HOWL-O-SCREAM TAMPA 2018

SHADE-O-METER RATING

3 OUTTA 5 WERKS: “NO SHADE, BUT SHE DIDN’T TURN IT OUT”

What’s Howl-O-Scream Tampa? It’s the Halloween event at Busch Gardens, in Tampa, Florida. The event occurs on select nights—mostly weekends—in September and October. Although the event is mostly about the haunted houses and the scare zones, most of the roller coasters are open as well.

How much were the tickets? They were around $30. If you bought the tickets before a certain date, they were cheaper than the regular price. The regular price is $39.99. How much was the parking? An annual pass-holder was with us, so the parking was free. If you have to pay, it costs about $20.

Did they serve liquor? Yes. They had specialty stands, and some of the regular bars were open as well. How were the drinks? We got a specialty drink. I don’t remember much about it, so it must of not been that special.

Did they have food? Yes. How was it? We ate at Zambia Smokehouse, which is a quick service restaurant that serves mostly BBQ. The food was pretty good. How were the crowds? Slight. Particularly so, compared to other years.

How were the houses? There were six of them: Insomnia, Simon’s Slaughterhouse, The Black Spot, Death Water Bayou, Unearthed, and Motel Hell. Insomnia and Simon’s Slaughterhouse were new. If you compare the sets and the overall quality of the houses at Howl-O-Scream to the houses at Halloween Horror Nights, there was no comparison. However, the houses at Howl-O-Scream Tampa were a little better than Howl-O-Scream Williamsburg. The best houses were probably Death Water Bayou (which took place in voodoo backcountry, as well as New Orleans), Insomnia (with imagery of people levitating and rabid sheep eating people), and Motel Hell (which had interesting 1970-inspired sets).

How were the scare zones? There were six of these as well: Meat Market, Maniac Midway, Camp DOA, Deadly Toys, Hell on Wheels, and Dia de los Muertos. All of the zones were new except for Meat Market. The Deadly Toys (featuring a performer who said, “I just farted, now smell it.”) and the Dia de los Muertos zones were probably the best ones. However, none of them left a lasting impression.

How were the shows? There was only one show, Fiends. We didn’t see it. What could have improved Howl-O-Scream? The quality of the houses was fine. But the crowds are likely thinning because people are getting sick of repeat houses, some of which have been repeated three and four times already. Also, there was only show, and the one they chose to drag out again was that tired old Fiends show.

What was surprising about it? The techo music at the front of the part. There was something off-putting about hearing that kind of music while you were seeing projected horror imagery. The houses were very long as well. I didn’t remember them being so lengthy.

Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens Tampa is located at 10165 N. McKinley Drive, in Tampa, Florida. The event is open on select evening in September and October. Refer to the website for exact hours.