Will Howl-O-Scream BE the Choice This Year?

THERE IS A SONG....... They say when you hear it, you will be Cursed. It is than up to you to escape the Curse, or spread the song and spread the Curse.

Halloween returns again this year and as we approach the end of August we see the parks doing their reveals for the ultimate scare-fest. Busch Gardens Tampa is no different and 2014 brings us Howl-O-Scream. The theme for this year is Cursed. Howl-O-Scream will once again present a large number of haunted houses, both old and new, and bring the scares to thousands of guests in the 18 night run this year.

The haunted houses are always a favorite of the guests. Which one will really scare us and what ones can we just pass on by. Scott Swenson, who has always been one of the creative leads for HOS, stated during Safari Sidewalk Nights that HOS will have something this year that no other park has ever done before. This article will talk about the houses coming to HOS this year. So we shall start with the new houses.

ZOMBIE CONTAINMENT UNIT 15
3 years after the zombie invasion, there is a containment failure in Z.C.U. 15. Armed with your Zombie Eradication Device, it is up to you to fight off the hordes of zombies as they seek your flesh. This is INCLUDED IN THE COST OF YOUR ADMISSION!!!!!!  I have a lot of faith and excitement about this house. If done correctly, this looks to be THE HOUSE the crowds will be coming to in the park.


DEADFALL
The ghosts of long lost memories reach into the present and will NOT be forgotten! These spirits form the past lurk in the Victorian Garden and greenhouse, longing to drag unsuspecting guests into their world. This house is one of the ones that you can vote on the elements to on Facebook. It is always great when the fans get to contribute to the making of a new house. A part of ownership, one might say, as they walk through it.

DEATH WATER BAYOU
The Voodoo Queen returns again and mystically transforms travelers into her minions of evil with Black Magic. This by far was my favorite house last year and I am very happy to see it returning. I anxiously await to see what twists the creative minds put to the house for the 2014 experience.

THE BASEMENT
Momma Meats returns with her award winning recipe that is only created in the basement. What is the secret ingredient? Do you dare go to find out. Will you find the secret and escape before the Butcher finds you? Another new one last year I really enjoyed. This was a long house that really was well done.

ZOMBIE MORTUARY
How did the epidemic start? No one knows. The zombies infest this funeral home and feed on the flesh and brains of mortuary mourners to satisfy their never-ending hunger. Do not find yourself six feet under. This house has been around a few years, but is always one of the ones you want to visit. Maybe Busch Gardens will bring back the photo op in this house again so you can get that scream frozen in time.

BLOOD ASYLUM
"The Creature" escapes from his holding cell in a high security high-security asylum for the criminally insane. Now he has turned the mental hospital into his own personal torture chamber. This is another house that has been around for a few years. It has always been very well designed with the scares in the right places. Never been disappointed in this one.

CIRCUS OF SUPERSTITION: THE SHOW MUST GO ON
All the years of avoiding black cats and sidewalk cracks have caught up to you. Now you must escape this whole new dimension of fear. This house is in 3D. I have mixed opinions on this one. One year I loved it, and another year it was like...oh. There is a new location for the circus this year which lends to its credo as a new dimension. I am looking forward to seeing the new twist in a new location.

THE EXPIREMENT: THE FINAL TEST
Researchers challenge your fear tolerance and mental endurance in this interactive experience. The human body is pushed to its limits by putting them face-to-face to their worst nightmares. This is the house that has an upcharge to it. I did go through this ALONE last year and I will admit there were moments I was like....NO WAY. Can I say cockroaches, snakes, and blood. The nice thing about this, though, there are many things a human is afraid of. Meaning.......I went last year, but I should not see the same experience this year. I look forward to this a lot. The charge is $50 plus an additional $10 per person going with you, to a total of 4. Reserve your time before you go into the park if wanting to do this.


Want to insure you see ALL of the houses in one evening?  Be sure you take a look at HOS's options from front of line passes to guided tours as extras. I myself attend Fright Feast a half-hour of early access and one hour of front of line access to the houses. With a showing of Fiends while you eat.







HOS is a separate ticketed event with various pricing I will explore in a future article. I will say....advance tickets is the way to go. Are you a passholder? You get the best prices as always. Be sure to check out the ticket options and see what works best for you. Want further information on the houses, you can also got to the HOS website and read more of the back story of each house.

I am David "Thrills" and I am an avid goer to Busch Gardens. I will be one to admit Halloween is like my Christmas and HOS is the event I look forward to every year. As always, if you have any questions I may be able to help you with, or just want to hear my updates and live in-park tweeting, follow me @TampaAmazeMe or email me at tampathrillme@gmail.com.

 

 

World Elephant Day Busch Gardens Style

Like any other international event involving animals, Busch Gardens will be celebrating World Elephant Day on Saturday, Aug 9th. World Elephant Day is an international annual event that is officially celebrated on Aug 12th and is dedicated to the preservation and conservation of the world's elephants. It was officially founded, supported, launched, and currently directed by Patricia Sims and the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation on August 12, 2012. In two years it is supported by over 65 wildlife organizations.


The Sea World and Busch Gardens Conservation Fund has granted more than $10 million dollars to over 70 projects around the world, which includes 10 elephant conservation projects in Asia and Africa in 2013 and 2014. With the current estimated population of the African elephants around 400,000 and listed as "Vulnerable" and the Asian elephants around 40,000 and considered "endangered" by the IUCN Red List, such efforts by Busch Gardens and other wildlife organizations are vital to the preservation of the elephants.


On August 9, Busch Gardens Tampa will have activities and interactive displays in the Animal Care Center from 9:30am - 5:00pm. While there, you will be able to hear the trainers talk and will learn how the animal care team cares for their beloved elephants living in the park. You will even be able to help create enrichment activities for the elephants.

There is also an opportunity for 160 guests to take a behind the scene tour of the "Pachyderm Palace" starting at 10:00am. This is a 20 minute tour of the area where the elephants go during inclement weather or while the environment is getting cleaned. Meet team members at the front of the park at opening to get tickets or register at the Animal Care Center for any openings that may be left later in the day. I would show up early, the tickets will be going fast.

Lastly, and the most exciting is the 2 hour "Evening With the Elephants" at 7:00pm. Go behind the scenes to the elephant pool as trainers engage the elephants and share stories about the care of these amazing pachyderms. Included in this tour are appetizers, Coca-Cola products and a "Pink Elephant" specialty drink. This unique evening is $69. Yes, your passmember discounts do apply to this event. There is limited spaces for this evening and sure to be sold out soon, so be certain to purchase your tickets early to reserve your seating for this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

World Elephant day is a special event and what better way to spend it than at Busch Gardens. Unable to make it? You can still donate to the Sea World and Busch Gardens Conservation Fund and help make a difference in the future of these pachyderms. In the park, go to guest services and have your passmember card or funpass upgraded to a hard plastic card for a small fee with all proceeds going to the conservation fund.


Keep up to date with happenings at Busch Gardens, live tweets in the park, and my first-hand review of Falcon's Fury when it launches. Be sure to follow me on twitter at @TampaAmazeMe or email me at tampathrillme@gmail.com for any questions about the park. I will do my best to answer or find an answer for you.

David "Thrills"

Note: The facts mentioned in this article were repeated with compliments to Wikipedia, Busch Gardens, and the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation.