I wrote this review for the main page, but SOMEBODY never got around to writing his part, so it never was published. It is based on my visits opening weekend and again on October 3rd. I want to caveat it with the comment that the Terror-Tories were all 100% better last Sunday. I especially loved Windigo Woods, which finally lived up to its potential.
Busch Gardens Williamsburg’s Halloween event has been in full swing since September 12th. Although we (Nicole and Zachary) attended Howl-O-Scream on the 13th, we opted to wait until after our October 3rd trip to write a full review to give the park a chance to identify and correct any major problems. As we had hoped, the scare actors, especially in the houses, had improved since opening weekend.
As I have mentioned in the past, the best way for me to enjoy a haunt is to set aside my analytical side, relax, and allow myself to be scared. The result is that my opinions of HOS are based almost entirely on my experience, vice any assessments of the quality of acting and theming.
My overall impression of HOS is that it has improved since last year. I cannot explain exactly why I feel that way, but I simply had a better time than I did throughout the 2013 Halloween season. I think the parks atmosphere actually improved. The hamlets without Terror-tories seemed darker and creepier, and BGW made good use of music to set the tone throughout the park. I also believe the addition of Windigo Woods mitigated one of my biggest complaints about Demon Street. While it is still jarring to approach Paris Burning from the Wild Reserve, New France is now just as chaotic, so the transition seems less abrupt. In fact in the parts of Aquitaine, where you can hear both Terror-tories there is a sort of frenetic noise and energy that creates a lot of anxiety in me without being very scary.
Moving on to my specific thoughts, here are reviews of the individual houses and Terror-tories.
This year the houses at HOS ranged from great to boring. Although there were no new mazes, a few improved and some were modified, so I did have a different experience from 2013. I believe all of the houses suffered from under-staffing and poor line control. Some of them managed to overcome these impediments for me, however, and deliver some scary experiences.
In order from best to worst:
Root of All Evil
Root of All Evil was my favorite house at HOS this year. I have had the opportunity to go through both paths and I prefer the one in the back. I think splitting the path was a great idea, as well, and helped with some of the stacking. The actors were performing incredibly well both nights we were there, and there seemed to be more of them this year. While I won’t claim to understand the theming entirely, there definitely was more of than in 2013. Most importantly for me, the actors were actually stalking me in the maze. Startles are fun, but intimidation is much for frightening for me. Somehow this house went from being a bad joke involving tulips in 2012 to being my favorite haunted maze in HOS in 2014.
Cut Throat Cove
Cut Throat Cove was one of my favorite houses again this year. Last year I found it slightly disorienting and very “cool.” I did not think it was particularly scary, however. This year they have added a lot of actors and I was legitimately frightened in the maze. Some of them were doing a good job of working in teams to distract and startle. It was still the most disorienting house at HOS. I do wish the park would do more “anxiety” houses, rather than relying so much on startle scares.
Catacombs
Catacombs has improved significantly since the first weekend. The extended length gave this already frightening house the potential to achieve the same levels of sustained anxiety in me that Bitten delivered last year. Opening weekend, however, the actors still needed practice. Since then, they have dramatically improved and I think the park added more people, as well. Last weekend Catacombs left me more anxious than any other maze at BGW. In an interesting twist, for the first time emerging from the house into Demon Street did not immediately kill the tension. Because I was startled by an actor as I exited, a couple of the chainsaw-wielding demons ran over and chased me. I found it highly effective. I know that some people are unhappy that there is more light in Catacombs this year. I tend to disagree. I could never see any of the decor on the past, and I think those visuals improved the experience for me.
Bitten
Bitten has the potential to be a very good house, and in 2013 it created the most sustained tension in me. This year, however, there simply aren’t enough actors to maintain the anxiety. I recall being startled repeatedly in the same area in the past, but that rarely occurred either time we visited in 2014. To be clear I still like the house: layout and theming are great, and where there are actors they do a great job of frightening me. Unfortunately, because of the noticeable under-staffing I found myself able to relax in between scares, so that when I left the maze I did not have the residual tension that I have experienced in the past.
