ILoveRides

Anyone interested in Mystic Motel should follow it on Facebook! They've actually been posting a lot of fun stuff and giving away some prizes. There's also an updated behind the scenes video, and photos from a New Year's Eve Party thrown in the motel ballroom. Just a heads up for anyone interested! https://www.facebook.com/MysticMotel The Mystic Motel residents and guests rang in the new year with a big bash in the ballroom!

Great report! I was laughing all the way through it.

Unfortunately the Log Ride no longer gets Halloween or Christmas overlays. I've heard that this is to protect all the new animatronics and scenery they've added, as having actors and scenery changes in the mountain can take its toll on the existing props. I do miss the overlays though!

Every year during the holidays Knott’s Berry Farm transforms into Knott’s “Merry” Farm and gets decked out with holiday decorations, food, merchandise, and entertainment. TPR was there on Saturday with David and Spears to see all of this year’s seasonal offerings. Check out our full report below! We’re at Knott’s to see all the Christmas offerings for the 2013 holiday season! Poinsettias surround the Ghost Town sign. Beautiful Christmas flowers are planted all throughout the Ghost Town. All the shops and buildings are sporting their holiday attire. Wreaths, bows, ornaments, and lights all add to the holiday atmosphere. But we didn’t stay in Ghost Town long because we were heading straight to the Charles M. Schulz Theatre to check out “It’s Christmas, Snoopy!” This ice show has become a Southern California tradition, running for over 20 years at Knott’s. Spears and I make a point to see it every year! And it of course stars Snoopy! Here he is getting ready to plug in the lights on his dog house. The show has funny moments... Great costuming... Appearances by several Peanuts characters... Snoopy always gets a kiss! And it wouldn’t be an ice show without figure skaters. The skaters do a great job. And some of their moves are VERY impressive! Who knew that Snoopy was such a good skater? Live birds fly over the audience in the show’s finale. And it snows throughout the theater. Take a bow, Snoopy! This show is great - don’t miss it if you attend Merry Farm. (Be sure to check the schedule to make sure it’s playing on the day you attend) The bottom floor of the theater exits into a shop with lots of Merry Farm merchandise for sale. Here’s this year’s event t-shirt - it’s so cute! You can buy Snoopy stockings for your fireplace mantel. Spears’ favorite item was this Snoopy Jack-in-the-box. (Imagine a music box melody playing over this picture) Pop! The new Boardwalk area is celebrating a “California Christmas.” The decorations in this area have a retro car theme. I love the graphic feel of these banners. Very cool! A “Season’s Greetings” sign in front of the brand new signage for Sky Cabin and Wipe Out. Even the midway games are offering holiday prizes. Over in Fiesta Village, Windseeker is almost completely disassembled now in preparation for its move to Worlds of Fun. I know reviews for this ride were mixed, but I will miss it! Best of luck to it in its quest for stronger winds in Missouri! Spears couldn’t get enough of these Jack-in-the-boxes! Every time she saw one around the park she made a point to set it off. Over in Calico Square Spears got in trouble for smiling. So remember - no smiling in Calico Square! The Calico Railroad is looking spiffy for Christmas. New for 2013 is “Christmas On Engine 41.” Onboard the train there are several characters who entertain guests and sing Christmas songs during the ride. The Christmas Crafts Village returns to Ghost Town this year. Local artists and artisans sell their creations in pop-up shops throughout the town. Some also create the artwork live, right in front of your eyes. New this year is “Santa’s Christmas Cabin” in the Wilderness Dance Hall. In the cabin you can meet and get your photo with Santa, as well as sample and purchase all sorts of delicious food and drinks. Here’s Spears sampling the new Berry Market jams and syrups. It’s nice to see Knott’s getting back into making their own preserves. According to Knott’s, they’re “made in the home-style tradition - in small batches and with fresh fruits cooked quickly to capture their smooth, sweet flavor.” According to me, they’re delicious! My favorite is the strawberry syrup - it was so good that I bought a bottle! There are Christmas decorations set up throughout the cabin. It