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Dollywood has sent us a press release announcing a year of historic investment in the park's entertainment offerings!

American Dream has sent us a press release announcing that the upcoming Nickelodeon Universe theme park at the mall will feature two record-breaking Gerstlauer coasters! Photo Courtesy of Ride Entertainment ( ) Photo Courtesy of Ride Entertainment ( )

Last night Theme Park Review was invited to dine at Raglan Road to experience some of the new entertainment and menu items added recently to this 12-year staple at Disney Springs (previously known as Downtown Disney). Raglan Road has always been a favorite of mine thanks to my personal reverence of Irish step dancing borne from visits to Epcot with my family (many years ago) to watch Lord of Dance performed live at the America Gardens Theatre. Raglan Road provides an outlet to get my live step dancing fix that, when combined with my love of delicious food and drinks and live entertainment makes this a fairly frequent go-to when I dine out. Our visit this evening included a look at some of the changes recently undergone at the venue to improve the guest experience, from acoustic sound panels, new stage lighting and a reinvigorated show featuring a mix of classic and contemporary tunes that play a background to the step-dancing. The menu's many classic dishes have been joined by new options (the "Gnocchi Sea, Gnocchi Do" that I tried almost knocked my favorite "It's Not Bleedin' Chowdah" out of the top spot) and new exclusive brews created by local breweries for Raglan Road certainly add to the drink menu's appeal. One thing hasn't changed though--Raglan Road is still one of the top servers of Guinness Beer in the entire United States. Check out our videos and photos below to get a taste of Raglan Road at home--I highly encourage you to visit in person as soon as you can. You won't regret it! On this night we visited Raglan Road at Disney Springs for an evening of fun, food and entertainment! The interior of Raglan Road has been upgraded with acoustic paneling to help with sound dampening inside of the venue. A new video screen has been added to the stage inside of the main room at Raglan Road. It provides several vibrant backgrounds for the onstage entertainment seen throughout the day. Enjoying “The Irish Show” at Raglan Road! [twitter] [/twitter] The updated entertainment features an even greater interaction between the performers on the center stage and those on the main stage. The first drink we tried was the signature libation, PJ's Poison. It features Gunpowder Irish Gin, muddled orange, rhubarb bitters, lemon juice, orange whiskey marmalade and fever tree tonic with an orange twist... A delicious adult beverage! Next up we sampled the Salmon Swoon and the Crock 'O' Pate. The Salmon Swoon is a serving of traditional Irish smoked salmon served with creme fraiche, capers and shallots.The Crock 'O' Pate is the house chicken liver pate serve with an apricot chutney. Pates are not typically my favorite but this one was creamy and flavorful to the point where I went back for seconds! A several times throughout the evening, the younger children in the audience are invited onstage to try their hand at Irish step dancing. Always a favorite of mine, the Scallop Forest is a hearty serving of batter-fried scallops. A must try for seafood lovers! Similar to the Scallop Forest in presentation, the Dalkey Duo offers a meaty alternative with battered cocktail sausages served with a Dalkey mustard dipping sauce! Always delicious! Bands rotate on the schedule at Raglan Road and their schedules can be found here: http://www.raglanroad.com/entertainment Appropriately named, the Rack of Heaven is a slow roasted Guinness-glazed rack of baby back ribs and they certainly lived up to their name. Somewhere between a dry rub and a saucy coating, the Guinness glaze provides a sweet, sugary coat to the perfectly cooked pork ribs. A favorite for the table! Reel Republic, the new band we saw during our visit brought a fantastic energy to the venue with a trio of performers, one with a guitar, one with an accordion and the other with a violin. One of several recipes of soups that Raglan Road offers on a rotating basis, the Tomato Soup had a lovely flavor that could be attributed to the inclusion of gin in the recipe. Dynamic lighting and a reinvigorated show experience really have amped up the entertainment aspect of Raglan Road's dining experience and I will happily return for more! In the recent months Raglan Road has begun partnering with local breweries to offer signature brews made for their location. Our samples included Miriam's Irish Coffee Stout (Coppertail Brewing Co), Bloomsday Pale Ale (Orange Blossom Brewing), Tri Wishes Grand Irish Red Ale (Crooked Can Brewing) and Planted Strawberry & Lime Hard Cider (Keel & Curley Winery). The Dublin Donkey caught my attention with its unique take on the traditional Moscow Mule. Teelings small batch Irish whiskey, ginger beer, fresh lemon sour, candied ginger & lime made this drink strong but incredibly refreshing. I enjoyed this one thoroughly! The "Braised Be. Beef" was a delicious serving of braised beef with colcannon mashed potatoes & roasted veggies. Raglan Road's famous beer battered fish & chips has a storied history going back to John Cooke's (Cookes of Dublin is named after his family) family history in Ireland where his family served fish & chips during World War II. The "Gnocchi Sea Gnocchi Do" caught my attention as a new dish on the menu that featured all of the things I wholeheartedly love... Homemade potato gnocchi, perfectly seared Georges bank scallops, crispy pork belly, tomatoes & kale in a white wine butter sauce. The gnocchi was light and pillowy (among the best I've had), the scallops were melt-in-your-mouth good and the pork belly added a nice crunch to the dish. Among my favorites I've ever tried here. "The Keen Eye for the Shepherd's Pie" is Raglan Road's signature take on the traditional shepherd's pie and it did not disappoint! The mashed potatoes were smooth and buttery and paired perfectly with a fork full of the ground lamb beneath. I give total credit to the entertainment team at Raglan Road for striking a fine balance between traditional Irish music and the introduction of unique takes on modern/contemporary songs... During this set, the step dancers moved to the tune of Coldplay's Viva La Vida... Highly unexpected but incredibly enjoyable! [twitter] [/twitter] The new lighting really adds to the entertainment experience inside of Raglan Road! And the new screen provides a great background for the performers. Perfect for the season, good anytime but best with dessert, the new Spiced Caramel Apple Martini features Tullamore DEW Cider Cask, Calvados, Butterscotch schnapps, fresh muddled apple, Magners Irish cider, caramel syrup with a cinnamon sugar rim. And then there was dessert... We tried the Fluffy Lemon Clouds (delicious and tart), the Chocolate Heaven (gluten & dairy free but no less indulgent), the Triful Sinful (Raspberry jam Swiss roll layers with mixed berries and custard--all of my favorite things) and the Dubrody Kiss (described as "Chef Dundon's gift to America--chocolate, add more chocolate, then add some more"). Raglan Road's signature Bread & Butter Pudding? SOLD! It was a pleasure get the chance to meet the owners of Raglan Road. The stories of their inspiration for the venue, the origin of the rooms inside (the main atrium was built to house a carousel even before the venue was the Pleasure Island Jazz Company or the food court before it) and discussions about the last twelve years of evolution at Raglan Road were incredible to take in. Raglan Road has been designed from day one to present authentic Irish cuisine and entertainment in a setting unlike any other in Orlando. And they continue to invest to better that experience as the years at Disney Springs continue. Raglan Road has always been a favorite of mine but having not been back in a while, it was incredible to see just how much has changed since my last visit. The new lighting, video wall, decor, sound panels and entertainment have plussed an already fantastic experience. New menu items have added a greater variety to an already stellar dining experience. What hasn't changed is the focus on quality service in a lively, family-friendly environment that has stood out in the Disney Springs lineup for years and continues to do so!

