Knott's 'Haunt' vs. Universal's 'Horror Nights': Theme parks prepare for Halloween battle

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Supervisors pump up scare actors at Knott's Berry Farm by asking them to scream during a training session on Tuesday, Sept. 17. About 1,000 actors take part in the park's month-long Haunt each year.

Maya Sugarman/KPCC

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Brooke Walters, supervisor of design at Knott's Berry Farm, introduces scare actors to the Black Magic maze where they will work for the next month.

Maya Sugarman/KPCC

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Scare actor Nicole Sahagun holds up her assigned number outside the Black Magic maze. The numbers are used to pair each actor in a particular room.

Maya Sugarman/KPCC

Knott's Berry Farm kicked off one of the first Halloween scare fests. Now the theme park competition is on, to deliver the most "boo" for your buck.

Summer is traditionally the prime money-making season for theme parks, but the lead-up to Halloween is becoming a big deal both for park business managers and customers, who line up for a good scare.

KPCC's Wendy Lee reports on the high-stakes competition over monsters and mazes.