Busch Gardens Williamsburg (BGW BGE) Discussion Thread

[mike541x]

Great update, Chuck. Doubt I'll be going to HOS this year due to work. But from what I can see, Wendigo Woods looks like a great addition this year.

[netdvn]

Alright did my first walkthrough of all the scare zones this year. I stayed in each area for about 15-20 minutes (more for the better ones) and hung around a few actors to see how they worked. Made a few mental notes about the props and scenery. Overall I had a good time.

 

Let's start from first to worst.

 

Demon Street (5/5) - The Hot Wheels party by day cranks up the heat at night. Scares are plenty and the actors do an EXCELLENT job of working off each other. Two chainsaws were roaming around but the non-chainsaw guys were just at good getting group after group. Did a bit of people-watching and it was very entertaining. Flames on the rooftops still look great, although I felt there were more flames last year. The biggest issue is that there were only 4-5 actors roaming but they were very effective.

 

Vampire Point (4.5/5) - This was not the crew I saw Friday night. Even though all the actors were out in the open, like Demon Street, they all played off each other very well, causing distractions and giving good scares. The area was also very well-staffed with enough actors to cover the entire area. The actress right at the Rhinefeld gate and her partner were a fantastic duo. The biggest thing that keeps this area from getting a 5 is the complete lack of props for the actors to use or to build the atmosphere on. Last year there were a few shacks around the plaza, the windows were boarded up all over the place, and the clock tower looked great. This year, the area is unthemed outside of Blood Banquet and the statues on the Rhinefeld gate.

 

Wendigo Woods (4/5) - The actors were doing a much better job under the cover of night and the makeup looks much nicer. That being said, it's still kinda hard to differentiate between the actors and guests (not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing). I think they could've added a bungee scare and a few wendigoes and it would work better. Some of the actors played off each other quite nicely but I could tell there were a couple missed opportunities here and there.

 

Ripper Row (2.5/5) - The perennial BGW Fans favorite was relatively weak IMO. No umbrella lady photo ops and only 5 actors roaming the entire area. They did a good job of interacting with the guests and snagged a few scares but the short staffing sorta ruins the area for me. Not sure if I liked the makeup either (they all pretty much looked like they were coming in for vampires but ended up getting sent to Ripper Row instead). Plus I expected a bit more theming than the dismembered body part arch thingy and the false building in front of the Globe. I think the park did a better job of theming the area last year.

 

Ports of Skull (1/5) - This isn't really a scare zone/Terror...tory as it is a total joke. The only actors that had any effective scares were the ones on the troll bridge. Everyone else pretty much stood around and was largely pretty friendly (which is nice and all but it doesn't really make the atmosphere any scary or put me on edge). The bungee guy was away and the theming is almost nonexistent outside of the bar and the photo op. And the makeup is terrible too. Pix of the pirates don't do it justice. I tried to keep myself from cracking up when I saw them.

 

So final verdict...

1. Add more props. The park seriously had a head start on HOS prep and it STILL felt like they were lacking decorations in MANY places. That's pretty disappointing.

2. Hire new makeup people. Everyone outside of Wendigo and Demon Street looked exactly the same, just with different clothes. The pirates were especially bad.

3. Staffing, as always, is an issue. Keeping current park employees from joining scare squad was a HUGE mistake.

4. Festa is a complete joke AGAIN. How does one of the best areas during CT manage to get away with no theming during HOS? Seriously guys. Here's to hoping Diavalo next year means a better looking HOS.

[cfc]

^I think part of the problem with Ripper Row's theming is that they don't want to cover up the Union Snacks shop. As I recall, there was a "Scotland Yard" facade there last year. I might go back to night and check out the Terror-tories again--opening night is always a little tricky.

[Guy T. Koepp]

"It's all about the Naughty Nurses!"

 

Truer words have never been spoken.

[Philrad71]

I would definitely like to get down to this event at some point, but it probably won't be this year.

 

Thanks for the update, Chuck!

