I think if there are scarezones this year they might actually cause a positive, organic change to how they are implemented in the future.
In the recent years, in my opinion, SZs have had somewhat of an identity problem - the best scarezones have always been atmospheric and then elevated by an intense cast. As with everything, cast is king and intensity can make any environment hostile (case in point, the chainsaw teams. no props, all scares). Last year there was a clear cut between good and awful - the best SZ (RZ: Hellbilly) had practically no scares but was incredibly active, the worst (Vanity Ball) had awful everything. Where Vanity Ball had mini-shows that could have slowed crowds, Hellbilly had constant sights to see in all directions but nothing that would stop you in your tracks. Both were still a shift from the most recent GOAT, PsychoScareapy: Unleashed.
My hope is that in the future things shift towards a decoration/prop focus because walking through Vikings kept me on my toes for the next house, while Zombieland kept me on my toes to leave the area. Like it or not Social Media has turned everything into a photo-op and it seems an abundance of actors in the streets leads to an abundance of people stopping to take photos (breaking immersion even more). Solid props and decor make even the HHN store in NY a treat to visit. Something I'd really like to see is certain Scarezones looking like an aftermath of an event. Walking through what was a slaughter could function to hype up the houses you're about to behold. And of course, give me a scarezone with pumpkins galore (I'm a sucker for the classic Halloween vibe).
This is a speculation thread, not a wishlist, so to bring things back to focus - if we have zones, I'm expecting something more along the lines of a showcase of carnage with actors on the sidelines to highten the environment, rather than constant active participation from characters.