A Selfie with Frankenstein
I finally had the chance to get to Busch Gardens Howl O’ Scream [1] on Friday to check out all the haunted houses, shows and wonderful music.
Daytime at the park was pretty similar to any other day at Busch Gardens- beautiful grounds, perfect weather (yeah I know they didn’t do THAT), fantastic food and fun rides. However it’s very obvious something different has happened- the normal European decorations have been replaced with pirates, witches, bats, zombies and other scary items. In the bright daylight they are a bit scary for very young children but there is still plenty to do in all the normal children’s areas that haven’t been changed.
My highest priority was to get to all three of the Halloween shows BEFORE 6 p.m. when Howl O’ Scream officially starts. We managed to succeed and here are my thoughts on each:
Monster Stomp on Ripper Row
Premiering at the newly renovated Globe Theater in England, Monster Stomp takes advantage of the amazing lighting, projections and stage enhancements made for the London Rocks show this summer. However don’t confuse it with the poorly reviewed London Rocks show- while there are still a few strange spots in the flow (mostly slower songs for costume and set changes) it is REALLY fun. The performers were very energetic and the use of popular music had some audience members singing along. The dancing and singing were quality and most of the costumes beautiful. The best part of the show easily is the percussionists- they play just about every set piece on stage with a variety of bones, knives and drum sticks. Of the three shows currently running do NOT miss this one- it’s SO much fun.
Night Beats
Night Beats returns again this year to Das Festhaus in the Germany section of the park. The idea of the show is that you have been invited to the Casket Club and the vampires and their friends are there to entertain you. My favorite thing about all the shows in this venue is that they use live music- no hiding subpar vocals under a soundtrack. Unfortunately for this show it just isn’t as clever as they think it is. I have always felt bad for the performers in this venue because Das Festhaus is an awful place to perform- people are constantly moving in and out, eating, throwing away garbage, shopping etc. Unlike the other two theaters it is terribly difficult to engage the audience. Overall the show is fine but if you miss it- no big deal.
Fiends
There is a line in Buffy the Vampire Slayer I think of every time I see this show. “We listened to aggressively cheerful music sung by people chosen for their ability to dance.” That is my exact description of Fiends. It is the “adult” show in the park and requires a half dozen or so girls willing to dance in small outfits. They are generally good dancers and look great in their outfits but their vocals often pain me….The guy cast as Dr. Frankenstein is always great and the girls’ singing makes me want to cringe. This is not a show for the kids but it’s a fun show if you aren’t easily offended.
When 6 p.m. hits the park CHANGES. We were heading out to the car to grab our sweatshirts and drop some items off and saw some parents who had not timed their exit well. Walking back through England there were LOTS of wide eyes and nervous little ones. The actors roaming the streets dressed as zombies and butchers left them alone of course but with the change in music, setting of the sun and suddenly appearance of characters it only takes about 10 minutes for the feel of the entire park to change. It is not friendly for nervous little ones.
When we got back in warmer gear we headed for the haunted houses. One of the biggest problems with Howl O’ Scream is that it is only 4 hours long. There are 6 houses and five terror-tories- it’s pretty much IMPOSSIBLE to get to them all in four hours. If you REALLY want to do it you can buy a Quick Queue pass [2] to skip the lines but honestly I would say buy a Fall Fun Card [3]and just come two separate days. There is plenty to do.
The haunted houses are always fun and I won’t describe each one for you. They all have different themes but none was really any scarier than the others. I’m mildly claustrophobic so I enjoy the ones that are outside a little bit more but they are all good, scary and fun at the same time. I think the Catacombs was the most unique of the four we went into and it was strange to think it’s the same location that the cute little penguins will be in a few weeks for Christmas Town [4].
Overall I always think a trip to Howl O’ Scream is a great part of celebrating Halloween. We were in the park for just under 12 hours and had plenty to do between shows, rides and just enjoying walking around. I had a bite of a Pumpkin Cheesecake that was AMAZING- I highly recommend it!
Want to save some money on your single day tickets?
Here are the current coupon codes for Howl O’ Scream tickets:
- Wendy’s Single-Day Ticket Deal – Visit participating Wendy’s locations in Hampton Roads, Richmond, Charlottesville, Roanoke, Harrisonburg, Northern Virginia and Raleigh for $5 off a single-day ticket to Busch Gardens®. Double the discount to $10 by entering the promo code found on the Wendy’s in-store coupon online at www.buschgardens.com/va [5]. Offer expires Oct. 26, 2014.
- Papa John’s Single-Day Ticket Deal – Visit participating Papa John’s locations in Hampton Roads and Richmond for $5 off a single-day ticket to Busch Gardens®. Double the discount to $10 by entering the promo code found on the Papa John’s in-store coupon online at www.buschgardens.com/va [5]. Offer expires Oct. 26, 2014.
So click here [1] to start shopping and get your Howl O’ Scream tickets [1]today!
Don’t forget to check out the current Busch Gardens Williamsburg Coupons [6]!