|
Florida: Tampa,
 This fall, Florida’s top-rated haunted theme park
attraction is back for their ninth season of blood-curdling scares with more NEW
haunted houses, scare zones and terrifying live shows than ever before! For 16
killer nights, Howl-O-Scream 2008 will transform Busch Gardens Africa into a
nightmare of inescapable fear designed to overwhelm the senses with a new spin
on horror.
The
devious creatures that infest six haunted houses, five scare zones and three
thrilling shows have plenty of psychotic surprises in store, and bone-chilling
roller coasters to keep the screams coming all night long.
Howl-O-Scream 2008 runs select Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights
during September, October and November: Sept. 26-27 (preview), Oct. 2-4, 9-11, 16-18, 23-25, 30-31, Nov. 1. Freaky Preview lets guests
take a stab at the scares a week early on Sept. 28-30 for discounted rates.
Operating hours are 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. during Freaky Preview and on Thursday
and Sunday nights. Friday and Saturday hours are 7:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.
General
admission is $64.95 plus tax, with savings available on advance e-ticket
purchases at Howl-O-Scream.com/tampa. Reduced rates and special offers are also
available to Busch Gardens Passport members, at participating AAA locations and
for guests wishing to upgrade their paid daily admission to Busch Gardens.
New for 2008. Howl-O-Scream more new elements than ever before. Three
new haunted houses will have you begging for mercy… and screaming for more.
Catch Your Breath – So You Can Keep Screaming! Each October,
The Messengers come out of hiding to prey upon 13 unlucky victims who are
tracked down and tortured according to a cruel and unusual theme. Pray
that 13 is not your unlucky number.
Taste
of Blood – Once revered as otherworldly royalty, vampires have now been
forced underground into the subways and sewers to avoid the light. By day, they
feed on rats to survive. But as night falls, members of the horde set out into
the urban jungle to seduce fresh blood.
Radiation Alert 3-D! – A terrible accident has cracked the containment
units at the Gulf View Scientific Research Facility. Radioactive waste is
pouring into the nearby bay and evaporating into the air as a threatening cloud
of gas. Evacuation is underway, and you’ll need your protective goggles to
escape as quickly as possible!
Some of
the most demented houses ever are back by popular demand with some horrible new
twists and demented turns. These returning favorites are sure to terrorize
first-time visitors and die-hard fans alike:
Trapped in the Walls – The gruesome fate of an innocent family made
headlines when it happened. Years later, evil still lingers in the rooms where
the tragedies occurred. It has seeped into the walls, trapping dark demons and
polluting a house that can’t let go of its horrible history.
After Hours: Club Muse – Some people would kill to be on the V.I.P. list
at the hottest club in town. But as the music pounds around you, you realize
that the party is over. Beyond the velvet rope are mad artists who find
inspiration in your pain. Welcome to Club Muse.
The Hunted – This secluded cabin used to be a peaceful retreat. But
now these woods seem too quiet, and the smell of smoke lingers in the air.
Smoldering embers are all that remain of a hunting lodge burned to cover a
killer’s tracks. Will anyone hear the screams when you become the prey?
At Howl-O-Scream 2008, even the sidewalks aren’t safe from the terrors of
the night. Five scare zones will keep guests watching their backs as they
explore 335 acres of fright:
Masters and Monsters – Small Masters pit huge, inhuman Monsters against
one another in fights to the death. Bamboo cages and heavy chains can barely
contain the savage contenders, and the competition ring is strewn with the
losers of past contests. This tropical paradise is torture for all who find
themselves trapped in the violent game.
Eternal Midnight – As the bells of the clock tower chime never-ending
midnight, ghostly mourners and angry souls roam among tombstones, searching for
eternal rest. The only way to be released from this earthly purgatory is to
find an unsuspecting guest to take their place – trapped on this haunted hill
‘til the end of time.
Pharaoh’s Revenge – The air in this ancient Egyptian temple is heavy with
incense and hot with fire. But the mummified remains of these unwilling victims
have been embalmed alive, then tortured to a cursed death as Osiris’ obedient
servants prepare the bodies for their journey to the underworld.
Zombie Junction – When Marie de la Mort came to town, she brought with her
a sinister plague that attacked the townspeople as they slept. But the dead
didn’t stay buried for long. Now, this small farming community is infested with
hordes of flesh-eating ghouls who prey upon anyone who wanders through Corncob
Junction.
Wicked Woods – In this grim fairy tale, you’ll never live happily ever
after. The trees reach out to grab you, and the hideous creatures that hide in
their bewitched branches are starting to get hungry. You’d better move quick,
for your “once upon a time” is about to run out.
After braving bone-chilling coasters in the dark such as SheiKra, Montu, Gwazi
and Kumba, you can catch your breath at three twisted live shows:
Sweet Dreams – The Master and Mistress of nightmares fight for control
of an unsuspecting sleeper’s dreams. But while the Master tries to scare the
poor victim into submission, the Mistress seeks to seduce him instead as a
battle of music, dance and special effects unfolds.
