Where is Honey Bee now?

BEST.. THING.. EVER.. TO HAVE HAPPENED TO ME! Life past haunt is great! I have time to enjoy other haunted attractions and do the things i always missed out on when I was working Haunt. I also have two great jobs now and I am almost done with school. I fell out of touch with the majority of my old Haunt friends, and while it sucked for a while, so much time has passed that I don't really think about it any more. I did go to a few slider practices earlier in the year to visit, but I discovered that I had forgotten a lot of people's names! I've decided to put the Haunt side of my life permanently behind me now. I have too much going on in my life and I've out-grown it by now. I will always cherish the memories and the friends I made though. They were the right people for me during that time in my life. You know what they say... friends come and go, but the memories will last forever. :-)

Thanks for a great run guys! <3

Farewell Haunt

As most of the true Haunt fans and monsters know by now, Knott's Haunt department has changed management and therefore, has changed its policies as well. All street monsters were required to audition to claim their streets positions. I felt that my audition went really well and I had a lot of energy, but I could only commit to 3 days a week due to my heavy work schedule (taking classes to get to vet school aint easy!). As a result, I was declined my streets position. I was angered and disappointed by this news, especially since I have given so much of myself for that park. I was a year round entertainment employee for many years doing scenic painting and prop fabricating/installation, so to be canned by the people that have known me for more than 5 years now was a painful blow. I cannot express how deeply I am hurt by all of this. There are many other reasons why this has affected me so much, but those will not be disclosed. All you need to know is that I have my reasons for being so angry about this and they are completely justified.

When I was first red-carded, I admit I did not take it well and did not try to hide it. Now many rumors have been spread around about me ranging from things like my audition sucked and I was not a good monster, all of which are not the case, to things like I am so angry at what happened that I have given away all of my Haunt stuff and stormed off to Universal. Everything you have heard is false. I am not going to Universal. This was going to be my last year anyway because, God willing, I was planning on being in vet school next year which would mean I would most likely not even be living in this state, let alone have the time to work Haunt. As for the giving stuff away thing, I did sell my knee pads because, obviously, what do I need them for now? I don't exactly do sliding in my normal every day life. I felt they should go to someone who would get the most use out of them. And I gave away some t-shirts to my best friend, but we exchange clothes ALL the time and I gave her shirts other than Haunt shirts as well. I simply had way too many shirts that I had collected over the years and I didn't wear all of them. I kept my favorites and have good memories tied to them. I am simply trying to move on with my life. Haunt has been such a big part of my life for over 5 years now, that if I don't try to separate myself from it, I will just keep hearing about it and it will continue to make me sad about not working. It is really tough when you immerse yourself into something to the point when 95% of your friends are from your job, your social life revolves around your job, and you fully commit to it 1 month out of the year, then are suddenly not working that job anymore. Haunt is not just a job, it is a lifestyle. And how to you quit a lifestyle? I also need to put my focus 100% on school right now and even just hearing about Haunt gossip and rehire stuff is just an unnecessary distraction that I don't need. I do wish all of my fellow Haunt monsters a good and safe run, and I hope that they will scare once for me. I loved working with everyone and I will miss my friends terribly. I had a great experience working Haunt and I wouldn't trade it for the world!

O....M....G

I really didn't write a single post for Haunt '08?!?! I am appauled. I blog almost exclusively on my myspace profile so this blog gets neglected... a LOT.

Well, Haunt 2008 debuted my new character... the Honeyote known as Puppy by her Gauntlet family, and formally named the Alpha Bitch by me.. a title that a strong willed gal such as myself is deserving of. ;-) Basically, my character is a Coyote/Knight. I LOVE my new character. I feel it is 100% ME. I don't have to do anything to get into character... it is so much of my personality that it comes naturally. My love for animals and job as a dog trainer makes acting like a member of the canine family a piece of cake. I am saddened however to learn that I am now the only canine left in CS. I am officially the Alpha now that Wolfy has decided to retire. It makes me so sad to see my daddy go. :( But on the up side, I am thrilled to be joining the ranks of Lucifer, Red Wolf, and the other canines of Haunt.

