We're going Saturday, in the morning slot. Has anyone been during daylight hours? What's it like? I assume there are no scarers. There's supposed to be some sort of contactless trick-or-treating. Is it back behind Forest of Fun like previous years?
Halloween Harvest 2020
- Thread starter DRIFT
- Start date
There are contactless trick or treat kiosks and a scavenger hunt set up around the park. There are also a loosely Halloween-themed soundtrack and seasonal decorations. There is also a Jack "meet and greet" in Killarney, and specialty food in Killarney and Festa.
I'm kind've shocked that no one has posted a review or any information about the legendary Pumpkin Scavenger Hunt. With this being the last weekend of the event I took the civil liberty of analyzing this phenomenal attraction based on design, quirkiness, and location.
Le Epic Swag Pumpkin Scavenger Hunt Review 2020
6. Generic Halloween Harvest Pumpkin 4.6/10
Design: 8/10
This design is very simplistic, but fits the theme of the area and the event perfectly. I really enjoyed the hat, super fun. You can tell by the patch and the tarnished look of this hat that it's been around. This hat has definitely seen many owners throughout the year. You can tell that this pumpkin does not help fuel the greedy capitalism machine by buying a new hat, no sir! This pumpkin clearly bought this from a thrift store, maybe it was passed down by a farmer or a fellow pumpkin friend? Who knows, really enjoyed it nonetheless. The hair made of hay is a really touch, along with the shading near his mouth, just really nice details.
Quirkiness: 2/10
If you're looking for the quirkiest pumpkin in the patch, this one ain't it! Let me tell you, this is probably the most boring normie pumpkin of all time. This guy clearly binge watches The Office on repeat and his favorite coaster is Steel Vengeance. Very dry guy, probably watches main stream media and does not have a reddit account, probably doesn't even question the authority of the government. Very basic pumpkin to say the least.
Location: 4/10
This location is kind've cringe, not going to lie. It's right off the path on the side of a food stand. While this is somewhat clever placemaking as it's located on the side that guests see when walking back, it's right off the path and super noticeable. Like this is a Pumpkin Scavenger Hunt! Not a Pumpkin Scavenger "Oh it's right here!" Waltz. Not impressed, could definitely be in a more creative spot. Like maybe it's on the bridge that's in the Pompeii Splashdown? That would be kinda cool.
5. British Colonization Pumpkin 6/10
Design: 6/10
This pumpkin seemed to make a good impression on park guests as they come in. Just a simple pumpkin with a crown and some tea. I do wish we knew what the tea was, like clearly you can see a British flag on the tea bag which makes me assume it's some sort of Black Tea. However, it is a little questionable to assume things like that in 2020 so, I guess it's not really up to us to quickly form assumptions. Maybe it's an herbal tea, like a hibiscus tea, and there's a thriving organic tea market in this romanticized version of England? Who knows? Also, this heavy influence of British rule really reminded me of the London Rocks theming, which is not exactly something that I like to think about, major flaw in the design. This pumpkin really provided more questions than answers, but still was a great way to be welcomed into the park.
Quirkiness: 5/10
Not gonna lie, this pumpkin is not really that quirky. Like when I think of a pumpkin in England, this is what I visualize to a tee in my mind. I wish they did something more fun, like maybe the Pumpkin is on a double decker bus? I know it could be a little too modern for our taste, but it could be kinda cool. Or maybe the pumpkin is dressed up as Big Ben? Either way, thought there was a lot more that could be done to make it stand out. It still is kinda silly, like a pumpkin can't drink tea! That would be so silly, like it would just sit inside the pumpkin.
Location: 7/10
This is a great location for the first Pumpkin in the park. So good that I never got to take a picture of it until my visit to the park because I constnaly forgot to check. Being on the left side of Big Ben is a great move because everyone goes to to the bathroom over there, since it's the first in the park, and then it's like "Wait, where is that first pumpkin? I need to know!" and then BAM! It's right there! It's such an epic gamer moment, like I felt like I was Link coming across this massive loot crate and it was right there in all of it's glory. Great way to start off any visit.
