wrs28330

Here is a portion of the official Press Release: Minions Bring Mischief and Mayhem to Universal Studios Hollywood in Immersive 3D Ultra-HD Digital Animation Adventure, “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem,” Debuting Spring 2014 Inspired by Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s Worldwide Blockbuster Franchise, State-of-the-Art New Ride to Include Expansive “Super Silly Fun Land,” Imaginative and Interactive Experience Attraction Overview: Universal Studios Hollywood's new adventure, “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem,” will bring outrageous and heartfelt fun to The Entertainment Capital of L.A. when scores of Minions descend upon the theme park in spring 2014. Guests are invited to embrace their inner Minion as they become immersed in all-new story from the world of “Despicable Me.” Join the Adventure with Gru, His Girls and the Minions: Helmed by (former?) super-villain Gru, with assistance from the slightly forgetful Dr. Nefario, “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” will captivate fans when it recruits guests and transforms them into beloved, gibberish-speaking Minions. Universal Studios Hollywood will also bring to life the first film’s memorable seaside carnival with the introduction of “Super Silly Fun Land,” an all-new, over-the-top outdoor family play zone inspired by the lively experience shared by Gru and his three adorable girls: Margo, Edith and Agnes. A highlight of “Super Silly Fun Land” will include the “Super Silly Space Killer” arcade game, where Agnes “won” her lovable stuffed unicorn (“It’s so fluffy!”). Together, “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” and “Super Silly Fun Land” will represent a distinct, immersive environment within the theme park, reimagined to fully engage guests in the world of Gru and his Minions joining Universal Studios Hollywood’s dynamic roster of award-winning themed attractions. Walk-about characters, including Gru, Margo, Edith and Agnes, countless mischievous yellow Minions and Kevin, an evil, crazy-haired purple Minion, will also stroll around to interact and pose with guests. A Team of Visionary Creative Geniuses: The “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” adventure and “Super Silly Fun Land” will come to life at Universal Studios Hollywood through a dynamic collaboration of Universal Pictures, Illumination Entertainment and the inspired minds at Universal Creative – the Universal Parks & Resorts division responsible for conceptualization and implementation of a slate of award-winning rides and attractions across the company’s theme parks. In July 2015, Universal Pictures will release a “Minions,” a spin-off of the enormously successful “Despicable Me” franchise. For the first time, the Minions will star in their own film, one that features a voice cast led by Oscar® winner Sandra Bullock and Jon Hamm. A Look Inside “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” and “Super Silly Fun Land” The Cast: Original “Despicable Me” Franchise Voice Talent: The original voice talent from the “Despicable Me” films have reprised their familiar roles, further contributing to the authenticity of the experience: Steve Carell as Gru Miranda Cosgrove as Margo Dana Gaier as Edith Elsie Fisher as Agnes Pierre Coffin as the voice of the many unpredictable Minions Welcome to the Neighborhood: Your “Inner Minion” Awaits: The exterior of the “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” ride is immediately recognizable to the millions of despicable fans worldwide, as it accurately reflects Gru’s idyllic suburban neighborhood. It’s all so lovely, except for the familiar and foreboding neighborhood eyesore: an ominous house with a dead lawn where Gru resides with his family. Looks, however, can be deceiving. Once guests enter this menacing abode – the ride’s main entry – they’ll find themselves welcomed by the ever-entrepreneurial Gru and his adorable daughters, who usher the guests into his despicable home, one that now doubles as the “Minion Recruitment and Training Center.” Even before guests enter, they can let loose and embrace their “Inner Minion,” that mischievous alter ego that lives within each of us. The playful taunting and teasing begins as guests are invited to ring the doorbells to the neighborhood homes, which are programmed to answer with a random selection of Minion greetings. As guests pass by Gru’s home, they will also encounter his iconic futuristic silver vehicle parked in his garage. Adjacent to Gru’s neighborhood sits the familiar façade of Miss Hattie’s Home for Girls, the orphanage where Margo, Edith and Agnes lived before they were adopted by Gru. Enter Gru’s Home and Discover His Secret Mission: The interior of Gru’s house replicates the many familiar rooms and corridors from the world of “Despicable Me” and is filled with the same eccentric furnishings and accessories that adorn the home he shares with his unusual family. Guests will find such recognizable props and décor as the notorious SR6 Shrink Ray, the antique Grecian urn emblazed with dancing Egyptian Minions, the ominous spiked coffin, the Rose blooming coat of armor, Gru’s family tree, Dr. Nefario’s beach-bound vacation photos, mementos from Gru’s childhood – including the macaroni rocket and space helmet – and of course, hand-drawn pictures lovingly created by Margo, Edith and Agnes. As guests fan through the living room, they’ll become reacquainted with Gru, the girls and Dr. Nefario, along with his new 3D “Minion Goggles” invention. It’s here that they will first learn about Gru’s secret mission to Minionize them as they’re being scanned on their way to the “Minionization Prep Room.” Those who don’t comply will experience first-hand the Minions’ favorite form of mischief: the Fart Gun. Gru’s Laboratory: Where State-of-the-Art 3D Ultra-HD Original Animation Comes to Life with Visceral Special Effects: “Do you have what it takes to be a Minion?” is the question posed by Gru to guests awaiting Minionization, a process that begins as soon as they enter Gru’s Laboratory for the start of the ride. With 3D “Minion Goggles” firmly positioned and with guests securely seated in the Minion “Transformation” vehicles, the journey to becoming a Minion begins. Original “Despicable Me” animation created by the visionary team