cfc

"It's really not so scary!" But it did seem a bit more crowded than last year; for example, the wait for Space Mountain was 20 minutes most of the night, and the Haunted Mansion got up to 45. But MNSSHP was an enjoyable event, as usual--even if it isn't endorsed by the American Dental Association. (You think they'd like it--all that candy has to be good for business.) That's it for the Magic Kingdom. Boo to you! IOA and Universal are next. Rich comforts Cameron, Joe is trying to stay out of the picture, and Renee wants to show off her cute Chesire Cat ears. Er, Matt--do you know that you're sitting next to a vampire? Hmm--looks like I got two-thirds of a Mickey here. Looks like the castle got the Halloween lighting that Space Mountain didn't get, or something. "Take the candy--or I'll swallow your soul! Hmm--actually, that's not much of a threat. Damn, I suck at being a soul-sucking ghoul" God, it's like I'm back in Europe again . . . "If we hold this pose long enough, Chuck will fall on his ass at the bottom of the conveyor! That would rule!" "Walt Disney's Buzz Lightyear's Candy Blast": as presented at the 1964 New York World's Fair. All good things must come to an end. No purty Halloween lights for Space Mountain tonight--why? There damn well better be . . . Fill my sack, damn you! Fill it now! Here we enter the Gauntlet of Goodies. Goofy, The Pusher. Hmm--Ball of Pooh bad! Wash hands now! "Mmm . . . turkey leg good! Turkey leg mine!" You see? It's an ice-cream shop, so the pumpkins have ice-cream cones carved out of them! Isn't that magical? Really not so scary (that is, "so Universal") Halloween decorations. Aw, that castle ain't so big. Let's see--we're all adults who are going to go around demanding candy from people in strange outfits. Nope--nothing "so scary" about that.

"Boo to You!": Disney MGM, er, Hollywood Studios and Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. Cameron: "Chicks dig the tongue." Melanie: "Ignore him." Rich: "Hey, Cameron's tongue is sort of turning me on." MNSSHP is next. Yes, we are all so ready for the "OK Movie Ride." Yes, we never get tired of the shenanigans of the gangster or the gunslinger. Boy, just can't wait to see one of them again. Die, Mouse, die! I must have your creamy vanilla center! Some of us did have problems with the ride's more "technical" aspects. Yeah, you can sure tell this is a new, family-friendly ride--it was mobbed pretty much all day. Oh boy! Time to Fast Pass Midway Mania. This is a very good addition to the park. I liked it quite a bit, even though Renee outscored me. On a Vekoma launched coaster you can bang your head--literally. Sniff! Matt has no friends on Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. All too easy. Spot the Hidden Mickey here. Hidden Mickey, or just a trick of the light? You make the call. Good morning! I'm your Hollywood Tower cabana boy. Have you been helped? We had time to kill before our Midway Mania Fast Passes were usable. Hmm--from the looks of this mob, there's either a new ride around here somwehere or the Dumbo line has really gotten out of hand. Must . . . crush . . . hat!

More Epcot escapades. And out comes the Big Blue Marble. More of Epcot later on. We were standing right behind a launcher--the exhaust damned near knocked us over! . . . it's time for FIRE! . . . and Kristen cavorts for our amusement, . . . And as the moon rises over Epcot, . . . Larry tries extra hard to drive out the taste of Beverley. "Ah . . . this'll kill that Beverley aftertaste!" Darkness shrouds World Showcase Lagoon. Yo ho, yo ho, a Viking's life for me! We carry an ax and drink lots of beer! Drink up, me Vikings, yo ho! We fill the Angles' hearts with fear! Drink up me Vikings, yo ho! So, off we went to World Showcase. "Enough of this--it's time for alcohol!" Mom, I'm scaring me! Make me stop! Mom, Vampire Melanie-Mickey is scaring me! Mom, Matt's smoldering, seductive eyes are scaring me! Mom, Rich is scaring me!

Well, once again, it is the GRISLY MONTH OF HORROR, which means that it's time for get candy at the Magic Kingdom, get scared at Universal, and get wet at Busch Gardens Africa--not to mention lots of fun with plenty of great people. My thanks to Robb and Elissa for organizing this trip--it was great! I'll let the photos do most of the talking this time, until we get to Halloween Horror Night. I met the group at Hooters, and we headed out to Old Town. No pictures, as my camera was locked up in mu suitcase, but I did get two new credits, thanks to Old Town's Wacky Worm (OK--how many of you just lok at these things, then count them?) and Windstorm (which brought on some flashbacks to the late Coney Beach's Megablitz). Day two took us to Wet 'n' Wild (no pics, again) and Epcot for our first round of "Eating Around the World." Let's start there, shall we? Here's a marketing campaign that should inspire many a bad joke. More to come. Almost time to chow down, but first, a little window shopping There you go! Smooth, eh? You know, Renee, sometimes it's just better to toss back a shot of Beverley. Larry had never seen Ellen's Energy Adventure, so Pete and I rode with him--just in case he was too scared of the dinos, or something. The motley crew waits for Test Track. Spaceship Earth totally failed at taking my picture--twice. I guess I'll never get to build my ideal future. "Hailing frequences open, Captain." "Hmm--this new 'movable type' will make distributing my pornography much easier." D'oh! Stupid Dark Ages! "And that, my friends, is my Cave Anology and Theory of Forms. So, who's up for some drinking and homoeroticism? We are ancient Greeks, you know." (The new animatroincs are very good.) First stop, the "new" Spaceship Earth. OK, as you can tell by the giant ball and jagged, broken teeth, now we're at Epcot. Well, first stop the house, actually. By the looks of this sign, Robb got here first--after eating at Waffle House.

