jedimaster1227

The Universal Orlando Resort has sent us a press release formally announcing the debut of The Bourne Stuntacular at Universal Studios 2020 in Spring 2020.

It is interesting to see the spread of these parks under one company banner. Definitely a smaller set of parks, but based on the article, the company plans to acquire more parks, so this could become another Parques Reunidos with time.

I agree that some variant of the Free Fly (perhaps the Free Fly X concept they teased a few years ago at IAAPA) is likely what this is.

Nope! No trims here! Just an insane, throw you out of your seat drop that happens incredibly fast!

Thank you for sharing another great report (among so many that you've shared). It is always a better week when you post something new! I LOVE this!

Ghost Town In the Sky is under contract again... There is still a period of due diligence that allows for the deal to be severed, but if it completes, the Maggie Valley park may get a new lease on life. https://www.smokymountainnews.com/news/item/27721-ghost-town-under-contract-again

^While I didn't experience it firsthand, I do know that the parking is offsite with guests being shuttled in. Since we didn't end up doing that for our visit (they had us parking elsewhere), I don't really have experience to speak to how it all worked unfortunately.

On Thursday night TPR was invited to attend the grand opening of the first ever Dark Horizon event, the East Coast companion to the long-established Dark Harbor at the Queen Mary in Southern California. The organizers behind that West Coast event had tested the market previously with last year's "Terror at the Inn" at the Holiday Inn Resort Orlando Suites - Waterpark not far from the Walt Disney World Resort. This year Dark Horizon is a full event featuring three unique haunted houses, two entertainment stages with various performers, five bars (including a hidden bar inside of one of the houses) and a 4-D theater experience--all bolstered by a horde of scare actors roaming the grounds. The first of three houses (and arguably the most unique) is Ghostship. Captain Killigrew (when said out loud sounds like Kill-e-crew) and her scruvy-ridden crew will scare you from all angles as you huddle through the wooden corridors of the ghost ship's haunted underbelly. The ghastly fiends take pleasure in delivering a good scare and keeping new souls hostage in the brig. And you never know where a secret token may lead when inside... And the finale of this house is unlike any I've experienced at a haunt event before. Next up is Murder Island, a house in the Glades section of Dark Horizon. This Everglades-area swampland is host to the Southern fiend, Bloody Ed Watson whose sugar plantation exploits are ripped from history and presented live before your eyes. The longest and most drawn out of the three houses, Murder Island sends you through the fog of the swamp to the sugar plantations of yore, for a grizzly, gory romp through Southern history in its darkest state. The last of this year's haunted houses is arguably the most inventive, Vodou (not a typo). The Village is home to Mambo Cecile, the Vodouan guide to the spirit underworld of Vilokan. What starts as a traditional journey into the realm of voodoo (as you've seen other local haunts offer over the years), this experience descends into a maddening, ethereal world where creatures lurk in the shadows and creep from dark corners. The cavernous terrain of this unique house makes for convenient scare opportunities and one room in particular uses lasers to pull you away from expectations, leaving you susceptible to some fantastic scares. Entertainment is just as much a part of Dark Horizon, as Monster DJ spins techno tracks that give the event a bumping energy. The Siren Stage is host to aerial silk performers while the Sacred Circle Stage summons fire dancers to bring the heat. And Panic: A 4-D Experience leverages the Holiday Inn's existing 4-D motion theater for a trippy, startling fever dream roam through a unique haunted experience. Sliders push the limit of scares across the grounds as themed performers walk in and out of the many bars at the event. Each of these bars has unique signature beverages and themes that match their neighboring haunted house or attraction. Of the four drinks we sampled that night, all were well mixed and quite boozy... And drink buckets could be purchased for those that wanted more "bang for their buck." Dark Horizon is completely different from Halloween Horror Nights or Howl-O-Scream. The feel may be a bit more low-tech but the themes are inventive, each of the houses tackles scares in a unique way and this event has managed to provide experiences that I've never had in haunted houses before... Though I don't want to spoil them, because that's half of the fun of going through these for yourself. Admission starts at $20 per person for the Happy Haunting Hour access (you must enter before 8:00 PM to get this