jedimaster1227

(Continued) Over in the San Francisco area, Zombie Gras lamp post covers have been added. These may actually be the same ones used in Mardi Gras... Does anyone know? And then, the deluge. It got very wet, very fast. Finding shelter only after we get soaked always makes for a memorable experience. One more scarezone, what I believe to be "XX Years of Fear" area has already received many of its props. I actually took a picture of a guy riding around in one of these during the Carnival of Carnage (HHN 17) with Jack the Clown. It was nice to see this piece of horror nights history preserved. The contortionist poster also came from the Carnival of Carnage, while the moon signs were from Ripped from the Silver Screen (HHN 19). Notice the Lantern X's on the sides of the structure. The weather wasn't getting better, so we left, but I'm sure we'll have plenty more to see in the coming weeks.

Hey everyone! This thread is the new base for the Orlando Crew photo reports... So sit back, relax and enjoy the (new) show! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Links: Jake and Adam visit Universal Orlando - September 6th, 2010 (found below) ---------------------------------------------------------------- Original Post: For the first time since his move to Orlando, Jake and I decided to take advantage of the day off from school for the Labor Day holiday. Surprisingly, Universal Orlando was completely empty, allowing us to walk onto Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey once, Dueling Dragons twice, Flight of the Hippogriff, Revenge of the Mummy twice and even to ride Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit in the front row. All in all, the day was a fantastic one--and it certainly won't be our last... Look for more from the Orlando Crew very soon! We started off our day by (after eating an incredible meal at Mythos) experiencing Poseidon's Fury. Jake had never seen the show before, & I had not been back for quite some time since the water vortex's closure. Fire and water effects on the exterior of the attraction's facade are once again, fully operational. But what's this I see? That's right folks! The water vortex is once again working, and boy was it working well! While in the Wizarding World, Jake treated himself to his first Cauldron Cake. Being the creature of habit that I am, I went for the always delicious Pumpkin Tart. Plastic is delicious. A 40 minute wait on Potter turned out to be a 10 minute wait with the single rider line. Flight of the Hippogriff was fun as always, and the lack of lines certainly helped! Notice the sign of quality in the bottom righthand corner of the chassis. Buckbeak was taking a snooze... At least his nose didn't collapse on stage during a packed show. We'd never noticed it before, but from the coaster, you can see Hagrid's Hut in its entirety. I want to buy myself a magical wicker basket. The ones in my room don't contain any magical hoodies, nor are they a portal to Magicland. Hogwarts looks great as always! It is hard to believe that I used to have to wait 60 minutes just to ride Dueling Dragons once. Who would've ever guessed that anything that Universal could do would possibly take the spotlight off of these two starring coasters... Over at Universal, construction on several of the Halloween Horror Nights scare zones has quickly ramped up. This guy is living proof of what happens after you watch Shrek 4-D forty times. The Esqueleto Muerte scare zone looks to be entirely new, which is great to see! I couldn't resist. The next few of these don't exactly need captions... Coke Zero doesn't count Jake. The key to immortality lies in the bottom of a cool, refreshing bottle of Coca-Cola Classic. Don't we have a smiley that looks like this? Authenticity overload... Finally, Carl will be chased away by a hungry skull. Wish number one for the park complete. Skull-spiders. Wish #2 complete. He's waving hello to you via the interweb. He hid behind the curtain for fear of being photographed by me. Despite loving wampas, I will say that these skull-spiders are awesome! "Grr! I'm a painted skull. Now give me some candy!" I'm gunna take a wild guess and say that someone will pop out from here, and will be able to bang on the drum all day. I was happily surprised to see the differing designs in many of the sections of the zone. More of these lacy things... Even though the stretch of space isn't that large, the layout has made the zone feel bigger than it truly is. Another scare spot in the works... At least he went out having a good time... I have a feeling that these skull-spiders aren't the famed "El Chupacabra." Over in the New York alley (where the Shadows of the Past scarezone from last year debuted), the Steam n' Saw zone is well on its way to completion. Wiring and other steampunk effects now cover much of the path. If I'm not the only one who thinks of the original Home Alone when seeing this, I'd be a little relieved. More work to be done yet. Another part of this strange machine in New York... At first glance, you might not notice the additions, but they are definitely there. It was nice to see this familiar steampunk touch used in a scarezone, considering how well done it was in the Frankenstein house last year. More hiding places for scareactors. I'm almost positive I took a photo in this last year in the Frankenstein house tour. One more look at the alley...