at Illumination Entertainment will be projected at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second on a giant compound curved screen spanning 36 feet in height by 52 feet in width, or 1,872 square feet. The “Despicable Me” ride will feature two theatres designed to accommodate twice as many guests to double the Minionization process and accelerate the growth of Gru’s Minion army. Each theatre will be equipped with two Stereoscopic Christie 4K Projectors, which account for the brightest 4K projectors with the highest lumen available. These projectors will be outfitted with the same highly sophisticated custom lenses that were designed for NASA’s Hubble telescope and for the U.S. military. The original 3D animation will be projected in Ultra-HD, considered state-of-the-art for digital projection. To adapt to the Minionization process, guests will wear advanced 3D “Minion Goggles” that represent the latest, most sophisticated technology available. Coupled with the 3D animation, they will become further immersed in the world of Minions through a series of visceral and physical special effects that elevate the intensity of the ride. Water, wind, vibrations and simulated laser beams will affect guests as they pivot, jockey and twist within the ride vehicle as part of the Minionization process. Slip on 3D “Minion Goggles”: The latest in eyewear technology will enable guests to experience the ride’s sophisticated 3D, Ultra-HD animation. After extensive research, Dr. Nefario will unveil his ingenious invention: 3D “Minion Goggles” that have been developed to be functional and comfortable. With blinders built into the frames, the 3D glasses are designed to center guests’ field of vision to produce infinitely sharper and clearer images that are far superior to traditional movie-going 3D glasses. In fact, according to Gru, the “Minion Goggles” are so advanced and resilient that they have the ability to last five times longer than any person wearing them, as he demonstrates through a series of comic interactions with Minions on screen. Climb Aboard the Minion Transformation Ride Vehicles: As Gru builds his army of Minions, guests enter his laboratory and climb aboard 24 “Transformation” ride vehicles each equipped to hold 8 guests situated across the two theatre venues. The vehicles will be synchronized to move in tandem with the 3D imagery, sending them soaring, twisting, pivoting and rolling aboard a state-of-the-art hydraulics ride base. “Super Silly Fun Land”: Where Minions and People Interact “Super Silly Fun Land,” an all-new elaborate play zone unique to Universal Studios Hollywood, will debut adjacent to “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem.” The colorfully themed, interactive Minion-inspired outdoor venue will be a literal interpretation of the seaside carnival from “Despicable Me,” designed to entertain guests of all ages with its more than 80 different water-play features. A nearby dry zone will invite guests to climb, jump and slide, while a Minion-themed ride, “Silly Swirly Fun Ride,” will soar and spin guests around for a 360-degree view of “Super Silly Fun Land” aboard a fleet of uniquely styled ride vehicles. A highlight of “Super Silly Fun Land” will include the memorable “Super Silly Space Killer” arcade game, where Agnes “won” her lovable stuffed unicorn (“It’s so fluffy!”). Visiting guests will have a chance to try and beat the odds as they vie to win Minion game prizes and their own stuffed unicorn. With the addition of the expansive “Super Silly Fun Land” area to the “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” ride, this attraction promises a unique immersive experience that will fully engulf each and every guest who enters. A “Super Silly Fun Land” prerequisite will task all guests to embrace their “Inner Minion” – the mischievous alter ego that lives within each of us – before they let loose within the area. Once set free, they can enjoy all the activities with the same carefree mischief of a Minion. “Super Silly Stuff” – Minion Merchandise and Much More! From movies to merchandise, Minion mania is all the rage. “Super Silly Stuff” – the ride’s dedicated retail store – is the ultimate headquarters to find all-things Minion. Pastel blues, pinks, greens and yellows will be the prevailing colors weaved throughout the fanciful store, themed to replicate a giant carnival. The store will sell an array of plush Minions, fluffy unicorns, apparel in all sizes, loungewear, plush slippers, toys, stationery and more, including quirky and fun items such as the infamous Fart Gun, Minion goggles and a remote-control Minion that moves about on command. Additionally, giant, curious yellow and purple Minions will also roam about the “Super Silly Stuff” store to pose with guests against a green-screen backdrop that inserts visitors into memorable scenes with their favorite Minions. Minion Munchies – 3 Delicious Dining Delights “Gru’s Lab Café” “Gru’s Lab Café,” located adjacent to the “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” ride, will offer visitors a delectable selection of mouthwatering Minion meals. A sampling of such scrumptious fare for Minions of all ages, prepared fresh by Universal Studios Hollywood’s Executive Chef, will include: Gru’s Backyard BBQ Rotisserie Chicken Italian Meatball Sandwich with Asiago Cheese Gru’s Grilled Cheese with BBQ Pulled Pork El Macho’s Nachos Dr. Nefario’s Lab Salad Minion’s Kid’s Meal: Choice of mini-grilled cheese or chicken tenders with fruit wedges, cookies and beverage Delicious Desserts: Homemade Colorful Cupcakes Caramel Fudge Brownies with Minion Marshmallow Topper Freshly Made Waffles with Bananas and Whipped Cream Irresistible Banana Fritters with Caramel & Nutella Fresh Banana Fruit Cups (one of the Minions’ favorite foods!) “Despicable Delights” Snack Stand: For a quick treat, guests can stop at the “Despicable Delights” Snack Stand to sample such indulgences as: Despicable Me Dippin Dots Minion Cotton Candy Frozen Minion Treats Chocolate Minion-Colored Dipped Bananas “Bake My Day” Cupcakes Where and When It Opens: “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” and the adjacent “Super Silly Fun Land” will open at Universal Studios Hollywood as an all new featured attraction and immersive environment at The Entertainment Capital of L.A. in Spring 2014.