4. Horse Pumpkin 8.3/10
Design: 8/10
Off the bat, this design is freakin epic x1000! A pumpkin as a horse? Crazy! Super awesome to see this design tie into the Clydesdale. Looking at the design up close, it feels like you're staring to face to face with a majestic Clydesdale, but it's a super cool pumpkin horse instead! Awesome sauce! Love the pumpkin guts hair and detailed facial expressions, really shows off the excitement just oozing from his head.
Quirkiness: 8/10
This one is pretty quirky. First off, pumpkins are normally not horses! I haven't seen a pumpkin horse, yet. So this was my first time seeing a design like that i thought it was pretty boss. Based on the way the horse pumpkins looks, it's apparent they like to have a good time. I could practically see him just jump off the Scotland stables and start frolicking through the parks.
Location: 9/10
This one is very hard to find. It's pretty much hidden behind the door of the stables on the far side and tucked off to the left of the window on the shutters. Really appreciate how the design ties in with the Clydesdales and the overall feel of the Scotland hamlet. It feels natural, and is a well welcomed addition during this fall season.
3. Pot of Gold 8.3/10
Design: 10/10
Oh. My. Gosh! How? What! This is insane! A pumpkin, but it's a pot of gold! Crazy. When I first laid my eyes upon this my mind was blown. They were throwing out the formula for this and just sent it flying out of the park. There's so much to take in, the green shading, rainbow eyes, and a head full of limited edition exclusive BGW gold coins! Speechless. He also looks super happy and just ready to welcome anyone and everyone into Ireland. THIS is the kind've stuff I want to see when I'm being welcomed into the park. A nice friendly green pumpkin just staring right back at me.
Quirkiness: 9/10
Now I what you're thinking, "Connor, how can you not give this pumpkin a flat out 10/10 for quirkiness?" Well, that's a good question and I have answer. In a way, this pumpkin is too quirky. Clearly we can see this little guy is trying a little to hard to stand out. While most of the other pumpkins go for subtle quirkiness that fit the fall theme, this one just does the road less traveled. My only problem is it feels like it's trying too hard in a way to be different. It feels like a missed opportunity to bring back Jack's sidekick, Patchie, as the pumpkin for this area which would've still been thematically consistent to the area and been a great fan service to HOS lore.
Location: 6/10
This was definitely a mid-tier location. It was great to see them use this pumpkin as a barricade for the space underneath the now shuttered tree. It was also fun to see a low to the ground, pumpkin as it seems many of these are usually higher up. The only downfall is the pumpkin is that it's very close to the entrance of Ireland and very obvious. Not the most challenging spot, but still very unique.
2. German Pumpkin 8.6/10
Design: 10/10
Come on, this pumpkin is awesome. A pumpkin dressed in lederhosen with a tyrolean hat? So awesome. You can't beat that. Fits the area perfectly. Based on his facial expressions they're experiencing an immense amount of joy by just being in the park and being apart of the event.
Quirkiness: 9/10
This pumpkin is incredibly quirky. Never have I encountered a pumpkin dressed in lederhosen. Never. This was a first time experience and I thought it was great. Do I wish it may have tied into the direct lore of BGW, say theme it to Verbolten, or maybe he has a pretzel in in hand? Yes. That would be awesome. It still fills it's role of being appropriate for Halloween Harvest, thematically consistent in Germany, and still manages to step outside of the box and be different.
Location: 7
This location is a very good mid-tier location. It's near the Verbolten exit and provides a much earned treat for those who managed to brave the black forest. It's not the most obvious thing ever, as there's no reason to be in this area unless you're exiting Verbolten or going to the swings. It also fits the theme of the area perfectly. Great work BGDubs, great work.
1. Silly Balloon Pumpkin 10/10
Design: 10/10
This pumpkin is the best, by far. Seriously, a pumpkin that IS the hot air balloon?! Wow! Now THAT is some next level stuff. A little unrealistic, but still very imaginative and creative. This little guy is having a great time just being a hot air balloon, floating around in the clouds with not a care in the world. It's also a super fitting design being directly next to the balloons and gliders.
Quirkiness: 10/10
Insane. When I went to the park I was not expecting to see a pumpkin dressed as a hot air balloon. It was completely unexpected and a much welcomed surprise. This one is super quirky and different. My brain couldn't even fathom the mere thought of a pumpkin being a hot air balloon so this was a complete and total paradigm shift.
