Howl-O-Scream 2019

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ManitobaMoose said:
So is howl-o-scream as lame as people on here are making it out to be?
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Is it lame in a vacuum? No. Tons of people still enjoy the event year after year. Is it lame compared to other similar events? Yeah, unfortunately, I sorta think it is. ?

ManitobaMoose said:
Or is there just frustration it isn't as good as it once was/could be?
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It's not as good as it once was and it's not as good as it could be. That said, my real objection is that it's not as good as it should be. The event is hugely successful, makes oodles of money, is a major driver of both attendance and membership sales, etc. yet for some reason the park seems constantly weary of investing actual money into it. It's depressing that BGW continues to skate by with wildly subpar scenic, laughably bad staffing levels and performances, poor-to-non-existant storytelling, etc. Likely due in large part to the fact that it is a legitimate fall institution in Hampton Roads with little to no actual competition, it still brings in the crowds at an astonishing rate.

Ultimately, it's almost a market problem. There's little incentive for BGW to actually try to make the event good because everyone shows up no matter what. Meanwhile, parks like Kings Dominion actually have to work for that success.

ManitobaMoose said:
When was the golden age of HOS?
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You'll get a lot of differing views on this, but it's my opinion that the event probably piqued in 2008. A lot of people have fond memories in 2009 and you'll probably even find a few hardcore 2010 fans... but I think that it's pretty much a consensus that things have really fallen pretty severely since that era.

ManitobaMoose said:
And why has it declined recently, does anyone have an explanation?
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The launch of Christmas Town, huge entertainment leadership and priority changes, slashed HOS budgets, gutting of the in-house teams that once did much of the design and construction for the event, an increased focus on profits from alcohol sales, general complacency, and a laundry list of other, smaller things.
 
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I'm going to ask legitimate questions, as I truly don't know.

Is there a dedicated staff for HoS? Or, is it the same staff doing all the seasonal events? Do they retain outside contractors for some of the more complex aspects?
 
Zachary said:
A lot of people have fond memories in 2009 and you'll probably even find a few hardcore 2010 fans... but I think that it's pretty much a consensus that things have really fallen pretty severely since that era.
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2011 is still my favorite year by far. It was an incredible blend of beautiful scenery, intense scares, and also some very fresh changes in the line up. It seems ever since Raybourn left the event, it has lost direction and is struggling to figure out it’s own identity. I think Gasparich shook to the core what HOS really is, and now the entertainment department is left in a state of disarray unsure of what they want this beloved event to be. The constant blend of party and adult scares is not working, and the declining atmosphere which is a main factor in what made this event so successful in the early 2000’s, is just disheartening.

It’s really sad to see something loved by so many and still be successful from an attendance stand point while the event hasn’t done anything even remotely notable since 2015. I truly hope management realizes that this event is a serious part of what makes BGW a superior year round experince over other regional parks and should be embracing it with open arms and deeper budgets. With some strong leadership, unity amongst all park departments, and some new creative influences that build off of the theme of the park this event could thrive to levels unseen. Sadly, it doesn’t look like this is going to be the case, but maybe in time we’ll hopefully one day see a revamp and a return in the direction of what made this event so successful.
 
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I feel like nostalgia drives lots of people, but Zachary is spot on about the shift to focus of alcohol sales. Coincidently that's about the same time they had to start making a profit. I do also miss the old days, but i guess this is the better business plan, like it was said they don't have to invest much.
 
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Eric said:
About that troll(or whats left of it) found earlier in this thread. They are still being sold. So maybe BGW might scrape up the money to buy another one if they really wanted to.
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Can the admins make an exception to the rules so we can start a GoFundMe for the park? :p
 
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@ManitobaMoose, I think it is difficult to assess how much you will enjoy HOS, based on the comments here. A lot depends on your personal preferences.

If you like a scary Halloween event, HOS not as good as it used to be. That doesn’t make it bad, but the atmosphere, house quality, staffing levels have all decreased over the years. I also think that the fact that they haven’t updated the content very much recently makes the event less interesting for those who go every year. That problem intensifies for Pass Members who visit HOS several times a season.

If you like a party atmosphere, HOS has probably improved since 2008-2011. There a several themed bars and dance parties. Most vocal Forum members seem to dislike this change. But as I said, it is a personal preference, not an issue of good and bad.

If you are interested in the shows, my impression as someone who avoids them is that the quality varies from year to year.

I generally enjoy HOS. There have been a few bad years, and a few excellent years. Generally, however, I go expecting to have a good time.

If you are interested, here is my review from last year. You can find other people’s thoughts in that thread, as well.
 
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The Golden age of Hos in my opinion would be The Transylvania/Nightmare Express. Always lots of fun. Anybody here have photos or video from 2003 or 2004? Memorable Years for me.
 
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Zachary said:
The launch of Christmas Town, huge entertainment leadership and priority changes, slashed HOS budgets, gutting of the in-house teams that once did much of the design and construction for the event, an increased focus on profits from alcohol sales, general complacency, and a laundry list of other, smaller things.
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I don't even think that Christmas Town is the whole story. I think it's more that the park has since the success not CT shifted to adding more and more events. Like F&W and Summer nights. I think that has had a pretty substantial impact on HOS. Because there are more events entertainment doesn't have as much time to invest in just one event. Back in the time you are referring to there was just HOS. The park didn't really have any other themed events besides the concerts. By the very mature when you go from 1 event to 5 there will be a decrease in the amount invested into the original event. The overall budget has grown but not to the amount that would allow them to continue to invest the same amount in HOS. The park is forced at times to recycle the previous year in an effort to do more with the other events. This is something that I would expect to see from KD as they look to add more events.

Also the public has shown that they don't need to do the level of effort that they used to do. Attendance and demand for HOS increases every year. If the park started seeing declining attendance during HOS then they will invest more money in it.

GrandpaD said:
I'm going to ask legitimate questions, as I truly don't know.

Is there a dedicated staff for HoS? Or, is it the same staff doing all the seasonal events? Do they retain outside contractors for some of the more complex aspects?
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No there is not a dedicated staff for HOS. It is the same staff that create the props and decorations and set up for the other events. The park does have some outside contractors that assist with certain aspects of the events. For example the lighting for the train during CT last year was entirely handled by an outside contractor. The park typically uses the same contractor (Oak Island) to assist with setting up for their events.
 
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VikingvadR said:
The Golden age of Hos in my opinion would be The Transylvania/Nightmare Express. Always lots of fun. Anybody here have photos or video from 2003 or 2004? Memorable Years for me.
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Was that the Halloween ride with the headless horseman chasing the train? I remember that when I was a kid!
 
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RollyCoaster said:
Forgive me if this is the wrong thread, but I spoke with BGW customer service earlier and they reminded me to use my free ticket before the end of the season, even recommending me to use it for HOS preview day. She explained that the ticket doesn't have a blackout date, giving members the option to bring a friend on preview day.

Sigh.
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Only for them to then not be allowed in to the park. This is the problem with having customer service being at Central location and having them handle all of the parks, they never quite know what they are talking about.
 
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Reportedly Demented has seen changes too.

I find this year's lineup disheartening on paper, but in practice, due to the massive shifts that have taken place in Entertainment over the last 12 to 18 months, I can't say that I'm not really interested to see how this season turns out. It seems like the potential is there for 2019 to be the first year in a new era for Howl-O-Scream. Hopefully it's a good one.
 
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