Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens

We love Howl-​O-​Scream. It was a fantastic event this year. We had the front of the line passes, so we were able to go through every haunted house, and ride every open ride, and we still had time left in our evening! It was scary, but not so scary that anyone in our group was freaked out. This year I brought my middle daughter. She’s 10 and wasn’t scared at all. You know your kid, so I can’t say if it’s right for your child or not.
My advice… go for the front of the line passes. Well worth it!

On my way to the park I expected to be scared senseless. What we got was a mixed bag. Some of the haunted houses were superb while others were a bit «meh.» In between haunted houses there were great expanses were there was not a single thrill or scare (from Iceploration all the way past the elephants and into Timbuktu and even then there were no scare zones). The entrance had a ton of entertainment but it quickly waned as we walked the rest of the park. Perks were that there was really no wait time at any of the houses except for the zombie containment (zombie laser tag) zone. We breezed through the lines and for those that actually bought express tickets, I am sure they felt that it was not money well spent. Again, it was a mixed bag. Some great houses but a lot of dead space in the park. For $ 35 it wasn’t bad, but I would NOT pay full price for the same experience. Trying out Halloween Horror Nights next year for sure.

It’s been about three years since I’ve been to Howl-​O-​Scream, and I really wasn’t that enthused about going… my last experience wasn’t bad, but I wasn’t that impressed either. My friend is an annual pass holder and was able to purchase tickets at a reduced price of $ 35, making it affordable and much more attractive. That price for haunted houses, entertainment, and roller coasters ended up being an incredible deal for me and my twelve year old (who LOVES this stuff).
We went on a Sunday night this year, and I thought the haunted houses were amazing. I would have given my experience five stars had we not been herded through some of the haunted houses like closely packed cattle or a line of ants… it really was that bad, you could see the line pushing on ahead of you, and there were very few surprises because we could see and hear the action occurring ahead of us. On several occasions while going through The Basement, I was run into from behind, pushed, and subjected to shrill screaming inches from my ears… it got a little trying a few times and made it very difficult to enjoy… and The Basement was one of the better houses in my opinion.
Although the park was packed, we found our way through several lines very quickly and with fewer cattle surrounding us (Unearthed and Circus of Superstition). We slowed down and took our time through these, which made them obvious favorites for everyone in our group… they were amazing! The frights were actually surprising and thus more frightening, and the effects and the actors were phenomenal! I really wish we had been able to experience every house this way… but we were there from 5pm until 1am, and we still weren’t able to experience everything… we missed out on Death Water Bayou and Fiends.
In addition to the rides, food and refreshments that can be enjoyed here daily, there were also several areas in the park near dining/​seating/​rest spots playing dance music, which was entertaining and enjoyable for both the dancers and the bystanders (aka us).

So you don’t allow kilts in the park because it’s a «costume»?
Please educate yourselves

I must say, I’m a huge fan of howl o scream over any other Halloween themed attractions in the area, originally I started going in Williamsburg as I just moved here last year from VA. To add insult to injury we had planned to have this as a special even for a friend who’s birthday was on the 12^th, so they drove down to go to a new BG experience.
First of all, when we checked in we found out that they had purchased individual tickets and then the passes instead of the agreed upon passes for the VIP tours (a super and 2 megas) as I purchased a mega. So we wandered around the park with nothing to show for it but the bands on our wrists. After about half an hour of this I was fed up with the lack of perks at least I was supposed to be receiving so I went to guest services and told them to follow suit because at check in all three of us failed to receive any sort of tickets or necklaces to show we had extra privileges. So when I asked the attendant «where are these complimentary drinks that are supposed to be stationed throughout the event for the mega pass holder, as well as the free photo, discount on merch, and the front of the line passes — they said that they couldn’t give me any even though I had both the physical copy of my printed ticket as well as the digital on my phone. Their solution? 3 front of the line ticket to haunted houses, 3 front of the line tickets to coasters, and 3 2 $ Busch bucks tickets… which equated to ¾ the cost of a beer. I asked «well what about the lanyard to show that I have a mega pass?» ‘oh we ran out’…yet not 5 minutes later both of my friends received the necklaces to show they have punches for front of the line access.
THEN when I used my passes… the ticket receivers did not even ask for my tickets just shoed us along as they continued whatever conversation they were having with their coworkers.
The coasters were fun, the houses there not as good as last year, and I paid way over for what I felt was little to no perks.
Added bonus? how many times their rent-​a-​cops stopped me and questioned me why I had so many tickets… the answer is 3 — 3 times I was stopped and accused of having reproduced or stolen these tickets. The irony being that had I received the APPROPRIATE perks of my passes? They should have been unlimited front of the line coaster access, and SIX tickets to the haunted houses… I never received a single complimentary anything…
Not only was this a horrible experience, but I got to have a wonderful ride home with the couple that came down from va the day before to hear 30 minutes of why Williamsburg is so much better run, better rides, and better houses on the ride home.
My advice? before you buy the VIP passes? buy an regular admission pass, then take whatever extra you would spend on the VIP passes… and light it on fire, at least then you know ahead of time that you wasted so much energy, excitement, and money.

