Howl-O-Scream 2019
- Thread starter Gavin
- Start date
Lumberhack got me the most. Not scary, but the actors were phenomenal. Same with most of the houses....
So another night of HOS down.....the houses we did tonight ran good. One thing I did realize that made no sense to me last week was in Vault. The first room is No Vacancy and tonight there was a bell hop in there. Last week I was totally confused because there was a nurse in there. Worst thing I experienced tonight was Night Beats. The show was ok but the singers did good. The band also semed to do really good and espically the drummer was really into the show. However the sound was horrible. Ive seen alot of shows at HOS there over the years and tonight the sound was way off. Before the show the music sounded good with deep bass and crisp highs. Then when NB started the singers were clear but the bands music was muddy. There was no deep bass and overall just plain sucked. Then as soon as the show was over the music sounded great again. Park was packed, really packed and as muck as people dislike Jack is Back had some huge crowds.
I think that scene in the Vault is from the haunted hotel escape room, since No Vacancy is at KD.
Dystopia and Demented Dimensions were really good and scary today. During Frostbite I think most actors were taking a break during the end of the night. Also, it felt a lot more like Howl-o-scream this visit, which was nice!
Ok, so as someone that doesn't do haunts, I went last night. I've never been to HOS before so you are getting a VERY fresh perspective right now.
I think it's a good production BGW puts on. Yes the waits were long at times, but I feel like with the walking actors there was enough going on to keep me entertained. As for the 'in haunt' stuff I see complaints about on here. I think from my perspective the lighting was perfect!!! It was just light enough that I felt uncomfortable, just dark enough that I was still startled.
The kids issue at HOS. I see it now. They got to do something about that. I think with FI being a "dead end" area without many kids rides, maybe they should make crossing the bridge a "no kids zone" and do the same with FP. There was a few times where I saw scare actors have to check for kids before "stalking" someone; and a few times a mom made comments after a teen or young adult swore when being scared. You can't stop that everywhere, but giving area's where it's "ok" could help.
Overall I was impressed. But the one thing I would love to see are more alterations to ride names to "scare" them up and do something within the queue. And the fact that they didn't do a Halloween version of BfE and then a Christmas version is an EPIC fail.
I think it's a good production BGW puts on. Yes the waits were long at times, but I feel like with the walking actors there was enough going on to keep me entertained. As for the 'in haunt' stuff I see complaints about on here. I think from my perspective the lighting was perfect!!! It was just light enough that I felt uncomfortable, just dark enough that I was still startled.
The kids issue at HOS. I see it now. They got to do something about that. I think with FI being a "dead end" area without many kids rides, maybe they should make crossing the bridge a "no kids zone" and do the same with FP. There was a few times where I saw scare actors have to check for kids before "stalking" someone; and a few times a mom made comments after a teen or young adult swore when being scared. You can't stop that everywhere, but giving area's where it's "ok" could help.
Overall I was impressed. But the one thing I would love to see are more alterations to ride names to "scare" them up and do something within the queue. And the fact that they didn't do a Halloween version of BfE and then a Christmas version is an EPIC fail.
My opinion on kids is that the park is very clear that the event isn't for kids. They close all kids rides and areas 45 minutes before HOS starts and the announce it throughout the day that it isn't for kids. I think that if you ignore those warnings and still bring your kids you don't have room to complain because someone swore or because they got scared. You decided to bring your kid with you. I have heard multiple times people complain about the same thing and I always tell them the same thing don't bring your kids then.
I will add that I have have some experience with this. I have a daughter who is 7 and she has been coming with to HOS for the past few years and she absolutely loves it. It's one of her favorite events. She loves the mazes and yes sometimes she gets scared but she understands that it's not real and the point is to get scared.
I will add that I have have some experience with this. I have a daughter who is 7 and she has been coming with to HOS for the past few years and she absolutely loves it. It's one of her favorite events. She loves the mazes and yes sometimes she gets scared but she understands that it's not real and the point is to get scared.
We just went through Vault and I figured out why you accidentally said, "No Vacancy!"
There is a neon blinking No Vacancy sign in the room. (which seems kinda sketchy to me, to be honest)
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That's just BGW's way of getting back at KD for playing Rhinefeld music on International Street.
My honest review of the houses and scarezones:
Disappointed, but not surprised.
The houses seemed to be excellently staffed, but for the most part they were viable and not actively doing anything. I don't know if it was because I was usually the /very/ first person walking in the group or what, but everyone seem to scare behind me rather than try to come for me. And at this point I'm rather used to it.