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/hello-kitty-to-have-her-own-tokyo-theme-park-2069649.html

^^Joey Fatone was there because he is involved in the production of Robot Chicken (and the Robot Chicken Star Wars Specials). Its time for the Hyperspace Hoopla! Han and Chewie did Grease. Then Luke and Leia did Flashdance... It was playfully creepy. Snig and Oopla stopped the 'cest from happening, thankfully. Then the ladies of Star Wars did "Material Girl" by Madonna. Amidala always dances alot during the Hoopla. Then, it came time for Vader and the troops to do the famous Michael Jackson routine (this time, with all little Captain EP thrown in the mix). Here he comes... Notice the sequined glove Vader is wearing. "It was all too easy..." Following the dance off, Vader's group was given the win. Despite the lose, Chewie had a few words to share: "Don't stop." The Gammorean guard dances to Pitbull's "I know you want me." Then Amidala and Vader did "Break your heart" by Taio Cruz. It was actually a very entertaining routine! Then the ladies did "California Girls" by Katy Perry. You're welcome Tyler. And then it came time for Snig and Oopla to wrap thing up. Jango Fett (despite being dead) decides to crash the party, only to end up being the most talented dancer of the entire show. To commemorate the upcoming closure of Star Tours, the park held a shutdown ceremony that included appearances by C3PO, R2-D2, Boba Fett and Darth Vader, as well as the launching of a modest collection of pyro, That's it from the Last Tour. More photos from the fourth and last day of Celebration V to follow soon!

