Boo-Ville

Halloween Horror Nights Orlando attraction
Boo-Ville
Attraction type	Scarezone
Event	Halloween Horror Nights: Islands of Fear Halloween Horror Nights 13
Park	Islands of Adventure
Area	Seuss Landing
Year	2002 2003
Housed in	Seuss Landing
Based on	Dr Seuss books, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1957)

Boo-Ville was one of the six scarezones that were featured during Halloween Horror Nights: Islands of Fear. The scarezone returned the following year for Halloween Horror Nights 13. It was located in Seuss Landing for both years.

History and Location

In 2002, Audrey Giesel (the widow of Dr. Seuss) said that Universal was not allowed to put anything remotely scary in the Seuss Landing area of the park for Halloween Horror Nights. So, in 2002 when Cindy was originally planned to be the icon, Universal decided to have a scarezone titled Grinch Night, inspired by the 1977 television special Halloween is Grinch Night. The story is that the Whos were scared of the Grinch and stayed in their homes, making the town look abandoned. Nothing scary would be placed in this scarezone, just fog and weird music.

The scarezone would be located in the Seuss Landing area of the park. The area is themed to the various stories of Dr. Seuss, and is located between the Lost Continent and the Port of Entry. Due to the linear nature of Islands of Adventure, this was designed to be the sixth and final scarezone guests would enter.

After Cindy was scrapped as the icon, the scarezone would be renamed Boo-Ville. The scarezone would still have the same story, and there would still be no scareactors, only fog, weird music, and the Grinch himself.

Boo-Ville would return the following year in 2003 mostly unchanged. The Grinch was said to have returned in that incarnation of the scarezone. The 2003 version was also designed to be the sixth and final scarezone guests would enter.

Description

All the Whos are behind locked doors. As darkness falls, the mischievous spirit of Halloween descends upon the deserted streets. Does it bring treats...or tricks?

Storyline

According to this: https://twitter.com/RonIsAJerk/status/1664019057383800834/photo/2

As night approaches, all the Whos lock themselves into their homes daring not to journey into the streets. Eerie fog covers the area as guests see signs that warn them to get out. Guests follow a path of dead trees and flickering torches as they make their way to the haunted maze. A carnival atmosphere fills the streets complete with hair weavers and face painters. Freaky creatures appear to be watching your every move, creating an unsettling feeling.

Experience

This was the only scarezone in the events history with no scareactors. Instead, the area was filled with fog, and guests could see the silhouettes of Whoville characters in the windows.

Both versions reportedly featured The Grinch lurking in the fog.

Pictures

Image from the now defunct ioacentral.com.

Image of the silhouettes that sat in the trolley tunnels in Boo-Ville.

Image from DavidHootan

Image from DavidHootan

Videos

• Home Video (0:00-0:40)

Soundtrack

Hall of Mirrors

Main Title

Islands of Fear HHN12~ BooVille Seuss Landing Area loop

Trivia

• Although Seuss Landing was modified at Universal's Islands of Adventure's Halloween Horror Nights during 2002, Boo-Ville was the only island that wasn't really scary, as Dr. Seuss's widow, Audrey Geisel, forbid Universal to turn her husband's family-friendly world into a world of fear. If Universal ignored her, Audrey would threaten to end Universal's partnership with Dr. Seuss bibliography if they did anything frightening with the area.
• This was the first scarezone located in Seuss Landing.
• The original concept of this scarezone was titled Grinch Nights, and would feature closed shops and lightning strikes.