Location: 10/10
This pumpkin is tucked away near the balloons and gliders entrance and provides a nice hidden find. It was very satisfying to find this pumpkin hiding off to the side in the dark. The clue originally lead me to believe that it could be hidden by the sky ride and was surprised to find this in Italy. Excellent placemaking while still tying into the area and the overall feel of the event.
This was probably one of the best attractions that the park has done, ever, and I have high expectations for the Gingerbread Scavenger Hunt.
Le Epic Swag Pumpkin Scavenger Hunt Review 2020
6. Generic Halloween Harvest Pumpkin 4.6/10
Design: 8/10
This design is very simplistic, but fits the theme of the area and the event perfectly. I really enjoyed the hat, super fun. You can tell by the patch and the tarnished look of this hat that it's been around. This hat has definitely seen many owners throughout the year. You can tell that this pumpkin does not help fuel the greedy capitalism machine by buying a new hat, no sir! This pumpkin clearly bought this from a thrift store, maybe it was passed down by a farmer or a fellow pumpkin friend? Who knows, really enjoyed it nonetheless. The hair made of hay is a really touch, along with the shading near his mouth, just really nice details.
Quirkiness: 2/10
If you're looking for the quirkiest pumpkin in the patch, this one ain't it! Let me tell you, this is probably the most boring normie pumpkin of all time. This guy clearly binge watches The Office on repeat and his favorite coaster is Steel Vengeance. Very dry guy, probably watches main stream media and does not have a reddit account, probably doesn't even question the authority of the government. Very basic pumpkin to say the least.
Location: 4/10
This location is kind've cringe, not going to lie. It's right off the path on the side of a food stand. While this is somewhat clever placemaking as it's located on the side that guests see when walking back, it's right off the path and super noticeable. Like this is a Pumpkin Scavenger Hunt! Not a Pumpkin Scavenger "Oh it's right here!" Waltz. Not impressed, could definitely be in a more creative spot. Like maybe it's on the bridge that's in the Pompeii Splashdown? That would be kinda cool.
5. British Colonization Pumpkin 6/10
Design: 6/10
This pumpkin seemed to make a good impression on park guests as they come in. Just a simple pumpkin with a crown and some tea. I do wish we knew what the tea was, like clearly you can see a British flag on the tea bag which makes me assume it's some sort of Black Tea. However, it is a little questionable to assume things like that in 2020 so, I guess it's not really up to us to quickly form assumptions. Maybe it's an herbal tea, like a hibiscus tea, and there's a thriving organic tea market in this romanticized version of England? Who knows? Also, this heavy influence of British rule really reminded me of the London Rocks theming, which is not exactly something that I like to think about, major flaw in the design. This pumpkin really provided more questions than answers, but still was a great way to be welcomed into the park.
Quirkiness: 5/10
Not gonna lie, this pumpkin is not really that quirky. Like when I think of a pumpkin in England, this is what I visualize to a tee in my mind. I wish they did something more fun, like maybe the Pumpkin is on a double decker bus? I know it could be a little too modern for our taste, but it could be kinda cool. Or maybe the pumpkin is dressed up as Big Ben? Either way, thought there was a lot more that could be done to make it stand out. It still is kinda silly, like a pumpkin can't drink tea! That would be so silly, like it would just sit inside the pumpkin.
Location: 7/10
This is a great location for the first Pumpkin in the park. So good that I never got to take a picture of it until my visit to the park because I constnaly forgot to check. Being on the left side of Big Ben is a great move because everyone goes to to the bathroom over there, since it's the first in the park, and then it's like "Wait, where is that first pumpkin? I need to know!" and then BAM! It's right there! It's such an epic gamer moment, like I felt like I was Link coming across this massive loot crate and it was right there in all of it's glory. Great way to start off any visit.
4. Horse Pumpkin 8.3/10
Design: 8/10
Off the bat, this design is freakin epic x1000! A pumpkin as a horse? Crazy! Super awesome to see this design tie into the Clydesdale. Looking at the design up close, it feels like you're staring to face to face with a majestic Clydesdale, but it's a super cool pumpkin horse instead! Awesome sauce! Love the pumpkin guts hair and detailed facial expressions, really shows off the excitement just oozing from his head.
