Week 147: SeaWorld Howl-O-Scream

Week 147: October 19th-25th, 2025

Back when I donated blood in September, I got free tickets to SeaWorld San Diego's Howl-O-Scream event. I think I haven't been to SeaWorld since I was 12 and my dad and I adventured to San Diego's various zoos and parks, so I was excited to see what it was like about 14 years later.

As a chronic over-planner, of course I had to watch a few YouTube videos like this one to know what to expect at the Howl-O-Scream event. I've been told I may have an overactive amygdala because I can be scared or startled easily (not sure it was a compliment, but I took it as one at the time). Because of this, I was not sure if I would actually enjoy purposefully putting myself at risk of being jump scared around every corner of an amusement park. I tend to get overstimulated easily, so I was hesitant to fully immerse myself in the spookiness of SeaWorld at night.

We decided to go slightly before the event officially started at 7pm, because it was the last weekend before actual Halloween comes around, so it was going to be busy. The I-5 North was also completely closed for repairs, so the traffic was a little worse than normal. We headed out and got to the park around 6:45pm. The tickets may have been free through the sponsorship with San Diego Blood Bank, but the parking was a whopping $40. If we wanted "VIP" or "Up-Close" parking, we could have paid $70+, which seems outrageous.

There were a TON of people coming in and out of the park. Most of the people leaving the park were families with little kids who likely had to clear out before the scary stuff started at 7pm. I had a "Duh!" moment when I saw kids with flipflops and wet clothes and remembered that this was an amusement park with water rides. I did not dress for that and would have gotten very cold, so even if the water rides were open, I did not plan to go on them.

Anyway, after taking an L on $40 parking, we navigated through the crowded lines in poorly lit areas with little to no signage until getting to security and ticketing.

The very poorly organized entrance and security line at SeaWorld for Howl-O-Scream

There were a few SeaWorld staff members trying to corral people in the right direction, but you'd think after a few weekends of this, they would have it figured out a little better. I'm pretty sure the event opened back in September, since most of the amusement park content creators posted their opening day reviews about a month ago.

After commenting to my boyfriend about how I would have organized the entrance lines in a more efficient and clear manner, I got off my high horse a bit and decided to just enjoy it for what it was.

Since I am not an amusement park blogger or reviewer, and have little experience at SeaWorld, I had low expectations. That being said, I was still slightly disappointed. Even the Yelp page for Howl-O-Scream is full of mixed reviews. I think I agree with that mixed sentiment.

A few rides were open, but I had my purse with me and would have had to rent a locker to store it. The lines, even for the locker rentals, were insanely long, so we decided against it.

The pros: Walking around was a fun experience, especially because you would occasionally hear a scream and see someone running in fear from someone in a ghillie suit (wow, it isn't spelled "gilly?"). The cast members going around scaring people seemed like they were enjoying their jobs. The decoration and ambiance were fun, and I envied the people who got to set up all the different event decorations.

The cons: The fog machines were cool and added to the spooky vibe, but they smell HORRIBLE. My throat still burns from breathing in the fog. The lines were way too long, and I was not going to spend even more money on the "Fear Pass" which was like a fast past ticket at Disneyland.

We didn't go through any of the haunted houses, mainly due to the insane lines, but also because the thought of breathing in more fake fog was not appealing. I am perfectly content watching the YouTube reviewers' body cams of the haunted houses and breathing air that doesn't burn my throat. There were a bunch of bars and food vendors with special spooky offerings, but we didn't get anything.

After doing a few laps around each scare zone, we headed home after about an hour. You might say we didn't maximize the time we spent there, but the tickets were free, so I didn't feel like we really had to get our money's worth. Apart from $40 parking, we didn't spend a cent, though I was very tempted by some of the fun stuff in the gift shop.

I really enjoyed seeing the cast members at SeaWorld putting their all into scaring people around the park. I was on high-alert the entire time so thankfully I did not get jump-scared by anyone leaping out from a dark corner, but I loved seeing it happen to other people. I laughed a lot as we walked around and didn't feel as scared when I remembered it was just a bunch of regular people in costume.

After going with my complimentary ticket from donating blood, I do NOT think I would spend money on a real Howl-O-Scream ticket. I would definitely like to return to SeaWorld in the daytime and enjoy the park during regular hours. I think SeaWorld got a bad reputation (rightfully so, at the time) and has yet to really bounce back from it. They actually do a lot of conservation and wildlife rescue work for marine animals and I think they don't advertise that enough. Most people who think of SeaWorld think of the orcas they abused many years ago, which is not what they're about now. Now, apart from rollercoasters and marine life, they seem to be about hiring really dedicated actors to scare people for a Halloween event, which I respect.

Bonus: I went on a walk on a (sadly cloudy) morning, and saw this hawk-like bird just chilling on someone's balcony roof near Civita Park. My dad, the resident bird expert, says it looks like a red-shouldered hawk.

I saw this guy and immediately said "BIRD?"

While I am not an avid birdwatcher myself, I appreciate the hobby and think of my dad whenever I get distracted by movement in the sky.

See you next week.