jedimaster1227

Please do not create a discussion thread on the forums. The moderators handle the creation of these threads as they are needed/warranted on the site. We currently have a Six Flags Over Georgia Discussion Thread which encompasses Six Flags White Water as well. http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=18656

http://www.businessinsider.com/exclusive-interview-with-disneys-page-pierce-inside-disneys-new-luxury-community-golden-oak-2012-8

http://www.toynews-online.biz/news/37030/Angry-Birds-theme-park-attraction-open

(Continued) Most attendees participating in the cosplay are more than happy to stop and pose for photos. Kit Fisto showed up! For those of you that are Hyperspace Hoopla fans, you know he never shows up! On Day 2 (and on each subsequent day of the convention) I revisited the Orlando Science Center's booth to see what else they had cooking with liquid nitrogen! This time it was liquid nitrogen-boiled whipped cream. And it was amazing! Holy mother of the Mandalore! Yep... Best. Cornhole. EVER! The family that slays together, stays together! Many of the costumes were more creative than the normal representation of well known characters from the Star Wars universe. I was videotaped taking a photograph of the host of a TV show (I think for G4)... If that makes any sense. This guy had the evil red contacts and everything! Obviously Sith from the era of the Old Republic... Obviously! Putting the cute back in Ewok! This might have been the most creative costume of the entire event! No, really. This guy didn't miss a detail. And I'd totally eat at a Bantha Wild Wings! Why so serious? Just hangin' with the guys... Another awesomely unique outfit! Sophisticated! One of several Muppet stormtroopers I saw over the course of the weekend. It was great to see this guy back again this year! One of the major panels I was looking forward to was the Super Secret Star Wars Panel, something teased as early as two years ago at the Star Wars Robot Chicken panel at Star Wars Celebration V. James Arnold Taylor, the voice of Jedi Masters Obi-Wan Kenobi and Plo Koon on Star Wars: The Clone Wars was the MC for the Main Stage, opening for all acts in the Celebration (Chapin) Theater. So why was I so excited? Seth Green had previously announced that he was working with the team from Robot Chicken on a new Star Wars-based comedy series approved by George Lucas for TV... And now was the time to release details on the show, dubbed Star Wars Detours! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yRNXFhboBI The show is technically in canon according to Seth Green, taking place in between Episodes 3 and 4. It doesn't break the story of any of the characters from the films, but it elaborates on their "daily lives" in a comical sense during this set time period. The show has three distinct locales for which its story is based. The first is the Death Star, currently under construction but marketed as the universe's largest mall, the Galaxia. The second is Jabba's Palace, and on a larger scale, Tatooine. The third is Dex's Diner from Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Donald Faison (a huge Star Wars fan) is in the show along with the voices of Seth Green, Brecken Meyer, Weird Al Yankovic, Billy Dee Williams (the original actor who portrayed Lando Calrissian), Dee Bradley Baker and Ahmed Best (the original voice and body actor for Jar Jar Binks). You really have no idea how huge the 501st Legion has become. There were definitely some Blue Harvest fans in the house. Fans of the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and The Force Unleashed II games would love seeing this Starkiller costume in person. Who you gonna call? Some of the costumes were simply impressive. Even queens get cravings for Chinese food some times. Quite possibly the most unique stormtrooper on the show floor. Is this a trap? Another ghostbuster! This guy had an insanely cool wampa suit! How clever! Love it! Wampa meet tauntaun. Tauntaun meet stomach. It's not just a hobby for guys... This is a thing of nightmares. Also a thing of nightmares. The LEGO booth had some really impressive models of Star Wars characters set up on the show floor...