We've received some exciting news from Morimoto Asia that the fantastic restaurant that debuted at Disney Springs at the Walt Disney World Resort will now open a 2nd location at the new Alohilani Resort in Waikiki, Hawaii alongside another Morimoto Restaurant! Morimoto Peking Duck Carved house-recipe Shumai Dumplings (pork, shrimp and mushroom dumplings) Morimoto Sticky Spare Ribs Chashu Ramen Chef Morimoto

The Universal Orlando Resort has sent us a press release announcing details for the return of "A Celebration of Harry Potter!

Universal Studios Hollywood has sent us a press release about the upcoming holiday offerings including the debut of "Christmas in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" and the return of Grinchmas!

http://www.unionleader.com/article/20171026/NEWS02/171029444&template=mobileart

I'm glad you enjoyed the report! Like you said, houses are really subjective experiences and very much about timing and who is in front and behind you in line. I've had great runs through houses where I've been startled frequently and others where the people in front and behind have been targeted, leaving my to only witness their scares. Howl O Scream relies less on timing-based scares (in my opinion), especially when compared to houses at other haunts (like Saw at Horror Nights) and I truly find that I get more scares out of this event than I do at others. Howl O Scream is just one more great reason to enjoy Busch Gardens during the year... Truly one of my favorite parks around.

It's that wonderful time of year again in Central Florida where special events fill the parks and guests have even more to enjoy on top of the already stellar experiences offered year round! SeaWorld Orlando continues to offer a family-friendly, daytime offering for guests of all ages to enjoy during their day at the park. Shamu's Halloween Spooktacular is a fantastic complement to the park's existing lineup and adds a unique trick or treating option for guests to enjoy throughout the day. There is even a special Halloween show offered during the event in the Pets Ahoy theater, Countdown to Halloween, which features characters from Sesame Street. Added SeaWorld's Halloween Spooktacular decor can be found throughout the park. I'm not sure how new this is but there's a choose-your-own-flavor Dippin' Dots stand! I kind of went crazy with this opportunity... SeaWorld's Halloween Spooktacular extends throughout a good portion of the park and there are many treat stops for guests to enjoy! Be on the look out for pumpkin fish! Treat stops are marked with signage like this and the lines move very quickly. There is no limit as to how many times you can go back through treat lines... So feel free to go back for more! There are roaming Halloween characters from under the sea that you can encounter near the Halloween Spooktacular booths. Hanging out with the natives... Candies offered during the event are notable like Skittles and M&Ms. Even more friendly characters over by Wild Arctic! Tootsie Rolls! Looking towards the festival side of the park... Don't forget to look around--you may find some friendly spooks hanging out throughout the park. Smarties are always a go-to option for candies that last a long time... Another rogue pumpkin fish in a while! Guests can meet and take a photo with a mermaid while at the event. They grow up so quickly! M&Ms! Lots of waterfront entertainment for guests of all ages in the festival section of the park. Some neat set pieces. Guests can control the water fountain in the park's central lagoon with this neat control panel on the water's edge. Sesame Street Countdown to Halloween is the special show offered only during SeaWorld's Halloween Spectacular for younger guests and their families

