Busch Gardens Tampa has opened the 12th annual Halloween Event, Howl O Scream, and the zombies are everywhere. This year Howl O Scream Tampa has been infected with a case of zombies, and they’ve got their germs on everything from the houses to the scares in the park to even the gift shop. With three new houses, and a new show Busch Gardens Tampa is ready for the hordes.
Busch Gardens Howl O Scream offers what they call a “Freaky Preview” for the first weekend. Discounted tickets and free entry for passholders make this a very popular weekend. Add in the fact that BGT offered a “Bleed Up” for members of the media Friday night (of which we did not attend) and you get a busier than normal weekend.
But how was the event itself? How did the three houses measure up, and was the scare everywhere? We take a look at everything and see just what works for us, what didn’t and give you tips on how to make the most of your visit.
We will try to stay away from spoilers,but if we do, we’ll give you a heads up so that you can skip ahead. Be warned, some of the opinions are honest and may not fit in with popular opinion. Also, I’m going to stay away from cheesy phrases and cliched rating systems…the scale is simply 1-5. Score of 1 is terrible and a time waster, 5 is miss it and live in regret the rest of your sad life. Everything else is somewhere in between.
Houses
This year Howl O Scream has three new houses, three old houses and Alone which is a separate event ticket. We did Alone last year, liked it, but not enough to pay for it again. So, in fairness we’ll skip it. The houses this year were very hit and miss. When it hit, it hit so hard that it left a mark. When it missed, well…it just wasn’t pretty.
- Zombie Mortuary(new)-Since the theme of the event is “Zombie’s Live Here” this feels like we should see some kind of big story that ties into the event, like an Icon. One zombie to rule them all. But there’s not just one zombie, there are several. The story is, this small town funeral home is now home to a horde of zombies that feast on the fresh flesh of those who are brought in. With a lot of atmosphere (including making it freaking freezing) the house puts you right in the midst of being in a mortuary. It really seems like there was supposed to be something else, as it feels everyone is mourning one person. Cool effects and good timed scares. Again, we’re in a funeral home, and we feel the loss of someone, people shout at you “It should have been you!”
SPOILERS!
There is a section where you look up and you are below the ground. It’s easily missed as there is a zombie guy above and one next to you. The detail of the house is done really well, but it is very reminiscent of Trapped in the Walls in a lot of places. Still, very fun house. There is even a tribute to the “father of all zombies” George Romero with the name of the house. Rating 4 of 5
- Nevermore(New)-This house explores the stories of Edgar Allen Poe. You are greeted by Poe himself who is morosely bidding you welcome and reciting some of his works from a tower high above the entrance. Once inside you are assaulted by works from one of the original masters of Gothic horror. You see several raven’s outside, and are pelted with catch phrases from all of his works. I liked the house, it was fun, but relied on a lot of the old staples of haunted houses like boo doors. Nothing really innovative in the way that the scares were done. But, with what was lost in innovation, it was more than made up with the energy of the actors, who were all over us as you walked in up until you walked out. It was incredibly dark in the house, and I ran smack dab into an actor who screamed “DON’T TOUCH ME!” Again, too dark in a section, and I assure you it was by accident. Later I smacked right into a wall. Through the house later, it was a little lighter and walls were averted. Again, I loved the house, but the one thing that bothered me was the fact that the actors would scream things like “Nevermore” or “Beware the Amontillado!” Really? Beware the wine from Spain? How about “FOR THE LOVE OF GOD MONTRESOR!” Rating 4.5 of 5
- Ultimate Gamble:Vampire Casino(new)-You are a guest at this flashy casino, and you are told you will not check out. This has got to be one of the most elaborate houses that Howl O Scream has ever done. The detail in the casino floor scene was amazing, and the bartender…well she doesn’t exactly need a tip does she? For as cool as the beginning of the house is, it tends to fall apart towards the end. The vampires really don’t have a look of your traditional, or even Twilight looking vampires. Again, as in all the houses, the actors are into their roles and have way too much fun. Did I mention the bartender?
SPOILER!