Lumberhack was performing the best of all the houses last night. They were also like the only house actively moving around and trying. But I also feel like that's almost always the case with Lumberhack, they may not actually get to scare you but they make the attempt at the very least.
I felt that Vault was much better executed in the second half of the house than the first. But, that very first room with the bell hop really doesn't make sense to me. I recognize that it's in reference to the escape room that we had (which I never did), but the room itself was just the old 13 set for the fear of waiting rooms. Which doesn't feel like a hotel, particularly when there's a covered body on a table. The vibe from the bell hop who made some attempt to at least act with us didn't match the room at all. Also that room was SUPER bright. Not dark and eerie at all. I thought the nurses did prolly the most work in the house as far as scares go. They were really moving around and working for their scares. I don't understand their stupid masks which honestly looks like they hot glued toilet paper to a plastic mask. Like I get what the park was going for, but oof just wrap their faces with gauze please.
I did also like the nostalgic things in the house as well though, I'm like the only person ever who liked Festhaus Fright Night so I liked that one of the charts in the vault had Eileen the Evil Queen's room. As well as another room being Rockin Eve. However, I have no idea who Mumbles is.
Frostbite is probably the most improved house. But we definitely went through when a good chunk of the house was on break. Either that or they were all hiding. Otherwise it's a meh house from me.
Demented Dimensions was an eh house. Again not a lot of people actively doing anything. But also I feel like they had down graded costumes in some of the rooms. The only one in the Alice in Wonderland room who was an Alice character was the Cheshire cat. The house stacked so it wasn't a great run through.
Circo was actually trying. I have never seen so many actors in that house. By Circo standards they were trying. But they really weren't doing a whole lot though. One of the clowns needed to pull up his pants tho. I could see his undies, and that was prolly the scariest thing. The house is old. It hasn't been actively updated to refresh it in any sort of way that makes sense. I'm ready for something new.
Dystopia was a mess. The first half of the house the actors.moved the second half they didn't. Pretty much the exact opposite of Vault. The issue I have though, is I don't understand the wannabe Borg? How that goes with a propaganda theme? Is there still a propaganda theme? Who knows. Also the doctor room doesn't add to this. It's like the one room in the house that's a gross out room. Why? Just why? Like that should be the room I should get scared in as I have a very deep rooted medical phobia but the actors... Stood there, while I was subjected to eye and hand surgery. Which is disgusting btw.
The scarezones were eh.
Garden of souls was rather haunting though I question their method of scaring in Italian... Considering one guy saw Buenos Aires to me, which uh... Isn't Italian and is in fact the capital of Argentina. And I would throw them a bone if they used Spanish as they would be more.likely to get away with it. Since Spanish and Italian sound a lot alike. But... Buenos Aires.
Vampire point got new costumes. But wow I never thought I'd miss their old ones. They look like Party City costumes.
Fool's Court is a joke.
Sideshow Square was under the influence of the hack pack when we arrived except for Wendy, who is always lovely. I did get to see them switch back to Sideshow Square, and that was entertaining to watch a bunch if people aggressively yell at people with chainsaws. And the people with chainsaws just start running.
Ultimately the park was very well staffed, but most of the staff didn't seem to do anything. :/ So overall I was disappointed but not surprised.
The Escape Rooms are the best though 10/10 would recommend.
Disappointed, but not surprised.
The houses seemed to be excellently staffed, but for the most part they were viable and not actively doing anything. I don't know if it was because I was usually the /very/ first person walking in the group or what, but everyone seem to scare behind me rather than try to come for me. And at this point I'm rather used to it.
Lumberhack was performing the best of all the houses last night. They were also like the only house actively moving around and trying. But I also feel like that's almost always the case with Lumberhack, they may not actually get to scare you but they make the attempt at the very least.
I felt that Vault was much better executed in the second half of the house than the first. But, that very first room with the bell hop really doesn't make sense to me. I recognize that it's in reference to the escape room that we had (which I never did), but the room itself was just the old 13 set for the fear of waiting rooms. Which doesn't feel like a hotel, particularly when there's a covered body on a table. The vibe from the bell hop who made some attempt to at least act with us didn't match the room at all. Also that room was SUPER bright. Not dark and eerie at all. I thought the nurses did prolly the most work in the house as far as scares go. They were really moving around and working for their scares. I don't understand their stupid masks which honestly looks like they hot glued toilet paper to a plastic mask. Like I get what the park was going for, but oof just wrap their faces with gauze please.
