Trip Report: Busch Gardens Howl o Scream 2015

On october 16th, my family attended Busch Garden's anunale Howl o Scream. The theme for this year was Unearthed, in which a group of archaeologists have unearthed something evil hidden with the park. Scartlet, a vindictive sorceress hell bent on seeking revenge on those who have murdered her beloved and those who would dared enter her house. Created by the producer of the Blair Witch Project, this event went into planning and effert create a unique backstory and icon for this year's event.  

Houses

The icon's house and theme for this year's event, in which guests enter an centries old house buried within the park. The interior settings was truly amazing with detailed rooms that you are inside a 19th century house inhabited by Scarlet's demonic minios. The projection scene laked any scare actors, however they did pay tribuite to the icons of the past Howl o Scream events.

Cornered was by far the best outdoor maze this year, a famring comunity infested with scare crows and undead farmers. They even combinding a mirror and corn maze.

Deadline was one of the creative maze they've ever made science 2011. A subway station infested with zombies.

Lumberhack was kind of average with indreed hillbillies and a chainsaw wheilding maianc chasing park guests at the end. The eniter maze was completly dark, but overall I liked it a littile bit, the effects were amazing.

 Now you known Willamsburg's Howl o Scream event is kind of genaric, with werewolves, vampires and witches. Cut Throat Cove wasn't really scary or atmospheric, it was kind of a family freindly maze.

Scare Zones

Ripper Row did fit in with the England area  being all dected out to fell like we are in the East Ends of London with Jack the Ripper and his victims.

Demon Street had an party like atmosphere, while everyone is being chased by chainsaw whelinding demons.

Wendigo Woods emphasized on human scares by maulded up scientests and millitary men shouting at park guests. 

Vampire Point was atmopsheric but lacked diverse characters, because the vampires kinda dressed the same to me. 

Ports of Skull laked any supernatural elements, while the scareactors did look like they were from a Renaissance Fair. 

Shows

The Fiends show did kinda reminded me of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, with a mad scientist creating a monster with his hunchbacked assistant and sexy nurses. They had some great song and dance numbers such as Thriller, Shot Through the Heart, Hungery Like the Wolf and Feed my Frankenstien. 

Night Beats at the Fest House was an exllent dinner and a show, but the jokes were a bit conery. 

The music was brilliant at Monster Stomp, but the story with Jack the Ripper falling in love with one of his victims was kinda werid.

Literary Terror

Facade: The Wyndott County Library, a one story red brick building. It looks rather inocent, not knowing of the terrors that lurk within.

Lobby: Inside the library, an elderly woman can be seen in the checkout desk with an book in hand, giving you a not too friendly look. In every second, she will slam the book with a loud thud as tries to grab you.

Into the Stories:We move between an asile of book on both sides of the wall. Books fly in and out of shelves above our heads, the Librarian can be seen at the far end of the hall where she will vanish and reaper in front of guests. 

Dickens (A Christmas Carol): We find ourselves outside an old English cemetery, here is 40 degrees as snow rests among the tombs and headstones. The silence is broken as we are ambushed by the ghost of Jacob Marly, Ebenezer Scrooge, The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. Along with the addition to spirits all bound in iron chain.

Shakespeare (Macbeth): We now find ourselves inside a Medieval Scottish castle lit with torches and banners hanging on the ceilings. We hear the mad rambling of Lady Macbeth echoing through the corridor. A flash of lighting reviles the murdered ghost of King Banquo hovering outside the window. Suddenly, the Weird Sisters will pop out from dark corners of the hall. 

Lord of the Flies: Exiting the castle, we are now in a tropic forests filled with smoke and burring wood. We hear a loud chanting "Kill the Pig, bash it's head" as we are ambushed by young boy with face paints and brandishing their spears.

Classics (Oedipus Rex): The jungle gives way to a baren wasteland with Grecian ruins and human bones. Suddenly the blinded Oedipus will emerge from behind a rock formation, while the Sphinx swipes her claws from above. 

Gothic (Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde): Inside a laboratory filled with beakers and test tubes, Dr Henry Jekyll can be seen working at his desk on a formula. Once he as drunk the potions, he writhes in pain and vanishes from beneath his desk. This will then give the opportunity Mr Hyde making his appearance from the opposite side of the desk and chases after guests.

Short Stories (The Metamorphous): Inside an spare room with only one bed, a table with a lamp, and family portrait. Bugs can be seen crawling on the walls as blasts of air hit us beneath our feet. The transformed Gregor will then emerge from underneath the sofa.

 Childrens (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory): We enter a brightly colored room filled with candied fruits hanging from trees and candy cane stocks. The design is surreal and fantastic, however we are ambushed by the Ompa Lumbas. 

Science Fiction (Fahrenheit 451): We make our way through a pile of burning books as the entire room is consumed in flame and smoke. We are attacked by firemen in futuristic style gear and a robotic dog. 

Finale: The Librarian can be seen hovering above us as we make our way through a large pages, where we will encounter the characters we previously encountered and her victims.

Scareactors:

The Librarian: A frightening elderly woman in early 20th specter gown

Ebenezer Scrgooge: An old miser in nightgown and cap with chains all around him

Jacob Marly: As he was described in the book, waistcoat, pigtails and chains

Ghost of Christmas Past: A banshee type figure with white robes 

Ghost of Christmas Present: A dying old man with white beard and faded robes

Ghost of Christmas Future: A wraith with black robes and skeletal hands

Ghosts: Spirits in Victorian clothing and chains

Weird Sisters: Three witches; one a young woman, a middle aged woman and an old hag

Wild Children: Boys in tattered school uniforms and war paint on their faces.