was a nice, warm atmosphere, and was a great escape from the cold weather outside. Lots of decorations. Hi Santa! I've been good, I swear! Some foods were available for free sampling, such as candied nuts, caramelized apples, and the berry market jams and syrups. Others were available for purchase, such as these chocolate covered strawberries... Cookies and milk... In addition to regular cookies, milk, and eggnog, they even had vegan and gluten-free cookies, and vegan eggnog! Spears and I are both vegan, so this was such a cool surprise for us! A+ to Knott’s for going out of their way to try to ensure that there’s something for everyone! (And spoiler alert - if you’re vegan or eat a gluten-free diet, we’ve heard some rumors that there may be some very good news coming from Knott’s in the coming months. Stay tuned for that!) The public seemed to really like the Christmas Cabin, and how could you not with festive decorations and yummy treats all around? There was chocolate cake... A build-your-own-sundae bar... And for the adults there were port wine and craft beer tastings. There was also coffee and hot chocolate which could be spiked with Baileys or Kahlua. We really liked the Christmas Cabin and hope it becomes a Christmas tradition at Knott’s. Next up we headed to the Bird Cage Theatre for a performance of, “A Christmas Carol.” It wouldn’t be “A Christmas Carol” without Scrooge! The acting was great in the play. I liked that the play wasn’t overdone with music or effects. A few simple lighting changes, a live piano player, and great actors is all it takes. We definitely recommend seeing this too when you attend Merry Farm. Plus you get to meet the cast afterwards. Once night falls you can appreciate all the white Christmas lights that adorn the buildings of Ghost Town. We heard a chainsaw and thought a lone Haunt monster might have been confused and not known that Halloween was over, but it turned out the noise was coming from this wood carver who creates intricate wood sculptures. Here’s a sample of what he was making. If you need to find a unique Christmas gift, the Christmas Crafts Village has lots of unique things you might not find elsewhere. Even if you aren’t looking for anything specific, it’s fun just browsing the Christmas decorated shops and stands of Ghost Town. It was nearing time for the big tree lighting ceremony, so we headed to Calico Square. Jeff Tucker came on stage to introduce four celebrities who would do a special reading of “The Night Before Christmas.” Jeff introduced Olivia Holt from the Disney XD series “Kickin' It.” Bailee Madison from ABC’s “Trophy Wife.” Kelli Berglund from the Disney XD series “Lab Rats.” And China Anne McClain from the Disney Channel sitcom “A.N.T. Farm.” The four celebrities took turns reading. Afterward the tree lighting show began. This show happens every night at Merry Farm. The show features elves, toy soldiers, snowmen, and many more characters. There’s humor... Of course Snoopy stops by. The elves give Snoopy a sneak peak of his Christmas present. I wonder what it could be? There’s dancing... And even Santa joins in on the fun. A family is invited on stage to help flip the switch and light the giant Christmas tree. Yay! Spears even got to meet some of the cast! We then passed through Fiesta Village on our way to Camp Snoopy. Christmas lights were up all throughout the park. In Camp Snoopy is, “Snoopy’s Magical Nights of Lights.” Hundreds of thousands of lights decorate the area, accompanied by a festive sountrack. We enjoyed walking through the area and admiring the lights. Hi Frosty! Before heading home we stopped in a couple more stores to see all the Christmas goodies. This dancing Snoopy was pretty funny. The stores outside the park are filled to the brim with Christmas merchandise as well. You can get a classy tie. From inexpensive stocking stuffers to pricey Christmas decorations, Knott’s has you covered. So that’s Knott’s Merry Farm! We had a great time this year. There’s plenty to do with the additions of Santa’s Christmas Cabin, Christmas On Engine 41, and a full-scale tree lighting show, combined with the returning classics like “It’s Christmas, Snoopy,” The Christmas Crafts Village, and much more. And of course, all the rides are open during the event as well. We definitely recommend visiting and seeing it for yourself! Thanks to the amazing team at Knott’s for throwing such a wonderful event and inviting us to attend, and thanks to you for checking out our report!