This year was my best year yet. I have so may fond memories that they all just blend into one thing... fun. It was a year of pure fun. If I can remember specifics, I will post them later.

Tips for Visiting Knott's Scary Farm

READ THIS BEFORE YOU GO! IT WILL HELP YOU GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR EXPERIENCE!

-- CHOOSING A DAY TO GO--
Before you go to Haunt, plan your night accordingly. Weekdays are the BEST days to go because it is not so crowded and you are more likely to do everything you want to do. Be aware though that the closer it gets to halloween, the more crowded it will get, even on weekdays. If you must go on a weekend, try to go the first two weeks of Haunt, or on the very last night. Surprisingly, HALLOWEEN NIGHT IS RARELY CROWDED!

-- TICKETS --
After you have decided on what night to go, you will need to buy tickets. Burger King always has discount coupons and sometimes their discounts are even better than the employee discount. Annual passholders also get coupons in the mail. Buying tickets on the website is cheaper than ticketmaster, and buying them at the gate is cheaper than the website (no service charge). Unfortunately ticket prices have been steadily increasing year after year due to Disney raising their prices and more and more new mazes/shows being added to the park. But ya know what, for all that Knott's offers, it's still a good deal. Some Haunts charge high prices and you only get 1-3 mazes! I've seen some places charge up to $15 for ONE MAZE! This year (2008) Knotts has 13 mazes, 6 shows, 3 street zones, and all of the normally operating rides! But if you want lower prices, go earlier in the month because the discounts on the coupons decrease the closer it gets to halloween.

-- PARKING --
Parking sucks and is expensive so get there early (5:30/6:00ish). I highly suggest buying the pre-scare dinner because you get good food at the buffet (it includes Mrs. Knott's chicken) and you get into the park an hour early & a refillable water bottle (water is $4 so it saves you money). Be advised that on busy nights, the parking lot on Beach Blvd will be crowded but there are also parking lots on La Palma Ave. and Western Ave. There is also street parking on Crescent Ave or other surrounding streets. Parking is around $10 so try looking for street parking if you get there early. There is also a parking lot behind Fat Burger.

-- HOTELS --
The Radisson next to knotts is by far the best place to stay. It is right next to the park and the rooms are nice. You can buy packages that include the room, your haunt tickets, and pre-scare. Burger King has coupons for this too. But BOOK EARLY! On busy nights the hotel will get booked fast. And in all honesty, you do NOT want to stay in any of the motels near knott's. They are SCARY. I've stayed at the Crescent Motel (it's ok- you get a bed, a tv, and a bathroom.. thats about it), the Good Night Inn (probably the best of the sleazy motels around knotts), the Home Town Inn (on beach blvd- it's not bad, the staff is friendly but I still consider it a creepy motel), and a friend stayed at the Covered Wagon (SCARY!!). Your best bet is to go with a reputable hotel chain and not chance it with the creepy motels.

-- GETTING INTO THE PARK --
When you are ready to go into the park, you will go through security/metal detectors and they will check your bags. Save time by having your bags ready and metal out of your pockets. DON'T BRING DRUGS OR ALCOHOL. Come on, be smart for once k? It is a family park, just remember that (meaning keep PDA minimal too). Lines to get into the park can take a LONG time (we're talking an 1 hr +) so bring something to do if you get there late on a busy night. Sometimes they open the rear entrance on Western Ave. which is way less crowded than the main entrance on Beach Blvd. There is also an additional entrance behind the chicken dinner restaurant.

