jedimaster1227

https://blog.universalorlando.com/whats-new/bill-and-ted-farewell-tour/

Universal Studios has sent us a press release about the return of the SAW franchise to Halloween Horror Nights!

Universal Studios has sent us a press release about the return of the SAW franchise to Halloween Horror Nights!

http://www.hersheypark.com/2018/

Universal Studios Hollywood has sent us a press release announcing the presence of the Titans of Terror at this year's Halloween Horror Nights in two new experiences!

(continued) The interior door to Club 33 as seen from Mickey Avenue. It was my first time seeing Stitch Encounter, and while the experience was in Mandarin, I was able to get the gist of it! At the end of the experience you help lead Stitch through a maze of corridors to escape Captain Gantu! The Tron Realm Chevrolet Digital Challenge space is absolutely gorgeous. I experienced sensory overload in here! I'm in love with this area design! Star Wars Launch Bay is tucked in the back of Tomorrowland behind Tron... It's like I'm in the Millennium Falcon! The Magic Passport is one of the neatest souvenirs I've seen in these parks. You enter your booklet into the machine only to have it automagically "stamped" with an image that matches the page... And half of the fun is finding the machines throughout the park. This would definitely be fun to see in the US parks! BB-Great! Poe's X-Wing is parked inside! The queue for Stitch Encounter features some neat artwork of Stitch's experiences while in Asia... *drools* Test Track fans may recognize this one... There was even a photo op car for guests to sit in on the Grid! Tron Realm included a ton of interactive games and exhibits--I just wish I had more time to experience all of them! I could get used to this... And by 2021, it appears I'll be able to now that it will be at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World! Marvel Universe is set up as an indoor pavilion, much like Star Wars Launch Bay. I jumped at the chance to meet Marvel characters in the park--something that I had yet to do in Florida! THWIP! The Hall of Armor in Marvel Universe. The Enchanted Storybook Castle looks great from any angle! The evening lighting was gorgeous! Ready for some fireworks! Time to Ignite the Dream! Tron looks glorious at night! Yep, I'll enjoy having this close to home. Some notable horses' shoes on the wall in the queue for Pirates of the Caribbean... Details... More details... The Dead Man's Chest in the queue for Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure. Guests queueing for Pirates can see riders float by... A full map of Treasure Cove can be hidden along the edge of Fort Snobbish! This is a theme park! Incredible! The neat mural in the queue for Voyage to the Crystal Grotto helps to tell the story of the attraction... The modern-day evolution of the Storybookland Canal Boats at Disneyland, riders sail past moving displays inspired by classic Disney animated films. The dioramas sport unique water elements that sync with the music to create a "show scene" at each stop. The beginning of the scene leads into... The reveal of the Genie in the Aladdin scene, which is pretty neat! I believe this was meant to be the "it's a small world" inspired scene. The Sorcerer's Apprentice! Tangled! Mulan drew several cheers from our boat! The Little Mermaid!

