Yesterday the surprise announcement was made that Howl-O-Scream would be coming to the Orlando Sea World with tickets already on sale. The event will run from September 8th through Halloween night October 31st. In the teaser released, terror appears to be rising from the same lagoon that Jaws 3D did many years ago. (Perhaps the ghost of Louis Gossett Jr. career will rise from the depths that 3D film sank it to as well.)

The addition of the event to Orlando is very intriguing.  Tampa Bay is just a short 1.5 hour drive from Orlando, and we know many people (ourselves included) who don’t mind the drive to the event.  The Tampa park with its unique loop construction is a great layout for all the houses and scare zones. With Universal the only “nearby” major competition in the area for the park-style horror events, the move made sense in the market.  However, in recent years, things have been changing here in Orlando. Great new offerings like Dark Horizons have proven there is an ever-expanding audience and appetite for new, innovative scares. With both Tampa and Orlando adding residents at an amazingly high rate, perhaps the demand for scares beyond the roller-coasters, actually makes it necessary.

Any visitors to SeaWorld Orlando can attest that, after nightfall, the park can be Scooby-Doo creepy.  It’s dark with a lot of dimly lit paths, that huge killer shark-infested lake (we know Bruce is still out there…sorry Universal), and just in general so many twisting trails that it’s easy to get lost anyway.

They are promising Haunted Houses for the event. If they are on par with the Tampa offerings they should be unique and highly immersive.

Scare Zones with no places to hide.

Terrifying Shows and DJ Party Zones.

And the big rides in the dark!!!!  These are some of the best coasters in the Orlando area, so it’s definitely worth the ticket just for them.

They are even offering pass holders a discount on single-night tickets that start at just $24.

There newly minted website has most of the details and I’m sure will be unveiling all the details of the houses and other offerings soon.

This is an adult-oriented, no costume event.  So no don’t expect to visit Sesame Place, please. Elmo and Big Bird will be escorted off property promptly at sundown.

I personally can’t wait to visit both local Howl-O-Screams this year and expect them to give HHN up the road quite a run for the horror fan’s money.