Halloween Horror Nights 24: Preview!

I was privileged enough to catch the Team Member Preview of Halloween Horror Nights 24 last night.  Even though I didn't get to see all the houses, I had a chance to see the scarezones, Bill & Ted, and 6 out of the 8 houses.  In summary, it seems much of the energy went into the houses this year.  My initial hour in the event was not impressing me much, but when I finally started going into houses, my opinion of the event drastically changed.  This could shape up to be a very good year!  I'm going to keep this preview review as short as possible since I don't want to gauge my total overview of the event from the preview night.  The reviews below are only based on Preview Night.   Some, if not ALL of these can change come opening night-end of the event.

Shows

Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure

Pros: FROZEN, MAGIC BANDS, CAPTAIN AMERICA


Cons: Recycled Material, Lack of Laughs, Odd Pop Culture References, needs some script revisions. 

GRADE:  C-

Streets

Bayou of Blood

Pros: Good street atmosphere

Cons: Lack of scareactors and execution, needs some revisions - could be good come opening night!  It was missing the human sacrifices too for previews.  

GRADE:  C

MASKerade: Unstitched

Pros: EVERYTHING.  This scarezone just WORKS! Beautiful costumes, immersing atmosphere.

Cons: None.

GRADE:  A+

Face Off - In the Flesh

Pros: Good Photo Op Area, Great Costumes, Interactive Scareactors!  Those guys work it!

Cons: Wide pathway, lots of empty space.

GRADE:  B+

The Purge: Anarchy

Pros: Sets, Music, Sound, and the Auction.  Great atmosphere.

Cons: Scareactors need to get into their groove, lack of good scares/intensity of the films.

GRADE:  B

 Houses

AVP: Alien vs. Predator 
GRADE: A++

Best house of the night.  Sets, movie references, PUPPETS, facehuggers, Alex! Totally floored by this house.  One of the best they've done in years.  A geek's wet dream!

From Dusk Till Dawn 
GRADE: D

Rather dull.  Sets were nice to look at, but it lacked scareactors and had too much empty space.  My least favorite of the night.

Dracula: Untold - Reign of Blood 
GRADE: B

Enjoyed this house.  Good atmosphere and sets.  Plenty of good scare areas.  Scareactors seemed to be into their roles.  Mix Castle Vampyr with a little of Gothic (HHN 22)/Nightingales (HHN 21).

Dollhouse of the Damned 
GRADE: A++

Second favorite of the night.  Creepy and sometimes downright disturbing.  This is a house on some major drugs.  Great sets and creativity.  Scareactors on their game! Great scares.  Love the entrance too!

Giggles & Gore Inc.
GRADE: A

Mix Nightshade Toy Factory from Howl O Scream with Leave it to Cleaver (for the whacky factor).  Some fun sets and super creative.  Good scares too.

Roanoke- Cannibal Colony 
GRADE: A-

Great sets, good theming.  Creepy and immersive with it's small and tight walk area.  Good placement of scareactors.

Summary

Putting my faith in this year.  With what I have seen, this could shape up to be an amazing one!  I also found it interesting that they grabbed some ideas from Howl O Scream (Bayou and Dolls).  Houses are almost ALL great.  Scarezones are OK, but I think they will improve.  Bill & Ted, well we will just see what the script department does.  Great job to the HHN Creative team this year. Looking forward to the "real thing" on Friday!

Visit my Flickr Page for some pictures: Flicker - HHN 24

Review: Falcon's Fury

Falcon's Fury is currently running soft openings at Busch Gardens Tampa.  This ride has been plagued with delays since the first announcement was made of its grand opening.  Since then, the Intamin and Busch Gardens team have ironed out the kinks and started running the ride since August 16th.  The opening times during the day have varied, however.

I was lucky enough to experience the ride twice yesterday when visiting Busch Gardens.  Crowds were thin, so I only waited about 15-20 minutes to board. The ride experience is unique a very fun! This is definitely going to be a crowd pleaser for Busch Gardens.

