coasterfan94 said:
I personally don't want to post up details that could ruin the house for others. They do a pretty good job though. Even the height phobia kinda got me at first...but then you figure it out.
Howl-O-Scream 2011
- Thread starter Zachary
- Start date
I personally don't want to post up details that could ruin the house for others. They do a pretty good job though. Even the height phobia kinda got me at first...but then you figure it out.
I don't see any problem with them selling shots. This is an adult oriented event. They sell beers all over the park. These added elements, in my opinion, have really been drawn from what Universal has been doing for years.
It's nurses giving shots in syringes. Seems to fit perfectly.
It's nurses giving shots in syringes. Seems to fit perfectly.
I'm sorry to be that guy again, but this Howl-O-Scream just has me frustrated.
Houses:
13: Your Number's Up: It was a gore house. Maybe some people are scared by gore houses, but I'm not one of them. That's not my main problem with it though. I went through this house twice- the first time (right as it opened) things went great. The second time though, I ended up standing in line in the house from room 11 on. Extremely frustrating. Also, inside the house, they have the numbers of the scares, but not the scares themselves. Why? I'm thinking it's because some of them are absolutely pointless. Namely the bat room. The guy took a large, fake bat, shoved it in my face, and said, "It's a bat!". You have to feel a bit sorry for the guy- they gave him a large bat (the flying kind) and told him to scare people. Not effective. Also, the death room felt cheap- it needed sounds, music, or something. Overall, this gets a B because of the understaffed feeling of the house and the "bad" rooms. It would have been a C, but that fear of hights room is just too well done to overlook.
Fear Fair: This house just made me angry. It's awful. It was dreadfully understaffed, there weren't any scary themes, nothing to create an atmosphere, etc. This was terribly pointless and frankly a waist of time. We beg for a clown house and you give us this. This was defiantly the failure of the night, and it gets a D. Fix it. Now.
Catacombs: For me at least, this was, once again, the headliner of the night. The actors knew what they were supposed to do and did it. I've always enjoyed this house and now that it's (much) longer, it makes it all the better. This is the only house that actually got me a bit. Sadly, I don't remember hearing any of the bass that they used to pump through it. It gets an A-, but if they put the bass back it, A. With the bass back, this house would be as good as it could possibly get in my mind.
Dead Line: I was already irritated with the park because of Fear Fair, but this made it much, much worse. The theming inside this house is the absolute best thing in the world. I can't possibly describe how great this house looks and feels- everything is just awe-inspiring. Just the atmosphere creation alone should make this one of the best houses in history (not only the park's)- sadly, it wasn't. The actors acted like they were on sleeping pills. They. Did. Nothing. I felt like I should stand in the house and give them a pep talk or something. It was really that bad. It also felt very understaffed as well. Man, close Fear Fair and move all the actors here. This could have been such an amazing house, but the actors completely killed it. All of it. Theming: A+. Acting: D. Overall: C+. Do something for this house, please. I love the theming to bits (I wanted to take out my camera and just take pictures), but without actors, it's just not a good attraction.
Bitten: The line was extremely long every time I checked so I didn't bother.
Scarezones:
Scavengers: Defiantly the best, but still not great. Needs fog. B
Grin and Scare It: Second best. Needs to be darker (turn off the normal path lights!) and add some fog. Very well staffed. B-
Stitch'n Time: I don't remember seeing anyone or anything (props) here... F?
Unleashed: Again, this failed because of the actors. They have to move. Also, can we get the bungee wolf from hunted in here? C
Widow Makers: What happened to the people from last year? Starting the chainsaw and standing there does nothing. Also needs props. C
What's wrong this year: The actors. This is the first time I remember the actors being the main problem with Howl-O-Scream. This is great news. Actors can (and will) get better. The stage is set for a great event, the cast just needs to get their act together and start scaring people.
EDIT: I added some review links to the first post- if I missed any, PM me.
