The best haunted houses trade in currencies that can be difficult to measure.
After all, how do you calculate fear, anxiety and abject terror?
In a growing market of Halloween attractions that spans the entire I-4 corridor from Tampa to Orlando, Busch Gardens’ Howl-O-Scream faced what might seem to be a daunting task for its 17th year in the scare business: Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights has a virtual lock on trademarked properties, creating fan-ready haunts from iconic film and television properties like The Shining, Ash vs. Evil Dead and The Exorcist; The Shallow Grave in Winter Haven, FL goes all-in on gory, visceral shocks; and Tampa’s The Vault of Souls caters to a more refined audience with a higher ticket price and the allure of craft libations for people who manage to make it out of the subterranean haunt intact.
“We wanted an excuse to go off the rails,” said Ben DeWitt, Busch Gardens’ Entertainment Project Manager, who has worked on new Howl-O-Scream attractions since 2014. “[And] not be tied to a story, not tied to a concept.”
The decision to scrap the rule book resulted in Demented Dimensions, the new signature haunted house at Howl-O-Scream, and it’s a monstrous mish-mash of imagery and ideas that builds upon a similar concept that permeated last year’s standout attraction, Motel Hell.
Watch Jennifer and John navigate Demented Dimensions, filmed by Howl-O-Scream staff:
Creative Loafing visited Demented Dimensions, and we can report that “off the rails” is a fitting description of what should be a fan favorite house. The attraction is like a yellow brick road of unexpected delights (and frights) that you don’t want to end. There’s a gruesome reimagining of Alice in Wonderland, an elaborate alien nest, a gory human butcher shop where the pigs have taken control, a gleefully deranged orphanage and a chilling descent into Hell — and that’s just a handful of the surprises.
More than just a grouping of disparate haunted houses, Howl-O-Scream 2017 has become an immersive, park-wide exercise in fear.
Patrons won’t be able to escape the 700-plus actors placed throughout the sprawling theme park, including on the roller coasters, where designated Creepy Coaster performers will sit side-by-side paying patrons on SheiKra, Kumba and more.
In addition to seven haunted houses (two new and five returning), Howl-O-Scream has five scare zones this year, including three new areas — Class Deceased, Carnie Camp and Meat Market — as well as the returning Wasteland.
Wasteland, which thrusts the public into a smoldering, dystopian landscape populated by masked BMX marauders, is like experiencing the cult classic film Turbo Kid first-hand. It’s a dizzying jolt of adrenaline for people traveling between the various attractions.
Howl-O-Scream wouldn’t work without its dedicated performers, and DeWitt said about half of the actors this year are returning veterans. These are folks from all walks of life, including physicians, school bus drivers and other professionals, who want the chance to let loose in late September and October.
DeWitt said Busch Gardens’ decision to host its first-ever audition booth at Tampa Bay Comic Con in July paid back dividends with many people who signed up being added to this year’s Howl-O-Scream roster.
The other new haunted house attraction, Undead Arena, which imagines a post-apocalyptic zombie game show, is another step forward for Howl-O-Scream, according to DeWitt.
“It’s the first time we built a house where we can successfully split you from your group,” he said.
Undead Arena represents a move toward a more interactive Halloween experience, an idea that Dade City’s Scream-A-Geddon has mined successfully since its inception in 2015.
“I think it’s important we push the envelope every single year,” DeWitt said. “I’m a full, firm believer in breaking the fourth wall.”
This article appears in Oct 26 – Nov 2, 2017.