Over the last two weeks I had the opportunity to experience my first entirely new Disney theme parks in over a decade... This time for my honeymoon! Over ten years ago I visited Japan for a short term study abroad trip with my high school (one of several). During that trip I was able to experience Tokyo DisneySea (albeit briefly), a theme park that amazed me with its unique offerings and unbroken visual design dripping with detail in every direction. I've long since dreamed of returning to this place (and to Tokyo) and I have always hoped to do so with my eventual wife. Luckily enough about a year and a half ago as we were planning our wedding, she told me that she had an idea for our honeymoon--a trip that would span the Disney Parks of the world. And while we didn't end up planning as broad of a trip this time around, we were able to finagle a two week trip that encompassed 2.5 days at the Shanghai Disney Resort, 4 days at the Tokyo Disney Resort and four additional days to explore various parts of Tokyo. During these two weeks the two of us took roughly 7000 photos that, after lots of time spent whittling down, we've found some worth sharing. This trip report will be broken down by the specific resorts (and our time in Tokyo) and will have multiple installments given the volume of photos. If you've read any of my previous photo trip reports, especially those taken in the Disney parks, my focus is often on the little details found where the normal guests don't look. Diving right in was our start at Shanghai Disneyland and the Shanghai Disney Resort. We opted to stay at the Toy Story Hotel due to the lesser cost and the fact that we didn't plan to be in the hotel much since we wanted to get everything in the park done. The hotel was honestly really nice! The rooms were smaller than the Western standard, but given that it had a comfortable bed, a sizable shower/tub and a safe, that wasn't a concern for us. The theming inside was cute and the amount of theming was equivalent to that of which you'd find in the Art of Animation Resort at Walt Disney World. The hotel's onsite dining options were all better than expected and the guest service we experienced throughout was definitely a highlight of our time in Shanghai. Moving on to Shanghai Disneyland, it is important to note that this is the first Disney theme park built in over a decade (the last Disney park to open was Walt Disney Studios Park Paris). This park was designed to be "authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese" and it definitely feels like a departure from the previous standards of a castle park. The America-inspired/infused Main Street USA has been swapped for a character-infused Mickey Avenue at the entrance of the park. Adventureland has been replaced with Adventure Isle and Treasure Cove, two unique lands with some of the most unique experiences Disney has ever developed. Fantasyland hosts modern takes on classic attractions with new ride systems and repurposed ones used for new themes. Tomorrowland breaks the mold with a non-traditional coaster experience (one that this particular fan has been drooling over since it was first announced), the best shooting dark ride Disney has ever developed, an abstract approach to the Astro Orbiter and an area design that takes cues from the underrated film of the same name to create a multi-level visual experience unlike anything Disney has done before. The traditional castle has been beefed up, filled with some of the best castle offerings from other parks around the world and plussed with the addition of a unique boat ride that weaves through Fantasyland and underneath the castle. The bottom line is, this park is modern Disney. It is designed to distinguish itself which it does--and then some. A week and a half after I left, I'm still processing all that I saw and experienced. From an experience standpoint, I'm not going to dive deep into some of the less positive things that the park has gotten some publicity form. Some of the things reported have been true. Some of the things reported we didn't experience during our visit. Different cultures handle foreign products and processes differently and while there has been some incompatibility reported, I truly believe that given time, the experience will level out. As a Disney fan, I don't regret visiting the park and I would still recommend it to others like me. Our first look at Mickey from inside of the Guest Relations area outside of the park. There's plenty of comic relief. This is a very different kind of Disney stage shown than you've seen before... But for that reason, it actually works quite well! The transformation of the stage is a really neat moment. There's something special about seeing Jack Sparrow floating in the middle of a twister! Few have encountered an F5 and lived to tell the tale... We started our first morning at the Toy Story Hotel with some unique breakfast options... A Sausage Roll, a Mickey Blueberry Muffin, Pineapple Bread and Blueberry Gatorade (remember, Shanghai Disneyland has an agreement with Pepsi Co. unlike the rest of the parks that are partnered with Coca-Cola. The entrance of the park features a new take on the traditional train station, even though the park does not currently have a railroad. Shanghai Disneyland offers "Premier Access" as a purchasable Fastpass option. Roughly $70 for a set of seven attractions, this is without a doubt the best way to experience the park's major attractions. Given the capacity of the park and the popularity associated, wait times for most attractions exceed 60 minutes (at minimum) with some hitting peaks of 280 minutes. Enchanted Storybook Castle represents the royalty of Disney lore as opposed to the traditional approach of having the castle belong to one princess alone. Inside you have a castle walkthrough experience (akin to the ones found in California and Tokyo), a Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (like the one at Walt Disney World) and a restaurant. Out front is a stage for daytime shows and a viewing space for the fireworks/laser/water/projection show "Ignite the Dream." A signature boat ride starting in Fantasyland has its finale in a cave beneath the castle as well. Overall this is a massive complex! The entrance portal for Treasure Cove... Wise words... The pre-show space for The Eye of the Storm show at Shanghai Disneyland is way bigger than I expected... And the experience is a clever one. The conceit of the show is that actors are performing a retelling of a Jack Sparrow story... Fastpass is a must in this park! Buzz Lightyear Planet Rescue is easily the best version of the classic attraction. Physical sets with embedded digital targets! The snack game at Shanghai Disneyland was on point! Potato Gems with Pork Floss and Jumbo Spring Rolls in Tomorrowland for the win! The guests chosen to be Grand Marshalls of the Storybook Express parade drive along the parade route in a very nice looking Chevrolet! A neat way to see the characters start the parade! The lead float of Mickey's Storybook Express parade features Casey Jr., Dumbo, one of the birds from Pixar's "For the Birds" & Donald Duck. Hiya Donald! The Seven Dwarfs... The Toy Story float is quite nice! Lots of neat details to be found on the Tangled float! Flynn Rider and Rapunzel! A nod to Tom Staggs? These characters serve as the lead in for the Finding Nemo float. Nigel! The Frozen float is wonderful! There's a full size Marshmallow! The Mulan float garnered the strongest reaction from the crowd... And I'm in love with those embedded flamethrowers! The final float of the parade appears to be used for a rotational character spotlight (in the front), currently showing off Judy and Nick. Neat to see the Zootopia characters in the parade! Very different views to take in while riding this version of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train coaster... Dive! Dive! Dive! Slightly different than the one at the Magic Kingdom in Florida... Dopey makes a surprise last appearance at the end of the ride... I'm just going to leave this here... We tried the Roasted Duck Pizza and the Grilled Eel with Rice during our visit to the Pinocchio Village Kitchen. The eel was my favorite! Tarzan: Call of the Jungle features setup similar to a theater-in-the-round minus one side of seating. The Tarzan: Call of the Jungle show features a more abstract take on the film's story, adding in acrobatics and stunts along the way. On Mickey Avenue the Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf have businesses adjacent to each other... Neat to see something I saw as a maquette at the last D23 Expo brought to life in person. Any Lambert fans out there? Some notable beards and mustaches... Nice! The entrance to Club 33 from Mickey Avenue in Shanghai Disneyland...