Now its time for what was truly my favorite day of the convention... Let Day 3 begin! See this giant screen? This is the "Main Event." My cousin and I sat in the front row of the digital theater for the Main Event after waiting for nearly two hours in line (outside of the convention center starting at 5:30 am). Once in our seats, we waited in the theater for an additional 3.5 hours until the show began. The Main Event was essentially a live interview of George Lucas done by Jon Stewart, with a few surprises thrown into the mix. During our long wait, we were shown a documentary with this old guy... Unfortunately, this guy was back... Singing "Day-oh. Me say Day-go-baah! Jedi come and him train in my home..." It was lame the first time. It was lame even four times afterwards. The tried getting people to dance. Everybody knows Star Wars fans can't dance. One of his talents: matrix-shifting. I swear, his name was Neo. Then he saw the product of his trying to get the fans to dance. Jon Stewart is here! In case you don't know who this is... In America, it is customary to kiss the neck of the man that made Star Wars. You just can't make this stuff up. George was taken aback by Jon's tender welcome. Next thing you know, R2 comes rolling in carrying something that isn't a crappy Verizon iPhone wannabe. What is it Jon? What is it? Its a "Stu Jon" action figure in the image of Jon Stewart. It actually included two heads for the figure, one with the goatee and one without. Of course, it was made by the original and best, Kenner. "Now two people on the stage have action figures with strange names, set in their image." You wouldn't believe who this guy is... That used to be Mark Hamill. "I've been avoiding American fans for years, and my career has been doing just fine, especially in front of the camera..." "Oh, and that Batman game sequel will be the last time I do the voice of that Jacker character, or whatever his name is." "Aren't you impressed that I showed up?" "Why are you booing me?" "Whassup!!!" No comment needed. Onstage fights are always fun... After the Main Event, we hung around to catch the famed One Man Star Wars Trilogy. This man has a talent that everyone/no one else wants to have. To infinity and beyond! The General Grevious and Starkiller costumes were definitely some of the best ones I saw all week. This fan lives in a van down by the river on Alderaan. Over at Disney's Hollywood Studios, it came time for my most anticipated event (I bought my tickets the minute registration opened), the Last Tour to Endor. The event was open to anyone, even if you weren't a Celebration V attendee, which was nice. Jason Surrell and the Imagineers actually got approval from Lucas and Spielberg to create a special mashup show, essentially bringing Star Wars and Indiana Jones together in a way that surprisingly incredible and hilarious. That main theme around the event was the impending closure of Star Tours at Disney's Hollywood Studios' Star Tours. So, we went in and took what is likely the last tour I will ever take to Endor. Oh, and its a trap!!! After Anthony Daniels' stories from the earlier panel, this figure meant a great deal more to me. Rarely noticed details in the Star Tours queue. Permanent shutdown coming soon boys! Here they were filming the video for Starwars.com Raiders of the Lost Jedi Temple of Doom: An Fan Film of Epic Proportions starts off with a few in jokes between a Star Wars fan and an Indy fan. "Two words: Lead Fridge." "Three words: Jar Jar Binks." Each of the three shows had a great set of guest participants... Ours had Jeremy Bulloch (the original Boba Fett), Warwick Davis (Wicket the Ewok), Dee Bradley Baker (voice of a bunch of different characters in The Clone Wars), the voice of Anakin Skywalker from the Clone Wars (don't remember his name), and cutie, Ashley Eckstein (voice of Asokha on Clone Wars). Boba Fett gets in a fight with Indy, but not before the booby trap spikes get Jar Jar Binks' head on a pike. The special guests were "featured extras" in the show. The living characters, C3PO and R2D2 came out for the show as well. Although not themed to Star Wars, the nonexistant lines at Rock n' Rollercoaster were awesome. Plus cast members asking "Backstage passes, how often does that happen" only to get a reply "every 60 seconds!" was awesome. Oh, and at dispatch, they said "May the G-Force be with you!" See? It fits! "I think that's a good idea!" Death Star Disco featured the Disney/Star Wars characters dancing in the Playhouse Disney area. It was a nice little aspect of the larger event. The Bespin Dance Party was even more entertaining than the Death Star Disco! Then it was time for the super-sized Hyperspace Hoopla! (More photos to come in the next update!)

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2010/09/first-look-at-electronica/

SeaWorld Orlando has sent us a press release about their latest efforts to help release manatees back into the wild. Video will be online shortly from the release... MANATEE READY FOR RELEASE Merritt Island, Fla. (August 26, 2010) An 8½-foot-long, 680-pound rehabilitated female manatee rests prior to her release by SeaWorld’s Rescue & Rehabilitation Team. The sea cow was observed floating high in the water in May but under SeaWorld’s care has fully recovered from injuries caused by watercraft. This is the second of two manatees that were returned to Florida waters this week. This year SeaWorld has rescued 24 manatees and returned 13. SEAWORLD PREPARES MANATEE FOR RELEASE ON AUGUST 26, 2010 Merritt Island, Fla. (August 26, 2010) The SeaWorld Rescue & Rehabilitation Team monitor a 8½-foot-long, 680-pound female manatee while a Florida Fish & Wildlife employee checks the animal’s passive integrated transponder, or “pit” tag, which allows researchers to identify the animal, prior to bidding her a bon voyage at KARS Park near Kennedy Space Center. This manatee is the second to be released by SeaWorld this week and the 13th in 2010. SeaWorld’s team also released a manatee in the same area on Tuesday, August 24. FINAL HEALTH ASSESSMENT PRIOR TO MANATEE RELEASE Merritt Island, Fla. (August 26, 2010) SeaWorld’s Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation Team complete the last evaluation of a sea cow’s health prior to releasing the 8½-foot-long, 680-pound female back to her natural habitat. She was rescued on May 17, 2010 after being observed floating high in the water. Suspecting an injury caused by a watercraft the animal was rescued and then rehabilitated at SeaWorld. This year SeaWorld has rescued 24 manatees and returned 13. SEAWORLD RELEASES SECOND MANATEE THIS WEEK, 13TH FOR THE YEAR Merritt Island, Fla. (August 26, 2010) SeaWorld's Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation Team carefully place an 8½-foot-long, 680-pound manatee into the water at KARS Park near Kennedy Space Center. SeaWorld is a global leader in the rescue and rehabilitation of marine animals. The parks’ Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation Teams are on call 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. To date, SeaWorld has rescued more than 18,000 sick, injured or orphaned animals.

