# Do you hand out candy from your door or sit outside?



## Skeletoncrew (Oct 10, 2013)

We live in a milder climate and get a ton of TOT'ers so we've found it is easier to sit outside and hand out candy. We tried the first years to sit on the porch, but it seems like we had traffic jams on the steps and a few kids would invaritably slip and wipe out. So now we set up in the front yard, which makes it a whole lot easier. This year the singing pumpkins will be on the top step, blocked of so kids can't climb up. I think it will make a good stage and keep them above the fog hopefully.


----------



## sookie (Sep 19, 2010)

Depends how cold it is. Last year I bought a beautiful, long black gothic cape to go with my long black dress. So that keeps me very warm. And I have a heavy cloak that I can use as well.

Mostly I am outside but I do run in and out a lot. Between 6 and 8pm I like to be out and enjoy the decorations and night air.


----------



## kloey74 (Sep 7, 2008)

We set up outside under Halloween lights. I roam around the yard with my husband while my friend works the candy.


----------



## mariposa0283 (Aug 15, 2012)

i had originally planned on handing candy out from inside the house. just opening the door and dropping a few pieces in their tot buckets... but they started showing up as i was putting the finishing touches on my yard and it was pretty busy from then on, even with only 30something tot's. i would have got aggravated if i'd tried doing it from inside because just as i'd sit down more would come up... so im glad it happened like it did and now i plan to just continue doing it that way.


----------



## Count Chocula (Oct 19, 2007)

Outside if its nice, just inside the garage if not.


----------



## Defenestrator (Jul 27, 2009)

Outside....my preference would be to go 'old school' and answer the door, but with several hundred ToTs coming through, it just isn't practical.

Plus, being outside allows us to keep an eye on all of the props, and attempt to manage some of the chaos.


----------



## dbruner (Aug 23, 2012)

Outside. I started doing it that way when I got my dog, she goes nuts when the doorbell rings (even if its on tv). It's nice to get to see peoples reactions to my decorations too. I'm going to put the jumping spider out front this year with a sign that says step here if you dare.


----------



## Sleepersatty99 (Aug 16, 2010)

The whole block sits out and hands out candy and they like to watch the kids run away from my house. They think of it as a show. A few neighbors said they haven't handed out candy in a few years but now they enjoy doing it because of us.


----------



## cid404 (Sep 20, 2013)

I like to stay inside. That way, I can have the drama of opening the door on the little buggers....

'Cuz even if I don't dress for scary, the very speed of opening the door can startle the little ones.


----------



## netsirk (Oct 6, 2004)

We stay inside, but this year, my neighbors are going to be outside (I am at the entrance to the circle) with a fire going.


----------



## 22606 (Aug 11, 2008)

I either sit near the lawn or in the garage, depending on just how cold it is (as well as other weather conditions). I do that partially so that nothing is stolen or broken, plus it is more entertaining to see the reactions firsthand.


----------



## IowaGuy (Jul 30, 2012)

Both...depends on weather


----------



## Frankie's Girl (Aug 27, 2007)

We set up outside. It's usually really nice and we love hearing the shrieks and giggling and talking to the neighbors.


----------



## Pumpkinhead625 (Oct 12, 2009)

Unless it's raining, I sit outside the front door to hand out candy, for the same reasons others have stated, plus to have a clear vantage point so I can startle the ToTs walking past my hidden speakers .


----------



## Scatterbrains (Nov 16, 2008)

the candy handerouter sits in the garage at the end of the walkthru


----------



## tupes (Sep 18, 2011)

Living in louisiana I like to enjoy the cool weather when I can so we sit outside.


----------



## Great Pumpkin (Aug 23, 2007)

sit outside on the front porch steps.


----------



## Wolfman (Apr 15, 2004)

Steady stream of TOT's dictates that treat distribution be conducted on the front steps. It's a covered area with decorations and a sound system, black lighting, of course. We put a few chairs out for adults who want to socialize.


----------



## BarryJ (Oct 17, 2009)

Being in So Cal, we can sit outside. We also have a solid stream of ToTs for about 2 1/2 hours. so it would be impractical to open the door. Even when we lived somewhere without quite the traffic, it was nice to be outside to be able to talk to the parents and neighbors.


----------



## Madame Leota (Sep 19, 2005)

We sit outside at the end of the driveway. Way too many kids to stay inside and answer the door, plus the dogs get very stressed with so many door knockers. 
Another benefit is that no one has to see the back of my display and all the not-so-magical details like stakes, pipe, light cords, etc., which they would if they came all the way to the door.