deal) and increases beyond that, with pricing also varying by the day of the week. But for between $20 - $40 per person, this event provides an evening filled with great scares, a fun set of bars, neat entertainment and plenty to do during your time onsite. If you're looking for something different than the existing horror offerings in Orlando, or if you're simply looking for a fun night out Dark Horizon is well worth your time. I can't wait to see how this event evolves in the coming years! Come out to experience it for yourself on select dates between now and November 2nd, 2019! Visit https://www.darkhorizonorlando.com for more details! Our evening started near the entrance of Dark Horizon... The gates were not yet open but the fun was about to begin. We were each given a token that could be used to enter the hidden Looter's Lair bar... If we could find it. We started our night sampling two of the event's signature drinks, one a basil gimlet and the other a blackberry margarita. Both were boozy but quite smooth! Mambo Cecile and her Vodou gang come out to the VIP party to unleash their terror on our crowd. One of the two of us have nice teeth. Captain Killigrew brought several of her misfit crew mates in to interact with event guests. Need drinks on the go? Dark Horizon has got you covered. Mambo Cecile, Captain Killigrew and Bloody Ed Watson met us at the gates of Dark Horizon... The gates are open! And behind them, you find hundreds of fiends! Look at me, making friends already! First up, Ghost Ship! I won't tell you the how, but we found Looter's Lair inside of Ghostship and the experience of being in a bar inside of a haunted house was pretty neat. The space was intimate but the scareactors continued to peek in from the corners of the bar, and when we were done, we rejoined the rest of the house for more scary fun. All three of the Dark Horizon houses feature changes in elevation throughout. Going up to the top of the ship... Captain Killigrew is at the helm! I've been told I need to walk the plank... As it turns out, the plank is actually an inflatable slide leading to the exit of the house. Never before have I gone down an inflatable slide as a part of a haunt experience... But I can't say I didn't enjoy it! Each themed section of the event has its own food booth, in case you're in the mood for a bite. Scare actors everywhere... Murder Island was up next... Set in the swamplands of the Florida Everglades, Bloody Ed Watson has set up a terror trail like none other. I really appreciate that the creators of this event took the time to come up with a house concept tied to the state in which the event was hosted, rather than simply copying concepts from their West Coast event. I also appreciate how much of these houses are actually outside. Another different experience compared to other Central Florida haunts. Mobile entertainment and scare actors can be found in every corner of the event... They even roam in and out of the haunted houses that they belong to. I wanna be... Your sledgehammer. While admittedly a terrible photo, this was the best I could do to capture the weird creature that lunged at me from inside of Murder Island. Last but not least, was Vodou... Time to head in! Gonna get outta here before I take a lickin'. Otherworldly creatures from the Vodouan spirit underworld of Vilokan creep in the corners of this unique house. Blink and you miss it bungee lungers fly at you at key moments throughout the house. Arguably my favorite room of any of the three houses... You can't anticipate where a scare will pop up... Case in point. Theming is rich and layered inside of this house. The full Dark Horizon event map for those who are interested. After going through each of the houses once, we took some time to experience the shows of Dark Horizon. The first two were aerial silk acts on the Siren Stage. Always impressive. Time for one more! I loved roaming the event grounds to find more characters abound. At the Sacred Circle Stage we found a fire dancing performance... This one brought the heat. Mesmerizing to see in person. Quite fun to watch! The variety of these entertainment offerings is a nice plus on top of the three solid houses. There were five different excuses to drink at this event... And each of them were uniquely themed with their own signature drinks. Back for another visit to Murder Island. One of my better photos of the night... Another bar for those interested in the drinking side of the event. I made a new friend! Inside of the hotel you'll find Panic House, a 4-D film experience that is quite fun... Also interesting, they're playing Corkscrew Hill 4D from Busch Gardens Williamsburg (complete with the original attraction sign in the poster). We had a really fun night at Dark Horizon! If you're looking for a fun set of houses, some unique entertainment and some great drink options this event is well worth your time! You have until November 2nd, 2019 to come check it out for yourself!