Morimoto Asia is now doing a late night promotion that is a great deal. Guests can now visit the Forbidden Lounge from 10:00 p.m. - close and enjoy select crave-bale dishes from the late night menu in and select cocktails for just $8.00.

We're back for the final day of the D23 Expo 2017! We'll have more photos from the show floor to share today!' Like a Fastpass for shopping, Storepass is still available for Mickey's of Glendale, the Dream Store & the Disney Store! The Ultimate Fan Street Party at the #D23Expo just rolled through the show floor! [twitter] [/twitter] Checking out the Disney Dream Store at the #D23Expo 2017! Space Mountain, Star Tours, Pirates of the Caribbean & Epcot all have anniversary merchandise at the Disney Dream Store! "We wants The Redhead!" A new Hipster Minnie figure is available for purchase at the Disney Dream Store at the D23 Expo. Vinyl records of classic attraction and film soundtracks can be purchased at the Disney Dream Store at the D23 Expo. There is a new 360 degree VR experience presented by The Lion King available to test out on the D23 Expo 2017 show floor! Any Funko fans out there? We found Oogie Boogie on the D23 Expo show floor! The Disney Animation pavilion at the D23 Expo features a short preview of the upcoming Wreck-It Ralph sequel! Guests are lined up at the Disney Parks pavilion for a look at the model for Star Wars Galaxy's Edge! The Oh My Disney pavilion on the D23 Expo show floor features unique programming throughout the day including special guests! Fans of the classic Disney Home Entertainment releases will love this unique cosplay! Time for the Voices of the @DisneyParks Presentation! You can take a photo with Oswald and Ortensia on the D23 Expo show floor! Actor Bob Joles will be the new voice of the Disneyland Railroad when it reopens later this month! Even more cosplayers at the D23 Expo! Guests have had a chance at the D23 Expo to jump into Scrooge McDuck's Coin Vault from DuckTales on DisneyXD. There's a Thor: Ragnarok video opportunity for guests to enjoy on the D23 Expo show floor. The D23 Expo Emporium is a section of the show floor dedicated to independent vendors where collectibles can be purchased. At one booth we found an old poster from Disney's California Adventure! Any fans of the former Alfredo restaurant at Epcot's Italy Pavilion? Guests had the chance to experience "The Voices of Jim Cummings" on the Center Stage at the D23 Expo. Billy Hill and the Hillbillies also performed on the Center Stage at this year's D23 Expo! A Jedinosaur visits the @DisneyParks pavilion at the #D23Expo 2017... They are here to change the world! The stars of @tangledseries @TheMandyMoore and @ZacharyLevi greet guests on the #D23Expo show floor! Pirates of the Caribbean fans have this photo op to enjoy at the #D23Expo 2017! Disney Vacation Club has a virtual reality experience at their booth as well! Just like at the @DisneyParks the D23 Expo offers a location for guests to indulge in Pin Trading. A guest is cosplaying as Oswald the Lucky Rabbit! Thrilled to see UniqloUSA at the D23 Expo this year! They're even offering early launch items for guests of the event! Coffee is a little more magical with the help of Mickey Mouse! The Grandmaster and Valkyrie's costumes from Thor Ragnarok can be seen at the Marvel pavilion. A different take on the Dapper Dans! At the D23 Expo you can see three Sphero Disney products, all available to test out while here! Another look at the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad car on the D23 Expo show floor! A fan of Paint the Night created his own Cars segment costume to wear throughout the show floor at the D23 Expo. The Beast is here at the D23 Expo! She's Yondu Poppins y'all! Drax, Mantis and Gamora assemble on the D23 Expo 2017 show floor! Statues of the children of Thanos as they will appear in Avengers Infinity War were revealed yesterday at the Marvel pavilion. Ghost Rider's car and L.O.L.A. from Marvel's Agents of SHIELD as seen outside of the D23 Expo. That concludes our live coverage of the D23 Expo 2017!

