Dcroc Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 (edited) When I bought my starter package last year I read some posts that stated that newbies should expect to be a little disappointed in the amount of traffic they actually draw their first year.. I have to say that my first Halloween display pretty much went unnoticed, except for the neighbors, which brought mixed reviews. Chirstmas picked up a little. I would get up to 5 cars at a time some nights, but still nothing I would consider a crowd, and most nights it was a couple cars here and there. Since the only thing I've changed this year, other than adding a couple more songs, is RGB on the house, I'm not really expecting too much of an increase in viewers parked out front. So my question is....how long were you doing this before it started drawing a sizable degree of attention? Edited June 17, 2015 by Dcroc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbayjohn Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 A lot depends on advertising, location and word of mouth and the weather. I experienced a good crowd the very first year. An even larger crowd from far and wide the following year. But last year was less than the first year. I guess the rain kept a lot of people away, with rain most nights. Or maybe it was that people had already seen it and couldn't be bothered coming out in the rain. I don't plan on advertising much this year. Too many people can cause problems and I would rather deal with the smaller crowds who enjoy the experience without expecting anything but Christmas joy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeERWNC Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 I don't advertise at all. I am in a small own with nothing else to do.People flock to my house to see it and many come back several nights.Some nights it is just overwhelming how many people show up. It would be nice if people would get out of their car so they can see the whole show.The car limits the amount of lights you can see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgrant Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 My first season, some would stop and watch while many others passed on by. I realized that one radio frequency sign didn't cut it so the next year there were two signs plus, word of mouth got around and there were a lot more cars and even a Christmas light tour bus. This last year, the lady of the house's daughter, put it on Facebook. My oh my, there was a gazzillion cars out there. Since I had also added two versions of the Frozen songs, my house became known as the "Frozen House" and many people came to wait, see and hear those two songs. So much so that I had to place one of those two songs, every 3rd sequence, just so the traffic would move. There were cars lined up for a quarter of a mile waiting to see the show. Ask and yee shall receive, but plan for more than you expect! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
75redman Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Last year, being my 3rd year, really brought a lot of traffic. This year I'm expecting more. I don't do much for promoting it's mainly word of mouth. If you build it, they will come. It's nice to have people come and watch but mainly I do it for myself and my family. If no one ever came by to see it, I would still do it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. P Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Last year was my third year as well with LOR and first for Halloween. I guess most is just word of mouth as each year I get more and more. Last year at Christmas I had three church buses pull up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezimnow Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Like dgrant I too experienced the Frozen crowds...I think dcroc its just a combination of things that will draw the people....Location is a big one....ease of access to see the lights, word of mouth. Probably not a very good idea to advertise, believe me they will come when word gets out. Somehow the News will find out and if they are interested enough the next thing you know your neighbor will call you and say " is that your house on the news"? LOL..yes that happened. SONG CHOICE I have been doing this for 5 years now and each year it seems that the traffic although manageable has gotten larger. I have changed my show a bit in that I first started Sequencing songs I like ( all Christmas themed) but now I have added the popular non christmas songs that kids of all ages love ...Frozen...Call me maybe....Light It Up!....and so on...you get the idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plasmadrive Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Be careful what you wish for... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k6ccc Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 For 2012 and 2013 I ran a animation only show on on a pixel tree and the landscape lighting. 2014 was the first year for a musical show. I intentionally did NOTHING to promote the show. My location is not at all well suited for large crowds so I don't want them. My son asked me if I was going to enter the city lighting contest, and I kept telling not just no, but hell no! I don't want the publicity. I know that the viewers will increase soon enough without my help. With that said, I seldom saw more than one car out front and I think the most was three groups (two cars and one couple on foot). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zman Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Plasma pegged it. There is a fine balance and a lot to consider. We all like to have others appreciate what we do. We want the smiles, laughs etc... It drives us. However, starting out, things take some time to ramp unless you seek out attention, like doing some advertising or getting an article written about you. Be sure you understand what traffic is going to do in your area. How will your neighbor's react? Make yourself a Facebook page, or other social media. On my busy nights, I will have 3K visitors. That requires traffic control, volunteers, crowd management, coordination with the neighbors immediate and close ones etc... I have a different type of set up. I force most of my guest to walk around my display, and there is very little parking where someone can sit in thier car and watch. Make sure you have thought about things, attention is good, but too much...... and yes, you can get too much IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezimnow Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 ZMAN 3K Visitors in one night !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HOLY COW! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denny Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 10+ years. I don't advertise as it's a hobby for me and my family. We live off the beaten path, rural (if you can classify the desert as rural). A busy night was maybe two or three cars at one time, maybe six all night. All that changed last year with the addition of the pixel tree. Word of mouth "advertising." A dozen or so cars at a time parked, convoys formed in town since people didn't know where I was. Parking not a problem, some people would stay for one or two songs, others stayed for the entire sequence of songs, about 45 mins. Trucks and vans would pull into the desert across the street and "tail gate." I don't know what to expect this year. Only takes one or two posts on social media and look out. No, I don't Twitter or have Face Book, but others do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mpageler Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Last year was my first LOR year. My traffic was very much like the OP's.Have to think that size/quality of display will have a bearing, especially on word of mouth.I'm on a fairly long cul-de-sac and with my 1st year display, really couldn't see it from the street corner intersection which has decent neighborhood traffic. While the house itself will beocme more "flashy" this year, really not going to spot my display from the corner, until I start getting display elements out into the yard which would be more visible from street cornerby traffic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulXmas Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 I had people, tour buses before LOR.Every year I would full my yard with something.Now there is a lot more and people stay. ~Careful what you wish for~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgrant Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Be sure to apologize to your neighbors!!! In advance if possible. During the season, I took the immediate four neighbors, cookie jar gifts from Sam's Club with a Christmas card attached, thanking them and apologizing for the traffic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezimnow Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 (edited) Yes this can happen......https://froggey.wordpress.com/tag/richard-holdman/ Still to this day Best display I've ever seen...IMHO Edited June 17, 2015 by ezimnow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgiambruno Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Do it for yourself and family first. Word of mouth will travel, and they will come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. P Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Be sure to apologize to your neighbors!!! In advance if possible. During the season, I took the immediate four neighbors, cookie jar gifts from Sam's Club with a Christmas card attached, thanking them and apologizing for the traffic. I live in a subdivision which is governed by an HOA. The first year I did my lights the neighbors complained to the HOA about me so the next year I got myself elected to the HOA. Now all the complaints come to me, problem solved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papa6058 Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 I moved to a subdivision with a HOA just before Christmas. Santa Helper and Mega Arch came over and helped me move my display from my old house to the new one. The HOA sent me a gift card for winning their Christmas Light contest! I don't guess they will be complaining if they hold a contest lol Papa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingfish Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 this will be my first year . previous years on Halloween I used a four channel lowes doodad thing that gave me four channels but my decorations are outstanding I have a slow parade of cars every night. for Christmas I had a 6 channel mr xmas and i had small traffic jams at times . this year i am adding singing faces and 32 channels . 64 total i am lucky i have a good spot with a parking lot as my neighbor . people would park in the lot for periods of time i am sure things will be different this year. but i really do not car cause I DO IT FOR MEAND ME ALONE , i just use the grandkids as an excuse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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