^Thank you so much Alice! Glad you enjoyed it! Look closely! Alice is laying asleep in the grass.

Universal Studios has announced details about the upcoming Universal Beijing Resort including news about the seven themed lands it will host, along with resort hotels and a CityWalk.

^Construction is moving pretty quickly and the coaster is slated to open in "Spring 2020" so I would say that it is possible it would be ready by then, barring any delays and pending positive testing... That being said, the park is worth visiting even if the coaster isn't ready!

(Continued) I'll be honest. Circus Circus was not even remotely on my radar going into this trip... John convinced me to give it an hour and a half (we had limited time to visit) and I'm super happy he did. El Loco was worth the visit alone! I discounted the concept that this El Loco was not the catalog model that had been built at parks around the world, rather a custom design that fit into a portion of the old Rim Runner footprint. The station for El Loco is actually the old Rim Runner station. This moment of hangtime is fantastic! I was seriously blown away by how ridiculous this coaster was. John and I enjoying some hangtime during our second ride. I've always been interested in the indoor park concepts like Adventuredome and the Mall of America, but this was the first large-scale operation I'd experienced. Canyon Blaster was surprisingly fun! I love how the coaster wraps around the park's many attractions. Time to ride! You can get pretty close to the coaster throughout the park, which makes for some cool photo ops. These trains are certainly something... I like that both coasters get so close to each other. I guess you could say I'm an Arrow fan, man. You can definitely see how the designers wove the the coaster into the mountain structure at the center of the park, weaving in Rim Runner as well. It is interesting that the lift and initial turn from Rim Runner is still intact. HANGTIME! My favorite vantage point in the park. Another section of where Rim Runner used to be... This is like a Rollercoaster Tycoon fanboy's dream. Impossible tunnels everywhere! Next up... Welcome to The Strat. Strat stats. Next time I'm back here I'll be experiencing Skyjump. And down he goes... Here we are. Notice that the supports that held up the High Roller were simply left on the building. Time to be dangled out on the side of the tower... I'm not scared. Nope, not terrified... Not not terrified. My first time riding a first generation S&S Space Shot and it was quite fun. Having ridden something like this at Rye Playland on the TPR East Coast Trip 2008, I was interested to know what one dangling over the edge of the Strat would be like... It was something. Another something. My eyes saw this and I knew I had to stop. I can't resist. I LOVE the Coca-Cola Polar Bear. Similar to the Coca-Cola Rooftop Bar at Disney Springs! Smart Watermelon on tap to go! Best photo is best! Time to fly away home!

