terror Tram Art.

4:02 The Clown is taking over the Terror Tram at Universal Studios, Hollywood's Horror Nights at Universal City, California. The Terrifier Villain stars in the Christmas Gone Wrong overhaul of the attraction, which takes guests onto the Universal Studios backlot and drops them into a scare experience. When the demented Killer arrives to the historic Universal backlot with his blood soak bag of presents, he realizes it is too early for Christmas and hijacks the tram for his own holiday celebration. Guests will walk the backlot through seven zones Scary Art, Miss Arts, Christmas Tree Farm, The Twelve Slayings of Christmas Arts, Christmas Cafe, Hell for the Holidays, Santa Art is coming to Town and Arts Workshop, each a classic Christmas image twisted into arts world. The cast pull straight from the Terrifier films, with art joined by Vicky Hayes, The Little Pale Girl and Siena Shaw. Original music for the traction will be written by Ice nine Kills, known for their horror movie themed songs. The band will put their dark twist on classic Christmas tunes. You can listen to a preview of Joy to the World Reworked by following the links in our show notes. For dates, tickets, and the full lineup, see the Halloween Horror Knights Hollywood twenty twenty six guide.

5:20 Slash scored HJN Hollywood's kil Sineira House and its villain sings an original song. At Universal's Midsummer Screen Panel, creative director John Murdy revealed kil Sineira Music by Slash, an original house that twists the traditional quincignia into a revenge horror story built around a character named Lola. Slash of Guns n' Roses composed the score, which builds to an original song called fifteen Candles that the house's villain, Lola performs. Murdy framed the house around the song's message, This house is for all the people who were ever bullied and wanted to take revenge, she said. The Spanish lyrics, he said, turn on the idea that the moment of suffering lasts a lifetime. The house is going up in the Parisian courtyard at Universal Studios Hollywood, rebuilt as the burned ruins of Lola's home with a purpose built balcony where Lola stands above guests as they walk underneath her to enter HJN Hollywood adds Nicky from Curry Barker's Obsession. Halloween Horrorites Hollywood in Universal City, California will hide a character somewhere in the park this year, and finding her is part of the point. At Universal's Halloween Horrorites panel at Midsummer's Cream, creative director John Murdy teased a character encounter based on Obsession, the horror film written and directed by Curry Barker. Its villain Nicky, is loose in the event without a fixed spot on the map. Murdy kept the specifics to himself.

6:47 I'm not going to give you all of the details today, but what I can tell you is Nicky is out there somewhere, he said, describing a where's Waldough type mentality for guests trying to spot her across the park. He added that she might be looking for her next obsession. Amikuma is going chain wide this Halloween with a Vegas stage show in new merch Amikuma, the gut Spilling Bear, who started as a Universal Studios Japan scar Zone character in twenty twenty one, will appear at every Universal Studios theme park for Halloween Horror Nights this fall, plus Universal Horror Unleashed in Las Vegas, Nevada. While most of the appearances will be more meet and greet in nature, Universal Horror Unleashed will utilize the character in an all new live stage show running through September and October. Halloween Horror Nites.

7:36 Merchandise twenty twenty six. Every item price and store date Universals Halloween Horrorites twenty twenty six Merchandise reaches stores over three weeks this month, and most of it lands in the park rather than online. Universal Studios Hollywood starts August thirteenth. Universal Orlandos Tribute Store opens August twenty sixth. Online stor is running ahead of both. The partial assortment available now. Six Flags plans one hundred and seven haunted houses for this year's Halloween. Six Flags told investors on Thursday that it will run four hundred and forty eight Halloween themed experiences in one hundred and seven haunted mazes across its park this fall. Eleven of the mazes new for twenty twenty six, with four new horror ips to be announced in about two weeks. CEO John Riley called it America's biggest Halloween party and said no one's doing anything in this kind of scope, in this kind of geographic range, with this many attractions. The count spans every Halloween brand under the company's umbrella, including freight Fest at the Legacy Six Flags Parks, Halloween Haunt at Dorney Park, King's Island, King's Dominion and Canada's Wonderland, Not Scary Farm, Hollow Weekends at Cedar Point, and Scare of Winds. Why does a park chain Bettett's fall On Haunts. The park already runs all day rides, the staff, the food, the service, the land, and the operating calendar are paid for, whether or not October has mazes in it. Freight Fest and its sibling events Layer Haunted Attraction Actions onto that running infrastructure at Dusk sell the mazes through a separate Haunted Attractions pass on top of admission passolders already hold, and Riley Total

