The Flying Dutchman

This attraction is loosely based on the one from Eftling in Netherlands. It will be a combination of dark ride, flume, and roller coaster. 

We enter through the cobble stone streets of a quaint sea side village of Rhinehaven. Standing among the shops and dominate among the building is a gothic Dutch manor house composed of wood and stone with a turret that seems to serve as a lighthouse to guide ship to prevent shipwrecks.    

Entering the facade of the attraction, we navigate our way through a small candlelit hallway and into an anti-chamber where we wait for 10 minuets. The doors then open, as a servant in 17th century attire leads us to the library with a large painting on the fireplace. The painting starts to come alive and tells the legend of The Flying Dutchman.

" In the year 1678, Captain Hendrik van der Decken, a wealthy dutch sea merchant of the East Indian Co, seated in the New World and built this house for his bride Katrina. His trading business brought happiness to him and his wife. It was on that stormy night on Easter, Hendrik set out for sea. Dissipate his wife's pleas that it was forbiten to go out on a holy day. The arrogant Van der Decken would believe in any nonsense and sailed away. From that day Hendrik was never seen again and his still waits for his return. "

After that, a secret passageway opens to lead us into an underground tunnel lit by lanterns. If you're lucky enough, you may spot a hidden treasure in small corner. 

Emerging from the cellars, we now find ourselves in the boarding docks where we board a barge that will carry 12 passengers in three rows. 

The barge begins to glides through the bustling port where life like animatronics of townsfolk can be seen going about their business. We then pass between two massive ships and through the canal and into the open sea, where the sky is dark and cloudless. 

Unearthly songs can be heard within the void coming the ruined remains of old figureheads of sea sirens in the jagged rocks. The figure of woman can be seen standing on the edge of a cliff waiting for someone to return.   

The strikes of lighten from the sky exposes the ghostly vessel of The Flying Dutchman hovering above the stormy clouds, as it advances quickly to us. Our barge is then take up to the accursed ship as we dodge through ghostly crew members in every direction.

The barge then begins to ascend to a an up hill lift, at the summit is the ghost of Captain Van der Deken at the steering wheel and taunts us.  

"I will sail, storm or no storm, forbidden or not. Even sail for entirety."

"And you shall sail with us until the end of time."

Doors open and the barge shoots in a curved declination through a tunnel. After this some airtime in a bunny hop and an 85 degree horseshoe. A steep fall and a left curve bring the barge back into the water. The barge then slowly glides to the unloading docks as disembark  the barge and back to land. 

The Wolfman: Curse of Talbot Hall

Facade: Talbot Hall, a gothic Victorian manor house that stand dominat in the English countryside. An uneartly howl of a beast can be heard within the wind, as the building is illuminated by the light of the full moon.

Talbot Hall: Inside the mansion, the entire room is covered in a state of neglect and disrepair. Mounted animal heads, portraits and furniture are all colecting dust. Here we are greeted by Lawrence's rather eccentric and sinister father, Sir John Talbot. 

Hallway: Guests will then proced to a long extending hallway lined with family portraits on the right side and large windows on the left side. When the moonlight hits direclty at the paintings, they will change into wolf like creatures.

Nursery: In an abandoned nursery, a child like creature with a demonic face  emerges from a dark corner of the room. He snarles and swipes it's claws at us.

Mausoleum: In the catacombs of the Talbot family crypt, guests will make their way around a life size staue of Lawrence's deceased mother. In an ajasent coner, Laurance in mid transformation will lunge at guests.

Gypsy Camp: Emerging from the catacombs of Talbot Hall, we now find ourselves in the wooded moors where gypsies have set up camp. The gypsies will emerge from the caravans and warn guests of the dangers lurking in the moors. 

Woods: Moving on, the guests enter the woods on the moors, where Gwen is running and hiding from someone as the Wolfman give chase from behind the trees. 

   Asylum:  The next room is a coridoor of the Asylum, where the inmates will attack guests on both sides of the hall from behind closed door. At the far end of the hall is Lawrence where he is straped down to a chair. Lawrence shouts for the guests to flee, threatening to kill them all as he begins to transform and lunges at the guests. 

 Alleyway: In the adjacent alleyway in London, The Wolfman can be seen amoung the rooftops as Inceptor Abberline attempts to shoot it with a gun. Victims of the Wolfman will emerge from dark conners

Finale: We are then transported back to the moors in an old abandoned church. Here guests are attacked by no one, but two werewolves as they seem to be in the middile of a battle. We exit through the stone archway of the church, where The Wolfman will lunge at guests to give them a finale scare.      

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