Nrthwnd

^ Maybe he's actually talking about Vortex...?

When this is built, it'll be interesting to see, how TPR works it into it's future UK Tours plans...

^ There was so much talk and possible plans for such a theme park just outside the metro Vancouver area. But it was all blowing smoke and mirrors, and nothing ever came of it. The ongoing story of the land ownership that the actual amusement park, known as PLAYLAND, has been ongoing for a few decades now. And still, the park stays. The plan now, or so I hear/read it, is to be a so-many-number-of-years plan in which the entire property known as Playland undergoes a total re-shaping and re-themeing on the main property. The wooden coaster will no doubt, stay where it is, but everything else can or would be re-designed and/or replaced by another flat ride, etc. and placed in a new setting, created by management and landscaping. Who knows? This is such a weather precarious area of the world - Vancouver and Pacific Northwest - I have no idea what would ever want to go Big Time Commercial here. Except that after several parks in the world who have dealt with seasons and weather (i.e. Disney Paris, etc.), this might now be possible, compared to The Old Days, where "if it wasn't sunny, they wouldn't come," etc.

Question Robb/Elissa: I realize there's possibly going to be a China Tour in 2016, and probably one or two US tours as well, but are you thinking and/or working on anything special for the 10th Anniversary of TPR Tours? Just curious. (And I had absolutely NO IDEA where the f*** to ask this question.)

Honestly, it's so simple. Buy the park hopper pass, even for the one day. Get the train ride between parks. Easy.

^ That's intense, You win.

And I think the "sing along" thing is way over rated. And it all started with "The Sound Music" , darnit. I think it has to be more spontaneous, than 'controlled' with lyrics up on the screen, etc. Like "Rocky Horror" always used to be, and still is.

^ QFT

And on it goes...

Looking at all this, get sort of tingly insde.... It's an embarrasment of theme parks riches, really.

Honestly, it's all about who you are, in total - and not specific. Being gay is specific. Loving nature is specific. Riding roller coasters is specific. Specifics are nice, but overall I like the total package.

^ Are you in the right thread? Then again, who am I to ask? Just curious.

Me & Liza - Rufus Wainwright

^ They all became minions of Robb.

Well, that's what a group tour is all basically all about - a structured schedule so that everything advertised will be seen. Thankfully, TPR Tours offers a nice mix of scheduling and improvising one's group tour. By the way, is this tour the hybrid of the original Disneyland Tours, the one with the Guides in their riding attire (all women in the beginning of it), pleated plaid skirts, riding crops and all?* (curious) *And yeah, it's all about the riding crops.

^^^^ Now that is a BIG Box of Crap!

Stand up coasters are just not good to me.

Since my previous post... Another train ride I have always enjoyed, and made it a point to ride whenever I was at the park, is Efteling's train ride. It cuts through the park, instead of going totally around it, and goes by some iconic attractions, like Fata Morgana. The train engine, with its friendly engineer, who has relatives where I live! (2010 TPR Europe Tour) From the train, seeing Fata Morgana, a Disney Pirates sort-of rip off, based on the Arabian Nights, non-PC. Truth.

Just found out, we are FINALLY getting a tour production of The Book of Mormon..... WOO HOO! Unfortunately, not till next year, and it looks like if we are going to get any good seats for this, we will have to buy The Subscription, offered by Broadway Across Canada. But that's okay. We thought this is the way we were possibly going to get the show. They're offering an extra option to tix to an upcoming May tour of WICKED, and "Flashdance" will be the other show in the subscription. But honestly - it'll be all for Mormon. Well then, how about the upcoming Broadway Revival of the immortal "Les Miserables" with the amazing Ramin Kariimoo as Jean val Jean?