Houses:
13: Your Number's Up: It was a gore house. Maybe some people are scared by gore houses, but I'm not one of them. That's not my main problem with it though. I went through this house twice- the first time (right as it opened) things went great. The second time though, I ended up standing in line in the house from room 11 on. Extremely frustrating. Also, inside the house, they have the numbers of the scares, but not the scares themselves. Why? I'm thinking it's because some of them are absolutely pointless. Namely the bat room. The guy took a large, fake bat, shoved it in my face, and said, "It's a bat!". You have to feel a bit sorry for the guy- they gave him a large bat (the flying kind) and told him to scare people. Not effective. Also, the death room felt cheap- it needed sounds, music, or something. Overall, this gets a B because of the understaffed feeling of the house and the "bad" rooms. It would have been a C, but that fear of hights room is just too well done to overlook.
Fear Fair: This house just made me angry. It's awful. It was dreadfully understaffed, there weren't any scary themes, nothing to create an atmosphere, etc. This was terribly pointless and frankly a waist of time. We beg for a clown house and you give us this. This was defiantly the failure of the night, and it gets a D. Fix it. Now.
Catacombs: For me at least, this was, once again, the headliner of the night. The actors knew what they were supposed to do and did it. I've always enjoyed this house and now that it's (much) longer, it makes it all the better. This is the only house that actually got me a bit. Sadly, I don't remember hearing any of the bass that they used to pump through it. It gets an A-, but if they put the bass back it, A. With the bass back, this house would be as good as it could possibly get in my mind.
Dead Line: I was already irritated with the park because of Fear Fair, but this made it much, much worse. The theming inside this house is the absolute best thing in the world. I can't possibly describe how great this house looks and feels- everything is just awe-inspiring. Just the atmosphere creation alone should make this one of the best houses in history (not only the park's)- sadly, it wasn't. The actors acted like they were on sleeping pills. They. Did. Nothing. I felt like I should stand in the house and give them a pep talk or something. It was really that bad. It also felt very understaffed as well. Man, close Fear Fair and move all the actors here. This could have been such an amazing house, but the actors completely killed it. All of it. Theming: A+. Acting: D. Overall: C+. Do something for this house, please. I love the theming to bits (I wanted to take out my camera and just take pictures), but without actors, it's just not a good attraction.
Bitten: The line was extremely long every time I checked so I didn't bother.
Scarezones:
Scavengers: Defiantly the best, but still not great. Needs fog. B
Grin and Scare It: Second best. Needs to be darker (turn off the normal path lights!) and add some fog. Very well staffed. B-
Stitch'n Time: I don't remember seeing anyone or anything (props) here... F?
Unleashed: Again, this failed because of the actors. They have to move. Also, can we get the bungee wolf from hunted in here? C
Widow Makers: What happened to the people from last year? Starting the chainsaw and standing there does nothing. Also needs props. C
What's wrong this year: The actors. This is the first time I remember the actors being the main problem with Howl-O-Scream. This is great news. Actors can (and will) get better. The stage is set for a great event, the cast just needs to get their act together and start scaring people.
EDIT: I added some review links to the first post- if I missed any, PM me.
First day, kinks will be worked out. It takes practice to know how to scare people.
The reason for the stacking in 13 is the Death room. People just stop moving.
The reason for the stacking in 13 is the Death room. People just stop moving.
Mazes:
Deadline: I expected a lot, and it was honestly the house with the best theming. It was like a horror movie, come to life. Bathroom in any horror related atmosphere? Scary. The subway car room was perfectly executed. When i was in there, there were 5 real people, and a few dolls sitting around. All of the actors jumped up, at different times, startled me so much. The whole thing was amazing. If I had one complaint, it'd be that there were electrical cables at one point, which matched the room and all. They were also heavy and kinda painful to walk through.
13: I was absolutely not impressed. As Swift said, it was a gore house. But honestly, I was not at all scared the entire time.The fear of death was dumb. I felt like it should've been the finale of it all, and it was just a joke. The bats and insects rooms were also horrible. No scare actors were even in the insect room and the bat room was literally a second long, and it was guy with a big fake bat. The only time I was impressed was the fear of heights, it was trippy. I was also a bit creeped out at the fear of going to bed. The aura in itself was creepy.