Last night Theme Park Review was invited to attend this year's Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens Tampa. The event features 7 houses (2 of which are new), 5 scare zones (3 of which are new), 2 shows and 6 rides for guests to enjoy. Starting with the new houses, here are our thoughts on Howl-O-Scream 2017! Demented Dimensions - Our favorite house of the event, this house is located next to the Opening Night Critters theater and Sand Serpent, the venue where Zombie Mortuary had been hosted in previous years. This house plays by no rules and follows no singular story. Each room is a different theme, a different effect and a different scare. Howl-O-Scream fans will recognize some repurposed set pieces in this house but it is the entirely new rooms that set this house apart. Undead Arena: Live - The other new house of the year, Undead Arena is neat in that it starts off with your group being separated into different paths (you meet midway through the house) and focuses more on the need to get out and less on the details of the rooms you're in. The opening trick set the tone for us and while the rooms were a little more bare than other houses', this was still a favorite of ours for the night. Undead Arena: Live operates in one of the pavilions found in Gwazi Park. The Black Spot - A returning house from the previous year, this pirate-inspired house packed a punch with some great scares throughout the caverns. Inventive flooring and staging of set pieces in the existing caverns made this incredibly effective. Zombie Containment Unit 15 - The only house not included in the Front of the Line pass because of its capacity and popularity. Best described as a combination between a traditional horror house and a game of laser tag, this year's version is far more tame with its linear path. The gimmick of using laser tag guns is a nifty one but one that ultimately isn't necessary for the enjoyment of the houses' scares and one that when compared to past Zombie Containment Unit houses, is far more simplified than the version that debuted at the event a few years back. Death Water Bayou - Our returning favorite--the tone, the sets, the effects and the scares are all phenomenal. This is the closest thing you'd find to compare a Halloween Horror Nights house to a Howl-O-Scream offering--one that stands a chance to best its Orlando competitor. Unearthed - A returning house from last year, this house runs throughout the former Gwazi queue (which is a real treat to walk as a coaster fanatic) and makes great use of the former ride's extended queue. Some great lighting and mechanical set pieces make this a top house of the year, and much better than we remembered from last year. Motel Hell - A neat house with some fun scares... Our least favorite of the night, but that was more the fault of the other houses being so strong this year. The horror begins outside of the entrance to the park... Very few places are safe during Howl-O-Scream! The entrance of Howl-O-SCream is filled with sinister characters... And this is before you even enter the park! We're in for a night of terror! It wouldn’t be Howl-O-Scream without some bloody good beverage options! First up at Howl-O-Scream 2017 was Zombie Containment Unit 15: Moving Targets. A combination of laser tag and a haunted house! Getting briefed on how to survive Zombie Containment Unit! The undead fill the halls of the Zombie Containment Unit! Shoot the target, stun the zombie! Night rides are always worth a spin on Cobra’s Curse especially when the wait times are so low! Time to journey into the Death Water Bayou! We have a feeling things aren’t going to end well for Adam tonight! The ghost of Gwazi looms over the entrance of Death Water Bayou. Setting the tone for such a brilliant house! Hanging out with the natives of the Death Water Bayou... Be on the lookout for the Bayou Queen! Busch Gardens always finds a way to use its spining tunnel. Fiends is an annual tradition at Busch Gardens Howl-O-Scream! And the Naughty Nurses are happy to return each and every year! The entrance area for The Black Spot. One of the new scare zones this year... With some very impressive roaming actors. Only at Howl-O-Scream can you play bumper cars with a zombie! A close encounter of the zombie kind. A very cool idea! Demented Dimensions features very unique rooms, one of which includes a colorful Alice in Wonderland section! The giant rat monster from previous years' events has returned for another year of inducing terror. Extremely effective! CHEESE! You never know where a ghost may appear! The Meat Market is a collection of shops and games that guests can enjoy on their way towards Undead Arena: Live. Of course there are scare actors here too! Strike a pose! This game has guests picking brains for prizes. Want to bust these zombies' teeth out? For $3 you can. The Meat Market area has a cart that is selling cooked caterpillars! Heading into Undead Arena: Live! We were separated from each other almost immediately upon entering the Undead Arena. Who will win? Motel Hell is the last of the returning houses... Definitely a double-flusher. This room is insanely effective! Howl-O-Scream runs for 18 additional nights (the 19th was last night) this year and we'd strongly recommend you go out to Busch Gardens to check it out! You won't regret the quality and fun that goes into bringing this event to life!

If the load times for Kraken Unleashed are anything to go by (at that coaster has a significantly higher capacity than Project X), this ride's line will increase exponentially... I just wish there was a way to solve for the crazy capacity-killing issues with these VR options. Kraken Unleashed was decent fun but it has made Kraken inaccessible to most guests, especially those not there at opening, and I see this trend taking more rides out in this manner.

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment has sent us a press release announcing the new additions coming to SeaWorld and Aquatica San Antonio in 2018! Debuting in spring 2018, SeaWorld San Antonio’s Sesame Street Parade will allow guests to experience an energetic neighborhood block party with all of their favorite Sesame Street friends. This daily “street party” features familiar contemporary tunes, as well as Sesame Street favorites that are sure to get everyone in the mood for fun! Kids will learn about letters, numbers and friendship through the parade’s three show-stopping performances and 10 larger-than-life floats. ™/© 2017 Sesame Workshop. All rights reserved. PHOTO CREDIT: SeaWorld San Antonio For those who prefer life in the fast lane, the new Taumata Racer high-speed racing waterslide will zoom riders down a 375-foot slide, around a 180-degree swooping turn and an entry tunnel before racing them across the finish line in less than 10 seconds. Taumata Racer, named for a famous hill in New Zealand, is slated to open in spring 2018 at Aquatica, SeaWorld San Antonio’s Waterpark. Artist Composite 2017 ©SeaWorld Parks PHOTO CREDIT: SeaWorld San Antonio Fall 2018 brings more than 200 years of Oktoberfest traditions come to life at SeaWorld San Antonio’s Bier Fest. Guests can raise a glass to toast the end of summer with a variety of craft beers from around the globe, including a variety of favorite local brews. And, sample traditional German food, listen to festive music and experience all this unique Bavarian celebration has to offer. Prost! 2017 ©SeaWorld Parks PHOTO CREDIT: SeaWorld San Antonio When the sun goes down, the night comes to life at SeaWorld San Antonio’s new Electric Ocean. Guests will explore party zones filled with electric dance music (EDM), colorful lights and end the night with a spectacular display of fireworks. With the return of HydroPower Xtreme FX and Shamu’s Celebration: Light Up the Night, as well as an encore of Sea Lions Tonite, summer nights at SeaWorld have never been brighter. Electric Ocean takes place daily June 15 to August 12. 2017 ©SeaWorld Parks PHOTO CREDIT: SeaWorld San Antonio

Merlin Entertainments Group has sent us a press release announcing the transformation of the Project X roller coaster at Legoland Malaysia into The Great LEGO Race VR Coaster.