Morimoto Asia has sent us a notice that on July 29th they will be celebrating National Chicken Wing Day with their special recipe wings!

Seated and ready for the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts presentation! Bob Chapek is here to tell us about the future of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts at the D23 Expo! [twitter] [/twitter] Guests of the Disney Parks presentation will get a pin from one of the parks around the world! The new title for the Star Wars land at Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disneyland Park will be Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge! Captain Rex from Star Tours will appear in this new themed land along with other familiar Star Wars characters. Watch out for bounty hunters in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge! Captain Rex will be a DJ in the new cantina Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge! Disneyland will open their Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge first. Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway ride has been announced for Disney's Hollywood Studios! Guests will step into the screen of a Mickey Mouse short and get on the train piloted by Goofy in this attraction... [twitter] [/twitter] The Great Movie Ride will close on August 13th, 2017 at Disney's Hollywood Studios to begin work on Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. Time for news about Epcot! Ratatouille is coming to the France pavilion at Epcot! A new, seamless Circlevision film is coming to the China Pavilion! Guardians of the Galaxy is coming to Epcot! Tron Lightcycle Power Run is coming to the Magic Kingdom in time for the park's 50th Anniversary! Mission: Space will open with a new Green Mission film for families and a reanimated Orange Mission! The Disney Skyliner gondola system will debut at Walt Disney World! A new theater attraction will open on Main Street USA at the Magic Kingdom! The "Minnie Van" uber-like driving service has been announced for the Walt Disney World Resort. Disney's Hotel Riviera, a Disney Vacation Club Resort has been announced for Walt Disney World. A look at some of the designs guests can expect on the outside of the Disney Skyliner gondolas. It was announced that Disney Cruise Line has expanded their order from two new ships to three, with their 7th ship in the set to debut in 2023! Ships 5, 6 and 7 will launch in 2021, 2022 and 2023 respectively. Toy Story Land will open at Disney's Hollywood Studios next Summer! Pixar Fest is coming to the Disneyland Resort next Summer with new entertainment offerings at both parks! Pixar Play Parade will move to Disneyland so Paint the Night can debut at Disney's California Adventure! Next year Paradise Pier at Disney California Adventure will permanently become Pixar Pier! Cars Land Haul-o-ween will debut this year at Disney California Adventure! Disney's Hotel New York: The Art of Marvel will open at Disneyland Paris! Spider-Man and the Avengers will have an increased presence in Disney California Adventure with a future expansion! Fantasmic will have a surprise return tonight at Disneyland with all Walt Disney Parks and Resorts D23 presentation guests getting priority access! An overhead look at the reimagined Future World coming to Epcot! New concept art for the two attractions Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge! A look at the new coaster coming to Shanghai Disneyland as a part of the new Toy Story Land. A new table service restaurant will open near Mission: Space at Epcot that will give guests an unparalleled view! [twitter] [/twitter] [twitter] [/twitter] [twitter] [/twitter]