This past weekend I was given the opportunity to represent Theme Park Review at Star Wars Celebration VI, the follow up to Star Wars Celebration V that took place two years ago ( you can see my coverage of that event here ). With my arm obviously twisted into going on this tedious, four day festival of all things Star Wars, I (Jedimaster1227) set off on a quest to explore the realm of the Star Wars fan. Now please be warned. I get super nerdy from here-on-out... It may get funny at my own expense. In fact, I'm sure it will turn out that way. Just enjoy yourself and we'll get through it together! Who am I kidding? I begged Robb to let me go back this year! And guess what, I've got credentials! Thanks Robb! My first stop was the "as you wish." Project booth, sponsored by eFX, the Dented Helmet and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. This Star Wars/Alien mashup helmet was one of several dozen auctioned off for charity at the end of the event. Rocketeer! It's official folks. Star Wars CAN be Elissa-friendly! Coming soon to Men in Black: Alien Attack at Universal Studios Florida! "If I'm not me, then who am I?" You wouldn't think that this was once a clone trooper helmet. They had an Admiral Ackbar plush that screams "It's a trap!" when you push his button. I'm not gonna lie. I bought one. I was able to see Warwick Davis (Wicket the Ewok, Willow) rolling around the show floor on his Segway several times during the event. Over at the Disney booth, they had some advertisements up for Star Tours: The Adventure Continues. This one gave away a little easter egg hidden by the Imagineers as seen in the Coruscant section of the ride. Notice the "New Tomorrowland" logo on the building next to the Starspeeder 1000. The Aurebesh (alien language) even says Tomorrowland! Trust me, I checked! If there's one thing that Star Wars Celebration has gained notoriety for, it is the cosplay. As clever as this one was, I didn't buy it. Hear my Tauntaun roar! If you ever have the chance, as Seth Green will tell you, George Lucas can totally justify including Midichlorians in Star Wars if you give him the chance. Oh, these are just mints. ...Moving on! Over in the Disney/Star Wars Merchandise Panel, some new items were shown to the audience. Hey Renee! Now you too can be like Bryan! I have a strange feeling that these will sell well around the holidays. Same. Elissa-friendly merchandise in the making! A future set of Disney/Star Wars toys coming out next year. And some new characters coming to the Star Wars/Muppets series next year... This is perfect. This too is perfect. It is like they are reaching into my wallet from the future! Okay, this isn't fair. I can't even put up a fight, it is so awesome! Now for something a little different! Lucasfilm and Pixar have agreed to allow a new line of Star Wars/Cars mashup merchandising coming out next year. There's some clever detailing in the artwork. Cone you believe it? I love that the Krayt Dragon is a crane! It makes total sense! Barf! Yep... One of my favorite booths was hosted by the Orlando Science Center, which will be hosting a "Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination" panel later this year. Here they froze marshmallows with liquid nitrogen and let you eat them! Not only are liquid nitrogen-frozen marshmallows even more delicious, but it lets you blow smoke out of your mouth and nose while you chew! I'm buying them ALL! For the robe-wearing types... In this world, I can truly be king! See?!?! My reign didn't last long. This guy's got better game than I do. ...Whoa. Time for a semi-normal photo of me at an abnormally dry bar. So many words to say... I'll just say none of them. Watch out for that Rancor! The huge AT-AT was back this year and parked in the center of the Orange County Convention Center. While on my way out from Day 1 (notice my bag of merchandise) I ran into Dave Filoni, the Supervising Director of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the television series now heading into its fifth season on Cartoon Network. We're just getting started folks!

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/08/celebrate-the-great-irish-hooley-at-raglan-road-august-31-september-3-at-walt-disney-world-resort/ Celebrate The Great Irish Hooley at Downtown Disney with the U2 Tribute Band, Elevation Participate in Irish Dance Workshops with Renowned Irish Dancer and Choreographer Ronan McCormack of the Original Riverdance Cast and the Raglan Road Dancers Celebrate The Great Irish Hooley at Raglan Road in Downtown Disney http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/08/a-behind-the-scenes-look-at-d-tech-me-princess-in-world-of-disney-at-walt-disney-world-resort/

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/08/disneyland-resort-guided-tours-disneys-happiest-haunts-tour/

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/08/all-in-the-details-head-under-the-sea-to-visit-ariels-grotto-at-magic-kingdom-park/

http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/leisure/wild-wadi-to-launch-new-waterslide-1.1066329

http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2012/08/26/have-a-delicious-resident-evil-brains-dinner-at-universal-japan

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features_orlando/2012/08/seaworld-end-is-near-for-makahiki-luau-dinner-show.html

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/08/chat-live-with-walt-disney-imagineer-melissa-jeselnick-today-at-115-p-m-est/

^When and where has that been confirmed? I've not even seen rumblings of that beyond the updating of Armageddon and the addition of Ratatouille.

