Busch Gardens Europe Howl-O-Scream

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Jonathan
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Busch Gardens Europe Howl-O-Scream

Post by Jonathan »

Click HERE for all 157 images including high-res versions.

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On Friday the 13th I figured there was no better time to go to Howl-O-Scream, so I headed north toward Williamsburg.

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I took the ferry across the James River on the way up.

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Good luck getting out of your car during the trip with the sea gulls waiting to bomb you.

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Busch Gardens is one of my favorite parks, and for the last three years I have lived just three hours away. Despite that, this was my first time to the park since 2000. I was a bit surprised to find the parking lot entrance moved over to near Apollo's Chariot.

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This is a beautiful sight.

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With Gryphon coming next year and my severe lack of visits to the park over the last few years, I decided to go ahead and get a 2007 season pass.

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It was way too cold to ride Escape from Pompeii today.

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I made a beeline for one of my favorite steel coasters, Apollo's Chariot.

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The ride was basically walk-on, so I got a few rides in then moved on.

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Apollo's Chariot is probably my second favorite of the B&M hypers, as I prefer it just slightly over Nitro, and of course Goliath is my favorite.

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Next up was Big Bad Wolf, which I still really like. I definitely cannot fit into those cars very comfortably anymore, though.

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I stopped by Das Festhaus just to look around.

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Curse of DarKastle was one of two rides (Corkscrew Hill the other) put in since I was last at the park.

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I haven't been on Spiderman at IOA, and from what I hear it blows DarKastle away, but I liked DarKastle a lot. The second time I rode it the guy beside me fell for the effects everytime, grabbing his lapbar in terror at the scene where the sleigh seems to fall over the castle wall.

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Alpengeist was the first really large coaster I ever rode, back when it opened in 97, but I have never really had a great ride on it. I've always thought it is a beautiful ride, but it's always been one of my least favorite inverteds.

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That changed today.

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The trim on the first drop was not turned on, so the first half of the ride was very fast and intense.

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I gained a new appreciation for this ride, and would now consider it among my favorite inverteds.

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What could be back there?

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Here's another new attraction since I last visited. More on this later.

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Here's me with a parrot, looking like I'm drunk just like most pictures of me.

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Busch Gardens has lots of animals. Like wolves...

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And bald eagles.

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Here's something else that is different from when I was last here. Hastings is no more, and Ireland has arrived. I definitely approve of the change.

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Corkscrew Hill was a huge surprise. Unlike pretty much every other simulator ride I have ever been on with a horrible script that tries to be clever and ends up horribly cheesy, Corkscrew Hill was actually very funny and creatively immersed you in the story.

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The dalmations did not seem to like being in their pen.

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The clydesdale says hello.

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Loch Ness Monster time.

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Here's my crappy Gryphon construction photo. The turn out of the station was complete when I was there.

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Loch Ness Monster is still fun, although a bit rough. The station was nearly completely empty for it.

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I'm pretty sure this is a required shot if you have a camera with you.

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whootah Alpengeist.

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Obligatory duck picture.

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Such a photogenic park.

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Such a photogenic park.

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The train was turned into a Halloween ride as part of Howl-O-Scream, and I was actually a bit let down. Unfortunately, it was still not fully dark when I did it, but it still was not nearly what I was expecting after hearing so many great things about it.

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Poor Drachen Fire had its station converted into a haunted house for Howl-O-Scream.

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The Lorikeet Aviary is the best part of the entire park.

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This bird attached itself to this guy and would not stop biting his hair and ears.

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Very true.

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Hi there.

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Yeah hey we're trying to sleep up here thanks.

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The sampler plate at Trapper's Smokehouse had brisket, bbq chicken, a spare rib, and a baby back rib. Highly recommended.

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I love the way Big Bad Wolf winds through the fake village.

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Ireland in Halloween mode.

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This was a maze in the England area near the front of the park. All of the haunted attractions were good, but none of them were great, and I really didn't find them to be all that different from what you would find at say Scarowinds.

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The Escape from Pompeii maze was the coolest, simply because the maze was actually inside the Pompeii building on the first floor.

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What really excited me was Apollo's Chariot night rides. It did not disappoint.

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After doing all of the Halloween mazes and getting my Apollo's Chariot night ride, I headed back for Raleigh. Busch Gardens is a fantastic park, and I can't wait to get back next spring to ride Gryphon.
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