Overall 3.5 Stars. I have been hopping between howl o scream and horror nights for the last 8 years, horror nights may be slightly scarier but Busch gardens has the roller coasters to ride at night and a less cluttered park.
As for the scare zones, im not sure if Busch gardens isn’t putting the effort it use to or if I’m just getting older, but it didn’t seem as good as the last coupon of years.
GET THE FAST PASS! It’s impossible to enjoy the park without the fast pass.

Always fun to go to Busch Gardens. For Howl-​o-​Scream they keep a bunch of rides open so you can experience them at night. There are also a good amount of mazes that you can go on and get scared. While walking through the park you may com across some roaming monsters, so be carful. I did get a little freaked out a couple times here, and I found myself looking over my shoulder a few times.
There are a few more scare attraction here in Tampa but its hard to compare to each other. They each offer there own experience and it depends what your looking for. Busch Gardens offers a good Halloween themed experience that I feel excited to come to. This years experience wasn’t as great as last year however. Fewer roaming people and packed mazes, but we still got a good halloween experience.
All in all if you go with a good group of friends or the right person you’ll have a fun time. If you walk through thinking you know whats gonna happen and nothing is going to scare you, than you are not going to get scared. Go in open and have a good time with friends, thats what your paying for!

Besides the prices being completely different… Howl O Scream is absolutely amazing! I went to universal last year, wayyyyy too crowded with a very young crowd. Bush gardens rides are opened, the fiends show is pretty entertaining and different. Scare zones all over the park. Even when everything starts shutting down, be aware they are hiding in the bushes! The guided tours are WORTH IT! The haunted houses are very well thought out. We had Sarah as a tour guide, she was AWESOME!!! I can’t wait to go back and make this a tradition.

Howl O Scream 2015 Opening Night!
Fun, lots of «spookhouses» and crazy characters running around trying to entertain and «scare» you! I would not call any of it terrifying, although some of the guests apparently do get «spooked»!. Sometimes it is more fun to watch the reactions of some of the other guests, than the things that are scaring them.
The «Unearthed» attraction was pretty decent… lots of good props, and the «actors» seem to be getting into it a little bit.
The «Zombie Containment Center» was fun… although a lot of the Zombies seemed not overly enthusiastic. This is the one that is like «lazer tag», you are given a «gun» to defend yourself against the Zombie Hordes… and run through the maze shooting Zombies as they pop out at you! Since the Zombies get blasted so much, and have to freeze and hide when they are shot… I can see where they would turn into ZZZZzzzzombies after a while.
DeadWater Bayou… one of my favorites, love that spookie, swampy ambience… and the actors are over the top. hamming it up! Lots of fun!
Missed Deadfall. so can’t comment on that! Didn’t do the Circus of Superstition since my girlfriend really does not like spooky clowns! The other Zombie thing… ehh…
Food? It is a theme park… Snowcones are great! Funnel cakes are decent. The BBQ… eh… smells awesome, but not very tender, and way overpriced. Burgers, do-​able. but not great. Salads… ok, but check to make sure they are fresh! The food is edible, but I don’t eat there anymore unless I have to! (Warning: I am picky about food, so am probably harsher than most on this)
We ran into a couple of cool characters, wandering around the park that were fun, too! The lady asking me if her «baby» was normal… NOT! But she played it well! The spook hiding in the bushes… made my girlfriend scream! lol!
Riding the rides at night is always cool… I just wish Gwazi was still running, THAT was a rollercoaster! Although Kumba is awesome too!
A good time… lots of fun, good exercise too since the park is so huge. Lots of beer and wine too, if that is something you are into. Saw several people who may have had one too many… but that is not my problem.
If you can get discount tickets, well worth the time! Long hours, and lots to do.
Oh. and you can get your picture taken with some HOT vampires, or some luscious Scream Girls… :)
(oh. and please remember Cell Phones can be rude, especially in the dark!) :)
EDIT. I see a lot of reviewers are recommending front of line passes. On a weekend, probably a good idea… except there will be so many people buying them, that they may not help much! If you can, go during the week… lines will be none to 15 minutes or so at the most!