Theme Park Review is here at the D23 Expo 2017, starting the weekend off with a look at the incredible new @starwars land model! The detail in this Star Wars land model is incredible! The model is absolutely gigantic! Rockwork and large outpost structures will make up this immersive world when it debuts at Disneyland and Walt Disney World in 2019! Rockwork and large outpost structures will make up this immersive world when it debuts at Disneyland Park and the Walt Disney World Resort in 2019! The guests represented in the model give a sense of scale to the land. This will be absolutely incredible! Guests will find the presence of the First Order in this Star Wars land to be significant... The @starwars land has large city streets & more narrow back alleys to explore or they can venture beyond to the ruins. Here is the model of the ride vehicle for the First Order battle escape attraction in the Star Wars land. The ruins on the edge of the Star Wars land have become the home of the Resistance. And there will be a lot to see here! A new landspeeder that guests may see when visiting the Star Wars land... Bob Iger is onstage at Hall D23 for the start of the Disney Legends presentation! Bob Iger confirmed that twelve million guests have visited the Shanghai Disney Resort since it opened 13 months ago! Anika Noni Rose performs "I Can Go The Distance" from Hercules as a tribute to all past Disney Legends. The ceremony has begun! Oprah Winfrey has been named a Disney Legend! Garry Marshall has been honored posthumously as a Disney Legend. The stars of Dancing with the Stars perform a tribute to the minds behind the comics and animation of Disney's past. Stan Lee is honored as a Disney Legend for his contributions to Marvel over the years. The ceremony has begun! Oprah Winfrey has been named a Disney Legend! Manuel Gonzalez has been honored posthumously as an artist & animator who contributed to Disney's Sunday comics & animated films. Cadaver Dans & cast from Dancing with the Stars performed a Haunted Mansion-inspired routine to honor Disney Legend Wayne Jackson. Bob Iger reads a letter from Billie Lourd regarding Carrie Fisher's posthumous honor as a Disney Legend. Bob Iger introduces Mark Hamill as a Disney Legend! Whoopi Goldberg is a surprise addition to this year's Disney Legends awards! Julie Taymor is honored as a Disney Legend for her work on Disney's theatrical productions, most notably The Lion King. The D23 Expo 2017 Disney Legends presentation concluded with a live performance of "He Lives In You" by the cast of The Lion King! This First Order Lieutenant Uniform is one of the many outfits you may see cast members wearing in the @starwars land. Some of the native instruments you may see and hear while exploring the Star Wars land at Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disneyland. This Resistance Turret is located amongst the ruins on the outskirts of the outpost @starwars land. If you look closely you can spot the Millennium Falcon parked at this alien outpost. One of the most inventive cosplays we've seen today at the D23 Expo. There's a former train car from the Disneyland Railroad on display at the D23 Expo show floor! The Van Eaton Galleries Auctions has one of the original Disneyland Submarine Voyage sea serpents on display. Some custom pieces of art inspired by Pirates of the Caribbean! This piece is filled with references to other Disney films... Can you spot them all? This custom model features the entrance buildings for all Pirates of the Caribbean attractions at Disney Parks around the world! At the Marvel booth you can see several costumes from the upcoming film Black Panther,. A full look at Thanos, the villain of Marvel Studios' Avengers: Infinity War as seen at the D23 Expo. There are an additional four displays at the Marvel pavilion set to be revealed after tomorrow's studios presentation. The Marvel booth also has a model of the new Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout! Olaf is starring in a new Frozen short film that will be shown before Pixar's Coco Check out this neat photo op for the short at the D23 Expo! It was just announced that Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy on Disney XD will have a third season inspired by Mission: Breakout! Look out for Hades! Some more cosplayers at the D23 Expo... Here's a look at the season poster for @Guardians of the Galaxy Mission: Breakout! on Disney XD! The @DisneyMusicEmp has a large selection of vinyl soundtracks including a collection of vinyls from the The Defenders Netflix series. For all of your super shade needs... The Walt Disney Archives is presenting several costumes from recent live action Disney films. There's even a show kitchen so guests can experience the popular Disney pancake making live! Towards the front of the D23 Expo show floor you can enjoy live performances by some unique bands. That concludes our coverage of the first day of the D23 Expo 2017! We'll be back early tomorrow morning for more exciting news!