----------



## Teresa M (Aug 11, 2011)

We do a small haunt in our front yard, so we are outside all day and night. As of yet, we have never gotten rained out. Early reports for this year include the possibilty of severe storms.


----------



## Palladino (Aug 29, 2013)

We do an outside haunt only so the candy is outside, too. I always get TOTs coming to the front door and calling out but the candy is in the backyard. No matter what I do to discourage them, they still go to the front door first. I know the front yard is decorated but I have a side drive that leads straight into the garage where there is always something going on and someone there. 

Even at my last place where we let people walk through the front door and out the back, the candy was outside. There's usually some story connected to how they GET the candy so they have to go through the haunt first.


----------



## RCIAG (Jul 19, 2010)

At the door, always at the door. Sometimes in costume, sometimes not, but always at the door.


----------



## texmaster (Aug 25, 2008)

Inside. Too many mosquitoes


----------



## HarleyQuinn07 (Aug 30, 2013)

Cool thread, thanks for starting it.

I usually end up standing at the porch. I'm too antsy to wait the the knocks.  I usually do a handful or two of candy for each kid... probably overboard! Since I have more decorations out this year, I'll likely get more ToTers (i hope anyway) so I'll likely tone down the quantity.


----------



## Blarghity (Sep 2, 2012)

About 10 years ago, I gave up trying to hand out candy at the door back when I only had two large dogs trying to eat the strange creatures banging on the door. It was a pain in the *** to have to fight with them every couple minutes as a new batch of ToTs showed up. And I can't ever go back to handing out candy at the door, because these days, not only do I have twice as many large dogs, but....

The german shepherd/dachshund mix is a snippy little ***** (don't ask how they made that dog because I DO NOT KNOW.)

The boxer/bloodhound mix is a klutz who will surely injure everyone she runs into, because at 75 lbs, she'll easily topple most ToTs.

The pitbull is now almost 14, so he's a cranky old bastard who not only yells at people to get the lawn more than I do, but he's started yelling at people to get off the neighbor's lawns too, even when nobody is there.

And the harrier is a ***** little testicle licker, he doesn't care if you're another dog, a cat, a person, or some goofy movie monster, he will sniff out your testicles and lick them.

So yeah, even if I want to hand out candy at the door, I can't. 

Besides that, this year I am using a skeleton in a coffin as my candy bowl (the candy is stuffed in the rib cage, so every group that shows up, I have to reach in and dig out a handful ). How the hell would that work at the door? It has to be done outside.


----------



## UnOrthodOx (Apr 24, 2007)

It's going to be in the 30's!

Of course I'm going to be ouside. 

I probably won't try to do it barefoot this time though. (yeah, I did. For the costume. 3 hours in sub freezing temps. It was snowing. Didn't lose any toes, so it's all good, right?)

Both the boys have a trench coat built into their costumes, so should be nice and warm. Me...well, we'll think of something.


----------



## craftygirl (Jun 4, 2012)

We sit outside on our driveway which is next to our set up, our porch now houses Oogie Boogie so we don't sit up there any more. It's funny now the ToTs think they can't go up and look at the display because we aren't up on the porch. Last year we kept telling kids go ahead go up and look over and over again.


----------



## RRguy (Jul 14, 2007)

Again, it depends on the weather. We usually have a family party before the 31st. If I have a good costume at the party, I usually save it and hand out the treats wearing the same costume without the mask or makeup.


----------



## Wyatt Furr (Aug 27, 2005)

Outside on the porch. Too much trouble to open and close the door...I'm lazy that way.


----------



## LadyRohan (Oct 20, 2010)

I sit outside at the top of my driveway. Kids don't pay attention and try to run through the front yard tripping themselves on the bricks that line the walkway.


----------



## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

I sit outside because I need to. I've got over a dozen props running in the yard and some I trigger with hand-held remote controls.

Plus I like seeing and talking to all the neighbors that come through.