Once you get into the park, pick up a map and decide what mazes/shows/rides are MUST-SEES for you. If you know you are going on a busy night and are gonna be waiting to get into the park for a while, I suggest printing out the maze/show info from Knotts.com and plan your night with your group while you wait in line. Planning is critical on busy nights. If you went through a maze last year, odds are it hasn't changed much so hit the new stuff first. The rides are the most popular (I can't figure out why- they are pretty much the same as they are in the daytime but with a few monsters and decorations) so you might want to get those out of the way first. I highly encourage you to check out websites like www.ThemeParkAdventure.com and read the reviews (especially the message board!!) before you decide to go to them because you don't want to waste valuable maze time stuck in a show that might not be what you expected. Plot your night, it will help you get the most out of your time. Also note that mazes change on a yearly basis. Most mazes last 3-5 years so if you were expecting a certain maze to come back and you don't see it listed, odds are it was retired. Sorry. :(

-- MONSTER ETTIQUETE--
Do not be a jerk! Monsters do not appreciate the following: rude comments, back talk, "scare my friend!" (we don't tell you how to do your job), "I see you!" (thanks, you just ruined it for everyone around you), "you're not scary" (would you tell someone they aren't pretty? they aren't smart? etc), NO TOUCHING, HITTING, KICKING OR GRABBING WHATSOEVER (it is THE fastest ticket to getting booted from the park/ arrested), no coming up behind us and yelling in our ear (it is unnecessary to be a dousche when we are just triyng to do our job). Just remember... you PAID to get scared and we get paid to scare you. If you get too scared, you can always leave, but don't get mad at the monsters for scaring you!

Cameras are allowed but PLEASE don't be rude and flash your camera in the monsters' faces. They do not appreciate it. If you ask nicely, most do not mind taking pictures with you, but if they decline, don't get offended. Monsters are not there to play concierge with you either... monsters have an attitude as part of their character so a lot of them prefer not to answer questions or give you directions. If you have questions, save yourself the frustration and ask a uniformed employee. Monsters are not trying to be rude but they are playing a character and they do not like having to get out of character to play information booth.

-- CHILDREN/ HANDICAPPED--
If you are thinking about taking your children to Haunt, please note that Haunt is recommended for kids 13 and older. In all honesty, I wouldn't trust your teen alone at Haunt either, so send a chapperone. You would not believe how a lot of teens act at Haunt! They are making out all over the place, some are drunk or stoned, and a majority just get out of control. I'd say 16 or 17 is probably a better age to let your kid go alone unless you know your kid is mature enough to be responsible. Kids in a stroller... what are you thinking?!?! Just don't. Find a babysitter instead. Also, manual wheelchairs are available. Electric wheel chairs are not rented because they are difficult to operate in the dark. Also, if you are going with someone with lung problems, make sure they bring a rescue inhaler or something because some people can't handle the fog.

-- MAZE TIPS--
On busy nights, long lines are to be expected. Do the new mazes first. Some mazes sell 3D glasses for $1 but you can use the same pair in every 3D maze. You are not allowed to use flash photography in the mazes unless you ask permission from the monster you are photographing. If the line is long, please step aside for your photo so you are not holding up the line. Also, most mazes are wheel chair accessible except for Labyrinth (located in Camp Snoopy/ the Gauntlet street zone), which has stairs. When in mazes, please do not touch the props/decorations or bodies. Obviously, do not STEAL anything because you will be hunted down and thrown out of the park. And please do not hit the walls... it is annoying, it is stupid, and unnecessary. Just walk through, get scared, don't get in our way, and let us do our job. And NEVER touch the talent! If you bring drinks into the maze, put the caps on. If you bring food into the maze, wrap it up. Just treat the mazes as if you were a guest in someone's house and be respectful. A LOT of good people spent a lot of time, blood, sweat, and tears working for months to build the mazes, and it is a slap in the face if you come through and wreck them. Also, it is best to go through the mazes before 9pm or after 10pm- tis is when a lot of monsters have lunch and the mazes do not have as many monsters in them. On the other side of the coin, this is a GOOD time to go if you have a scardey cat in your group.

