Visit BGWpass.com to claim your 'bring a friend on friday' ticket. You'll get 1 ticket for each pass on your account. The 1 ticket is good on any remaining Friday in September.ForeverAPwn said:
Howl-O-Scream 2014
- Thread starter Zachary
- Start date
I don't know if anybody already mentioned this, because I am in the park right now, but the regular Banbury Cross music is back!
My camera isn't the best at night...
So I'm going to be doing a full review, but I wanted to go ahead and post what I wrote about Wendigo Woods here since not that many people have experienced it yet.
Wendigo Woods
One of the few additions this year is a New Terror-tory named Wendigo Woods. Located in New France, it’s themed after a scientific station located in a forest that has been overrun by /something/. One of the big things they did to help with this transformation is new signage on each building in New France changes the presentation of the familiar New France buildings into this new camp. Shops that sell wooden signs and custom embroidered drawstring bags are now “Fauna Identification” and “Tree Study” facilities. Some wit was used with the rebranding of each building. Caribou Sation is labeled as “Transport Station”, a drink stand is currently “Cold Storage”, and Trappers is simply “Dining Hall” while the BBQ pit in front of it is “Thermal Research”. Additional signage at the front of the area explains the plot; if you are hurt by a Wendigo, you will get infected and should be quarantined. The issue here is they are very small for something that is the main source of plot and only appears in that one area.
In addition to the new signage, netting, high hides, security gates, and other props further transform New France into a modern outpost that is certainly trying to keep control of what’s happening here. A somewhat odd choice is the inclusion of smaller monster props that pop up occasionally, but I’m willing to pass this off as there are various contagion and biohazard warnings throughout the area. The common theme with most of the decoration is blue. Blue netting, signage, and props fill the area to the point where you know they’re trying to make a statement and it comes off a bit odd because it really shouldn’t be making a statement. At night all the lighting follows this trend, but it’s done eerily enough to where it doesn’t hurt the area. Lots of flashing alert lights do a good job to keep things disorienting. One cool lighting effect in particular is a simulated helicopter search light synced with sound.
The actors here are really something else and deserve quite a bit of discussion. Simply put, there are two types, Security Staff and Scientists. Security Staff are dressed in generic military outfits armed with megaphones. Their bit is to yell at people, trying to get them evacuated from the quarantine zone, warn them about the Wendigo, and so on. The Scientists have been hurt, infected, and are begging guests for help. These might not be “scary” in a traditional sense, this reviewer loves them because the sell a sense of dread and panic in the area. Terror-tories aren’t supposed to just being about scares, they’re supposed to draw visitors into the theme of the area. Ripper Row is the only other Terror-tory at the park to do this to any marker of success.
I've heard people call the Security Staff annoying, and they’re not wrong. If you’re at a theme park and you have some huge dude in a uniform barking orders at you, it wouldn't be ideal. However, in a real emergency, these people are there to keep you safe. So if you’re just loafing around on your cell phone, you bet your ass somebody would come over and start harassing you (as what happened to me) until you get moving towards safety. (Reviewer’s Note: In this case, “safety” was Demon Street, so I opted to stay with the Wendigo). The infected scientists were also amazing. They did such a convincing job acting injured and begging for help. It put me in such an uncomfortable position to have an actor come up to me multiple times and say, “I know you, I've seen you before, why won’t you help me?!”. I also saw guests go up to an actor and as “Are you alright, do you need help?” a few times, which was great.
Overall, Wendigo Woods joins Ripper Row as the only two immersive path attractions at the park. While there are three other areas with the same branding, none of them have the thought or care put into them as these two.
So I'm going to be doing a full review, but I wanted to go ahead and post what I wrote about Wendigo Woods here since not that many people have experienced it yet.
Wendigo Woods
One of the few additions this year is a New Terror-tory named Wendigo Woods. Located in New France, it’s themed after a scientific station located in a forest that has been overrun by /something/. One of the big things they did to help with this transformation is new signage on each building in New France changes the presentation of the familiar New France buildings into this new camp. Shops that sell wooden signs and custom embroidered drawstring bags are now “Fauna Identification” and “Tree Study” facilities. Some wit was used with the rebranding of each building. Caribou Sation is labeled as “Transport Station”, a drink stand is currently “Cold Storage”, and Trappers is simply “Dining Hall” while the BBQ pit in front of it is “Thermal Research”. Additional signage at the front of the area explains the plot; if you are hurt by a Wendigo, you will get infected and should be quarantined. The issue here is they are very small for something that is the main source of plot and only appears in that one area.