Fear Fair:I am INCREDIBLY afraid of clowns. So afraid in fact, that my friend had to pay me to go inside. And honestly, I was almost bored. I also hated the hair coming from the ceiling, I couldn't even see the people because it was in the way. Gross and annoying. The chicken thing was dumb too. A fat guy offering me fried chicken? Honestly, I doubt this could get much better. The whole theming was so far off.
Catacombs: Now, I never liked this house, in previous years, I found it a waste of time. The line was always long, and the maze was so short. Tonight though, it was probably my favorite. The actors actually did something!!! And the new length fixed the problems I used to have with it.
Bitten: I went here first to beat the lines. Now, I figured with it being the first of the night, I'd be more jumpy. So I'd be easier to scare. Still this house is lame to me. No one was scary, or enthusiastic. Worst house of the night. If the line is super long, don't bother waiting. It's worth going to, just not the best. I hope they make improvements on this house soon.
Scare Zones:
Scavengers: I forgot this was here, and at 10pm when I walked through, the actors were gone.
Stichin Time: I had one actor follow me and ask for my feet in a creepy voice. It was hillarious.
Grin and Scare it: Now, When I first went across, there was only one clown on the bridge, and I was disappointed. When I came back across, scared to death. (Keep in mind my phobia of clowns) Clowns everywhere. They should have taken some of the actors to fear fair!
Widow Makers: This one made me extremely angry. There were only about three people in the whole thing! I clearly saw someone, and they acknowledged me, and still started his chainsaw behind me, instead of actually trying to scare people. I turned around and raged at him. Horribly executed.
Unleashed: It was really shorter than I expected... but with a few more actors, it could be good. There were a group of ten year old blondes in front of me, screaming just at the sight of them, and kept stopping. That in general ruined it.
Shows:
Monster Stomp: I didn't have time to see it ):
Fiends: I have been back and forth on my feelings about this show. There was no story really. It was just a lot nurses with nice bodies strutting around. It just makes me mad when people complain about it. There is nothing stopping you from leaving if you hate it so much. I can also see why parents would complain, alot of the dance moves were EXTREMELY SUGGESTIVE. Like, being lifted up, legs wide open, showing everyone whats down there...Although I don't understand what the big deal is about the jello shots. They didn't bring them out until it was after 8pm, and when I walked past, soooo many people were buying them.
Overall, if the acting gets better, the event will be amazing. Until then, not scary.
Deadline: I expected a lot, and it was honestly the house with the best theming. It was like a horror movie, come to life. Bathroom in any horror related atmosphere? Scary. The subway car room was perfectly executed. When i was in there, there were 5 real people, and a few dolls sitting around. All of the actors jumped up, at different times, startled me so much. The whole thing was amazing. If I had one complaint, it'd be that there were electrical cables at one point, which matched the room and all. They were also heavy and kinda painful to walk through.
13: I was absolutely not impressed. As Swift said, it was a gore house. But honestly, I was not at all scared the entire time.The fear of death was dumb. I felt like it should've been the finale of it all, and it was just a joke. The bats and insects rooms were also horrible. No scare actors were even in the insect room and the bat room was literally a second long, and it was guy with a big fake bat. The only time I was impressed was the fear of heights, it was trippy. I was also a bit creeped out at the fear of going to bed. The aura in itself was creepy.
Fear Fair:I am INCREDIBLY afraid of clowns. So afraid in fact, that my friend had to pay me to go inside. And honestly, I was almost bored. I also hated the hair coming from the ceiling, I couldn't even see the people because it was in the way. Gross and annoying. The chicken thing was dumb too. A fat guy offering me fried chicken? Honestly, I doubt this could get much better. The whole theming was so far off.
Catacombs: Now, I never liked this house, in previous years, I found it a waste of time. The line was always long, and the maze was so short. Tonight though, it was probably my favorite. The actors actually did something!!! And the new length fixed the problems I used to have with it.
Bitten: I went here first to beat the lines. Now, I figured with it being the first of the night, I'd be more jumpy. So I'd be easier to scare. Still this house is lame to me. No one was scary, or enthusiastic. Worst house of the night. If the line is super long, don't bother waiting. It's worth going to, just not the best. I hope they make improvements on this house soon.
Scare Zones:
Scavengers: I forgot this was here, and at 10pm when I walked through, the actors were gone.