I agree completely. It was so strange hearing the Alice in Wonderland music in Future World. But the spicy beef empanada, the pot stickers, the cheddar cheese soup, the festival special brew . . . oh, yeah. It was great hanging out with you, Matt--even if I did scare you.

"I like mine with lettuce and tomato! Heinz 57 and French-fried potatoes! Big kosher pickle and a cold draft beer . . ." Yep--you can have a beer at Margaritaville. I'm afraid I must vote for you, Matt.

^No, she's trying to drive everyone else mad.

^Yeah--it is just Bud in a cool-looking bottle with a shark on it.

You cannot drink beer at Margartaville you Blackberry whore. It's in the rules. You could've ordered a "Land Shark" beer, you know.

More of Howl-o-Scream Media Night, including a walk through the "Wicked Woods." Oh my god! They got Soren! Thanks for reading. Well, time for my session with the "Scream Cam." This is either Pig Boy's hangout or a set from a roadshow production of "Lord of the Flies." Here's a little something off "The Beaten Path." Er, well, some undead chicks apparently don't dig me. "Look at what a loverly cut 'o' meat I got from the butcher!" Yes, existence is looking pretty useless at this point--especially after eating a plague sandwich. What? Plague? Aw, man, I just ate a sandwich I found on that cart! Hmm--you know, this kid is really taking this "Goth" stuff way too seriously. "To satisfy the hungry god/of Sweeney Todd!/The Demon Barber of Fleet Street!" The butcher is always ready to rend, er, lend a hand in the "Wicked Woods." "Hi there! I'm the Grim Reaper! I hope you enjoy confronting the uselessness of existence and your own mortality!" The park was pretty busy for a Friday night. This is the line for "Curse of Pompeii"; fortunately, it moves pretty quickly. (BGE does a good job managing HOS.) "Walk into the light . . . and we'll swallow your soul!" When at Howl-o-Scream, be sure to hang out on this bridge near "Escape from Pompeii." It puts on a little show of its own.

Busch Gardens Europe celebrates “10 Years of Fears” with this year’s edition of Howl-o-Scream. So, the park decided to hold its first (to the best of my knowledge) “Media Night” on Friday, October 10. I’ve been enjoying HOS since the beginning, so I jumped at the chance to participate in the event’s 10th anniversary. Howl-o-Scream certainly has evolved over its first decade. I remember when the first HOS featured a haunted train ride (the amusing “Transylvania Express”), a few shows, and merely one maze, which threw just about every “haunt” element you could think of at guests (such as dinosaurs, a torture chamber, a mad scientist, and, of course, evil clowns). It was located where Corkscrew Hill is today. I chatted a bit with Phil Raybourn, BGE’s senior production manager for entertainment, about how the event has grown. According to Phil, BGE employs a “275-person scare squad” this year just for the mazes and scare zones. And while the emphasis is on providing guests with the scariest experience possible, the park does perform a “balancing act” for the largest part of its audience—families. For example, starting last year, the train ride, which in the past had featured scary scenes involving vampires, ghouls, and other creatures of the night, became the family-friendly “Jack’s Pumpkin Express,” with lighting displays and Halloween music. The park’s oldest maze, “Curse of Pompeii” (located in the “Escape from Pompeii” ride building), is “nonscary” from noon to 3:00; that is, the effects are turned off and there are no scare actors, which allows families to get a taste of HOS in a way that doesn’t disturb little kids. HOS has also evolved quite a bit from its original “everything but the kitchen sink” maze its first year. In the past, there have been haunted mazes themed around “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” pirates, and the obligatory (at least at most parks) evil clowns. But this year, the mazes revolve around the park’s actual theme—the countries of Europe. For example, the park’s newest maze, “Masquerage,” located where evil clowns once ruled, takes guests through the ruins of a 16th-century Italian castle, where they’re “guests” at a ghostly, demonic party. This maze seemed to take its cue from Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death,” which also involved a fatal party at the home of an Italian nobleman. I’ve never seen a theme-park haunt quite like it. The nearby “Wicked Woods: Ripper Row” takes you on a jaunt through a not-so-merrie Olde England, home of Jack the Ripper and Sweeney Todd (this is my favorite maze at HOS). “The Never After” is an entire area devoted to twisted versions of European fairy tales, particularly those of Germany’s Brothers Grimm, with two mazes and a scare zone. Guests first brave “Grimm Hollows: Deadtime Stories,” which is loaded with twisted takes on many famous tales, such as “Rapunzel,” “The Frog Prince,” and “Little Red Riding Hood.” Tormented Tales” takes visitors thorough nightmare versions of the “Hansel and Gretel” and “The Three Little Pigs” (beware the attack of “bungee wolf”). The only way back to the “real world” is through the “Beaten Path” scare zone, where the Collector of body parts holds sway—along with his army of evil fairy-tale icons, such as his “Pig Boys.” It’s very cleverly done. At “Media Night,” representatives from local news organizations and theme-park-related Web sites were allowed to take pictures inside “Wicked Woods” (something guests aren’t allowed to do) and to strap on the “Scream Cam” for a tour of “Masquerage.” Trying to maneuver through past scare actors and around tight corners with a video camera sticking out at arm’s length was fun, but a bit of a challenge (“grace” is not my middle name). Thanks for a fun evening, Busch! Here are some pictures and my “Scream Cam” video. [tprtv]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=chuckcampbell_screamcam_1[/tprtv] My time to strap on the cam wasn't for a few hours, so I wandered off to check out some other stuff. More to come. The only way out of "Masquerage." This is the "Scream Cam." Yeah, it's a bit awkward--and it makes you look like a Borg or maybe one of Clive Barker's Cenobites. And this here's Wrath. Yeah, hot, undead chicks dig me--what can I say? This is Eve, one of the stars of the "Rockin Eve's Wrath" show in France. I'd like to say thank-you to my "handler," Yolanda, who made sure that I stayed safe and out of trouble. Of course, I wasn't able to save her from Jack. Oh, well . . . This guy was passing our invitations to the "Masquerage." Er, can I interest you in a chicken leg, Mr. Scary Collector Person? OK, where's the buffet? Aw-w-w-w, isn't Pig Boy the cutest thing? That is, when is isn't rending your flesh or ripping out your soul by the roots. Hmm--usually, I see possums smashed flat on the highway. I think I could live without the Madagascar hissing cockroach, though. Keep that sucker away from the food! BGE welcomed us with a few extra "creatures of the night," such as this boa constrictor. I don't mind snakes, as long as they don't bite, shoot venom into my arm, and force an amputation before I die of blood poisoning. . . . as does Jack. Bruce Wilson, communications supervisor for BGE, Water Country USA, and Kingsmill, welcomes us to Media Night . . . This way to Busch's extra-horrifying parking! Now with extra terror!