Elissa will be very disappointed to know you forgot the cheese! The mouse has cheese in its mouth?!?!?!?!?!?! I wish I had a crazy lens now!

This morning, Universal Studios Hollywood invited Theme Park Review to preview their newest attraction: Despicable Me Minion Mayhem. This attraction is almost identical to its predecessor in Orlando, with the addition of a second theater here in LA! We will get right to the pictures of this new attraction, and then take a short lap around the park. We would like to extend a very heartfelt “Thank you!” to Trana and Gayle of USH Public Relations for inviting us to be amongst the first guests to experience this wonderful addition ahead of the official ride opening! The attraction facade transitions nicely when you arrive via Baker Street. The final touches are still being put on the exterior of the attraction, as they approach the attractions official grand opening on April 10th. Little gems such as practical doorbells on the facade help bring the area to life. “We dare you! Ring the doorbell! Bwah-ha-ha!!!!!” Park Guests may be surprised when they happen upon the “Technical Rehearsal” taking place from now until April 10th. As with any soft-opening…what the sign says. Friendly employees are ready to welcome first time riders. They have a lot to take pride in with this attraction! The queue is well done, with plenty of goodies to keep riders entertained before heading into the show building. Plenty of queue space ready for the summer crowds. Missile speakers! Possibly my favorite detail of the attraction! Minion propaganda is just so darn adorable, isn’t it?! Overhead monitors in the queue have a ton of great content to keep the guests entertained. Don’t forget your 3-D glasses! “The last pair of glasses from each rack is the lucky one!” Upon entering the entry hallway of Gru’s mansion, you are grouped into one of eight rows. The employees use tablets to ensure they group the guests as efficiently as possible. Lion, Dog, Cat, Rat. Before entering the anti-chamber of the main lab, the Minions come on screen to welcome us. Fun fact: The Minions listen to 102.7 KIIS FM! In the anti-chamber we see Gru and the girls for the first time. Wait… Where are all the people disappearing to, and where did all the Minions come from? Wait a second….. “Ba-na-na-aaaaa!!” Once you enter the main lab, the real adventure begins. Groups of 8 riders get into small vehicles similar to the ride vehicles on The Simpson’s Ride. Filming is not allowed inside the main lab. When the ride is done, guests move to the party room, where they can dance with super-imposed Minions. Guests were loving this fun dance party on their way out of the attraction. There is of course plenty of Minion merchandise. Super Silly Fun Land, is not quite ready for guests yet, but will include both dry and wet play areas for younger guests, as well as a dumbo-style flat ride called Silly Swirly. Gru’s Lab Café sits near the exit of the gift shop, and is already open for business. Elsewhere in the park, the Transformers have added a second Meet & Greet location. You can now meet them in the Universal Plaza as well as near the attraction entrance at the lower lot. The new games area is proving to be popular with guests. They fill out the Simpsons Plaza quite well. And now a few shots of Potter Land as we make our way to the studio tour. Typical Hogwarts building materials. It was a (somewhat) clear day over the Hollywood area. These Minions are everywhere! Hey Robb, did you hear?!?! I rode the tram tour a few days after the passing of actor Paul Walker from The Fast and the Furious franchise several months ago. The tour guide mentioned the passing of the actor, as we casually drove by the Tokyo Drift set. Today, there was no mention of the actor, and we once again drove past the set. Not sure if it is still “too soon”, or an unrelated reason. The Jaws set is drained for maintenance. “Hi, I’m Sheriff Woody! Howdy, howdy, howdy!” Norman Bates is still alive and well! By noon, the wait time for Despicable Me Minion Mayhem grew to 55 minutes! This is going to be a very popular new attraction for USH! Congratulation to the park on this hit! “Ba dam haw ta mu tah!” In English: "Be sure to see us when we officially open on April 10th! Banana!" Thank you again to Universal Studios Hollywood for hosting us today! We look forward to seeing you again at the Yellow Carpet Premier on April 10th! IT’S SO FLUFFY!!!!!!!!! Gru and the girls take turns meeting guests near the attraction entrance.

I prefer Option #1, simply for the fact that all the front page's sections are visible in the viewing window, with no need to immediately scroll down to see the most current content. Well done!

You're welcome.

