cfc

^Crowds shouldn't be bad early in the day, but the mazes could be a little busy by the time 6:00 rolls around. I did have to wait about 30 minutes each for 13: Your Number's Up and Catacombs last Friday, but other mazes had shorter lines. Note that 13 and Dead Line both open at 5:30 (the others open at 6:00). The HOS shows run all day, so I'd catch those early on if you want to see the shows to save more time for the mazes. I bought a basic Quick Queue after waiting for Catacombs, and it did come in handy for the Dead Line and Root of All Evil mazes; didn't need it for Fear Fair or Bitten.

^Hair Raiser was better than I'd been led to believe. That extra airtime hill is insane!

The naughty nurses are waiting for you, Guy. "Where's Guy?"

Here's where I've been: Busch Gardens Williamsburg Kings Dominion Dollywood And, of course, all the parks of TPR's China Trip and Hong Kong add-on (really too numerous to mention). This is the last coaster I rode in China: Grizzly Gulch Runaway Mine Cars. And this was the first one.

China was definitely a great place for walk-through fans. Rare was the park that didn't have at least one; one of the Happy Valleys had two right next to each other (a regular haunted house and another involving yetis). Quality was variable, of course, but some of the smaller, grungier parks had good haunted houses; they tended to be better than the dark rides. You'll be seeing some more of these in future installments.

Speaking as someone who isn't a big fan of flat rides, I have no issues with swapping a Top Scan for a Star Flyer. But to each his own.

^I agree that the queue for each version of Mermaid has to fit in with their respective park. But I still think Florida got the better deal here. The same is true for the queues for Midway Mania (out in the sun for DCA, indoors and air-conditioned for DHS).

Most of the rides, including the coasters, are open during Howl-o-Scream. Water rides tend to close earlier in the day during October.

I still think you're leaping to a rather large conclusion here. Mack's launched coasters haven't really developed a track record yet. Time will tell. I still think it's good to see other ride manufacturers stepping up; it's just way to early to be predicting anyone's demise yet.

^It's at a park in China.

There's plenty of terror (or just plain goofiness) left at Howl-o-Scream 2012. Yes, it's all about the nurses. This show has been raising some local eyebrows, along with comments on the park's Facebook page. This is one of the more risque shows I've seen at BGW (not that I'm complaining). It's still pretty harmless. "Give my creation life!" Hmm--not quite what the doctor ordered, although the nurses aren't complaining. But I think the doc is getting a bit more into it now. A plea for tolerance--yes, monsters need love, too. And the big finish! This show will test your tolerance for 1980s music (but they do throw in the Doors' "People Are Strange" from the 1960s). Boogie, boogie, boogie! (OK, you knew this one was coming eventually.) "The Dead Line is currently experiencing an minor outbreak of homicidal zombies. We recommend using the Happy Bunnies Line or the Wonderfully Fluffy Clouds Line until this technical problem is resolved. We apologize for the inconvenience." "Yeah, I'm a troll. I'm busy squashing some dwarves and a hobbit into jelly." Legolas has not aged well. The wind kicked up a little bit that night, which just added to the atmosphere. You know, I've never understood why people are so frightened by clowns . . . oh, crap! Fear Fair is over by the Roman Rapids. You definitely need to hit this one after dark. There's plenty of creepy carnival atmosphere--they just need to do a little more with it. That's not fog. It's carny funk. You know, I met someone at the Open Casket Bar that night. Maybe it was the beer talking, but I found her rather compelling in her isolation. Excuse me, but could I buy you a drink? "HI!" "Er, have a nice evening! Gotta run!" The old Bitten maze in the Drachen Fire station--it's good, but is showing its age. The Root of All Evil's entrance is to the left as you face the Festhaus. This is another indoor/outdoor maze that could use a little more "oomph." The Howl-o-Scream shop is open for business. Creepy accessories, anyone? This hat can also serve as a traffic cone. There's more generic Halloween merchandise available, too. "Howl-o-Scream is now closed--get out!" Yes, if you don't exit promptly, the Grim Reaper will zap you with his laser eyes and a hideous vortex will suck you into Hell! Thanks for reading.

