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RE: Howl-O-Scream 2012 Rumors

The issue I see at hand is this; everyone thought that roaming hordes was a neat idea, it adds to the non kid-siderate theme, and it creates a more unexpected environment. The sad part is, it is just now hitting people that maybe these hordes could have a negative impact on crowding and congestion on park pathways.
Now I do realize how lazy the park can be when it comes to crowd control and being logistical. However, these are people who plan this out months in advanced for months. They have ran their ideas back and back, figuring out how to deal with every road block possible. I am sure that they have thought about these issues and I think they have found solutions to them.
Clearly we wont' know until we go; which is my point here. Why the heck are you guys fighting over something that we don't know how its going to work out yet because it hasn't started? That is like saying Verbolten is a terrible replacement for Big Bad Wolf before it was even built. Give the park some respect. Take a deep breath and just accept the positives for now. Come Friday we shall see how effective these hordes are and we shall see what planning the park has done and gone through to answer every logistical problem.

Oh and one last thing, what the heck does being a civil engineer have to do with anything? Last time I checked they weren't building anything major for Howl-o-Scream?
 
RE: Howl-O-Scream 2012 Rumors

Yeah...civil engineer or not, nobody knows how things will play out, exactly. I understand that you sig is "Science > Logic" Atlantis, but the fact is that the engineers get it wrong quite often, not just at BG, but all over the place. Granted, they're obviously right more often than they're wrong, but still, can you think of no case in which, as Shafor mentioned, things didn't go according to the planner's plans?

In this specific case, I see no reason to believe that Busch Gardens will have a fool-proof crowd control plan in place, because they've screwed things like this up before. Jack is Back, anyone? As an analog to this situation, if Jack were a new show this season, and people were complaining that they thought it might cause crowding, you guys would be saying that was impossible because the planners would have planned for it. As it turned out, I'm sure they did "plan" for it....but that plan was stupid, engineers or no. Crowding was terrible in Ireland because of Jack. And it has been terrible in certain scare zones in the past, too. Did the engineers just forget to plan for that, or what?

The only thing I can think in their defense is that the crowding might be on purpose (???) to alleviate crowding in other areas (???)...but that, in itself, is poor planning, so...

Maybe the hordes will run like a well oiled machine. Nobody really knows, at this point. That's the whole point.
 
RE: Howl-O-Scream 2012 Rumors

Party Rocker said:
The issue I see at hand is this; everyone thought that roaming hordes was a neat idea, it adds to the non kid-siderate theme, and it creates a more unexpected environment. The sad part is, it is just now hitting people that maybe these hordes could have a negative impact on crowding and congestion on park pathways.
Now I do realize how lazy the park can be when it comes to crowd control and being logistical. However, these are people who plan this out months in advanced for months. They have ran their ideas back and back, figuring out how to deal with every road block possible. I am sure that they have thought about these issues and I think they have found solutions to them.
Clearly we wont' know until we go; which is my point here. Why the heck are you guys fighting over something that we don't know how its going to work out yet because it hasn't started? That is like saying Verbolten is a terrible replacement for Big Bad Wolf before it was even built. Give the park some respect. Take a deep breath and just accept the positives for now. Come Friday we shall see how effective these hordes are and we shall see what planning the park has done and gone through to answer every logistical problem.

Oh and one last thing, what the heck does being a civil engineer have to do with anything? Last time I checked they weren't building anything major for Howl-o-Scream?

Im just going to point out, I've been saying this exact same thing about the hordes, since the idea was mentioned....
 
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RE: Howl-O-Scream 2012 Rumors

PzP said:
How about this? Instead of two hordes of 20-25, how about four hordes of 10-12? Spread them out and it won't cause nearly as much of an issue.

I agree. I think it would give more scares as their will be hordes in 4 countries at once instead of 2. They will be more spread out and less congestion in the streets.

Also, I assume that their will be different types of scare actors in each horde ie zombies, wolves, clowns, vampires, chainsaw wielding psychos, etcs. Is that right?
 
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RE: Howl-O-Scream 2012 Rumors

Since we're all speculating here, I'll provide what I think will happen. Each of the hordes will move about the park in opposite directions, stopping at predetermined areas that contain props for them to use to scare people. There are lots of open areas for them to stop to scare the guests. I don't think while they are traveling they are going to be in total scare mode. They might do a few small scares as they're traveling, but I would think the majority of the scares are happening in these pre planned areas with the props.

And I saw someone mention 13YNU and bats. It would've been way sweeter to have little air bursts from above, LED "bat eyes" from above, as well as the sound of bats, and then have someone in a bat costume jump out every once in a while. The rubber bats hanging down were lame.


netdvn said:
How does Tampa handle their roaming hordes? Perhaps Williamsburg could use a few pointers from them.

Tampa only did it last year. They walked them, some in chains, from predetermined area to predetermined area and then for the ones in chains, they were all released at once and went out into the crowd to get scares. There was a leader with a big light on a pole (think Brazilian tour group with the flags) that rallied the hordes and moved them around.
 
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RE: Howl-O-Scream 2012 Rumors

Doc Dollars said:
Yeah...civil engineer or not, nobody knows how things will play out, exactly. I understand that you sig is "Science > Logic" Atlantis, but the fact is that the engineers get it wrong quite often, not just at BG, but all over the place. Granted, they're obviously right more often than they're wrong, but still, can you think of no case in which, as Shafor mentioned, things didn't go according to the planner's plans?