13: Your Number’s Up
Overall, 13 seemed slightly improved from last year. I encountered more scare actors and they seemed to be doing a fairly good job. Unfortunately, there were still long stretches of empty rooms and hallways. After much thought, I really believe 13 has an interesting concept that is virtually impossible to implement. If you do not have a fear of clowns the coulrophobia room isn’t going to scare you. I would further contend that even if you do have hypnophobia, watching someone else falling asleep really shouldn’t make you afraid. That said, there are a few sections, which could work better. For example, the astraphobia room could be very loud, startling, and scary, if they had randomly timed bursts of thunder and flashes of light. The strobe and unmemorable sound completely fail to achieve this seemingly simple effect, however.
Deadline
Deadline has flat-lined, I am afraid. It felt like a museum last year, and possibly has even fewer scares this year. It looks very well themed, although I am not a huge fan of the gross-out rooms. The metro car was memorable in 2013, but seemed deserted this year. If you are interested in how to design a good haunted maze, I encourage you to walk through this display piece. Do not expect to be frightened, however.
The park brought back its “Terror-tories” again this year, and added a new area called Windigo Woods. I’m still not sure I entirely understand the concept, but I gather the themed overlays are supposed to be more about immersive storytelling than traditional “scare zones.” Overall, I think BGW does a good job with the decor, but these areas seem too understaffed to be effective. All that said, I have come to the conclusion that I prefer the Open Casket area to all of the Terror-tories. For me it has the best ambiance. The music and lighting contribute to the haunt, rather than detracting from the experience.
In alphabetical order:
Demon Street
There has been a lot of debate on the Forum about this dance party. While I acknowledge that a many people enjoy Demon Street, I personally prefer a dark and creepy haunt over a loud and raucous area. As I said above, the inclusion of Windigo Woods has mitigated some of the problems I have with being assaulted by light and noise after exiting a spookier area. I still would prefer that there be no Demon DJ at all. This year I observed people standing and watching him, as if he were some kind of rock star. It was really quite odd. It also interfered with the best part of this Terror-tory: the demons chasing people with chainsaws. Last year I was fairly impressed with the decorations at night. The smoke and red lights worked well with the airdancers to create the illusion of Paris Burning. So far this year the wind combined with what appears to be fewer smoke machines has ruined that effect for me. I believe this area does achieve an unpleasant level of noisy chaos, which can be a good source of anxiety, but at the end of the day, I prefer the ambiance of Open Casket.
Ports of Skull
I know the Smurf and Rainbow Brite pirates are distractingly weird, but I think this area is actually fairly immersive. Please note that I did not say “scary.” I believe in the strictest definition of “Terror-tory” the “terror” is optional. Regardless, I think Ports of Skull does feel like a pirate village, where I can shop and drink. I’m not sure what hot dogs have to do with pirates, but the theming is pretty good other than that. The area doesn’t feel as “cool” as it did last year, but the bridges on either side are still very effective for me. I guess PoS is a fairly good place to hang out, even if it isn’t a particularly haunted hamlet.
Ripper Row
In a minority opinion, I think Ripper Row has improved since last year. The actors seem more interactive and appear to be using the space better. I agree it is unfortunate that one of the facades has been removed, and I don’t understand the blue facepaint, but at least the prostitutes are doing more than just snapping their fans, and the Bobby isn’t just pacing up and back. I have even seen some the actors stalking guests, which I find incredibly creepy. While I am still not entertained enough by RR to motivate me to walk all of the way to the front of the park to hang out there, I did enjoy the time I spent there towards the beginning of the night.
Vampire Point
I have nothing to say about Vampire Point, because I still have not found it.
Windigo Woods
Windigo Woods is the most frustrating Terror-tory for me. It looks and sounds fantastic. When I walk in, I am ready to be immersed and frightened. I am hoping to love this area. Unfortunately, once again, there are not enough actors to do more than chase a few 13 year old girls around the hamlet. I want to experience the storytelling. I want to be confronted by sick scientists and barking soldiers. Instead, I walk through and admire the scenery; dodge some shrieking teenagers; and end up getting some skewers from Windigo Rations (which I highly recommend, by the way).
Overall, I enjoyed both of my visits to HOS this season. I plan to attend the event on the final weekend, when I will try to update my review with some final thoughts. For now I will say that while it is not as uniformly creepy and dark as I would like, it is still a fun and scary experience and I look forward to returning.
