Howl-O-Scream Williamsburg 2022

ManitobaMoose · Sep 24, 2022

basseyfish said:
Ive wanted to say KD Haunt is better in here but didn't think it was the time nor place, but now that the cats out the bag, it is and has been for like the last 5 or more years lol How can an almost left behind Cedar Fair park have better themening and atmosphere and possibly budget than a top tier park in the country and entheausist perspective. Why does KD get better staffing? It's the same drive from richmond crowd to KD or Busch. Then you have VA beach crowd to Busch as DC crowd is to KD. Just doesnt seem right and I can't think of a logical excuse for the lack of stuff im hearing. Did Pantheon, DarkKastle, and possibly the black forrest ride coming play a factor in budget costs? Sorry for the bad grammar I didn't do the best in school. Lol

What makes KD better over HoS?

Zachary · Sep 24, 2022

ManitobaMoose said:
What makes KD better over HoS?

I think you'd be hard-pressed to identify anywhere Howl-O-Scream is strictly stronger than Haunt at this point.

Maybe there's still enough of a delta in show quality to say BGW has retained their edge there?

Previously I would have said that guest quality was higher at Howl-O-Scream than Haunt, but the other guests at HOS have become notably worse over the last couple years. Maybe guests at Haunt tonight will be horrendous and I'll rethink this?

Park dressing (outside of advertised scarezones) had long been a major strength for BGW, but Howl-O-Scream has really drifted backwards pretty dramatically over the last few years in this area too.

Kings Dominion has had and maintained a commanding lead in actor quality for as long as I've been going to both events.

Through the mid-to-late 2010s, house and scarezone quality at KD (atmospherics and scenic) have both skyrocketed. Technologically, there isn't a big delta between BGW and KD houses, but lighting quality, structural design, and scenic are all dramatically stronger at KD. No Vacancy, Trick or Treat, and Blood on the Bayou all have what I would call "Horror Nights-lite" set quality. Scale isn't as impressive and KD typically only replaces one house a year, but quality is nearly on par—multiple steps above anything at BGW at this point.

warfelg · Sep 24, 2022

Odd take:
But I think BGW is coming out of an “events sell” as KD is moving into an “events sell” era. I think SEAS has hit a “cost isn’t worth the benefit” feeling for it, that people show up regardless (I know that’s a common theme of mine) where CF feels like these events are what get people to put down their phone and come out (this would be the “we need you to give you a reason to come”).

I think I’m the long run these things are cyclical and eventually CF will revert and so will SEAS, even if it takes a while.

Icer · Sep 24, 2022

I can officially say the solution to enjoying a Saturday HoS is getting EXTREMELY drunk. Lines are easier, the crowds are easier to deal with, and the DJs are funner.

Turbo · Sep 25, 2022

Heading to the park for a quick taste of HOS this evening. Likely have time for 2-3 houses... which should we do? Thanks!

phurst · Sep 25, 2022

Turbo said:
Heading to the park for a quick taste of HOS this evening. Likely have time for 2-3 houses... which should we do? Thanks!

I'd vote for Nevermore and KILLarney. If you have time for a 3rd, maybe Deathwater Bayou.

Zachary · Sep 25, 2022

Definitely skip Witch. It will take half your night to walk back there.

Mushroom · Sep 25, 2022

Ice said:
I can officially say the solution to enjoying a Saturday HoS is getting EXTREMELY drunk. Lines are easier, the crowds are easier to deal with, and the DJs are funner.

Maybe that’s why they’ve been pushing alcohol so heavily these past few years — just make everyone too drunk to notice the degrading quality. HOS beer goggles!

Red Drum · Sep 26, 2022

Mushroom said:
Maybe that’s why they’ve been pushing alcohol so heavily these past few years — just make everyone too drunk to notice the degrading quality. HOS beer goggles!

I definitely wanted to drink to make the houses more enjoyable. The lines at every restaurant and beverage stand made that impossible.

This was my first HOS. Probably will be the last. The only thing that made it a pleasant day at the park was (1) springing for VIP parking so we could leave mid-day so we could actually buy food and drink and then return at dusk via the employee entrance and skip the backup at the main parking gate, and (2) paying for the Quick Queue for rides and the houses themselves.

Given the quality of the haunted houses themselves, I can't believe anybody would wait in those lines for the experiences and then decide to come back another day. Though while paying for parking and QQ was worth it to me in order to experience our first HOS, when all is said and done, what we paid for QQ wasn't worth it for the quality of the houses. Plus, the handful of loud drunks getting ticked off at people in the QQ line was a pleasant touch.

The houses themselves are just lacking something. The Coaster Studio guy's review put it well - a couple of the houses have individual set rooms with great atmosphere (but that often gets broken with poor transitions), but there aren't really any scares. I don't know if any of them really relay a coherent story. There was one standout actor in Killarney who we truly thought was a mannequin until the last second, and a few genuinely creepy ones in Inferno. All the others, it was like "Oh, look, I turned a corner and can immediately see every waiting actor or jump-scare window. Oh, there you go with another loud fan opening for the 100th time today. Oh, look you're about to bang a wall. Oh, you said something mildly weird and are waiting for me to react..."