Upon entering, the attraction itself has a very small queue space.  I'm hearing that it can hold approximately 45 minutes of queueing.  When I rode, half the queue was blocked off, so maybe it just looked smaller without all the switch backs open.

Once you get through the queue, you line up around the octangular loading area via colored square assignments. The ride attendant will just tell you to look for a particular square color and report to that area.  The load waiting area is covered with a large net as well (to catch those pesky loose objects they strongly suggest you not to ride with). While you are on your designated squares, you can see previous riders being fastened in and then ultimately experiencing the ride right in front of you.  This is great, because it gets you even more anxious about the experience (or more nervous).  I actually saw several guests leave the area at this point after seeing the ride up close and the guests' reactions.  Note:  They strongly suggest NO loose items while on the ride.  There are convenient cubbies on each section to store your valuables.  They also have a sign stating that if they find you with a cell phone/camera on the ride, you can be removed from the park.

The ride vehicle itself has eight different sides with four seats per section (32 riders per load).  The load/unload process is a little lengthy, but the employees were efficient.  You are fastened in with a lap bar and shoulder harness.  Both pieces are then secured with a seatbelt (the seatbelt looks identical to the one used in Cheetah Hunt).  From the load in to ride start, it takes about two minutes.

The ride experience itself is completely unique.  You leisurely minute climb to the top of this 300ft. + tower where you can see quite far in the distance.  From where I was seated, I could see the safari area of the park and Adventure Island over in the distance.  Some views are not great, and you are quite limited in vision to look completely around.  I saw half of the parking lot and some backstage areas.  However, that's not going to make a difference soon.  From ground to the top, this scenic journey takes about a minute.  Enjoy it while it lasts.  

Once you reach the top, this is where the true thrill begins.  The vehicle turns 90 degrees and faces you straight down.  By far, this is the best part of the experience.  Once turned 90 degrees, you are left dangling, facing the ground for a few seconds.  I noticed this time varies, since my first ride vs. my second had shorter hanging time.  This creates a sense of surprise, since you don't know when you're going to drop.

Once the vehicle is released, you drop down at a max speed of about 60mph for about five seconds.  What's unique about the fall is that you don't feel the normal "stomach drop" like a Coaster.  It's a thrilling drop, but not too intense by any means.  It feels like you are scaling the side of the tower.  Once the vehicle comes close to the bottom, it hits a magnetic breaking area and swings you out from your inverted position.  This is where you feel some G-Forces.  From the swing out, you are then loaded back to the loading dock.

So in conclusion,  Falcon's Fury is a great addition to the park.  It packs the thrills, but looks more menacing than it actually is.  All in all, it's a unique ride experience; to experience the 90 degree tilt alone (which is the highlight).  There is still no official Grand Opening yet, but the park has been running soft operations every day.  That, of course, is subject to change.

For more information on the ride, visit the official website at: Falcon's Fury

Review: Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts

Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts is Universal Orlando's next big attraction to come to the parks.  Although plagued by some massive wait times and ride issues, I fortunately was able to experience the ride on opening day.  My review contains spoilers, so read accordingly.

I have been waiting for this ride since the initial announcement came out from Universal Orlando.  In my head, I was expecting a thrill ride through the Gringotts' underground vaults that rivaled Revenge of the Mummy; but to a larger extent.  However, when more details were revealed, and the first press reviews came in, I found out it was going to be quite a different experience.  So going into the ride on opening day, I pretty much knew what to expect.  I went in with an open mind.

First off, the queue is spectacular.  From the massive chandeliers to the animatronics, there is detail in every part of the queue.  The lobby of Gringotts alone is a marvel to view.  It's literally breath-taking.  Those goblins are also creepy to watch as they move, type, and write at their stations.  Look around when you walk through.  There are so many little treasures to see, such as the Daily Prophet Newspaper with moving photos, or one of the open vaults.

Once you wind your way around the queue, you end up at a pre-show area.  This, of course, is Bill Weasley's office, where you get a rundown of the story. This scene/technology is very similar to pre-show of Disaster and the queue scenes of Forbidden Journey.  It involves a mix of projections and physical special effects.