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge - Battle Attraction Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge - Millennium Falcon Attraction Disney California Adventure's Paradise Pier becomes Pixar Pier! The Disney Riviera Resort will open at the Walt Disney World Resort! The Guardians of the Galaxy are coming to Epcot! They will be moving into the pavilion currently occupied by the Universe of Energy (Ellen's Energy Adventure). Guests will see all of the popular Guardians up close in this new attraction. Mission Space will reopen from its current refurbishment with a fully reanimated Orange (Intense) Mission and an entirely new Green (Less Intense) Mission for guests to enjoy. Ratatouille is coming to Epcot's France pavilion in a new section of the pavilion. The new attraction will be similar to the one found at Disney Studios Park Paris. Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway will replace the Great Movie Ride. This is the first attraction to feature Mickey Mouse. The ride will see guests entering a movie theater to watch Mickey Mouse shorts only to have their short interrupted by Goofy. From there they will literally enter the screen to board their ride vehicle. The ride will also mark the debut of Walt Disney Imagineering's custom technology dubbed "2.5D," a method of creating flat images in three dimensional space view physical set movement combined with projection mapping technology. Toy Story Land will open in the Summer of 2018! A Tron attraction similar to the Tron Lightcycle Power Run in Shanghai Disneyland will open in a new area of Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom in time for the park's 50th anniversary. Also new to the Magic Kingdom is the debut of a new performance theater that will host shows similar in style to Frozen: The Musical and Aladdin: The Musical as seen at Disney California Adventure. The new Tron attraction will be located in a new portion of the Tomorrowland and will not affect Storybook Circus or the Tomorrowland Speedway attraction with its debut. Some of the designs guests may see for the Disney Skyliner vehicles. The Disney Skyliner is a new but familiar transportation system linking resorts and parks in the Epcot and Hollywood Studios areas. Disney's own uber-like Minnie Van service was announced during the D23 Expo Walt Disney Parks and Resorts presentation. Hyper-themed spaces within this resort will maintain the story of the new property when it debuts at the Walt Disney World Resort. All guest rooms with the Star Wars themed resort will have windows that provide an impressive view of outer space. Also announced was the creation of an immersive Star Wars themed resort hotel that will immerse guests in a multi-day, personalized Star Wars adventure that will be unique for each guest. A surprise for all attendees, Disney Cruise Line announced that their original order for two new ships has been expanded to an order for three! The Disneyland Hotel New York will sport a new theme as it becomes the Disneyland Hotel New York: The Art of Marvel.

Hello Everyone! This weekend Theme Park Review has been at the D23 Expo 2017 covering all of the latest in Disney news! Be sure to keep an eye on this thread for press releases and photos along with photo updates as the rest of the weekend goes on! Updates and News: Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Model Photos Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Announcements D23 Expo Day One Photo Report D23 Expo Day Two Photo Report D23 Expo Day Three Photo Report

Morimoto Asia has sent us a notice about their upcoming Craft Beers & Bites Festival, allowing guests to enjoy a unlimited food and tricks for a great cause! Tickets can be purchased at MorimotoAsia.com.

The structure itself was designed to survive the Florida climate for decades... The ride's maintenance was more reliant on the continual upkeep of the track itself. The track at this point would require significant replacement to get Gwazi up and running (in its current state) but the coaster structure itself is more than sound. I contend that if Busch were concerned for the structure's stability or had no further use for it, they would have torn down the coaster some time ago. The continued presence of what was once Gwazi smack-dab in the middle of the park with clear visibility to all guests lends credence to the notion that the park has plans for the space and the structures within.

