2024 Question and Answer With Face the Fear - Techwood Terror

Are you ready to Face the Fear? This year discover The Techwood Terror

FloridaHauntedHouses.com recently sat down with Jeff Dixon of Face the Fear - Techwood Terror, to discuss what's new at Face the Fear - Techwood Terror for the 2024 Halloween Season!

What's new at Face the Fear - Techwood Terror for 2024? Do you have any new rides, attractions, or special features that Haunt Seekers should know about?

Each and every year we try to reimagine and reinvent Face the Fear and this year is no exception! We started with a concept that was gobbling up a lot of news coverage (no not the current election) in the area of technology. Of course that means Artificial Intelligence. The question we asked is, "how can we use AI into our storyline for Face the Fear?"

Face the Fear is an immersive story event that is created to evoke screams, laughs, and fun for our guests. But the story for us is always our starting point. The story will drive everything we do - that is where the idea for Techwood Terror came from. It is taking the AI phenomenon and morphing it into an outdoor haunted attraction - I think folks will like the end result.

What are you most excited about for the 2024 Halloween Season?

After two hurricanes in the state of Florida, I am most excited to be able to put on the event. There are a lot of haunts in our area that sustained damage and are scampering to open. We are in the same boat. It has taken some hard work, a few minor miracles, and a bit of creativity but we are going to be open - that is what I am most excited about. We also have reached out to encourage and help other events in the area any way we can. People are needing a distraction for just a few moments after the massive storms that have come through.

The answer is - I am most excited because we are still standing!

What differentiates Face the Fear - Techwood Terror from other local haunts in Florida?

I am always asked this question and I think the answer is always the same - it is the story.
We do not use the slash and hack approach to scaring folks. There is nothing wrong with that, if that is what you are looking for. Our event is wildly creative and loaded with experiences that families will remember and hopefully talk about for a long time.

That means each guest might walk away with the reaction - 'that was scary' - or 'that was fun' but beyond that, they might walk away with the reaction - 'that was scary, fun, and smart'

We are also different in the fact that we supplement the Halloween experience with a lot of resources that are meant to entertain but also strengthen people in their day to day living. We deal with people all year and help them with the "fears" that seem to eat away their quality of life. It is an honor to be able to come alongside them and help. Those materials are all available on the Face the Fear website.

So, for us, this is a seasonal event that translates into having a far-reaching impact all year long. That makes us different from every other haunt in Florida.

How long has Face the Fear - Techwood Terror been in business? Can you tell us a bit more about Face the Fear - Techwood Terror's history?

Face the Fear has been around for 19 years in some form or another. We have been in various locations and settings. As time as gone by, we have been recognized and awarded for our storytelling and now have a more permanent location that has allowed us to expand the things we do.

What's your favorite experience since opening Face the Fear - Techwood Terror?

Really there are way too many to share in limited time and space. I remember years ago having to go into the attraction and rescue people when they refused to continue out of fear. That is fun and has happened a lot. I remember a surprise visit from local inspectors who seemed to be interested in dropping by and inspecting all of the haunts in Central Florida. They actually made us hold up the attraction, put all the customers in a line and told to wait, while they sent a team of five inspectors out into the woods and paths to see what we had created. Our cast didn't know they were inspectors and not guests - I watched as two inspectors physically ran back down the trail to where they started, refusing to inspect because our cast had scared them so badly. (We did pass inspection) We had a great laugh, eventually the inspectors laughed as well, and we became friends of the inspectors in the next year.

How long is a typical haunt experience at Face the Fear - Techwood Terror from start to finish?

20 to 30 minutes. We take people through in small groups. The time can vary based upon their speed, condition, and the crowd sizes.

On a scale from 1 to 10, how scary would you say Face the Fear - Techwood Terror is? Why?

We can adapt it for families and for strictly adult groups
I think we can turn down the heat for a family and it will come in at around a "7"
Normally, and that will depend on the guest, I think we come in at around an "8-9"
We always get a "10" on the "fun of the experience" factor

Does Face the Fear - Techwood Terror's property have any real haunted history? Do you have a spooky encounter you'd like to share?

No, the property is not haunted. The acreage is a part of our church campus (the event is sponsored by The Church @ 434) - however we do have a creek that runs through the property and post hurricane the creek has overflowed and the water invaded our path nearly 70 feet before it started to recede, that was scary because well, of course there are real live creatures in the woods to be aware of...

What inspired you to open up a haunted attraction? What's your favorite part of the business?

As a church ministry, we have taken a lot of criticism for doing a haunted attraction. There are a lot of reasons for this and far to many to talk about. But at the end of the day, we have a heart for people and we want to meet people where they are ready to connect. For many the celebration of this time of year is very important and something that familes create amazing memories during.

Our desire was to create some moments that had the potential of becoming memories.
We have done that and helped a lot of people along the way.
I think the guests are my favorite part of what we do.
The second thing is the fact that it is an event that is all volunteer build, driven, and performed.

How has new technology (i.e. animatronics, special props, etc) helped you to enhance Face the Fear - Techwood Terror?

We have some new surprises in store for guests this year. We are using some projectors, some enhanced lighting and fog effects, as well as lasers. To experience Face the Fear Techwood Terror you will have to be able to walk, step into a vehicle and ride, exit a vehicle and take a terrifying trip into the deep woods - it is all fun, old school, new wrinkles, and tons of surprises!

Can Face the Fear - Techwood Terror accommodate large groups? How many people can experience Face the Fear - Techwood Terror together as a group?

The group size is 4-6 at the most. Normally a group of 7 will be divided into two groups of 4 and 3. That is for the guest experience, the safety of our guests, and the safety of the scaractors creating the experience. In some ways the groups feel isolated and they are - so they are very much left to survive the encounter.

Does Face the Fear - Techwood Terror offer any special deals, discounts, or coupons?

No, we are only open for 4 nights. We tend to sell out each night, so the experience is in demand with limited availability. The box office opens, and we start selling tour times, once they fill up, they are gone. So please arrive early and we will give you a time that you will depart. We usually are able to hit those times within just a few minutes.

Anything else you'd like to let us know about Face the Fear - Techwood Terror?

Simply an invitation to come and check us out. You will have a great time and create some memories that will last a lifetime. This is a great community event in Winter Springs, Florida.