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

 

[ManitobaMoose]

Damn, those poor actors have been given next to nothing to work with. The only props seem to be that tiny little straw house and the equally small gingerbread house. Nowhere to hide, no scenery to play off of. They're just stuck wandering back and forth in the middle of that regular old Rhinefeld path all night.

Remember how many elaborate props and hiding spaces BGW's scare zones used to have? (warning: TPR link) The paths used to be lined with crates, shacks, and full-sized sets that actors could hide behind, jump out of, and use to their advantage in whatever way they wanted. They also made the zones more immersive than just the "normal park paths with actors and different music and lights" we see today. Nowadays, beyond a few miniaturized sets thrown to the side of the pathway, BGW seems content to just plop their actors onto a path and hope that's enough.

All that looks so much better than anything I've seen since I started coming in 2018.

 

[Bigskinny]

Pantheons sensors have to get fixed. This shit is so frustrating

 

[horsesboy]

Several if the fairly gruesome Meat Market props are clearly visible today. I seem to recall BGW doing a better job hiding them before 5 last year. I saw at least one child that was not happy with the site.

 

[GoHokies87]

Fuck your kids they got $15 beer to sell. FWIW when this theme was in HoS Tampa, they had it hidden in Gwazi park during the day.

 

[WDWRLD]

Nothing says HOS theming like a food truck….

 

[Nicole]

I'm honestly ok with their bringing in more food options.

 

[WDWRLD]

I'm honestly ok with their bringing in more food options.

They have plenty…..just open them.

 

[Nicole]

If they don't have the staff to open their own eateries, bringing in outside vendors is a good solution.

 

[WDWRLD]

Just hire people…..if they have to use a temp agency like Kings Dominion then do it.

 

[horsesboy]

Just hire people…..if they have to use a temp agency like Kings Dominion then do it.

Kings Dominion has used food trucks plenty in the past without complaints.

 

[WDWRLD]

Decent crowd tonight, not the busiest i’ve ever seen but good. Inferno is starting with 80 ever 90 seconds tonight so not a complete conga line…..but a 80 person line.

 

[Mushroom]

Kings Dominion has used food trucks plenty in the past without complaints.

In fairness, KD has opened food trucks during Haunt in addition to all of their own restaurants. BGW is bringing food trucks in lieu of operating their own restaurants. Very different situation IMO.

 

[WDWRLD]

In fairness, KD has opened food trucks during Haunt in addition to all of their own restaurants. BGW is bringing food trucks in lieu of operating their own restaurants. Very different situation IMO.

Exactly…..

 

[Nicole]

If increasing staffing were as simple as "just hiring" more, I'm pretty sure they would have done it already. We have debated the reasons for their staffing issues at length. Regardless of why they don't have enough people, it clearly isn't something they can fix easily.

Since they do not have enough staff, I think it makes sense to offer more dining options during one of their busiest events.

 

[Coasternerd]

Not related to staffing but I just witnessed a parent quite literally drag their kid through meat market. Mind you this child was probably around 10 and was screaming at a very high pitch and clearly did not want to be there.

 

[WDWRLD]

Keep giving them that pass……

 

[Beaumont]

Not related to staffing but I just witnessed a parent quite literally drag their kid through meat market. Mind you this child was probably around 10 and was screaming at a very high pitch and clearly did not want to be there.

There should be a new rule for Howl-O-Scream that anyone under the age of 17 should not be at the event without parental permission

 

[Nicole]

Keep giving them that pass……

I am not giving them a pass. Please stop putting words in my mouth.

I never said that current operations are ok. Nor have I defended the lack of theming at the event.

All I said is that given that they need more food options and given that they have a staffing problem, food trucks seem like a good solution. I would prefer that they do something (even if it isn't ideal), than ignore the problem altogether.

There should be a new rule for Howl-O-Scream that anyone under the age of 17 should not be at the event without parental permission

I don't think that would solve the problem of parents taking their young and terrified children through the event.

 

[WDWRLD]

No Pete’s Provisions tonight. Drink lines are massive for fountain drinks and most shops are running out of bottles.

 

[WDWRLD]

They could definitely use more bars tonight….we stood in line for 15 minutes and we didn’t move before giving up. There’s only 2 bartenders. Also i’ll have to look but I think they changed some of the mixed drinks from last week.