Howl-O-Scream 2012 house line up, scare zones and more revealed

All day today on Friday the 13th – a fitting day since it’s Howl-O-Scream’s 13th year – details have emerged about the new houses, scare zones and which houses are coming back along with their twists to Busch Garden’s annual Howl-O-Scream event. They have also mentioned that there will be an icon this year and it will be a he.

Each year, a few of the houses from the previous year return with a twist. Nightshade Toy Factory and Ultimate Gamble will have the most dramatic tweaks with Nevermore, Zombie Mortuary and Alone having minor tweaks. Returning haunted houses this year include:

• Nightshade Toy Factory: Mutation: Crazed toymaker, demonic teddies and mutants. Mr. Nightshade is back, but in “Nightshade Toy Factory: Mutation,” a radioactive leak nearby has given the toys the power they need to finally take over…
• Ultimate Gamble: Condemned- Vampires have fallen out of fashion, and the casino has been shuttered. But a brave, curious few may still get inside to explore… with only a flashlight to light your way!
• Nevermore: Beating hearts, swinging pendulums and a raven’s cries haunt the manor of Lenore, creating a demented and twisted nightmare. Step inside to experience the gothic terror that maddens the lord of the house. and feel delusion overcome reality. Find your way out of this horror story before paranoia authors your final chapter.
• Zombie Mortuary: No one remembers how the epidemic started, but now, zombies live here. The undead that infest this small town funeral home feed on the fresh flesh and brains of mortuary mourners to satisfy their insatiable hunger. Avoid the walking dead or you may find yourself deeper than six feet under.
• Alone… (a personal experience in horror): The deranged Master Alexander Daedal us opened Minotaur Storage to house his vast collection of “cultural” remains. But now his sinister obsession with hoarding has expanded to stockpiling people. Escape this lunatic’s labyrinth or you will become part of his collection. Can you make it out Alone?

There are also always a few new haunted houses:

• Blood Asylum: As lightning rages and thunder crashes outside, ‘The Creature’ escapes from his holding cell in a high-security asylum for the criminally insane. Now this sadistic deviant is running rampant, skinning his former cellmates and turning the mental hospital into his own torture chamber. This serial killer’s bloody playground will drive you out of your mind with fear.
• Circus of Superstition 3-D: You’ve been taught to avoid black cats and sidewalk cracks your whole life, but all those years of bad luck have caught up with you. Crazed circus clowns challenge you to survive thirteen superstitions in their 3-D Tent of Terror, but it will take more than luck to escape this whole new dimension of fear.

This year, scare zones will be back along with the roaming hordes:

• Faded Memories: featuring signature set pieces and props from the classic houses of Howl-O-Scream’s 13-year history, providing the ideal scare situation for some of your favorite HOS characters ever.

Check back for more information about this years scare zones.

Live shows announced so far this year include:

• Fiends: A “deranged dance party” thrown by Dr. Frankenstein and his naughty nurses.

Another popular feature of the event returning will be the chance to ride coasters SheiKra, Montu, Cheetah Hunt, Gwazi and Kumba in the dark.

In addition, Howl-O-Scream Shop of Horrors will also return for guests to purchase all their Howl-O-Scream swag and the popular Fright Feast dinner show will return to Desert Grill. The adult bar/dance club will make a return in the Marrakesh Theater as well.

The event will take place every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night from Sept. 21 through Oct. 27, 2012. Stay tuned for Orlando Attractions Magazine for more Howl-O-Scream information.