Howl-O-Scream
- Thread starter wombat96
- Start date
With all the Entertainment shakeups lately, I'm sure everything is up in the air right now.
I would not be at all surprised if very little money goes into HOS this year. They just don't have it.
Zimmy said:
This is a gross over simplified opinion. The park is not broke, and they do have money. The problem is not that it is running out. The problem is where the money is being put to and how it is being used. So far, it looks like they have more money to use for HOS considering there are no concerts, there are no overly expensive new shows (RotB can not be as expensive as LR and the changes in LR does not sound very expensive).
If anything I think the park is going to try and hold out and spend the most on HOS and CT this year. Which makes sense. Their the two biggest events bringing in the most attendance. F&W is getting there.
I don't expect a whole new event, but I am expecting one or two new things be it a terror-tory, a house, or something that is looks good in the eyes of the general public.
If they are cutting the budget, that doesn't make more money randomly appear for other events...
It may not be cutting, it could be relocating. Wouldn't know unless we see their plans or until the end of the year comes around.
Their overall budget is reduced. That is what austerity is. Budgets are a zero-sum game. The park a finite amount of money to work with across the board. I agree that it is slightly possible that the cuts they have made elsewhere could fund something new at HOS, if they have cut more than they needed. It does not seem likely, however, given the financial situation of the company as a whole.
Nicole said:
That is not fact unless you have numbers to show.
Nicole said:
Bad PR does not equal broke. Their stocks, while still low, are very steadily rising. Either way, I doubt if the company does poor BGW is the only to park to suffer. BGT is still having concerts, other parks are still continuing to operate and why is it that BGW is the only park to have supposedly been cut of everything.
Wow, they have $50 million to spend on HOS!!?!!
Expect some major changes in HOS in the next few years. See, Scott came up with the ideas of Terror-tories and themed dining experiences. Phil originally played a huge rule in HOS and he still does today, but, I did hear they had some creative differences as Phil has a bit more of a dark mind while Scott was more about bringing the fun less scary adult parts of Halloween to HOS. I imagine with this change we may shift back into the old roots of HOS rather than a party atmosphere in the walkways and scares in the houses. Now of course this depends who will be the new VP of entertainment and the budget. As for 2015, I would expect a few changes but nothing that big.
2015 Howl-O-Scream is already thoroughly planned from what I understand. Still plenty of time for changes, but unless new leadership comes in very, very soon, there's a good chance that real changes won't be seen till 2016.
Christmas Town is a different story though...
Christmas Town is a different story though...
Why does Christmas town get the changes? Like honestly, unless the changes are to build a bubble around the park and make in doors so things are open and guests have things to do, so I don't feel cramped and bored, the last thing that needs changes is CT. HOS is going on 3 years of basically 0 changes. The houses are dying. The non-enthusiasts are noticing that basically nothing is different. Making a difference in HoS is kinda needed.
I said before, I don't want them to spend money unless they have to. But, word is getting out, and will continue to get out that HoS isn't changing houses. On top of the lackluster scares. People are just going to skip the event entirely and just go to KD. Or some other local haunt.
I said before, I don't want them to spend money unless they have to. But, word is getting out, and will continue to get out that HoS isn't changing houses. On top of the lackluster scares. People are just going to skip the event entirely and just go to KD. Or some other local haunt.
Nicole said:
Why must you incessantly persist on skipping over the fine words? If expenses are flat, that means while there are no concerts there could still be a slightly improved HOS.
However, since Zachary the mystical being that knows all says otherwise I guess we will just have to trust him and hold him to his words.
To answer you Applesauce, Christmas Town seems to be making more money than HOS. Christmas Town gets heavy crowds and they charge everyone admission, even passes. If you update the event that costs people more, you can increase the price. Not that you should or shouldn't but you can try to justify it.
HOS on the other hand has gotten some updated the past few years. Introduction of Terror-tories, Monster Stomp on Ripper Row, Wendigo Woods, Cut Throat Cove. They may not all be spectacular additions but they were enough to say "We Got Something New!" and people came.
CT makes money because it's marketed towards families with younger kids. Dine with Santa, pictures with Santa, buying Christmas related things. Shoving far too many people into a park with only a handful of attractions open. You're almost forcing them to go shopping. As that's just about the only thing to do besides watching cramped shows, or looking at lights from overly cramped pathways, with far too many strollers on it.Party Rocker said:
HoS used to get up to park capacity. It used to get a lot of attention. New houses draw in people more than a show ever will. We've discussed this before with London Rocks. A show does not bring in people like a ride will. Or in HoS's case good scares and new houses. Monster Stomp, wasn't even Monster Stomp. There weren't enough monsters in it for it to be called Monster Stomp.
CTC was thrown together last minute because Fear Fair was in such a state of disrepair, that they probably couldn't legally send people through. So much of a last minute addition that none of the merchandise with all the houses on it had CTC it's opening year. It still had Fear Fair.
Wendigo Woods was a nice start in the right direction, but the scares were all located in one spot. And I really don't think one new area is enough to bring people in.
CT is a tradition now. Christmas is literally about traditions. Doing the same god damn thing year after year. Change one thing for CT and it's the greatest thing ever, because it doesn't interrupt the tradition of everything else.
You can't treat HoS the same way. Haunts have to change. You have to constantly make it scarier and improve it. One new thing with lack luster scares is not going to help the parks case. I used to be one of those people who gets scared of everything at HoS, but because it's literally the same damn houses every single year, I'm not afraid of them. They don't build the anxiety like they used to. I know where the hiding places are. I know how these actors scare.
I'm not the only one who notices these things. My dad, who doesn't notice things, noticed that the park is offering the same things as previous years. Not that he found it scary, but he's lost his source of humor because I no longer get scared.
If you go to the park's FB page, and while you'll still see a ton of "how dare you scare my child" or "why aren't tickets free?" You'll see others going, "It's not scary. Go to X to get really scared".
That is a bad thing.
At the end of the day, CT could use a little less love from the park, and HoS could use more. No new shows for HoS. Just add new houses, and get rid of some that are really showing their age.
(And btw, you can really argue if admission does anything for the park, when they're almost constantly giving out tickets for a reduced price. If they're charging for it at all.)