Howl-O-Scream Williamsburg 2022

Official Website​

Howl-O-Scream: Virginia Halloween Event | Busch Gardens Williamsburg

The spirit of Halloween is unleashed at Howl-O-Scream! Find haunted houses, escape rooms, scare zones, live shows & roller coasters if you dare.

buschgardens.com

Attraction Lineup​

Haunted Houses​

1. Inferno [New] - Location: Pompeii (?)
2. Death Water Bayou [New] - Location: Festa Field
3. Nevermore Chapter 2 [New] (Updated & Relocated) - Location: Drachen Fire Station Building (?)
4. Witch of the Woods [Returning] - Location: Oktoberfest Woods Maze
5. KILLarney Diner [Returning] - Location: Ireland Simulator

Terror-Tories™​

1. Dead A-head [New] - Location: France
2. Gorgon Gardens [New] - Location: Italy Gardens
3. Scary Tale Road [New] - Location: Rhinefield
4. Meat Market [Returning] - Location: New France
5. Ripper Row [Returning] - Location: England

+ Roaming Hack Pack [Returning] - Location: Where you least expect it​

Shows​

1. Jack is Back [Returning] - Location: Ireland
2. Phantoms of the Festhaus [Returning] - Location: Festhaus
3. Skeletones [Returning] - Location: San Marco
4. Monster Stomp® on Ripper Row [Returning] - Location: Globe Theatre

+ ZomBeats [Returning] - Location: France?​

Party Zones​

1. DJ Marie Antoinette Party Zone [New] - Location: France
2. DJ Masquerade Party Zone [New] - Location: Festa Italia

(These are listed as new, but seem to be in the same areas as the party zones in 2021)

BOOze Bars​

1. Stone-Cold Spirits [New] - Location: Italy Gardens
2. Pete's Provisions [New] - Location: New France
3. Back Alley Bar - Location: England
4. Jack's Nightcap - Location: Ireland
5. Frost Bar - Location: Oktoberfest
6. BarKastle Spirits - Location: Oktoberfest

 

[WDWRLD]

The people there now with small kids who looks scared to death should not be there, and the ones that take them
through houses expecting scare actors not to scare them ruin the experience for others for what it is.

 

[Beaumont]

I don’t understand why ignorant parents bring their little kids to Halloween events that feature mature content/subject matter/themes. It’s obviously inappropriate for them.

 

[Nicole]

We actually have a thread dedicated entirely to this question:

Kids at HOS

I mentioned this before here, but Halloween is the only major holiday that is celebrate in two extremely different ways by kids and adults. At this park, this causes issues for two groups of people (which I will be referencing going further). Group A: The grown ups and children old enough to...

parkfans.net

 

[Beaumont]

Why doesn't Busch Gardens Williamsburg have their own Facebook page for their Howl-O-Scream? Busch Gardens Tampa and SeaWorld San Antonio have them.

 

[warfelg]

Yearly tradition at this point.

We actually have a thread dedicated entirely to this question:

Kids at HOS

I mentioned this before here, but Halloween is the only major holiday that is celebrate in two extremely different ways by kids and adults. At this park, this causes issues for two groups of people (which I will be referencing going further). Group A: The grown ups and children old enough to...

parkfans.net

 

[tursiops]

I don’t understand why ignorant parents bring their little kids to Halloween events that feature mature content/subject matter/themes. It’s obviously inappropriate for them.

Some are as you said, ignorant, but for others they may be visiting from out of town for BG and don't have child care. This is another reason I love the idea of the parts being atmospheric but scare free and the houses being no holds barred and as intense as people want. Parents could take turn experiencing them while the kids stay out of the scary parts, which improves that experience for those who want it too. I think if you went that way then you could even put an age requirement on houses.

 

[chevyhd17]

Does anyone know if the refills at Stone Cold Spirits are capped at 1 in addition to the original purchase, or is it unlimited at the discounted price? I read both things, but can't remember where. It looks like like the original purchase with the souvenir cup was $16 and the refills were $6?

 

[finalcloud]

It was a few years ago but they sold beer in line while we moved through the line at the houses. I missed that last year, are they doing that again? Plus and minus to this but I found it to be an good idea.

 

[Nicole]

It seems to me that providing guests beer right before they go into a house would increase the risk to the actors. They are already assaulted by people as it is.

 

[WDWRLD]

Does anyone know if the refills at Stone Cold Spirits are capped at 1 in addition to the original purchase, or is it unlimited at the discounted price? I read both things, but can't remember where. It looks like like the original purchase with the souvenir cup was $16 and the refills were $6?