Merlin Entertainments Group has sent us a press release announcing the transformation of the Project X roller coaster at Legoland Florida into The Great LEGO Race VR Coaster.

https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/things-to-do/shows/terminator-2-3d/index.html

(Continued) Some of which are actually pirates... Others less so... Some even fighting for the other side. The signage throughout Treasure Cove is incredibly detailed! I am absolutely in love with this! Even more cleverness! Sold! Some clever details in Treasure Cove. I'm a bad pirate. The map featured in At World's End is found in Treasure Cove where you can rotate the pieces to find the path to several mythical treasures. I didn't have to give an arm to get to Shanghai Disneyland, but I did give a leg. The Snackin' Kraken is built with driftwood, much of which was chosen because it resembled the tentacles of a kraken. This area will eventually be a part of Toy Story Land. The RC Racer coaster was already under construction during our visit but is much farther along now... A closer look. I love this entry sign! The Big Hero 6 workout show in Tomorrowland was pretty cute! I loved seeing designs from the Tomorrowland film being used for the attraction signage in Shanghai. I went back several times during this trip! The Alice in Wonderland Maze was a totally new experience for us... The entrance scrolls tell the story of the attraction for anyone that needs a refresher... More details... And more... And the end. You can choose three potential paths to begin with. A look at the Enchanted Storybook Castle from inside of the Alice in Wonderland Maze. Beware the Bandersnatch. It was neat to see something in person that I had seen in small-form maquettes at the D23 Expo a few years earlier. Take the tunnel!!! The money shot. This thing is massive! "There's always a toilet nearby!!!" And so our time at the Shanghai Disney Resort came to a close... We had a great visit and we were very glad we made the trip while we were out in Asia! Next up was our time at the Tokyo Disney Resort, where one park I hadn't seen in over 10 years and the other would be entirely new for me.

(Continued) I love the Toy Story Hotel's take on the one year anniversary (Summer Celebration)! The Guest Services desk at the Toy Story Hotel features these large marbles that guests of all ages can play with. Woody and Bullseye tower over one of the two courtyards at the Toy Story Hotel. The inside of the resort is modesty themed as well. This was the look of shock and awe on my face during my first ride on Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure. This is easily my favorite Disney ride ever and one that I would argue is the best Disney has ever built. Tron Lightcycle Power Run was another favorite for us--one that I cannot wait to see open in Florida in just a few years! More desserts from BreadTalk! And dinner at BreadTalk too! Back in the LEGO Store at Disneytown we found some unique art pieces designed just for Shanghai Disney. The classic Disney LEGO dragon continues to make his traditional appearance at each LEGO Store at a Disney destination. The Avengers! Time for some Roaring Rapids! Up we go! You get a great view of the part from the top of the lift hill! Down we go! I couldn't get a good photo of Q'uaraq but he was really cool to see! Roaring Rapids was a fun ride for sure! I had to go back for more! The queue is built to handle hours worth of lines. If only Kevin Flynn were around to see what his creation had become... This queue provides an excellent amount of buildup to the ride by allowing you to watch trains launch out of the station. The design aesthetics of this ride are unparalleled. The queue monitors use the same glassless 3-D tech as you find in the Test Track queue at Epcot. Simple but incredibly effective! Meet your opponents. Rinzler or Tron? You decide. I love this design element! A look at the rider position... And the lightcycles themselves. More food at BreadTalk! A mooncake for added protein back at the Toy Story Hotel! Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure starts off with a talking Jolly Roger, like the classic attractions did/do. Similar to passing the Blue Bayou restaurant in other versions of the ride, you pass the seating area for Barbossa's Bounty at the start of this ride. A new take on the classic gag from the other rides. The introduction of Jack Sparrow in the ride is an incredibly neat effect! If anyone remembers the Jack Sparrow attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios, that attraction's effects served as a pre-curser and proof of concept for many of the effects used in this ride. For anyone that claims to have an issue with screen based media, Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure manages to use this technology on a level not accomplished anywhere else. The detail on this solid projected surface is incredibly rich and deep, giving it a fully three dimensional feel that makes it feel not like you're watching a screen but as if you're moving through a physical set piece. The introduction of the Kraken in the media is quite effective. The mix of physical sets and projected media is unparalleled. This massive room is layered in a way that details can be seen with the full frame of view and dissected more closely as you move throughout the room. Passing The Flying Dutchman up close is a highlight of the ride. The ride does feature several fantastic animatronics of characters found in the popular film franchise. The first animatronic of Davy Jones and they absolutely nailed it! This scene is incredibly effective! The often pictured scene of the ride but there's so much more to it than just floating between these two ships. Screen media is hidden amongst the ship to allow Jack Sparrow and Davy Jones to interact as you pass by. The climax of the ride features a Musion set piece where Jack and Davy Jones' duel triggers the movement of physical and digital set pieces before you are blasted backwards out of the battle. At Shanghai Disneyland they have a Mickey Bar and a Minnie Bar! The Minnie Bar has white chocolate-covered strawberry ice cream and the Mickey Bar has milk chocolate-covered vanilla ice cream with chocolate ice cream ears. Barbossa's Bounty features several portraits of notable characters from the films...