Although I'm a little late on posting this, Six Flags Great America has sent us information on their new attraction announcement, taking place tomorrow on Facebook first, followed by an announcement for the general public.

Hersheypark has sent us a press release about this year's holiday activities.

1. Yes. 2. Much of the focus of the event was on the original trilogy, specifically Empire Strikes Back, as it was the 35th anniversary of the film's original release. Even George Lucas admitted that the generation that grew up with the original trilogy loves the originals and hates the prequels; the kids that grew up with the prequels don't like the original trilogy and the kids that have grown up watching The Clone Wars on TV aren't interested in any of the films. I actually had an incredible time at Last Tour--it ranks up there as my second favorite Disney-run event I've had the chance to have gone to (bested only by the 25th anniversary of Epcot, although I'm a bit biased on that one). So anyways... You all thought that this report was over? I still have three days worth of photos to share! Here's Day 2 (my shortest day of the convention)... Why can't I have nice things? There's something that caught my attention in this photo and it isn't Star Wars related. It starteds with a "Fl" and ends with an "ynn's Arcade." People were ogling over this sub all week. "This is not the park you're looking for..." OMG! And Ewok Jedi padawan! Greatest combo ever! "You sir. You need to stop staring at my lite-brite." Mosh pit on Jedi. Since the person who got me into the event needed some photos of the merchandise panel, I went. These guys make Disney/Star Wars merch. Fun stuff! I'm not ashamed to say I bought one of these while there. If they overlaid our animatronic Stitch at Magic Kingdom, Stitch's Great Escape would be so pro! Huey, Lewis and Dewey are Jawas in an upcoming figure set. Star Wars has made its way to Vinylmation... They even took a few minutes to share a few Indy/Disney items coming out soon. Notice that the crystal skull belongs to Stitch. Now here's where it got really interesting. See the five extra Starspeeder 1000 designs? Those are competing companies' ships... And they WILL show up in the new ride. Plot detail? I'd like to think so. Everyone that stayed for the end of the panel was given a free Disney/Star Wars poster. I got the one in the top middle. And hidden in some of those free posters were vouchers for a limited edition Boba Fett diecast Disney racer. Surprisingly enough, I got one! One last surprise came in the form of a live appearance by the living character, R2-MK, Jedi Mickey's astromech droid. I think he's looking at me... Probably means I should leave. "Come to Crazy Watto's Junk Shop!" A little out of place, methinks. I didn't know NASA existed a long time ago, in a galaxy far far away. Have I mentioned that I love Wampas? A look at some of the Disney Celebration V exclusives... More progress completed on the chalk drawing... Walking into the Star Wars Laser Tag area, I could have sworn I was watching Predators. hehe "Oah my ghowsh! Its'h full shize!" Now this is what I really came here for (today)! They actually borrowed the host from the American Idol Experience to be the warm up host for all of the events that took place in the Chapin Theater (the main theater). You might have actually seen him in a Bryan and Adam Show update a while ago... While we're on that topic, when will we see an update for that show? Darth Maul gets interviewed in the pre-show, and then gives a little kid in the front row a Darth Maul action figure. It was an "aww" kind of Star Wars moment. Jay Laga'aia (played Captain Typho in Attack of the Clones) served as the main host and moderator for all events on the Chapin Theater stage. To start, they showed us a preview of Robot Chicken Empire (Star Wars) III. "Get your asthmatic a$$ back here or else I'll tell everybody what a whiney ***** you were about Padamame or Panda Bear! Or whatever her name is! *whispers* Oh, he's crying!" Since filming had begun only a few weeks before the event, they didn't have much footage to share, so they gave us an animatic of a scene from the new episode, complete with the recorded narration that will go with the eventually completed animation. Anakin looks so happy for a destroyed human being... The heavens shined down upon the panel, as the guys behind Robot Chicken walked in. Notice that they are wearing the vintage Yoda hats! Just listening to the group was a show in itself! Seth Green = Comedic genius. Who have we here? Hi Elissa! This is producer of the new Star Wars animated comedy that Seth Green and George Lucas are working on together. I don't collect them, but here's a look at a few of the Vinyls to come from the new Star Wars collection. That's all for Day 2!

