The Orlando area has so many options for you to celebrate spooky season. SeaWorld Orlando also recently expanded their Halloween repertoire with their very own Howl-O-Scream event. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has had a Howl-O-Scream event for many years, and I am so excited that SeaWorld has their own event as well. The event at SeaWorld has been going for a few years now though!
This event runs on select nights Thursday-Sundays from September 9th-October 31st. Most event nights take place from 7pm-12am (except or Saturday, October 29th which is 7pm-1am). In total there are 28 different event nights but be sure to check out SeaWorld’s website for the exact dates.
The Experience
SeaWorld’s Howl-O-Scream features 5 haunted houses, 7 scare zones and 3 live shows. It is definitely hard to compete with Universal as far as quality goes. However, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Howl-O-Scream. I was able to purchase discounted tickets as an annual passholder for only $24.99 and the event was beyond worth the price I paid for it! Online, tickets are currently starting at $44.99 and you can get unlimited visits for $139.99.
Howl-O-Scream Haunted Houses
One thing that makes Howl-O-Scream unique compared to Universal, is that they limit how many people go into a house at once. It seemed like it was usually around 10 people at a time. However, there were at least 3 of the houses that we went into by ourselves. This could be really good or really bad depending on how you look at it. You pretty much get every single scare, and you can also set your own pace through the house. On the negative side though, you get every single scare and have to set your own pace haha! I liked it for the most part because I was able to see more of the house and it was definitely fun getting surprised by every single scare. There are 5 haunted houses in total and we never waited more than 20 minutes for one on a Sunday night. The lines do move a bit slower, just because they are spacing people out more.
I really liked all of the houses and it is actually really hard to choose a favorite. They all had very different vibes and some very unique aspects (scare actors on bungee cords!). The Dead Vines house was probably my favorite, but that is mostly because I am a huge fan of plants. I also really enjoyed Blood Reckoning and Siren of the Seas. However, I highly recommend all of the houses and we were easily able to visit all of the houses during our evening there.
Siren of the Seas
Beneath the Ice
Captain’s Revenge
Dead Vines – Root of All Evil
Blood Beckoning
Howl-O-Scream Scare Zones
I failed and did not get a single picture from any of the scare zones. That is my bad. Although I am still trying to figure out how to take good pictures in the dark so they probably would not have been very good anyway. The event has 7 total scare zones and overall, I enjoyed most of the zones but was disappointed in a few. Most of them were very dark and hard to see the scare actors. The scare actors mostly just walked around the zones and oftentimes I think I walked right past them without noticing because there was not enough light. I think the ideas have so much potential and some of them fell a bit short to me.
Here are the names of the scare zones: Sea of Fear, Alive in the Ice, Deadly Ambush, Witchcraft Bayou, Terrors of the Deep, Cargo Carnage, and Cut Throat Cove. I really loved the Terrors of the Deep and Witchcraft Bayou theme but thought the scare zones execution could have been better. My absolute favorite was Deadly Ambush, and the scare actors were amazing! Alive in the Ice was also pretty neat, although small, but the use of the shovels definitely added a fun element.
Howl-O-Scream Live Shows
There are three live shows at this event: Sirens Song, Monster Stomp and Lurking in the Depths: An Adventurer’s Tale.
Siren’s Song
This show was not what I was expecting, and I was not a big fan of it. It is definitely an adult show, and the performers were excellent. Just not one of my favorite shows and I probably would not go and watch it again. This show features the siren and others that are there to carry out carnage. This show occurs outdoors, and you feel like you are in the center of it all, as the story unfolds all around you.
Monster Stomp: Slasher Alley
I was a huge fan of this show! This was my favorite show and I highly recommend checking it out at Howl-O-Scream. It is about Jack the Ripper and the acts were very entertaining and it featured really great music! The performers were incredibly talented, and I was so entertained by the show. There was awesome skeletons dancing, drumming, fantastic singing and more!
Lurking in the Depths: An Adventurer’s Tale
I really enjoyed this show as well. It was incredibly entertaining and very funny. The show features an adventurer that is telling you a tale about what is lurking in the depths. The actor in the show had amazing stage presence and I was completely invested in his tale. I also highly recommend checking out this show during your trip to Howl-O-Scream.
Final Thoughts on Howl-O-Scream
I definitely felt as though the event was worth the $24.99 that I paid for it, and I also think it would be worth it if you were able to go on one of the cheaper nights. There was hardly any waits and I really enjoyed exploring all the haunted houses and scare zones. It was neat that you went in small groups and really got to experience all the haunted houses had to offer. I also really enjoyed two of the shows. I am not sure I would return again this year, but I definitely look forward to attending again next year. It was a frightfully good night and I do plan on returning again next year!
