disneyfan1313

Tonight we got to see the musical, "Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story Onstage", at the beautiful Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center in Downtown Orlando. While this production never ran on Broadway, it actually has European and Australian roots - having run in both countries as a touring show for years! From the official website: "It’s the summer of 1963, and 17 year- old Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman is about to learn some major lessons in life as well as a thing or two about dancing. On vacation in New York’s Catskill Mountains with her older sister and parents, Baby shows little interest in the resort activities, and instead discovers her own entertainment when she stumbles upon the staff quarters when an all-night dance party is in full swing. Mesmerized by the raunchy dance moves and the pounding rhythms, Baby can’t wait to be part of the scene, especially when she catches sight of Johnny Castle the resort dance instructor. Baby’s life is about to change forever as she is thrown in at the deep end as Johnny’s leading lady both on-stage and off with breathtaking consequences." Look - if you have seen the classic movie, you know EXACTLY what you are in for here! Lots of toe tapping songs, awesome dance numbers and some laugh-out-loud moments! The dancing really steals the show here and the talent of the cast is VERY evident. They also use technology very well in this show, with both projection and LED screens bringing some of the movies most memorable scenes to life. Also of note is the great live band that is on stage and plays an integral part in many scenes. This may not be a Broadway classic, but you will have a TON of fun and you will know every scene. The reaction in the audience when Johnny says "Nobody puts Baby in the corner" - is worth the price of admission alone. "Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story Onstage" is part of the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Broadway series which you can find more info about here: www.drphillipscenter.org/ And if you're interested in seeing Dirty Dancing while on tour here or in England, here's more info about their schedule: us.dirtydancingontour.com/ It is a RAINY night at the beautiful Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center, but that is not going to stop us! The dancers, singers and musicians in the cast were ALL very talented. The merch was VERY popular and had some funny options, including the BABY dance shorts! Snack time before the show! I LOVE the cheese and meat plate - really high quality! There are so many nice spots to wait for the theater to load on all levels, its a wonderfully designed theater. Time to get DIRTY! Curtain call! Great cast and you can see how the musicians were positioned at the top of the stage If you know the movie - you know the famous watermelon scene! The "learning to dance" transition scene was done really well! The dancing really was TOP NOTCH! Of no surprise to anyone, this was a very SEXY show!

^ OK - that looks kinda awesome! I just watched the promo video for it - basically its Stomp but with a cooking theme and lasers?!?!

Tonight we got to see the Off-Broadway smash hit, STOMP, at the beautiful Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center in Downtown Orlando. Segments of Stomp have been featured in commercials, films and even the London Olympics closing ceremonies, so chances are that most of you are familiar with the concept. From the official website: "Matchboxes, brooms, garbage cans, Zippo lighters and more fill the stage with energizing beats at STOMP, the inventive and invigorating stage show that's dance, music and theatrical performance blended together in one electrifying rhythm." Essentially it is a non-stop ride of percussion and dance that is filled with talented performers and "wow" moments. The Zippo lighter segment was especially impressive to me. It is hard to describe, but imagine synchronized lighters that also have a percussion element! I love non-traditional shows like this that only use body language and dance to keep the audience engaged... and it works SO well here. Stomp has been playing since 1994 at the Orpheum Theater in New York and has had resident productions in the UK and traveling productions all over the world. I'm really considering seeing it again the next time I am in NY - it seems like you would notice more and more details every time! Stomp is part of the Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Broadway series which you can find more info about here:www.drphillipscenter.org/ And if you're interested in seeing Stomp while on tour or in New York City, here's more info about their schedule: www.stomponline.com/ The Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center really is beautiful both inside and out. We are VERY lucky to have something of this quality in Orlando! One of the hidden gems when you explore the center, is the model of the entire facility - tons of cool details. There is even a hidden Lion King section - kinda like a hidden Mickey! Loved that the cast list is in a "road case" - fits in with the theming of the show very well! Some cool merchandise! They had a performer after the show who was willing to sign whatever you wanted as well! I know you have seen this picture before, but it really helps to capture how beautiful this facility is. This means the show is about to start! I always love reading the performer bios. The set is really cool! As you can imagine, everything possible is used as an instrument! Curtain call! Huge standing ovation for these very talented performers.

So all this construction is really going to make HHN interesting next year. Fast and Furious will be in full swing which will probably take the Disaster queue out of the mix and the Twister construction will take away a house entrance and a large portion of their queue for one of the Sound Stage houses. Throw in the fact that Feifel's play area has got to be on the chopping block soon and you have issues getting to the Parade Building house as well. Should be interesting!

I'm not sure there is really the demand for another regional park. Especially when you consider the cost of the rides and infrastructure that would be needed to keep it competitive. Only market where it might make sense is South Florida but a lack of land and closeness to Orlando and Tampa make it unlikely!

