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I have really wanted to be in the festhaus for the presentation, but I really love Hos. We are coming later in the year for Hos as well. So that figures in my decision. I'm still leaning Hos.
 
If it were I, I would would go to the Pass Member Appreciation day. (Well actually, I am going to a wine festival that weekend, but you know what I mean.) If you are going to HOS later in the season anyway, doesn't make sense to get in both? Besides, they'll still be ironing out the kinks in the Terror-tories and new House the first weekend.
 
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Howl-O-Scream. No contest. I've told people this every year: Pass Member Appreciation is a terrible day to visit the park. Crowds are normally bad, hours are ridiculously short, and the park looks fairly awful as it's half-ready for Howl-O-Scream. If I lived outside of the immediate area, I'd skip it.
 
OK. So I know I have no empirical way to make this judgement, never having gone to HOS more than once per year, but I don't think I'd enjoy it as much a second time. I can't see how it would be as scary the second time through. And it seems to me that a lot of things y'all don't like are things you don't notice the first time you visit. Yes, I noticed the differences among the various scare zones and hoards, and I generally remember which Houses I liked the best. (Even once through was enough to bore me in Root, for example.) But I never have a chance to notice the little things that can irritate so much. So, maybe visiting HOS several times a season isn't worthwhile in the long run? Or maybe I am totally off-base. Just thinking out loud.

And as a point of reference, I always get Quick Queues, so I can see everything in one shot. Those lines look scarier than the houses.
 
Do NOT go for Pass Holder Appreciation Weekend. The ONLY notable thing about that weekend is the announcement. But I a sure Zach will have it recorded and up by the end of the day so there is no reason to go to something that you can watch from wherever you are.

Howl-o-Scream is different though. The first weekend is a little rough, but I would go to Howl-o-Scream in a heartbeat if I could. I mean honestly, even going through things three times you still might get startled a bit. I now I enjoy going through multiple times because I do get startled even when I feel its coming.

Also think about this, you ride rides more than once? Why not do houses more than once, plus it give you more time to take in the Terror-tories.
 
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Listen folks, I have been trying to make ALL of the special events like a fiend for two years now. Pass Member Appreciation Weekend, especially Saturday if you are trying to make it to the Festhaus for the announcements crap, is a major pain in the @$$. I thought it would be fun to go early last year, dragging my baby with me, and I'm fortunate I didn't get thrown in jail. Everything I despise about crowds at the park is amplified on that day. People are so freakin' rude; will try and run you or your child over without so much as a thought or apology. And the park staff seems completely incompetent to control the situation. 1, 2, 3...Go! Run to the rope in Scotland. Wait 20 minutes...GO! Run to the rope in Germany. Wait like an hour. Supposedly ride Mach Tower. Nope! It's broken. Damn the sun is hot on my neck. Stop pushing me. Don't touch my daughter! Walk slowly forward like cattle for 50 feet. Stop. Wait ten minutes. Repeat. Feel like you are playing a game of RED LIGHT - GREEN LIGHT. OK...GO GO GO!!! Everybody run! Get yo ass in the Festhaus! Get a seat. oops, I almost sat on someone who snuck in under me. Get some continental breakfast. Run B!utCh! Lose your seat. What? She was saving it for me. No? OK. Fight now? Too many people let in. Raffle is obviously disorganized/fixed. Way too many people than was said would be up in here. It would be nice to win that silly iPad though. Dear god when will it end?!?! Why are the freakin' Entwined costumes out here? Mix It Up? Didn't I just see that $h!utz in their respective theaters yesterday? Ooooh...F&WF what? Stupid box of goodies with three little pieces...decent. So not worth my time.
NEVER AGAIN I SAY!!
Hopefully somebody here will go and report. It ain't gonna be me this time. No freakin' way. I don't know if you have my respect or not, but you will have my deepest sympathies along with a pat on the back. Good job ParkFans reporter! Like Han Solo said, "Better you than me."
 