Theme Park Review was invited to Six Flags Magic Mountain this past Saturday to experience all that Fright Fest has to offer! In addition to enjoying the rides throughout the day, we met the Public Relations team on Samurai Summit at the Fright Fest with the Willoughby’s before exploring the mazes and scare zones. Six Flags Magic Mountain is admittedly in the middle of a multi-year expansion for Fright Fest. Last year, the main focus was the complete overhaul of the oldest Fright Fest maze, Willoughby’s Haunted Mansion. With a complete reworking of the maze and the addition of multimedia based technology, the maze reopened as Willoughby’s Resurrected. This year, the focus was on the non-maze offerings. The biggest changes were visible in the number of scare zones as well as the large scale production dubbed “VooDoo Nights” in the Full Throttle plaza area. The total number of scare zones raised this year to seven from last year’s six. The Hillbilly area was removed, making way for two new themed areas. The total number of mazes is at eight this year, with three of them being billed as “new”. Returning mazes include: Willoughby’s Resurrected, The Aftermath, Black Widow, Chupacabra, and Cursed. New mazes include: Weepy Hills INSANEtorium, Toys of Terror, and Total Darkness. Fright Feast with the Willoughby’s – Though this offering is on the pricey side, it is very popular with park guests, and frequently sells-out for each seating. An all-you-can-eat buffet is included along with the Willoughby family that walks around the restaurant to meet with you while you eat. It is sometimes difficult to get pictures with the monsters at Halloween events, so this is a great way to ensure you get some great pictures with the freakish ghouls. Also included in the seating reservation is a magic show featuring Michael Turco, of America’s Got Talent fame. The show was entertaining, and a nice family-friendly addition to the feast! Thoughts on the returning maze: Willoughby’s Resurrected – One of the two better mazes at the event. With the remodel that took place last year, and the large number of scare actors, this maze continues to deliver good scares. Each room felt full between the intricate (for Six Flags standards) details, as well as the teamwork of the scare actors. One actor would be a distraction, while another actor would pop out from an unexpected location to deliver a good scare. The Aftermath – Housed in the former Batman show theater, this maze also has higher quality theming and set pieces, lending to a stronger story. The lighting and fog in this outdoor space help to mask the area outside the theater, making it feel like a real post-apocalyptic world. Black Widow – Placed in the former Eagle’s Flight station on Samurai Summit, this maze was a rehash from last year. Minimal theming, and only a small handful of actors left much to be desired. Chupacabra – Housed in the former Revolution extended queue. Same thoughts as Black Widow…. Last year there was an actor in a full Chupacabra costume; this year, a wolf mask. Cursed – Set up in the Tidal Wave queue, this maze doesn’t seem to have an identity. It is billed as a gypsy and werewolf maze, but all I saw was a few shrouded actors walking through camo netting. With the continued Fright Fest expansion in the years to come, I can only hope that Black Widow, Chupacabra, and Cursed get some much needed attention. As for the new mazes: Weepy Hills INSANEtorium – Located in a warehouse near DC Universe and formerly Lecter’s Slaughterhouse. This maze consisted of ALL black walls, and the most minimal of theming elements used merely to suggest a scene that didn’t actually exist. The talent relied on “blinder” lights to remain out of sight until the right time to scare the guest by moving forward from under the blinder to become visible. In all honesty, this was the biggest let down of the entire event. The talent was given nothing to work with, and we the guests walked through a maze with black walls… Total Darkness: (The maze where black walls, actually works.) Located in the Magic Moments Theater. Total Darkness is a rehash of last year’s Blackout maze in the Log Jammer queue. This maze relies solely on the notion that fear can build in darkness. While this fear does work for some, it certainly does not work for everyone. Though the maze wasn’t the most exciting for me personally, there were several things operationally that I really appreciated. First, having the maze in darkness, allows for the same scare actors to scare the same groups multiple times without having to worry about repeating a scare. This makes the maze feel full of actors when in reality there may have only just been a few. It’s a great way to make a maze feel full! Secondly, it seems that there are two mazes built on the stage of the theater; one on the right and one on the left. Essentially, each group let into the maze would only experience one of the sides. This means that the maze smartly doubles its capacity. The maze was more than long enough with only utilizing half of the stage, so as a fan of good throughput, this was a fantastic operational decision to keep the line for the maze as short as possible! Toyz of Terror: (Formerly Jokester’s Hideout). Jokester’s Hideout has desperately needed a refresh for many years, and it finally got one! It has been rethemed to a toy inventor gone mad, and features an entirely new paint job, as well as the removal of all of the show stops throughout the maze. The pace of the maze is much improved, and everything is nice and fresh! Scare Zones: Demon’s Door –Placed at the Main Gates, this area serves as a nice way to get people ready for what the event has in store. The actors are dressed in hellish costumes, and all have distinct animal/creature essences that allow for fun characterizations! The scare actors had great energy, well defined characters, and are able to fill a rather large Main Gate area. Very well done! Zombie Xing – This new area is located on the path from The Golden Bear Theater to the Wascal’s restaurant outside of Bugs Bunny World. Though this zone had plenty of scare actors, the energy was very low due to zombies not having much energy to begin with. For me, this was a nice attempt at a new offering, but I would like to see a higher energy type monster utilized next year. Exile Hill – The area on top of Samurai Summit is VERY dark, and it was difficult to see who was another guest, and who was a scare actor. When I was able to determine a scare actor, the area was still too dark