Arise, Thread! I Bid Ye Arise from the Dead for Howl-o-Scream 2012! After the wonderful madness of tooling around China with TPR, and heading down to Florida to have a good time with friends at Universal's Halloween Horror Night and Epcot's Food and Wine Festival, I finally got around to checking out Howl-o-Scream at Busch Gardens last Friday night (October 12). This is where I usually kick off October (aka, "THE GRISLY MONTH OF HORROR"), but travel plans changed all that this year. I have to admit that I enjoyed HOS in Williamsburg this year more than HHN in Orlando. This is a first, and I have two reasons for it: 1. Since I'm a passholder, HOS doesn't cost me any extra (other than Quick Queue, of course) ; and 2. BGW did a much better job bringing atmosphere to the park than Universal did this year. (Let's face it, Universal seems to be "phoning it in"--HHN 2012 is very flat). Although there's only one new maze at Busch Gardens this year (The Root of All Evil), the park has made some other changes to shake up HOS a bit: 1. They're trying the "roaming hordes" of scareactors that worked so well at Tampa last year. Although some groups did stay in one area most of the night (for example, scarecrows with chainsaws in Scotland and ghouls in top hats between Ireland and France), I did encounter groups of evil clowns and werewolves all over the park. They were doing a reasonably good job, but my biggest criticism is that all the clowns looked alike, as did all the wolves. 2. They've been playing around with the shows. Fiends has been retooled and relocated from the Festhaus to the Abbeystone Theatre in Ireland. (I wonder if this is the same show they run in Tampa.) Night Beats is a new show in the Festhaus (some sort of fiendish night club), and Dig It Up is a show centered on ancient relics that features live musicians. 3. The nurses and their jello shots have relocated to Ireland to go along with the Fiends show. You can also pick up a beer at the new Open Casket bar in front of the Festhaus. But what about the real meat of HOS--the mazes? Here are my thoughts. 13: Your Number's Up: Located in the Europe in the Air building (not running during HOS), this rather long maze is dedicated to 13 different phobias, such as fear of dead things or insects. They've tweaked it a bit for 2012; for example, the "fear of heights" section is much better than last year (so much so that it actually slows down guests as they walk through), and they've added bits of business here and there (the ending is weaker, though). Catacombs: This maze in the theatre in France has always had atmosphere to burn, but the scares can be lacking, depending on the number of scareactors. Last Friday, they were doing a good job (plenty of evil corpses going after guests). I think they reconfigured the space a bit, too. Dead Line: This maze in the Escape from Pompeii building (a subway excavation in Italy that's gone horribly wrong) has the most elaborate sets of any of them, including an entire train car. It might be a bit too dependent on the sets, though (which was one of HHN's problems this year). Scareactors were doing a reasonable job last Friday, but they need more of them. Fear Fair: This evil clown-and-freak-show maze in Festa Italia was the weakest one last year, and it's a little better now. They have some nice, creepy carnival atmosphere, but they depend a bit too much on tents where nothing much happens except the flashing of seizure-inducing strobe lights. I do like the carny games section (they just need some more scareactors working in it). Bitten: As much as I've enjoyed this vampire maze in the Drachen Fire station, I think it may be time to retire it. (It's the oldest maze at Howl-o-Scream.) I do like the "old-school" vampires though (more Christopher Lee and Bela Lugosi than Edward). The Root of All Evil: This is the new maze near the Festhaus. I like the concept because it goes well with the whole "Dark Side of the Gardens" theme, but the execution is a bit lacking. The maze starts off strongly, but there were too many stretches where not much goes on. The space is a bit cramped and may be difficult to work with. Plus, it doesn't really build to anything other than (shades of Fear Fair) a greenhouse filled with strobe lights. I'm definitely checking this one out again to see if I missed something. Another thing: You can get a group photo at the entrance of this maze (ala Medieval Macabre at Kings Dominion)--you can buy it on your way out. I caught the retooled Fiends show, as well. Dr. Freakenstein is still trying to build that "ultimate" monster, but this time he has Igor and a lot more "naughty nurses" to help him out. This show does have some of the most risque dancing I've ever seen at BGW--and the nurses are more attractive than any of the Bill & Ted performers in Orlando this year. A number of people have been griping that the show isn't "appropriate" for families, despite having ample warning that it isn't meant for kids. (You still see lots of traumatized kids in strollers at HOS.) What makes this event for me is just walking around the park. The woods make a natural Halloween setting, and the park does a good job with decorations, sound, and lighting to make it all the spookier. This is where they really outshined Universal this year. One other thing: I took a nighttime ride on Verbolten, and they are using a different Gerta video in the queue. Nothing earth shattering, but it is a nice touch. So, shall we take a walk on the Dark Side of the Gardens? Don't be afraid. OK. Let's start digging. Yes. I do. Dear guests with small children: You might want to read this sign carefully before entering. Thank you. Is the smiling kid on the left looking forward to "Beauty by Day" or "Evil by Night"? I guessing the latter. Already, we have found more Halloween atmosphere than at Universal Orlando. Even the bathrooms are cursed! (But they still beat Chinese squat toilets--now those are really cursed!) If ravens ever leave Busch Gardens, the English Crown will fall (just like at the Tower of London). Yes, the entire fate of the Empire rides on BGW. "Tell TP Dave that I perform circumcisions--cheap." "Oh, he does great groin work! I can vouch for that, yes I can!" Werewolves on the prowl. It's good that werewolves think to put on shoes before prowling. Perhaps they have delicate feet. Larry Giles sure has changed a lot since the Verbolten Media Day. Well, being as we're in Ireland, let's start here. This maze actually opened at 5:30, as did Dead Line (all the other mazes open at 6:00). So, it was already drawing a fairly long line. I think you can overcome this fear by buying a Craftmatic Adjustable Bed with Cyclo Massage and having it exorcised by a priest. Based on how zombies currently dominate our popular culture, this is a legitimate fear. But they missed the most important phobia of all: fear of entering a simulator ride by the backdoor! BGW uses their fog machines quite strategically (this is the path from Ireland to France). If this were Kings Dominion, the whole park would be shrouded in fog. Be sure to pay proper respect to the dead. After all, you never know when the dead will sneak up you, usually to ask for directions to the nearest Starbucks for a nice pumpkin latte. Hmm--it's a little hard to make out through the fog, but I think I've found the Catacombs. They've routed the Catacombs line through the theatre this year. This line actually prompted me to spring for a Quick Queue (usually not necessary on a Friday night). They even re-routed the line through more of the theatre while I was waiting. Heck, this guy may still be waiting. The Irish fog is still creeping into France. Back to Ireland to pick up a Quick Queue and check out . . . . . . Fiends (no longer in the Festhaus). Let's see. Spooky figures in robes. Check. Dr. Freakenstein. Check. Igor and a sampling of hits from the 1980s (mostly)? Check. But something seems to be missing . . . stay tuned!

