Pre-Show:

The audience goes down into the basement. A television with a clock counting down is on a table cluttered with scientific odds and ends. When the clock goes to zero, the pre-show video begins. Colonel Jefferson Butz comes on and introduces the volunteers to the scientists involved with the project, explaining that it will be the guests' mission to observe an analyze what happened to poor Ichabod Crane one Halloween night in Sleepy Hollow, New York. Various gadgets are introduced to assist the guests on the journey, including an invisibility cloaking device, a 10-second time freeze unit, and a tracker (all of which become very useful in the evening to come).

In Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom, Countdown to Extinction has a similar pre-show because it is a time-travel ride, and preps the audience for their excursion. I also used a little bit of Back to the Future, The Ride, due to the quirky laboratory setting.

Seating arrangement was very similar to the tram's benches, so we could get an idea of how many people in a group can go at once. A large table in front had the cluttered scientific equipment, along with the television, and a VCR hidden somewhere in the whole mess. Lighting was minimal, but some automated lighting was added to show the people out at the end of the video to the tram.

All audio was mixed into the video, so no soundtrack exists in the laboratory itself, so as not to clash with the video audio.


A minimal special effect is employed here to give the audience a sense of constant attention. Supposedly, the entire pre-show is a live video feed; but the live video feed from outside of Tim, the tram operator, was taped at about the same time of night, and in the same position outside and the same clothing as on the cast member in real-life. In reality, the tram at this point will be on it's way back to the basement door, and the operator will be taking a break, so as to not perform the little monologue every time an audience goes through. This simple camera trick is a good kind of effect, in that the audience shouldn't suspect it is a special effect.

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Back In Time:

As the audience exits the pre-show, they board the tram. There are multiple armed guards around the tram, turning on gadgets and gizmos. A huge fuel tank with a smoking hose is pulled over and the tram is fueled up. The tour begins, and the guide explains that they will go through a time portal. It is turned on, a large sparkling framework up ahead with a huge white light and fog glaring right at the tram. An LED board shows October 2000. As they go through the portal, lights flash and fog flows onto them, and the LED board turns to October 1819. The lights change, illuminating the path ahead and blinding the people from looking back to where they came from. Now in the past, they must complete the remainder of the mission ...

Once again, Walt Disney World's Countdown to Extinction had the time rover vehicle go through almost a giant toaster. My set is very similar, but with more fog and less red neon lighting. The LED board is from Back to the Future, as the time circuits are found in the movies as well as the ride at Universal Studios.

The portal is 16 feet tall and at it's widest, 12 feet. The upper globes and clock (which spins backwards) completes this largest set. An operator stands opposite the ladder, and makes the lighting changes in cues with the soundtrack to make them seem all in sync.

Starting off was some adventure music, then turning to somewhat scary. Major electrical sound effects are in use while going through the portal, then switching to James Bond classic music, giving an even better adventure feel.


Nine strobe lights line the ceiling of the portal, as well as a fog piping system, two fans (to create a hazy wall of fog), and a pair of floods on either side to keep the guests from seeing into the past, and later, back to the present.

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Tagging Brom:

The alleged point of this tour is to verify whether or not Ichabod was scared by Brom Bones, the town bully dressed as a phantom, or a true headless horseman. The tour guide steers the audience towards a small party going on with some citizens in Sleepy Hollow. Brom is weaving his scary tale, Ichabod is scared stiff, and the other townspeople enjoy every minute of it. The guide gets out and places an tracking device on Brom, just as invisible as the tram and it's inhabitants. Once this is accomplished, Brom finishes up his story and poor Ichabod goes walking slowly back to his school house by way of lantern-light.


The party scene in all the versions of this classic is where Ichabod is told the Legend of Sleepy Hollow. The tracking unit is purely my idea, to further the story of the scientific mission.

Crates, barrels, and other 17th century party items were littered around the area. The 14-foot-tall tavern facade is the centerpiece, as well as a small raised stage whereupon Brom scares Ichabod with the story of the horseman. A large banner proclaiming "All Hallow's Eve Festival: October 31, 7 o'clock sharp" is on the right.

After the adventure music, some suspenseful music to set the tense mood of tagging Brom with the tracker without his knowing, then some low, creepy music is used for Ichabod's decent into the dark woods.

Nothing too special here. No real fire was used, but flicker bulbs and orange bulbs were utilized to give a fire effect without the danger. The tracking unit is a little gizmo made up of certain parts with a little red blinking light.

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Ichabod's Demise:

As the tram follows Ichabod from the party, they come to a low-lit graveyard. As Ichabod passes through the graveyard, the headless horseman appears on top of a mausoleum to the left of the audience. Checking with Dr. Seeker at base camp confirms that Brom Bones is still at the party, so this must truly be a real phantom. With an evil laugh and a hurl of the pumpkin, the tram lights flicker out and a huge burst of smoke appears from where Ichabod was. Of course, once the headlights come back on, he and the horseman are gone.

Next, as the audience passes through the graveyard, Dr. Seeker comes on the radio and says the power supply is dangerously low. Suddenly, the Invisible Cloaking device flickers out, so the tram, audience, and all it's other contents can be seen now by the townspeople in Sleepy Hollow. The tram guide is ordered to immediately abort the mission, and turn back.


A graveyard set is where, in the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Ichabod first encounters the horseman. But because the people accidentally interrupt the timeline, there is no chase sequence between Ichabod & the Horseman.

