UPDATED: Our first hunt was last week and was won by Baroli from Twitter. Our second hunt is now underway – good luck!
It seems like everyone these days has a GPS-enabled device of some kind and I am always looking for ways to incorporate modern technology into my scare toolkit.
My minions and I have cooked up a trick-AND-treat game for you using GPS. It isn’t an easy game but it is an adventure and adventures are not meant to be easy.
If you should be brave and smart enough to meet my challenge, here is what you need to do:
Use a GPS-enabled device to find the coordinates given. If you don’t have a stand-alone, GPS-enabled device, you might try Blackstar for GPS-enabled Blackberry phones or Geocaching 2.0 for iPhone 3G
When you find the treasure, Tweet me @jackreturns or go to our Facebook page and leave a wall post or leave a comment on this blog post so that I know you found it.
Bring the secret ticket to SeaWorld Guest Relations to claim your prize. Guest relations is at the front of the park.
Rules:
Don’t destroy any property searching for my stash, it will be in plain view and not buried.
If you can’t find it, get a new set of glasses.
You cannot be an employee or immediate relative of a SeaWorld San Antonio employee.
No pumpkins allowed.
You can only win once outside the park and once inside the park, give someone else a chance.
If you want to learn more about Geocaching and its rules and regulations, check out the San Antonio Geocaching Association. Jack’s Treasure Hunt affiliated in any way with SAGA or www.geochaching.com, nor do they have any information or knowledge about my trasure hunt. We were heavily inspired by this fun and entertaining activity, so if you have fun with it, check it out. I might even consider becoming a geocacher during my time in the pumpkin patch.
Hello there my minions! Ever wonder how I came to be? Read my legend below if you dare…It might send a chill down your spine. Oh, and don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @jackreturns and on the SeaWorld Facebook page, which I’ve hijacked for the month of October!
The origins of the jack-o-lantern began in Irish folklore where it was originally a hollowed-out turnip. But Irish-American immigrants later found that pumpkins better served their purpose.
Jack was a legendary trickster who outwitted the Devil twice during his lifetime. When Jack died and arrived at the gates of heaven, he was turned away because he was stingy and mean. He then journeyed to the underworld but the Devil was to afraid of Jack’s trickery to allow him entry.
The Devil gave him a piece of coal to help light his way, but it was too hot to carry. So Jack carved a hole in a turnip and placed the coal inside, thus he became known as Jack of the Lantern. He wandered the earth carrying his turnip looking for a place to spend eternity.
Jack is an organic half-plant/half-man creature that arises at the first sign of the Autumn Moon, and remains alive and well at the park, haunting visitors with his sinister laugh. He is reminiscent of Vincent Price, in that he does not wreak havoc, but simply points it out to us.
He’s creepy, obviously responsible for eerie happenings, but not physically threatening. He’s somewhere between the legend of Sleepy Hollow and Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.
He’s old, and somewhat decayed (sort of like the Crypt Keeper from Tales from the Crypt, but more distinguished). He wears a top hat, which he tips to reveal the stem of a pumpkin.
His face is orange and linear like a pumpkin, but with evidence of decay and new growth. His hands are gnarly and appear from beneath his cape. They look more vine-like than human.
After the last moon of the month (end of October) he goes dormant, retreating back into a hollow tree which is his portal back to the underworld. Only to re-appear for the next harvest of brave souls…
A few weekends ago, I was up at the Central Texas Kid’s Expo in Belton, TX, with some fellow team members spreading the word about what’s going on at SeaWorld this fall. When we go to events like this, most everyone knows about SeaWorld (although some are surprised when we say we’re from San Antonio), but I’m always surprised when they don’t know about all of the Education programs we offer. I’ve had this conversation many times:
Me: Howdy! How’s it goin’?
Passerby: Doin’ well. Oh we love SeaWorld! We have season passes.
Me: Great! We’ve got Howl-O-Scream coming up at the park, have you ever been to that?
Passerby: Oh no, but we heard about it. It looks pretty cool.
Me: It’s a blast. We have stuff for younger kids during the day, then it gets scarier at night. You can even spend the night at SeaWorld.
Passerby: Wow. I didn’t know you could do that. What would you think about spending the night at SeaWorld, Johnny?
So, just in case you didn’t know…
You can spend the night at SeaWorld for Halloween. We’re doing a Howl-O-Scream Sleepover October 24th. Children 3-5 years old must be accompanied by a parent and 1st-8th graders come by themselves.