9:08 analysts the commercial team is improving upon a Halloween event upsell experience this year. Halloween is also the company's next test of pulling passolders across parks. It has been sending regional invitation to visit sister parks, and Riley said, we'll do the same for Halloween. What it means for Independence cuts two ways, and we are not sure which way it nets out. The case for a squeeze a season pass makes another Halloween night closer to free for the family that holds one and one hundred and seven mazes is a lot of capacity and a drive a lot of markets aimed at the same October weekends every Haunt needs. Alternatively, the case for a rising tide six flags will market Halloween at a scale no collection of Independence can match demand.

9:51 Says data that the season is stretching and the appetite is real, and cross park pass travel could put more out of market visitors in Haunt regions before. Either way, the working question for an independent does value a single attraction at a single price point now competes with an event. A passholder family has effectively already paid for, so the season's work is building an experience worth the trip and saying clearly what makes it worth it. Diablo Haunted Mazes are coming to Cedar Point and King's Dominion. Six Flags is bringing Blizzard Entertainment's Diablo to Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio and King's Dominion in Doswell, Virginia this fall with the maze Diablo for the Internal Path Hell. The weekends at Cedar Point run September seventeenth through November first, on select dates. King's Dominion has not published its Halloween Haunt dates.

10:41 Six Flags Magic Mountains twenty twenty six Flight Fast adds Final Destination and a Werewolf Maze. Six Flags Magic Mountain has revealed its full twenty twenty six Flight FST lineup, led by two new Haunted mazes, a Final Destination maze built around the film franchise, and Wolfe's Blood does by a creator from not Scary Farm. This year's lineup includes seven mazes, seven scare zones, and plenty of undead entertainment. Final Destination Death's Playground drops guests into the film series, where as the park puts it death itself is the antagonist. Guests are chased by death through the maze, and six Flags hinted at graphic effects wood shippers are just not fun to look at. The maze extends the park's ongoing partnership with Warner Brothers. Wolfe's Blood is original and comes from not Scary Farm designer Gus Krueger acting as a guest collaborator cross park pairing in the Southern California haunt scene.

11:37 The story follows a remote town called daylight's En, secretly home to werewolves and an underground werewolf rock band Wolf's Blood playing its first show at the Grand Valdonian Theater. Per the park, guests move from the town's bus stop through ransacked stores and barrooms, and passed an abandoned cemetery to reach the concert. Krueger built in a record store called Rainbow Records and brought back bar Red's Revenge from an attraction that stood in a building before Truth or Dare, along with the overhead jumper effect. Fans new from that maze Q two theme park earnings and what they tell us about the consumer. Disney six Flags in the United Parks dropped earnings this week, and the news is overall positive for our industry after the softness described by Universal Disney, the record Disney's excellent Q three earnings gave hope to an attraction industry struggling with a challenging macro environment. More guests came, they spent more in the experience of segments.

12:32 At fiscal third quarter records for both revenue and operating income, Domestic attendance grew three percent per capita, spending grew four percent, and CEO Josh Tomorrow said the parks are performing significantly better than our competition. Asked about its domestic promotions, Tomorrow described discounts designed to reach a specific guest and that could be a valued customer. Maybe we're going after a local resident, then pointing to four percent per cap growth as proof the company is certainly not discounting our way with volume growth reached down for volume, reach up for yield. United Parks The Squeeze United Parks Q two shows fewer guests coming but spending more, while costs rose faster than revenue, so profit dropped much harder than revenue did. Attendance fell two point nine percent to six point one million guests, revenue fell one point four percent, and net income fell twenty one percent. In park per capita spending rows five point one to a record thirty nine dollars and fifty one cents. Will Admission per capita fell one point eight percent.