Once the pre-show has ended, you then board one of two lifts to "descend" to the vaults of Gringotts. The lift experience is quite good.  With a mix of jittery moves, lighting effects, and overhead projection screens, you really feel like you're moving down to the dark and cavernous vaults below Gringotts. However, the lifts don't actually move.

After exiting the lifts, you will be preparing to board the ride.  The queue extends up a long and winding staircase to get to the loading area. 

The loading area itself is a two sided load in.  At the current time, however, only one side was being used.  The details are amazing here as well. There are huge stalagmites coming from the ceiling, and the walls have a worn and aged look that almost look wet.

The Ride Experience

So now for the ride itself.  I want to preface by saying that the ride is a technological advancement in every regard.  Universal Orlando has definitely pushed the envelope.  However, in saying that, for the ride experience overall, it lacks some of the thrills that other Universal attractions have.  Let me first explain some unique ride elements that impressed me.

Sets/Projections - This ride has MASSIVE sets.  I took some time to truly look around, and each room/set you go into is larger than life.  The projection screens are huge and they encompass the entire room.  It is a nearly 360 degree experience from start to finish.  Projections are very similar to Transformers, but much better (good 3-D HD Quality).  Also, with how they laid out each set, the move from one projection screen to the next is seamless.  Note, you will not find any animatronics here.  This ride is all screen/projection based.  However, there are set pieces as you move around.

Ride Vehicle - This is a hybrid Coaster vehicle.  You are definitely on a coaster track, but the ride vehicle does some very interesting spins/moves while traveling along.  It is fascinating how this vehicle moves and follows the projections perfectly.  I think this is one of my favorite things about the ride.  It is truly unique and advanced.  

Coaster Elements - The ride has some nice coaster elements to it.  It has two small launches, some winding tracks in the dark, and a some good pivoting moments where you face down on the track.  However, don't expect more than the equivalent to Revenge of the Mummy at most.  Actually, you get less of a Coaster feel here.  

So how is the ride experience overall?  

The ride has a GREAT start.  When you first meet Bellatrix and the story begins,  the track has a pivoting effect and a launch into a dark coaster section section that really sets your expectations high.  When the first scene ended, I actually was clapping in excitement.  

The next scene is where you get to experience the spinning effect of the ride for the first time.  Danger comes as the Gringott's Trolls attack your car.  The Trolls grab and hurl your car, and you are sent spinning down the track into the next scene.  This is one of the most fun parts of the ride.  The spinning movement on the track is amazing.

The following scene continues with the Trolls, but this time you do the classic "fall", much like what you experience in The Amazing Adventures of Spider Man and Transformers.  This is nothing really new.  But between the projections and ride vehicle movement, the sense of falling is much better here than previous Universal rides.

From here on out is where the ride loses my attention.  The next several rooms are nearly ALL story based.  You have already experienced most of the "thrills" of the ride at this point.  You go through several rooms, meeting the dragon of Gringotts (you feel some heat/water effects here), and ultimately have a face to face encounter with Lord Voldemort and Bellatrix.   Bellatrix jinxes the ride vehicle and sends you backwards a little on the track to the FINAL scene.

In the finale room, I'm expecting a "WOW" ending.  Instead, I find a rather ridiculous battle between Voldemort/Bellatrix and the Harry Potter gang (riding the dragon).  The setting is a lava filled cavern with some fog effects and lighting.  You are eventually launched into one more thrill as you exit the finale set.  The vehicle is launched again and you go through another small Coaster section while the ride vehicle rotates.  This, in fact, is really fun.  But the overall feel of the Finale is quite a let down in my opinion.

One finale "Goodbye" scene as Bill greets us and the ride wraps up to go back to the station.  This is a nice little touch as Bill ironically promotes Gringotts as "The safest place on earth." 

