Halloween Happenings! HowlOScream Review

Still looking for a way to spend Halloween? Consider HowlOScream at Busch Gardens or Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights for an adult night out, or Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at Disney for little kids.

We've been to Halloween Horror Nights before, so this year we opted for HowlOScream. When I was a teen, I worked at Busch Gardens, and I've always loved the park (says a lot when you still love the place where you held your first job!).

Busch Gardens has the best assortment of roller coasters anywhere, I think, and you can ride them all at HowlOScream, which is an evening event full of haunted houses and creepy creatures.

Because the theme of this years HowlOScream is The House of Vayne (think of it as lingerie-clad vampires), it is intended as an "adult's night out," rather than marketed to children. However, we have teen sons, and we decided to take them with us, using what I think is the BEST deal out there for an event of this kind.

Available only online, HOS has a Twisted Thursday 4-pack for $19.95 per person. You must be FL residents to take advantage of this deal. Wow! We could not believe we could do this whole thing, parking included, for about $100 for a family of four. We could spend more than that at dinnner and the movies these days. Regular admission and ticket prices are also available, click here to find out more.

By the way, I found out about the great deal by following HOSInsider on Twitter. They sometimes have ticket giveaways or special admission events, so do follow them!

We rode the Kumba, the guys rode Shiekra (I was too scared, I admit it--the roller coaster STOPS WHEN YOU ARE HANGING JUST OVER THE PEAK OF THE HUGE DROP SO YOU CAN SEE ALL THE WAY DOWN before it plunges!!), and we cooled off by riding the log flume ride. Yes, we were actually hot at 10 p.m., but that was when the weather was hotter. You could go this Thursday and it is beautiful out now.

It was very crowded at HOS (to give you an idea, wait, for the Sheikra, was over an hour, which is what I used as an excuse not to go on the ride, rather than admitting I was skeered).

The fog effects and creatures walking around scaring you were *fantastic*. You couldn't see the characters until they were right up on you in most cases. The werewolves were are favorites, though the Owl tried to surprise a huge, hulking walking ghost by hiding behind it, figuring it would take a while to turn around--and ended up being startled himself by a scary clown with a chainsaw! I don't want to spoil any of the surprises for you, but they are really good at distracting half your group on one side while someone comes up on the other and scares the rest of you when you aren't expecting it at all!

The two best haunted houses, in our opinion, were the Nightshade Toy Factory, located in the old monorail station, and the Reconstruction: The Doctor is In. The Toy Factory was full of scary babies with red eyes and creepy clown dudes, while disturbing medical procedures (and I won't go into detail, don't worry) filled Reconstruction.

We also took in the Fiends dance show (fun, but a little outdated for the teens, as they weren't familiar with the music), and the Magic Show in the Desert Grill (which used to be the Festhaus, in Timbucktu).

We checked out, but didn't purchase, shirts and merchandise for the event, which I regret a little, because the Owl loved the shirts, and the whole night was a huge success.

I know the boys really enjoyed their HOS adventure, because the Rhino turned to me, unprompted, and said, "Thanks for getting the tickets, Mom! This is cool."

When it comes to teens, believe me, it doesn't get any better than that. I felt like a very Cool Mom, indeed.

Viv's take: Busch Gardens' HowlOScream 2009, The House of Vayne is the perfect Halloween indulgence, with a little something for everyone. It is definitely not for small children or the faint of heart, and is considered appropriate for, "an adult's night out." Highly recommended!

This is NOT a sponsored post. We just had a great time at HowlOScream!