Everyone starts their journey into scare attractions and experieces differently. So I thought I would share what I consider to be the easiest ways to start your journey into scare attractions.
Any Dungeon Attraction
The Dungeon attractions are a great way to get introduced to the world of scares. This is because they are aimed at the family market so what they lack in terrifying, in your face terror they make up for with humour and eeriness. The Dungeon attractions are able to bring you classic scares in a safe and fun way that could get you hooked on that scare attraction buzz. They have this ability to build tension to a point where you’re not going to pull out but your apprehensive about what’s to come and as you journey through the narrative of the experience the characters and scenes make it easier to become immersed in what happening, so you do get some perfectly timed jump scares. Add into the mix the humour and you’ve essentially got the best starter attraction for any newbie to the world of scares. Plus it lasts four an hour+ so plenty of time to get used to the terror within.
Scary Escape Rooms
Scary escape rooms are another prime example of how to get into scares. This is a different route to jumping straight into a maze but I think this one works. Escape rooms pretty much trap you inside for an hour so you have no choice but to face what’s coming. That in itself is a scary notion, but if you were to add a creepy or scary theme to the escape room it could be the perfect introduction to scares. A lot of scary escape rooms I’ve done (And the rest of PSG) have been a real mix of utterly terrifying to gentle and creepy. It’s all about research. You have to research the type of room that appeals to you. Room Escape Southend and Hell in a Cell are great examples of atmospheric scary escape rooms. They may have actors inside but to them it’s all about building the tension and ambience of a room. Yes you may get the actor scream at you or jump out at you but it doesn’t happen that often that its terrifying to even open a padlock. On the other end of that you have rooms like Nerve Klinik which is all out terror and even scares some of the hardcore scare fans. Escape rooms are another great way of getting into scares, especially if you don’t want to make a tit of yourself in front of random people.
Tonned Down Scare Events
Spooky World and Hallowscream have both done something really clever. They have introduced toned down nights. Admittingly these are aimed more at the younger teenage market with the events being called Spooky at Night and Hallowtween but that doesn’t mean that adults can’t go. They offer a toned down version of their regular scare events which means whilst you will be visiting the exact same attractions as the regular event, the actors won’t be coming at you as much. These type of events are a great way to see what all the fuss is about without having to keep your eyes closed because your terrified. Another positive about these types of events is that they are aimed at kids so you will also get some great entertainment. One of the events even brings out their creepy crawlies and reptiles. So if you have kids you can use as an excuse to visit, or just want to try out a scare event than these are probably the best starting step.
Just Going For It
For those completely brave enough you could just go for it. You could just head straight to one of the big events or scary things and just do it. For some people the only way to get over a fear is to dive right in and face it head on. Whilst I don’t recommend it, it worked for me (kinda). My first 3 scare attractions were Saw Alive, Experiment 10 and The Asylum at Thorpe Park Fright Nights. All 3 of those were well known, high terror, high intensity attractions and I hated every single second in them. I scream, I grabbed my brother. I was shit scared and it put me off attraction for a good 5/6 years. But then I took another go at diving right in and it turns out all the fear was just inside my head. For some people, diving right in is a good way, but those who do this, I’ve noticed tend to plan. They do research into the attractions before they visit. They look at reviews, descriptions, videos. They plan the order in which they will do them and build up from what they see as the least scary to the really scary. Planning is everything.
Street Passes
For those not quite ready to venture into an actual attraction, many events do street passes. This is usually a cheaper ticket that allows you access to everything except the mazes. It means you can enjoy the sights and smells of the food stalls, the crackling of the fire pits and the screams from the teenage girls running from the roaming actors who wander the events. These actors also give you opportuity to see what its like to have actors run around you. Its a great way to dip a toe for those not brave enough to venture fully.
The scare industry as a whole has so many different styles and types of events that there really isn’t a set way of how to venture into it. A lot of people come into it from either the escape room path or because if the theme park scare events by just going for it, either way their journeys are unique to them but ones that got them hooked. I hope this blog posts can at least give those who are not to sure an idea of what they can do to get into it. Just remember that sometimes you just have to have a good scream and be chased by a chainsaw wielding maniac to make your life complete.