In addition to the new signage, netting, high hides, security gates, and other props further transform New France into a modern outpost that is certainly trying to keep control of what’s happening here. A somewhat odd choice is the inclusion of smaller monster props that pop up occasionally, but I’m willing to pass this off as there are various contagion and biohazard warnings throughout the area. The common theme with most of the decoration is blue. Blue netting, signage, and props fill the area to the point where you know they’re trying to make a statement and it comes off a bit odd because it really shouldn’t be making a statement. At night all the lighting follows this trend, but it’s done eerily enough to where it doesn’t hurt the area. Lots of flashing alert lights do a good job to keep things disorienting. One cool lighting effect in particular is a simulated helicopter search light synced with sound.
The actors here are really something else and deserve quite a bit of discussion. Simply put, there are two types, Security Staff and Scientists. Security Staff are dressed in generic military outfits armed with megaphones. Their bit is to yell at people, trying to get them evacuated from the quarantine zone, warn them about the Wendigo, and so on. The Scientists have been hurt, infected, and are begging guests for help. These might not be “scary” in a traditional sense, this reviewer loves them because the sell a sense of dread and panic in the area. Terror-tories aren’t supposed to just being about scares, they’re supposed to draw visitors into the theme of the area. Ripper Row is the only other Terror-tory at the park to do this to any marker of success.
I've heard people call the Security Staff annoying, and they’re not wrong. If you’re at a theme park and you have some huge dude in a uniform barking orders at you, it wouldn't be ideal. However, in a real emergency, these people are there to keep you safe. So if you’re just loafing around on your cell phone, you bet your ass somebody would come over and start harassing you (as what happened to me) until you get moving towards safety. (Reviewer’s Note: In this case, “safety” was Demon Street, so I opted to stay with the Wendigo). The infected scientists were also amazing. They did such a convincing job acting injured and begging for help. It put me in such an uncomfortable position to have an actor come up to me multiple times and say, “I know you, I've seen you before, why won’t you help me?!”. I also saw guests go up to an actor and as “Are you alright, do you need help?” a few times, which was great.
Overall, Wendigo Woods joins Ripper Row as the only two immersive path attractions at the park. While there are three other areas with the same branding, none of them have the thought or care put into them as these two.
Alright did my first walkthrough of all the scare zones this year. I stayed in each area for about 15-20 minutes (more for the better ones) and hung around a few actors to see how they worked. Made a few mental notes about the props and scenery. Overall I had a good time.
It was great seeing Nicole, Zimmy, and Shane today. Hope to see more of you guys tomorrow.
Let's start from first to worst.
Demon Street (5/5) - The Hot Wheels party by day cranks up the heat at night. Scares are plenty and the actors do an EXCELLENT job of working off each other. Two chainsaws were roaming around but the non-chainsaw guys were just at good getting group after group. Did a bit of people-watching and it was very entertaining. Flames on the rooftops still look great, although I felt there were more flames last year. The biggest issue is that there were only 4-5 actors roaming but they were very effective.
Vampire Point (4.5/5) - This was not the crew I saw last night. Even though all the actors were out in the open, like Demon Street, they all played off each other very well, causing distractions and giving good scares. The area was also very well-staffed with enough actors to cover the entire area. The actress right at the Rhinefeld gate and her partner were a fantastic duo. The biggest thing that keeps this area from getting a 5 is the complete lack of props for the actors to use or to build the atmosphere on. Last year there were a few shacks around the plaza, the windows were boarded up all over the place, and the clock tower looked great. This year, the area is unthemed outside of Blood Banquet and the statues on the Rhinefeld gate.
Wendigo Woods (4/5) - The actors were doing a much better job under the cover of night and the makeup looks much nicer. That being said, it's still kinda hard to differentiate between the actors and guests (not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing). I think they could've added a bungee scare and a few wendigoes and it would work better. Some of the actors played off each other quite nicely but I could tell there were a couple missed opportunities here and there.
Ripper Row (2.5/5) - The perennial BGW Fans favorite was relatively weak IMO. No umbrella lady photo ops and only 5 actors roaming the entire area. They did a good job of interacting with the guests and snagged a few scares but the short staffing sorta ruins the area for me. Not sure if I liked the makeup either (they all pretty much looked like they were coming in for vampires but ended up getting sent to Ripper Row instead). Plus I expected a bit more theming than the dismembered body part arch thingy and the false building in front of the Globe. I think the park did a better job of theming the area last year.
