Private Bookings
By: Janis Adams
Private Bookings, quite simply, mean that strangers will NOT be booked in with your party’s booking. This is to say that, you will only play with the people with whom you purchased tickets. To many, the concept of Public versus Private Ticketing is a heated debate.
Private Bookings VS. Public Bookings
Trap Door Escape did open with Public Bookings, which is the direct opposite of Private Bookings. Essentially, it means that strangers could be booked with you. and your party. We kept that model for years because we believed that:
1. Escape Rooms are basically a social gathering, so being booked with strangers would be acceptable.
2. We did not believe that we could make enough money to cover our overhead if we kept
getting bookings of 2 people for a prime time slot.
Moreover, the size of Trap Door Escape experiences did not help the argument either. Quickly, the concerns grew into: we can not give a 3,000 square foot game to 2 people on a sold out Saturday night. . .
What Changed?
You’re probably asking how we came to change such a seemingly adamant decision. Well, the short answer is COVID–19. When COVID hit, the whole world changed. Like everyone else, we were shut down for a few months and had to make some decisions about how we would protect our players upon our reopening. One of the first decisions made was to break our ticketing rule and allow Private Bookings. This concept terrified us at first. But, then something amazing happened. Trap Door had its best summer in its history, and we had it with all Private Games!!!
How Did This Happen?
Well, quite easily, as our customer satisfaction rates went blasting through the roof! Sure, we were not packing 16-20 people into every Saturday booking of Cure Z, but we were filling all time slots with smaller groups, who then told friends, and more bookings came in, and more, and more. We put player minimums on Cure Z, and now our World of Z bundle package, but that was simply because 2 players could not achieve victory in such massive experiences. The main point is, however, that we were very wrong about Private Bookings and, now, they are here to stay.
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Mentioned Experiences
The City is locked down and it is up to you to find a cure for the Zombie virus.
$50 Per Player
This Zombie Escape Room spans over 10 rooms and 2 Hours at $50 per person plus tax. These are the largest Escapes in the country spanning upwards of over 3,000 square feet of playing space. All bookings are private.
$400 Private Game for 4 Player Minimum, Plus $40 Per Additional Player
As a result of Private Bookings, we have set a minimum of 4 players for World of Z. Due to the size of this escape, smaller groups would not be able to complete this experience. Additionally, World of Z Package includes Cure Z, Prisoner Z, The Bartender Intermission with refreshments, photos with the Romero City Police Car, and an extra 30 minutes more time. Price includes entire package and refreshments.
Trap Door Escape Company
Trap Door Escape Room has 4 locations: 3180 Route 611 in Bartonsville, PA in the Poconos; 60 White St. in Red Bank, NJ; 34A Speedwell Ave. in Morristown, NJ: and 77 Wind Creek Blvd in Bethlehem, PA. The Red Bank location was the first of the 4 locations, opening in the fall of 2015. Morristown followed in the summer of 2017, and Bartonsville opened during the holiday season of 2018. Wind Creek is currently undergoing construction and will be opening in September 2022.
History
The idea came to Tone Purzycki back in 2011 after he wrote a screenplay that developed into a live-streaming game. The game revolved around an actor trapped in a situation and the audience had to solve puzzles to figure out where he was trapped. The “Find Me Event” had more than 1,000 people playing over the course of several hours. After the success of several other streaming events, the idea of an escape room was born.
Location
Each location has different rooms from which to choose. Our Morristown location is home to Day of the Dead, Witch Hunt, and The Greatest Freakshow. In Bartonsville, you’ll find Cure Z, F5 Tornado Escape, Fear the Bogeyman, Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, We’re All Mad Here, and Prisoner Z. In Red Bank we currently have Everest – our first 2 story escape room. Ripper of London is also available at this location. Our pirate themed games will soon be open at Wind Creek.
Trap Door Escape Room also offers team building, streaming events, and birthday parties. For more information on any of our games, prices, and locations, explore our website or call 570-234-3366