When I think of Seaworld, I think of a fun day with family. It’s a place where people of all ages can enjoy themselves with shows, rollercoasters and now, during Howl-O-Scream, haunted houses and spooky individuals walking the streets. If you’ve ever been, you know how enticing all of these attractions are, but now, during Howl-O-Scream, it adds a whole new layer of enjoyment.
Though I’ve been a number of times, this year was different, this year I brought my dad. He didn’t know what to expect due to this being his first time going to Seaworld, in fact, he hasn’t been to any amusement park for nearly ten years. The day, or should I say evening, started off great. We began by checking out some of the coasters. While driving up to the park, you can see the very iconic Steel Eel looking at you, this is where he wanted to start. I could see the anticipation on his face while walking up, though he didn’t hold that look for long. The lines couldn’t have been any shorter. With the walk up taking more time than the actual wait, we were seated in less than five minutes. The coaster, like always, was great. I remember hearing the laugh of my father next to me while we took the first big drop. The look of excitement in his eyes while we got off the ride was unmatched, so, we did what any roller coaster fanatic would do, and we got right back in line. To be exact, we actually rode it three times in a row. This wasn’t enough if you ask me, but there was much more to see and do.
On a side note, the locker situation was handled perfectly. Because you can’t take bags and such on the rides, you must rent a locker. For only a bit, you can get a moveable one so you can use the lockers near your ride. While yes, you must pay, I felt like it was a small price for the peace of mind you get from your valuables being safe.
We ended up riding each and every ride at the park. While enjoyable during the day, nothing beat the experience of seeing the park at night from atop the rides. You could see the fog plumes from below with the lights dancing amongst it. The crisp air felt refreshing from the long walks around the park. An altogether enjoyable reprieve from the throngs of people below.
As the light faded from the sky, you could see less and less children about. This is when the creepy crawlies came out to play. Before enjoying the many haunted houses, we decided to check out Seaworld’s newest show, Monster Stomp. This was one of my favorite shows I’ve seen here yet. The atmosphere takes you to another place altogether. It was the perfect amount of spooky and fun. I would recommend this for anyone coming to the park during these times, it is worth every second.
There were five scare zones that you could walk through, each with their own theme. With the returning Vampire Point, Wereworlf Alley and Shadow Street, I smiled at the memories from last year. This time though, there were two new zones, Zombie Zone and Ripper Row. All of these zones truly embodied the horror of halloween. It is not recommended that you bring young children to these zones, they are quite creepy, even for me. The esthetics used in all of the costumes greatly enhanced the mood of each zone. With the use of props and undeniable talent of the actors, each zone was a pleasure to walk through.
Now, the haunted houses. While there were five of them last year, there was one less this year. They brought back Karver’s Kradle, Unearthed: Scarlett’s Revenge and my personal favorite, Dark Side of the Gardens. We also welcomed the new haunted house Zombie Horde. Each of these attractions held their own charm. Karver’s Kradle takes your innocent love of puppets and morphs it into a doll filled nightmare. Be sure not to get of Mr. Karver’s bad side. Next there was Scarlett’s Revenge. This particular attraction seemed more attuned to the classic haunted house esthetic. You want demons, you got it. You want evil night creatures, it has that too. All around, it is perfect for those who want their timeless haunted house experience. Then, there was Zombie Horde. This haunted house takes place outside. I would say that this is one attraction that is worth waiting for dark, it makes the jump scares all that much scarier. The colors that popped out during our trek through the dark made this haunted “house” memorable. And last, there was Dark Side of the Gardens. Again, this one takes place outside. While darkness isn’t a must, I would say that it adds a lot to the experience. This haunted house focuses on the beauty of darkness. Filled with statuesque actors, I loved the overall presence of this attraction.
Overall, the day was a success. Each scare zone had its own charm and exemplified the haunted houses that were around it. Even when visiting some of the houses from last year, the terror felt all too real. All I can say is that I’m excited to see the changes that happen next year.