Freak Show! – Modern tribalists, tattoo groupies and pierced persons
come together in a contemporary freak show under the watchful eye and sadistic
hand of Professor Black. He is a hulking man who can force the most out of his
freakish performers, but beware: the tables may turn at any moment.
Fiends – Is there a doctor in the house?
This captivating crew of creatures of the night will infect you with dance fever
and keep your pulse pounding with their deranged dance party. But when Dr.
Freakenstein’s mischievous nurses start operating, the diagnosis is always “code
pink.”
And if
there’s one thing worse than being terrified, it’s being terrified on an empty
stomach. Fright Feast is the most deranged dinner show in town, featuring a full
buffet of monstrous main courses and devilish desserts, plus an exclusive
performance of the all-new Desert Grill show, Sweet Dreams. Then, Fright Feast
guests are the first to brave the dark with a half-hour of early access to
all-new haunted houses. Fright Feast is $21.95 per person, with discounts
available for annual Passport members and groups.
Two pass options let true Halloween fans face their fears over and over again.
The Thrills & Chills Weekend Pass offers a long weekend (Thursday through
Sunday) of unlimited access to Busch Gardens’ thrills by day and Howl-O-Scream’s
chills by night – all for just $79.95! Or, visitors can opt for the Recurring
Nightmare Pass and spread the scares over nine nights (excluding Freaky Preview
and Saturdays) for only $59.95.
For those
who want to skip the lines and get right to the screaming, the Fear Advantage
coupon book offers no-wait access to all six haunted houses as well as
merchandise discounts, special dining offers and savings throughout the park –
all for $35.00. The Fear Advantage Plus book also includes front-of-the-line
access for the SheiKra, Montu, Gwazi and Kumba roller coasters for $50.00.
Howl-O-Scream’s exclusive V.I.P. Fear Tours offer three levels of terrifying
special treatment, featuring no-wait access to haunted houses and chilling
thrill rides, reserved show seating and more. “The Viewing” is a three-hour
group tour of all haunted houses, scare zones and shows for $59.99. The
five-hour “Funeral” group tour adds front-of-line access to coasters and a “last
meal” for $89.99. “The Embalming” includes Fright Feast and a private “Ghoul
Guide” for any party of two or more for $149.99 per person.
Howl-O-Scream sleepovers for 7th through 10th graders let teens feel the fright
all night with chaperoned front-of-line access to haunted houses, “creatures of
the night” animal interactions, mock Scare Squad auditions and on-site
accommodations. Prices are $75.00 per person, or $65.00 for annual Passport
members. They’ll be too scared to sleep!
For
out-of-town guests, Overnight Fright vacation packages are also available,
featuring Howl-O-Scream admission and accommodations at one of Busch Gardens’
preferred partner hotels. Prices start at $69.00 per person plus tax, based on
double occupancy.
Howl-O-Scream is a separate ticketed night event, and operating hours are
subject to change without notice. No costumes are allowed. For guest
information, visit DeathJockey.com or call toll-free 1-888-800-5447.
Need to know. Howl-O-Scream is too intense for young children. Parental
discretion is advised. No
costumes are allowed. Howl-O-Scream is a separate ticketed night event, and
operating hours are subject to change without notice.
Bonus points:
On select Tuesdays throughout 2007 it is possible to gain special
behind-the-scene insights from park experts. On September 25, get a
Behind-the-Scenes look at Howl-O-Scream at Gwazi Pavillion. And
planning ahead on November 20, learn about
Holidays at Busch Gardens at
Desert Grill. Seminars begin at 10:30 a.m. and are included with park admission
or Passport membership.
F or guest information on Howl-O-Scream, call 1-888-800-5447 or log onto
www.buschgardenstampabay.com
FamilyTravelFiles.com Staff
Comments. Genuinely
creepy vibes radiate from the park as the sun goes down and the ticket holders
assemble outside of locked gates. I like to think of myself as hard to rattle.
Nerves of steel and a pragmatic outlook can turn almost any fear-themed
attraction into nothing more disturbing than cheap parlor tricks.
I’ve seen
the standard presentation of the horrific and believe me when I say that most
seasonal Halloween attractions leave me nothing more than slightly amused and
mostly bored.
One venue
rises above the rest in both quality and originality however; Busch Garden’s
annual Howl-O-Scream. The Howl-O-Scream experience is complete in a way that
many similarly enacted concepts are not; the entire park transforms utterly into
a shadowed haven of horrors for the unsuspecting. And yet, the experience can be
as terrifying, or as mild as the Halloween connoisseur so desires, something
that certain companions of mine were extremely grateful for.
For those
that don’t want to be scared out of their wits there are numerous comedic
musical attractions throughout the park offering musical reviews a la Monster
Mash. With something for everyone Busch Garden Tampa Bay’s Howl-O-Scream is a
terrific way to have great Halloween fun.
For more
information on how to get scared in Howl-O-Scream style go to
www.howl-o-scream.com or call 1-800-343-7946.
General information and /images/ezine
provided by Busch Gardens Public Relations. Staff comments made by staff writer Amanda Nelson-Duac. Copyright 2008.
|
