Working So Hard It’s Scary
Each year at Halloween, an army of brave workers makes us all scream. I’m here to salute them.
Many of us love walking through haunted houses during the Halloween season, whether home grown haunts in our neighborhood or the highly sophisticated productions at major theme parks. And as you walk through these houses, carefully planned jump scares are created for us to laugh and scream and have a good time. Someone is carefully timing their encounter with you, and I have joined their ranks.
Well, not exactly. I have taken on the role of “VIP Tour Guide” for Sea World Orlando’s “Howl-O-Scream” event’s VIP Terror Tours. Dressed in all black, a black cloak, and holding a staff with a red skull head at the top, I walk through the park with our VIP guests guiding them to all the fun and getting them front of the line access to all haunted houses, shows, and attractions. I’m having a blast. Find out more here
This is hard work, and I estimate I’m walking 7 to 8 miles each night. The Sea World park is expansive and the Howl-O-Scream event encircles a beautiful lake. It’s my job to give the guests I am hosting a great experience and help them make the most of their time in the park. We have a conversation about what is important to them and how they want to spend their time that night. Then I guide them through their adventure. This usually includes walking through the 5 haunted houses with them.
As much effort as this job requires, it’s nothing compared to how taxing it appears to be to be a “Scare Actor” in the houses. Imagine hiding around a corner and trying to time your jump to make the most effect for those who walk by. Then imagine doing this all night long! Yes, there are shift changes and breaks, but this is hard work with long hours.
One of the mind-bending experiences I have had as a tour guide was taking a break myself and walking into the backstage break area to sit down for a few minutes. Imagine walking through a door and discovering a room full of aliens, zombie farmers, medical workers covered in blood, undead rave dancers, Victorian women in disarray, cannibals in overalls, and giant human spiders. It’s a mind bending experience.
Those that work at these Halloween events are real heroes in my book. Many do this because they love this season of the year and love sharing the fun of a good scare with the guests. I suspect that the majority also take this job because they need the extra cash. For many it may be the only way they can afford to buy holiday gifts. Others need it to help pay the rent or get out of debt. No matter the reason, they are all working very hard.
I hope you’ll plan to attend one of these events, and perhaps even upgrade your experience to include your own personalized guide like myself. We’ll have a great time and you’ll avoid standing in line! And even better, you’ll be supporting all of those hard working citizens who are bringing these great experiences to life in the parks. And please take a moment to appreciate those scare actors toiling in the dark to bring you the screams. Screaming is healthy fun, and I encourage you to let it all out this Halloween season. Scare actors: I salute you!
Tim Hinton
September 9, 2025
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