Last week, my newly-fearless preteen talked me into taking her to the world-renowned, spooky event, Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens Tampa. We are annual pass holders, so tickets were discounted ($125 for the pair.) With annual passes, we receive free parking. If you don’t yet have an annual pass and you are on the fence, get one. They are worth it if you live in the Tampa Bay area. We went with a couple of friends and the four of us decided to dress up to make it even more fun. As far as wearing costumes, I would say we were definitely in the minority! I don’t regret wearing a costume and I do know the prevalence of dressed-up guests will increase as we get closer to Halloween, but all this to say, you definitely don’t have to dress up to fit in and have a good time. It’s still very hot in Tampa in October, so dress comfortably no matter how spooky you decide to be!
No Boo Necklaces
Upon entering the park for Howl-O-Scream, you will be fitted with bracelets and hopefully reminded to buy a “no boo necklace” off a nearby merchant ($16 flashing purple spider) if you don’t want the actors to interact with or otherwise attempt to terrify you. We had one guest in our party who thought she was brave enough, but later decided she wanted the necklace! Not only are the actors at this event dressed to the nines and wearing very realistic makeup, but they are all very good at their jobs–which is to make you scream! Throughout the park, there are what they call “scare zones,” which are just themed sections of the walkway where the actors are stationed. As the night went on, our friend who went from brave to nervous to truly terrified required a little more patience and care. Thankfully, Busch Gardens staffed regularly-dressed managers at the entrances of the scare zones that were very kind and helpful to us. As the actors are trained not to mess with anyone wearing a “no boo necklace,” we made sure our friend’s light-up necklace was turned on before passing through the sections, and we also announced ourselves coming through.
“Little girl coming through! Please don’t jump out at us!” In addition to my over-the-top and probably unnecessary proclamations as the little girl I was announcing was actually an adult-sized 12-year-old, Busch Gardens staff offered to escort us through the areas, while shining their flashlights across the walkway, so we could get through without being booed! My own outgoing and precocious daughter was not scared however, so she would run ahead of us a bit to interact with the actors. I swear she’ll be one of them in a few years!
Event For All? …Probably Not
We saw several other children at the park the evening that we attended, some wearing the purple necklaces and others running around the park through haunted houses and scare zones excitedly. That said, I actually don’t think this event is family-friendly or all-ages. While we enjoyed ourselves and are glad we went, we ended up just riding some of the rides and trying to avoid the scare zones to be respectful to our nervous friend, which is impossible in case you thought you could do the same. For example, if you are brave enough to ride Iron Gwazi but don’t want to walk by any zombies, you should come to the park when Howl-O-Scream isn’t happening. This is because one of the biggest scare zones is right in front of the park’s most famous and highest-rated rollercoasters. Because we went the other direction and dodged–or were escorted through–as few scare zones as possible, we missed out on riding Gwazi on this trip.
Since I have an annual pass and attend regularly, I didn’t mind skipping any of the rides this time. If going to Busch Gardens is a special event for you, or if you don’t live in the area and want to make the most of your visit, it’s important to know your party’s bravery when it comes to scary actors and animatronics. Since we had one preteen in our party who wanted to do the haunted houses and one that only wanted to ride the rides, we had to split up several times. I looked it up for you and Busch Gardens agrees with me. While their website does state that children are allowed, it warns the event contains intense adult content. My 12 year old is nuts and loves to be scared, but I think most children under 15 would probably find it a bit too intense.
Haunted Houses
The haunted houses are on another level at this event. I’ve been through many in my life, and these are some of the best I’ve seen. The attention to detail for the set design, actors’ costumes, and scripts was very appreciated. The paths through the houses are very tight in some areas, so if you are handicapped, claustrophobic, or would otherwise find it difficult to walk through tight spaces, don’t be afraid (see what I did there?) to ask for assistance. While I screamed and jumped and even grabbed a stranger’s arm for protection inside a house, I felt perfectly safe the entire time at the park. There were officers and staff all around, ready and happy to help out a guest in need of assistance or extra care. Lines for the houses ranged from 10-45 minutes during our visit. Lines for the rides were actually shorter than usual, so it was a lot of fun.
BOOze
Guests 21 and up can enjoy festive libations such as jello shots served in syringes, “blood” served in IV bags, and other fun and delicious specialty cocktails and drinks served at multiple bars around the park. It’s truly impressive how much they disguised the entire park, including pop-up bars to be themed for this event.
If You’re Brave
Howl-O-Scream is a frighteningly fun event that comes once a year and I believe we will definitely make this an annual must-see. That said, we rate this event adults and teens only, with the exception of a very brave 11 or 12-year-old. Going with children or even an adult who doesn’t like being scared is just not going to be worth your money and visit. Happy Halloween!
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