(Continued) This is such a unique entry statement for Shanghai Disneyland! Just beyond the gates of Shanghai Disneyland is Disneytown, home to a variety of shops and restaurants including the main Disney store, World of Disney. The interior is designed to carry the feel of a classic train station. With some modern touches, of course. There is some really neat art embedded in the ceiling within World of Disney. The Disneytown logo. BreadTalk, a quick service bakery and eatery ended up being our favorite place for food in the entire resort. We ended up eating here three times in our 2.5 days at the resort! Disneytown's LEGO Store. Some unique LEGO sculptures adorn the building when compared to the ones found at LEGO Stores attached to other Disney destinations. The Disneytown space is small but spread out to accommodate the normally large crowds that flow in and out of the adjacent park. Some very unique brands not found in any other Downtown Disney can be found in Disneytown. Disney POP was a new store that I hadn't seen elsewhere! Trend-D is actually a part of the resort's World of Disney but this brand should be familiar with fans of Disney Springs at the Walt Disney World Resort. D Street is another store that is actually a part of World of Disney but the store is also found at the Walt Disney world Resort and at the Do The Boathouse is here in Shanghai too! Shame we didn't get to try it but it was nice to see our Florida favorite on the other side of the world. There was this awesome geek store on the Lakeview side of Disneytown that was a haven for Star Wars and Marvel fans. Some really neat displays for a store. The Shanghai Disneyland Hotel as seen from Disneytown. The next morning we visited the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel to check out the ground. Some neat entry pieces. This lobby is absolutely grand! The entrance statue inside of the lobby. These light fixtures on the lobby ceiling are gorgeous! I could stare at this hallway for quite some time! This garden area at the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel is used for Disney Fairytale Weddings in Shanghai. And the wedding pavilion... A pretty magnificent view to enjoy as a guest here. So much on the horizon to take in! Tron and Disneytown across the way. Adventure Isle off in the distance. Treasure Cove can be seen too. The Lakeview side of Disneytown... There's a hidden fairy that can be seen slightly to the right corner of this glass lotus fountain. The Shanghai Disneyland Hotel also features a water play area for younger guests to enjoy. This is arguably the most brilliant lounge theme Disney has come up with. A look at the Bacchus Lounge. The Ballet Cafe takes its cues from the classic Fantasia sequence... And also ties into the Fantasia Carousel found inside of the park. Some gorgeous artwork inside. And look at this spread! A very different menu of breakfast options. I love this! A look inside of Lumiere's Kitchen restaurant at the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel. The hotel has an indoor pool themed to The Little Mermaid! The entrance to Lumiere's Kitchen restaurant... The entrance of the Toy Story Hotel (where we stayed) sets the stage that you're entering the Toy Story Hotel-themed toybox. Pretty clever if you ask me! The Shanghai Disney Resort had just begun its 1st Year Anniversary celebration a few days before we arrived and throughout the resort you could find signs about the celebration.

Mine Blower at Fun Spot America (Kissimmee, FL).

A few weeks ago I had the chance to check out Electric Ocean at SeaWorld Orlando. This new event is an updated take on the previous years' Summer Nights offering, with several new shows, added interactive entertainment and decor, new food options and a glowing new personality for the park at night. As a lifelong fan of SeaWorld I was excited to see a new event come into the fold (after loving the recent Food & Wine Festival as well as past Halloween and Christmas events) and I'm happy to say Electric Ocean delivers! Shamu's Light Up The Night returns for what is presumably its final year (as theatrical killer whale shows are being phased out in favor of a more educational presentation in the next few years) and is lively fun for the whole family. Sea Lions Tonite, the popular Sea Lion & Otter show that was on hiatus last year has returned in time to make fun of several of SeaWorld's newest offerings--and it brings with it the return of the SeaWorld Mime, a staple for decades at the park that was only recently retired with the debut of Clyde & Seamore's Sea Lion High. New this year is the introduction of POP!, a one-man show featuring a former America's Got Talent contestant whose craft is bubble works. Using various custom tools and an obvious understanding of the properties of every type of bubble he touches, this performer manages to fill a roughly half hour show with a variety of visual experiences all derived from the bubble. The Atlantis Bayside Stadium area and the adjacent festival grounds have received an Electric Ocean inspired makeover with glowing creatures hanging from the trees and blacklit artwork covering all structures. Several food booths are located in this area and throughout the park, offering a small taste of menu selections on par with those found at the larger SeaWorld Food & Wine Festival. Inside of Atlantis Bayside Stadium, the normal performance stage has been opened up into a dance floor for performers and guests alike as a DJ spins a variety of sounds from all generations. Intermittently the dancing will be interrupted to allow for performers to do their thing, including a surprise appearance by LASERMAN, the same laser-bending performing who graced the elecTRONica event at Disney California Adventure during its run. The evening ends at Bayside Stadium with a performance of Ignite, a new evening spectacular combining laser, light, water, fire and fireworks for a thrilling end to the Summer evening. There's still time to check out Electric Ocean this year at SeaWorld Orlando--the event will conclude this year's run with its final days during Labor Day weekend. So if you have the chance, I strongly encourage you to check Electric Ocean out. This is one of the strongest events SeaWorld has produced in years and it complements the strong lineup of shows and attractions available during the daytime and throughout the rest of the year. It is a welcome sight to see the SeaWorld Mime return for Sea Lions Tonite! We sampled some tostadas from the booth near Shark Wreck Reef and they were quite tasty! But these funnel cake bites (I went with raspberry) were amazing! Do you like bubbles? Then this is the show for you! But the show includes lasers, light and smoke rings too! The show makes use of the Sea Lion High set and carries over many of the standard animal behaviors from the daytime show. But this show has no problem making fun of other shows that run at SeaWorld Orlando... This year's show makes fun of the recent debut of Kraken Unleashed! The new dolphin show that replaced Blue Horizons, Dolphin Days isn't safe from parody either. Guest interactions are still a part of the show, even if they take on a more comical approach. One Ocean gets a few good jokes in the show. It wouldn't be a Clyde & Seamore show without the walrus! Electric Ocean doesn't escape unscathed either. Of course there are volunteers! Bubble 'splosions! Shamu's Light Up The Night is always fun! The DJ dance floor gets pretty busy! But then it clears up so that the performers can do some entertaining! There are marine creatures floating around the dance floor too! LASERMAN! It was nice to see this act up close again... Just a shame it didn't play with some TRON music. Everybody's dancing the night away! Ignite really brings the evening to a crescendo! So much going on! FIRE!!! Light! Color! The pathways are lit with colorful marine life... And there is no shortage of glow merchandise... Including glow popcorn buckets! Don't forget to stop by the new Dolphin Nursery while you're here! Don't miss your last chance of the season to experience Electric Ocean at SeaWorld Orlando! You've got one weekend left!