[Intimidator305]

Sounds like typical HOS. As always, it should get slightly better as Halloween gets closer. And I agree, the new terror-tory seems like it could use some "creatures" and less soldiers.

 

Thanks for the update, Chuck!

[SuperShawn]

Really hoping I can get down to Busch Gardens and check out their event this year. Seems like solid fun and i figure I gotta check t the drink offerings from the pirate and vampire bars.

[cfc]

I was there for a few hours on Sunday night, and the staff in the Terror-tories were doing a better job than on Friday. The Wendigo animatronic does, indeed, lurch back and forth a bit. I still think they need an actual "monster" running around in addition to the military types. More was going on in Ripper Row, as well.

 

The mazes were more active, too.

[netdvn]

Did all 5 mazes last night and a second Bitten walkthrough. Ranking from first to worst.

 

Bitten (5/5) - the maze everyone loves to hate comes out on top Sunday night. Consistent scares and the atmosphere is still great. Did a solo run before close and everyone pretty much wanted a piece of me. It was awesome. Some of the actors were a little off but not bad for opening weekend. This was pretty much the only maze that didn't seem to suffer from any major staffing issues both times I walked through.

 

Cut Throat Cove (4/5) - maze still screams Cutback Cove, but the actors did a pretty good job overall (aside from a few scenes here and there). Just wish they'd drop the hanging things and actually focus on making the maze look legit instead of a backyard haunt or a repurposed Fear Fair. Also a lot of dead room where the actors were supposed to be.

 

Root of All Evil (2/5) - Ehh. Some of the actors were decent enough, but didn't get as many scares as I expected. Wish the rest of the guille suit guys and chainsaw guys were back since there was only one of each in the entire maze. My friends loved it though. If they brought back the living statues, the alternate paths, and the pond guys, it would be so much better. Some areas felt really short staffed.

 

Deadline (2/5) - Still lots of dead room and bleh lighting (luckily I went through at night so my eyes adjusted). At least the maze looks nice. Subway car was cool as always though and firecracker guy always gets a jump out of me. You could tell most of the actors were pretty new at this.

 

Catacombs (1/5) - My friend said it best. This maze is staffed with 15-year olds. There were a few good scares and as usual, the change in layout is always nice, but the actors mostly weren't that great. The whispering at the start of the maze was pretty much the best scare in the entire maze and that's pretty much just an audio track. One of the employees had to light the way for us because the maze ended up getting conga-lined a few times. Huge disappointment since this maze has been VERY consistent the past few years (aside from opening weekend last year). I just hope this whole lack of scares is just the maze going through first weekend growing pains.

 

13 (1/5) - Went through the maze as the sun was going down. Should be renamed Fear of Empty Rooms. A good scare every once in a while, but not enough to really do much for me. The first few rooms should be called "Fear of getting lost to the point where you accidentally wander into the employee break area" and the room right after the bedroom should be called "Fear of bathroom/locker room smells". I felt so bad for the actress having to sit there all night. Her clothes probably reeked at the end of that. Did I forget to mention the half-themed rooms? Even the waiting room was missing the chairs and table.

 

Overall opening weekend thoughts.

- Short staffing as usual (or everyone's just on break)

- Half-themed rooms in some of the mazes. Seriously Busch, you got a head start on the whole HOS decor. There's NO excuse for half-themed rooms.

- Allow current employees to hire for HOS. A lot of the actors from previous years are gone because they can't work HOS so its all new talent. That usually leads to weaker mazes and scare zones.

- Fix the lighting in some of the mazes or staff them to guide people, especially after sundown when its still bright outside. I've run into enough walls, people's ankles, and accidentally wandered into a few break rooms by mistake simply because its so hard to see.

 

All three shows are running great this year. Go see them now! Shame the park cut outdoor shows in the Italy restaurant. Dig it Up was good and Miracles was AMAZING.

 

Saw Chuck leaving Cut Throat Cove. Said a quick hi.

[cfc]

I think the big problem with Root of All Evil is that it doesn't have an ending. You get the feeling that it's building to some big finish, but all you get is an annoying walk through strobe lights.

