This Halloween Party in Orlando is Only $46! Halloween Horror Nights, Take Notes!

I’ve done a lot of Halloween party events throughout the Orlando area, including Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in Disney World and Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando.

However, nothing prepared me for the most recent theme park Halloween party I just attended at SeaWorld. Yes, I’ve been to Howl-O-Scream at SeaWorld Orlando, and let’s just say I was blown away.

Howl-O-Scream offers five haunted houses, six scare zones, and four shows. Tickets range in price from $45.99 for single-night tickets to $99.99 for the Two Park Unlimited Scream Pass. If Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is the most fun, and Halloween Horror Nights is the best and the scariest, then Howl-O-Scream at SeaWorld Orlando is the coolest—and, shockingly, the raciest of the ticketed Halloween events in Orlando. This year, they’re offering five haunted houses, six scare zones, and four shows, with nine of those offerings being brand new.

I started with the haunted houses to get those out of the way. I’m not necessarily a fan of haunted events, after all. Plus, this is good to do at Howl-O-Scream because the exit at each house drops you closest to the entrance of the next house. The first house was new this year: The Collector’s Curse.  So this one is about a demented antique collector who entices victims to his home by advertising an estate sale. Sneaky. I was excited about this house because I love flea markets and antique stores, so I  would be the first to fall for the antique collector’s scheme.

The house was designed so well, although it wasn’t scary. That’s one thing I love about Howl-O-Scream. It’s not quite as extreme with the scares as Halloween Horror Nights. That means more people can enjoy it, including scaredy cats like me. Now, was there screaming and jumping? Absolutely. But I loved how campy and stylish the storytelling of this house was.

The next house was also new this year. It’s called The Rave Yard, and it was probably my favorite of the haunted houses. It’s a rave, but everyone is dead. There’s neon and blacklight and young people trapped at a party they can’t leave. Undead ravers are all decked out, while pounding dance music makes you want to hit the dance floor. Honestly, I almost became one of the undead ravers who couldn’t leave the party because I didn’t want to leave.

Then it was on to one of the returning houses. Water’s Edge Wellness Center. This is a haunted house based around a spa where everything has gone wrong. I’m talking about a hydrotherapy room full of corpses. Everyone here is dead, and they want you to join them.

The next house, Farm 51, which is also returning, puts you in the middle of an alien invasion on, well, a farm, which is pretty much the typical alien invasion story, right? Everyone is yelling at you to get out of the farmhouse, and there are these INSANE alien effects that really feel immersive.

Okay, one more house to go, and it’s called The Widow’s Nest. This is another new one and is based around an orphanage. Of course, there’s this crazy orphanage “mother” (think a crazed Miss Hannigan from Annie). She kept yelling at me about why my parents didn’t want me anymore. It was creepy, but also hysterical, like really good horror can be. The performers also seemed to be having a blast, which makes the whole experience PERFECTION.

The scare zones weren’t quite as scary this year. I even thought a few were so understated that I didn’t really notice them. But some of the new ones, like Ashes of the Forgotten, Woodrot Hollow, Trailer Park Tragedy, and Echoes in the Glass, were well thought out and immersive. I really loved Trailer Park Tragedy, which really leaned into the humor of a rundown trailer park with scary actors with Southern accents in white tank tops. That’s peak entertainment, folks.

Let’s talk entertainment. The entertainment is really what I come to Howl-O-Scream for. This year, a brand new show called Throttle introduces a new character, Havoc. Havoc doesn’t want to scare you, though; he wants to rule you. He looks pretty freaky, too. The show has everything from dirt bikes performing stunts with live heavy metal music, pyrotechnics, and dancers.

But here’s the weirdest part: Havoc brings women from the audience (other actors, of course), and then kills them with a pelvic thrust — you can’t make this up, folks. If I had to describe it, it’s part Mad Max and part Starlight Express with a villain that looks a lot like Skeletor.

I also checked out Monster Stomp, a show that runs pretty much every year. It’s a Victorina era-musical starring Jack the Ripper. It’s a quality show, too, with live vocals, great choreography, impressive costumes, and more. The lead does a wonderful job of channeling Jack the Ripper. I think this year’s version of this show is even better than last year’s.

Howl-O-Scream also has plenty of exclusive merchandise.

You’ll also find tons of food and drink stands with exclusive menus. I stopped by the Fanta-sponsored Fright House booth to try the Eerie Eyeball Mocktail, made with Fanta Orange and Minute Maid lemonade with black edible glitter. It was delicious, like drinking a liquid Jolly Rancher.

Compared to last year, it feels like SeaWorld threw even more money into its entertainment budget, perhaps at the expense of the scare zones. I don’t mind, though, because the houses and shows were so well done. The zones were still well-executed, though, and I enjoyed them.

I also noticed that the design across the event was just what I would call “cool.” It’s over-the-top campy, but it’s also stylish at the same time. The production values are high, but it still feels like an Orlando event, which is what it is. This one is for the locals, but if you’re visiting the city, you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you don’t check it out.

If you’re into rides, there are four rides available during Howl-O-Scream: Mako, Pipeline, Ice Breaker, and Infinity Falls. Pro tip: Mako almost feels like it’s part of the event since it has such a high lift hill, and you’re diving ace first into the dark.

Overall, Howl-O-Scream is worth your time and money, so if you have a chance to check it out, I highly recommend it.

We Attended Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando, and We’re Giving You a FULL LOOK

Have you ever been to Howl-O-Scream? What did you think? Let us know in the comments!

Disclosure: We were invited by SeaWorld to attend Howl-O-Scream. This did not affect our reporting of the event — our opinions are our own.

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