An Interactive iPhone Theme Park?

**Michael Essany** · 10-11-2009, 11:10 AM

Image via Shocktoberfest

If you're unfamiliar with Shocktoberfest, it's a haunted theme park in Pennsylvania now in its 15th year of operation.

With attractions that include Hollywood-style computer-controlled special effects and a smorgasbord of horror-themed rides, Shocktoberfest is like Six Flag's "Fright fest" on crack.

But only beginning Tuesday will the theme park be cool enough for me to actually want to visit. Shocktoberfest is going interactive, thanks to the iphone. And personally, I hope this development sparks a dominant trend in all amusement and theme parks.

From Reuters:

Shocktoberfest, Pennsylvania's Premier Haunted Theme Park announces Tuesday their new iScareYou attractions for the 2009 Halloween season.

Here's how it will work. Visitors at the theme park can interact with both attractions and features via their Apple iPhone. After getting scared yourself, you can scare others by setting off animated props, triggering effects, and - to a considerable degree - manipulating your environment right from your iPhone.

One of the best ScareZones is found along the queue line of The Toxic Asylum Haunted House. The line winds around a blind corner where an animatronic zombie prop hides just out of sight. A press of the "Boo Button" on an Apple iPhone sends lights flashing and the zombie into the air towards its victim.

Call me crazy, but I think a development like this - if ultimately successful - could spread like wildfire through the theme park world and, eventually, inspire complete destination-based attractions and amusement parks based on interactive iPhone participation.

"There's definitely an aspect of voyeurism here," says Patrick Konopelski, Executive Producer of Shocktoberfest, referring to the power that the customers hold in their hands, adding, "to give a customer the ability to scare the wits out of someone else through their cell phone is almost magical."

**ReggaeMusic** · 10-11-2009, 11:24 AM

Shocktoberfest is like Six Flag's "Fright fest" on crack.

lmao this made me crack up! id go to something like that if they had one here in miami

**bdwayneh** · 10-11-2009, 11:38 AM

Man that sounds cool. I wish I was close to one I would go just for the iphone fun. I hope this is a hit.

**angiepangie** · 10-11-2009, 11:44 AM

Now Knotts has to hop on board!

**k9srkool** · 10-11-2009, 11:55 AM

I live in Pennsylvania, does anyone know where in Pennsylvania this is?

**awesomeSlayer** · 10-11-2009, 12:29 PM

Sounds awesome, I want to go there.

**Dorkenstein909** · 10-11-2009, 12:53 PM

Wow thats great. I end up going to this thing every year so im definitely gonna do this

Originally Posted by k9srkool

I live in Pennsylvania, does anyone know where in Pennsylvania this is?

It's right next to Reading, right off of route 422.

**psychodave** · 10-11-2009, 01:31 PM

That's bad ***. So how does it work? Is it an App or a website?

**riassan** · 10-11-2009, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by k9srkool

I live in Pennsylvania, does anyone know where in Pennsylvania this is?

Yeah this is located in Reading, PA bout 2o minutes from my house lol

**k9srkool** · 10-11-2009, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by Dorkenstein909

It's right next to Reading, right off of route 422.

Originally Posted by riassan

Yeah this is located in Reading, PA bout 2o minutes from my house lol

Thanks, hopefully I'll be able to go.

**plcrules** · 10-11-2009, 01:57 PM

thats cool but imagine controlling the roller coaster ur on from ur fone that would b amazing and a lot of ppl will loose there fone

**tw1zt3d** · 10-11-2009, 02:27 PM

so, how long til things break cause like 100 iphone users in the same line are trying to make things jump out at people?

**robbpell** · 10-11-2009, 02:56 PM

Originally Posted by tw1zt3d

so, how long til things break cause like 100 iphone users in the same line are trying to make things jump out at people?

exactly what i was thinking wonder if the app has a webcam view so the other 99 ppl can watch the lucky 1.

**liammanson** · 10-11-2009, 10:34 PM

I live in NYC and I am going to take a week off from work to visit all these haunted attractions. To be honest I never heard of Shocktoberfest until a second a go when I read this.

Interactive iPhone haunts? Awesome! This means they are putting some serious money into this park. Haunted parks are cheesy as hell, but if these people are trying so hard it must be 'cause that's what is exactly happening... and I am interested.

I am visiting the Penitentiary one, Bates motel and now...this one.

**StealthBravo** · 10-11-2009, 10:42 PM

Sounds awesome

**blkcadi** · 10-11-2009, 10:43 PM

Wish it wasn't so far away from AZ, sounds cool for sure.

**xfsasx** · 10-12-2009, 10:28 AM

im going next weekend! I'm so excited!...

**ecd5000** · 10-12-2009, 01:07 PM

this sounds cool i wonder how it works tho, and how many people will be trying to do it at once, i live in the lehigh valley NE of reading, i see brochures everywhere but ive never been to shocktoberfest. i might just have to make a stop by here before this runs out