Stichin Time: I had one actor follow me and ask for my feet in a creepy voice. It was hillarious.
Grin and Scare it: Now, When I first went across, there was only one clown on the bridge, and I was disappointed. When I came back across, scared to death. (Keep in mind my phobia of clowns) Clowns everywhere. They should have taken some of the actors to fear fair!
Widow Makers: This one made me extremely angry. There were only about three people in the whole thing! I clearly saw someone, and they acknowledged me, and still started his chainsaw behind me, instead of actually trying to scare people. I turned around and raged at him. Horribly executed.
Unleashed: It was really shorter than I expected... but with a few more actors, it could be good. There were a group of ten year old blondes in front of me, screaming just at the sight of them, and kept stopping. That in general ruined it.
Shows:
Monster Stomp: I didn't have time to see it ):
Fiends: I have been back and forth on my feelings about this show. There was no story really. It was just a lot nurses with nice bodies strutting around. It just makes me mad when people complain about it. There is nothing stopping you from leaving if you hate it so much. I can also see why parents would complain, alot of the dance moves were EXTREMELY SUGGESTIVE. Like, being lifted up, legs wide open, showing everyone whats down there...Although I don't understand what the big deal is about the jello shots. They didn't bring them out until it was after 8pm, and when I walked past, soooo many people were buying them.
Overall, if the acting gets better, the event will be amazing. Until then, not scary.
I'm going be honest with the Jello Shot issue. I've recently developed a bias against alcohol due to a family situation, so I guess my questioning serving liquor is coming from that.
Nurses with jello-shots? Thanks, Busch, for making my halloween scheduling a bit easier to work out.
Skipping HoS when I'm the area. That crap has no place a BGW.
Skipping HoS when I'm the area. That crap has no place a BGW.
^ I'm sorry, but I don't think I can take anything you say seriously anymore.
I'm not going to get into a big argument about this, but we've been over this. There is a PG-13 line I don't think should be crossed at Busch Gardens. You know...the reason they basically say that kids under 13 should leave before 6? Stripper nurses serving Jell-o shots wouldn't be acceptable for any place that routinely let in 15-year-olds, now would it? That kind of thing belongs at nightclubs...not amusement parks that allow in kids and teens.
Girls in skimpy outfits and drinking are very common in pg-13 movies, why is it suddenly r rated?
There's a difference between live and tv. That's an objective reality. Kids can watch a lot of things on TV that you wouldn't want them seeing in living color. Again, if people don't think it's a big deal, by all means, go and have fun. I hate to cancel out what I'm sure would have been a fun trip, but for me, personally, this is a sign that Busch is headed in the wrong direction, and I don't wish to encourage that by being one more ticket sold.
Time and a place is all. If you had 14 year old kids, and were taking them to a Halloween party that was advertised 13+ (or, that allowed all ages in the door), and then in the lobby you saw women in stripper-nurse costumes handing out shots, you'd raise an eyebrow and probably not let your kids stick around. There'd likely be a community outrage and there's a good chance someone would be answering some reporter's questions.
Time and a place is all. If you had 14 year old kids, and were taking them to a Halloween party that was advertised 13+ (or, that allowed all ages in the door), and then in the lobby you saw women in stripper-nurse costumes handing out shots, you'd raise an eyebrow and probably not let your kids stick around. There'd likely be a community outrage and there's a good chance someone would be answering some reporter's questions.
I seriously don't get why you have a problem with the park trying to cater to /all/ ages. If you don't think the park should try to make money by mixing it up and keeping itself relevant during the season, there's nothing more to be said. You seriously need to stop holding the park to an insane standard that exists ib your mind.
studiopzp said:
I don't see it as catering to "/all/" ages unless the content is all-age appropriate. If you tried to put a finger-painting class in next to the 2011 Beer Pong/pole dance championships, that wouldn't be an all-ages event now would it? It would be a disjointed, uninviting mess that, instead of catering to all ages, would cater to really no one.
As far as making money, I think the whole thing could make more money if they had a JUST for kids event...families are money makers. That's a fact of sales. I don't advocate that, however, do I?