While it isn't a surprise, it's exactly the news I was hoping for! I can't wait to see the improved Mine Ride. If the Log Ride renovation is any indication, it should be great!

It was 93 degrees the day we were there.

The holidays are now in full swing at the Disneyland Resort, and TPR was there with David and Spears to see all the seasonal offerings, including the world premiere of “World of Color - Winter Dreams” at California Adventure. Check out our full report below! We’re at the Disneyland Resort to see all the 2013 holiday decorations, entertainment, and rides at Disneyland and DCA! First up is Disneyland... We were greeted by Minnie Mouse in her holiday attire. She wished us and all the TPR readers a happy holiday season! The huge Christmas tree is up on Main Street. Famous Disney Imagineer Tony Baxter was recently honored with a window on Main Street over the Magic Shop. Here’s a picture of his window with some festive garland underneath. Even the new Starbucks is decked out for the holidays. We headed over to Innoventions in Tomorrowland to take a look at the new Thor: Treasures of Asgard meet-and-greet. (Not holiday related per se, but it’s new - so we wanted to be sure to cover it!) From the balcony of Innoventions you get a good look at the Rudolf Rods and the Matter-Horn. Here’s the small queue area outside the Thor meet-and-greet. There are several treasures on display to keep you entertained while you wait. Once inside, you are transported to Asgard to meet Thor. Obviously, this was a perfect opportunity to strike a manly pose. Next we headed to It’s a Small World Holiday. The holiday overlay of It’s a Small World has become a tradition at Disneyland. It’s well done, and returns pretty much unchanged this year. There’s also a new nighttime show projected on the ride’s facade using projection mapping technology that is probably worth checking out. (Due to our tight schedule, we didn’t get a chance to see the projection show). Here’s a video of our full ride on It’s a Small World Holiday! Merchandise from the new movie “Frozen” has arrived in the parks. This Olaf plush was for sale in the gift shop at the exit of It’s a Small World. Speaking of Olaf, he now greets visitors at the new Frozen meet-and-greet in Fantasyland. There’s a nice wooden sign outside the meet-and-greet that fits in perfectly in Fantasyland. Inside there are some delicious looking treats. And you get to meet Elsa and Anna from Frozen. Look what we found sitting on a rock of the Matterhorn. Has Big Mike been here recently? Even the ducks at the park seemed ready for the holidays. Next we headed to the “Jingle Cruise,” the new-for-2013 holiday version of the Jungle Cruise. The queue was nicely decorated, and the boats were each given holiday-themed names. Some toys made out of supplies from the jungle were on display in the queue. A bamboo Christmas tree. Overall, the ride entrance, queue decorations, and boat theming all got us really excited for the ride. But unfortunately once you got onto the boat all the holiday theming stopped. The ride was pretty much a normal Jungle Cruise ride with a Christmas joke thrown in here and there. Jingle Cruise was a solid idea, but we felt it wasn’t executed to its fullest potential. I’d love to see this return next year with more holiday jokes and some holiday theming/music/lights throughout the attraction. It seems like it could be a hit with a little more work, but as it was it left us wanting more. But don’t take our word for it, here’s a video of our full Jingle Cruise ride... Next up, Haunted Mansion Holiday! Perhaps the best holiday themed attraction in the world? There were some small changes this year. In the stretching portrait gallery Jack’s head is now a projection rather than an actual figure. While there is more animation now, the effect feels “flat” since it’s just projected onto the flat ceiling. The changing portraits in the hallway have been improved though, adding a neat illusion where Zero flies from painting to painting. The rest of the ride is mostly unchanged and is as good as ever! Every year Disney makes a real gingerbread house for the ballroom scene. This year it’s enormous (13 feet tall) and really stunning. Every week they reveal a new Jack face, and apparently the yet-to-be-revealed face for the 13th week is extra special! There are creepy toys all throughout the attic. It wouldn’t be Haunted Mansion Holiday without Jack Skellington! Singing pumpkins replace the singing busts. Oogie Boogie says “Don’t miss Haunted Mansion Holiday!” New Orleans Square is looking festive. Beautiful holiday decorations line the balconies. A lot of thought was put into these decorations! Next we headed over to Main Street for the “A Christmas Fantasy Parade.” A special guest marching band kicked off the parade. The parade features a mix of Disney and Christmas characters. There are toy soldiers... Winnie The Pooh and friends... Poor Eeyore, his sled flipped There are skiers... Of course Mickey Mouse makes an appearance... Woody rides in on a horse... There are reindeer... And it wouldn’t be a Christmas parade without Santa! The decorations on Main Street and Sleeping Beauty’s Castle really come to life when night falls and they light up. Here’s the big Christmas tree all lit up. A look down Main Street at night. And here’s Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. The castle gets even more spectacular after the fireworks when lighted snow and icicles appear all over it. Now lets head over to California Adventure! Not to be outdone by Disneyland, DCA also has a huge Christmas Tree. These Santa decorations line the Hollywood Backlot. Reindeers pull Santa and his sleigh in front of the large backdrop. We stopped in at Off The Page to see what Christmas goodies they had for sale. The Mickey nutcrackers were especially neat. Over in Cars Land we tried to hitch a ride. Disney goes all out theming Cars Land for the holidays. Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree sports a Santa hat and some festive garland. Many of the holiday decorations in Cars Land are car themed. These garlands are made of car air filters. The Cozy Cone is getting into the holiday spirit with a cone tree. Stanley carries his large sack of presents in front of a tree covered in hubcap ornaments. After Cars Land we headed to Paradise Pier for the world premiere of World of Color - Winter Dreams. Everyone was given a pair of Glow With the Show ears then Actor Josh Gad, the voice of Olaf in “Frozen,” and Steve Davison, Vice President of Parades and Spectaculars at The Walt Disney Company and World of Color creator, introduced the show. The show starts off with the World of Color Honor Choir, a group of singers from all 50 states, singing “Glow,” a song written just for the show. Olaf is the main character of the show and makes many appearances throughout. The famous scene from Bambi where Bambi tries to walk on ice is brought to life on the water screens. There’s a neat 3d snowflake effect. There were also hundreds of vibrant color changing lights added to the California Screamin’ supports. They add a lot to the show. Glow With the Show ears make the show so magical when everyone around you has them. It’s a shame the audience doesn’t always look like this! I love how the ears make the show happen all around you. There was also a new snowflake effect that didn’t work properly during our show, but should work in the future. I took this picture later in the night when they were testing the effect. 3d printed bubble snowflakes will fill the sky during the show. So that’s World of Color - Winter Dreams. Personally, I thought the show was great! If you like World of Color, you will almost certainly like World of Color - Winter Dreams. After the show there was a media reception at ¡Viva Navidad! , a new Latin inspired Christmas celebration located at Paradise Garden in DCA. There was all sorts of food... Desserts... More desserts... And an open bar! Mmmmmmm! We hung out with characters in festive costumes. Spears learned to dance! Go Spears go! And we even met World of Color creator Steve Davison! So there it is! The Disneyland resort is completely decked out from top to bottom for the holidays. With all sorts of new and returning holiday themed decorations, entertainment, and rides, there’s no better place to get into the holiday spirit. Thanks to Disney for inviting us to attend such a fun event, and thanks to you for checking out our report. We hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

