On the morning of Friday, May 13, 2011, Knott's Berry Farm released much of the 2011 Halloween Haunt attraction information, including the name of the new Calico Mine Ride overlay, Invasion Beneath. To coincide with the release of this exciting lineup, Theme Park Adventure's Rick West ventured into the darkness of the Scary Farm design team's lair and sat down with the new attractions co-designers, Todd Faux and David Ortiz.

Rick West: Todd and David, it's really hard to believe, but here we are, talking about Knott's Halloween Haunt 2011! No rest for the wicked, I suppose! Now that Knott's has announced this year's new maze/attractions for Haunt, we want to really get into the project you're collaborating on, Invasion Beneath.

David, you had a very successful run last season with Sleepy Hollow Mountain. The fans ate it up, and you really took the Log Ride back in a direction that it's not been in a long, long time; in other words, it was good! In 2009, you wowed everyone with Dia De Los Muertos, and last year, you hit another home run with Sleepy Hollow Mountain. Those two attractions will be returning to Haunt 2011 and now you have your sites set on the Calico Mine Ride. Can you tell us how you felt coming off of last season's run with Sleepy Hollow Mountain?

David Ortiz: Thank you for calling Sleepy Hollow Mountain a “home-run”. I came off last year feeling like Dia De Los Muertos was my "moon landing", and that Sleepy Hollow Mountain was my "Apollo 13", that is, a successful failure. I am very happy people enjoyed it, but there was more to be had in the Timber Mountain Log Ride. This year’s Sleepy Hollow Mountain will have more that wasn’t there, and some changes due to what I learned from last year.

West: And Todd, last year, probably the biggest surprise for everyone was Cornstalkers being re-imagined into basically a newly-energized and totally frightening maze experience. You took a maze that honest to God, was knocking on Death's door, and breathed new life into it. Now, I'd say that Cornstalkers has a good two more years left in it at Haunt. What do you feel looking back on the revitalization of that maze, and how excited you made everyone in it again in 2010?

Todd Faux: I am happy to know that the effort paid off. Every venue has its challenges, and when the maze had to flip entrance and exit in 2009, the result was a disaster. When we were asked to bring it back for 2010, I did everything I could to make it work (La Palma Avenue street lights and all). It was fun to take some old special effects we weren’t using and repurpose them into maze. Turning “Big Ugly” into “Big Ugly Scarecrow” really made a great detraction for the bungee scarecrow in the barn finale.

West: I believe I speak for a vast amount of fans when I say thanks to both of your for your contributions to Haunt last year. Both Sleepy Hollow Mountain and Cornstalkers really were very pleasing, and absolutely helped raise the bar at the Scary Farm.

Now let's fast-forward a bit. Tell us how you both started thinking about the Mine Train, and what led to the creative collaboration of Invasion Beneath.

Ortiz: We wanted to find a theme that would really work in Mine Ride. But no matter what, we needed to do whatever needed to be done to step up the game. That ended up being very special effects-driven. We had been tossing around some ideas, and then an alien theme came up from our special effects lead, Rob Gephart. We took this idea and gave it our own twist, with a real-time invasion coming from underground.

West: David, there actually was a fair amount of fan speculation that if Sleepy Hollow Mountain was a success, you might take a crack at the Mine Ride. I'm going to be very frank and say that compared to Mine Ride, designing for Timber Mountain Log Ride is going to seem like a walk in the park. The Mine Ride is probably even more prohibitive design-wise, considering its age and likely, it's delicate infrastructure. Are you insane, or truly up for this massive challenge?

Ortiz: I never had my sights on Calico Mine Ride. I had my sights on a werewolf maze, but the venue that was in the works didn’t open up as initially planned. So, I was a designer without a home. That's when Todd and I decided to work together.

And yes, I am insane and up for the massive challenge!

West: How do you guys intend on breaking out of the really bad rut that the Mine Ride has been in for so long as a Haunt attraction? What are you two going to bring to the table that is going to wow fans to the point of really getting behind this project and believing in it?

Ortiz: Well, if you put it that way, I guess I’d say we’re thinking out-of-the-box and inside-the-box at the same time. That is, we’re going to do something very original for a Haunt attraction with a good understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of the ride itself. For example, Invasion Beneath is actually set in the "Calico Mine Ride".

Faux: A major limitation of Mine Ride is the location and number of talent that we are able to have. We are getting around that challenge by adding as many special effects in as many places as we can. I am also bringing back one of my favorite scares I used in the Cavern Room for Army of the Underworld… but with a new twist.