to appreciate any of the intricate make-up that was used on the performers. Nightmares – A Twisted Fantasy – This area is located on the path from Viper leading to Roaring Rapids and utilizes black light make-up. It is fun to see some fairytale characters come to life in a nicely imagined bright world. This wooded area also helps keep the fog lying nice and low to provide easy hiding for the scare actors. The Wastelands – Located outside of The Apocalypse maze, and used to help bring in people to the maze. The actors were trying their best to fill a large area, but with only a few set pieces to hind near, they are very visible to the guests. Gypsy Hollow – Located outside of the Cursed maze. Werewolves on jumping stilts steal the show in this area just by the sheer “wow” factor of having performers on jumping stilts walking through a very foggy area. City Under Siege – This scare zone in DC Universe continues to be one of the biggest draws of the entire event. This comic-book style area comes to life with larger-than-life playful characters dressed in bright costumes. Not many of the scare actors at the event seemed comfortable talking, but in City Under Siege, the fun and cheeky banter between ghoul and guest make for a fun exchange. A laser field positioned above the buildings in the area creates a ceiling when the fog in the area passes through it. This effect helps push your attention down the long street in the DC Universe area. Other items to note: For the little ones, Bugs Bunny World hosts a Harvest Fest for the kids during the day. This includes a costume contest, an arts and crafts area, and a trick or treat trail where the rides stop operating for 15 minutes or so, and all the ride operators pass out candy to the kids. It was a very popular offering amongst the guests. Signage informs guests that the Bugs Bunny World rides close at 7pm, as the monsters take over the park. Closing the family area is a new strategy this year, and may serve two purposes. One, it seems as a strong suggestion to parents that the night offerings are not meant for children, and leaving the park may be a good idea. Secondly, this may help add staffing to other areas of Fright Fest. If the closure of this area is successful, may we see more changes in the future? We’ll see... VooDoo Nights – One of the biggest surprises of the night was how alive the Full Throttle plaza was with guests all night long. A DJ played music, while a drummer would drum along to the song, adding a bit more flare to the atmosphere. A dance group, and “Minute to Win It” style games would also come up every few minutes to keep guests entertained. Though this offering wasn’t necessarily my favorite, it was very clear that this is the exact type of entertainment a majority of the park’s guests wanted. Magic Mountain hit the nail on the head with this one! This event is known in the enthusiast realm as a good place for Halloween event “beginners”, and I would say the same about the event this year. Though a majority of the mazes and scare zones can in fact be “scary” for some people, what the event lacks compared to USH and Knott’s is the quality of maze and area design. Willoughby’s and Aftermath are of course the exception, which is why they are clearly the more popular mazes. Remember that this is not a separate ticketed event, but access to the mazes is a flat fee of $15 for non-season pass holders, and $13 for season pass holders. Express Maze Passes are also available for purchase (around $40 depending on the day and availability). If you want to guarantee that you will be able to experience everything at the event, I would highly recommend purchasing the express pass. I was able to see all 8 mazes and the scare zones in only three hours. This left plenty of time to see VooDoo Nights and go back for more trips through the mazes, making it a great buy! Lastly, the park invited us to try a new funnel cake at Suzette’s Bakery for Fright Fest! It is called the Grim Turtle funnel cake, and it was incredible! I wasn’t too sure about having chocolate batter used for the funnel cake, but it added a great flavor to the treat! A very big “thank you” to Sue Carpenter and Connie Lujan for inviting us to see why this event continues to grow each year. Thank you to Neal Thurman for taking time to talk with us about the event, and highlighting each of the offering for us. Lastly, a thank you to Park President Bonnie Rabjon for taking time to welcome us to the park during this festive time of year! Though there is still room for improvement, the changes the park has been making to bring this event to the next level are great, and we are hopeful that the future holds more great things for Fright Fest! Welcome to Fright Fest! Maze wristbands can be purchased at the large stores throughout the park. Fright Fest Map In Bugs Bunny World. Lots of Trick or Treating! The Looney Tunes characters are dressed in their Halloween costumes as well. Time to DInE with the Willoughbys! Creepy food! The BBQ tri-tip pizza was one of the best food items I have ever had at this park! You get quality time with the monsters at this feast. The magic of Michael Turco, with the Willoughby dancers. Willoughby's Haunted Mansion. The Aftermath This maze has a fun beginning, by having guests go through a blinding hallway before they find themselves in the middle of a post-apocalyptic world. FIRE!!!! Black Widow. Chupacabra. The Cursed entrance. It was too dark for any decent photos. At the gas station at the end of Cursed is sponsored by Cartoon Network, and they are handing out FREE STICKERS! STICKERS!!!!!!!!!! The entrance for Weepy Hills INSANEtorium. The entrance of Total Darkness. Toyz of Terror. Lots of fun new scenes. Creepy scare actors. "Dance monkey, dance!" Demon's Door. Lots of fun characters! Zombie Xing A stilt walker in Exile Hill. The pathway under Revolution houses the Nightmares scare zone. In the Wastelands scare zone. The Gypsy Hollow scare zone, located near Tidal Wave. The Gargoyle in DC Universe. A very entertaining dance group at VooDoo Nights. The house band. The Full Throttle area stays busy all night. The Jumbotron features clips of the different Fright Fest offerings at night, which differs from the daytime video content. Clip from the Nightmares scare zone. A SFMM trip isn't complete until you have a funnel cake! Let's try the Grim Turtle! Mmmmm, yummy and spooky! Thank you to Six Flags Magic Mountain again for a great evening! Have a great Halloween season! More free stuff!!!! Lots and lots of Orbit gum!

