I've looked for a TAF club more than once, but neither of those listed above are tagged as CLB, so I never found them. Can we get the tag switched to that from ALL on this one: http://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/taf-owners-club ?

Yeah - never plunge into the pop bumpers. Go for the skill shot (the thing saucer), or to be even safer do a really short plunge and have it drop into the swamp.

No. Tour the Mansion is the same regardless of how well you played the modes in getting there.

Not that I'm aware of. My snarky answer is: just don't trap the ball long enough to time out the magnets.

Anyone have suggestions for LED kits? I'm willing to go big. I'm more interested in making the whole thing brighter (like, spotlights, etc...it's in a dark bar) than I am making it blue/purple/dark-and-moody (like many kits).

You were just playing through Tour the Mansion...they give you all the rooms for free if you can stay alive the whole time (you can't actually affect the progression or start modes at will). That doesn't count as touring though.

Once you've started Tour the Mansion, you're stuck in it until your ball drains...which is probably why they light the extra ball for you right away.