Applesauce said:
Oh, ok. I thought you were saying that there was no cursed guy in that black space. Yeah, the first place I looked was under the splash zone, it took me a while. Guys, 15 days!!!
Howl-O-Scream 2014
- Thread starter Zachary
- Start date
Oh, ok. I thought you were saying that there was no cursed guy in that black space. Yeah, the first place I looked was under the splash zone, it took me a while. Guys, 15 days!!!
GeoUSA, that event deserves its own thread.
And so I've made a one! Gay Pride Day at Kings Dominion.
And so I've made a one! Gay Pride Day at Kings Dominion.
Preston said:
Going by the date you joined this forum, it's obvious you missed the two previous pride events that Shane helped organize. Here is the thread from last year's event.
http://forum.parkfans.net/thread-1975.html
Back to Howl-O-Scream...
Anyone know if the park still uses this prop?
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Unless they're gonna get rid of it this year, I'm assuming they would still use it. I mean it hasn't spoken or slept (or whatever it did) in years. But I would think it would still be by the troll bridge. It was there last year.
I went with several different groups of people to Howl-o-Scream last year- both first-timers and people who had been every year previously. Unanimously everyone loved the DJ and thought Demon Street was the best area of the park overall. I theory is that for the casual park-goer (who isn't really as into the details of the event as many of us fans here) this area comes across the best because it makes the biggest impression- as you start to approach you can see the red fog and hear the beat pounding in the distance, and as you get closer you really feel like you're walking into a different world. Do I just know people with really bad taste, or is there something to be said to this kind of appeal?
Don't get me wrong, I wish the park WOULD pay more attention to the details to really create an excellent atmosphere. But I also think there's something to be said for the "wow" factor and making a big impression on a small budget.
Don't get me wrong, I wish the park WOULD pay more attention to the details to really create an excellent atmosphere. But I also think there's something to be said for the "wow" factor and making a big impression on a small budget.
^ Just curious (really, I don't mean this in a condescending way), but were the people you went with fans of Jack is Back as well?
I only bring this up because I think the two concepts are very similar- essentially big music/dance parties in the hamlets. They clearly work very well and are well liked by the public. Personally, I cannot stand them at all, but that's more of my aversion to stagnant crowds more than anything.
I think Demon Street's biggest draw is the "DJ" which creates a crowd of people, which in turn creates a larger crowd. If you took away almost everything else (the bar, the demon minions, the flames) and just had the "DJ" and fog, I think the crowds and opinion of the area would be the same. To me, that says that it isn't so much the substance as it is the spectacle.
I don't see an issue with thinking Demon Street is the best area of the park. The park is, after all, a business and having an area that the public loves is great for them (hi Bitten!). However, the attributes for something being the "best" vary greatly from person to person. As you mentioned, those attributes differ between, lets say, those who post on the FB page and the members of this site.
So, in my fairly long response: yes, I do think this area comes across the best because it makes the biggest impression. I think this is primarily due to the "DJ" and music being used. No, I don't think your friends have bad taste (although I'm surprised that the long-time HOS-goers didn't pick Ripper Row as their favorite), just different taste. Yes, there is something that is to be said for this type of appeal.
Finally, I'll say that there is something to be said for the wow factor, definitely. However, you need more than just a draw (the "DJ" and music) to make it quality, IMHO. They are 50% there with what I'd want to see in Demon Street (since it appears it will be here for a few years)- they just need to get to 100%.
(Also, to respond to something upthread- I'm honestly not sure which post this point, sorry- the whole Demon Street theme reminds me of the club scene from Bedazzled)
I only bring this up because I think the two concepts are very similar- essentially big music/dance parties in the hamlets. They clearly work very well and are well liked by the public. Personally, I cannot stand them at all, but that's more of my aversion to stagnant crowds more than anything.
I think Demon Street's biggest draw is the "DJ" which creates a crowd of people, which in turn creates a larger crowd. If you took away almost everything else (the bar, the demon minions, the flames) and just had the "DJ" and fog, I think the crowds and opinion of the area would be the same. To me, that says that it isn't so much the substance as it is the spectacle.
I don't see an issue with thinking Demon Street is the best area of the park. The park is, after all, a business and having an area that the public loves is great for them (hi Bitten!). However, the attributes for something being the "best" vary greatly from person to person. As you mentioned, those attributes differ between, lets say, those who post on the FB page and the members of this site.
So, in my fairly long response: yes, I do think this area comes across the best because it makes the biggest impression. I think this is primarily due to the "DJ" and music being used. No, I don't think your friends have bad taste (although I'm surprised that the long-time HOS-goers didn't pick Ripper Row as their favorite), just different taste. Yes, there is something that is to be said for this type of appeal.