13:36 The guests who came traded up inside the gate, while the gate itself got cheaper. The company kept buying backstock twelve point one percent of its shares in six months, and cash fell to nineteen million from ninety nine point eight million on December thirty first six flags the strategy and the balance sheet. Six flags new leadership is successfully re orienting the company towards repeated visiting. At this quarter, its debt cost more than the parks earned. The strategy of getting more pass holders to attend more often and spend more, and thereby increasing lifetime spent is working. Revenue and attendance were up adjusted for the divested parks, and the upcoming Helloween season with four hundred and forty eight themed experiences from coast to coast should supercharge that strategy.

14:23 Yet while the parks made money, the company still posted a loss due to its debt. Running the parks cost eighty eight point six million dollars of operating income, up from seventy four point five million. A year ago. Interest on the company's debt cost another one hundred and two million, and the quarter landed at a twenty point one million dollar loss before taxes. The two hundred and three million headline losses mostly is mostly one hundred and fifty seven point four million dollar tax change and accounting catchup tied to the park sales not a bill. Six Flags paid four and a half million in cash taxes in the entire first half. Same park revenue, attendance and EBEDA all grew. Pass sales are up seven percent and the stock foul sixteen percent. Watch Philip and Scott discuss this on this week's episode of Green Tagged Ultimately, Theme parks are betting on Halloween. Earnings week showed how much of the industry's year now rides on the season. Not Scary Farm announced his retirement of two mazes in twenty twenty six and Scared Zone overhaul. Not Scary Farm from Buena Park, California, announced this past weekend at their Midsummer screen panel that twenty twenty six will be the final year for two popular mazes origins, Curs of Calico and The Chilling Chambers.

15:38 You Know the attraction News a real Fetti Fosbar's Pizza is opening an American Dream in twenty twenty seven. Pardi Fosbar's Pizza, the restaurant at the center of the Five Nights at Freddy's Game, is being built for Real American Dream in East Rutherford, New Jersey, announced they will open the location in twenty twenty seven. Developed in collaboration with Scott Games, American Dream calls it the world's first permanent Tomersa restaurants experience and describes it as a functional reimagining of Freddy Fosbear's Pizza designed to immerse guests in the world of the iconic franchise. For the announcement, guests will be able to dine, play arcade games, experience animatronic stage shows featuring Freddy and the Fosbear Band, visit Foxy's Pirate Cove, and step behind the Curtain for immersive multiplayer survival horror experiences.

16:29 The American Dream says additional details, including the official opening date and ticketing information, will be announced at a later date. No month, no pricing, and no size has been given. Queen Mary's Dark Harbor will murder one of its thirteen icons live this year Queen Mary's Dark Harbor is entering its thirteenth year with thirteen icons, and it plans to murder one of them live in front of guests this season, keeping the victim secret until you show up. The Long Beach Haunt also revealed a new World War two May's ship wreck built on the ship's real Gray Ghost Troop Transport history, and a new icon called the Commander. Its Feast maze is retiring, The Cannibal Chef gets locked up in breakouts, cell Block thirteen, and the returning mazes all get new chapters. Dark Harbor runs select nights September eighteenth through November one. La Haunted hay Rides ads an eighties rock maze and brings back Alvira. The Los Angeles Haunted hay Ride is adding a new maze that turned guests into a doom nineteen eighties rock band, bringing back Calvira, and serving alcohol in its haunted town of Midnight falls for the first time. Thirteenth Floor Entertainment Group detailed the twenty twenty sixth season in its Midsummer screen panel, where producer Melissa Carbone called this year's hey Ride trail its most ambitious in years. The Los Angeles Haunted hay Ride runs select knights of September eighth through November first at Griffith Park.