http://business.time.com/2012/08/24/exclusive-walt-disney-co-considers-buyout-of-struggling-disneyland-paris/

It looks like Six Flags St. Louis accidentally leaked information about its 2013 addition... http://www.sixflags.com/stLouis/info/MrFreezeReverseBlast.aspx

http://www.whitewaterwest.com/cgi/page.cgi/Industry_News/WhiteWater_Acquires_Hopkins_Rides?_id=45

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/08/celebrate-the-magic-nighttime-show-coming-to-magic-kingdom-park/

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2012/08/22/437108_gold-coast-theme-parks.html

^Technically you aren't supposed to be allowed in unless you are waiting for Dumbo, but if you just ask the cast member, they'll tell you to just return the pager when you leave. I did that just to get my photos inside of the tent and they were fine with it, so it should work if you just want to visit the place for Kristen.

(Cone'tinued) Man, I love this place at night... Up close and detailed... Ramone's looks the best at night... *drools* *drools more* Also looks great at night. Whoa. No detail from the films left out. So cool! For Larry... And more... Fillmore's at night... So pretty! The nicest looking lockers I've ever seen. A look down the street... So familiar yet so different. Pinch me, I'm dreaming. Matterhorn looks great after its refurbishment. There's this... Sums it up pretty well. The Laughing Stock was an awesome show I had never seen before in The Golden Horseshoe. Apparently the show has a long storyline that runs across multiple shows a day like episodes. If you watch all in a day, you've watched the whole season. It's a bit edgy, which is awesome. Time for some fun in Tom Sawyer Island's Pirate's Lair. I've always enjoyed the added layer of details brought on by the Pirate's Lair. This is what I get for all of those cone puns. Another favorite of mine, the pontoon bridge. Inside of the cave are some neat Pirates of the Caribbean tie-ins (Pintel & Ragetti) and some cool effects. I never really stopped to appreciate what this guy was going on about before, but it's a cool little effect. But there's some cool story tie-ins... He was cursed by the same gold from the first movie. Proper stereotype found. Tarzan's Treehouse is a fun thing to visit at least one time during your trip. Hidden reference.... Over at the Jungle Cruise... This is a very different version of the Jungle Cruise than you'll find in Orlando, save for the storyline, temple, jokes, premise, location, spiel and just about everything else... But totally different. But there's one thing that Disneyland's Jungle Cruise has the Walt Disney World's doesn't... Piranha! Earlier this Summer the Matterhorn climbers returned! Another awesome entertainment offering at the resort that I had never seen before was the Disneyland All American College Band. We ended up seeing them four times throughout the trip and each time they played a different, awesome set. Dancin with Disney! is a family dance party held in the old Who Wants to be a Millionaire? soundstage, using props from different former entertainment offerings at the resort. Notice the old Tron Legacy 3D preview sign is now the marquee for this temporary offering. It's got the stage from the old Disney Channel Rocks! show from Paradise Park and the loungers from elecTRONica as well. It's fun to be free... To be on the move... To go anywhere with ever a care... To... Do all there is to be done... It's fun to be free! It wouldn't be a trip to Disneyland without my annual visit to the Boudin Bakery for a sourdough bread bowl. I'll admit, I pander a bit. I totally thought Gadget's Go Coaster was themed to Inspector Gadget up until this trip... No joke. Apparently it has some background with Chip and Dale that I totally missed.