^ I wouldn't take what he said as a guarantee that it'll be back . I think it depends on a lot of factors - money, time, if this auction sells or not, the support of his wife, etc. I'm hopeful - but I don't think it's a "sure thing" yet.

^ Scott sent me an email about the auction and mentioned, "I want to start fresh next Halloween (with the same concept but even bigger)." It'll be interesting to see what ends up happening.

^ Lots of ideas were tossed around, but this is one that he's considering!

Most amusement park enthusiasts dream of building their own ride, but few ever succeed in making that dream into a reality. So when Spears and I heard that a nearby homeowner built a dark ride in their 2-car garage, we knew we had to check it out. With low expectations but high hopes, we drove to Ladera Ranch, CA (a city about 30 minutes South of Disneyland by car) to see who this homeowner was and what exactly they packed into their 20 foot by 20 foot garage. (Seriously, how could you fit a ride in such a small space?) I’m happy to report that our expectations were far exceeded. While the ride, named “Mystic Motel,” was predictably short given the space, it was surprisingly well constructed and themed, and neat details abounded both on and off the ride. The mastermind behind Mystic Motel is Scott D’Avanzo. We were surprised to learn that before Mystic Motel he had no experience building anything like a dark ride. He is a game designer by trade, but loves amusement parks and rides. One of his five children, Ashton, also shares his love of amusement parks, and was eager to have his dad build a ride at home. While most parents would probably laugh off the suggestion, Scott took it seriously, and in August of 2013 he got to work designing what would become Mystic Motel. Over the next 3 months he enlisted the help of his family and a local fabrication business to help him build the ride. The ride was constructed on a budget of approximately $5,000, $1,355 of which was funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign. After a pre-opening for advance ticket holders on Oct. 30th, the ride officially opened to the public on Halloween night 2013 and stayed open the following Friday and Saturday nights as well. Over 400 rides were given on Halloween night, and the response from the public was overwhelmingly positive. For a first attempt at a dark ride, Mystic Motel was a huge success. We were blown away by the detail and effort put into the ride. Not only was there a reliable themed dark ride with motion-triggered special effects, but outside the ride there were also custom shirts for sale, custom paper tickets, a covered stand-by and fast pass line, a lit ride sign, and even a pre-show video. These are things that Magic Mountain struggles with! On top of it all, Scott and his family were truly nice people who were welcoming and accommodating to both the general public and the few media groups who showed up throughout the run. (Big thanks to Scott for walking us through the ride and answering all of our questions!) Unfortunately this report comes after Mystic Motel is already closed for the 2013 Halloween season, so it’s too late to go check it out for yourself. However, Scott was very enthusiastic about possible ways to improve, grow, and change the experience, so we expect that we haven’t heard the last from this haunt. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for Mystic Motel in the coming years, and we’ll be sure to keep you updated if there are any new developments! Check out our full report and POV of the ride below, and for more details check out the official Mystic Motel website at MysticMotel.com. Mystic Motel POV Video: We’re in Ladera Ranch, CA to check out Mystic Motel! The Motel is closed, but basement tours are being offered! We picked up our fast passes, and hopped in line. (Note: since it’s a private residence, I blurred out the address) Spears is scared! Here’s a look at the covered line. It’s so cool that there’s both a stand-by and a fast pass line! In the line there are decorations hinting about your upcoming experience. A room repair form is affixed to the wall. FIX MY ROOM! There’s even a pre-show video! How cool is that? What it looks like right before you board. Here’s the car you ride in. The car can hold one adult or two kids. Or even two adults, but it’s a very tight squeeze! It's powered by a mobility scooter motor. The story behind the ride is that the once popular Mystic Motel was abandoned and forgotten until Jack Turner purchased it for its mysterious activities. Jack knew he could make a buck off folks daring enough to take a ride through its mysterious basement. Parts of the motel are caving in through the basement ceiling, and some of the motel’s visitors have never left. Jack kept one of the original maintenance workers, Charlie, on staff to scare off any vandals, but even Charlie has gone crazy in this run-down mysterious place. At the beginning of the ride you encounter Charlie sitting at the base of the stairs that go up to the hotel. Room repair forms are plastered all over the wall behind him. You can see some of Charlie’s maintenance tools throughout the ride. This hallway was my favorite part of the ride. The run-down hotel has begun collapsing into the baseman. You even encounter some of the hotel visitors who have never left. Things get creepier as the ride progresses. While it may have been a necessity due to the lack of space, I actually really liked the use of props above you throughout the ride rather than just having things in front of you to look at. It made it feel like everything was caving in around you. The grand finale is a “fire” blasting at you from the boiler room. It was a great ending to the ride and had a big final impact. Smoke hanging around after the fire. That’s the Mystic Motel! It’s short but sweet. And it’s REALLY impressive for a homemade haunt - especially considering it was put together in 3 months and was the first time Scott has ever attempted anything of the sort. All the little details really brought the ride together and made it feel complete. Outside there were custom Mystic Motel shirts for sale in various sizes. There were even sponsors for the ride thanks to the Kickstarter campaign. We took a group photo before leaving the Motel. From right to left: Spears, me (David), Scott - the Mystic Motel creator, and our friends Rick and Johanna from Theme Park Adventure. Thanks for checking out our Mystic Motel report! It was a great first Halloween for this dark ride, and we can’t wait to see where Scott takes it in the future.