----------



## WitchyKitty (Sep 20, 2012)

Sadly, inside. It's always so very cold here on Halloween each year. If I had tons of ToTs, I'd brave the weather and be outside, for sure...but since we get very few and no one else is outside passing out candy, I just don't see the point in sitting outside waiting for them while freezing my tush off. We have a full glass storm door in by this time, so we just leave the main front door open and sit in the living room to wait for ToTs. I do tend to stand excitedly at the front door and wait for ToTs to enter the neighborhood, then if I see any, I will grab the candy and stand out on the porch. My porch is tiny and I always have to have the ToTs back up back down the stairs for me to be able to open the door...it's such a pain!! So, if I don't get outside to greet them first, they tend to not move and only let me only open the door a crack to reach out a hand and drop the candy in, lol. I do dress up to pass out candy, as well.


----------



## Spookywolf (Aug 4, 2012)

We set up a firepit in the driveway and hand out candy from there. I usually have some kind of manually operated drop-down surprise nearby that I trigger occasionally to scare the TOTers with. A little wine, occasionally snacking out of the bowl...fun all around!


----------



## mariem (Oct 7, 2012)

I stay outside and I am either on the deck in my witches den or roaming my small cemetery. It depends on the weather, as long as we are not having a wind storm or it isn't snowing I like to be outside to greet the TOTs as they come and I am usually in costume. If it is really windy or snowing I stay on the covered deck but I don't stay in the house because I would be answering the door every two minutes not to mention the new dog would be constantly barking. This will be her first Halloween with us, we got her Nov 7th lst year when she was 9 months old.

I don't want Halloween to be stressful for her and I am hoping she copes well with all the TOTs being in "her yard". She is very protective of the property. She watches people very closely when they are on the road and she is fine and sits calmly in the yard until they look like they are going to come into the yard then she goes nuts and the hair stands up along her neck & back. She is also part blue healer and I don't want her nipping at the kids heels or biting (thankfully she hasn't bitten anyone but I don't know if she would if she is nervous). She is still learning her manners and how to be around other people. She can be running around, off leash,when we go for walks along the trails or along the river banks and is happy go lucky when we meet people but our yard is a whole different thing for her.


----------



## The Pod (May 19, 2008)

We are usually walking around outside greeting and talking to people, but someone is always inside at the front door because we make everyone go up to the door for candy...... That's where the MIB and banging coffin are, so once they step onto the step and trip the IR beam, the coffin on the left starts banging and to the right of them, the MIB lid starts opening and closing with a loud roar coming from inside both of them. Can't tell you how many people its scared over the years, including teens and adults.


----------



## halloweenscreamqueen (Jul 23, 2007)

We sit outside... We get waaaaaaaay too many TOTers to have to open and close the door a couple hundred times! Besides, I love to see this kids react when they figure out exactly what the outhouse is!!


----------



## hallowmas (Sep 11, 2013)

out side so as not to scare the cats everytime the doorbell rings and out side to keep eye on airblowns


----------



## ondeko (Oct 14, 2008)

My wife hands out candy. If weather is nice enough she sits outside; if it's too cold/wet, she sets up in my workshop because our house has a weird landing and small entry hall that makes handing out candy there difficult at best. The workshop has a counter that she can put the candy and some props on and is heated. If weather is only a little uncomfortable but not too bad, she leaves the shop door open. I spend the evening keeping the fog and lights in the cemetery running right.


----------



## darthrott (Oct 20, 2010)

I sit outside, at the bottom of the steps leading up to the front porch. Our steps go literally right down to the sidewalk. I would hate for the ToTs to trip on the steps. Last year we broke a record, handed out over 500 pieces of candy (only one piece per kid). Have no idea where they come from. We live in an older community North of Cincinnati. It is non stop ToTers form 5:45pm til 8:15ish. They start early and ToT late. This year with The Bengals playing on TNF at 830pm, I may have to close up a lil early or just pause the game, Gotta love modern technology. Love my DVR,


----------



## Dogmom (Oct 18, 2007)

Inside, but watching out the window the whole time! Love to watch the kids' reactions without them knowing it. Plus we have a pneumatic prop with a trigger. When the kids act like they know something is going to happen we don't trigger it, but then as they walk away or on the way out we get them! It's funny to watch them try to set it off again or show someone else and it doesn't happen. We also have a barrel jumper by the front door triggered by a mat and if they don't happen to step on it I make sure I do when I hand them the candy!

I see a lot of people mentioning problems with their dogs at the door. When our dogs were young we used to put a baby gate in the door frame and since the door opens inside it doesn't interfere. That kept the dogs from running out and jumping on everyone. Now that they're older they don't seem to care as much and usually only go the door the first few times.