I was actually able to run over to the Magic Kingdom after class to try out Space Mountain with the new audio. Having just ridden Disneyland's version of the popular ride (multiple times) during my California trip, I was convinced that the West Coast version of the ride has just slightly bested our ride thanks to its audio and quality projections. After riding Florida's Space Mountain today, I can honestly say that we are once again on top, without much contest. The new audio is just that--its brand new. Best described as a "rave in space," the new audio is triggered by each train's passing, making for a more personal audio experience, although the groovy backtrack (with an ominous sounding "Space. Space. Space Moutain" DJ'd into the track) runs overhead so that the entire dome is engulfed in sound. It used to be that in space, everyone could hear you scream. Now, all you hear is a fantastic, catchy audio track that you can't help but bounce to as you fly out of your seat.

(Continued) [coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=IMGP2747_xhpp[/coastertube] No Fetts down here... I bought the poster for my apartment... This was far too amazing not to buy! If I had a significant other, I'd buy this. Do you love scoundrels? More clever shirts for sale... It smelled like a jerk with a failed singing career... Not even gunna try to describe this one... As much as I hate the guy, this was funny. Which are you? In my Star Wars Stories memoir (yes, I went on camera to tell my Star Wars story), I was asked who my favorite character was. The Wampa is my first, followed by Luke Skywalker. His arm comes off! How cute is that? See? All better! I actually ate here two of the four days of the event, and it was delicious! Sounds worse than it really is... You may be surprised to know that the busiest section of the entire show floor was the section for tattoos. I wampa. You wampa. He, she, me, it Wampas. Wampalogy. The study of Wampa. Haven't you heard of this before? This guy was doing Clone Wars chalk art during the convention. This was the piece on Day 1. The Lucasarts booth was incredibly busy thanks to a playable demo of The Force Unleashed II being available. Oh, and the Playstation Home Mos Eisley Cantina environment? Already downloaded it! The Lego booth was raising money for St. Jude's Children's Hospital by creating an Empire Strikes Back mural out of legos. Here are the official "deets..." Photo ops a plenty here on the show floor! Some of the fan costumes were extremely impressive! Glad to see Florida represented, but I haven't gone that far yet. Do you see what I see? Its a credit! "I have no idea why I'm happy in this doorway..." Just hangin' with my main man Wampa. GFLUG (don't ask me to tell you what that is) built several detail lego sets of memorable Star Wars scenes, including the Mustafar Duel from Revenge of the Sith. A photo op to simulate an opening scene from Empire Strikes Back with your own camera. They had a Star Wars Committment Chapel, complete with Star Wars/Force-inspired vows! The Living Character C-3PO & R2D2 animatronics from the parks made their way across the convention center as well. At the first Disney/Star Wars panel, Imagineer Jason Surrell talked about the genesis of Star Tours, the Disney/Lucas relationship and even a little about Indiana Jones and Disney. That was a while ago. We were shown some great concept art from the original ride... Looks pretty close to what we got, right? It is amazing how close the concept is to the eventual execution! This didn't quite make the cut, at least not yet. Notice Darth Vader in the top right hand screen? Again, extremely close to what came to be. The huge Death Star Trench Run set used to film the iconic sequence featured in Star Tours. And since Jason Surrell wasn't there when Star Tours opened, he brought in a guest to talk about the ride from back then. That guest happened to be Anthony Daniels, the voice and body of C3PO! Between Star Tours and Captain EO, Tomorrowland used to be filled with rainbow clothes! Anthony Daniels was incredibly engaging, absolutely hilarious and unsurprisingly humble. He seemed genuinely happy to be there with us, and it was a truly incredible experience to have him at the panel. He recited some of his lines from the queue, including ones that he recording in French for the Disneyland Paris version of the ride. Anthony Daniels is definitely not a boring speaker, to say the least. Then they showed us a preview for the new version of the ride... We may go to Coruscant... It has been confirmed that a podracing sequence on Tatooine will be including in the ride. And then the panel wrapped up, marking the beginning of the end of my first day at Star Wars Celebration V. It wouldn't be a Star Wars report if there weren't slave Leias.... So I got you three! And an extra four just because I like you so much! (Not you! I meant her over there!)