Not sure the cap but there is a 30 minute interval if I remember correctly. I’ll have to look back at my video footage of the demo I got from the guy running it to see if there was any mention of caps.

 

[phurst]

The signage only mentioned the 30 minute interval. Doesn't mean there isn't a cap, but there's nothing there saying there is.

 

[Icer]

It seems to me that providing guests beer right before they go into a house would increase the risk to the actors. They are already assaulted by people as it is.

Alcohol isn't processed that quickly, if anything only drinking a beer immediately before you go in while waiting in line is less risky to the actors than drinking at any one of the infinite bars placed around throughout the park.

In all seriousness though, park has clearly accepted the risk of alcohol at their event. Selling beer in line does not elevate this risk whatsoever, and I think the bigger reason we don't see it widespread is it simply isn't good business. Why add a bar that only people waiting in line can access when that limits the number of people who can access it, makes the waiting in line process easier potentially discouraging people from upgrading to QQ, and will increase the likelihood of an "incident" at the house entrance between the attendant telling a guest they need to throw their brand new beer away and the dumb guest who didn't drink their beer earlier? You have higher income potential, less market stealing from yourself, and less risk for additional incident just adding another bar right outside the attraction. Hence why we have seen these additional bars being concentrated in the haunt areas themselves rather than in the lines, capitalizing off of the crowding of both people about to wait in line and just the sheer volume of people passing through.

 

[WDWRLD]

If lines are longer than a bar in line makes sense, its selling and making money from someone that is standing not spending. Look at HHN, they do it. BGW has done it in the past, look at the various mazes they had behind Darcastle they had not only a snack stand selling snacks, drinks and coctails they had another smaller "cart" type drink stand on busy nights right in the line and it worked great. Now looking at the lines from opening night the only house that I saw any line was Diner right at 6pm.....so not sure stands in lines are even needed this year.

 

[Icer]

Problem is line length is volatile and the amount of resources they can tap into is limited. If they can theoretically only run 5 bars, it is a smarter call to place all 5 of those outside the line and near the concentrated areas rather than limit some of their earnings back in lines that may or may not have people depending on the night. If they could theoretically support infinite bars, then I agree it is a no brainer to capitalize on the high capacity nights in this way and just shut it down and reroute workers on low nights. HHN can do this because they effectively have unlimited guests and resources, they don't really have to worry about where they are most efficiently dedicating their staff to the same degree BGW does.

 

[WDWRLD]

Maybe having say Friday and Saturday nights 14 and up age limits and then up the scares, content and overall adult feel of the event. Then Sundays basically be kid day where there are almost no scare actors in the houses and the ones that are dont do jump scares. Yea I know they will and never could do this since HOS is included with admission and all that and it wouldnt be fail......but can you imagine BGT Fiends in The Royal Palace

 

[chevyhd17]

Not sure the cap but there is a 30 minute interval if I remember correctly. I’ll have to look back at my video footage of the demo I got from the guy running it to see if there was any mention of caps.

The signage only mentioned the 30 minute interval. Doesn't mean there isn't a cap, but there's nothing there saying there is.

Awesome, thanks! I figured there'd be an interval because it makes sense. I was thinking if there was a one and done refill cap, it's not really worth it because then you're pretty much paying regular price between the initial and refill

 

[Beaumont]

Does Meat Market have any cultural significance to the country that its area is based on? The other ones make sense since they reference aspects of the pop culture of those respective countries (Marie Antoinette in France, Grimm's Fairy Tales in Germany, Jack the Ripper in England, Medusa in Italy), but I don't get what cannibal butchers have to do with Canada/New France?

 

[Jonesta6]

Does Meat Market have any cultural significance to the country that its area is based on? The other ones make sense since they reference aspects of the pop culture of those respective countries (Marie Antoinette in France, Grimm's Fairy Tales in Germany, Jack the Ripper in England, Medusa in Italy), but I don't get what cannibal butchers have to do with Canada/New France?

I mean technically Invadr is Scandinavia so perhaps some metal as hell Norse ritual in a modern setting?

 

[Zachary]

I think Meat Market theme is sorta actually based on Trapper's Smokehouse. So no, while it doesn't have any solid connection to Canada, it does have an association with its hamlet.

 

[Mushroom]

Wendigo Woods was hands-down the best fit for New France thematically. It tied in real (and relatively unknown) lore native to Canada and really encapsulated the entire area into the storytelling. None of New France's (or frankly any other village's) terror-tories have come close to that since.