We do special Halloween activities along with seeing all of the creepy things happening in the park, like “Shamu’s Rockin’ Creep Show,” “Jack’s Frightmare Forest,” and much more. Plus, learn about many of the animals that live at SeaWorld. Then we’ll sleep in our sleeping bags in the Sharks/Coral Reef Exhibit. The kids definitely have the option not to participate in certain features if they get too scared, but there’s something for everyone throughout the night.
Guests enjoying Sharks/The Coral Reef before drifting off to sleep.
Now that you know about our Adventure Camp programs in October, I’ll give you a little hint: If you’re at the website checking out the camps, also check out the Jack Hanna Sleepover coming up Nov. 6. I’ll give you more details on that one later, but it’s definitely one you won’t want to miss.
Editors Note: My friend Tim Morrow, who is joining our team of bloggers, recently interviewed Jack. Check out the great dialogue that took place between them and I’m sure you will have a whole new outlook on Jack by the end, I know I did. Enjoy!
One of the things I love about my job as the Director of Consumer Events, is the opportunity to work with some amazing and talented personalities. Sometimes they are TV or movie stars, sometimes they are musicians or singers, and once a year I work with a rock star named Jack, Jack-O-Lantern.
I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Jack and ask him some of the tough questions that mainstream media have shied away from. I wanted to give you the opportunity to see into the mushy pumpkin head of this super star.
Tim: Jack, I’ve noticed how well you handle the guitar in your “Jack is Back” show, can you tell me where you learned to play?
Jack: Well I started playing air guitar many years ago, but I fine tuned my skills by training on Guitar Hero. I was able to master that game pretty quick and move straight onto the stage so my minion fans could hear me rip it up. I’ve had many influences, mostly the great guitar heroes of the 1960’s such as Jimi Hendrix and later artists in the 80’s such as Slash! I am so good I scare myself sometimes!
Tim: Jack, was there any childhood drama that shaped who you are today?
Jack: I was always a mischievous lad. I pretty much spent the first half of my life in detention and timeout, but eventually people gave up on trying to make me conform to the norms of society. I like to be mischievous and playful during the day, but at night I love to terrify people. Screaming in the night is music to my ears, and reminds me a little bit of the sounds of Hannah Montana….Love ya Hannah! Did her dad have a great mullet or what? Now THAT was scary!
Tim: Are you currently dating anyone?
Jack: Well I prefer to keep my options open. Being the biggest rock star on the planet it is hard to be in a one pumpkin relationship. I prefer to play the pumpkin patch and keep things light. I’m so busy scaring people that a relationship isn’t high on my priority list right now. Someday I hope to raise some pumpkin heads of my own, but not now.
Tim: Do you have any celebrity followers on Twitter?
Jack: Define celebrity. After me the rest of ‘em are all just humans. I have a few human stars who follow me, literally. Matt Bonner, of the San Antonio Spurs, has been stalking me a bit since he arrived in San Antonio. He is convinced we are related! Must be the red head?!?
Tim: How do you spend your leisure time?
Jack: I spend most of it just hanging out playing Guitar Hero with my pumpkin posse. After Howl-O-Scream I’m still around causing some mischief. I watch the park guests and sometimes hide their stuff, or send bugs their way.
At night I like to check out the animals as they sleep and pull flowers out of the ground. That one drives the landscape team crazy! Every now and then I’ll do a little “dead heading.” You know, pick the dead blooms off of the flowers to help them grow. I do it because I like the name “dead heading,” and because I almost felt bad once about pulling flowers out of the ground…almost…once.
I guess it is a sign of my softer side, and it is just my way of passing time until the next Howl-O-Scream.
Tim: You mention a “softer side.” What makes you cry?
Jack: I often cry from laughing so hard when I see people screaming, crying for their mommies and generally terrified. I’ve also been known to cry during Guitar Hero when we play a great 80’s power ballad like Motley Crue’s “Home Sweet Home,” it reminds me of the old country, Ireland, where I’m from.
Tim: Well thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to let me ask you some questions. What is on the agenda for the rest of the month?
Jack: Frights and delights at my Howl-O-Scream, tell all your friends so they’ll come and see!
Follow Jack on Twitter @jackreturns and on the SeaWorld Facebook page, which he has hijacked for the month of October. Rumor has it he is giving out lots of tricks and treats (prizes) there. He also has a fun interactive page.
The scares and screams at SeaWorld San Antonio started on September 30th when we hosted the Team Member Preview Night of Howl-O-Scream . Like any other program or product, we like our team members to preview what it is our park guests will be experiencing so we offer them first take.
