We were very surprised when Busch Gardens Tampa announced that Howl-O-Scream WOULD be returning this year, considering all the other Halloween event cancellations this year. But with all the restrictions in place, we couldn’t quite imagine how they would pull it off. Well, the wait is over, because Howl-O-Scream is back for its 21st year in a modified version that still brings the scares, but with lots of safety changes.
Howl-O-Scream 2020
We visited on opening night (September 25), as we were invited by the park to check out the festivities. This is easily my favorite event at Busch Gardens and look forward to it every year. In order to provide a safer atmosphere (while still cashing on on the scary) this year’s event put the spotlight on 10 open-air scare zones instead of a mix of scare zones and haunted houses as in years past.
Howl-O-Scream runs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday beginning September 25 through November 1. The event starts at 7:00pm and goes until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays and until 11:00pm on Sundays (you can enter with your Howl-O-Scream ticket beginning at 5:00pm though). It is a separate ticket event that is not included with regular daytime admission.
Please note that reservations are required and buying your tickets in advance is strongly recommended as the park is operating at extremely reduced capacity. Face coverings are also required. We saw a LOT of security (both park staff and local police) on-hand to make sure everyone was following the rules to keep everyone safe.
Howl-O-Scream Scare Zones
Let’s break it all down by visiting each scare zone, starting with the four that are brand new for this year!
Lycan Landing
It’s always a full moon at this campground and the park rangers can’t hear you scream. When the campfires burn out, will you escape the glowing eyes leering through the trees or will you share their cursed fate?
This is a fun little scare zone, especially if you’re a fan of werewolves! It’s located in the Jungala area of the park.
The Shortcut
Cutting through the cemetery may seem like an easy way out, except when the corpses rise from the ground to invite you into their graves.
This scare zone runs along a pathway alongside the Skyway ride between Stanleyville and Pantopia. They were doing one-way foot traffic through this scare zone, having guests go through the Skyride queue (the ride is currently not in operation).
Staff were keeping guests spaced out throughout the scare zone by allowing parties in one at a time after a good distance between groups. This scare zone had a few creative scares, using distraction to “get” you. We also caught this processional as we were getting in line:
The Junkyard
You’ll find more than spare parts as you explore this surly scrap site. Will you make it out in one piece or be devoured by the haunted rubble?
This was probably the best scare zone of the bunch. It’s outside, but had more of a haunted house feel to it as you go along a narrow path in a backstage area behind the Xcursions gift shop (this is where the Motel Hell house had been located the previous few years). It was dark, it was creepy, and it had some great scares.
The Escape
In this treacherous realm, chaos reigns and rules are made to be broken. The escaped inmates of Grey Echo Penitentiary seek their own twisted form of justice and they’re ready to deliver your sentence.
Sadly I didn’t get any good photos of this area as the lighting was really low. This was probably the weakest of the scare zones this year, but still fun. And I love the callback to Grey Echo Penitentiary, which was featured in the old Death Row Vengeance house they did for a few years (and the first house I ever did at a Howl-O-Scream event). This scare zone is located in the area between Cheetah Hunt and Cobra’s Curse.
The remaining scare zones were all returning ones:
First Fear
The icons of Howl-O-Scream’s haunted past are the first frights to greet you, rising from the dead and bringing over 20 years of fear back to life.
We kind of missed this scare zone as it is actually outside of the park gates, and we arrived prior to the 7pm start time. But we did see all the scare actors in this zone posing for photos at the end of the night.
Little Nightmares
It’s all tricks and no treats down this dark and eerie street, but there’s no turning back now as childhood memories resurface with a horrifying twist.
We went through this scare zone twice, once while it was still light out, and again once it got dark. It’s a fun little zone with some creepily fun costumes. A few fun scares as well. This scare zone is located along the pathway next to the Sesame Street area.
Maniac Midway
Go backstage at the “scariest show on earth” with Sparky and his terrifying carnie-crew as they take over Pantopia and make the midway their own stage of torture, creating a frenzy of fear.
Clowns. Everyone’s favorite (or least favorite) nightmare fuel. This scare zone was fun and colorful with blacklight dayglo everywhere. This scare zone is located in the Pantopia section of the park.
