Nrthwnd

Another video to share! This one was taken on Sat.Sept 29/12 as I was leaving Hong Kong Disneyland. The fountain is in a small 'plaza' in front of the actual ticket booths and entrance of the park. [coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=MVI_1237_xt80[/coastertube] Again, I am still new at using my digital camera for short movies, so pardon the sudden movement, fuzzy focus, etc. Learning as you go, right?

^ It was just that. Basically, the "Oz Land" in Universal Japan was three things: the VERY truncated show, the carousel, and the gift shop. And not much more. I don't even remember if there were any characters to "meet & greet" with. Here I was, back in 2007, in front of "OZ". Woo hoo. The show facade is in back, there.

Oh, I so want to go back now!

More "groups of" souvenirs that somehow fit somewhat okay in my home, lol! I think I am more towards being a kind of mug-eatables-useables kind-of souvenir hunter. With the occasional t-shirt thrown in for good measure, heh. So a few more souvenvir groups I call "Disney, Buddies & Omg-Wtf?"... The Disney Haul. Everything from ticket/FP stubs, the maps, a TON of souvenirs... and Major Grizzly Gulch stuff More little friends picked up along the way, including (my fave) Devil Child! Guess which one, or ask Elissa. Also magnets (Ocean park; Chengdu Panda Sanctuary) other pins (Happy Valley, Pearl Tower) and... a FastPass! Park Puzzles from Happy Valley; caps (Beijing, Panda park, HKDL); and yes Ben I STILL have that (shudders) 'preserved duck tongue' you handed me (centre of red cap) at an airport during the tour. Yep, still won't open it...

^ I annually rotate my stock. I always try to keep in mind three things: what can I use, what do I need, and what strikes my fancy, heh heh. (hi Piers!) We are blessed with having a large house, including space for storage, so it's not too hard to keep collecting stuff and not find some place for "it" to go. And besides the theme park stuff, I had been collecting other things for years and years, including Broadway cast LPs/CDs, action figures, pins, theatre books... And somehow, it all fits in the house, without being in the way.

^ I removed it, so it wouldn't distract you. (Naw, the trees are bigger than it is, lol.)

I've come across various information that makes me wonder if HKDL is also going to put together an attraction based on Monsters,Inc. which also 'happens' to have it's prequel (Monsters University) coming out this summer... BEFORE they get into really working on the Marvel Heroes Land, etc. It's what I read here and there. Nothing from Disney on this, right now, officially. There were patent applications by Disney, approved for a unique omni-mover system that could cross over itself and back again. And speculation was that this was for a new Monsters ride for Shanghai Disneyland. Now it is "reported" that SDL isn't the park getting this concept - HKDL is! And word is, it is still going to be a Monsters Inc. ride. And it could just end up located (my suggestion) where it's been considered for "Star Tours II" to go - sort of beside Buzz Lightyear? But then again - it's two omni-mover attractions, beside each other, even if the new one is very different in design and tech. Still, Disney did/does dark rides with rails guiding the cars, practically side by side, so why not this, too? And the location for the Marvel Land looks perfect - if that's where they're putting it. Beyond Space Mountain. Ooooo, rising up behind the mountain, The World of Marvel! This is one of the patents' diagrams for the ride/attraction. Neat, huh? The layout route of it all. It looks like it could be a very crazy, fun ride. Now, instead of "Star Tours II" ~ put "Monsters, Inc." there. Just suppose...

Woo hoo! Another video from the tour! And this one gave me a few... um..."title options". But it is what it is. A Building BURSTING INTO COLOURS! [coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=MVI_1042Flipped_xj8r[/coastertube] This was taken on Sept.19, in Shanghai from a pedestrian mall with tons of shops open, most very, very late.

^ I did too, Larry. But now that I look closer at that photo, the position of "the thing" under the tarp (which I keep thinking is this new ride's base?), might be in place of where they used to have a big face painting booth set up. So maybe, happily, Gladiator is still where it was last year, lol. And this is actually a new, additional ride to the Playland lineup. Here's hoping. I may get out there for a quick look see, before the park opens in May.

Noted, thanks.

Mmmmm, 2014 is such a done deal. I'm there. Easy.

Just found out through Playland and Screamscape, there's a New Ride opening with the park this season! (First pic is from Playland's Twitter feed.) The park itself says nothing of this new ride on it's (current) web page. Totally surprised. But then, by looking at the photo, I know what's being axed for the Balloon Ride to make it's debut... Bye, bye Gladiator. And I liked it, as it was actually one of the most smooth and serene flats at the park! But hardly any one rode it. Even during the PNE fair itself. Life. Playland opens for the season (weekends for now), on Saturday, May 4 - 10am! (Best thread I could find for this information to be posted.) Some of the parts/cars here - and in the background - the covered base (?) is where Gladiator used to sit. Then again - that looks awfully BIG for the base of this ride. Hmmm.... What all of the above ^ turns into.