(Continued) The interior of the Carthay Circle Restaurant is elegant and so relaxing. The centerpiece is this gorgeous atrium featuring animation from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Near one of three balcony spaces is another dining space within the restaurant, which is where we were seated. Based on recommendations from several friends who had been several times before, we started off with the Signature Firecracker Duck Wings with a Soy, Lime, and Sriracha Chili Sauce. They were amazing. Like not one piece of meat left on the bone, incredible. Next up was my anticipated pick of the meal, the Carthay House Biscuits, stuffed with White Cheddar, Bacon, and Jalapeno and served with Apricot Honey Butter. Think a chocolate truffle, but the chocolate shell is bread and the gooey inside is cheese, bacon and jalapeno. Even the Apricot Honey Butter was amazing and I HATE apricot! One of my friends had his favorite Udon Noodle Bowl with a Red Thai Curry Broth, Shrimp and Mussels, Shiitake Mushrooms, Bok Choy, Mint, Cashews, and fresh Coriander. He enjoyed it, enough to have ordered it several times more since our visit. My other friend had the Pan-Roasted Veal Medallions with Grilled Prosciutto Wrapped Peaches, Haricot Verts, and Roasted Almond Vinaigrette. He let not one bite go to waste. And my choice, the Pappardelle Pasta with House-made Chicken Meatballs - Tear Drop Tomatoes, fresh Basil, and Yellow Tomato Essence. It didn't look like a large portion but the pasta was thick and the chicken meatballs were deliciously filling. Interestingly enough, our dining area gave us access to one of the viewing balconies, offering us an awesome view of the Pixar Play Parade. While two of us chose appetizers for our World of Color dining package (order an appetizer/dessert and an entree and you get reserved access to a viewing area for World of Color in Paradise Park), my other friend ordered the "Peaches in All Their Glory" dessert instead. It included Peach and White Chocolate Mousse Cannolis with fresh Grilled Peaches and Peach Sorbet. Before the meal was over, I left the table to go roam the restaurant and see all of the unique private dining spaces the Carthay Circle Restaurant had to offer. While they all feel like they're a part of the same restaurant, the moods and tones of each dining space differs greatly. I really love this atrium! I'd love to dine in one of these private booths during my next visit... Down in the lobby for the restaurant (also known as the Carthay Circle Lounge) is a small exhibit from the Walt Disney Archives regarding the premier of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the original Carthay Circle. While I didn't have a chance to partake in any of the Carthay Circle Lounge's food or beverage offerings, I was really impressed with the look and feel of the place. Love this! A love that the lobby for the Carthay Circle Restaurant really reminds me of the design of the lobby at Club 33. Another piece of history from the Walt Disney Archives. Speaking of Club 33... Here's the end of my trip report... I currently live in the 1901 lounge. Here you see me entering the building an leaving my outside world behind... Nice knowing you all! If only... Proper representation found! Minnie's Fly Girls Charter Airline was actually a really enjoyable show! And of course, Minnie has a role in the show. The Redwood Creek Challenge Trail received an Up-themed overlay not too long ago, which added some humorous touches. This is not Instagram'd, believe it or not. This place is so picturesque. Let's take a ride on Radiator Springs Racers! Ramone's paint shop has a neat little effect. Doc Hudson is your coach for the race. For some reason, I really love this scene. The racing portion is really fun. Some nice little airtime hills too. And on this run, we won the race! The famous Tail Light Caverns. Faster than McQueen! Cave paintings... Sadly these beach balls are gone now. There's a meet & greet with Red towards the back of Cars Land. Back on Buena Vista Street... Clarabelle's Hand-Dipped Ice Cream is definitely a new favorite of mine! Oh, this view! Believe it or not, I didn't take many World of Color photos during this trip. Instructions... Part 2... Part 3... Let's review... For the love of Larry!

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/08/all-in-the-details-step-inside-the-world-of-belle-through-her-magic-mirror-at-magic-kingdom-park/

And moving on to the last of my Walt Disney World update... The rest of Walt Disney World! Over in the Contemporary Resort, new RFID card readers have been installed as a test run for tying credit cards to the guests' room keys. Over in Downtown Disney, visible work continues on developing the former Virgin Megastore building to become Splitsville. This definitely isn't a minor undertaking. Additions to the building's floorspace have already been completed as evidenced by this new section that juts out from the building. Another open section of Splitsville is visible. After the incident with Ocean Park's tethered balloon by Aerophile, Characters in Flight was removed to undergo safety testing and enhancements. No established return date has been announced at this time. An unobstructed view of Saratoga Springs from the Pleasure Island bridge. Work continues on the upgraded volcano for Rainforest Cafe. A small section of the princess section inside World of Disney has been walled off, presumably to make room for the D-Tech Me's princess figurine setup. The top floor of the Grand Floridian Disney Vacation Club expansion has been completed. The same number of floors at the Grand Floridian's original wings, it will be interesting to see how well the new buildings matches up with the look of the older ones. Plenty of work still to be done!