17:53 Festival Fright Nights at Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California, select nights September eighth, eighteen through November one. Festival Fright Nights brings the entire estate to life through four immersive zones featuring thirteen attractions and experiences, including haunted houses inside the historic mansion, erie entertainment, photo ops, seasonal food and drink offerings, and mysterious encounters hidden through the grounds. This year's Festival Fright Nights at Winchester Mystery House will feature a new open festival format, allowing guests to explore the experience at their own pace and create a personal life journey. Exciting new additions include the new attraction titled The House of Spirits, a new add on attraction, Hide and Seek the Lost Children, which takes guests into rarely seen areas of the mansion, a new cider mill experience, and a s'mores roasting station the Seance Society Speakeasy. A new cast of characters will appear, including Sarah Winchester's Royal Butler, his son Henry Harker, Nina Knightshade, who tends to the gardens and greenhouses, and the collector who put trolls the darkest corners dragging a heavy bag of unknown contents. Magic of the Jacko Lanterns at Palace Verdes Estates, California. Magic of the Jacko Lanterns will return to the South Post Botanic Gardens select nights September eighteenth through November one, New ver twenty twenty six. Pillars of Magic will Greek guests as they make their way to the signature path of the illuminated carved pumpkins. Delusion Den of the Mosquito in Los Angeles, California,

19:28 returning to its original venue, the Beckett Mansion on select nights September seventeenth through November eighth. Delusion Den of Mosquito takes guests to nineteen twenties New Orleans. Set in a brothel, guest play agents of a secret organization on an impossible task, become part of a sadistic and supernatural tale of horror, mystery, monsters and monsters, and of course, vampire prostitutes. Build as Delusion's longest and most interactive play to date. The event will revert to its classic four m out of ten guests every ten minutes, fostering deeper emotional connections with characters and creating a more intimate experience. Nightmare Wharf now hiring for the twenty twenty six season. The Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park and Nightmare Wharf, Buffalo, New York are seeking energetic, dependable individuals to join the team behind Buffalo's premieer immersive Halloween event. Open seasonal positions include scare actor, Q line performers, makeup artists, ticket takers, and event ambassadors. Taking place at the Buffalo Naval Park this fall, Nightmare Wharf will transform the historic waterfront campus into a large scale Halloween experiences featuring haunted attractions, themed environments, live entertainment, dramatic lighting, dense fog, and high impact scares. We are looking for performers, artists, and event staff and want to help us create an unforgettable experience from the ground up.

20:56 Season Zortica, Director of Creative Event Operations and Reduction for Nightmare war Whether someone has years of performance experience or is stepping into a world for the first time, we want enthusiastic people who are ready to become part of something entirely new for Buffalo. To learn more or apply, visit the event's official website. The Halloween season is almost upon US, and haunts around the country are announcing their dates, new editions, social events, and more. To help you manage the myriad of updates, a Haunted Attraction Network has compiled comprehensive guides to the top hants in the US and top theme park events around the world. Book Marks these important pages for reference and check back often for updates for new as new information is released. New this week Cedar Point Hollow Weekends twenty twenty six dates, tickets, and what's been announced so far previously. Spirit Halloween Locations twenty twenty six guide every store or state by state nether World Haunted house dates, tickets, and what to know before you go. When do haunted houses open? In twenty twenty six.

21:59 The best and scariest haunted houses in America at the Top Haunts List. Halloween Horrorites twenty twenty six, Dates, tickets and lineups for every park, Disney Halloween twenty twenty six, Every park worldwide. Fright Fest twenty twenty six, The Complete guide to six Flags Halloween Event at Every Part Hallo Scream twenty twenty six. The Complete guide to all five United Parks locations Orlando Halloween Events, Every Park party in Haunt Halloween Time at Disneyland twenty twenty six. The Complete Guide. Haunted Houses in California twenty twenty six, Dates, tickets and what's new Halloween Horrorites twenty twenty six, Ours, costume policy and no before you Go. Haunted Houses in Texas, Dates, tickets and what's new Halloween Horrorites Tickets twenty twenty six.