A few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to go to Star Wars Celebration V, the "ultimate fan event" for Star Wars fans like myself. With several juicy new details on Disney/Star Wars and Indiana Jones crossovers, plus Star Tours news, there was plenty of theme park related aspects to the event. Unlike most of my reports that have a lengthy writeup, I'm going to let my photos tell the story this time around (since there are so many). At the end of the report, be sure to tell me if you like my reports like this or with the more detailed writeup as well. [coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=IMGP2885_7po7[/coastertube] My first photo at Star Wars Celebration V had to be with a homemade R2-D2... It was pretty cool. The Orange County Convention Center updated its restroom signs to show characters from the Clone Wars series. They were broadcasting throughout the event. Too bad I don't pay for radio... Yo ho! Yo ho! The FM life for me... This has to be the coolest toy EVER. You put on a little headpiece with sensors that read your mind's beta waves. Using those waves, you control the ascent and descent of the ball in the tube by powering the fan beneath it (wirelessly). If you haven't figured out by now, I like to take bizarre photos and share them. I got to sit in a full size Hoth speeder recreation! Stormtroopers on the roam... It's just like my Bar Mitzvah! A clever ad for the Last Tour to Endor event, over by the Disney booth. I bought my tickets the day they went online... I know, I'm cool. Something about this diorama just made me smile. This trip report is actually theme park-relative, as you'll see as we progress. I waited in line at the Disney booth for nearly 25 minutes just to get the Starspeeder 1000 preview vehicle, a Last Tour to Endor shirt, a few pins, a Shadow Trooper Donald figure and some pins. Just a few things. Star V Celebration Wars Yoda was surprised when this man did some magic. His hand disappeared! A member of the Belgian 501st legion made this mask (and the costume that went with it) by hand. Role models. "Why are you wearing a Lite Brite?" This was the front of a very long line to get onto the show floor. Thanks to media badge, I walked straight in the minute it opened. Look at the spuds! The Star Wars Fan Film Theater played some of my favorite fan films including Pink 5 and my all-time favorite, Wampa. SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment was present at the Star Wars Family Room with some friendly creatures. See, theme park related! I want an anteater. Really. Buy me one for Hannukah. Now. A cool exhibit with a few things I hadn't seen before. I found this humorous, though I can't exactly say why. A year and a half too young. To work off my frustration at not being able to see Hoth, I went and played a demo of the original Star Wars: The Force Unleashed in the LucasArts Game Room. I was able to get a peek into the Ice Bar during its initial setup... But I don't see a Wampa here. There he is! Take a wild guess and tell me how many of the picture imperials are real people. The 501st Legion had a huge exhibit displaying some of their best costumes and other creations. Remembering a fallen soldier. For the first time ever, Lucas ok'd the creation of multiple art pieces from a single canvas--the stormtrooper helmet. Dubbed the TK Project, the auctioning of these helmets benefited the Make-A-Wish Foundation, raising over $50,000 in one day. Seriously, I was sold at this one. And it was only the first one in the line. How's it going Hollywood? Simple but complex. One of my favorites of the pack. Supposedly, you could actually play this... If I had the money, I would have bought this in a heartbeat. Theme park related... I'm still proving the point here. Though I never thought it possible, zombies actually made it into the Star Wars universe this year in the book Death Troopers. I think that this was the most unique of the group. Better than any "Coasters" diner at any Cedar Fair park. Need I say anything? Vader's Fist is growing stronger every year... That's no moon... That's an inflatable. Ads for the Last Tour to Endor were all over the convention center. Star Wars has its kinks. I just HAD to include this, for the kicks. Apparently, a lot of people are fans of the Fett. Clever...

