jedimaster1227

That's Shelly Mae, the bear Mickey made for Duffy so he wouldn't be lonely... It shouldn't be long before she joins Duffy here in the States.

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/12/mickey-duffys-spring-voyage-to-debut-at-tokyo-disneysea-in-2013/

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/the-daily-disney/os-golf-disney-droppped-from-pga-schedule-1210,0,4039092,full.story

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/15/us-seaworld-ipo-idUSBRE8BD1CJ20121215

^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_(fiction)

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/12/big-thunder-mountain-railroad-to-close-january-7-for-refurbishment-at-disneyland-park/ http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/12/in-park-social-media-program-expands-to-disneyland-park-with-launch-of-disneyland-today/

http://www.vegasinc.com/news/2012/dec/11/water-park-planned-circus-circus/

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-maglev-metroplan-decide-20121212,0,2922698.story

^ I think you're mixing up what the idea of "timeless" applies to for this. Yes, the Wizarding World is meant to be timeless, but in the same way that the Magic Kingdom and other themed environments are--that after a matter of years (whether it be five or fifty) the concepts behind the land won't be outdated, unrecognized by the guests or unappreciated. The Wizarding World takes place in a specific time period within the canon of the overall universe, as I explained on the last page. Dumbledore is still alive because he hadn't been killed by the fourth book, which is around the time when the land takes place in. There is a definitive backstory behind the land as you know that totally justifies why "muggles" can see it and all, and while it isn't publicized, it does exist. Again, it wouldn't have been allowed to happen if Rowling didn't agree to it fitting into her stories.

^1. I have no shame. 2. Yes. Hypothetically, the timeline would have to be the same between both areas to ensure continuity. With that in mind, characters that were killed off in later installments would still be alive to potentially be seen in the new area, which lends credence to the idea of Helena Bonham Carter's character along with others being brought back to reprise their roles for the new land.

I happened to really enjoy Martin's Fantasy Island... What exactly are you trying to say? It isn't like Darien Lake has removed the majority of its attractions to match the amount Martin's has. I really don't get the complaining... No one park is entitled to any new addition. Complaining to Herschend about the fact that they haven't added a hyper coaster-level capital investment to a park they don't even own is something I'd expect to see on Facebook where it would be met with other poor responses. I give Mike full credit for replying in a way that fully addressed the question despite its silly conceit. His answer was both justifiable and overly honest as to why Darien Lake isn't getting a major addition right now but also reassures that the park will continue to see investments and updates under Herschend's leadership. You may not be able to see the renovated guest facilities and family attractions that have been worked on under Herschend's leadership above the tree line, but they are there, and have likely increased guest satisfaction significantly in the park. The park has a great lineup of attractions as it stands--let's let the park fix its flaws rather than ignore them in favor of building new coasters "just cause." Six Flags went that route and look how long it has taken them to be dug out of the mediocre hole they put themselves in under the "BUILD BUY BUILD BUY BUILD" mentality where the truly important aspects of guest satisfaction (guest service, safety, cleanliness, etc...) were thrown by the wayside.

Without making myself come across as a Potter fanatic, I can confirm that The Wizarding World of Harry Potter sits mostly within the canon of the stories established in the books and films by J.K. Rowling. The current version of Potter that is at Universal Orlando takes place roughly around the time of the fourth installment, The Goblet of Fire, hence the inclusion of the Goblet of Fire and golden egg in the Dragon Challenge queue, as well as the daily performances by the Beauxbaton twirlers and the Durmstrang stick fighters. It should also be noted that the characters as seen in Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey are all made up to look like their younger selves as they were seen in the fourth film. As for Ollivander's, this was the only major exception made to the land's continuity, with the stretch simply being made that it was a branch off of the existing store in Diagon Alley. J.K. Rowling is even more strict than George Lucas ever was on the continuity and canon of Star Wars... There simply won't be something in her land if it doesn't jive with the stories she's built.

The ride is Greased Lightnin'. It has been confirmed several times in the past that all inspections and surveys show that the ride is in a condition beyond significant repair. It seems it would be cost prohibitive to invest in bringing the ride back when that money can be put towards a newer addition.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/lake/os-silver-springs-state-park-20121210,0,977415.story

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/newshome/12299811/new-backers-for-theme-park-plan/

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2012/12/06/mini-america-attraction-proposed-for.html?iana=ind_travel

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2246357/New-Harry-Potter-movie-filmed-Universal-Studios-theme-parks.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/12/monsier-paul-restaurant-debuts-dec-11-upstairs-at-epcot-france-pavilion/

http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20121209-388533.html

http://www.northjersey.com/news/182489961_Small_step_forward_for_American_Dream_parks.html

Having already been to the event this season (on what was meant to be a busier night, Friday), I can understand that the park might be busy, as was the traffic surrounding the park. But as was mentioned before, peak season periods at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay have often emulated the same situations on a normal park day, so as everyone else was saying, this shouldn't be a surprise. When in doubt, show up super early--the time you lose waiting early is the time you save not waiting in traffic, waiting for the shuttle from the parking lot, waiting in a ridiculous line at the ticket booths and the turnstiles and waiting in the still-growing lines for the special offerings. Regardless of your experience, I can attest to the fact that the event has plenty of room to grow, but this is a good thing! I'm thrilled to see that Christmas Town is already turning out to be such a success for the park! It was evident that much like the first year at Williamsburg's event, the premier season was designed to start out smaller, leaving room for the event to expand in the coming years. Not all of the park was utilized for the event, nor were all of the rides included. Considering how well received this event has been, I wouldn't be surprised to see Egypt and other sections of the park integrated into the festivities next year. It is very rare for a brand new theme park offering to be perfect from day 1, but I stand by my opinion that this event was pretty darn close for what it was, especially in its first year. Other events at the park have suffered from the same minor nuisances at first, but they've all found their groove quickly and have become staples in the annual calendar, and I don't see this situation being any different. You were unfortunately present to see some of those issues firsthand, but the fact of the matter is, they've addressed the concern publicly, acknowledging the issues and are working to fix them. Cut them some slack...

I do vaguely remember them promoting the fact that the song was re-recorded and reworked to fit the attraction. I do remember the orchestration for Life in the Fast Lane was also heavily reworked for the pacing of the ride, with the instrumental section being moved into an odd place for the song to allow for a better musical transition while re-entering the station to go up the second lift hill.

http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-sun-valley-wet-design-fire,0,1872272.story