Or, would you prefer Glass, instead? Along with the plastic drinking ware I've found in parks, and related places, I also would come across something in glass that would cause me to buy it. In one case, it was a free glass - as long as you bought the wine (Vinarium;Tripsdrill). or in another case, one of the very few souvenirs that actually had the name of the park on it (Six Flags Mexico, true!). And most of the glass here is for the bar. Shooter glasses, single and double shots, and even a couple of juice glasses.... All the glass I got, here. Two non-park glasses. Actually they were each holding cold sake with a peel-off top. I picked them up in the massive food market (downstairs) opposite the Prince Shinagwa Hotel in Tokyo, 2011. One of the few things I found at SFM with the word "Mexico" on it. Mostly everything else just had the general Six Flags logo. Still, it's a nice shooter, all Red and Shiny! A two-shot from Hong Kong Disneyland, 2012. Now, would Minnie approve of this? Left: The "free glass" from Vinarium in Tripsdrill. Free with buying some wine, lol. Right: a small juice glass I actually bought at the park. Got both of them in the TPR 2008 Europe Tour. Back of the glasses. And I am sure that the "30" on the left, referred to the (then) park's Vinarium's 30th Birthday. My home park, Playland, and one of the 100th Birthday souvenirs for the annual fair it's part of, 2010. Along side it, a similar glass, bought during Tokyo Disney Resort's 30th Anny in 2013. Backs of the glasses. And see? 30 years of Happiness at TDLR! More shots and shooters. Europa Park (2010); Disneyland Paris (2002); AIR @ Alton Towers (2008). And two stir sticks! Mickey was for coffee (along with park-brand coffee packets) 2013, and the Raven was from the Jose Cuervo Factory Tour in Guadalajara Mexico, 2013 (it's the company's mascot). Where most of my "bar stuff" hangs out. Within easy reach... Me and my "free glass" and wine, in front of The Vinarium at Tripsdrill Park, 2008.

I saw this list leaked at another site, a few weeks back. On first viewing, it appears to have the same number of attractions (i.e "rides") as Hong Kong did when HKDL first opened (15-16 including the castle boat ride). But after that, it looks like a lot more shopping and dining is planned, which I think makes the big difference between the two parks' openings. And landscaping and That Castle, of course. EDIT To Add: Here's two patents Disney applied for, which looks to me (now) how the Hunny Pot Spin attraction could look and operate. Cool! Here's how they would spin and go up and down. Sort of. The overhead layout of the attraction.

Dig Gravedigger Dig - Corb Lund

Will That Be Plastic..? So, not to "take over" this Mugs Thread in any way, I have had the tendency (or lack of holding back) to also buy some beverage cups and glasses in plastic, too. I rarely, if ever, buy glasses in ...well, glass. Only for the smaller stuff, like shot glasses and liquor jiggers. Which will be covered tomorrow. Thankfully I don't have as many of these as I do coffee cups and mugs. Enough for one post... Here's the group. Minnie and Daisy were bought last summer at the Tokyo Bay Hilton Gift Shop. We needed bigger glasses for cocktails, and the in-room glasses just weren't going to cut it. And my fave colour is red, and David's....purple. Perfect! The back, with the bows. You can just make out Tokyo Disney Resort" in black ink on them. Hard to see, so take my word. The Big Three - Starting left, is a large drink cup from Disneyland Paris, 2007; large cup from Arabian Coast in Tokyo Disney Sea, 2007; and a nice green one from Phantasialand, 2010. Close up on the TDS cup. I don't know what the technique is called, but it's two images, one over the other, and the rippled stuff on top causes the image to....move? It' s the best I can come up with. I forget what this creature is called, or named, but I liked it the best of what saw at PhantasiaLand. Clear Stuff. Two glasses from Disneyland Paris. Left, 2002. Right, 2004. My "cocktail glass" from Tokyo Disneyland, 2013. Part of the 30th Anniversary year, it was a "time limited" celebration called "Summer Splash" and this came with a sundae in it! Casbah Court Restaurant, Tokyo Disney Sea 2007. Peter/Loefet and me acting like idiots over our food (him) and the newly acquired drinking cup (me). Thanks to Mike/miniviews for snapping this silly shot. (o;

It's wild, looking at all the construction, knowing (and hoping) that TPR will be riding it in what? Less than six months or so? Excited!

New construction photos, posted by Disney & More, thru Screamscape. Looks like they're starting on the fountain, now. And the outdoor roof for the extended queue. Fountain going in, to the right. Part of the restaurant, and main attraction entrance buildings. Front covered up for the eventual sign being installed. The overhead outdoor 'roof' for the extended queue starting to take shape. This building houses the bathrooms, I believe. Or it could be part of the extended queue, indoors. This yet to be facade-ed part is where the new gift shop is going.