Today Theme Park Review was invited to preview Kraken Unleashed, the new virtual reality experience taking over the classic Kraken B&M floorless coaster at SeaWorld Orlando. This new offering brings an added level of story to the otherwise straightforward coaster and manages to retcon the presence of Journey to Atlantis in the park to form a thematic corner in which the two attractions are now more closely connected. The coaster's queue structures have been lightly refreshed to take on a new theming; gone are the Mediterranean architectural influences and in their place are metal and futuristic design elements that indicate that this is a scientific research facility. Once inside of the coaster station, the loading and dispatch process has been updated to reflect the updated restraints and most importantly, the securing of the VR headsets. Kraken Unleashed is not a mandatory experience, allowing riders to opt out of the virtual reality in favor of the more traditional coaster experience. At the end of each ride, ride attendants will clean each headset with a sanitation wipe before putting it in the secure box attached to the coaster restraints. It is one of the few VR coaster experiences around the world that does not have an age restriction, rather relying purely on the guest's height to determine if they are eligible to ride based on a 54 inches height restriction. The over the shoulder restraints have been modified to feature a new grip as well as metal bars that hold up the resting container for the VR headsets. At the beginning of each ride, the ride attendants assist riders with securing their headsets and adjusting the lens to ensure that riders get the most visual clarity out of their virtual reality experience. At the end of each ride, ride attendants will clean each headset with a sanitation wipe before putting it in the secure box attached to the coaster restraints. Looking at these processes and the added work required to load, unload and dispatch trains certainly impacts the operation. Kraken has traditionally had multiple trains in operation and has had a solid hourly capacity, but now with the above-mentioned causes for delays, the dispatch times are significantly higher than what most past riders will remember. This will likely present a challenge for SeaWorld, especially during the busy Summer ahead. It has yet to be confirmed if the other trains used by Kraken previous have been/will be updated for this new experience but SeaWorld will be launching a new virtual queueing option with the grand opening of Kraken Unleashed, which will hopefully help the park in reducing wait time for this coaster. From a detail and story standpoint, Kraken Unleashed succeeds in some unexpected ways. It was fitting that my first VR coaster would also be the first major roller coaster I rode as a child growing up. Kraken Unleashed brings a compelling and fast-paced story that synchronizes audio, motion and the maneuvers of the floorless coaster's track layout to bring together an immersive experience that caught me by surprise. There were few moments where the VR shown didn't pair perfectly with the train's movements (those moments came most towards the end of the coaster) but aside from that, the VR film managed to integrate a good number of the coaster's more uniquely-felt moments. Kraken Unleashed ties together two of the park's thrill attractions, built in the heyday of SeaWorld Adventure Park when the focus was on thrill rides and not on theming. With this update, there's a slight increase in theming throughout the queue to help ground the new story. It manages to tell a new and exciting story that explains why Journey to Atlantis is present in the park. With the only other VR coaster experience currently offered in Orlando being Freedom Flyer VR at Fun Spot America, this new experience stands out as a quality plussing of a classic but in some ways tired coaster. If SeaWorld Orlando can nail down their operating procedures to focus on reducing dispatch times, I believe that this could be a big draw for the park, providing an influx of new and repeat guests eager to see the changes to this notable coaster. About to head in! We visited SeaWorld Orlando this morning to check out Kraken Unleashed! We're in the right place! The park signage has been updated to highlight Kraken Unleashed! The entrance and queue for the attraction have been refreshed to reflect the new story as seen within the VR experience. The inside of the station has been given some new tech upgrades as well to help keep the dispatch times down. We were pleasantly surprised! Kraken Unleashed is a really good VR experience! And it ties into Journey to Atlantis in a really neat way! A look at the side profile of the modified seats on Kraken Unleashed. The story of Kraken Unleashed retcons the presence of Journey to Atlantis in SeaWorld by explaining how the city came to the surface during your Kraken Unleashed ride experience. Guests have the option to ride Kraken Unleashed without the VR headsets for a more traditional coaster experience. The Kraken Unleashed VR experience synchronizes the visuals with the coaster's maneuvers to provide an immersive ride. The Kraken Unleashed queue has been updated to feel more like the scientific research facility seen at the start of the VR experience. The KRKN Launch Station is where your submarine will depart Launch Bay Alpha to begin your Kraken Unleashed experience. The former Mediterranean architectural elements have been covered with research facility design elements to help set the setting for the ride's new story. The company behind this expedition appears to have several tours available for guests to enjoy. Subtle changes for those that knew the former queue design, but they do make a little bit of difference. Noted! Also noted! Another look at the updated Kraken Unleashed entrance. A full rundown of notes for potential riders of Kraken Unleashed... This is still the Kraken you know and love, but with even more fun thanks to the new VR experience! The old Kraken cave has been updated with the removal of the old eggs but the addition of the Kraken's tentacle. The addition of the VR headsets adds a significant amount of effort in getting guests ready for dispatch and as a result, the dispatch times for Kraken will inevitably increase. The Kraken Unleashed station has been given some tech upgrades including the same kind of dispatch monitor as found in Mako's station. Do you see our Rider Cam POV video? If not, stop what you're doing, scroll to the top of this post and watch it all the way through! Signage throughout the park reminds guests that the new experience is now available to enjoy at SeaWorld Orlando. Journey to Atlantis and Kraken Unleashed are now more closely tied in story thanks to the new VR experience! When Kraken Unleashed was first announced, this image was shared from the ride experience and many assumed that this was the namesake Kraken... But they were wrong. Without spoiling anything, this scene is a significant part of the story of how Journey to Atlantis ends up above water. Dive! Dive! Dive! Special thanks to SeaWorld Orlando for inviting us to try out Kraken Unleashed. With ability to enjoy the classic coaster experience with or without the new VR headsets, this refreshed offering plusses Kraken in many way. The Kraken dispatch team manages to ensure that the VR headsets are snug and secure at all times. You explore the ocean waters alongside these submarines along your journey. A dark and ominous drop off is never a good thing for a story to have... And here it is no different.

