Gabrielle Russon
Another bloody delivery arrived at Kyle Smith’s job — this time, human limbs — in full view of all his Orlando co-workers. The white delivery van pulled up and unloaded the buckets of gory goods, handing them off to Smith.
For Smith, it was just another day at work.
Smith manages the creative show operations at SeaWorld Orlando as the park celebrates its fourth year of a special ticketed Halloween event for adults and more mature theme park fans. SeaWorld Orlando’s Howl-O-Scream, which runs on select nights through Nov. 2, features five haunted houses, seven scare zones and five themed bars. Some are returning favorites, others are brand new this year, the company said.
Across Central Florida’s major theme parks, it’s officially deep into the spooky season even as the temperatures don’t feel anywhere close to Fall weather.
Disney World’s Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party often sells out, and Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights draws thick crowds for its popular event that transforms Universal Studios at night.
SeaWorld’s event is less intense but is cheaper than Disney’s or Universal’s. It draws inspiration from a “wellness center,” a casino, a Midwestern farm and Amsterdam’s Red Light District that’s now overrun by sexy vampires in one of the scare zones.
At a recent media event, Smith explained how he is always in Halloween mode and looking for inspiration in random places. He spoke about the monthslong behind-the-scenes effort to create this year’s event.
“We get a lot of us in the room, and it’s a true brainstorm. There’s no wrong answers. And so we just throw out any different ideas we have,” Smith said. “What are you scared of in the dark? Or what makes you love Halloween? What makes you go creepy-crawly?”
That’s how Smith and his team came up with the idea to theme one haunted house as a casino. Maybe Las Vegas is a special kind of hell, with the never-ending maze of beeping slot machines. At SeaWorld, you also see a not-so-great-looking Elvis Presley inside a creepy wedding chapel.
“You are going to gamble for your soul, for you to live,” Smith said of the Ultimate Gamble haunted house.