Zombie Elvis is wasted here. It’s a cool statue, but it does nothing, and really adds nothing. I don’t believe they even have “Viva Las Vegas” blaring, which would be very appropriate for this area. Still, effects like the dry cleaners are neat, even if the rest of the house uses rattle cans and boo doors. Rating 3.5 of 5
- Nightshade Toy Factory-The old toys are back, and the demented son of Nightshade has reopened his factory. Back for a third year, it still offers the same types of scares and scenery. The big plus to the house is a huge amount of actors in some scenes. The Mad Hatter looking Nightshade is replaced by a Jester, who’s hat is huge and tends to be in your face if the actors get too close. Chainsaws are replaced by cool looking horn machines. A fun funhouse. Rating 2.5 of 5
- Death Row Vengeance: Fear the Dead-Death Row Vengeance tells the tale of a haunted prison who’s inmates are seeking vengeance on the executors. Now the ghosts are plagued by zombies. This house premiered in 2008 and is pretty much the same. Not enough zombies. Rating 2 of 5
- Deconstruction:The Dr. is Out of Control-We skipped this house, so we really can’t attest to exactly what has changed, though we were told it was darker with more actors. If you haven’t been before, this house tells the tale of Dr. Edgar Von Angst, a brilliant plastic surgeon who has lost his mind and rips his patients apart to put them back together with different pieces and parts. We skipped it.
Zombies
The scare is everywhere at Howl O Scream, which means no scare zones. Scare zones, for those of you who haven’t been to an event are areas in the park where guests wander through and actors scare them. There are instead about twenty hordes of roaming zombies. It adds to the atmosphere of the event, as the zombies are from all walks of life. You have doctors, and workers, and even prisoners. The make up goes from really amazing to eyeliner. It’s a fun concept. There are also werewolves roaming the park as well.
The only area that has a steady amount of zombies is the front entrance, which has the eyeball rose trellis from the commercials, and all of the creepy props. Throughout the rest of the park, there are props…but no actors. We hardly saw any actors interacting with the props, most were walking.
Shows
The event has two different shows, the returning “favorite” Fiends and the all new “Midnight Hour”.
Fiends is a romp with the horny Igor, the insane Doctor Freakenstein and pink haired nurses who sport little dresses and big boobs. Igor jokes throughout the show about the year’s pop culture, and there’s even eye candy for the ladies as Igor get his own “nurses”.
Yes, they make an Amy Winehouse joke...too soon?
Midnight Hour follows the tale of a lady looking for glory at the “Hellfire Club”. She is greeted by a host, and four pop culture icons from the past year. The show is well done, has a lot of funny moments and is wrong on so many levels.
SPOILER!
It seems like the audience is kind of over Obama, Sarah Palin and Snookie as the crowd we were with had no emotion. It was wildly funny, and I can’t wait until “Bush” Gardens opens up their all new expansion for 2012…The Wizarding World of Charlie Sheen.
Thoughts
Overall for me the event was very hit and miss. The atmosphere was great with all the zombies, but the zombie hordes spent the majority of the time walking. It was very easy to miss the scares. The new houses were a lot fun, while the old houses were the same thing. The lack of defined scare zones seemed to leave a lot of “dead” space. Fiends was fiends, and it was a bit of a rip on pop culture, but still the same as it has been for years. The Midnight Hour was a surprise for me, and definitely something to see with all the pop culture riffs. Again, I must stress that I’ve been to every event since 2004 as an annual passholder. This event is a must see for anyone who hasn’t.
Tips
- If you plan on visiting Howl O Scream, you save the most time by being in the park before the event starts. You can line up at the houses and make sure you’re first in line.
- Fright Feast is a must do for anyone looking to skip the lines. For just around $25 dollars you get an all you can eat buffet, you see The Midnight Hour show, and you are released at 7p.m. You then get front of the line access until 8:30, which for us was ample time to see each house twice. If that’s not enough of a reason to book Fright Feast, I have two words. Pumpkin Cheesecake.
- Do all of the houses first, and the shows last. The houses always get busier as the night goes on.
- If the park is busy, get the Front Line Fear pass. It will let you skip the line of each of the houses once.
- Doing Fright Feast not only gives you front line access, but it also gives you the chance to do each house by yourself. We did three houses before we had anyone in front of us.
- Tours are a great way to not only see the houses, but get front line access to the lines. You also get to meet some of the creators of the event.
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