The Final Verdict

For the ride experience overall, on scale from 1-10, I would definitely rank it about a 7.  Technology - definitely a 10.  In the Harry Potter universe, I still like Forbidden Journey more overall.  However, Gringott's is a unique experience that expands on other projection screen rides at Universal.  With the additional vehicle movements, spinning, and coaster sections, I would put this ride above Transformers. The only let down is the strong start and rather lack luster middle and finale.  I wish the excitement would have kept up through the entire ride rather than falling flat.  

If you haven't experienced it yet, you should.  This is the next step of evolution for Universal Orlando.  Although it has it's flaws, it is quite a unique ride experience.   

Official Universal Orlando: Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts Page

Seaworld "Lights up the Night" with its new summer Shamu Celebration Show!

As a huge fan of Shamu Rocks at Seaworld Orlando, I was a little skeptic on how the park was going to update a long standing summer show.  Granted, Shamu Rocks was dated, but it still had its energy and was fun to experience year after year.

So, with an opportunity to get "preferred seating" for a Passholder Event, I took the opportunity to see the new show a few nights ago.  I was pleasantly surprised at how much I actually enjoyed the experience.

Officially titled Shamu's Celebration: Light up the Night, the new show boasts original high energy music, new costumes, a graphics update for their infamous rotating screens, and of course your favorite Shamu orcas! It also features a live DJ to kickstart the party (who also shows up at times in the show).

The party kicks off with a musical escapade of songs spun by the resident DJ while the crowds get to their seats.  The pre-show also features an opportunity to "show you dance moves" on the big screen as you boogy to moves from the 70's to today.

The show then oddly begins with a Q&A session with a Shamu Trainer.  I feel this is just a PR move to show the world how much Seaworld cares for their animals (aw).  I thought this whole session was a little out of place, but I understand Seaworld's need to push their animal care for all the world to see (Blame Blackfish).

And then the show starts, the title music and theme song begin, and then it's Shamu's Celebration time! Opening with a highly addictive original new pop/dance song called Light up the Night, the opening scenes showcase the usual spectacle of the amazing orcas jumping up from the water.  And then, queue the stage, where the Shamu Trainers now display dazzling new costumes for the show.  The costumes fit with the show's theme perfectly.

The show continues with around 4-5 sessions of the orcas performing, each featuring original variances of the theme song and some other original music made for the show.  The one thing I want to point out is, unlike Shamu Rocks, the new show ONLY features original music.  Shamu Rocks on the other hand, featured some renditions and covers of current mainstream songs.

From flips in the air, to up close and personal touches with the Shamu Trainers (minus the trainers actually getting in the water), the orcas really shine in this show.  And of course, no Shamu show would be complete without the obligatory fin splashs.  As the song lyrics play "Make a Bigger Splash...", the orcas do their normal rounds of splashing the lucky or unlucky guests in the Splash Zone.

And as the show reaches its finale, the theme song again blares, and a firework display shoots off behind Shamu Stadium! The fireworks are incredible and light up the sky for the remainder of the finale.  Seaworld tried doing the fireworks after the Shamu show last year, but in this show, it works a lot better.  The show has a great finale, and trust me, you will be humming the theme song after you leave.

Overall, I really enjoyed the show and thought it was a great replacement for Shamu Rocks.  This show will do well, especially for the Shamu fans.  It's a nice update and a great addition to Seaworld's Summer Event.

Preview of the Show on my Youtube Channel

Anticipating Diagon Alley

I have always been of fan of Theme Parks and new attractions.  But nothing has ever captivated me as much as the upcoming The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Diagon Alley at Universal Orlando.  If any of you know me, it has become a bit of an obsession.  From the endless pictures of the London waterfront, to the long days on #Potterwatch, the excitement continues to build until soft openings and the Grand Opening on July 8th.

Besides my personal interest in everything Diagon, the opening of this new "theme park inside a theme park" has also taken the attractions community by storm.  I have never seen so many Harry Potter and Theme Park fans obsess over anything quite like this.  So with that being said, let me track my experience, which starts just a few years ago...