Ports of Skull (1/5) - This isn't really a scare zone/Terror...tory as it is a total joke. The only actors that had any effective scares were the ones on the troll bridge. Everyone else pretty much stood around and was largely pretty friendly (which is nice and all but it doesn't really make the atmosphere any scary or put me on edge). The bungee guy was away and the theming is almost nonexistent outside of the bar and the photo op. And the makeup is terrible too. Pix of the pirates don't do it justice. I tried to keep myself from cracking up when I saw them.
So final verdict...
1. Add more props. The park seriously had a head start on HOS prep and it STILL felt like they were lacking decorations in MANY places. That's pretty disappointing.
2. Hire new makeup people. Everyone outside of Wendigo and Demon Street looked exactly the same, just with different clothes. The pirates were especially bad.
3. Staffing, as always, is an issue. Keeping current park employees from joining scare squad was a HUGE mistake.
4. Festa is a complete joke AGAIN. How does one of the best areas during CT manage to get away with no theming during HOS? Seriously guys. Here's to hoping Diavalo next year means a better looking HOS.
It was great seeing Nicole, Zimmy, and Shane today. Hope to see more of you guys tomorrow.
Let's start from first to worst.
Demon Street (5/5) - The Hot Wheels party by day cranks up the heat at night. Scares are plenty and the actors do an EXCELLENT job of working off each other. Two chainsaws were roaming around but the non-chainsaw guys were just at good getting group after group. Did a bit of people-watching and it was very entertaining. Flames on the rooftops still look great, although I felt there were more flames last year. The biggest issue is that there were only 4-5 actors roaming but they were very effective.
Vampire Point (4.5/5) - This was not the crew I saw last night. Even though all the actors were out in the open, like Demon Street, they all played off each other very well, causing distractions and giving good scares. The area was also very well-staffed with enough actors to cover the entire area. The actress right at the Rhinefeld gate and her partner were a fantastic duo. The biggest thing that keeps this area from getting a 5 is the complete lack of props for the actors to use or to build the atmosphere on. Last year there were a few shacks around the plaza, the windows were boarded up all over the place, and the clock tower looked great. This year, the area is unthemed outside of Blood Banquet and the statues on the Rhinefeld gate.
Wendigo Woods (4/5) - The actors were doing a much better job under the cover of night and the makeup looks much nicer. That being said, it's still kinda hard to differentiate between the actors and guests (not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing). I think they could've added a bungee scare and a few wendigoes and it would work better. Some of the actors played off each other quite nicely but I could tell there were a couple missed opportunities here and there.
Ripper Row (2.5/5) - The perennial BGW Fans favorite was relatively weak IMO. No umbrella lady photo ops and only 5 actors roaming the entire area. They did a good job of interacting with the guests and snagged a few scares but the short staffing sorta ruins the area for me. Not sure if I liked the makeup either (they all pretty much looked like they were coming in for vampires but ended up getting sent to Ripper Row instead). Plus I expected a bit more theming than the dismembered body part arch thingy and the false building in front of the Globe. I think the park did a better job of theming the area last year.
Ports of Skull (1/5) - This isn't really a scare zone/Terror...tory as it is a total joke. The only actors that had any effective scares were the ones on the troll bridge. Everyone else pretty much stood around and was largely pretty friendly (which is nice and all but it doesn't really make the atmosphere any scary or put me on edge). The bungee guy was away and the theming is almost nonexistent outside of the bar and the photo op. And the makeup is terrible too. Pix of the pirates don't do it justice. I tried to keep myself from cracking up when I saw them.
So final verdict...
1. Add more props. The park seriously had a head start on HOS prep and it STILL felt like they were lacking decorations in MANY places. That's pretty disappointing.
2. Hire new makeup people. Everyone outside of Wendigo and Demon Street looked exactly the same, just with different clothes. The pirates were especially bad.
3. Staffing, as always, is an issue. Keeping current park employees from joining scare squad was a HUGE mistake.
4. Festa is a complete joke AGAIN. How does one of the best areas during CT manage to get away with no theming during HOS? Seriously guys. Here's to hoping Diavalo next year means a better looking HOS.
I just posted a bunch of pictures from Friday on my twitter feed. I've tagged the forum's twitter so check it out. Sorry it's a day late. I was in the ER for 5 hours today from breathing problems. Deadline'a overuse of fog didn't help my asthma!