Thanks for the frequent updates on this coaster John!

^ It isn't! Some people just don't have a sense of humor. IMO it was a horrible PR move for Universal to cancel the show.

Great photos Invertalon! Thanks for posting them.

An air race does seem like it would be a good fit, both for the space and for the So Cal market.

Oh, and one other tip I forgot to mention in the report... Hit the Mirror Mirror maze first! Capacity is low on that one. We ended up not being able to do it on the night we were there because the line was too long.

We only got to do one of the skeleton key rooms, the one for Black Magic, and photos weren't allowed. We enjoyed it - but whether it's worth the extra cost or not is really up to you - it depends how much you value your money and how much you value having front of the line access with extra experiences. My impression of the Skeleton Key rooms is that they are a nice bonus, but not something that you'd be "missing out" if you didn't see them. They're just a nice reward for getting front of the line passes, as if cutting to the front of the line wasn't reward enough.

As far as all the comments on eating something in Trapped... The first year in Trapped one person in your group WAS expected to eat something. We got through without doing it though. If there's something you really, really, really don't want to do (or in our case, we were morally opposed to doing it... we're vegan) you can get around doing it. The point of the maze is to face your fears, but they won't force you if you keep resisting. Just interact with the characters, have fun, and if you spend too much time in a room they'll show you how to move on. Of course they'll pressure you and try to get you to face your fears, but at least in our experience you can always get through without saying "boysenberry," whether you do what they're requesting or not. For us, what makes Trapped so awesome is the amazing talent working the maze, and the extra time you get to spend with them. So enjoy it, whether you eat something or not! Interact with them, be scared of them ... but don't cross a line you don't want to cross, and don't say boysenberry! And as far as people asking if you have to eat something this year... SORRY, I'm sworn to secrecy!