This is just a personal thing, I guess. I don't think they should dress up slutty nurses and sell shots at "The World's Most Beautiful Theme Park." Weird, I know.
Aside from this, I am glad to hear that the theming has been apparently plussed up, and that YouHow approves!
If you make everything sutable for all ages then only children are going to enjoy it. If you cater to more than one age group then more people are going to enjoy it. Look up "ATHF Standards and Practices" on YouTube.
Also THIS. IS. HALLOWEEN. /Leonidas. It's not always kid friendly and the park would be foolish to assume so. HoS is so popular because the park treats it so.
I doubt the nurses don't do anything to harm the scenery more than the other props.
I also
Also THIS. IS. HALLOWEEN. /Leonidas. It's not always kid friendly and the park would be foolish to assume so. HoS is so popular because the park treats it so.
I doubt the nurses don't do anything to harm the scenery more than the other props.
I also
My notes from last night:
-Quick Queue FTW! They're running a deal where you get a free HOS sweatshirt with a $40 purchase, so we bought 2 QQ's at the HOS shop in Oktoberfest for $45 and scored a free sweatshirt. Win-win.
-I actually noticed much, much less people waiting in lines for the houses with small children. While it's always going to happen to a degree, I think people are getting the message in general.
-Liked all the houses. For the most part, I judge a house strictly on it's themed elements. I never get "scared" in any of them. That being said. Bitten is pretty stale by now. Catacombs was improved. We thought 13 was OK. A couple of real disturbing images. The bottlenecking at the end kind of killed the whole thing though. Big wait. We liked Fear Fair a lot actually. I loved all the turn of the century era props and graphics. We LOVED Deadline. Definitely our favorite, which was a surprise to us because we were a little apprehensive about a totally modern themed house.
-Thought all the scarezones were good. Much better that in the past.
-Biggest issue of the night. They just needed a little more of EVERYTHING. A few more scareactors, a little more enthusiasm, a few more props in the scarezones, etc. I remember this being an issue in the past in first few weekends, but it always got corrected as the season progresses. So I have faith...
-Got stage seating for Monster Stomp. Very cool. Had to pull a few strings.
-Jack is Back is totally unchanged from last year, FWIW.
-Got our pics done at the adventure photo in the HOS shop. Good deal. Only about $20 and you can just scan it later.
-Had no problem with the shooter girls, to be honest.
That's all I can think of for now. Possibly going back tonight.
-Quick Queue FTW! They're running a deal where you get a free HOS sweatshirt with a $40 purchase, so we bought 2 QQ's at the HOS shop in Oktoberfest for $45 and scored a free sweatshirt. Win-win.
-I actually noticed much, much less people waiting in lines for the houses with small children. While it's always going to happen to a degree, I think people are getting the message in general.
-Liked all the houses. For the most part, I judge a house strictly on it's themed elements. I never get "scared" in any of them. That being said. Bitten is pretty stale by now. Catacombs was improved. We thought 13 was OK. A couple of real disturbing images. The bottlenecking at the end kind of killed the whole thing though. Big wait. We liked Fear Fair a lot actually. I loved all the turn of the century era props and graphics. We LOVED Deadline. Definitely our favorite, which was a surprise to us because we were a little apprehensive about a totally modern themed house.
-Thought all the scarezones were good. Much better that in the past.
-Biggest issue of the night. They just needed a little more of EVERYTHING. A few more scareactors, a little more enthusiasm, a few more props in the scarezones, etc. I remember this being an issue in the past in first few weekends, but it always got corrected as the season progresses. So I have faith...
-Got stage seating for Monster Stomp. Very cool. Had to pull a few strings.
-Jack is Back is totally unchanged from last year, FWIW.
-Got our pics done at the adventure photo in the HOS shop. Good deal. Only about $20 and you can just scan it later.
-Had no problem with the shooter girls, to be honest.
That's all I can think of for now. Possibly going back tonight.
The crazy moms have attacked Busch about Fiends. I don't understand it. It is clearly labeled not appropriate for kids. So, don't take the kids in. It is simple as that. As from what I have heard, Way to Go Busch! It sounds like this is the Halloween event we have been wanting for years. I can't wait to get to go.