Ep2: How Funopolis Mastered the Halloween Overlay
- Clint Novak
- May 4
- 3 min read
Every operator in the family entertainment industry knows the struggle of the post-summer slump. The kids go back to school, the weather starts to cool down, and historically, those fall months can become some of the quietest—and least profitable—times of the year.
But what if you could take one of your worst months and turn it into one of your absolute best?
In Episode 2 of The FEC Masterminds Podcast, Erik and I sat down with Brent from Funopolis Family Fun Center in Commerce, GA. We dug deep into the operational reality of adding large-scale seasonal overlays to an existing facility, and Brent shared exactly how leaning into a massive Halloween event completely transformed their fall numbers.
Here are a few of the biggest takeaways from our conversation.
The Power of the Seasonal Pivot
For the first three years Funopolis was open, they didn’t run any special seasonal events. Because of that, October was historically their third or fourth worst month of the year, averaging around $82,000 in revenue.
Then, they decided to go all-in on Halloween.
They introduced haunted attractions and a massive Zombie Paintball experience. By fully committing to the seasonal pivot, they completely flipped the script. This past year, that same month brought in an incredible $205,000, making October their second or third best month of the entire year.
Why Their Haunted House Succeeded (When Ours Didn’t)
I will be the first to admit it: when we tried doing a haunted house at Fun Land, it was a flop. We learned the hard way that throwing a seasonal event together is a lot more complicated than just putting up some decorations, turning off the lights, and hoping people show up.
During the episode, Brent and I swapped stories about the good, the bad, and the ugly of haunted attractions. He broke down exactly why Funopolis succeeded where we failed. It ultimately came down to a serious operational commitment, utilizing their facility’s specific layout effectively, and executing a completely different approach to staffing.
Solving the Labor Nightmare
Staffing a haunted house is usually an operator's biggest headache. If you pay flat hourly rates on slower weeknights, labor costs can easily eat up your seasonal profits before you even get to the busy Halloween weekend.
Brent shared a brilliant strategy for handling his scare actor payroll: a 20% revenue share.
Instead of just paying a flat hourly rate that drains the budget, this rev-share model gives the actors actual skin in the game. It manages fixed costs for the facility, and when the event has a massive weekend, the actors get rewarded for it. When the park wins, the team wins. It keeps the actors motivated, energetic, and fully invested in the success of the attraction all October long.
Listen to the Full Episode
If you have ever considered adding a haunted attraction, zombie paintball, or any other large-scale seasonal overlay to your facility, you do not want to miss this conversation. We get right into the operational weeds so you can learn what it actually takes to pull an event like this off without burning out your core team.
🎧 Watch or listen to Episode 2 of The FEC Masterminds Podcast right here:
Need help optimizing your own FEC operations or planning a new seasonal attraction? Reach out to us at Novak Amusement Solutions to see how we can help take your facility to the next level.
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