Went for preview night. It drizzled on and off. That may have contributed to the excessively long lines.
I used to come here because it was a great price and way less crowded than its Universal competition. But, with the event opening at 7 and closing at 1 am, it was impossible to visit all of the haunted houses. We did not get to enjoy any of the rides at night and saw no shows.
I get the park is out to make money and encouraging its patrons to buy the fast passes, but I didn’t feel like I got $ 60 worth… Thankfully I attended for the discounted rate of $ 45…plus $ 17 in parking and $ 8 – 10 a beer…
Houses were solid and you can tell that the park is starting to invest more. Scare zones need improvement.

Not worth the money !! Hard to navigate, not scary, simply stated not an enjoyable experience !! IMO your much better off with Halloween Horror Nights @ Universal in Orlando

Oh how I miss going here! I would go every year and it was always a blast!!!

This year was my first year going to Howl O Scream ever. I actually hadn’t been to Busch Gardens since I was a kid, so I was doubly excited: get the poop scared out of me AND get to ride roller coasters?! YES!!!
I went with fellow Unilocaler Sarah P. for a Unilocal Elite event, which was awesome because we got spiffy swag bags that gave us a place to put our stuff, and we snagged ponchos from Andy just in case it rained. Of course it rained, cause hello? Florida. So glad we did that! THANKS ANDY!
Anyway, we went in all but 2 of the haunted houses; one was apparently «reservations only» to get in and the other didn’t allow us to use the front of the line passes. Bummer, but oh well. We still had a blast! The carnival/​clown themed house was my favorite; specifically the room that was just full of clowns! When one jumped out at me, I screamed SO hard! It was hilarious. The scare zone performers were really great too.
I got to ride roller coasters, which was awesome! I hadn’t ever ridden any of them at Busch Gardens.
Only slightly related to the event itself: I lost my ID and my debit card because they fell out of my pocket. Another guest called me to let me know that she had found my stuff! I was pleasantly surprised by this gesture because 1-​she even returned the $ 20 bill I dropped and 2– it made me feel great that humans are still capable of being amazing.
Definitely had a great time at Howl O Scream, and I think next year I’ll go again!

This was actually my second trip to Busch Gardens for Howl-​O-​Scream. I had previously gone a few years back after a very mediocre «Halloween Horror Nights» experience in Orlando.
Both times HOS was so much better than HHN in every way. The park just gives off such a cool Halloween vibe at night it’s hard to describe. Just having so much more nature around you instead of just a bunch of man made structures gives you a different feel.
First off, their Haunted Houses are very well thought out. There isn’t really a cheeseball feel to them. Riding roller coasters at night is so cool too. Unfortunately, this year I got rained on literaly the entire night which closed all the coasters. It did make the park 10 times more creepy though so it wasn’t all bad. Paying the extra money to skip the lines is extremely recommended & worth every penny. I skipped right to the front of quite a few lines that were at least one hour long or more.
For 2014, the sickest Haunted House award goes to the 3D Clown house. It was beyond twisted & took me back to the movie Killer Klowns from Outer Space. The Bayou house was a strong second place. All of the houses were well thought out with slight exception to the laser tag house. In theory, it was a cool idea but it wasn’t executed very well. On top of that, the line skip pass didn’t apply to this house so the wait time didn’t justify the payoff. If you can still have fun while being soaked from head to toe in rain then you know the place is worth the money.
If you are deciding between HHN & HOS, Busch Gardens takes the Win!

Super fun! We made to six of the Haunted Houses with Death Water Bayou being our absolute favorite. They say the actors are not allowed to touch you but they get awful close! Beware of flying zombies and monsters and trapezes– you no longer have to just worry about what is behind you. The characters jump out in front, in back, on the sides and now over top of you.
And just an FYI– the more scared you look the better chance you have to get targeted. They PREY ON THE WEAK! Hiding behind one of your friends will NOT keep you safe. It will draw more attention to you! Trust me!
Also cool is being able to ride the roller coasters at night. Almost as freaky as the Haunted Houses!!!