I did also like the nostalgic things in the house as well though, I'm like the only person ever who liked Festhaus Fright Night so I liked that one of the charts in the vault had Eileen the Evil Queen's room. As well as another room being Rockin Eve. However, I have no idea who Mumbles is.
Frostbite is probably the most improved house. But we definitely went through when a good chunk of the house was on break. Either that or they were all hiding. Otherwise it's a meh house from me.
Demented Dimensions was an eh house. Again not a lot of people actively doing anything. But also I feel like they had down graded costumes in some of the rooms. The only one in the Alice in Wonderland room who was an Alice character was the Cheshire cat. The house stacked so it wasn't a great run through.
Circo was actually trying. I have never seen so many actors in that house. By Circo standards they were trying. But they really weren't doing a whole lot though. One of the clowns needed to pull up his pants tho. I could see his undies, and that was prolly the scariest thing. The house is old. It hasn't been actively updated to refresh it in any sort of way that makes sense. I'm ready for something new.
Dystopia was a mess. The first half of the house the actors.moved the second half they didn't. Pretty much the exact opposite of Vault. The issue I have though, is I don't understand the wannabe Borg? How that goes with a propaganda theme? Is there still a propaganda theme? Who knows. Also the doctor room doesn't add to this. It's like the one room in the house that's a gross out room. Why? Just why? Like that should be the room I should get scared in as I have a very deep rooted medical phobia but the actors... Stood there, while I was subjected to eye and hand surgery. Which is disgusting btw.
The scarezones were eh.
Garden of souls was rather haunting though I question their method of scaring in Italian... Considering one guy saw Buenos Aires to me, which uh... Isn't Italian and is in fact the capital of Argentina. And I would throw them a bone if they used Spanish as they would be more.likely to get away with it. Since Spanish and Italian sound a lot alike. But... Buenos Aires.
Vampire point got new costumes. But wow I never thought I'd miss their old ones. They look like Party City costumes.
Fool's Court is a joke.
Sideshow Square was under the influence of the hack pack when we arrived except for Wendy, who is always lovely. I did get to see them switch back to Sideshow Square, and that was entertaining to watch a bunch if people aggressively yell at people with chainsaws. And the people with chainsaws just start running.
Ultimately the park was very well staffed, but most of the staff didn't seem to do anything. :/ So overall I was disappointed but not surprised.
The Escape Rooms are the best though 10/10 would recommend.
Pardon the double post, but I would like to address the makeup being used in the scarezones this year.
In particular Ripper Row. Of all the locations to use makeup Ripper Row is the most confusing to me since the Pirates became bad Drag Queens for Ports of Skull. Okay less cartoonish, but it's still bad. Why are they skulls? Why do they have skeleton makeup??? I don't understand. Especially considering Garden of Souls isn't too far away from it, it just doesn't make sense.
Why don't you just have basic beauty makeup just trashed from being scared. They didn't have setting spray and waterproof makeup then. Smudged lipstick, running mascara, a cut or a bruise or two. That's all you need, and it's far less intensive than airbrushed skull facepaint that you can get from the airbrush stands.
I never got a good look at the Ripper or the police to see if they also have skull makeup. But if they do /trash it/ it doesn't make any sense.
In particular Ripper Row. Of all the locations to use makeup Ripper Row is the most confusing to me since the Pirates became bad Drag Queens for Ports of Skull. Okay less cartoonish, but it's still bad. Why are they skulls? Why do they have skeleton makeup??? I don't understand. Especially considering Garden of Souls isn't too far away from it, it just doesn't make sense.
Why don't you just have basic beauty makeup just trashed from being scared. They didn't have setting spray and waterproof makeup then. Smudged lipstick, running mascara, a cut or a bruise or two. That's all you need, and it's far less intensive than airbrushed skull facepaint that you can get from the airbrush stands.
I never got a good look at the Ripper or the police to see if they also have skull makeup. But if they do /trash it/ it doesn't make any sense.
I was there on Sunday and saw the Roaming hordes hanging around the wildlife reserve. I thought to myself that this was an unofficial scare zone. I have the video but the sound doesn’t work for some reason and I apologize if I shook the camera to much
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View attachment 6361E57E-4B0E-4CE0-B9A3-0C509D79DDE8.MOV
Tonight is great....so far tons of scare actors and not sure I’ve ever seen the park this empty.