Don't hold your breath.... When the museum was being developed, it was sad to see how few items were kept from the past years. Only a few surviving items were in a presentable condition. The only reason the Troll costume survived was because it was forgotten in a back room of the old Cyclone Bay employee break room. (And still, it's hat was missing.) The amount of work that was spent on putting that museum together, while being given virtually no budget was amazing. It happened to be at a time when the park was lucky enough to have a few great Ride Supervisors who not only cared about the park in its current state, but also wanted to celebrate the parks rich past. The main reason the museum closed was because the few nice items that were on display became sunbaked and no longer presentable. No money was allocated to maintain the museum, so mostly everything was pulled out. The park does not seem to care about its past. Every big ticket item that would be great to hold onto, ends up being sold to Dog Mike (the owner of the dog kennels south of the park on The Old Road) to make money off the item, or give it to him because it is cheaper than paying for someone to come haul it away from the park. Too focused on the future to care about the past. If that is where they want to place their focus, then good for them. Better than nothing > history and memories.

AMEN.

The buffet is still there, and looks as unappealing as ever. It sits there untouched for an hour or two for the first person orders it, only to discover everything has congealed. Then every time an employee changes out a hot tray, all the hot water from under the trays fog up the underside of the sneeze guards, only to drip back down all over the new food. So whatever chemicals were used to clean the underside of the sneeze guard (assuming it gets cleaned), is now on the food as well. Yummy!

I was in the "Mooseburger is the best option" camp as well until my most recent visit last month. I am sad to report that there have been a couple of changes at the restaurant. First, the menu selections have been greatly reduced. There used to be four different burger options, and now there is only one. This burger has every ingredient you could imagine, turning it into in inedible mess you end up eating with a fork. Secondly, the nicely printed, laminated, and spiral bound menus have been reduced to a single sheet of paper. The second item isn't the biggest deal in the world, but when you finish your meal and realize you just paid $19 for your burger with tax and tip, that $11 Johnny Rockett's burger starts looking like a much better deal. However, if you are desperate for air conditioning and can't stand the horrific smell of the lower seating area of Food Etc., your $19 meal at Mooseburger is rationalized.

Watching this video was the highlight of my evening, and I'm okay with that!

Agreed that the audience was fine with the reference. It was funny where it needed to be. There was no poking fun at the religion itself, they merely had the cast dressed as Elders introducing and "backing up" Romney.