22:50 A complete guide to all Universal Parks. In retail news, Spirit Halloween's owner is buying Hot Topic, Box Lunch and Her Universe. Spencer Spirit Holdings, the company behind Spirit Helloween, has signed a definitive agreement to buy Hot Topic Ink and its three brands, Hot Topic, Box, Lunch and Her Universe. The deal was announced August sixth, and would put six retail brands in more than three thousand North America stores under one owner. Spencer Spirit already owns Spirit Halloween, Spencer's and Spirit Christmas. As per the announcement, the three Hot Topic brands will continue to operate independently. From the Spencer Spirit business and maintain their existing headquarters in California. Steve Rain stays on and as CEO of Hot Topic, Inc.

23:36 A job he has held for over ten years, overseeing the three brands day to day operations alongside his executive team. He will report to Spencer Spirit CEO Steven Silverstein. How much is the Freddie Fasbear Animatronic four hundred ninety nine in stores up to thirty eight hundred dollars on eBay to Freddie fosber Aimatonic costs four ninety nine at Spirit Helloween and the Spirit Helloween is the only place to buy one. Spirit Halloween's four forty nine ninety nine Alien xenomarf Anamatronic is out of stock online. Spirit Halloween's six foot eight Alien xenomor f Anomatronic costs four forty nine and cannot be ordered from the website. Completed eBay sales over the first week of August show it moving it roughly twice spirits or forty nine ninety nine tractor supplies.

24:22 Twenty twenty six Halloween Collection Ghost Cows, six foot skeleton roosters, animated deviled eggs, and other farm inspired items. Headline Tractor supplies twenty twenty six Halloween collection. This year's Halloween out Here collection is the company's largest collection and is hitting stores earlier than ever. The full Halloween catalog runs to more than seven hundred items, and the farm theme holds all the way down. Build the Bear twenty twenty six is Halloween collection. Build the Bear's twenty twenty six Halloween collection dubbed Spooky Stuff. Your Love Is Live and the Star is a jumping spider plush, a fuzzy brown spider with eight legs and four big black eyes. The plush starts at thirty six dollars for forty four dollars to the gift set with keep on Creeping On Spiderweb tea.

25:10 The monster cereals are now blown glass ornaments boxes and all the monster cereals admitted to the Halloween Tree. Old World Christmas. The Spokane, Washington ornament maker hand Blowing Glass since nineteen seventy nine is selling Blueberry, count Chocula and Frankenberry as glass ornaments at twenty seven ninety nine each and each character comes two ways, a monster itself or its cereal box that makes six serial ornaments in all the character versions, Mascot mid Pose with the Cereal bowl in hand hand painted and glittered and per Old World Christmas. Each piece is hand blown into a hand carved mold and hand painted using techniques from the eighteen hundreds, MNSSHP twenty twenty six, all seventeen food items, and the party exclusive merch He's Not So Scary Halloween Party in Orlando, Florida has opened on Friday, August seventh, with eight of its thirty eight dates already sold out. The Official Foody Guide named seventeen new food and drink items across eleven Magic Kingdom locations, and the party exclusive merchandise line has been revealed. From sweet treats like Headless Horseman treats, pumpkin pie tarts topped with whipped cheesecake, spiced caramel, panacotta, candied pecans, and the marshmallow buttercream flames, the savory eats including dune Buggy dumplings, chicken dumplings with red mesa, gochu Jang sauce for acaki, and chili threads. This year's culinary options are

26:41 diverse and delectable. Disneyland's twenty twenty six Halloween Food First look. Disney Parks has posted a first look video previewing the twenty twenty six Halloween food and drinks coming it to Disneyland Resorts in Nanaheim, California, and it reveals five items across Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure. On the sweet side, guests can look forward to match a Mickey shaped Waffles, Ube Cheesecake Turo and the brown butter Maple Cold Crew. On the savory side, prepare for Villainous Wings with Gochu Jang sauce and a drizzle of ghost pepper Ranch and the Bougoogee beef toasted with corn cheese soup. Halloween Time at Disney Resort runs August twenty first through October thirty first of twenty twenty six, Jock Lindjey's Hangar Bar Halloween overlay returns to Disney Springs with a new menu. Jock Lindsay's Hangar Bar, the Indiana Jones themed bar at Disney Springs in Lake Buenavista, Florida, brings its Halloween overlay back August eleventh through November ninth with a new food and drink menu. In the same nineteen forties Kitch de cord that dressed the bar. Last year, hat Box Ghost popcorn buckets lands on both coasts with a headless horseman for the party Haunted Mansions. Hatbox Ghost is becoming a popcorn bucket on both coasts at Disneyland Resort. The launch date is August thirteenth, three day fan club celebration with limited run novelties across the resort. At Disney World, the bucket, along with a new headless horseman bucket, will be exclusive to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween parties starting August seventh.

