Get Your Spook on at Howl-O-Scream at SeaWorld San Diego

It’s not too late to freak yourself out this Halloween season, and if you’re a fan of chills and thrills, you can’t miss out on Howl-O-Scream at SeaWorld San Diego.

Howl-O Scream combines that thrill rides from SeaWorld and interweaves them with five different haunted houses designed, quite frankly, to scare the bejesus out of you. It’s similar to the way other theme parks like Knott’s Berry Farm transform themselves into something out of your nightmares, but Howl-O-Scream has its own offerings that make it stand out among the pack.

How Hall-O-Sceam stands out

For one, a few of the haunted houses come with hidden speakeasies, and they post the password for them on the Howl-O-Scream Instagram stories every day. I’m sure they’re not the only ones in the world who do this, but it’s the only one out of the three of these types of theme park Halloweens I’ve been to that’s done that, so it was a win for me.

There’s also the added factor of the rollercoasters being near the water. Staring at the blanket of stars elongated over the ocean sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it. I hadn’t visited SeaWorld prior to this experience, so it was my first opportunity to check out the rides, which I loved.

Just one quick thing…

The one negative I have, before I go any further, is that they didn’t fully honor our ticket types. Yes, the tickets were complimentary media passes, but they were ones that clearly stated — both on the physical ticket and in the e-mails that delivered them — that they were tickets that included front-of-the-line passes for both the haunted houses and the rollercoasters.

After some back-and-forth and some unwillingness to show me what “they saw on their side,” the park eventually honored the front-of-the-line for the haunted houses, but not the rollercoasters. I would have argued more if we had actually paid for the ticket, but it was a little upsetting when it was all clearly stated, and would have been infuriating had I put money into the ticket. In the end, we only wound up going on one rollercoaster because of the wait times, but the one we did get to go on was awesome.

Welcome to the Carnival of Chaos

I digress, and even though it was a speed bump, it most definitely did not ruin the night. I recommend getting there right at 7, if you’re able, to attend the opening ceremony — or, rather, the opening SCAREmony. The host welcomes you to the Carnival of Chaos, and you get to be there when they unleash the spooks that walk among you.

I understand they can’t touch you, but that doesn’t change the creep factor at all. It doesn’t matter if you tell me the chainsaw has no blade. A masked man chasing you with a real chainsaw is still scary. And in this day and age, how is anyone going to promise me he’s not going to snap?

That, of course, is all part of the fun. A few of the spooks are actually great to talk to if you’re brave enough to face them head on and crack a joke. We wound up having a great conversation with the host of the Carnival, who gave us a tip on how to find the speakeasy in the Circus of the Damned.

I won’t spoil all of the locations for the speakeasies (they’ll list them with the password), but they’re worth checking out, if you can. I also recommend getting the pass they wound up letting us have, the Front Line Fear, because it’s worth it to skip the lines for the haunted houses. They are the main attraction, after all, and the lines for them nearly tripled what we saw for the rides on the night we went.

Take a walk through the haunted houses — if you dare

Mind you, if you wind up going to the Circus of the Damned, be aware that it’s a 3D Maze and it’s terrifying. I wound up running around the corners screaming the password for the speakeasy so much I wound up just getting shown to it. 

Outside of the Circus, it’s up to you what type of scare you’re looking for in regard to the other houses. They each offer something different and they’re all unique in their own ways.

For example, in Simon’s Slaughterhouse, you’ll wind up in a bloody meat-packing maze while chased by butchers with buzz saws. In Area 64: Alien Outbreak, you’ll move through mad scientists and horrifying aliens in one of the darker houses. Over at the Nightmare Experiment, you’ll run around with patients at the botched end of an experiment, with the Doctor running around to find you. There’s also the Death Water Bayou, which might have been the scariest one for me as we faced the curse of the evil Swamp Witch.

The scare zones keep you on your toes

In between the haunted houses — which will stick with you, trust me — the spooks also walk around in between locations. If you download the app for the park, it will also hightlight where each of the different “scare zones” are in between the houses. 

Just in case you’re afraid of dolls, be aware there’s a whole bridge of them (including a live one) that you’ll have to cross through in the Deadly Toys zone. It reminded me of the Island of Dolls in Xochimilco in Mexico City, which is great for the food but up there with the spooks.

While you’re at it, be prepared to run as someone chases you in the Graveyard, face the scarecrows in the all-new All Hallow’s Harvest, hang with the vampires in the Red Moon Revelry, and join citizens in their search for the murderous Jack Ripper.

Stop for some live entertainment and give your heart a break

On that latter note with Jack Ripper, that’s actually one of the more fun things about Howl-O Scream. Outside of the scares, they also have live entertainment and “vile vignettes” for you to enjoy while you bring your blood pressure down.

Among the shows is the Monster Stomp, which is a “rock and rhythm spectacular” in the Nautilus Ampitheater that explores the “menace and mystery” of Jack the Ripper. It’s the longest show available, so make sure you check for the showtimes so you don’t miss out.

In between, the “vile vignettes” are smaller interactions within and between the scare zones for added entertainment. Truthfully, we mostly walked by these, as they’re predominantly just add-ons in the scare zones and outside the haunted houses. They’re still good for the entertainment, but we didn’t stop long enough to really watch any of them (though part of that was because we were afraid things would pop up behind us.)

What are you waiting for?

In the libations department, they’ve also got plent of specialty drinks, like the “blood” syringe, for those who enjoy a good libation in between all of the madness. Perhaps it will take the edge off, or maybe it’ll make it all that much worse — up to you to decide.

Whether you’re seeking a thrilling date night for a family-filled night of scares, you don’t want to miss out on Hall-O-Scream this year. You can grab your tickets at the SeaWorld website, which start at $41.99, or check out Groupon for special deals. They offer discounts for park members, and Howl-O-Scream runs through November 2, 2024.

Last Updated on October 29, 2024 by Maria Haase

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