Ok, I apologize in advance for the long windedness of this post, and if it belongs elsewhere please move it.
But without saying "money" what would be something that improves HOS? Is there too many houses? Too big of an event? Is there a need to realign expectations?
The reason I ask to not say "money" is because that's always the easy answer to these questions to tell them to spend more money, so I guess I'm more curious on what people feels could improve the experience with what they have. IMO it really feels like BGT is the "premier" HOS event of the chain while BGW has the "premier" Wine & Food as well as Christmastown, despite those two events having their own issue.
I feel like BGW's HOS event needs a big reimagining of what it could/should look like. Now, I wouldn't go as far as "take a year off" to reignite the event. But it clearly needs something. But I think it would be great to really take the whole event and turn it back with the haunt fitting the actual theme of the various parts of the park. I feel like doing so can be a really interesting look into something that really causes creatives to work hard. I feel like a lot of complaints from this event over the years is "recycled", "second hand", and "barely changed but presented as new".
I'm not a haunt person so I'm going to do the best I can here but I'll put the area, my concept, and just a general maze idea:
Ireland - "Night of the Banshee". The story is come October every year the Banshee comes out at night, turning once beloved fairies, leprechauns, and other mythical beings turn evil. The idea is in the day, all those beings can be friendly for kids, then at dusk there's a show of the "King Banshee" coming out and the beings turn evil. In the maze with this Scarezone, the good "Queen Fairy" who has the power to save all the mythical beings with the power of the sun.
France - "Indulgence of Marie Antionette". I would dive a little into the history of France and turn this into a historical scare of Marie Antionette has returned from the dead to punish all of those who have forsaken her call of indulgence. Instead of a maze here I feel like it would be better to do a show in the theater.
New France - "Breach in the Wall". Taking from the story of InvadR this one would be a good kinda pull on that lore of "what if the Vikings won" story. This would be a great area for on path scare actors. Do a maze here themed to having to break into the captains quarters of the Viking ship just off shore.
Oktoberfest - "Beasts of the Black Forest". Simple idea here is the Black Forest has taken over the Oktoberfest grounds with beasts, creatures, and evil trees, all lead by King or the forest Ludvig. Outside of Festhaus each night at sundown have a fun show of Ludvig coming out from the ruins of his Kastle (DarKoaster) to take over the festival. Even name a maze here after the scarezone name and basically fit in the stories of the Grimm Brothers into this, except the twist is at the end what you thought would save Oktoberfest, you are running for your life.
Italy area outside of Festa Italia - "Devices of Leonardo DeScarci". Story here would be while Da Vinci creates some amazing contraptions, one night he broke, decided to build his weapons of war, and tried to take over Italy. The scare actors would be Roman soldiers wearing mind control devices designed by Da Vinci himself. And the maze involves the story of Da Vinci testing a persons ability to survive Dante's 7 levels of hell.
Festa Italia - "Kahn's Invasion". Marco Polo thought he was coming back to Italy a champion, but instead Ganges Kahn followed him to invade Italy to make it part of his empire. The main maze here would be in the trench of Roman Rapids and be "Escape to the Catacombs". This is a twist where normally you would want to escape them, but instead here you are running from Kahns army to the catacombs, but is it as safe as you think when the spirits are stirring?
buschgardens.com