Continuing on my visit to Walt Disney World, we stopped by the Magic Kingdom... Despite the rain earlier, it turned out to be a nice day at the Magic Kingdom. It's become a habit of mine to stop by the Sunshine Tree Terrace... To visit the original Orange Bird... And of course, to have another awesome Citrus Swirl! The Country Bear Jamboree is closing for a lengthy refurbishment that is rumored to do to the show what was done to the content of the original Enchanted Tiki Room. The show is rumored to be shortened with certain songs removed by the time it returns. I made it a point to see the original show one last time... It will be very interesting to see what form the show returns in later this year. The Frontierland Hoedown is kindof like a coutnry flashmob with cast members and characters joining in to dance to the sounds of Frontierland. It's a neat little side offering to enjoy. Over in Liberty Square, the Yankee Trader building is behind major scrims (though is still open) to be reworked to be seen from all angles. Throughout the park FastPass+ readers have been popping up at attraction entrances in preparation for the September test runs to resume soon. Moving into Fantasyland... A look at the other side of the Yankee Trader, as well as the construction site of the former Skyway building. New structures near the old Skyway building have begun to spring up. Rumors are that this area will become host to a new set of restrooms as well as a Tangled-themed meet and greet. FastPass+ readers have arrived at the entrance of Peter Pan. With old planters removed, the space between the new Castle Walls and the rest of Fantasyland looks larger. Details near completion on the castle walls as official soft openings for New Fantasyland are set to begin on November 19th. The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train coaster has received additional framework while the original lift structure has received concrete coverings to enclose the lift. The former home of Snow White's Scary Adventures continues to be stripped down to make way for the Princess Fairytale Hall set to debut later next year. Pieces from the former Snow White festival/fair facade are now stored backstage. This steel framing sprung up out of nowhere over the past few days. FastPass+ readers are also at the entrance of the FastPass line at The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid is receiving a grassy top to give a more realistic feel to the facade of the new attraction. I think it'll look great when it is finished! The Casey Jr. Splash 'n' Soak Station remains popular with guests throughout the day. The third, unannounced tent is rumored to be a quick service eatery themed to Humphrey the Bear. I finally had a chance to check out the new play queue at Dumbo. You enter thru the main queue where you are given a pager. From there you have free reign to enjoy the play queue until your pager goes off, where you then exit the play queue and re-enter the main queue seen to the left. Plenty of line available inside to handle long waits. Even the control system for the pagers is themed! The play structures are designed for the children to enjoy while parents can sit back and relax, waiting for their pager to go off. There's some great details here for fans of the film. Pull the string... Fireworks go off! And to close, the old Swan Boats dock near Tomorrowland is behind scrims for refurbishment.

A few days ago I had the chance to stop by Walt Disney World to check out the latest happenings across the resort. Let's look at Epcot... Over at The Seas with Nemo & Friends, a new entrance canopy has been built to eventually serve as the split point between a new Fastpass line and the existing standby queue. Bolts for the eventual wait time signs and Fastpass distribution/return signs are already in place, waiting for the signs themselves to be installed. Work continues on the new Fastpass line as well. Over in Canada a new, permanent DVC booth is being built. In France, Bistro de Paris has closed to allow for its reinvention over the next few months. It will receive a new name, menu and theme when it reopens. To the left is the current Boulangerie Patisserie, which will eventually close to become a Glacier ice cream parlor. A look at the current Patisserie. The new location will include expanded seating, an updated menu and a wider serving area. The building that has served as the exit gift shop for Impressions de France as well as the indoor seating for the Patisserie will become the connector to the new building where the expanded Patisserie will be located. Much of the existing building has been blocked off for allow for interior construction to begin on merging the new and old buildings. Work has begun on preparing the Belgium booth for the Food & Wine Festival. I can't wait! In Italy, Tutto Gusto has updated its menu to include Gusto Plates for Two or More, plus the prices for the menu as a whole have been altered slightly. Inside the entrance of the Mexico pavilion, a new set of exhibits have taken up the space previously occupied by Animales Fantasticos. More museum-esque in style, they use lighting effects to reveal additional details... Like this. And by Test Track the old Cool Wash station has been surrounded by walls, presumably to be removed.