Just a few weeks after our trip to Atlanta we made our way to Las Vegas to celebrate a family member's birthday. This was our first time in Vegas, so I made sure that we visited as many casinos (not purely to gamble, but to take it all in) and to experience as much as we could in the four days we were there. Thanks to a meetup with a TPR friend, I had a partner to ride the attractions at The Strat and Circus Circus since my wife had no interest. I did also get a chance to ride Manhattan Express/The Big Apple Coaster at New York New York, which while terrifying, was not nearly as bad as I had mentally prepared for, likely because of the more recent refurbishment efforts by Premier. We also had the chance to experience Cirque du Soleil's O and visit Sigfreid & Roy's Secret Garden during our visit, both of which were unique in their own way. Overall, the trip was very quick with not nearly enough time to do everything I would have liked, to visit every casino I was interested in seeing or to dine at the restaurants that I wished to experience, but we had a great enough time and felt accomplished enough that the trip was worthwhile... One we'd revisit at some point in the future! Last time Atlanta... This time Vegas... Who knows where I'll be next time? They say buffets in Vegas are unparalleled. I certainly ate my fill, but I won't begin to claim that this was the best buffet I've ever experienced. Though having the option to enjoy full desserts at breakfast was quite nice. I'd only ever seen this view at LEGOLAND before this visit. Hotel/casino lobbies in Vegas each have their own unique style... Also surprising was the unique kinds of Sugarfina candies that you could find in each of the casinos' gift shops. Very rarely did I find the same flavors offered across multiple locations. The Venetian had to be one of the first casinos we'd visit. I knew the opulence would be overwhelming, but this is amazing for a US-based property. While it is no Tokyo DisneySea Venetian Gondolas, I did appreciate the indoor and outdoor gondola offerings... Just not the price. I've now been to two recreations of these famous landmarks and the real thing... Epcot is my favorite. When in Venice... Get blackberry cheesecake and raspberry cheesecake gelato. The complex is huge! Next up was the Mirage... An older property and smaller than I expected but still charming. Our hope was to see The Beatles - LOVE during our visit, but it was dark for the two weeks surrounding our weekend in town. Chihuly fancy fulfilled... For the first time this trip! You probably get this a lot. This isn't real Caesars Palace. Is it? I'm not going up to the roof... I wish I had time to dine here... Where could I be now? Oh lord. I've now been to three of the five Hershey's Chocolate World locations around the world... Niagara Falls and Singapore still to visit. Fun. I do love that the coaster does briefly roll through the casino. I wish you could see more of the coaster inside, but I love this little approach into the station. Nicer than I expected. It was by no means a "comfortable" ride, but it wasn't as skull smashing as I prepared for. The drops were *almost* fun. I've only ridden a few Togo's over the years... But surprisingly enough this was one of the more decent ones. The dive loop is all kinds of messed up though. I love Chihuly. They play the music from La Nouba before the show starts at “O” in Vegas... I was digging it before the show even started. The sheer amount of talent in this show is incredible. I don't know that I would say it was better than La Nouba... Maybe on par but super different. I'd rank both above Turuk, which as much as I love Avatar stands as the worst of the three Cirque shows I've seen. This portion of The Strip looks great at night. Of course, we watched the Fountains at Bellagio... They're no World of Color, but I enjoyed them. Believe it or not, the Bellagio ended up being my favorite of all of the Las Vegas properties we visited. I've watched 21 too many times to count, so there was no way I wasn't going to visit Planet Hollywood during our trip. The interior was quite trendy and very much my speed, but for how small it was by comparison to some of the other properties on the Strip, we weren't there long. If I had had more time... I can't stop staring. The next day we visited Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden at The Mirage. The dolphin tank reminded me A LOT of old school SeaWorld. Not a lot to them but quite peaceful and relaxing to hang around. This one dolphin was especially playful and threw a buoy our way. There was also a three week old baby dolphin swimming with its mother. I'd never seen such a young dolphin up close. Time to see some big cats. This is already better than the movie CATS. He agrees. Beautiful tigers... Before leaving The Mirage, we had to stop at Carnegie Deli. I was amazed to find this location open, considering the original closed a few years ago... This is one of two locations left. And this Reuben makes me want to visit Madison Square Garden to enjoy the other. Open in Florida please? Next up, Circus Circus. And this insane creation...

Thank you both! Glad you've enjoyed this one! Let me know if you need any additional tips Andrew!

Yep... Definitely Ice Breaker at SeaWorld Orlando.