Finally, I'll say that there is something to be said for the wow factor, definitely. However, you need more than just a draw (the "DJ" and music) to make it quality, IMHO. They are 50% there with what I'd want to see in Demon Street (since it appears it will be here for a few years)- they just need to get to 100%.
(Also, to respond to something upthread- I'm honestly not sure which post this point, sorry- the whole Demon Street theme reminds me of the club scene from Bedazzled)
VTBGWFan said:
Yes, exactly what you said about the "spectacle" of the area! I think that's a big draw for casual park-goers... for better or for worse, haha.
You know, I know at least one person I went with last year was a big fan of Jack is Back, but I can't speak to the others. I agree though that it has the same sort of appeal.
I'm curious- to those who do not like the DJ/party aspect of Demon Street, what could be done to improve the hamlet without getting rid of those aspects (and assuming a better/different type of DJ is not a realistic option)? Are most of you of the opinion that you're just never going to enjoy the "nightclub vibe" of the area, or could the addition of certain details make it more enjoyable for you?
I've enjoyed reading about different people's opinions on here on if/how to balance scary versus party at the park... I guess I'm more on the side of have a mix of both, but I do see how that could not really work for you if you really just want a tense and scary atmosphere throughout.
My problem is that a night club/party thing isn't a Halloween thing. Is a "Holiday" thing, sure, but the park shouldn't be wasting it's money on things that I could literally do anywhere else in any other time. It also breake the scary parts of the park.
TheMostHappy said:
I am not a fan of Demon Street's current setup, so I guess I will try to explain. I think I really don't like Demon Street because it completely breaks the "scary" vibe and really eliminates the tense atmosphere I would like to see at a Halloween event. I don't think it would really be possible to improve the area to what I prefer without removing the "party" and "DJ" atmosphere, because it's the whole idea of the "party" theme that I don't like. It has been said enough on here that many people prefer a scary, creepy, and intense atmosphere to a dance party at a theme park. I'm in favor of removing the "night club" vibe altogether and returning to the scares, but since I don't see that happening I like Nicole's idea of moving the dance party into an indoor, isolated area (Bistro 205 for instance). If this happened, though I still don't think "Hell" is a very strong theme, decorations beyond the Hot Wheels/Glad Bag persuasion and more demon/chainsaw scares could work. Right now, the area shouldn't even be called a "terror-tory"... where's the terror?
Yes, many people like yourselves do like the "party" vibe as well as the scares. My concern is that fewer people prefer that than they do all-out chills and thrills. The full, all-around scary event worked well at the park fine for years and still works for basically every other park that has a Halloween event. I certainly don't go to the park for the "night club" aspects, and the areas like Demon Street horribly break the scary theme that I do go to the park for.
Unless the park fixes this, I'm afraid right now Kings Dominion has the better Halloween event for those who want the more thrilling, scary event.
I hope this makes any sense to you, TheMostHappy!
Realistically, I don't think we can all buy into the "Demon DJ" making any sense for this Terror-tory. Having a bunch of demons trying to scare you through party music just isn't going to convince most people. If Busch Gardens is dead set on dedicating an area to having a bar and a DJ, I can only think of two options that could improve it.
A) Sorry Catacombs fans, they would have to completely overhaul the area and introduce a new House similar to "After Hours: Club Muse" that they had at Busch Gardens Tampa. Have a Club themed house that would tie into and realistically make sense with having a DJ within the Hamlet. Instead of having a demon themed Terror-tory they could play with some slummy Downtown area of France.
B) Move the DJ out of the way so you're not forced to walk past the area and it's not intrusive to the theme of the Hamlet -- perhaps move it near Griffon?
A) Sorry Catacombs fans, they would have to completely overhaul the area and introduce a new House similar to "After Hours: Club Muse" that they had at Busch Gardens Tampa. Have a Club themed house that would tie into and realistically make sense with having a DJ within the Hamlet. Instead of having a demon themed Terror-tory they could play with some slummy Downtown area of France.
B) Move the DJ out of the way so you're not forced to walk past the area and it's not intrusive to the theme of the Hamlet -- perhaps move it near Griffon?
Plan A was in the cards for last year and, subsequently, this year. Catacombs replacement has been cut two years in a row now due to budget.
Moving it to Griffon is a great idea. It has a bunch of space for people to relax and it's out of the way so they can do a proper scary area.
And they could add Demon Dive! They would fill the trench with fog and red lights. It's cheap and an effective way to re-market Griffon for HOS.
I'm completely in favor of re-theming rides for HOS. Sounds like a brilliant idea.