My over all opinion of tonight was "Meh." The houses were the same as last year, with Bitten and Root being the best houses of the night for me.
WW has a lot of potential. I think it was hurt a lot for me because of the rain. But I like it a lot, and I hope to see it improve. However I do have one thing to ask.
I think WW could benefit from something more Wendigo-like. And not a beefcake caveman with overly pronounced nipples.
I did like the goblin guy who was hoping around. He actually crawled on the ground by the Dippin Dot's stand and climbed on things. It was great to watch for the short time I saw it.
WW has a lot of potential. I think it was hurt a lot for me because of the rain. But I like it a lot, and I hope to see it improve. However I do have one thing to ask.
I think WW could benefit from something more Wendigo-like. And not a beefcake caveman with overly pronounced nipples.
I did like the goblin guy who was hoping around. He actually crawled on the ground by the Dippin Dot's stand and climbed on things. It was great to watch for the short time I saw it.
Thanks to the Smurf Pirates I felt like I was traveling through A haunted house run by Gargamels or Azrael
I actually think that the poster has a valid point. While I have no sympathy for people who have kids there after 6 PM, the park has made it clear that daytime is still safe for families.
I haven't seen the show, but based on what I have heard, it is odd to me that they are showing something that adult during the day in the main theater.
As long as I am on the topic of children, we saw a ton of very little kids (think 5-year olds) in line for Bitten. It was ridiculous.
I haven't seen the show, but based on what I have heard, it is odd to me that they are showing something that adult during the day in the main theater.
As long as I am on the topic of children, we saw a ton of very little kids (think 5-year olds) in line for Bitten. It was ridiculous.
There are no shows that are kid friendly now. That's pretty fucked up for the park to do.
So even though the show has a large warning sign outside, it still is not okay to be showing? While I do agree they should be more specific in what the adult content is, if they give you fair warning there should be no reason to complain. Parents should be able to determine what is appropriate for their children and if many parents think the throat slitting was fine, that is their decision.
Saying that there are many children should not have any effect on the show or any other attraction. There are many children than can handle and enjoy some of the houses and the show. To throw them all in one category isn't fair for them. This is why they warn parents to use their discretion instead of banning them completely.
Night Beats is still a family-friendly show. There is also still Pet Shenanigans and the Secret Life of Predators.
Saying that there are many children should not have any effect on the show or any other attraction. There are many children than can handle and enjoy some of the houses and the show. To throw them all in one category isn't fair for them. This is why they warn parents to use their discretion instead of banning them completely.
Night Beats is still a family-friendly show. There is also still Pet Shenanigans and the Secret Life of Predators.
Pretzel Kaiser said:
Keyword: in the daytime.
It seems the park heeded our advice of making a more adult event, however they went one step further and gave the kids the shaft from open to close.
Fix this... UP UNTIL 6 (or 515ish). Leave everything the same past then.
Didn't their use to be some sort of Halloween event in Sesame Street during the day?
Isn't Night Beats family friendly?
Isn't Night Beats family friendly?
Party Rocker said:
That is three out of five. Family-friendly shows still out number adult shows.
I think I have a solution for the kids at HOS:
Take them to 13. There is nothing scary in that house anyway. Also Deadline, which just a museum.
Take them to 13. There is nothing scary in that house anyway. Also Deadline, which just a museum.
There used to be, not anymore.
There's a difference between "family friendly" and "accessible to kids". Dig it Up was funny to kids while Night Beats might be a bit more sophisticated for kids.
And yes, there are the two animal shows, but they don't really do much for Halloween.
There's a difference between "family friendly" and "accessible to kids". Dig it Up was funny to kids while Night Beats might be a bit more sophisticated for kids.
And yes, there are the two animal shows, but they don't really do much for Halloween.
I defer to Zachary and Apple, but based on their description Night Beats is 100% not "family-friendly."
The other two aren't HOS, and my assumption is that parents would like to take their kids to a Halloween show. Besides, Pet Shenanigans is offensive.
The other two aren't HOS, and my assumption is that parents would like to take their kids to a Halloween show. Besides, Pet Shenanigans is offensive.
Night Beats is definitely okay for families. If there are adult references, children won't pick them up. It is a lot better than when Fiends was in the Festhaus. Night Beats caters to the family audience. No it is not a 'children's' show, but it is a show children can go to and enjoy.
Regardless of the shows being Halloween or not, their still there and it is worth mentioning that. They are still options for children.
Regardless of the shows being Halloween or not, their still there and it is worth mentioning that. They are still options for children.