When Universal Orlando prompted the closing of Jaws and Amity Island at Universal Studios Florida back at the end of 2011, everyone's attention shifted to their announcement about expanding the Harry Potter universe at Universal.  Rumors started flooding in for months about what exactly they were going to build to expand the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (WWOHP).  But, within time, Universal Orlando made the official announcement that they were indeed going to take us on a journey to Diagon Alley.

Universal took no time at all to begin demolition of the area and start new construction which would eventually become Diagon Alley.  But even then, although rumors were flying around with possible details of the expansion, no one became truly enamored with it until Universal's official details emerged in 2013.  I think it was at this time that I became excited with what would be the milestone of Universal Orlando.

From the very first pictures and renderings of Diagon Alley, I remember looking at that dragon and stating "I don't know how they're going to do that! That looks unbelievable!"

Original Artwork for Diagon Alley

As the construction picks up at a rapid pace, even more details were announced in the beginning of 2014.  Yes, we are getting Hogwarts Express and a brand new E-Ticket attraction (which at no surprise was Escape from Gringott's!)

As 2014 continued and construction got larger, the London waterfront was taking form.  But the big question was...when is this thing opening?

In early summer, the anticipation of opening prompted the Twitter hashtag #potterwatch.  It was here that fans could come and post everything Diagon- pictures, updates, thoughts, rumors, etc.  It became a massive hashtag following.  From seeing the London Waterfront take form and the popularity of potterwatch - I think that's where my true obsession started to gain momentum.

From the start of the summer, I began taking more and more trips to Universal Studios Florida (USF) to begin taking pictures of the London Waterfront.  Every couple days, sometimes everyday, something new would be added, painted, changed, or moved around.  But that pesky construction wall - it sure ruins great picture opportunities! I began collecting what seemed like an endless array of pictures of the London waterfront.  But still, no opening date announced...

Construction Photos

The next major milestone was the installation of the crown jewel of Diagon Alley, the amazing dragon that will sit above Gringott's Bank.  There were rumors of when the dragon would be installed, but never happened to be installed on my visits.  However, quite a few bloggers got some awesome pictures that day, and wow, they were fantastic.

Photo Courtesy of AmusementBuzz.com

The dragon quickly got covered up for additional work, so we did not get to see most of it again for awhile.  Eventually wings were added, but everyone was still waiting to see that signature fire breath (that comes later).  So we have the area built, a dragon installed, but still - no opening date.

The next major milestone was the removal of the construction walls that had surrounded the London waterfront for months!  All of us hated them, and were rejoicing when "London's Walls came tumbling down!"  This was our first opportunity to capture even BETTER pictures of the WHOLE waterfront!

Ah, much better without the walls!

Check out my video of the walls down

But wait, there were other things going on at Islands of Adventure too...a new walkway and new emblems on the ground? There is a lot going on.  But still no opening date?

The next milestone was Media Week for Diagon Alley .  The Media Week was indeed an exciting time! We learned so much about Diagon Alley.  And finally, we get an opening date!  July 8th was officially announced as the opening date during The Today Show's Media blitz LIVE from Diagon Alley!

Media week spawned a slew of new pictures actually INSIDE Diagon Alley.  Until then, we only had pictures of the London Waterfront with just a few pictures/videos here and there that Universal posted from within Diagon Alley.  But now we had everything! Pictures of store fronts, food, drinks, dragon fire, Gringott's!  Did I mention DRAGON FIRE?? This world was massive! The anticipation and excitement grew!  To say the least; sensory overload.  I was tempted to look at all the Twitter postings - including POV videos, but I chose to resist (well mostly) and save the surprise until later.  But those pictures inside I couldn't help drooling over! Here are just some of the cool sights inside Diagon Alley!

See more Photos Here - courtesy of buzzfeed.com

So that wraps it up.  I sit here waiting, but the journey is almost over.  With the opening date around the corner, and a good chance for soft openings soon, I will finally step foot into this majestic realm known as Diagon Alley.  I'm looking forward to every moment of it!