Thursday was the opening night for Knott’s Scary Farm 2013, and TPR was there! Knott’s Scary Farm is the original haunted amusement park attraction, now in its 41st year. This year there were 12 mazes, 6 returning (Trick or Treat, Pinocchio Unstrung, Delirium, Endgames, The Slaughterhouse, and The Witch’s Keep) and 6 new (Dominion of the Damned, Forevermore, Black Magic, The Gunslinger’s Grave, Mirror Mirror, and Trapped: The New Experiment). Add to that 6 awesome shows, including the new “Elvira's Sinema Séance,” 4 scare zones, and most of Knott’s rides, and you can see why this event is so much fun. As usual, we tried to focus more on the new things, since covering the entire event in one night is virtually impossible. But hopefully this report gives a taste of all the fun to be had! On with the report... We’re at Knott’s for the opening night of Knott’s Scary Farm 2013! This year kicked off with a hearse processional. A parade of hearses, some modified and really unique, drove up and parked in front of Knott’s. This over the top one was my personal favorite. The entrance was decked out and ready for Halloween. To celebrate the opening of Scary Farm, a team of bloodthirsty monsters ran to the gates. The Green Witch’s Tricksters broke through the gates and grabbed an unsuspecting victim from the crowd. They carried the victim inside and devoured her alive, leaving a pile of blood and guts behind. As if you needed more reasons to come to Knott’s Scary Farm. We then headed over to the Knott’s hotel for the media reception party. Monsters greeted us at the doors. So THAT’S why our bags never got to the room. The bellhops are dead! There were monsters and fancy clowns entertaining the crowd. We headed upstairs to the media party. And of course, in typical Knott’s fashion, it was totally over the top. Lets take a look inside! The room had Halloween decorations all around. And delicious appetizers. There was meat being carved from a coffin. Awesome custom displays were set up with gourmet food plates. Knott’s employees were replaced with creepy ghouls. The desserts were especially impressive. I’ll have one of those! Never mind, I’ll have one of those instead. On second thought, I’ll just have one of each. Mmmmm! And of course there was beer on tap and wine flowing for the whole party. There were lots of little details all around the room that made for a haunted atmosphere. And if the decorations weren’t enough, there were plenty of monsters entertaining and scaring the crowd. But enough of the party, lets check out Haunt! This year we had tour guides to take us around to the mazes. Spears will be leading the blue tour group. We headed out into the fog to check out some of the new mazes... First up, The Gunslinger’s Grave. This maze is brand new this year, and is a perfect fit for Knott’s. It wouldn’t be The Gunslinger’s Grave without a grave... And a gunslinger. The wild west theme of this maze feels right at home by the Knott’s Ghost Town. There’s a giant moving horse! One of the more unique aspects of this maze is that you go indoors and outdoors throughout the maze, as if you’re actually entering and exiting the various stores and buildings. There’s poker and shenanigans. You can pull up to the bar for a drink. Talk with the locals. And if all the wild west antics leave you with a hangover or a headache, head to the general store for some pain reliever. After The Gunslinger’s Grave we headed back out into the fog to check out another new maze. Next up, Dominion of the Damned. As you enter you’re greeted with an elaborate staircase and a monster beckons you in. This maze is in the same location as last year’s Dominion of the Dead, but it has been completely revamped this year. There are plenty of bloody-mouthed creatures lurking through this maze. And blood spattered walls. I take it his dinner wasn’t vegetarian. After Dominion of the Damned we headed back towards Ghost Town on our way to Forevermore. The Ghost Town is always my favorite scare zone. The historic buildings eerily loom around you as you walk through the fog filled streets. And silhouetted creatures lurk in the shadows, ready to jump out and scare you. Here’s Forevermore, the new maze inspired by the works of Edgar Allen Poe. There are lots of cool characters and rooms in this maze. TPR toured this maze at West Coast Bash this year, but it’s even cooler with the show lighting and monsters roaming through. Here’s the raven room. Forget the ravens, I’ll hang out in this room. Watch out, you don’t want to get tarred and feathered. Monsters lurk in a pool under a swinging pendulum. The final scene is set in a nightclub. It’s dancey dance time! After Forevermore we caught our breath at a haunt designer Q&A session. Jason Soyster hosted the panel with haunt designers Daniel Miller, Gus Krueger, Brooke Walters, and Lara Hanneman. Spears says, “I have nightmares because of you.” After the Q&A session we headed to the back of the park. We walked by the midway games, now stocked with scary prizes. Back by Xcelerator is another new maze, Black Magic. Since I’m a huge fan of all things magic, this stuck out as my favorite of the new mazes. The queue gives you a unique view of Xcelerator. The “theater” that this maze is housed in has a neat projection mapping effect. Every 30 seconds it burns to the ground. Just inside the theater, the walls are decorated with Houdini posters. There are so many cool magic illusions and references to famous tricks throughout the maze. Here’s a straight jacket escape. There are lots of props throughout the maze. Don’t get crushed by the moving walls! Of course there are creepy performers throughout. There’s a performer trapped in a water tank. And the room leaks real water from the ceiling. A close-up magic stage is set up in the maze. If you’re lucky, you may even get to participate in a real magic trick! You can’t have magic without a rabbit in a hat. Of course, these rabbits are infinitely more creepy than your standard rabbit. The knife thrower missed his mark. A bloody monster welcomes us into the grand finale room. The final illusion is an impressive ending to the maze. Don’t forget to look up! As you leave, you walk right under Xcelerator. All of the major rides at Knott’s are open during this event! Next we checked out The Hanging. This year you can buy a scratch-and-sniff card for $1 and smell along with the show. As always, the hanging is packed with action... Effects... Humor... Pop culture references... And of course, someone gets hung! But if you want to find out who, you’ll have to go to Knott’s and watch the show! (Overly obvious hint: She likes to twerk and stick her tongue out!) After The Hanging we headed to the Mine Ride to check out The Witch’s Keep haunt overlay. The ride doesn’t have scare actors, but is pretty elaborately themed for the Halloween season. It’s definitely worth taking a ride! Here’s just a small taste of what you’ll see inside. We were then chased all the way to the Charles M. Schulz Theatre where we watched the new show, Elvira's Sinema Séance. Here’s the awesome looking set for the show. The show features The Academy of Villains hiphop/freestyle dance team who appeared on America’s Got Talent! The dancing is great! But this is who everyone is there to see, the legendary Elvira! She entertains and interacts with the crowd. And she looks amazing! We had to leave a little early to head to our final stop of the night, but the show looked great, and I heard some good reviews from others. We can’t wait to get back to haunt to see the whole show! Our final stop of the night was Trapped: The New Experiment! As is customary for this up-charge maze, photography isn’t allowed and we were sworn to secrecy, so we can’t describe the experience. But I will say this: everything is brand new for this year. None of the rooms are re-used. So if you went last year, an all new set of terrors await you inside. The talent in this maze is top notch, and it’s so fun getting to spend time interacting with the characters! That’s Knott’s Scary Farm! In truth, we barely scratched the surface of the event. There are tons more mazes and shows - so many that it’s pretty much impossible to fit everything into one night. But suffice to say, there is something for everyone, and more than enough to keep you entertained and scared for the entire night. Thanks to Knott’s for inviting us, and thanks to you for checking out our report! Now go check out Knott’s Scary Farm, it’s a blast!