(Continued) Shanghai's signage game is on point! Soaring over the Horizon garners the longest wait time of any attraction in the park (Tron Lightcycle Power Run is the most popular attraction in the park). Soaring, not Soarin'. Since we used our Premier Access passes to get on to Soaring Over the Horizon we had a limited view of the gorgeous milky way effect in the queue. Instead of your Chief Flight Attendant Patrick, we have this condor-lady/shaman who acts as your guide. The preshow is a beat-for-beat recreation of the classic Soarin' preshow video but with characters and costumes that match this ride's unique storyline. This scene is Shanghai's version of the "and of course, these little beauties" line. "Nice work pal!" Also unique is the milky way-style screensaver that displays during the ride load and unload process. The film itself is a copy of the one found in Anaheim and Orlando, with the exception of the finale scene taking place over metropolitan Shanghai at night instead of Disneyland or Epcot. Camp Discovery is full of hidden details to be found! Subtly tied to the Society of Adventurers and Explorers, also tied to the Adventurers Club. A look at all there is to see in Camp Discovery. The Camp Discovery Challenge Trail is one of the most unique attractions to ever be built in a Disney Park, and one that I doubt will ever make its way stateside, in any form. The ropes trail has guests climbing around interior waterfall ledges inside of the mountain of Adventure Isle. Around the mountain various paths provide clues as to the Isle's previous inhabitants. And a tie-in to Soaring Over the Horizon. I give credit for someone pulling off the following name jokes... Like this one. And this one. There's a Horizons reference! And the Yeti from Expedition Everest! This officially ties Expedition Everest to the Society of Explorers and Adventurers! Could it be? Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Crystal Skull (as found at Tokyo DisneySea) is now also tied to the Society of Explorers and Adventurers! These challenge trails are awesome! The Fantasia Carousel in the Gardens of Imagination is uniquely beautiful but unfortunately we ran out of time to ride it ourselves. So many neat references! You had me at patisserie. Yes please! YES PLEASE! SOLD! It was neat seeing this in person after seeing miniature maquettes of these at the D23 Expo two years ago... Ha! The deed to Toad Hall is hanging in the window! A tribute to Walt... Flower Street is a notable location for the Walt Disney Company, so it was nice to see this nod here in the park. Brilliant! I love this display! So many references! All kinds of awesome. Enchanted Storybook Castle looks fantastic at night! Throwback! Mickey Avenue's main shop, akin to the Main Street Emporium in the other parks. The detail work on these buildings is incredible! Scrooge McDuck's bank! The stained glass! Time to start heading out for the night... We visited Shanghai Disneyland only a few days after the official first anniversary of the resort began. Classic. See ya real soon with even more photos from the Shanghai Disney Resort, and beyond that, lots of photos of the Tokyo Disney Resort and Japan!

(Continued) At the end of the Voyage to the Crystal Grotto guests may spot a few familiar vessels... Up to no good... A look at the Enchanted Storybook Castle from the exit of Voyage to the Crystal Grotto... Looking down on the Alice in Wonderland Maze from inside of Fantasyland. This is in a theme park! The entrance to Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure... And the ride's poster art. I love this sign! When I see this I can't help but Robb talking about glutinous rice in Coaster Expeditions Vol. 7. Despite being a land inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean, there are other hidden references to be found throughout Treasure Cove... Mickey loves Minnie. A reference to the Silly Symphonies short, The Skeleton Dance. Tia Dalma's home in Treasure Cove... But Tia Dalma is nowhere to be found. But you can look into her home to spot some familiar imagery. Fort Snobbish is the setting for Treasure Cove in Shanghai Disneyland... The signage found throughout Treasure Cove is absolutely top notch! Fitting. Get it? Hah! If I must... Barbossa's Bounty is the land's main eatery... Unlike the Blue Bayou in Anaheim and Tokyo and Captain Jack's Restaurant in Paris, Barbossa's Bounty is a quick service venue with a view of the ride path for Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure. I had a whole cooked squid... From a quick service restaurant... In a theme park. So freaking awesome (and delicious)! Premier Access was a lifesaver on this trip! The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is a carbon copy of the Walt Disney World version of the ride--you can even see in the queue how the ride's building has the traditional flat front of the Florida Fantasyland. A very familiar sight for these Floridian eyes... Instead of the Mad Tea Party, Shanghai Disneyland has Hunny Pot Spin. For the love of Larry... Enjoy! A look at the Tangled Tree Tavern. This theater in Fantasyland hosts "For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along like the one found at Disney's Hollywood Studios. The show is extremely popular making the lines a little too long than we had the time to spare. See what I mean? And we're... Moving on. (No, we didn't buy any ponchos from her.) The entrance of Voyage to the Crystal Grotto... And the marquee. I could stare at this ceiling all day. No, really. Tangled... The Princess and the Frog... Brave... Frozen... The entrance to Adventure Isle... Shanghai Disney Resort bamboo sippers! I love this view from within Adventure Isle! I have a keychain featuring this little guy! Q'araq's presence is felt throughout Adventure Isle. Roaring Rapids was quite the popular attraction during our visit...