You are correct, nobody know exactly but some have a better idea than others. This issue is being blown up to a grande scale that it has no business being. That is what happens when young kids start speculating (not you). Their logic sees it as that, therefore it MUST be true.

Btw, Shafor is the Anti-Atlantis, always has, always will be. Good pal that asserts balance ;)
 
RE: Howl-O-Scream 2012 Rumors

I'd like to propose a moratorium on discussion of the hordes until HOS weekend one has concluded; the discussion from both sides has become grating to say the very least.
 
RE: Howl-O-Scream 2012 Rumors

Atlantis said:
Btw, Shafor is the Anti-Atlantis, always has, always will be. Good pal that asserts balance ;)

Me: The Karate Kid

You: The "Get 'em Johnny, yeah!" Guy

:cool:

BTW, do we have a date for Fiends this year. Loved seeing your face at the first nurse "unveiling" last year. :D
 
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RE: Howl-O-Scream 2012 Rumors

As the one who started this whole mess, I would like to throw out there, that I did not intend to start something.

Party Rocker - I always had my doubts about the hordes, since they were first mentioned. I just happen to finally really get back on here to voice my opinion on it. The hordes could be exactly what we need. But theory and execution can be different.

As I mentioned earlier (as a slight joke.) Wolf Valley is known for congestion. Or at least to me it is. You have traffic flow going in both directions, and every so often I'm sure they will have a line that stretches down from Abby Stone that goes into Wolf Valley. (Going based off of last year with Monster Stomp) Unless the horde that heads that way is going to completely skip Wolf Valley and just head from France to Ireland, that could become a huge mess.

I would like to think that BG came up with something to get around this issue, but we won't know that until Friday.

Atlantis - Again I didn't mean for it to get this out of hand. I was basing my reaction on my previous posts, which after an hour or two would go by the way-side and people would move on to other things. I didn't know that this would get as big as it did. I figured that people had agreed for the most part, so there wouldn't be much discussion. That they would show that, yes, there is an alternate route, that they could leave from Festa. As that was my main point of my original post.

I repeat that, I've always had my doubts about the hordes. Watching the Pass Member Preview, where they said they'd have just two large hordes, just added to my doubt. I'm not condemning the hordes, saying that they are the worst idea imaginable. Because I honestly don't think that. I just feel that there are problems with the hordes moving around the park.

(Watch by the time I've posted this, the conversation will be over. lol)
 
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RE: Howl-O-Scream 2012 Rumors

Shafor said:
BTW, do we have a date for Fiends this year. Loved seeing your face at the first nurse "unveiling" last year. :D


Im sure we could work something out. I know I will be going to OTown for the 30th BDay of EPCOT and HHN and BGT HoS end of the month. I have a few weekends dedicated to VIR also. When I get an opening I'll let you know. I might be there Friday if I am not going to pick up a car from paint in DanVille.
 
RE: Howl-O-Scream 2012 Rumors

Shafor said:
***PLEASE CEASE ALL SPECULATION IN THE "RUMORS" THREAD. THANK YOU.***

Gave me my laugh for the day. :)

Roaming hoards or not, everybody parts way for the almighty chickenking!!
I love being scared. I want to be scared. It has yet to happen at Busch Gardens. For some reason, the "scare actors" in zones, haunted houses, etc. just leave me alone. Is it because I am male? Is it because I am a 6'5" big guy? Do I look funny or something? I dunno. Maybe they target people they think they will get a definite reaction from and make a quick decision. In any event, I look forward to seeing what they try to do. I expect it will be crowded and difficult to maneuver no matter what takes place. The park seems to be designed for bottlenecks. I guess they want you to buy something.

P.S. I misspoke. There was a really tall guy in the Fear Fair about half way through in an open area who likes to walk around and try to intimidate everybody while insulting them at the same time. I thought that was funny. I hope he is back. :cool:
 
RE: Howl-O-Scream 2012 Rumors

Yea, i think in general they leave most older guys alone. I seem them messing with kids and teenagers all the time though.
 
RE: Howl-O-Scream 2012 Rumors

In relation to the hordes debate, I just think people are condemning them before their even started and it doesn't matter rumor or not, it just isn't fair. Go ahead a discuss your negatives and positives, but take into account that they might actually be better than what you expect or worse than what you expect.
The way the information was presented to me, I found to be very exciting and it seemed as if every last issue has been taken care of and that everything will work out fine. It's a long stretch for things to be perfect but at least things should go almost okay and work out fine. Take that how you want it.
Oh and one last thing I think should be mentioned, Fear Fair has not really changed all that much. In fact it is practically the same. 13: Your Number's Up will still have bats, snakes, heights, and our favorite claustrophobia.
 
RE: Howl-O-Scream 2012 Rumors

Question about Opening Night Friday. We're not able to get there until 5pm. Does anyone know if the park has ever closed to capacity on opening night? I know it has Saturdays in October occasionally. I am a little worried since we are traveling 3 hours to get there. We are Platinum holders so are able to visit a lot but we are bringing some friends for the free night.
 
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