28:13 As reported by the w d W Nude, Universal Studio Japan's first resident evil popcorn bucket is a backworn liquor. A popcorn bucket shaped as a liquor goes on sale at Universal Studios Japan in Wednesday, September ninth, and the official product photo shows it mounted on two shoulder straps and hanging down the wearer's back, brain exposed, and tongue trailing towards the floor. Starbucks brings back the Pumpkin Spice Latte August twenty fifth. Fall officially arrives at Starbucks around the country on Tuesday, August twenty fifth, with return of the Pumpkins Spice Latte. Alongside it come three new Pumpkin Spice beverages, returning Pekan drinks, two banana bread inspired lattes, and an entirely new drink called the Chider, described by Starbucks as a cozy twist on chai. For fall, delivering cider inspired flavors including cinnamon and sweet spice. Krispy Kreme's Fall twenty twenty six collection brings back Pumpkins Spice and adds three new treats. Chrispy Kreme's autumnal seasonal collection returns August eleventh. Pumpkins Spice return joined by three new flavors, a maple cheesecake donut, a Cafe Mocha donut, and an Apple crisp latte. The bisk Off Cookie Butter donut and Pumpkin Spice Latte are back too. The collection is available for a limited time at participating shops nationwide, in shop and for pickup and delivery through Krispy Kreme's app and website, and individually and by the dozen while supplies last. Gideon's Bakehouse goes all in on peanut butter for its August menu.

29:46 Gideon's Bakehouse in Orlando, Florida, went all in on peanut butter for August. The new Peanut Butter Cold Brew Cookie X dollersion fifty cents is nearly half a pound and packed with chopped Reese's Cupsreese's pieces, and locally roasted Decaf espresso to cut the sweetness. There's a ninety eight dollars matching three layer cake, a returning Orange Moca cold Brew, and a weekend only Oreo cookie too. New Appril Cider donut holes lead Intimen's and Little Bytes Fall twenty twenty six lineup. Entimens and Little Bytes brought back their Fall and Halloween treats for twenty twenty six, and the lineup has one new item, Entimen's Apple Cider donut holes. The apple Cider donut holes common a thirteen ounce bag for a suggested retail of five sixty nine the pop Upple version of Benmen's Apple Cider donut. These are sized for a bag you pass around rather than a single donut.

30:40 Enjoy these shareable treats and morning coffee during weekends, falloutings, or following a trip to the apple orchard. The donut holes are at most major grocery retailers nationwide from August through November. Or your ghosts have been spotted and they are not cookies. Or your ghosts have started turning up in the Halloween aisles, and the thing worth knowing before you go looking is that they are not ghost shaped oreos. They are molded dark chocolate ghosts filled with Oreo cream and cookie pieces sold in a bag of individually wrapped singles. In Convention News, Midsummer Scream moves to Anaheim for twenty twenty seven Midsommer Scream build as the world's largest halloween and horror convention is leaving its longtime Long Beach home.

31:24 The event will move to the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, for next year's events, taking place in August sixth through eight, twenty twenty seven. Organizers said the larger venue gives the event more room for its growing community of fans, haunters, vendors, artists, and celebrities. The convention is called the Long Beach Convention Center Home since its twenty sixteen debut, when it drew about eight thousand people in its first year. This past weekend's event drew over fifty thousand attendees across the event, with more than three hundred and fifty vendors on the floor. The Hall of Shadows, the convention's main area, span nearly two indoor acres with attractions from Lionsgates Studio, Universal Studios, Horror Unleashed, and Independent Creators. Season Screamings returns December fourth through fifth, twenty twenty seven, from the mines behind Midsummer's Scream.