Theme Park Review was once again invited by Universal Studios Hollywood to attend what is arguably the most popular Halloween event in Southern California. Overall, I found the event to be just as enjoyable as in past years. My brother Frank and I attended the event on Thursday the 18th, and were surprised to see that the event was sold out the night before. As this event continues to grow in popularity, it seems that more nights are selling out. When we arrived at the parking lot at 6:30 there were signs informing people that the event was sold out and no tickets were available for purchase. We saw several cars turn around and drive away surprised that it sold out. Better than finding out when you get to the gate! It is highly recommended that you arrive to the event as early as you can to allow time to park, get through security and get into the park. (See Joey’s earlier post about an earlier entry time at the Lower Lot.) We were pleasantly surprised by the ease of the security check and entry process this year! We picked up our tickets and Gate A passes at Will Call and entered the park right at 7pm. We HIGHLY RECOMMEND that anyone going to the event purchase a Gate A pass! It makes me sad to say, but the reality is that it’s almost impossible to see all the event offerings if you don’t have a Gate A pass. So buy a Gate A pass; it’s worth it!!!! Gate A, Gate A, Gate A! Moving on… We first visited Universal Monster Remix. I am not a fan of whatever this dubstep music stuff is in the real world. However, I really enjoyed it in the maze! I found it to be unique and I enjoyed that it gave the maze a different vibe from years past. The main chamber also featured what appeared to be a live DJ mixing; a nice investment if it was real. Alice Cooper goes to Hell was enjoyable. It’s nice to have only the one 3-D maze, compared to Knott’s which uses the 3-D effect in several mazes each year. Although I found the talent to be lacking, the set pieces and several large rooms provided enough eye candy to make it enjoyable. I will mention that the two stilt performers we saw in the maze were incredible. They chose frozen positions that seemed impossible for humans to pose in, then would wait until guests were almost past them before jumping out at them. We were very impressed! We then watched the first performance of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure. This show is one of the reasons that I attend the event year after year. I enjoy the comedic aspect of the show, but equally love seeing the talent of the performers, and watching them put all their energy into their performance. I was excited to see positive reviews of the show from other TPR members early in the run of the event, so my expectations were high. We were NOT disappointed! The writers did a great job incorporating bits of this years’ pop culture, and the cast was simply incredible. We ended up seeing the show for again later in the night and enjoyed it just as much. Next was the Terror Tram. Because we attended on a Thursday, the line for the tour was scheduled to close at 9:30. With plenty of signage provided around the park, we fell they did a great job of making sure that anyone who wanted to do the Terror Tram was able to do so. I feel that the Terror Tram is lacking in two major areas. First, is the bottleneck issue that occurs between Whoville and the Bates Motel. It took us seven full minutes to walk a total of 50 feet, leaving it difficult for us to fully enjoy the rest of the tour. The second issue is the visible lack of motivation from some of the talent. Many of the scare actors who were given specific actions or interactions did a great job. Some of the Walking Dead zombies also did a great job setting the scene. However, there were several zombies who didn’t seem to care. Even though they were interacting with the guests, they were not appropriate interactions. One of the zombies by the Bates Motel was walking through the crowd and touching the sides and back of the head of several female guests. Totally not acceptable… Another zombie was trying to actually take my camera out of my hands. It wasn’t until I said, “Thank you Mr. Zombie, if you could please not touch my personal belongs, that would be great…”, that he finally let go and moved on. Guest can’t touch the actors, and they shouldn’t be touching the guests either. It blurs the line between “fun scared” and “real scared”. /END RANT Despite those issues, I love having the opportunity to walk next to some of the most famous structures in the world! We then visited the lower lot, and went through Silent Hill. It was great having that Gate A pass, as we were able to skip the 45 minute wait. Although it wasn’t our favorite maze of the night, we still found it to be a solid maze, having several icons moments that were very well executed. It also boasted some unique talent hides. Texas Chainsaw Massacre was next, and was my personal favorite of the evening. The talent had the highest energy compared to the other mazes, and the theme seems to translate very well from the screen to a maze. The Walking Dead was my second favorite maze of the night, again featuring some very memorable recreations throughout the maze. We appreciated the lack of guests backing up through the maze, which is sometimes an issue for other mazes. Lastly, we visited La Llorona. Last year I seemed to be in the minority of people who enjoyed this maze. I liked it again this year, if not a bit more. I feel that some of the more iconic moments were better executed compared to last year. The floating La Llorona in the dead floating children scene was very crisp, and the growing La Lloronas toward the end of the maze seemed to be better featured. This was my personal 3rd place maze. The walk-around areas seemed more subdued this year. We didn’t see the area around Silent Hill; where was it? Although the Clowns area has the most eye candy with the height of the cargo containers and the flame boxes, the talent have a small area to work in, and feels like more of a photo op area than a scare zone. Toyz did have a large variety of characters which we found entertaining, but the Witches area was nothing but understated the 3 times we walked through. Despite the criticism of a few key areas, we find this event to be the best SoCal has to offer. I find it okay to be nit-picky about their product because if these issues were fine-tuned, I would have to return to the event multiple times each season! So to recap: Get a Gate A pass if you want to see all the event has to offer, see Bill and Ted’s, and appreciate the rich theming in the mazes that only Universal Studios Hollywood can offer! We would like to give a huge “thank you” to Universal Studios Hollywood and Trana from Publicity for taking care of us year after year. YOU ROCK Trana! Halloween Horror Nights runs through the end of the month. Be sure to buy your tickets as soon as possible before your date sells out! Welcome back to another year at Halloween Horror Nights! There is no other way to experience the event than with a Gate A pass or the VIP tour. Yep, another sold out night! We can always count on the friendly main gate employees! “Hey Robb, we miss you sugar pie!” First maze of the night. Um, hello bonus inside the maze go-go dancer! Live DJ mixing in the main chamber! (We think.) The Toys scare zone on London Street. Yay for 3-D! The 3-D glasses were handed out for free for both the Gate A and regular guests this year. Yes please! We know him! Really nice open space gave us more to “take in”. Very nice! The Witches scare zone. Wait times at 9:05pm. Line for the Terror Tram. But we had our Gate A pass! (Are you sick of the Gate A mentions yet? Good.) The good ol’ chainsaw gang. So here is the bottleneck we referred to earlier… We loved that you could leave the normal route and get your picture taken in front of the Psyhco House. The guests loved it too! Approaching the War of the World set. Silent Hill was in the Mummy extended cue area, and cues in a different area than in past years. You enter by the Jurassic Park splash down. 45 minute wait. Why thank you! He’s a dude. She’s a dude. Loved this ground position! Which is cooler, the fact that we found Joey or this poster? A common sight. That’s us! My favorite! Next up, in the old western arena. Outside the maze. This looks familiar! I am such a fan of these live ground scares! Back at the front of the park, the Klownz area is bustling. We LOVED that the park adds these HHN specific trash cans for the talent to beat up. There is nothing quite like the sound of banging metal. Our last maze of the night! Rich theming that only Universal can provide. Creepy! This effect worked way better for us than it did last year. Same here. We love Bill and Ted’s! Another packed house for this performance. This year’s show prominently spoofed The Hunger Games. We very much enjoyed it! “Everyone do the District salute!” May the odds be NEVER in your favor! Bill and Ted! The tributes of District 69! You can always count on some great guest appearances! Like Fozzy Bear? And the creeper from Family Guy! ..and this girl. Lincoln is introduced to the current U.S. President. Upon meeting Obama, Lincoln simply says “Your welcome.” This was the audiences favorite moment of the show. Romney brought the Book of Mormon Elders with him. Fight, fight, fight! Ted and Phelps… Merida and Katniss… And SIRI!!!!!!! Hey Adam, this is what SIRI really looks like. Sorry that you now know she is out of your league… And the show finishes up with them putting blue bananas in each other’s mouths. And then it really ends with a random dance number! Yay! And thus ends another great Halloween Horror Nights! Thank you again to USH and Trana for inviting us. We look forward to next year!

48" - but they are very impractical.

We only use 4", 3", and 2.5" salutes for this show. Because it is on a beach and there are 2-story cabanas not far from the shoreline, we are only able to go as big as 4" due to the fallout area.

The client was the show it be intimate and "organic". The audience viewing area is about 500ft. away from the launch area, so one of the draws for the audience is getting to see one of the last hand-lit shows in CA. Premature finale issues happen more often than you would think. Throughout the U.S. it happens on average at one or two shows a year. It just so happens that the SD show is a HUGE show and it wasn't in a small town, so tons of cameras were recording. There are many different reasons for finales to go off early. For hand-lit shows, that is why we have to wrap the entire finale in foil to prevent it from going off in the middle of the show. Sometimes there is a "computer glitch" like what they claimed happened in SD. On barge shows like SD, because of the proximity of the fireworks, if a firework's lift charge doesn't work, and the shell detonates in the gun, the stars will shoot everywhere on the barge and possibly ignite the other fireworks around it causing a chain reaction on that barge. But of course, each mistake is a bit different.