Quirkiness: 8/10
This one is pretty quirky. First off, pumpkins are normally not horses! I haven't seen a pumpkin horse, yet. So this was my first time seeing a design like that i thought it was pretty boss. Based on the way the horse pumpkins looks, it's apparent they like to have a good time. I could practically see him just jump off the Scotland stables and start frolicking through the parks.
Location: 9/10
This one is very hard to find. It's pretty much hidden behind the door of the stables on the far side and tucked off to the left of the window on the shutters. Really appreciate how the design ties in with the Clydesdales and the overall feel of the Scotland hamlet. It feels natural, and is a well welcomed addition during this fall season.
3. Pot of Gold 8.3/10
Design: 10/10
Oh. My. Gosh! How? What! This is insane! A pumpkin, but it's a pot of gold! Crazy. When I first laid my eyes upon this my mind was blown. They were throwing out the formula for this and just sent it flying out of the park. There's so much to take in, the green shading, rainbow eyes, and a head full of limited edition exclusive BGW gold coins! Speechless. He also looks super happy and just ready to welcome anyone and everyone into Ireland. THIS is the kind've stuff I want to see when I'm being welcomed into the park. A nice friendly green pumpkin just staring right back at me.
Quirkiness: 9/10
Now I what you're thinking, "Connor, how can you not give this pumpkin a flat out 10/10 for quirkiness?" Well, that's a good question and I have answer. In a way, this pumpkin is too quirky. Clearly we can see this little guy is trying a little to hard to stand out. While most of the other pumpkins go for subtle quirkiness that fit the fall theme, this one just does the road less traveled. My only problem is it feels like it's trying too hard in a way to be different. It feels like a missed opportunity to bring back Jack's sidekick, Patchie, as the pumpkin for this area which would've still been thematically consistent to the area and been a great fan service to HOS lore.
Location: 6/10
This was definitely a mid-tier location. It was great to see them use this pumpkin as a barricade for the space underneath the now shuttered tree. It was also fun to see a low to the ground, pumpkin as it seems many of these are usually higher up. The only downfall is the pumpkin is that it's very close to the entrance of Ireland and very obvious. Not the most challenging spot, but still very unique.
2. German Pumpkin 8.6/10
Design: 10/10
Come on, this pumpkin is awesome. A pumpkin dressed in lederhosen with a tyrolean hat? So awesome. You can't beat that. Fits the area perfectly. Based on his facial expressions they're experiencing an immense amount of joy by just being in the park and being apart of the event.
Quirkiness: 9/10
This pumpkin is incredibly quirky. Never have I encountered a pumpkin dressed in lederhosen. Never. This was a first time experience and I thought it was great. Do I wish it may have tied into the direct lore of BGW, say theme it to Verbolten, or maybe he has a pretzel in in hand? Yes. That would be awesome. It still fills it's role of being appropriate for Halloween Harvest, thematically consistent in Germany, and still manages to step outside of the box and be different.
Location: 7
This location is a very good mid-tier location. It's near the Verbolten exit and provides a much earned treat for those who managed to brave the black forest. It's not the most obvious thing ever, as there's no reason to be in this area unless you're exiting Verbolten or going to the swings. It also fits the theme of the area perfectly. Great work BGDubs, great work.
1. Silly Balloon Pumpkin 10/10
Design: 10/10
This pumpkin is the best, by far. Seriously, a pumpkin that IS the hot air balloon?! Wow! Now THAT is some next level stuff. A little unrealistic, but still very imaginative and creative. This little guy is having a great time just being a hot air balloon, floating around in the clouds with not a care in the world. It's also a super fitting design being directly next to the balloons and gliders.
Quirkiness: 10/10
Insane. When I went to the park I was not expecting to see a pumpkin dressed as a hot air balloon. It was completely unexpected and a much welcomed surprise. This one is super quirky and different. My brain couldn't even fathom the mere thought of a pumpkin being a hot air balloon so this was a complete and total paradigm shift.
Location: 10/10
This pumpkin is tucked away near the balloons and gliders entrance and provides a nice hidden find. It was very satisfying to find this pumpkin hiding off to the side in the dark. The clue originally lead me to believe that it could be hidden by the sky ride and was surprised to find this in Italy. Excellent placemaking while still tying into the area and the overall feel of the event.