A surprisingly good, if scary looking, ride.

^I think you'll enjoy this year's HHN more if you've never been before. The sets in the soundstage houses (Dead End, Silent Hill, and Gothic) are, as usual, very well done.

^Oddly enough, it's a pretty good, if forceful, ride. But it's pretty freaky.

^I'm glad you had a good experience at HHN. I just hope the park will up its game the next year.

Stingray at Giant Wheel Park is pretty bizarre. Like a Mauer Sohne Skyloop and a Vekoma Flying Dutchman had a baby.

Yes, I agree that Mack has to develop more of a track record with "big" rides. But it's good to see companies like Mack and Zierer stepping up. There's no harm in some other companies making big rides to rival B&M and Intamin.

The main reason I switched to an HDTV was because my old DVD player died and I replaced it with a Blu-Ray. My old Zenith TV was still working well, but I decided I may as well go all the way.

Had a great night ride on Verbolten on Friday, with some other random single rider who had no idea what to expect. I didn't mention the "free fall" bit, of course.

My last coaster was Verboten during Howl-o-Scream last night. The changed the Gerta video they play in the office for Halloween--not a big deal, but I won't spoil the surprises for anyone who wants to see for him- or herself. I wonder if they'll do the same for Christmas Town if the ride's running for that event?

Two things bothered me the most about this year's event: 1. The lack of atmosphere in the park itself. The roaming hordes of scareactors were more annoying than scary, and I really missed the themed scarezones. (I understand that all the construction in the park may be a factor here.) 2. The houses were much too dependent on set scenes and effects to the detriment of any interaction with guests. It all seemed too "push button."

^^I'd need a beer with a vodka chaser after riding that thing--an insane launched kiddie coaster? Not even the Chinese have something that crazy!

Good lord! How can they possibly proceed without first allowing for a bike path? It'll be interesting to see this project unfold.

I noticed that Busch Gardens Williamsburg is offering prepackaged "allergy friendly" snacks at Grogan's Grill, Cafe Lulu, German Candy, Festhaus Kaffee, and Roman Frieze, as well.