We were in the park early last year, but not early enough. Stood in line for verbolten early ride time, and it never opened. People were incredibly rude. Thanks CK for the reminder. It will be an extra weekend of hos for us. Nic, I enjoy the atmosphere of hos. I enjoy watching other people's reaction to the things that startled me the first time I went. People watching, is my favorite thing about hos. That's why we go multiple weekends.
 
It's a day of ME ME ME. Gotta be first. Got get a ride and/or seat. Gotta get some OJ and pastry. Raffle ticket. Little if no chance of a prize. Box of candy. No time. Park close at 6. But I hear it's nice back in the picnic area. I do wanna experience that. Possibly on Sunday. Jack Hannah...seen him & ate the crappy food. You do get like 30% discounts in stores with all of the crap they failed to sell during the season. Might find something worthwhile.
 
Everything ChickenKing said is 100x true. I don't want to sound like a martyr or anything, but I and whoever else goes with me on Pass Member Appreciation Weekend go through hell to bring you that video. If you even want to think about getting seats (let alone ones good enough to film from), you have to be to the park before anyone else and then quite literally run people down/get trampled yourself in order to get into Das Festhaus in time. Busch Gardens has notoriously bad crowd control and if you'd like to be one of the pissed off people who get to see why they have that reputation, go to Pass Member Appreciation Day. Seriously. It's awful.
 
Martyr...that got me thinking...Our lord Chris sent his only son, Zachary, out into the world to spread the word of love, hope and Old Country. He was preparing to spread the words spoken by Lum and Satan...uuuh, yeah, Satan, when he was betrayed by his own drink vendor and was sentenced to die by Entwinedifiction(watching Entwined until death, it's quicker than you think), thus sacrificing himself for our sins(like seeing KK more than once). So now, on the Saturday before Howl-O-Scream, we celebrate Swifty Saturday, where the Swifty Turtle hides lanyard pins all over the park for children to find...I sense I've gone to far...
 
So, I personally never had any intention of going, because really, *wine*. (http://www.uncorkthefun.com/reston-virginia-fall/site-info) And honestly, I never go, because it doesn't seem worth the drive. But now I am not even worried that I might miss anything. Did I mention wine?

gazisghost: I totally respect that. As I said, I have no empirical evidence to back my theory. And honestly my recommendation was based partially on your statement that you wanted to attend both.
 
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Just to clarify, Zach, I have the utmost respect that you go out of your way to bring us the info that give us things to speculate and bitch about! You are the Messiah of BGWFans! Let us pray...
Our Park, that art in Williamsburg
Busch Gardens be thy name
Thy Killarney come
Thy will be flung
On Apollo as on Nessie
Give us this day, our daily Pretzel
And forgive us for badmouthing
as we forgive those who made Entwined
And lead us not into Forest of Fun
but deliver us from Illuminights
In Auggie's name we pray
Amen
 
Oh wow that sounds worse than doing Black Friday shopping, so whoever is going to that event sending you positive light n love. Yeah so thank you Zachary and any others for you going and getting to hear details, me myself when I certain person would start talking I would love to just start a flash mob singing session of DANCIN QUEEN and SINGLE LADIES. But isn't it just for pass members to attend and not regular guests, you think certain higher pass members should get VIP entrance to it and such
 
This is my first year as a passholder. I was considering going next Saturday. It's not really worth it huh?
I already have plans to go to HOS on Oct 18-19.
 
We still had fun last year, but I can have more fun on other weekends. If you already have the trip planned I would still go, but I wouldn't try to go to the festhaus. I would soak up early entry if they are doing that this year. Just to be walking around early is pretty cool when your not rushing around.
 
I've been going only around the big events this year such as the Food & Wine Festival and Illuminights. Even though I already have an idea about passholder weekend from what's been posted, I still want to go check it out. I'm dieing to see the HOS stuff in person.
 
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