OMG… this was the coolest theme park experience ever.
So let’s talk about HAUNTED HOUSES
DEADFALL is about lost ghosts and they freak me out. I was so scared and I screamed so much. This is the one that I have to apologize to Rosario for grabbing your arm so much but you knew I would be hanging on you.
ZOMBIE CONTAINMENT UNIT has zombies walking around and of course a lot more screaming and grabbing friends.
DEAD WATER BAYOU was one of the scariest in my opinion. I literally walked with my eyes closed some of the time and just followed along because I was still grabbing and holding on to friends.
THE BASEMENT was another that the people working there were dressed up so spooky and scary and they kept scaring us by jumping out at us when we weren’t ready.
CIRCUS OF SUPERSTITION was definitely the scariest. Everyone found the clown room to be the one that scared them most. I was so surprised that so many friends were afraid of clowns. Everyone kept saying it reminded them of the movie IT. Plus they have you wear 3D glasses and YES it worked and made it so much worse. The glasses made it hard to tell which were real or just fake. Every time I thought one was fake they would jump out and scare me.
The best part of the haunted houses was that we had Fast Passes so we didn’t have to wait to go in and some of the lines were VERY VERY LONG.
As scary as the haunted houses were I was even more scared to go on the roller coasters. I’ve been on them in the past but this was night time and I was already jittery from all the haunted house monsters and the monsters that just walk all over the theme park that kept freaking me out; probably because they knew I was terrified.

NPS = 10
I was not expecting that! Awesome job, Howl-​O-​Scream!
When it comes to Halloween Horror parks, the first thing that comes to mind for a Florida resident (and I am sorry to mention the competition) is Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando.
Never would I have thought that this underdog in Tampa would come and beat the pants out of the long proclaimed heavyweight champ!
Sure, it is not branded as much and all the houses are generic (zombies, the basement, etc. and you don’t get names like Resident Evil and Walking Dead) but it also allows for a LOT of freedom in how terrifying you can make your houses. And I have to admit… I was pretty terrified.
The scares are just better. You never know what is going to pop up at you!
The entire park is a «scare zone», not just designated areas of the park.
Additionally, all the roller coasters are open and you can get your thrill on throughout the park.
The overall experience is an adrenaline rush and by the time you are done, you will be tired out because of the nerve-​wrecking scares.
Some quick notes:
1) I definitely recommend buying the Quick Queue pass.
2) The Zombie Mortuary is the best haunted house.
3) Beware not to have a panic attack on Falcon’s Fury. Most of all, do not look… nevermind. You have no choice but to look down.
4) Go to the Zombie Containment Unit house first because a Quick Queue pass will not allow you to bypass the line.
I will definitely recommend Howl-​O-​Scream to friends. It was a pleasant surprise.

Let’s just chalk this special event up as an «Educational Experience»… because you will learn new things about yourself regardless of how stubborn you are and admit you don’t know every thing about yourself (yet)…
You see, I «THOUGHT» my big fear was heights but turns out I was wrong… oh yeah, I’m definitely afraid of heights (that fact was solidified by the 200 foot height of Sheikra)… apparently my big fear is (wait for it)… CLOWNS
I’ve heard friends say silly stuff like «clowns freak me out»… I’ve never jumped on that bandwagon and frankly thought it was funny but in a 5 second experience, in one room, of one haunted house I had to cross paths with CLOWNS and none of them even jumped out; all mannequins but as soon as I entered the «clown room» my adrenaline jumped and I panicked and I left behind the dozen friends I was with… didn’t even know I could move that fast.
* * * * * * * * * *
What exactly is HOWL-​O-​SCREAM?
Basically the entire theme park is converted to an haunted experience during the late hours of the night with a few goals in mind… entertains you, scare you and give you a night to remember with action packed roller-​coasters, haunted houses and all sorts of things that go BOO in the night (like zombies, monsters and chain-​saw wielding mad-​men).
* * * * * * * * * *
I conquered my FEAR… Not of CLOWNS… I think that’s here to stay.
Most of my group wanted to ride SheiKra… the monster of roller coasters with a top speed of 70 MPH; and although heights scare me silly, I went along for the ride (call it peer pressure). 8 people across, dangling feet (with no floors), a slow 200 foot elevation climb and then the car pauses at the peak hanging over the 90 degree drop… just to scare the sh&t out of us (it worked). At the end, I was a little quiet and my hair was a bit messier but it was all worth it.
During the ride I learned more about myself than previously thought… I already knew I curse (perhaps a bit too much) but when we began the 90 degree drop I began cursing… A LOT of cursing… words that I didn’t really think I knew… poor Rosario was beside me with her own fears and the poor girl had to yell «SHUT UP GLENN»… I assume I was freaking her out even more… Sorry Ros !
I even went on to do Cheetah Hunt (not scary, just fast and exciting and almost a mile long) and Montu (I hated and loved this one due to it’s unique inverted tracks (attached to rail above instead of running on tracks beneath the car… a bit too much twisting and upside down turns)
* * * * * * * * * *
At least 6 haunted houses… each with their own theme… what scares one person is no big deal for another but guarantee one of those other houses will find something to scare «that guy».
* * * * * * * * * *
Let me give you one bit of advice that’ll shock you due to high cost but afterward you will be happier than a fat kid bathing in ice cream… BUY A FRONT-​OF-​THE-​LINE ACCESS PASS (also known as Front Line Fear Evil Upgrade). It’s not cheap but it’s worth it. Basically for an additional 55 dollars you get to skip the lines… consider this, some of the roller coasters and haunted houses had 30 to 45 minute wait times… I was in those haunted houses immediately and the roller coasters took about 15 minutes and that was only because we wanted to wait for the front row each time.
* * * * * * * * * *
In summary… CLOWNS SUCK !