----------



## scareme (Jan 18, 2009)

Sleepersatty99 said:


> The whole block sits out and hands out candy and they like to watch the kids run away from my house. They think of it as a show. A few neighbors said they haven't handed out candy in a few years but now they enjoy doing it because of us.


I wish our neighborhood was like that. We're one of the few on our block that do pass out candy. We set up outside, because with a couple hundred kids coming, it's faster, and more fun that way.


----------



## lisa48317 (Jul 23, 2010)

I don't get too many Tot'ers - 50 or so. But I still set up a lawn chair in the driveway, but I tend to roam around the display. I'll actually be in costume this year so it should be fun (as if a glamorous witch is scary)


----------



## hauntedgraveyard (Sep 8, 2008)

Hubby is outside in costume/character scaring the kids  I am in costume/character inside handing out the candy. My house is decorated inside as well, so it is spooky. Fun stuff!


----------



## Shadowbat (Sep 27, 2009)

Outside. That's where everythings at. Also depending on if we use the garage for the main scene or not, but I guess that's still considered outside. lol


----------



## kakugori (Aug 26, 2013)

Well, I'm not the one doing the candy handing out thing. For me, that's a boring job - I like to move around and do stuff and scare people. Our designated candy person sits out on the front porch - a kind of "safe" zone with nothing really scary, unlike the rest of the place - and you have to walk through the beginning of the haunt to get there, and then through the rest of the haunt to get out. You earn your candy at our place.


----------



## Shockwave199 (Jan 18, 2007)

You gotta come to my door...and that's always risky. Muuuuuhhhaaaa!


----------



## kuroneko (Mar 31, 2011)

Outside. I live on the second floor and we don't have a doorbell. I do have a small entryway on the first floor, but it would be pretty boring just sitting in there waiting for ToTs. The past two years have been freezing cold. I was hoping for warmer weather, but it doesn't look like its going to happen.


----------



## Shift (Oct 19, 2013)

Awesome! i need to fix my DVR for the halloween scares!


----------



## Diaval (Oct 19, 2009)

Do I sit outside or inside to hand out candy?

Hmmm, neither AND both really. What I have been doing (up to now) is I have a Magic Mirror display in which I control a digital puppet similar in appearance to the Magic Mirror from Snow White. The display is set up in an enclosed vestibule (hence it is not outside, but not inside either) and from there I sit it total darkness as i have blackout cloth on all the windows. I can see TOTs approaching the mirror, but they cannot see me. So I 'talk' with the TOTs using a special controller that allows me to move the mouth and even turn the mirror's face up/down & left/right. For the candy I have a tube that runs down the stoop of the vestibule (concealed) and the candy comes out of a front opening in the mirror's facade. It is a fun and interesting way to dispense candy to TOTs and I have been doing it for 3 years now. This year will be my fourth.

Now, the idea isn't mine. All of the credit goes to Imagineering.com. who came up with the digital puppet design and also the facade concept. You can do a search for 'Magic Mirror' here if you want more info on the idea.

I have been thinking about not doing the Magic Mirror next year because I DO want to get out and mingle a bit. Since Halloween falls on a Friday next year, there will be no school for kids the next day. So I wanted to do something where I can get out from behind the mirror. Moreover, I initially wanted it to be my largest display yet and that would mean a need to look over the display so no one damages or walks off with anything. My wife (the only other person that could provide a pair of eyes for me) is very cold intolerant and doesn't stay out for long.

So all in all we will see what happens for next year.

So on that final note, Have a Happy Halloween!

Geo


----------



## kmeyer1313 (Jan 25, 2012)

since I don't have a big haunt in my yard (just some carved pumpkins & decorations), we'll be listening for the door. our windows in our living room are huge, so we'll probably see most of them before we hear them. I have a couple of friends coming over, so I think it'll be a matter of whoever's closest to the door when the kids knock as to who gets to give out the candy! lol this'll be our first year with a dog, & I have a feeling she'll be running away everytime she hears the door (she's a little on the skittish side), but we'll see.


----------



## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

Tonight the weather was surprisingly nice compared to the very cold days before so it was a sit outside night. Always more fun to be part of it and hear the kids reactions as they approach.


----------



## Ugly Joe (Jan 13, 2004)

Too many ToT'ers to answer the door for them, so I sit outside with the props and display and hand out candy and act as a deterrent to those who might cause trouble if no one was watching.


----------



## Dr. Phibes (Nov 10, 2010)

I hang these creepy curtains in front of the garage and sit in there dressed up in a creepy costume.


----------