-- SHOW TIPS--
If you want a good seat, get there 15 minutes early. For the Hanging, there is no seating, just standing room only in Calico Square. This show gets PACKED so get there at least 30 min. early if you want to be able to see anything. If you need to get to the other side of the park, avoid Calico square during the Hanging because you will not be able to pass through easily. It takes less time to take a detour around Calico Square than it is to push through the crowd.

-- STREET ZONE TIPS--
Chainsaws are in Ghost Town and CarnEvil. If you do not like chainsaws, stay in the Gauntlet. Each street zone is different in how they scare. Ghost Town is known for being "dark/creepy scary", as is the Gauntlet. CarnEvil is a brightly lit area with clowns, so you will see a lot of goofy/scary stuff going on in CarnEvil. They also have a stage set up this year for the monsters to put on shows. The Gauntlet has a medieval theme so you will find the royal court with a king and queen, jesters, knights, peasants, etc. They also have a stage. The Gauntlet is unique in that they have a drum line that plays every sunday at 9:00 with a procession that leads from Lucy's Lunch Box to the stage where a Monster of the Week award ceremony and sliding show follows. This is fun and not to be missed! I know Ghost Town also has sliding shows in Calico Square but I do not know what time or day they do it.

-- PARK CLOSING--
Half an hour before the park closes is when everyone starts to leave so the exit gates and parking lots will be CROWDED. If you have taken sharp shooter photos at all during the night, I suggest you view/ purchase them during the night because once everyone starts to leave, the photo booths & souvenier shops get SWAMPED and you could be waiting a VERY long time. Take your time heading to your car cause everyone will be rushing to leave. That's all you need to know now, so have fun! Be safe and get scared!


**** MY PERSONAL HAUNT SCHEDULE ****
I've gone as a guest twice this year so here is what order I did the mazes. I plotted my night according to the location of the mazes in the park and according to their quality. I've worked there for 5 years now as a monster and for 4 years on the build crew so I know the ins & outs of Haunt, so take this schedule as GOLD. This is your NO FAIL game plan for a good night.

1. Enter the park and walk through the Gauntlet.
2. Go through Labyrinth.
3. Walk out of the Gauntlet to Fiesta Village and go through Quarantine.
4. Continue walking through Fiesta Village and go through Corn Stalkers. **Note: on busy nights, they push the maze enterance all the way back to Xcelerator. So in this event, go through CarnEvil and go through Killer Clown Kollege and Corn Stalkers.
5. When you come out of Corn Stalkers you will end up back in the Gauntlet. You have now covered half the park. You can take this chance to stop and get some food. Eat in Lucy's Lunchbox for short lines.
6. Walk back through the Gauntlet to Alien Annihilation which is next to Sierra Sidewinder.
7. Walk back to the front entrance of Knott's and go through Ghost Town to Ghost Rider where you will find The Asylum and Club Blood. If you had photos taken of you, view/purchase them at the entrance to Ghost Town.
8. After hitting Asylum and Club Blood, continue walking through Ghost Town to the Doll Factory. Now would be a good time to buy souvenirs.
9. After the Doll Factory, you will be let out back into Ghost Town. Walk through Calico Square in the direction of Johnny Rockets and head past it to the left to Lost Vegas.
10. After Lost Vegas, walk towards Big Foot Rapids where you will find the entrance to 13 Axe Murder Manor.
11. 13 Axe Murder Manor will let you out back where you entered it, so if you want to, you can head back towards Calico Square and to the Mine Ride (Black Widow's Cavern) and the log ride (Pyromaniax). I suggest doing the log ride last because if you get wet, you'll be done anyway and will probably be heading home so you won't be out in the cold all night).

I don't really watch the shows, but you can always squeeze them in anywhere in there.

Weeks 3 & 4

In all honesty, I was so busy last week with school and midterms that I don't remember ANYTHING from week 3... so I apologize for not being able to update on week 3 but if I remember anything I'll add it later.