DisneyQuest has a unique place in the history of the Walt Disney Company... The genesis of the concept came from the company's desire to plant regional entertainment offerings in core markets where the Disney Parks were not present. These mini Disney experiences like Club Disney and ESPN Zone were meant to extend the Disney brand and bolster the company revenue by infusing Disney on the ground level of these local markets. DisneyQuest was intended to be the next extension of the Disney Parks brand with regional locations planned both domestic and international. The first location opened at the Walt Disney World Resort in 1998 and the second opened in Chicago in 1999. Additional locations were planned for the Disneyland Resort and construction had already begun on a Philadelphia location when the DisneyQuest project was officially cancelled. The Philadelphia location's construction was never completed as intended and Anaheim's location never made it off of the drawing board. Chicago's DisneyQuest closed in late 2001 leaving the sole location in Orlando to operate as a part of the Walt Disney World Resort after Disney Regional Entertainment was shuttered. When the attraction first opened, it featured a ticket structure that charged a base admission with a limited number of points included in the base cost to allow you to experience most attractions and some games once, with the option to pay for additional points as needed. This structure was quickly replaced with the all-inclusive ticket structure found in the Disney Parks today with all offerings inside included in the cost of admission with the exception of redemption/prize games. On a personal note, DisneyQuest was a significant part of my childhood. I remember the first time we visited in 1998 (I was eight years old), begging my parents for more points so that we could play more games and ride more rides (Hercules and Virtual Jungle Cruise were my favorites). As a child who loved video games, this space was a personal paradise. During that visit I designed a very random action figure at Sid's Create-A-Toy! I had my eleventh birthday party at DisneyQuest (we created an epic song and bought the CD version at Radio Disney Music Maker) and visited many subsequent times for the years that followed. Over the years the number of my annual visits lessened but DisneyQuest continued to be a great place to drop in for a few hours for some classic games and a few unique attractions. While the time came for DisneyQuest to close, I have a lot of great memories there and there is a part of me that is saddened to see it go. As with so many of the newest Disney Springs offerings, change has been very good so I look forward to seeing the NBA Experience when it opens in DisneyQuest's place. The entrance had a few different color schemes over the years with the most prominent being the teal paint with the purple Mickey ears. The inside of the entrance featured columns with maquettes of characters representing attractions found within DisneyQuest. A closer look... And the other side. Thematic consistency found throughout DisneyQuest with the compass guiding you through each of the themed zones. When DisneyQuest first opened, the Cybrolators that took you up to the Venture Port (the main access way to DisneyQuest's four themed zones) featured an animation of Aladdin's Genie and rumble features in the floor of the elevator to provide a "show experience" during transportation. The Score! Zone was the section of DisneyQuest that hosted the bulk of the arcade games along with several attractions unique to DisneyQuest. The Create Zone consisted of experiences almost entirely unique to DisneyQuest (with one slight exception). Welcome to Venture Port! There was something very magnificent about this structure. The entrance of the Explore Zone (the Adventureland of DisneyQuest) resembles the entrance into the Cave of Wonders. Just behind the entrance of the Explore Zone there used to be a dry slide that would allow guests to slide down to the entrance of The Magic Carpets of Aladdin attraction. The slide was sealed off early into DisneyQuest's operation and never reopened. The Wonderland Cafe used to sell cheesecake from Cheesecake Factory. Ride the Comix was a virtual reality experience that saw guests enter the comic book world (a series of custom characters created for this attraction as Disney did not yet own Marvel or any other comic characters) wielding a lightsaber-like sword (Disney did not yet own Star Wars either). Once inside guests would battle these villainous characters as best they could--I never fared that well. The attraction was removed in the last two years of DisneyQuest's operation with the former attraction space briefly being used for additional FoodQuest seating before eventually being walled off entirely. In its early years Cheesecake Factory Express/FoodQuest had two sections for food service that offered different options but as demand shifted, the menu became more limited and eventually only one service area was used. FoodQuest was the virtual theme park's quick service venue (there were no table service options in DisneyQuest) and was previously known as Cheesecake Factory Express. The top floor of DisneyQuest offered a great view of the theming in the Venture Port... And an incredible view when looking down! The hours I must have spent playing this sound battle game... A look down at Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters... DisneyQuest had no shortage of pinball machines! A look at the ride platforms for Ride the Comix! in the Score! Zone. Invasion! An extraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter was a virtual reality simulator themed as an extension of the story of X-S Tech previously found in the Alien Encounter attraction at the Magic Kingdom. A few of the custom villains designed for the Ride the Comix! experience. Some of the design maquettes for Invasion's alien creatures were featured outside of the ride entrance. Ugly little buggers... Like a boss. X-S Tech's Chairman Clench reprised his role in the attraction's pre-show video loop to add further connection to the Magic Kingdom attraction that it outlived. A digital representation of the vehicle guests would pilot via simulator in Invasion. A look inside... Three gunners and one pilot would be hosted in this nearly 360 visual experience. For Larry... A look down at the Mighty Ducks Pinball Slam. Some more modern arcade games... Including a branded four-person air hockey table! The seating area for Wonderland Cafe was also initially host to the Wonderland Web Adventures offering... Basically an early version of an internet cafe built upon a custom web browser featuring animation and interactions with the Cheshire Cat. The computers were removed from this seating area a few years into DisneyQuest's operation. The Game Pit in the Score! Zone lead to a series of themed rooms that featured different arcade games. Though the games were swapped out over the years, the themed spaces were never altered. This was a frequent visit location for me... Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters was a very different experience that the attraction of the same name in Disneyland. A combination of bumper cars and a shooting dark ride, these custom vehicles would allow a driver and a pilot to sit side by side, driving over balls to collect projectiles to aim at the targets on these vehicles. If the targets on an opponent's vehicles were hit successfully, the vehicles would spin out of control for a few minutes before resuming operation. A detail I didn't notice until my last visit was this wacky set of scribbled equations in the carpet of the Create Zone... According to one Imagineer who worked on the DisneyQuest project this was the "equation of fun" that equaled DisneyQuest. Sid's Create-A-Toy was an offering that allowed guests to choose from a virtual toy box of parts to assemble a custom action figure of your design... If you were satisfied with your design you had the option to purchase your digital creation in the physical form of an actual action figure. CyberSpace Mountain was the star attraction of DisneyQuest and easily the most popular for guests inside. The Design Center allowed guests to select a combination of track maneuvers for a virtual roller coaster... Bill Nye served as your design host as you chose a planet.... You chose a ride speed... On a scale of 0 to 5, 5 being the most intense your design was rated. If you weren't satisfied with your ranking you could go back and edit the track design to tame down or intensify your ride experience. The end of the design experience allowed guests to name their creation. These ride pods seated two guests at a time and were capable of 360 degree pitch and yaw, forward and back and laterally. The Animation Academy was a digital version of the popular experience previously found at Disney's Hollywood Studios and still offered at Disney California Adventure. Instead of a physical sketch pad and pencil, a digital screen and stylus allowed guests to learn to sketch some of their favorite characters. In this way, the experience was unique to DisneyQuest. The Radio Disney Music Maker experience allowed guests to enter a booth where they could assemble song lyrics and define the style and singer of their newly created song. If they liked their creation, they had the ability to buy the song in the form of a MP3 CD, something that was incredibly impressive when it debuted in 1998. The spot where the Explore Zone slide used to exit. The exit section of the slide was cut off and sealed over and few guests ever knew that something previously existed here. The entrance of The Magic Carpets of Aladdin features the Genie, a character who also served as the host of the Venture Port as introduced during the Cybrolator show experience. Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Buccaneer Gold debuted a few years after DisneyQuest opened, replacing Hercules in the Underworld but using the same 3-D screen technology. Virtual Jungle Cruise featured a cross between Dinosaur and Jungle Cruise with riders paddling through a pre-historic river moments before the giant asteroid impact that destroyed most life forms on Earth (Dr. Marsh!). Riders would attempt to find the radio that allowed them to go back in time in the first place... But I never managed to beat the game (I don't know of anyone that did). Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Buccaneer Gold allowed guests to shoot other pirate ships (and other creatures) for their gold while one guest piloted the ship. The cannons on this ride were a pre-cursor to the shooters used in Toy Story Midway Mania almost a decade later. The Magic Carpets of Aladdin was actually tested to a limited group of guests in Epcot's Innoventions in 1997. This was one of the first general public installations of interactive virtual reality and the experience control system was custom designed for Disney's development. The pre-show video was distinctly corny in the best way. Guests wore a unique helmet that they adjusted with a clickable back knob. The helmet connected to the VR headset and guests sat on their "magic carpets" using a control column akin to that of an airplane. The control column allowed for left-right tilting, forward-back pulling of the control "wheel" and the "wheel" could be tilted back and forth to move the carpets forward and back. This game actually had the ability to see and talk to other pilots sitting next to you and the game could be won or lost depending on which path you took on this pre-curser to a free-roaming game environment. The Explore Zone used to feature a remote control jeep attraction called "Treasure of the Incas" which allowed guests to pilot these vehicles in a crystal maze that could be seen beneath guests' feet in this area. The technology was incredibly impressive but problematic and the vehicles would often run out of power or get stuck along the narrow corridors of the maze. The attraction was ended only a few years after DisneyQuest opened but the maze floor remained visible for many years to follow. The former control consoles for these jeeps were replaced with a fleet of Jambo Safari games (a personal favorite of mine) where they stayed until DisneyQuest's closure. Jambo! Wreck-It Ralph became an unofficial mascot of DisneyQuest in the attraction's final years with him added to video loops outside, this statue being featured in various locations of the attraction over the years and a series of playable Fix-It Felix cabinets being added to DisneyQuest's lineup for a few years after the film debuted. As a bonus, I recently looked up some history on DisneyQuest Chicago (which I never had the chance to visit) but I was curious to see what became of the attraction space after it closed... After scouring the internet archives for the exact location of the former attraction I found this building in Google Maps... It appears that much of the first floor was left intact from an entrance structure perspective. The curvature of the building was retained but the glossy blue and purple alucobond tiles were painted a less dramatic silver/grey to blend in more with the surrounding cityscape--whereas the former attraction's paint scheme was meant to accomplish the opposite. If I ever get to Chicago, I will go out of my way to visit this structure if only to see with my own eyes how much if anything was retained from the past DisneyQuest structure.

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