(Continued) The Vault has some interactive elements where guests can try to concoct a perfect recreation of the Coca-Cola formula... They won't win. The sheer amount of history in this room is insane! And behind this vault is apparently the secret formula... Believe it or not, there are two security guards and a legit security system to prevent you from getting any closer than this to the vault. A look at the main atrium of the World of Coca-Cola. This classic soda fountain is always fun to visit. I love this place! This wall and car were previously featured in the original World of Coca-Cola. I found Orlando in Atlanta! This display of Olympic torches is one of my favorites in the entire building. Coca-Cola pin trading has been and still is a thing. I found Disney in Atlanta! The bottling process is always neat to watch. Oh New Coke... Coca-Cola teamed with Netflix to bring back New Coke to promote Stranger Things... I have two cans waiting to open on a rainy day. I love that the company has embraced this dark period in its history. The Perfect Pauses Theater is a great place to take in memorable video marketing campaigns from Coca-Cola's past. And they save the best for last! Of course the tasting room has the latest in Coca-Cola Freestyle machine technology! Taste It is essentially Epcot's former Club Cool attraction on steroids. Dedicated service stations with flavors representing almost all continents. The sheer number of options to sample is incredible! Smart Watermelon is here!!! Inca Kola represented! I love the World of Coca-Cola so much! Fanta Melon Frosty... SLUSHIE!!! Sprite Lymonade was also new to me. Another look across Pemberton Place towards the new Georgia Aquarium sharks expansion. Following success with food halls in Philadelphia, I figured it would be advantageous to research Atlanta food halls to see if anything popped up. Ponce City Market was the top result. The inside of an old factory has been converted into a shopping and dining complex with a fantastic variety of options. I can't recommend Botiwalla enough... Easily the best Indian Street Food I've ever had. We loved it all so much we came back the next day for more! Also at Ponce City Market was Pancake Social, a restaurant focused primarily on pancake-based entrees throughout the day. This lemon-blueberry skillet cake was amazing! Banana nut pancakes... They were as great in taste as they were in looks. After our luck with Ponce City Market the day before, we gave Krog Street Market a try. I've not had a more authentic Mediterranean bowl in the States than this. It was incredible! We also tried our hand at some bao, togorashi tots and Gu's Dumplings... Spicy as heck, but Gu's Dumplings were genuinely among the best things we've ever eaten. Also included in our Atlanta CityPASS was Zoo Atlanta. We've made it a habit of doing at least one animal-related experience (zoo, aquarium, etc...) per trip, so we decided since it came at no extra we'd give this one a visit. They have their own SkyTrail attraction including a zipline section, available to experience for an additional cost. Llamas. Any place that has live pandas has got my attention. Seriously, I could watch pandas chill all day... Let alone watching them eat bamboo. TWO PANDAS!!! They have orangutans too! TPR Turtle Fancy fulfilled. Like something out of Jurassic World... The reptile exhibit in Jurassic World... I mean, Zoo Atlanta. I ain't lion. We went back for more Botiwalla at Ponce City Market and while we were there I stopped at W. H. Stiles Fish Camp for some raw oysters and clams. Time to leave Coca-Cola territory and go home...