This topic has been merged with the new official discussion thread for the park. Feel free to continue posting in here from now on.

Even worse, John Fitzgerald is the guy who was involved in sinking Hard Rock Park and Freestyle Music Park (and his own company bio prides his involvement in the latter project). By the end of the decade, I'm going to be able to write a book on the [negative] impact that park has made on the industry...

http://www.thesunnews.com/2010/08/24/1653381/freestyle-board-resigned-following.html

Wild Adventures has sent us their latest press release, this time regarding their next charitable event, "Red, White and You!"

You have no idea how wrong you are... Jurassic Jungle Boat Ride is one of the coolest home-built rides out there, and the quality for such is pretty incredible. Plus, no photos or video can do justice for the scariest, funniest, most bizarre dark ride I've ever been on. The ending alone was worth every cent.

http://www.howloscream.com/tampa#/home/ Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has updated its website to include information on all of this year's houses, scarezones, shows and more. Houses My X: Revenge Rocks- My X is the hottest underground band in town, and its devoted fans are dying to meet Sylvie and her killer group. After sneaking backstage and discovering the disturbing truth behind the cruel lyrics, the quest to "get in with the band" quickly changes to a life-or-death race to get out. Taste of Blood: A Different Vein- Once revered as royalty, hordes of undead vampires have now been forced underground into the subways and sewers to avoid the sunlight. By day, they feed on rats to survive. But as night falls, these fanged fiends take to the streets to seduce fresh blood. Nightshade Toy Factory: Son of Nightshade- By day, the old Nightshade Toy Factory appears abandoned. But as night falls, the mysterious manufacturing plant is aglow and hums with blood-curdling shrieks. You'll run for your life when this already-bizarre factory tour turns into the Son of Nightshade and his possessed playthings seeking revenge on his twisted, toymaking father. Trapped in the Walls: Ghostchaser- The gruesome fate of an innocent family made headlines when their bodies were discovered years ago. Today, you'll join a paranormal research team as they attempt to reveal the house's horrible history by investigating the dark demons trapped by the lingering evil that has seeped into the walls. Deconstruction: The Doctor is Out of Control- Dr. Edger VonAngst has the skill and technology to make you over...but what will you become? This mad reconstructive surgeon has fallen one notch deeper into insanity with mechanical pieces, combining flesh, bone and steel in the most hideous ways. Death Row Vengeance: No Escape- The inmates at Grey Echo Penitentiary are slated for execution, and they blame you. With their last breath, they curse those who do nothing to save them from the electric chair or lethal injection and vow tohaunt those who watched them suffer. Will you make it out alive when they come back to make good on their dying promise? Delta Epsilon Delta: Extreme Rush (D.E.D.er)- Sisterhood is forever, and the torture and pain of sorority life amp up to a new extreme during Rush Week 2010. ∆E∆ alumni return to celebrate a new chapter in the house's dark history, marked by the mysterious chapter's new My X anthem, "It' never been better than to be D.E.D.er!" Alone- The derange Master Alexander Daedalus opened Minotaur Storage to house his vast collection of "cultural" remains. But now his sinister obsession with hoarding has expanded to stockpiling people. Escape this lunatic's labyrinth or you will become part of his collection. Can you make it out ALONE? Note: The Alone House is an upcharge attraction with an admission fee seperate from the standard Howl-O-Scream admission ticket. Entry to Alone is $24.95 when purchased in advance and is $34.95 when purchased at the park. Scare Zones Road Trip- Free-wheeling college students set out on a road trip to see their favorite band, MyX. But when their van breaks down on a deserted road, the stranded students soon discover that the forest surrounding them is filled with half-man half-beast creatures with a taste for human blood. Crazed Love- The bleeding hearts of jilted lovers unite through their stories of heartbreak. From the bride left at the altar to the woman who has been cheated on one too many times, these depressed devotees will go to any length to un-break their hearts and claim revenge. Happy Together doesn't happen here. Xtreme Fanatics- My X's most devoted and deranged followers call themselves X-treme FANatics. They unite to share their obsessive dedication in hopes of finding new converts and erect a shrine to their beloved Sylvie and her killer band. They will stop at nothing to prove they are the ultimate fans! Spiders and Snakes- A meteor crashed to earth, creating a glowing beacon that lures all things creepy and crawly. Snakes slither and spiders sneak in swarms larger than your nightmares can imagine. Shivers will crawl up and down your spine when you traverse this path infested with some of the most feared creatures on earth. Light of Doom- Try to collect your senses as specters of light and shadow blur the line between this world and the next. Here, you will be challenged to wander through a maze of illumination and fog. Eerie apparitions confound and confuse as they try to trick unsuspecting guests "into the light." Shows My X Live- Killer band My X will rock all 18 nights of Howl-O-Scream with performances at 10:30 p.m. and midnight every night on the Pathway Stage in Gwazi Plaza. Blood Relations- Ready for a bloody good time? In the great hall of Blood Manor, the will of the recently deceased Lady Betty Blood is read for her surviving relatives. This sinister musical is packed with sadistic humor and a family of relatives with more than just skeletons in their closets. Fiends- Is there a doctor in the house? These captivating creatures of the night will infect you with dance fever and keep your pulse pounding with their deranged dance party. But when Dr. Freakensteins naught nurses start operating, the diagnosis is always "code pink." Club Club X- Grab your entourage and head to the transformed Marrakesh Theater to party like a rock star at Howl-O-Scream's exclusive 21+ dance club. This adults-only nighttime playground keeps the energy pumping all night long with non-stop music, premium signature cocktails, drink specials, and exclusive appearances by Howl-O-Scream's most terrifying celebrities. Shop Howl-O-Scream Shop of Horrors- Remember your evening of evil with the perfect Howl-O-Scream souvenir, including Sylvie's signature jewelry, exclusive My X concert tees and other Halloween-themed gifts. Then, smile through the pain and snap the perfect party pic with the ∆E∆ girls at an exclusive photo op thats not for the faint of heart.