I think it's important (and I believe it was mentioned in this thread earlier) that the cost of food is helping to subsidize very low season pass prices. The revenue has to come from somewhere!

I'm really tempted to do a 7 day from Miami. I've only gotten to sail on the Magic once so I would love to try her again. It's interesting Galveston still has the demand!

SFMM - 1) Not enough variation in rides. How about a dark ride or a unique water ride? 2) Wayfinding - as someone who wasn't familiar with the park, the layout was confusing and really didn't feel signage was great. 3) keeping up with the "coaster wars" - I don't think it's helping the parks image or demographics to keep trying.

Such beautiful photos! I really love the way Discoveryland looks at night. I can't wait to go back there some day. 10+ years is too long!

Tonight TPR was invited to a preview screening of Guardians of the Galaxy! Here's our review... I have to admit that I was a little nervous going into this movie. I *love* the Avengers portion of the Marvel universe, but I wasn't sure how it all fit together. A talking raccoon? A tree that can fight? The first thing you need to know is that this is a comedy, action and sci-fi hybrid. It sounds strange, but it really works! This movie is an awesome hybrid of the Marvel universe with a Star Wars-esque feel. You won't believe the crazy action sequences throughout the movie. The CGI is amazingly well done. Music plays a HUGE role in this movie. It is hard to explain without giving away some spoilers, but it has some awesome 70s tunes interspersed throughout that really lend to the vibe of the film. Rocket and Groot were my two favorite characters. Both are amazingly animated and creative and both have some very funny moments and one-liners. Rocket is SURE to be the merchandise hit of the season! And no spoilers...but in the true Marvel universe way - it all comes together very nicely! STORY SYNOPSIS: "An action-packed epic space adventure, Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits – Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Peter discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand – with the galaxy’s fate in the balance." Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is presented by Marvel Studios and stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper as the voice of Rocket, Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gilian, Djimon Hounsou with John C. Reilly, Glenn Close as Commander Rael and Benicio del Toro as The Collector. Distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, the film opens August 1, 2014 Go see Guardians of the Galaxy - we give it two thumbs up!

For some reason I have this irrational fear of Superman at SFMM - I just can't force myself to ride it! No idea why either...

The one type that I am not sure could be saved is stand-up's. Without a better "crotch solution" they just are too painful!

I'm going to say any coaster in a parking lot!

I don't think I am the audience, because I would rather look at photos on the web than in a video, but I do think this is a good direction to go. People expect to be able to "eat" their content in whatever format works best for them. For some it will be Facebook, some the forums, some twitter and YouTube is a great additional option that will help that group understand the "TPR Style" more than a POV ever will. I do think it feels a little too long (I get the need to balance that though and I know I read fast) and I am actually very glad there is not a VO. A VO would have made it sound like a cheesy podcast.. this seems more professional.

All set up finally! Haven't had much time to mess around with the online portion of the 3ds so not sure everything is set up properly yet...but hope it is! Disneyfan1313 Name: Stacey FC: 4570-7829-6044 City: DCA Fruit: Orange AC Name: Anna or Triton

^ I will agree that the Tandori station is awesome - but not all Carnival ships have that. Have you sailed on any other lines before? Often it is the context of sailing the other lines and realizing what the experience "should be" that forms that opinion.

If you had your choice of any celebrity (living or dead) to ride a coaster with.... who would it be, and why? I would choose Nic Cage because I can only imagine how epic and over dramatic his comments would be!

If anyone who caches finds themselves in Orlando, make sure to visit my cache! I recently updated it and can't wait to see the finds come in again! It is located close to Downtown Disney & the premium outlets and is very fun/easy! coord.info/GCMHHZ Anyone else started caching recently?

Got Jury Duty tomorrow and hopefully lots of time to drop eggs unless I get picked for a case! Drop some in my town (disneyfan1313) and let me know who did it!

25 dropped in Robb, Chris, Dave and Derek for now! Ran out of time... Scott - I don't know your Simpsons name to repay you if you were the one to drop in my town earlier.

Anyone want to do a trade tomorrow? I should have some time to drop off eggs! I am disneyfan1313 if you do not have me already.

Thanks Chris for the eggs in my town - I donated some back to you yesterday. Anyone else who wants to throw some my way, I would be happy to trade.. Just let me know who you are!

OK - Begging time! I only have time to visit 5-10 towns a day so I am realizing quickly that I am going to be screwed when it comes to collecting all the items. Anyone who wants to throw a few eggs my way, I promise I will drop as many as I can in your town! Thanks!!!

Wow! So many awesome updates... thanks! This looks like it had all the awesomeness of a TPR trip including awesome coasters, sketchy coasters, culture and drinking!

It is a tie between Cedar Point and IOA for me - both have awesome skylines!