Ever book a trip solely based on finding amazing flights and hotel rates? Because that's how our 36 hour trip to Atlanta came about. My wife had never been to Atlanta before (this was far from my first time) and I wanted to do something special for her birthday... So the pieces fell into place for us to fly in silly early on Saturday and fly home silly late on Sunday for a quick birthday weekend getaway. Having visited Atlanta many times before, I set out to share some of the best attractions in the city with her, throwing in a few new-to-me options that had sprung up since my last visit nearly ten years earlier... No we didn't go to Six Flags Over Georgia during this trip, but we did manage to squeeze in a ton of great experiences, food and fun into our day and a half long trip. Guessing we're in the right place? Yep... Definitely in the right place. Since my last visit to the Georgia Aquarium nearly ten years earlier, there had been several new additions with another expansion on the way. Ocean Voyager has always been the star of the Georgia Aquarium... The crowds are evidence to the previous. Why the crowds? Because the Georgia Aquarium is one of the few aquariums around the world that is home to several whale sharks and manta rays. Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan is another one of these locations, which we visited earlier in the year. The tubed entryway features a nifty moving walkway that is like Seaworld-esque and more airport-luggage transportive. Manta rays are absolutely mesmerizing to watch. Everywhere you turn in Ocean Voyager you'll find large rays gliding along. Don't forget to dip your fingers in the fondle pond! The first time I visited the Georgia Aquarium I spent nearly a half hour just taking in this view. The Georgia Aquarium has a number of beluga whales as well, and they were quite active during our visit. The foyer of the Georgia Aquarium is a lighting-junkie's heaven. Otterly adorable. I love this one tank that simulates waves crashing overtop a reef. As part of my wife's birthday celebration I surprised her with a Harbor Seal Encounter at the Georgia Aquarium... And you definitely get hands on time with these seals! Highly recommended! So fun! There's now an action simulator in the foyer of the Georgia Aquarium that can be experienced for an extra cost. Work on the new sharks expansion at the Georgia Aquarium is underway and expected to open in 2020. Time for something new... Starting off with a Chihuly sculpture is always a good sign. There were some pretty incredible topiaries here. Hadoshtay oombaday. Oombaday. OOMBADAY! (Points if you understand the reference.) Pretty! Awesome! More Chihuly art makes Adam a happy boy. The botanical gardens features several Alice in Wonderland-inspired displays as a part of a seasonal exhibition. Orchid lovers will find lots to enjoy at the botanical gardens. Picturesque. You may find a butterfly or two while you're here! Camels... Why did it have to be camels? Another Alice-inspired display... And one more for good measure. Time to get out of here before I get Khaleesi'd. Time for my favorite attraction in Atlanta... If you intend to visit the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola, I highly recommend investing in the Atlanta CityPASS. You get priority access to both of these attractions (and trust me, it will make a difference), plus access to several other local attractions. It pays for itself in time saved and the cost of admission for anything extra beyond those two attractions. I grew up visiting Atlanta as a kid, including enjoying the original World of Coca-Cola in the Underground. Since the Pemberton Place attraction opened, it has been a favorite of mine well into adulthood. Over the years the attraction has seen a few changes, and since my last visit it was new that while in the lobby you're given free soda to enjoy before you head into The Loft. As I'd discover at the end of the experience, the free souvenir World of Coca-Cola bottles are no longer given out at the exit. That's a bit of a bummer but the visit is still well worth it. The Loft is filled with invaluable Coca Cola history. The Coke Side of Life is still one of my favorite marketing campaigns Coke has ever done... I'll never tire of this sight. This part of the experience is hosted... As is the beginning of the next room (which I won't spoil). The film inside has changed since my last visit, moving away from the fantasy characters of The Coke Side of Life to real life people and the impact Coke has had on them. So much to take in. Sweetness. Lip puppies! New to The World of Coca-Cola since my last visit is the The Vault. There's a mystery to be solved... Spoiler alert: You won't solve it.

Liseberg remains among the top of the European parks I most strongly want to get myself to... Right up there with Europa Park, Efteling and Toverland. Thank you for sharing another great report!

Silverwood has intrigued me ever since it bought Deja Vu/Aftershock from Six Flags Great America... It doesn't seem to get a lot of coverage online, so thanks for sharing this detailed look at the park.

I was so excited to see another JimmyBo trip report show up in the forums today! I really like Legoland Florida, so one of these days when I have kids, I'm sure I'll go out of my way to visit Legoland California when I take them out to SoCal. Thank you so much for sharing! This picture is so crisp... Now all I want is Granny's Apple Fries!

My interest in Dark Harbor this year has grown as Dark Horizon gets ready to open here in Orlando from the same team. I'm always scheming of a way to get back to SoCal for the Halloween season (Haunted Mansion Holiday and HHN are enough of a reason) but if I were to, Dark Harbor would definitely be on my itinerary. Thanks for sharing!

^The fact that you have Express for both nights of HHN will definitely make your evenings more laid back. Have a fantastic time!

Yep... Infectious song, an incredible number of animatronics, Chandu... There are few Disney attractions I would go as far as to call “perfect” but this is among them.

^It is not. The only entrances into the park are the main entrance and a dedicated side entrance for guests with an active resort stay or an annual pass.

I've always been curious as to how Busch Gardens Williamsburg's Howl-O-Scream compared to the one in Tampa... Your report is getting me thinking about how I could plan a trip to check it out. Thanks for sharing!