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Better get there before it's too late...
Better get there before it's too late...
Howl-O-Scream
- Thread starter Zachary
- Start date
Terribly timed tweets. I used to use Hootsuite, it helped for when I wanted to plan out my tweets for a specific day and time. Unfortunately, it has its hiccups.
After visiting Howl-O-Scream twice over the past two weekends, I guess I'll write up a little review of my visit. Of course, some things on here have been criticized or praised to death, so I'll try to post thoughts and review things that have not been said so much.
Anyway, I would like to start by saying I had a really great time. While HOS 2013 was far from the event's best, I think I may have had the most fun and best times at HOS that I have had in a long time. Seriously, I had a fantastic time--I loved everything I experienced. There are things I sure missed, but I didn't let that get in the way of the many great things I still saw.
"Scare-atories"
Demon Street - I will write the most about thisTerror-tory Scare-atory because I was the most surprised by this one. Considering the concept, construction updates, and horrible gaudiness of the area during the daytime, this area is... for lack of a better word, stunning at night. Beautiful. In a way, scary. The flames erupting all over the skyline, along with the twinkling ashes, looked amazing--much more remarkable than I had expected. And the Wild Reserve side entering Demon Street is exactly how I wish the entire hamlet had turned out--the creepy, evil, menacing display of devils with wooden stakes and crumbling structures everywhere was perfect--just how I wish the entire area would be. The scare actors were great, second in energy level only to Ripper Row. Also, both times I visited, the Demon DJ was absent. I actually quite liked this, because it made the whole area feel more tied together, instead of a dance party. It looked like a really cool, elaborate centerpiece that actually contributed to the feel. That said, I thought the inside of the area looked extremely lacking--it relied totally on the wonderful scare actors. This area was still a bit of a failure, but pleasantly much less so than I had expected. Really, I actually had a lot of fun in this area.
Ports of Skull - This area had some great decor. Implementing the torture devices into Da Vinci's garden was genius. The ropes and skeleton pirates hanging around the San Marco theater looked great--much like Piratical Purgatory in England from all those years ago. Sadly, as great-looking as this area was, it seemed like more of a glorified photo op than a terror-tory, whatever one "should" be. The "mini-golf" pirates placed across the pathway were really silly-looking. The actors were great, and they were going everywhere to scare people. Not just wandering from the San Marco/Oktoberfest bridge to Pompeii, but some were actually hiding under the Pompeii bridge, jumping out at the level of people's feet and scaring the Cheez-Itz out of them.
As others have noted, Festa looks awful--minus a few signs and some rope, it has almost no decorations at all. But I do have a theory as to the lack of decorations--is it possible that Festa Italia was still meant to be themed to clowns to tie in with Fear Fair, but when they realized they could no longer use the maze/clown theme, maybe it was too short of notice for them to have to construct a maze themed to the pirates and another hamlet themed to pirates? Just something that occurred to me.
Ripper Row
Anyway, I would like to start by saying I had a really great time. While HOS 2013 was far from the event's best, I think I may have had the most fun and best times at HOS that I have had in a long time. Seriously, I had a fantastic time--I loved everything I experienced. There are things I sure missed, but I didn't let that get in the way of the many great things I still saw.
"Scare-atories"
Demon Street - I will write the most about this
Ports of Skull - This area had some great decor. Implementing the torture devices into Da Vinci's garden was genius. The ropes and skeleton pirates hanging around the San Marco theater looked great--much like Piratical Purgatory in England from all those years ago. Sadly, as great-looking as this area was, it seemed like more of a glorified photo op than a terror-tory, whatever one "should" be. The "mini-golf" pirates placed across the pathway were really silly-looking. The actors were great, and they were going everywhere to scare people. Not just wandering from the San Marco/Oktoberfest bridge to Pompeii, but some were actually hiding under the Pompeii bridge, jumping out at the level of people's feet and scaring the Cheez-Itz out of them.
As others have noted, Festa looks awful--minus a few signs and some rope, it has almost no decorations at all. But I do have a theory as to the lack of decorations--is it possible that Festa Italia was still meant to be themed to clowns to tie in with Fear Fair, but when they realized they could no longer use the maze/clown theme, maybe it was too short of notice for them to have to construct a maze themed to the pirates and another hamlet themed to pirates? Just something that occurred to me.
Ripper Row
Oh yes, as for the furlough item... SWF and other parks around the country did not really feel it. That one is out.
BGW is a regional park in a state that has one of the highest concentrations of Federal employees in the country. Of course it is relevant. The economics of a park that draws from all over the world has little in common with one that draws heavily from local populations.
Nic said:
This so much! Disney, Universal, and many other theme parks live on a worldwide audience. Smaller regional parks like BGW live on a smaller local audience. In fact, BGW is one of the closest parks to Washington D.C. the center of the mess. Sure it isn't right next to D.C. but it still draw its audience as far up as D.C. and there is large amount federal employees all over. You have places like Fort Lee, Fort Eustis, Camp Peary, Yorktown Naval Weapons Station, Langley AFB, plus there is a lot of military locations surrounding Richmond. That is just military alone, there are so much other federal locations as well.