Tombstones abound in this area, and the large mausoleum facade is a 6 foot tall platform, with a 10 foot facade on the front making it look like a large stone wall with a small archway at the bottom. Pillars and broken chunks of stone are also librally sprinkled.

Scary while following Ichabod, then turns to Phantom of the Opera theme for the horseman's entrance. Suspenseful music leads up the climax of the cloaking device going out, then to more sedated, however cautious music.


A giant puppet/costume unit builds up the shoulders of a short actor to create the illusion of a being with no head. The horseman's tunic glows via a hidden 18" black light bulb. The glowing pumpkin has an internal, 120 volt yellow bulb, and is controlled via a trigger-style device by the performer. A hidden operator turns on a flash pot, which creates the large puff of smoke as Ichabod disappears. The actor portraying him, however, just scoots behind the mausoleum facade to 'vanish'. The next effect is the cloaking device, mostly a display box, and is on from the beginning. It flickers off after Ichabod's Demise and shoots a small charge of sparks out the side, and a control switch to make it flicker (and then go out and explode) runs via hardwire back to the tram guide at the tram's back.

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Brom's Demise:

The tram is turning around, but suddenly a citizen of Sleepy Hollow is seen ahead. Horrified (cause he can see the tram now), the audience finds it is Brom Bones. He begins to run, and the tram speeds up to catch him. He trips and falls, and the tram keeps going, attempting to avoid changing the course of history. An evil laugh, a swoosh of a pumpkin, and a loud explosion are heard, but not seen, as the EV-1 continues. Off in the distance, however, they begin to hear the galloping horse again ...

My own original idea, however paying homage to the irony of 'creating' a monster, such as Frankenstein, and the creator is destroyed by the creation. Brom didn't make this phantom, but planted the idea in Ichabod's head.

A few simple lantern effects here, but no other set pieces.

After the suspense, a major climactic piece, in addition to loud sound effects of hooves and laughter, add to this scene. Then the hooves come back towards the end.

The easiest scene, effects-wise. Only audio effects are used for this encounter.

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The Headless Horseman:

A horse's hooves are heard off in the distance, then getting closer. The tram takes a drastic right turn, and begins to go back to the portal. As they go back through the town of Sleepy Hollow, an evil laugh is heard and a pumpkin goes flying through the woods above the heads of the people, and lands in near the base of the tavern in the town, and the pumpkin catches the house on fire. On the impact, the tavern sign falls down, and a large party banner collapses. A hole blown out behind the sign catches on fire, as well as a lower-story window. A great ball of fire, presumably from a barrel of liquor, allows the audience to truly feel the heat. Next, smoke begins to roll out, as the flickering flames are seen in the windows. The EV-1 tears through, and gets out before any further problems arise.


Once more, paying homage to the chase scene in Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom ride: Countdown to Extinction. Although it's chase scene is shorter and more vivid, ours had a better suspense feeling, and ... admittably ..., is cheaper.

These are the largest sets we have here for H2K. We first made the top triangle, then the lower rectangle, then attached the two pieces, and finally hoisted the entire beast up.

The horses hooves sound effects, coupled with the dramatic chase music, gives this scene some real body. But meteor sound effects are included and fire sounds add to the drama. The sound effects here are almost more important than the music.

I'd better make a list:

Lighting: Red and yellow floods behind the facade flicker and give the fire effect, coupled with a strobe when the pumpkin hits

Pumpkin: It is on a zip-line style system, and it is deployed with a simple fishing reel idea.

Fog: Piping pumps massive amounts of fog out windows, slats in the travern front, and out the top when the pumpkin hits.

Pyrotechnics: A powder-based fire effect burns hot and fast, but is very easy on the set. Extensive fire-proofing has also been done to make sure no uncontrolled fires occur.

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Back to the Present:

Our tram guide turns on the time portal, and its bright, flashing lights up ahead show it is on. But suddenly, the horseman's evil laugh is heard, and he materializes on top of the time portal! Holding a glowing, smoking pumpkin in one hand, and a gleaming sword in the other, he threatens to keep us from ever getting back to our future. The tram speeds up, and just as he throws the pumpkin over the edge, the tour guide presses the time freezing control. The pumpkin stops only a few feet from the audience's heads, still smoking on into the tram. For the next ten seconds, all is silent except for the hum of the tractor. Once safely through, they hear a loud crash as the pumpkin undoubtedly shattered on the ground behind them, but he bright lights don't allow them to see backwards from where they came from. Once back at the house, a radio plays a news clip about scientists discovering tire tracks from a 1970's style tractor in the town of Sleepy Hollow, but they date as being from 1819. A funny twist to an exciting evening.

Once more, Countdown to Extinction shows me my inspiration. In the finale of CTX, the giant dinosaur is looming over you, but you go under it and are zapped back into the present time. Similar stuff here, but with the added twist of the time freezing device.

The huge time portal set is used here and at the beginning. We routed the tram so we can save money on not building two portal sets.

Very scary music, laughing sound effects, and electrical crackling.


This is one of the toughest scenes, effects-wise. The actor on top of the portal has a black hood and white shirt, so when lit with a black light, he glows, but the head disappears. The pumpkin has a 110 volt yellow bulb, and is mounted on a flat black 2x4 hinged and on top of the portal, so when it is 'thrown', it always stops at the same place ... right above the patrons' heads. The fog adds to the confusion ... and it all keeps with the freezing time idea. Once again, the stobes and fog create the disoriented feeling required to do this time-travel effect. It is timed, so that the actor throws the pumpkin just as the music stops and the button is pressed.