This was probably one of the best attractions that the park has done, ever, and I have high expectations for the Gingerbread Scavenger Hunt.
Excellent review! Definitely up to PFN standards of excellence!
I absolutely agree that the Italian pumpkin was the most inspired design. I would add that the pumpkin fluting matched perfectly the fluting you would also find on a hot air balloon.
One quibble, however. I believe the gold coins in the Irish pumpkin are actually the old locker tokens.
I absolutely agree that the Italian pumpkin was the most inspired design. I would add that the pumpkin fluting matched perfectly the fluting you would also find on a hot air balloon.
One quibble, however. I believe the gold coins in the Irish pumpkin are actually the old locker tokens.
Last edited:
My kids very much enjoyed this pumpkin scavenger hunt. Agreed that BGW did a great job with the locations and theming of the pumpkins. Made my daughter's day to complete this scavenger hunt.
Also, today the park was absolutely a ghost town during the 10am-2pm window; we walked on to every coaster with almost no wait for the entire 4 hours; my son and I rode front seat on Tempesto alone on the train; it was almost eerie how dead it was; the kids rides in Italy were the longest waits I saw the whole day. Was this extra set of dates not well publicized?
I went to SFA today and it was low crowds also. I don't think either park has ever been open this weekend before. Still seems surprising with such great weather.
Busch opened for the weekend after Halloween last year for the first time: I was there that Sunday.
But I do think that the fact it’s after Halloween, even with the limited event environment of Halloween Harvest, maybe meant people weren’t as likely to make it out. Things were definitely a bit busier tonight than at the 1000-person capped nights, but it definitely wasn’t at capacity, so I do think these extra days were probably a good trial run for the extra capacity all told.
Thanks @Nicole , this comment will definitely be printed and going up on my fridge.
Of course. Not sure what the actual admins think, but this seems like a pretty solid scale that takes in a lot of variables that were unaccounted for in past reviews.
Demented Dimensions is going to be the most quirky house. A new theme for every single room without any attempt at a cohesive story? That's insane! That's like twenty houses in one!
Also, while the event is over, something that needs to be said is the scare actors improved by leaps and bounds throughout the month. Opening night it was very awkward with all of the scare actors being congested in Festa, just standing around not really doing anything particuarly scary. As the event continued it seemed they started to spill out into Italy and Germany which definitely helped further expand the halloween atmosphere, despite not having any houses or designated zones. This weekend in particular, the actors were on the ball, easily some of the best path scares I had seen in years. There was actors hiding behind lockers in the Apollo queue jumping out at guests entering the queue line, even following them in for a few feet, something I hadn't seen in a very long time. Many of them were hiding in the bushes near Apollo's exit, as well. Various actors were beginning to roam into uncharted territory in Oktoberfest, such as the tables by Brezlen Und Bier and even lurking in the dark area by Mach Tower and behind Der Wirbelwind, which even caught me off guard.
Ever since 2013 when scare zones became "Terror-Tories," it seems like the actors were forced to be confined in super small spaces and just mill around doing nothing. It was refreshing to see the scare actors be given freedom to improvise and actually go beyond their own delegated area as the event went on. This almost gave me faith in the park pursuing another attempt at the "Scare Is Everywhere" theme, as this year it almost felt like the scare was everywhere, if everywhere was only Festa, Italy, and Oktoberfest. Nonetheless, even without houses, there was still an abundant amount of path scares at watered down HOS by the end of the event, and this was the first time in a while that I can confidently say that.
I felt bad for this guy, who thought he had me at the lockers and at the sanitizer station at the exit (which feels like you’re punishing people for being responsible, which seems like bad reinforcement to me), but I am immune to jump scares.
But I appreciated the effort.
I think I encountered this guy as well. He sprang out and growled at me, so I politely "jumped" and smiled back, then he just sort of stared at me with his teeth bared. After an uncomfortably long moment I awkwardly dismissed myself and wished him luck. I felt a bit bad for him as he really was trying his best. But we literally stood there a good ten seconds just staring at each other while I watched in growing confusion.
Why did it just hit me that this would've been a golden opportunity to bring back the haunted express, picking up in Italy and going straight through as an exit only on Scotland? Then an empty train pulls up to Italy all spooky and stuff. Damn I impress myself sometimes.