Howl-O-Scream 2021 (SeaWorld Orlando)

[wutisgood]

I loved riding mako at night. It seemed better than ever. Infinity falls was supposed to be open but I'm pretty sure that ride is cursed and I will never ride it.

 

[Neo]

The night we went was a HORRIBLE monsoon. We got there and couldn’t even get out of our car for the longest time, then went into the event and hung out at a bar for hours.

Finally got out and got to do everything but the rides.

Security – what a joke! Not allowed a purse in, but security was just to walk in with your hands in the air and pinky promise you weren’t carrying a bomb. I don’t get it. You can’t say, “we don’t allow bags so nothing bad is coming in” and call it a night. Walking in we passed many women walking back to their cars to put their purses in there.

Map – Useless. The Map didn’t seem to be to scale or be accurate. As someone who’s only been to Sea World a couple times and didn’t know their way around, it was so confusing. You have to come in, walk a bit, then loop around part of a stadium to get to the first house. And asking where the house is by name was no good, the employees seemed to only know the houses as 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Water’s Edge Inn – 6/10
This was probably the closest to an HHN house as the event had. Also had the worst line ever. We didn’t have express and would wait in line and they’d just wave express people, waaaaay down the way, to hurry up to get in. Then they’d wait forever to let the next group through. I know and LOVE pulsing, but there was no rhyme or reason. It was like the whole point was to make the standby line wait 40-60min so they could tell their friends it was busy while letting all the express people through.

The house itself was good. The sets are horrible compared to HHN (my only point of reference) but the personalized scares are fun.

Beneath The Ice – 10/10
This house had a wait of 2 hours so we skipped it until the end of the night and am soooo glad we did. Went through it and had so much fun, we went through it again making sure to further pulse ourselves so we each got a solo pass through. So long and fun. The actors WENT for it. The cage area had the actors tell me to come back when I put on a few pounds so they could reach me just for the second one to come out of the “cage area” and block my path through and tell me, “Being skinny isn’t going to save you now!” Amazing stuff. The sets were boring as can be, but who cares, it was great.*

*The fact that we went through late in the night, by ourselves, probably has a lot to do with this.

This isn’t going to be PC but I don’t care, the guy working the door/pulsing the line was flamboyant to say the least. Like sooooo bad with double entres and flirting with me and my friend. I’m not getting political or saying anything bad about sexual orientation, but if he was a straight guy and I were a female I’d have a slam dunk sexual harassment case against him and probably own the themepark in a couple y ears. That guy needs to go. I really thought he was going to follow us through the door and try something inappropriate. Gave me a new found respect (always had that respect, but didn’t realize how acute the fear could be) for women who have to put up with this !@#$ from guys. He was literally hiding behind the door seductively curling his finger for us to through. Total creep.

Dead Vines – 6/10
Not much stood out for this house other than the garden. That was awesome, but the rest of it was kinda boring. Still, enjoyable and the personalized scares for an HHN alum was very welcome.

Pirates – 3/10
The house was pretty boring, don’t even remember the name. In terms of an HHN level house, it was a 1/10. For a local schmokal haunt, it was a 7/10. So it’s not bad, just not what I fly to Orlando for.


Zones – torrential rains killed the night in terms of zones, but from what I did, I LOVED them. The sliding sparker guy nearly made me $#!+ my pants. Some scareactors came up to us and started conversations and followed us were great. The fog was INTENSE (again, maybe aided by the monsoon conditions) and I couldn’t tell where I was going and bumped into a few people.


Shows – Totally missed Monster Stomp as didn’t have time for it. Sirens’ Song was awesome...what I saw of it at least. After doing the Ice Maze as a full group, basically isolated, one friend and I went back to do it again, taking our sweet time, and missed the beginning of the last show. Probably would have fully skipped the show to do it a third time if it wasn’t for the comfortability with the guy in charge of the line.


OVERALL - definitely a lot of fun and something that we'll plan into our annual trip if the price point remains the same.

 

[SeventyOne]

Look, I've been to Senor Frogs on cruises, I've been to Bourbon Street ... but never did I expect to see a scantily clad Orlando theme park TM pouring (shooting?) shots down guests' throats. Also--new to me--Jello shots with "floaters." A full ounce plus of straight well liquor at the top of the novelty syringe.

Despite more strollers than I've ever seen at HHN, HoS also has far more wasted people. Booze is everywhere. Whether you think that good or bad, something to be aware of.

 

[Mad Dog]

Look, I've been to Senor Frogs on cruises, I've been to Bourbon Street ... but never did I expect to see a scantily clad Orlando theme park TM pouring (shooting?) shots down guests' throats. Also--new to me--Jello shots with "floaters." A full ounce plus of straight well liquor at the top of the novelty syringe.

Despite more strollers than I've ever seen at HHN, HoS also has far more wasted people. Booze is everywhere. Whether you think that good or bad, something to be aware of.

SeaWorld does land animals too..."SW Cayote Ugly'....Sounds like a plan to me.