The Gunsmith said:
Yes. I hope some of you got to experienced RIPPER GLOW Friday night. It was a lot of fun for all involved.
The Butcher is apparently from HELL's KITCHEN (thanks Peter R. for the comment).
Why are there so many little kids here tonight? Whisky Tango Foxtrot?
I didn't see nearly this many on my past two trips.
I didn't see nearly this many on my past two trips.
It took a month and a half, but the ripper is dead.
I don't care about any other day during Howl-o-Scream. The energy and the antics from tonight made me have so much fun. This one night made the entire event.
If you weren't at Ripper Row at the end of the night, you missed out big time.
Easily the highlight of the night. The actors didn't want to leave, it was amazing.
Easily the highlight of the night. The actors didn't want to leave, it was amazing.
I have SOOOOO many things to cover. Pictures! Video! Special moments! Actors breaking character! Unexpected surprises!! But...you must wait in anticipation. For I am worn out. Must catch up on sleep tomorrow. Then I will attempt to sort out all of the good $h!Utz I brought home with me. I for one, had a blast this evening. Shout outs to everyone who hung out with the chicken; if only just for a bit.
I had to make a terrible choice this evening, but it turned out to be the correct decision. NB @ 5:30. Blood Banquet at 8'ish. Fiends finale. Last call at CutThroat Cove. After hours on Ripper Row. It was a glorious, fun-filled final evening at Howl-O-Scream!! Stay tuned...
I had to make a terrible choice this evening, but it turned out to be the correct decision. NB @ 5:30. Blood Banquet at 8'ish. Fiends finale. Last call at CutThroat Cove. After hours on Ripper Row. It was a glorious, fun-filled final evening at Howl-O-Scream!! Stay tuned...
So, Ripper Row got a finale. It went something like this. I saw pictures being taken by forum members as well.
Hooker kills Ripper
Inspector takes credit
Hooker kills Inspector
Ripper's doppelganger appears
Undertaker brings over coffin
Much confusion over who to put in the coffin
Hooker kills another murderer
Bodies fall around spooning each other
Two constables argue over who's the next Inspector
Ignoring the requests of her real world supervisor, Hooker gives rousing speech about how London is now safe from the ripper and that how it's taken a month and a half to kill him
This was the highlight of the event; a rare but strong does of that "magic" that the park has all but lost at this point. Despite my disappointment over the event as a whole, the Night Beats and Ripper Row finales as well as Blood Banquet last night gave me a little (not much, but it's there) hope for next year.
Now if they could do something about the face humping.....
Hooker kills Ripper
Inspector takes credit
Hooker kills Inspector
Ripper's doppelganger appears
Undertaker brings over coffin
Much confusion over who to put in the coffin
Hooker kills another murderer
Bodies fall around spooning each other
Two constables argue over who's the next Inspector
Ignoring the requests of her real world supervisor, Hooker gives rousing speech about how London is now safe from the ripper and that how it's taken a month and a half to kill him
This was the highlight of the event; a rare but strong does of that "magic" that the park has all but lost at this point. Despite my disappointment over the event as a whole, the Night Beats and Ripper Row finales as well as Blood Banquet last night gave me a little (not much, but it's there) hope for next year.
Now if they could do something about the face humping.....
I didn't see a thread for the HOS bars, so I will this here.
This season the Nurses have gotten a lot of attention, and elicited a ton of debate, including discussion about adding male nurses (I still say, "no"). I think the very pretty boys at Open CASKet have been woefully neglected.
Open CASKet is by far my favorite HOS bar, entirely because of the fabulous bartenders. They are, in my opinion, quite nice to look at, even with the face paint and…um…interesting glasses. More importantly, they have been quick, charming, and attentive every time I have stopped by for a drink (sadly, water).
Anyway, I just wanted to give a quick shout-out to my favorite HOS bartenders.
This season the Nurses have gotten a lot of attention, and elicited a ton of debate, including discussion about adding male nurses (I still say, "no"). I think the very pretty boys at Open CASKet have been woefully neglected.
Open CASKet is by far my favorite HOS bar, entirely because of the fabulous bartenders. They are, in my opinion, quite nice to look at, even with the face paint and…um…interesting glasses. More importantly, they have been quick, charming, and attentive every time I have stopped by for a drink (sadly, water).
Anyway, I just wanted to give a quick shout-out to my favorite HOS bartenders.
If anybody has pics and/or video from last night's Ripper Row finale, please post them.
I wish I lived closer to BGW so that I could get out there more.
I wish I lived closer to BGW so that I could get out there more.
Just to note, in an attempt to get the remaining dead actor and all the others out of there, the stage manager told one of the hookers to bring the dead actor back to life. Which took them longer than the stage manager probably wanted but he came back to life and then they went on their merry ways.