Oedipus: A man in torn robes and eyes that have been gouged out

Sphinx: Female on the top

Dr Jekyll: A middle aged man in victorian attire  

Mr Hyde: Similar to Fredric March's portrayal 

Gerger: Think of David Cronenburg's Fly

Ompa Lumpas: Demented little men in steam-punk outfits

Firemen: Men in futuristic clothing

Victims: Men and women with their mouths sewed shut 

The Shadow Over Innsmouth

Facade: The Esoteric Order of Dagon stand dominate over the abandoned shops and houses of Innsmouth.

Chaple: Inside the church there are robed figures sitting on both sides fo the aile chanting "La R'lyeh! Cthulhu fhtagn!" Some of them will be manquin dummies, while others are scareactors that will jump out from their seats. Twords the end is the high preist preforming a ritualistic sacrife to a young man on the alter.  

Alleyway: Outside of the Temple of Dagon, guests will find themeselves in the adjacent alleyway. An elderly fisherman will warn guests to leave this town immediately, while townsflok with the Innsmouth look will attack guests from darken conners. 

Gillman House: Insdie the Gillman House, we pass through a series of portraits and photographs of normal looking people that will morph into fish like creatures. 

In of the guests room, a young man is seen barricading the door, as he ushers guests to go through a crawspace, as a claw like hand emerges from the door. Wheelchair bound guests will be lead through a secert passageway. 

As gusests make their way through the crawlspace they will attacked by a Deep One.  

The Marsh Refinery: Inside the abaononed warehouse factory, unnaturaly sized fish hang on hooks in which guests must make their way through. An Innsmouth residents will then slam a fish aginst the wall and then chase after guests.

Boathouse: As guests enter the boathouse a Innsmouth resident in fishing geer will attack from a hidden door, while a Deep One will hid from a boat above. 

Devil's Reef: Guests will then travel across a bridge where an aluring female Deep One can be seen sitting on a rock temping guests, this a distraction scare, as Deep Ones will attemt to grab from underneath.

Y'ha-nthlei: Guests will then find themselves in the underwater realm of Y'tha-nthlei, home of the Deep Ones. It is illuminated by blue lighting, as various Deep Ones will atack guests from both sides of coloms. A Deep One can be seen on rige above, as if it's swiming 

Scare Actors: 

Cultists: Healy robed mebers    

High Preist: A robed individual with jewled tiara  

Innsmouth Residents: Men and women in early 20th century working class attires. Their apperance will change throughout the maze. Stage 1: Bulging watery eyes, flatned noses and broad lips. Stage 2: Webbed hands, hairless grayish skin. Stage 3: Clawed hands, fanged mouth.      

Deep Ones: A race of humanoid fish entites. Similar to The Creature from the Black Lagoon.  

Soundtrack: Dagon OST

The Woman in Black

Facade: Eel Marsh House, a decerpit Victorian manor house with overgrown vegitation. A shadowy figure can be seen on one of the second floor windows. 

Foyer: Inside the entire house is is condemned and abaononed, the furnitures are covered in sheets and the portraits are faded with age. 

Drawing Room: The Drawing Room dose seem inviting, even if it's all forgten with dust covered funitures. Outside, we can see it's storming in a large window, the flashes of lighting revel a figure of a woman all dressed in black standing outside. The entire room is consumed in darkness for a few seconds, and will return yet the ghostly woman has vanished only to appear in front of gustes from a hidden door. 

Gallery: Photographs and portraits of children adorn both sides of the walls. Most of them will have their eyes of their entire face scrached out, while some may show some evidence of a shadowy figure in the barkground. Passing through a large ornate mirror, the face of a woman, who is heavily veiled, can be seen within the reflection. Arthur Kipps will make his apperance holding a small hatchet.

Nursery: The nursery is filled with old fashoined toys and dolls that will spring to life. The left side of the wall is inscribed You could have saved him writen in blood, as a rocking chair moves by itself. The large canopy bed seems to empty, until an apparition of a young child emerges from the sheets and screams at us.

Hallway: We then enter a candlelit hallway with doors on both sides. At the far end of the hall is The Woman in Black standing from afar, she vanshies and reapears in front of guests.

  Attic: The Attic is filled with long forgten objects, crates and brick and brack. Jennet Humpfrey reenacting her death by hanging herself in the attic raffters, but the main scares are the spirits of young children that will pop out of dark space.

Causeway: Oustise of the house, the enitre are is covered in fog, with only a row of lanterns to guide guests. A small cross stands on a patch of mud or is quick sand as the ruined remains of a crage emerges. Disorinting voices can be heard throughout the void, such as a woman's shriek, a child's cry for help and the neighing of horses.

Chapel: Inside the village church we see that a funeral has taken place. The mourners are mostly mannequin dumies, while others are scareactors that lung out from their seats twoards us. The Woman in Black will pop out from a wooden coffin.  

Cemetery: Outside in a small cemetery Elizabeth, Samuel Daily's wife is under a trance as she craves a symbol on a monument, a satue will come to life, similar to one in Winter's Night. In the distance, we can see the figure of the Woman in Black.

Train Stagtion/Finale: In an old train station the whistle of train could be heard, as we the face of the children and the Woman in Black progected on the windows of a passing train. The Woman in Black will emerge from a hidden door to give us one finale scare.

Scare Actors:
The Woman in Black/Jennet Humphery
Arthur Kipps
Children
Mounters
Elizabeth Daily
Statue

Soundtrack: The Woman in Black OST; Tea for Three pluss One, Voices in the Mist and Arthur's Theme.