 

[Jdentel]

So how were lines this weekend? Initially I saw waits were minimal. But if they are increasing I am considering express

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

Got invited tonight. Three of the houses were fairly forgettable but Beneath the Ice was incredible. Campground zone was great too. I maintain that crowds are a massive dilemma but when it comes to Halloween events, they really are a hindrance.

 

[Freak]

Got invited tonight. Three of the houses were fairly forgettable but Beneath the Ice was incredible. Campground zone was great too. I maintain that crowds are a massive dilemma but when it comes to Halloween events, they really are a hindrance.

Interesting you say that crowds were a Selina. I went on a Saturday night and arrived late (like 8:30), and I was able to do all of the houses and Mako before midnight. There were crowds but it wasn’t overwhelming. I guess the word of mouth got out that people liked it.

 

[HHNManics]

So in the airport right now actually on my way back to LAX and thought I would give my review on Howl O'Scream Orlando which I did on Saturday (10/2).

I'll start off with the

Atmosphere - This Event actually reminds me a lot of an event we have in California called Queen Mary Dark Harbor. It has a Adult Party Theme to it which I enjoy a lot. They got genuinely creative with some stuff here. Including a Drop Down Panel Scare at the Map Showing which was really creative. Lot of Bush Scares in areas that weren't the Zones. The Atmosphere outside the Zones and Houses were top notch. So how were the zones and houses?

Zones - The Zones were great. I did not enjoy Frozen Terror but thought it was definitely well themed. Witchcraft Bayou was very cool but wish there a bit more UV Play here. Deadly Ambush was awesome but had only one issue which was the Lack of a Werewolf (Or Werewolves) Actor. Sea of Souls was probably my favorite. The sound design and decor looked awesome and it just looked really cool. I have a bit of a biased towards Aquatic or Pirate Themes at Haunts which you'll see later for my number.

Houses (From Worst to Best):
Water Edge Inn (2x) - This was definitely the weakest but definitely not a bad Maze. Ironically one of the other ones aside Captain's Revenge that had a Facade. What this House lacked was definitely a commitment to the Siren theme along with a Crazy Owner. It felt more Haunted Hotel more than anything.

I enjoyed some of the Scare tactics in here and the Actors are genuinely aggressive across the entire event. I liked this one but it was definitely the weakest.

Dead Vines (2x) - I genuinely love the feel of this one in spots. Like the Opening Scene genuinely feels very Indiana Jones inspired and then you head in and typically Garden/Bush Esc Houses don't work (Unless you're HHN Orlando and you do Seeds of Extinction) but I really liked this one.

Some great lighting and decor in here. Lot of creative scares (A Crocodile Puppet on a Window outside a House got me pretty good) and it was genuinely fun to go through.

Beneath the Ice (3x) - I heard a lot of the hype for this one and was genuinely excited and I was let down a bit but this House is still very impressive. The Set Design again was great and this House has some fantastic Sound Design. Very The Thing inspired which I like a lot.

Another thing is that this one is genuinely scary to go through due to the Sound Design, Lighting (Because of how dark it is), and Actors. I really did dig this one.

Captain's Revenge (3x) - Like I said earlier I have a biased towards Houses with a Aquatic or Pirate theme so naturally I fell for this one..

This one has a genuinely great Facade and a lot of fantastic lighting with Lanterns illuminating the Ship. Some really great scares and set decor in here. The feel of this one was also fantastic..

Was definitely my Favorite of the Lineup.

Overall:
A pretty good event! For a first time event I genuinely enjoyed it a lot which I didn't expect. Reminds me big time of Dark Harbor from Cali. If you have time and you're not doing HHN Orlando then I recommend this. I can see this event growing and becoming really strong in the future.

Event Rating: B+

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

Interesting you say that crowds were a Selina. I went on a Saturday night and arrived late (like 8:30), and I was able to do all of the houses and Mako before midnight. There were crowds but it wasn’t overwhelming. I guess the word of mouth got out that people liked it.

Oh no it wasn’t crowded at all. My point was how much more enjoyable a haunt is without them.

 

[DestinationDoug]

The night we went, we saw several VIP groups with just 2-3 people. Does every VIP party get their own guide, no matter how small the party?

 

[shiekra38]

Went last night

It was so much fun

I think if they continue to do this I'm willing to lose an HHN night and hop over to SWO

Plus Mako in the dark :drool:

 

[Jdentel]

How have the lines been last few nights?

 

[SeventyOne]

How have the lines been last few nights?

Friday longest I waited in topped out around 30. Almost nonexistent after midnight.

Other than Beneath the Ice, the lines weren't built with swithbacks. I imagine they most top out at an hour. There's just not space to hold a 90 minute line without spilling into the walkways.

 

[WAJAS]

I LOVED this event. The unique scares, like the bungee, corrugated metal wall, park map, and sliders, got me scared so many times throughout the night. Beneath the Ice and Captain's Revenge are the clear standouts for me with enthusiastic casts, creative scare design, and great overall experience. The other two are also great with the hotel one being the lesser of the four IMO.

