Fog and fear arrive for SeaWorld Orlando’s first Howl-O-Scream

ORLANDO, Fla. – The sounds of vengeful sirens lured people into the fog Friday night as SeaWorld Orlando kicked off its first-ever Howl-O-Scream event.

The inaugural year reeled in guests despite the threat of afternoon rain showers. The umbrella was needed, on occasion, before the night sky opened up.

This year’s event features four original haunted houses, four scare zones, roaming haunts and two incredible shows.

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“All of the performers are excited about starting a brand new legacy, and this year is really about identifying what the culture is, what the feel is, and how we’re going to grow that in the future,” said Patrick Braillard, creative show director of Howl-O-Scream Orlando.

Braillard, who’s creative mind has been behind other spooky projects including Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights and Scream n’ Stream in Oviedo, said Halloween is a celebration that guests want more of.

The theme of this year’s event revolves around the Bayside Lake Siren who has risen to take her revenge out on the guests who have entered. Guests see the evil of the sirens first hand during the all-new live show, Sirens’ Song, which takes place during select times in the Wild Arctic plaza.

The original haunted houses include Dead Vines, Captain’s Revenge, Beneath the Ice and Water’s Edge Inn.

“I think it’s a perfect natural fit for us to have a purely original event. We don’t have any IP (intellectual property) listed in the event right now. So, that’s something that’s quite freeing for an artist. You get to go out and tell the story you want to tell and for the audiences to hear,” Braillard mentioned.

The houses are methodically placed throughout the south side of SeaWorld Orlando’s theme park. As guests make their way to each house or bar experience they come face-to-face with horrifying haunts and scare zones — leaving them with no safe place to hide.

This year’s scare zones includes Frozen Terror, Deadly Ambush, Witchcraft Bayou and the fog-ridden Sea of Souls.

One of the other events included in this year’s event is the high-energy show, Monster Stomp, at Nautilus Theater.

“Monster Stomp is a show that we have at our sister park in Williamsburg, as well as in Texas, but we’ve taken it and we’ve put our own spin on it,” said Cindi Miller, Vice President of Entertainment at SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. “It’s a fan favorite of the other parks and we are sure that it will be a fan favorite here.”

The show follows the character Jack the Ripper who’s monster-like personality is feared among the Victorian-era London. Guests watch him take the stage in a way they have never seen before in this pulse pounding, modern rock spectacular.

Merchandise for the inaugural event can be found in the Shop of Horrors and Howl-O-Scream store. Items include specialty t-shirts, mugs, cups, blankets and more.

SeaWorld Orlando has brewed up some additional fun for guests on the first year.

Near the “Beneath the Ice” haunted house, guests can pay to bring the scares to their friends braving the frights inside. A stand is setup near the Glacier Bar where guests press a button and watch their friends or those inside get a scare. It’s $5 for 4 scares, $8 for 10 scares.

For those looking to attend the event, but don’t want to be scared, guests can purchase a “No Boo” necklace. For $15, plus tax, guests can avoid getting scared in the scare zones, however, the necklaces do not work in the houses and do not promise a scare-free evening, leaders said.

Howl-O-Scream runs select nights through Halloween night.

Single night tickets start at $41.99 plus tax. Click here to learn more and to buy tickets.

Starting at $49, guests can get front of the line access to each of the four haunted houses, and rides with the Front Line Fear pass. A Front Line Fear Extreme pass is also available which all the benefits plus one-time reserved seating at Monster Stomp.

Howl-O-Scream is intended for a mature audience. This event contains intense adult content such as violence, gore and blood.

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