Welcome to TPR. We already have an entire thread devoted to Sea World's Manta: http://themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=42837. Check out that thread and post any questions you have there (but no random pictures of Hulk, please).

Excellent TR, Natalie. I know how much work goes into these things, especially when you're trying to capture a TPR trip. This TR does make me wish I'd gone to Behemoth Bash, but it just wasn't in the cards.

1. 3 videos 2. Internet Explorer 3. Yep 4. Double yep This is from my office, which has a much faster connection than I have at home. But I was only seeing one video during the last test at either my home or my office.

That's all very interesting, but what are you reading for Halloween? ^I have a copy of Ghost Walk, Dave, and was quite amused by the dedication. I may finish off the month with that one after the Joe Hill book.

Thanks for the sneak peek at HHN, Erik--I really like how this year's event is shaping up. Any word on the fate of Boris Shuster, the poor PI from the Web site storyline?

Well, I polished off my first novel for the GRISLY MONTH OF HORROR: Brian Keene's Dark Hollow. It's a good read, and I like how Keene mixes Greek mythology and Pennsylvania superstition to creater horror (specifically, the myths of Pan, the often violent revels of the Greek god Dionysus, and a Pennsylvanian form of witchcraft called "powwow"). The book does drag a bit in the middle (too many scenes of characters just talking and rehashing what's already happened), but it builds to a truly wild climax. Note that this novel is definitely rated NC-17. Joe Hill's Heart-Shaped Box is next.

I can only see the first video (Internet Explorer, old version of Flash).

Zombie Paradise was located on the opposite side of the room from GeoPanic (the coaster). The dark ride was sort of tucked under the escalators. I hadn't heard about the redo of Geopolis, but I hope Zombie Paradise survives--it's a "WTF" experience like GeoPanic, only without the pain.

You might want to substitute this for Fuji-Q. I haven't been to the Tobu Zoo, but I rank the others as follows (I enjoyed visiting each of them): Yomiuriland LaQua Cosmoworld When at LaQua, be sure to check out Zombie Paradise--one weird dark ride.

^Unless there's lightning or very high winds, the coasters should be running in the rain. Enjoy!

^I don't recall it being all that "huge." Flamingoland actually has a clone of it, I think.

^Trav, instead of accusing Erik of calling you a "douche," there were other, more-polite ways you could've handled this situation, such as "Ian from CF has already cotacted Alton about it. Here's a link." Remember: a "douche" is as a "douche" does. Please be more careful in future posts.

I'll probably check out KD's Haunt in a week or so. I kind of liked Blackbeard's Revenge last year myself, but Club Blood was just standard "vampire rave" stuff. Usually, their best maze is Blood Shed, and they've been doing that one for years.

The bear used to have a mylar balloon on a pole, too--but they took that out a long time ago. Great shots of my home park, Hanno.