Cedar Point has sent us a press release announcing the return of Iron Dragon: VR as well as the launch of "The Battle for Cedar Point" augmented-reality game! Courtesy of Cedar Point. Courtesy of Cedar Point.

Morimoto Asia has sent us a note about their upcoming Father's Day promotion!

Playland's Castaway Cove has sent us notice confirming that Gale Force is officially open!

If you've been following @ThemeParkReview on Twitter, you may have noticed that on a daily basis several trip reports from our forum members have been highlighted. If you haven't been following us on Twitter, stop what you're doing and go follow the account--then you can return to this post for some more information! Theme Park Review's forums have always been a place for members to share their trip reports from theme parks and attractions across the globe... And with the onset of social media, we've been given an outlet to share those reports with an even larger audience! To give you an idea of what we look for when selecting trip reports to be featured, here are a few tips. We're looking for strong trip reports that feature quality photos (more than just a handful) and commentary (not just pictures). Unique destinations or seldom-seen theme parks and attractions (past and present) are welcomed, but so are the more mainstream parks. We know the big theme parks in major destinations (Disney, Universal, SeaWorld, Cedar Point, etc...) will have more trip reports and that's not a problem--we'll pick the ones that stand out, even if there are multiple in a week. Construction photos updates as always welcome, provided they are taken from approved areas without breaking any rules. Please refer to our Terms of Service if you have any questions. Trip reports showing people breaking park rules (trespassing, going into backstage areas, taking on-ride photos or video on attractions where this isn't allowed, etc...) will not be tolerated. Do not ask or push for your trip report to be featured--there are no guarantees that any trip report will be highlighted. Attached below are a few examples of trip reports we've featured on Twitter using these guidelines... They should give you an idea of some of the content we look for! Thank you for sharing your trip reports with Theme Park Review--we look forward to continuing to feature your content! http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1788546#p1788546 http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1792862#p1792862 http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1785955#p1785955 http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1791997#p1791997

Universal has sent us a press release announcing the newest house coming to Halloween Horror Nights this year!

Universal has sent us a press release announcing the newest house coming to Halloween Horror Nights this year!