Week 4 was awesome. I was really exhausted and sore week 3 so my game wasn't quite at my normal level, but I came in this week feeling good due to actually getting SLEEP on thursday for once (I normally work 12-14 hours on thursdays at my other job). My favorite moment happened on saturday when this really nice group came in with a seeing eye dog and they let me take her and scare with her for a few minutes. It was the sweetest yellow lab named Iris and she was just so excited to play with the monsters. hehe. :-D Another highlight was scaring this asian couple that didn't speak english. The girl ended up running in circles around her husband to try to get away from me. She kept running around and around and around until I just decided I wasn't even gonna try to scare her anymore.... I'm just gonna keep following her around... but doing the mexican hat dance with her husband acting as the sombrero! It was great and I was wildly amused. :-D

Sunday was Mummy's night and we did monster of the week, mummy flower presentation & dedications, and a special sliding demonstration complete with light up air strip. haha. It was great. My mummy and grandmummy came and had a great time. My grandma loves watching me scare and my mom could not stop laughing at Jebus & Psycho's police car bit. I even got my grandma and mom on Sierra Sidewinder! Of course now my grandma wants to kick my ass *snicker* :-D

All in all, it's been a great few weeks. I've grown a lot closer to the people in my area and have even made some new friends at haunt. Haunt is family... period.

NOW FOR SOME PIX! (click to enlarge)

Something magical

A picture is worth a thousand words...



THIS TOTALLY MADE MY NIGHT! AAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA OMG!!!!! I love it :-D

1st Week Recap- 2007

I know I just posted about 5 minutes ago, but I just realized that I haven't really talked about how the weekend went except for the first day.

I am LOVING Haunt this year! Someone once told me that for every bad haunt year you have, you are guaranteed a good one. Well, my first year was good, my next two were kinda crappy, so I guess this year is making up for the last two years because I am having SO MUCH FUN! Now I see why people like MonStar, Dusty, Beast and Spazz (etc. etc) come back year after year. They come back for the good years! I guess you just need to pull through the bad years because when you get a good year, every rude guest, every piece of haunt drama, every ache and pain and difficult time melts away until you can't even remember why you even thought about not coming back. This year I am in such a great mind set. My mood has been so positive and I'm really happy to be there. My two bad years kind of put me into a funk that made me really shy and want to hide in my shell all the time when it came to socializing with everyone, but I think I'm starting to come out of it. I don't feel insecure about my place at Haunt, I feel liked and respected, and I feel like I'm becoming the monster I was meant to be. I'm confident in my scaring, I'm loving my character, and I feel at home.

CS has been a really awesome place to work and I love the new rookies to death. They are so much fun to scare with. I've been scaring on my own a lot but occassionally I found myself scaring with bastard (not a rookie but a great scare partner!), cari, slinky/bojo/whitedevil/chupacabra/whatever, and mclovin. They're a really fun bunch to work with and we all seem to have great team work skills. You know you have a good scare partner when you can play off each other and be willing to play the distraction and let the other person get the scare. If you can trade off like that instead of stealing scares, you're working with someone really great. AAAAND it definitely feels nice not to have to go through rookie initiations again... so I can emphathize with them. teehee ;-)

All in all, I really hope the rest of the run continues to go this great... because if it does, I am in it for life! :-D



Taken during bush scare with bastard.

Reckless abandonment

So it is wednesday and I just got out of class. I'm eating some dinner before I go to starbucks to do some studying for math class tomorrow. Then I looked at the clock and realized "it's 4:45 and all my friends are at haunt right now!" *sniffle* I feel so alone and abandoned!!! *sobs* I WANNA BE AT HAUNT! :'( I feel like that kid in "Home Alone" when his famiy goes on vacation and leaves him behind. JERKS! Psh... having fun without me! *sigh* But school has to come first... this I know. It still doesn't change the fact that I'd rather be scaring!