Friday night was the media event for Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood. Check out our full report below! This was the first time Spears and I have ever been to Horror Nights. We’re scared to find out what awaits inside! Right after entering we were greeted by some go go dancers. I like this event already! We were then chased away from the go go dancers by men with chainsaws. Fire! Ooh, ahh. Our first maze is El Cucuy: The Boogeyman. This was the line for the maze. We highly recommend getting a front of the line pass if you don’t want to wait in lines! The entrance to the maze. You walk through a theater, and can’t tell who is alive and who isn’t. Our favorite part of this maze was the boogeyman’s hands that shoot out from under the bed. There are lots of creepy details. Pumpkin headed creatures. And swinging body bags that you have to squeeze past. After the maze, you are released into the Cirque Du Klownz scare zone. Where you are terrorized by creepy French clowns. Spears didn’t notice the clown behind her mocking her. Beware, they will hunt you down! There were lots of nice details in this scare zone. Creepy! Next up, Terror Tram! You board a tram, and it drops you off into a wilderness invaded by zombies. You also get to walk by some famous horror sets. Such as the Bates Motel. You enter a zombie infested deer cooler. Then take a dark walk up a hill. The walking dead blend in with the corpses on the ground, so you never know who will jump out at you. Fortunately many of the zombies are imprisoned. So everything is good as long as they don’t break free! (Foreshadowing) There’s a truck full of dead corpses. You pass by the Psycho House. Outside you can pose with Norman Bates. Then you tour a plane wreck filled with corpses and walkers. Universal takes full advantage of the movie sets they have. After your terrifying walk, you re-board the tram and are taken back to safety. Or so you think! You’re never safe... not even on the escalators! Lets take a look at the wait times. Almost 2.5 hours for The Walking Dead: No Safe Haven and Black Sabbath: 13-3D! Like I said before, front of the line passes are HIGHLY recommended! The next few pics show some of the merchandise available at the event. Here’s the event tee. Sugar Skulls. You can get a scary caricature drawn. Stuff to die for! Moving on, here’s Bill & Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure. At the beginning of the show, a Sharknado destroys LAX. This sounds like Robb and Elissa’s wildest dream come true! The show is reminiscent of The Hanging at Knott’s in that it pokes fun at pop culture. But overall, the two shows are pretty different. The Hanging emphasizes gore and fighting, whereas Bill & Ted’s has more of an emphasis on sexiness. Here are Bill and Ted. This year the show was themed to The Wizard of Oz. There are lots of funny moments in the show. Lots of craziness. There’s an appearance by a racist Paula Deen. Superman strikes an awesome manly pose. Nicki Minaj shows up, meaning the show is Piers-approved! There are lots of special effects. What does the fox say? There are some acrobatics. Ron Burgundy does some reporting. Michael Jackson joins in on the fun. They read from The Book of the Dead. There’s fire. There’s the most horrible thing you’ll ever see. There’s something for the men. And something for the ladies. (Who am I kidding? This is TPR... this pic probably appeals to the men more than the ladies here) Overall the show is a lot of fun. Don’t miss it if you go to Horror Nights! Down on the lower level of the park, here’s the Scarecrowz scare zone. Several tall scarecrows wander around scaring people. You also have to watch out for the terrifying Spears running around. While getting soaked at night isn’t really my kind of thing, Jurassic Park in the dark is available to those who desire an unacceptable amount of wetness. Or if you prefer to stay more dry, several other attractions are open during the event. But lets get back to the mazes! This isn’t even a maze! This is an alley you have to walk through on the way to The Walking Dead and Black Sabbath mazes. Here’s Black Sabbath: 13-3D. Normally 3D mazes are fairly cheesy and in-effective, but this one was done quite well. This maze had a very unique style. It ended up being one of my favorite mazes. Not the scariest by any means, but it was a lot of fun. Next lets check out The Walking Dead: No Safe Haven. This maze was great! There were some neat effects like these zombies who lunge out at you. This guy got a knife to the head. There were lots of details that fans of the TV show will love. Next up, Insidious. You enter into a fairly normal looking house. But inside things get creepy. These rocking horses rock themselves. There were lots of effective scares in this maze. Things get creepier and creepier the further you go. Here’s Evil Dead: Book of the Dead You begin by taking shelter in a remote cabin in the woods, but someone has read the words from the Book of the Dead, and the demons have been released. Be careful or you might get sprayed too! Avoid the shower! Everyone is possessed! Watch for demons in the floor. Somebody should really clean this place up, it’s a mess! A peek at the final scene. Finally, here’s Universal Monsters Remix: Resurrection. This maze is a permanent, year-round maze that gets extra scare actors and some small tweaks for the Halloween season. Boo! There are some tall monsters. And some small ones. Watch out for Chucky! There’s a lot of detail in this maze. Spears hates the spinny tunnels! Details everywhere you look. They’re able to pack more detail in this maze since it doesn’t have to come down after the halloween season. You’ll encounter all sorts of monsters. Roar! So that’s Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood! The event is a lot of fun, and we definitely recommend it! Just make sure to get a front of the line pass so you can spend your time having fun rather than waiting in lines! As we left we were chased out by a gang of chainsaw carrying scare actors! What a way to end the night! Thanks to Universal Studios for inviting us to attend, and thanks to you for checking out our report!