32:16 Season Screamings will return with Holiday Horror December fourth and fifth, twenty twenty seven at the Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, California. The revived show will feature the Hall of Yuletide Spirits, spooky vendors, and other surprises. Unchers Against Hate The event returns Toly thirty first through August first of twenty twenty seven. Save the dates. Unentras Against Hate The event returns to the Radisson Kalama Zoo in Kalamazoo, Michigan, July thirty first through August first of twenty twenty seven. Halloween and Party Expo twenty twenty seven opens registration. The events are Stirring in the Big Easy. Registration is now open for the Halloween in Party Expo twenty twenty seven, taking place January eleventh through thirteenth at the earnest Na Memorial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. Helloween and Party Expo describes itself as the retailer's one stop shopping destination for all things Halloween in party, with the floor covering costumes, accessories, makeup, novelties, and party supplies. It is co organized by Clarion Events and the Halloween and Costume Association, a trade groove that also runs the Spooky Awards. The event has returned to New Orleans after the twenty twenty sixth edition ran the expo at World Market Center in Las Vegas. Hershey report Helloween now spans a thirty year and anticipation is the product.

33:35 Hershey has released. Its unwrapping Helloween stated. The season report built on a Morning consult survey of threeenty twenty six US adults fielded July eighth through tenth, and its central claim puts a number on what this season has looked like from every direction. Helloween has evolved into a season spanning a third of the year rather than a single day. Reports of the consumer research in Herssey's own shipment data tell the same story, become a season, not a single night. Or she has a name for the economy we've been describing all year, treatonomics, a consumer trend in which people prioritize joyful, memorable experiences and generosity over simply chasing the lowest price. Guests are still spending on Halloween, but they're looking for memorable experiences to connect to, even if it costs a little more. Value matters reports. Tradition section carries the header traditions not nostalgia, and puts the mechanism plainly.

34:27 The candy people grew up with is becoming the candy they passed down. That mechanism is the nostalgia trend, and it's the same generational memory engine behind Michael's building six nostalgia themed to car collections and the vintage to core wave we have covered all season. What her She's framing usually separates is the behavior from the feeling. Nostalgia is the sentiment, and the tradition is what happens when that sentiment gets scheduled, repeated and handed to your kids for an attraction or a retailer. Traditions book themselves every year. Nostalgia has to be resold buying the past. They're buying the thing they do every year, and your haunt can be that thing. In memorial, the haunt industry warns the loss of Randy Bates. Randy Bates, longtime owner of the Bates Motal and Haunted Hay Ride in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, has passed away at age sixty eight following a battle with cancer. In an August eighth social media post, the Haunted Attraction Association detailed many of his additional contributions to the haunt industry. In nineteen ninety seven, he helped found the International Association of Haunted Attractions IAJA as a board member.

35:32 In twenty twenty three, he helped found America Haunts, a group of the largest haunted attractions around the country. In two thousand and seven, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania began requiring haunted house owners to take a safety course pass an inspector's test. He was asked to help write and put together seminars to specific haunted attractions. In twenty ten, Randy was a member of the Haunted House Association AHJA and helped form the merger of the IAAJ and AJA JAY into what became the Haunted Attraction Association the HAA in twenty eleven. As an experienced hay ride operator, Randy and other Pennsylvania operators developed the hay Ride Safety Standards, which went into effect in twenty twenty. His peers has described as dedication and passion, as well as how quickly he offered to help anyone that asked for advice. Randy is survived by his wife, his six children, more than twenty grandchildren.

36:24 We at the Haunted Attractions Network center condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time. Some upcoming events in August through October of twenty twenty six, September eleventh through thirteen three Pio Real OCXPO in Santa Ana, California. And that's all for the news this week. Today's episode was produced by me Philip Bernandez, with reporting by Darryl Plunky, post production by David Swope. This hant News Update is a production of the Haunted Attraction Network and you can sign up to our weekly newsletter at Hanta Attraction Network dot com. Support for this episode comes from Gheta Mighty and controls. Until next time, Hunters Stay Scary. This is a Haunted Attraction network production,