West: The Mine Ride opened in 1960, and is absolutely one of the world's most beloved and respected historical theme park attractions. Due to the structure and layout of the attraction, and the delicate nature of its contents, what are some of the greatest challenges you guys see in the coming months as you further solidify the design? And are you concerned at all with the installation process? What steps will you take to ensure that we get a phenomenal Haunt attraction that at the same time, doesn't damage or bring about any negative impact to the Mine Ride?

Faux: We always work with Knott’s Rides Maintenance during the design and installation process to preserve integrity of the ride as much as possible. When we have a crazy concept, we often have to be creative in order to limit the negative impact on the historical attraction. There are some great ideas we can’t implement, because it might damage the ride. We also try to limit the impact of Haunt on the day show, at least by covering up anything gory or offensive.

West: Because of the unique setting that Invasion Beneath is going to be set in, have you had to begin thinking outside-the-box as far as design work or ideas that will work inside of this show building, as opposed to a maze footprint?

Ortiz: We are completely working with the setting in the Mine Ride, since the story takes place in the Mine Ride, so in that regard, I would say we’re thinking out-of-the-box. I can tell you though, re-theming a ride and making a maze are totally different animals.

West: What can Haunt fans expect to see in Invasion that perhaps, we've never seen before in the Mine Ride setting? Is there going to be something that sets this attraction aside and really demonstrates that you guys are sincerely going after re-capturing the huge status the Mine Ride once had at Haunt?

Ortiz: I don’t believe we’re going for any kind of “re-capturing”. Instead, we’re going for something that hasn’t been done before in the Mine Ride. And that’s how we’re going to get the Mine Ride back to the status that it deserves.

West: When you think of the various Mine Ride Haunt incarnations over the years, one element that stands out is the Glory Hole. It's so expansive, it seems like there are endless possibilities for designers when it comes to dropping in a really impressive show-stopper. Have you guys settled on Invasion's grand centerpiece yet, and if so, what is it? And if you can't tell us directly, how about being cheeky and vague at least?

Faux: The Glory Hole is always a challenge, because it’s such a large space. This year, we are working on a big centerpiece of “alien” proportions, but that won’t even be the best part. The show-stopper with be no less than a battle scene to save the planet!

West: Todd, will there be a special soundtrack for Invasion Beneath? Tell us what you can so far about your ideas for sound design for this attraction.

Faux: Because we’re going with the theme of an actual, real-time event, we’ve decided not to have a soundtrack, per se. Our audio guys do an amazing job of augmenting the antiquated Mine Ride sound system in important areas like the Glory Hole. We are adding state-of-the-art sound to all our special effects, and even adding sound to some talent spots, to enhance the scare.

West: The install process for Invasion Beneath will likely be really involved when the time comes. Do you guys see the Mine Ride being taken down a little longer this summer as you prepare to transform it into a new Scary Farm attraction, or do you think install will be relatively quick and easy?

Faux: Mine Ride actually never closes; we have crews that install Haunt at night to keep the ride running for day operations. But the actual build process begins as soon as the summer shows open. Traditionally, Mine Ride install starts after Labor Day, as it will this year, but with a more hectic schedule, due to all the new elements.

West: You're both obviously horror fans; if not, you're definitely in the wrong business! What movies, former Haunt mazes or anything similar have served as inspiration for Invasion Beneath?

Ortiz: We’re taking the science fiction invasion theme from its roots, “War of the Worlds” by H.G. Wells, including the 1938 Halloween radio treatment by Orson Wells, and bringing it up to speed along with the influences of District 9, and Battle L.A., with a darker design similar to Pandorum.

West: Todd, in all of the projects you've been involved in over the years, how do you think Invasion is going to "rank" as far as being challenging and perhaps such a tough Haunt attraction to create? What unique challenges do you think it will present you and the rest of the design/build team in the coming months?

Faux: The last time Mine Ride was really memorable to me was when it was Army of the Underworld. I would like to reach that standard again, and surpass it. We are bringing back some great Underworld ideas, as well as planning many special effects in places we haven’t used before.

West: You're both going to totally be in the spotlight now all summer as TPA and every other fan site out there keeps tabs on your progress. Hopefully, in a few months, you will allow TPA to pop in and see how the project is coming along.

In closing, is there anything either of you would like to mention or say directly to the fans about Invasion Beneath or anything else Haunt-related?

Ortiz: I’m very excited about the concept of doing this re-theming in real-time, and believe it will really enhance the scares. I hope we pull it off to the expectations of all our Haunt fans. Enjoy the experience!

West: Thank you both so very much for taking the time to chat with us about this exciting new Halloween Haunt attraction! You have our full support, and I know that our readers and the Haunt community at large will be rooting for you guys! Theme Park Adventure is behind you all the way!

DISCUSS INVASION BENEATH IN THE TPA FORUM

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