Looks fun! I'm excited for this one.

^ This problem appears to be solved 2 others problems: 1. The batch uploader won't upload .png files. (The standard uploader does) 2. I think there may still be something wrong with the ordering. I uploaded 5 images with the batch uploader (test1.jpg, test2.jpg, test3.jpg, test4.jpg, test5.jpg). If I'm correctly interpreting how this is supposed to work, I think they should display from top to bottom in this order: test1.jpg, test2.jpg, test3.jpg, test4.jpg, test5.jpg. Instead, they displayed in the reverse order: test5.jpg, test4.jpg, test3.jpg, test2.jpg, test1.jpg. NOTE: Even though the images show up reversed on the editing page, the "display order" box was filled in with the correct number still, so when I published it they showed up in the right order. When I deleted one of the 5 images, the order then corrected itself with the remaining 4 images, and things showed up like they should. I included some screen shots to show what I'm talking about... After batch uploading the 5 images, this is what showed up. Notice that the "display order" boxes have the correct numbers in them, but the images are shown in the reverse order they should be. After deleting image3.jpg, this is how things looked. This appears to be the correct order, so deleting an image fixed the ordering with the remaining images.

^ Tried again and I got it to work! (Yay!) I did find 2 other problems though... Problem #1: I uploaded 5 images with the batch uploader and submitted the post. Everything looked fine. I then clicked “edit,” but in the edit screen the order of the images was messed up. The order was now 5, 4, 3, 1, 2 instead of what it should have been: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Problem #2 When you delete an image, any captions that have not yet been saved also get deleted. It should probably save the current state of things when you delete, so you don’t accidentally lose all your captions.

This is the post I had the issue with: http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1343049#p1343049 I never published it when it messed up all the captions (preview was as far as I got), so it still shows up correctly currently.