The scare zones were all fantastic. I've never gotten really scared in an HHN scare zone, but I got scared multiple times throughout the night in these. The only thing is the pirates scare zone was a bit out of the way where I felt weird wandering through it when I could clearly see the location of all the cast. There were no other people around to hide amongst and there wasn't any fog either. They really need to create a loop for this event next year. Just incorporating The Waterfront and bridge to loop back to Wild Arctic Plaza would be great. Anyways, the roaming haunts and close proximity of the scare zones means nowhere is without scare actors the whole night.

Monster Stomp is the best theme park Halloween show I've ever seen (I've only been to Orlando events), and I went out of my way to see it twice. I think they really utilize the inside theater well for this. The Siren's show isn't really my kind of thing, but the crowd seemed to enjoy it. It does make great use of the Plaza though. Probably the best show they could do in that area. I said at the park that they should have used Bayside, but I think the actors would be too far away from the guests. Maybe they take over the old Pet's Ahoy theater next year??

I heard Patrick was brought in late and helped punch up the event generally, but next year will be the first time he's fully involved in the execution of the event. I'm curious as to what changes he'll make.

Small notes:

• They should pump music into the queue for the houses.
• While the lack of triggers does help, there were some scares that really needed a trigger that activated a light or something because otherwise, it was near impossible to see the scare actor. This was most true in Beneath the Ice.
• More unique food, but keep the large portions.
• Move the drop off / pick up area closer to the HoS exit for the event nights. It was a bit annoying walking all the way back to the opposite side of the parking lot after the long night.
• Don't remove pulsing through the houses!!!

 

[OhHaiInternet95]

I LOVED this event. The unique scares, like the bungee, corrugated metal wall, park map, and sliders, got me scared so many times throughout the night. Beneath the Ice and Captain's Revenge are the clear standouts for me with enthusiastic casts, creative scare design, and great overall experience. The other two are also great with the hotel one being the lesser of the four IMO.

The scare zones were all fantastic. I've never gotten really scared in an HHN scare zone, but I got scared multiple times throughout the night in these. The only thing is the pirates scare zone was a bit out of the way where I felt weird wandering through it when I could clearly see the location of all the cast. There were no other people around to hide amongst and there wasn't any fog either. They really need to create a loop for this event next year. Just incorporating The Waterfront and bridge to loop back to Wild Arctic Plaza would be great. Anyways, the roaming haunts and close proximity of the scare zones means nowhere is without scare actors the whole night.

Monster Stomp is the best theme park Halloween show I've ever seen (I've only been to Orlando events), and I went out of my way to see it twice. I think they really utilize the inside theater well for this. The Siren's show isn't really my kind of thing, but the crowd seemed to enjoy it. It does make great use of the Plaza though. Probably the best show they could do in that area. I said at the park that they should have used Bayside, but I think the actors would be too far away from the guests. Maybe they take over the old Pet's Ahoy theater next year??

I heard Patrick was brought in late and helped punch up the event generally, but next year will be the first time he's fully involved in the execution of the event. I'm curious as to what changes he'll make.

Small notes:

• They should pump music into the queue for the houses.
• While the lack of triggers does help, there were some scares that really needed a trigger that activated a light or something because otherwise, it was near impossible to see the scare actor. This was most true in Beneath the Ice.
• More unique food, but keep the large portions.
• Move the drop off / pick up area closer to the HoS exit for the event nights. It was a bit annoying walking all the way back to the opposite side of the parking lot after the long night.
• Don't remove pulsing through the houses!!!

Can you explain the park map? I sadly never saw it.

 

[WAJAS]

Can you explain the park map? I sadly never saw it.

SeaWorld tends to have podiums with a park map on them and park map pamphlets for all of their events at the entrance. They do for HoS as well, but the podium has a scare actor inside as well. A small window opens with a well-hidden drop-down door where they'll lunge out at you as you study the map. It's just a pretty clever way to take advantage of what we already expect to be there.

 

[Freak]

SeaWorld tends to have podiums with a park map on them and park map pamphlets for all of their events at the entrance. They do for HoS as well, but the podium has a scare actor inside as well. A small window opens with a well-hidden drop-down door where they'll lunge out at you as you study the map. It's just a pretty clever way to take advantage of what we already expect to be there.

That’s BRILLIANT! I wish I experienced that when I went!

 

[HHNManics]

SeaWorld tends to have podiums with a park map on them and park map pamphlets for all of their events at the entrance. They do for HoS as well, but the podium has a scare actor inside as well. A small window opens with a well-hidden drop-down door where they'll lunge out at you as you study the map. It's just a pretty clever way to take advantage of what we already expect to be there.

I can confirm this. The Scare didn't get me but I saw it get someone really good. I have a Photo and you see the outline for the drop Down panel.

 

[shiekra38]

• They should pump music into the queue for the houses.

Ok, I swear they had music and some sound effects playing in the queues (minus Beneath the Ice)

 

[TheGentTrent]

They should pump music into the queue for the houses.

Ok, I swear they had music and some sound effects playing in the queues (minus Beneath the Ice)

There is a park-wide loop that plays at the entrance, the Siren area, and in some of the queues. I think they put it together by pulling from movies and TV shows because I definitely heard the White Walker theme from Game of Thrones in it (which was kind of fitting to hear it play near the Glacier Bar and Frozen Terror scarezone).