[netdvn]

My problem with Root is that it's just not scary. The unique scares they had in 2012 were replaced with really boring, generic scares you find in all the other mazes. If you combined the atmosphere in the current maze with the unique scares they had in 2012 (the living statues, the people in the ponds, the split pathway with awesome jump scares on both sides), you'd easily have one of the best mazes in the park.

 

I also noticed everyone's timing was a little off so the scares were either predictable or they ended up being ineffective. Or maybe that's just me. I'll check back a few times during the season to see how the actors hold up.

[cfc]

^I haven't cared much for Root of All Evil in any of its incarnations; it just never made any sense to me. There's nothing particularly scary about a greenhouse full of standard flowers you can see growing in anyone's backyard.

 

Now, if they had a mutant man-eating plant, then you might have something.

[RCjunkie]

Not a Haunt fan but like to check out what parks do to decorate. I might have to start going to haunts because how can you go wrong with Naughty Nurses? Answer: You can't.

[netdvn]

Not so breaking news, but somebody complained in the VA Gazette that the severed head props the park placed everywhere are offensive due to recent events, so the park promptly removed them. Such a shame.

 

Here's the article on WAVY to back it up. Click.

 

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (WAVY) — Busch Gardens Williamsburg has removed some of its Howl-O-Scream displays after complaints from park guests that headless figures were reminiscent of the recent ISIS beheadings.

 

Park officials said in a statement Wednesday that the Halloween-themed displays are sometimes graphic, but they’re fictional and not intended to provide commentary on world events. But in the court of public opinion, views are mixed.

 

“That’s not … consistent with the Halloween spirit at all,” said Hartley Bond, who took notice when the image of severed heads made its way into a local paper.

 

But Norman England, another park attendee, doesn’t think world events come into play at Howl-O-Scream.

 

“It’s Halloween. I would not associate one with the other, you know? That’s how I feel about it. People go there for the scariness, and what’s happening in the Far East is entirely different.”

 

According to a Busch Gardens, the props in this year’s event were designed and purchased several months ago, before the ISIS beheadings. Despite that, a park spokesman said some of the props have the unintended consequence of appearing insensitive and are being removed.

 

“I think it was good that they pulled it,” Bond said. “I think it was out of order and insensitive to public sentiment. So, I’m glad they responded.”

 

The full statement from Busch Gardens is as follows:

 

Many of the scenes depicted at Busch Gardens’ Howl-O-Scream are graphic in nature, but they are fictional and are not intended to provide commentary on current world events. The props in this year’s event were designed and purchased several months ago. In light of recent events, some of these props have the unintended consequence of appearing insensitive and are being removed. Busch Gardens apologizes for any offense they may have caused.

[Woodie Warrior]

What the hell? This is because they put up fake severed heads?! Those things have been sold at Halloween stores since before I can remember and NOW they're inappropriate?! People these days are freaking stupid.

[GwaziBSRider1]

Yeah, this is stupid. It's the result of too many stupid people watching cable news.

[VF15]

So, has there been any word on when BGW will announce their 2015 coaster? We all know what it is, so they might as well give us the details now.

[cfc]

What the hell? This is because they put up fake severed heads?! Those things have been sold at Halloween stores since before I can remember and NOW they're inappropriate?! People these days are freaking stupid.

 

And that they've seen at Howl-o-Scream for years now. This is even dumber than all the nonsense about King's Dominion's "Miner's Revenge" Haunt maze last year being "offensive" because of real coal-mine disasters.

 

So, has there been any word on when BGW will announce their 2015 coaster? We all know what it is, so they might as well give us the details now.

 

I asked at the passholder appreciation event. The response was, "New attraction? What new attraction?"

Edited September 18, 2014 by cfc

[cal1br3tto]

Not so breaking news, but somebody complained in the VA Gazette that the severed head props the park placed everywhere are offensive due to recent events, so the park promptly removed them. Such a shame.