Team Members not only enjoyed old “haunts” like Jack’s Frightmare Forest but also our very new maze called Den of the Departed. “Which maze was scarier?” Was the question of the night and team members seemed to be tied with their votes. Not only was the night a great first dress rehearsal for the Entertainment Department, it was the perfect opportunity for our team members to enjoy our Howl-O-Scream Program with their loved ones.
In addition to the Howl-O-Scream activities we also had a dunk booth, face painting, caricatures and snacks available with all proceeds benefiting the United Way . It was also a great night to kick-off our FREE flu shots for team members. Although you couldn’t be faint hearted because the representatives working the flu shot table were outfitted with blood splattered doctor’s coats to fit the Halloween theme! With over 200 flu shots administered and many guests in attendance we know everyone had a blast!
Preview night wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our World Class Service Team. The World Class Service Team is made up of full-time and part-time team members who coordinate and work team member events throughout the year. The team now starts planning the Christmas Celebration Preview Party on November 19th. Let the fun begin!
Debi Pfitzenmaier and Kami Huyse (me) pose with Jack at VIP night
Last Thursday, I had a chance to meet up with the San Antonio Social Media Club at the SeaWorld VIP night to preview Howl-O-Scream. We also had a photo opportunity with Jack-o-lantern, who is the undisputed star of Howl-O-Scream. Don’t believe me? Then ask him yourself on Twitter @jackreturns.
What a fun time we had getting to know each other better. The social media crowd in San Antonio is a pretty hip group. They also created a ton of wonderful photos and chatter on Twitter.
While at the event, I also had a chance to meet a number of the people who won VIP passes from Jack on Twitter. He is really causing quite a stir.
If you come out to the park for Howl-O-Scream there are several ways you can share your photos, videos and thoughts. Jack will also be offering all kinds of prizes throughout his rein in the park, so check back to the channel of your choice often.
September 24, 2009 by Kami Huyse • Comments Off Posted in Howl-O-Scream, WAVE TV
Jack is coming back
The makeover of SeaWorld San Antonio is almost complete.
Next Friday Jack will make his mysterious return during Howl-O-Scream, a month-long fest of frights and fun. And for our loyal readers we will confirm that Jack plans to show up almost anywhere – and he has a lot to say. Be on the lookout here and on our Facebook page.
You can read about all of the things we have planned in the official press release, but suffice it to say you will not be disappointed. There will be plenty to do for the kids all the way up to adults. Howl-O-Scream runs from Oct 2-31st, weekends only (Fri-Sun) and Columbus Day (12th).
Check out our most recent WAVE TV to see how our team is preparing, take a look at the costume shop and hear a little bit about our pumpkin breeding program.
These Howl-O-Scream team members are learning how to give a good scare.
Howl-O-Scream Orientation. Need I say more?
Okay, you win, I will.
Howl-O-Scream Orientation was held on Friday, September 11th, and was one of the most entertaining orientations I have attended thus far. Over 70 team members that will be working all over the park in different roles and scare zones were put into one room for a very enlightening, slightly comedic, and totally scary information session. Stage managers introduced themselves with their areas of responsibility, guidelines for all actors were given, and also included was a frightful video outlining the key steps to the perfect scare.
To finish off the evening, we were led on a tour of the different scare zone areas…in the DARK! It was a blast; the energy level from the group was amazing!
Costume fitting and makeup training was held on Sunday, and that was fascinating…to say the least. Everyone was given their costume (mostly comprising of dresses for the females and suits for the males) and modeled them as the production supervisor gave instructions to the costume designer staff. I heard instructions like, “be sure to tear it up on the bottom”, and “you could add some guts along the neck and shoulders”.
Each group also had the opportunity to learn the finer points of making the best dirty and decaying face with the use of makeup, fake skin, and of course, maggots. Some brave volunteers even made the transformation from living to dreadfully dead and decaying.
Howl-O-Scream team member is remade into a zombie
All in all, it was an amazing experience. Can’t wait to get out there and put my newly gained knowledge to use.
MONI
Wave TV is SeaWorld’s bi-weekly video feature program created for team members. Wave TV debuted in 2005 and was originally conceived to showcase park events for team members as they rode the shuttle bus to their workstation. Last year, this award-winning communications program moved to the SeaWorld YouTube channel; now everyone can share the program. Check out what’s new behind the scenes at SeaWorld San Antonio.
where you learned to play?