And continuing on with some more SOUVENIRS, these being more of the "Eat, Drink & Drink From"...kind. I like to collect coffee cups/mugs here and there, and I found a few that caught my eye. Mostly at Ocean Park and HKDL. BIG mugs at Disney, heh heh. They must really like their coffee... The candy and such was more hit and miss. The package of "nougat" I picked up at The Pearl Tower in Shanghai was terrible! Very dry, no moisture in it at all, and the "flavours" were pretty much all bland to the taste. Couldn't wait to finish it up, lol! And I definitely regret buying so - much - sh - stuff at the various "factory tours" we went through. Things that are more likely to gather dust, than be actually useful. But that's the joy of traveling, right? Picking up stuff you wonder why (later) you ever bought it, LOL! I did find uses for a fair amount of stuff that I got. But still. When will I ever learn.... Here's some more.... Cups and mugs; shot glass; peeing/spitting figures(!); blooming tea buds (in a row in the box); and a tiny paper cup for a Coke sample in one of the parks! Eat & Drink - the awful nougat in the middle there; weak tea in green tin; cookies and mints in the tins; Chinese knockoff OREOS in "Birthday" and "Peach/Mango" flavours upper right; chocolate in the GG bag... Here's what there was in the Winnie The Pooh candy holder. Don't look like Winnie. or his pals, I'd say. Of course, this was bought at the park in Chengdu - home of the Panda Universe, lol. "A Christmas Story" gummies! They were great, although several boxes more of them, would have been awesome! And I am pretty sure the middle one is of _________, "stuck" to the pole. (o:

Daylight Savings Time...sucks. I want my hour back!

^ And I am a little "stuck-a-phobic" about it. Not that anything like that would happen. Still... Nope.

"French Kiss" Rita Sherelli

I like outdoor lighting, too. Very cool, on so many buildings. Especially stuff that 'moves' with things and lettering etc. So this is what I called Chinese Pole(s) Dancing. Caught on film through our (apparently uncleaned) bus windows, on our way back to our hotel, the Shezhen Shangrilla Hotel. They were fun to see, along the way. [coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=MVI_1132Flipped_guqf[/coastertube] (Sept.25/12)

Been so so long since I've gotten to see another actual on/off-Broadway musical. Been ages. Last ones I think I saw were in late 1992! Nine, Dreamgirls, Little Shop of.. Cloud 9, all original casts too.... Good to hear that ^ things worked out for you and your wife!

Mark, I have one of the old brochures on The Land of OZ they used to mail out, when I wrote to them in the early 1970s, and inquired about the park, etc. And the only photo that the flyer had on it of that balloon ride, was the various balloons "dotted" in the trees, lol. It looked cool, all the same. Thanks for more info. on the place.

^ You and others were right about the Chengdu hotel, David. I seem to just lump everything together into either the 'Beijing' or 'Shanghai' part of the tour. Thankfully there is still the old schedules to look back to, for reminding. So, onto the multitude of SOUVENIRS I brought back with me, as usual. I never seem to think I am going to make it back home with "just a few trinkets" ha ha. Never gonna happen. Although I am hoping my upcoming TPR Mexico Tour becomes a (ahem) "small haul" to bring back with me. So I got everything sorted into various 'themed piles' took photos, and here are a few of them! Enjoy. Finally. Got everything "sort of" sorted out, lol. And here we go... Quick! Find the One Fridge Magnet! I did like the personalized HKDL name tag to get. And a few stickers and FastPasses, collected. And the all-important various hotel "ammenities" I found. Nice soaps and stuff.

Hotel Correction - I was asked if the hotel I took that building video from, was from our Chengdu hotel. Not the Beijing one... It was Chengdu. I was keeping track of my hotels only so much, and now posting these vids out of order (and context) later on, I do tend to forget or confuse things/information. It's an "age" thing. (EDIT to add: I checked our old schedules and yes, indeed we were at the Chengdu Sofitel Hotel that evening the vid was taken. Good to know - again.)

Listening to amazing music, in the middle of KA ~ Cirque du Soleil in Vegas! And with that amazing set - would love to see it.

^^ You'll be back, I'm sure of it. And thanks for the "outside tour" of the resort. I have been there twice and not seen as much of outside the parks, being one of the early masses to get into them, lol. But - in time, you will return. You have to. You owe it to yourself! And I actually did that myself, when we arrived at Hong Kong Disney. After the tour to Ocean Park, I left the group (who continued on into Hong Kong for more touring and dinner), and got back to hotel, and then bussed to the park to get my 2-day pass I had bought online ahead of time. I was so sooo very tempted, even for a good several hours there, I do remember. But I held back, got my tix and then spent nearly 3 days enjoying it all.

Fuji-Q is a definite challenge to anyone who visits. It's even a challenge on a "good day at Fuji", if there is really such a "day" out there. I have experienced both a fairly terrible day (2007) and a not-so-terrible day (2011) there, heh heh. But honestly, if you make it through any day there - then you can claim an Amusement Park International Victory!... ....and return for more fun & punishment, another time.

Thought I would try out, how my next video ....went, heh heh. This was taken outside one of our Beijing hotel rooms' window. This city didn't (IMhO) do as much Flash! and WOW as Shanghai did with their buildings and iconic structures. Beijing was spread out differently. Shanghai had a great harbour area to "show off". But hey - it made for a fairly decent first-try in using my camera for movies... [coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=MVI_0917Flipped_i9r2[/coastertube] And there's a much better one than this I hope to show... Eventually.