Howl-​O-​Scream is my favorite Halloween event and I look forward to it every year. It is pretty expensive and they keep adding more and more «extras» and «upgrades». This includes «The Experiment» which sounds cool, but I refuse to pay for it. For the amount of money you pay for admission, they should include everything. The one thing that you need to buy if you really want to enjoy your experience:
***Buy a Front of the Line Pass***
It stinks to have to spend an extra $ 45/​each ($ 55 if you want rollercoasters too), but it is worth it in my opinion if you can afford it. The lines can be horrendous. This year, the front of the line pass does not include the new interactive house: Zombie Containment Unit 15. I would recommend going there first and then using your pass to have fun with everything else quickly.
Top 4 houses for 2014:
–Zombie Containment Unit 15
–Death Water Bayou
–Circus of Superstition
–Deadfall
The other three houses are still pretty fun, but I like those four the best. The Zombie Containment Unit 15 is cool because they give you guns to shoot the zombies in the chest. It is supposed to stop them, but it really doesn’t. It’s still pretty fun. Circus of Superstition is 3-​D and includes lots of cool effects and creepy clowns. If you can’t make all the houses, make sure you at least do these four. If you followed my advice above and bought a front of the line pass, you will be able to do them all.
The houses aren’t super scary for me, but they do get the occasional scream from me. I definitely enjoy the effort and time put in to the design. In my personal opinion, I like the houses here better than at Halloween Horror Nights. Busch Gardens gets crowded, but not as bad as Universal.
We also ran into an issue this year with them not allowing beer in a few of the mazes. So, you may want to keep that in mind if you are planning on drinking.
Overall, an expensive but fun time

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So many amazing haunted houses! I loved the attention to detail. The décor in each was amazing. Being a zombie hunter in one with laser tag style gun that made a target on the zombies light up was great. The 3D clown colorful adventure was amazing too. And with all the actors running around the while park was haunted!!!
I loved cheetah hunt. It really feels cheetahtastic as you whoosh along and accelerate in parts including along flats and up slopes.
Doing Falcon’s Fury as a VIP with absolutely no wait was nuts. Going up is a thrill. The views were amazing. And them free falling facing straight down is stupid fun!
The Zambia Smokehouse food was quite good. And the hot caramel topped bread pudding was tasty. Afterwards I I didn’t have room for pretzels from the other parts of the park, but they looked good too.
I liked that there were ghouls doing bumper cars with us. The fog machine dance party flashing lights area was fantastic! I got dowwwwwn!!!
So many freakish ghouls hiding out Around the park in great costumes, camouflage and acting in character and saying creepy stuff. It was hard to tell what was mannekin and what was Tampa nut job. :)
The while experience was fantastic. I wore my 3D glasses from the colorful clown haunted house most of the time so I not only looked extra cool but was tripping out with colors and streaky lights and weird 3D red floating visions.
What a contrast to the Christmas lights and decorations!!! The park was so well decorated and there was so much to see and do. I didn’t even make any of the shows on offer! And people watching at the park was fun too.