I am all for appropriate sensitivity, and I realize that some things can be uninentionally offensive (with or without calling for apology or changes), but this is a ridiculous overreach. It just smacks of obnoxious political correctness.

[Jon Sabo]

What's next? BGW will not be adding Christmas lights to this year's event because someone is offended by it and does not like the term 'Merry Christmas'? Has our society become so sensitive to certain issues that we have to live in a world wondering who we offend next? That sure put the park and staff in an uncomfortable position. Some of these props have been used for years and just "now" someone finds them offensive?...go figure.

 

Will the same paper head up to KD and check-out the same Halloween event and post similar photos for another story?

 

I really felt the article had some sort of hidden agenda due to the photos posted by the newspaper to generate more sales. I know this may be out of line in saying that due to recent events, but wouldn't you think if the editor-in-charge would have not run the story (or the photos) in the paper unless they were trying to generate some controversy?

[Woodie Warrior]

What's next? BGW will not be adding Christmas lights to this year's event because someone is offended by it and does not like the term 'Merry Christmas'? Has our society become so sensitive to certain issues that we have to live in a world wondering who we offend next? That sure put the park and staff in an uncomfortable position. Some of these props have been used for years and just "now" someone finds them offensive?...go figure.

 

Will the same paper head up to KD and check-out the same Halloween event and post similar photos for another story?

 

I really felt the article had some sort of hidden agenda due to the photos posted by the newspaper to generate more sales. I know this may be out of line in saying that due to recent events, but wouldn't you think if the editor-in-charge would have not run the story (or the photos) in the paper unless they were trying to generate some controversy?

They are also removing all the Jack the Ripper references out of the victims that were killed by him.

 

Seriously, Busch Gardens should've just ignored the guy. This didn't make headlines until they acknowledged his claims, right? Or am I wrong.

[cfc]

^ & ^^ The Virginia Gazette is Williamsburg's local paper, and they usually don't bother with much news outside of town or James City and York counties; so, I doubt they'll be heading to Kings Dominion to cover their Halloween event. As for Christmas Town, I doubt there will any changes there (people are really into Christmas in the South).

 

From what I can glean, most of the negative comments regarding HOS's décor were in the Gazette's "Last Word" section, which is a notorious bastion of griping and, well, stupidity. For what it's worth, this "controversy" also covers both sides of the political spectrum. The park is also being slammed by a number of people on their Facebook page about their decision; frankly, I think folks need to just let this go.

[coasterbill]

Political correctness will eventually spell the end of Halloween events at parks. People have a need to act like they're offended by things so they can complain about it and make themselves feel important as if they're championing some great cause.

 

I have a hard time believing anyone is actually offended by this. The overuse of the word "offended" has completely cheapened it's definition. Now people think "offensive" means "I could see how someone somewhere might not like this even though it doesn't bother me or 99.99999% of the population".

 

Again, to the people saying you're offended by this... I don't believe you. And even if you are offended that doesn't mean the park (or anyone else) should care. Get over it... if the park does something that legitimately turns enough people away then they won't do it anymore, but them cowering to these idiots is setting a bad precedent (just like Kings Dominion did last year) and later on they'll regret not taking a stand now.

[tarheel1231]

Anyone read Screanscape?

(9/19/14) While the park hasn’t made the news public, BGWInsider reports that it did announce the details about the new 2015 coaster to park employees on Thursday. The final name is Tempesto and it will be the coaster we already heard about, standing 157 feet tall, 60 mph and with 3 inversions. Look for the official public announcement to come any day now.

 

Is this BS?

[Jcoaster]

Anyone read Screanscape?

(9/19/14) While the park hasn’t made the news public, BGWInsider reports that it did announce the details about the new 2015 coaster to park employees on Thursday. The final name is Tempesto and it will be the coaster we already heard about, standing 157 feet tall, 60 mph and with 3 inversions. Look for the official public announcement to come any day now.

 

Is this BS?

 

I was just going to ask this, if this was a clone wouldn't it only have 1 inversion?