Deadly Toys
Your childhood play date is now a slay date as giant toys spring to life in a murderous rampage with you in their sights.
This was our 2nd favorite scare zone, mainly for the awesome chainsaw teddy bear we look for every year. This scare zone is located by Jambo Junction.
Dia de los Muertos
Honoring the souls and spirits of those who have gone before us, guests can dance the night away in this festive zone featuring a vibrant celebration of life and the traditional tastes of Mexico.
This isn’t a scary area at all. But it’s very fun and colorful. Kind of like Disney’s Coco brought to life. It’s just one big fiesta and everyone is invited! This scare zone (party zone?) is located in front of the Moroccan Palace Theatre.
Hell on Wheels
In a post-apocalypse world, the surly survivors will stop at nothing for food and supplies, destroying all who stand in their way. Can you run the gauntlet of a murderous crazed biker gang to make it out alive?
This scare zone is located in Gwazi Plaza and had some unique scares with scare actors riding around on bikes.
Howl-O-Scream Fiends
And what’s a visit to Howl-O-Scream without catching a performance of Fiends? This year, the show is taking place in its largest venue yet, the Festival Field (located behind Iron Gwazi). It’s pretty much the same show from year to year, with little tweaks to include recent pop culture and world happenings of the year. Needless to say, this year’s show spoofed quarantine and the crazy current state of the world. They also poked some fun at NFL player Tom Brady (who is now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and at one point, one of the characters even donned a Snow White dress for a gag.
I really appreciated that all the performers wore masks that coordinated really well with their costumes! This show is silly and a little repetitive, but still fun in its own quirky way.
Busch Garden Bier Fest
Besides Howl-O-Scream taking place on weekends right now, Busch Gardens is also doing their 3rd annual Bier Fest! I was gifted a Bier Fest sampler lanyard by the park to try some of the tasty treats available at the Bier Fest food & drink cabins. Sadly only a couple of the food cabins were open the night I visited. Though, the cabins that were offering food happened to have some of my favorite returning food items the festival: the bison slider (with bacon and onion jam, vintage cheddar & herb mayo) and the griddled cheesecake (fresh baked pound cake with deconstructed cheesecake and topped with raspberry beer glaze).
BierFest currently runs every Friday from 2:00pm – 6:00pm and Saturdays & Sundays from noon – 6:00pm through November 15. Be sure to check out our previous article giving the rundown of this festival.
Busch Gardens Tampa Fun Card Adds Extra Months and Bier Fest Round 3
My Thoughts on Howl-O-Scream 2020
Since there are no haunted houses this year, it meant lines for the rides were longer than when Howl-O-Scream is operating as normal. In the past, the rides would usually have lower wait times, since most guests would be in line for the houses. But this year, we saw wait times as long as 40-60 minutes for some of the roller coasters. We luckily caught Tigris early in the evening with just a 5-minute wait, and toward the end of the night, we rode Montu with a posted 10-minute wait (but it was really a walk-on), and Cobra’s Curse with a posted 15-minute wait (though it was really around 5 minutes). Just something to keep in mind if you plan on visiting Howl-O-Scream this year.
And what’s a theme park event without… merchandise! There’s a t-shirt featuring all of this year’s scare zones, a baseball cap that lights up, a coffee mug, shot glass, a really cool light-up tumbler (I actually purchased one last year and happy to see it back again), a few other shirts, pins, and to my surprise… a pin of my favorite chainsaw teddy bear!
Overall, we had a great time and are thrilled that Busch Gardens found a way to pull this event off safely. From what we could see, the majority of guests were following the rules. Though, we noticed again, when not clearly marked out on the ground, people seem to forget how to physically distance themselves from other parties. That does need a little improvement. But other than that, we had fun, ate some delicious food, rode some world-class roller coasters, and got some great scares!
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Let’s Hear From You
Here’s a poorly kept secret folks, I’m a big chicken. Although I am madly in love with Howl-O-Scream, I don’t go through many of the haunted houses. But this year I was able to do everything. It’s just my level of scare. What are your thoughts on the newest iteration of Busch Garden’s Howl-O-Scream? Do you like the emphasis on open-air scare zones, or will you await the return of haunted houses (hopefully) next year? Have you sampled any of the Bier Fest this year? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Happy Halloween!