I forgot to add this - what the heck is up with the background music around the park? There are lands and areas playing appropriately creepy background music, and then others playing bad pop music. The lighting and fog effects were really good everywhere and could have really set the mood across the park - and arguably would even have more impact than the actors wandering around the scare zones, but the whole thing really doesn't work when you're walking around and hearing teeny-bopper top 40 stuff, then go a hundred yards and it's back to creepy Halloween music. Like the houses themselves, it's jarring and keeps you out of the Halloween feel. Like, build some unease and dread, please BGW.

For us, the highlight of the night was when the crowd exiting Witch of the Woods got quiet and sort of creeped out by the unexpected sight of the SpaceX rocket transiting the sky. That was pretty cool and eerie.

Alf33 · Sep 28, 2022

Some of the scare actors from Gorgon Gardens and Scary Tale Road. Once I go back I'll probably take more from the other terror-tories.

WDWRLD · Sep 28, 2022

So we were at HOS Tampa Friday night and I must say they are two hugely diffrent events than BGW HOS this year. I will say though even Tampa the overall crowds were much smaller than last year, every house was less than a 10 minute wait, The 11pm Fiends was only 1/4 full and we were one of about 10 people in the entire VIP seating area. We arrived about 15 minutes before the event started and parked on the second row of preferred parking using our membership. Food, there were quite a few places to get snacks, way more than I could even try...unlike BGW where there are very few places open. Drinks....at BGW ive found it impossible to get fountain refills and at times bottled drinks. Alcoholic drinks have had loooooong waits or 30+ minutes what what ive experienced. At BGT we had numerous beverage options with zero lines, including straight up shots! The bar at Fiends had no line at all and the dedicated VIP entrance and Bar was nice but again, the regular side had no wait. There was a Christmas themed bar which was also a nice touch. Overall BGW the park dosent have that halloween feel this year, where as BGT there was no where where there wasnt sounds and lighting changes to make the transitions from zone to zone seamless. We easily saw all the shows, scare zones, houses and still had time to kill without rushing through the event. Even the main event gift shop was well themed, but yet at BGW they are pushing last years house shirts at full price. Now for BGW, I cant comment on ride wait times because honestly when im there for HOS im not looking for rides since its my home park......but finally got my ride on Iron Gwazi and it was well worth the wait!

warfelg · Sep 28, 2022

I imagine the impending hurricane impacted crowd size a bit. I know a good number of Tampa people that started to leave town Friday.

WDWRLD · Sep 28, 2022

warfelg said:
I imagine the impending hurricane impacted crowd size a bit. I know a good number of Tampa people that started to leave town Friday.

Your saying so many people evacuated last Friday that it caused the event to be low? It seemed on par with crowd sizes i’ve seen on youtube videos this season….

Zachary · Sep 28, 2022

BGT and SWO HOS crowds always seem to be DRAMATICALLY lower than BGW HOS crowds. It's part of the reason people like me beg year after year for SEAS to bring an upcharge HOS to Williamsburg. The upcharge HOS events not only have notably better attractions, but they provide notably more enjoyable experiences as well.

Beaumont · Sep 29, 2022

More footage of the famous Scary Tale Road

Source: rudderbuttcosplays

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Alpentheon · Sep 29, 2022

i timed it and it took almost 15 mins to get from the entrance of witch to the exit

Alpentheon · Sep 29, 2022

might i add.. didnt lumberhack used to take the same route as witch in 2016?

Zachary · Sep 29, 2022

Alpentheon said:
might i add.. didnt lumberhack used to take the same route as witch in 2016?

Lumberhack had a switchable queue. On busy nights they'd use the railroad route and on lighter nights they'd use the Festhaus Park route.

Alpentheon · Sep 29, 2022

yeah thats wha i remeber kinda foggy tho. all i remeber from 2016 really was un earthed.

Hamptonian · Sep 29, 2022

From when I first went, inferno raised a little bit in the ranking. There were new lights so I could see more details and there was a Minotaur. Greek mythology always gets a win from me even if it appears to make no sense in hell.

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Howl-O-Scream Williamsburg 2022

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

Attraction Lineup

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ManitobaMoose

Zachary

warfelg

Icer

Coffee is for Closers

Turbo

phurst

Zachary

Mushroom

Getting aHEAD of myself

Red Drum

Alf33

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Howl-O-Scream Williamsburg 2022

Official Website​

Attraction Lineup​

Haunted Houses​

Terror-Tories™​

Shows​

Party Zones​

BOOze Bars​

Coffee is for Closers

Getting aHEAD of myself

If all else fails, lower your standards.

Attachments

rip rampage

rip rampage

rip rampage

We value your privacy

Official Website

Attraction Lineup

Haunted Houses

Terror-Tories™

Shows

Party Zones

BOOze Bars