^I won't speak for anyone else on TPR (in terms of the TPR crew), but typically in the past, if the group has gone for Horror Nights, it has been a private thing that goes "unscheduled." Without sounding disrespectful, if they end up going (during any year), you probably won't know about it until you see the trip report, unless you are lucky enough to run into them in the parks. Going to Halloween Horror Nights is well worth the money (especially if you have the money to pay for the express pass). The quality of the event is extremely high, and there is so much to do in addition to the park's normal attractions, it really is a must-see experience. That being said, I find myself uncomfortable going to parks alone (in general), and I find the events to be more fun when you can see others get scared (and have others see you freak out), but that is just me. I know plenty of people that hit Horror Nights alone, so don't let my thoughts deter you. If you are here during the event, take the time and give it a try--I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised.

^I completely agree. Hard Rock failed to bring family into the equation in their rides, atmosphere and edgy in jokes (I mean, grEAT MEals diner). They thought that the "Hard Rock Bears" that they threw together at the last minute, coupled with the Banana Splits (which at least for me were completely alien) would be enough to suffice. They even dropped in a cheap kids area at the last minute to try and add some balance, but it was flawed from the start.

^^^The only reason I see them looking at the park is to rip it apart like Geauga Lake for the betterment of the rest of the chain.

http://www.wmbfnews.com/Global/story.asp?S=12976609 Take a look at the official foreclosure documents...

^If you visit the link above the video, you can try to access it directly. That is all that has been posted with this video so far by Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.

http://www.buschgardens.com/bgt/buschgardens2011.aspx [coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=10081609252124_1_ttx9[/coastertube]