Most shows are electronic for that reason. Things can still go wrong, so most citys opt for an electric show. The electronic shows also tend to have a high show quality. Some shows are pre-programmed and can be synced to the music (like Disney fireworks shows). Hand-lit shows may soon be a thing of the past. Correct, they are very reusable.

You can see the orange earplugs in some of the pictures where we are lighting. You are right, it is VERY loud! With the sound, the ash, and the smell it seems like a war zone. We wear hard hats, safety goggles, earplugs, leather gloves, and the fireman's turnouts.

This is the aftermath of the finale. The next morning, the country club sifts the sand on the entire ¼ mile of beach. Cake aftermath. Lastly we strike the show, and return all the pyro trash to Pyro Spectaculars for incineration. It takes hard work to put on any fireworks show, but it is worth it! Hope you enjoyed!

Each year on the 3rd or 4th of July, my family and I meet up with the pyro crew that we are members of, and we put on a 15-minute firework show on the beach. What is so special about our show? Our show is one of only three “hand-lit” fireworks shows left in California for the 4th of July holiday. We light off more than 500 fireworks with road flares! Below are pictures and a video of what it takes to put on a fireworks show. It’s a blast! The day starts with packing up our personal equipment like shovels, rakes, hamers, hard hats, fireman’s turnout gear, and of course plenty of BBQ fixin’s! We then head to Rialto, CA to Pyro Spectacular to pick up our truck which has been pre-packed with everything we need to put on a show. When a city or organization decides to host a fireworks show, they call a fireworks company like Pyro Spectacular. Pyro Spectacular then contacts a state-licensed fireworks operator, who represents them and operates the show. The operator assembles a crew to assist them with setting up the show and setting off the fireworks if it is a hand-lit show. This picture shows only a part of the 400 trucks that are pre-loaded for the 4th of July weekend. We arrive at Will Roger’s Stage Beach at noon, and have a quick meeting where we get an overview of the schedule and what to expect for the day. Here is our blank sand canvas. The Bel Air Bay Club hires Pyro Spectacular each year for this show, and creates a berm to protect the launch area from the high tide that starts during the show. “No fireworks” No problem! We first unload all of the equipment from the truck and start setting up the fireworks racks on the beach. The green racks are for fireworks with a 3” diameter, and the purple racks are for fireworks with a 4” diameter. The pyro is in the boxes on the right. We arrange the 3” and 4” racks based on a diagram that we create of the show. We set up four sections facing the ocean with each section comprised of three rows of 7 racks. We attach cleats to the side of each rack for stabilization as well as angling the racks so the fireworks shoot out into the ocean. Though the shells (fireworks) burst over the ocean the prevailing winds cause the ash and debris to land back on the sand. After we add the cleats, we then build up sand around each of the guns (individual tubes) for another measure of stability. After lunch we have a safety meeting for those who are new to the crew, talking about how to safely handle the pyro. We start unpacking the fireworks and prepare them to be dropped into the guns. Fireworks is good eatin’. Its pyro…in a box. It happens… In addition to traditional fireworks, there are also “cakes”. Cakes are a series of fireworks packaged in groups of 36 to 500 hits, and they ignite in rapid succession. This is a smaller cake with 45 shots. Some of the cakes are put in wooden boxes for stabilization. Noticing a theme? 3” shells. The spherical part is the actual shell that holds the stars. Stars are pellets that actually produce the light. The flat cone on the bottom contains the lift charge. When you light the fuse, the lift charge ignites sending the shell into the sky. A 3” shell will lift 300 ft. into the air, and the firework will span 300 feet. We sort the fireworks by style. We then drop the shells into the guns. For hand-lit shows, the blue tabs cover the fuse. The white tabs are connectors for an electronic show. Some shells are set up individually, and others are grouped together. The finale fireworks come strung together similar to the cakes. A wonderfully horrible picture, yes. But it really is a beautiful finale. The finale is covered with foil to prevent any sparks from setting it off early. Cakes are placed near the berm. The beaches of Normandy. Gertrude wouldn’t relax near live fireworks. Just saying… Artsy sepia-toned photo #1. Artsy sepia-toned photo #2. After dinner, we get in our Fireman’s turnout gear. Lighting off fireworks is a family affair. The crew. We have another safety briefing; this time, how to safely light the fireworks. Practice makes something. 9pm rolls around! We light the flares and start the show. We have two sections being lit at the same time. We start with sections 1 and 3, working our way from right to left. Each lighter has a spotter that helps to ensure their surroundings are safe, and helps put out any sparks from smoldering on the lighter’s clothes. Yep, putting out sparks. No big deal. Step 1: Light the firework. Step 2: TURN! and wait for the fuse to ignite the lift charge. Extra spotters are standing by with fire extinguishers and first aid supplies. A state fire marshal is also present during the entire show. I guess some fireworks picture are in order. This is one of the cakes. 10 hits ignite at the same time in a fan shape. This cakes repeats ten times. Fireworks go boom. See the video in the next post.

Awesome coverage David and Spears! I am a fan of the Spearsious face! Hey Dan, I spy Molly in the USH provided media pictures!

The Newsies Tower Hotel

You sir, are my hero! (No homo.)

The video monitors in the first half of the queue plan "breifing" videos that set the scene. The screens toward the end play the safety spiel information. As for the glasses, I didn't want to find out and I can't imagine any other TPR peeps would either!

Hey Jew. I am going to be at USH today. Just wanted to let you know incase you would be around. It would be great to get to say "hi" for a bit. Cheers!