multimueller

Thank you so much, Jack. That really means a lot to me.

And all the shows at Walt Disney World are so incredibly well made that they appeal to kids of all ages. That's a huge difference to most parks in Europe: Over here we do have attractions for kids, but they are designed to be enjoyed by kids and their parents. They are "doing it for the kids". More so most grown-ups over here would never visit a theme park without kids, as this would be considered awkward. By the way: I found some more nighttime shots: This is the Chinese pavillion at Epcot A panoramic shot of Fantasmic! And here is the show's host: Mickey Mouse

“So where will you go on vacation this year, Tom?” “I think it will be Theme Parks in Orlando again.” “And what will you do besides Theme Parks?” “Let me explain, why this question is nonsense: I’ll get up 6am in the morning – which is easy when you are jet lagged – I’ll have breakfast at 7am, so I’ll have enough time to drive to the park, take the tram to the ticket center, get my tickets, take the boat over the lake and will be at the park a quarter to nine to attend the opening show. I’ll stay there until midnight, so I can catch some rides after the fireworks when the lines are shorter. Then I take the monorail back to the parking lot, so I’ll be in the hotel again at 1am.” I’ve had this conversation a dozen of times and while it is slightly different each time, one thing always remains the same: the puzzled faces of my friends when I tell them how long a day at a theme park in Orlando really can be. And I absolutely love long days in a Theme Park. Isn’t it amazing when it finally gets cooler after a really hot day and all the lights come up? And the icing on the cake – of course – is the evening entertainment: shows and fireworks. They always make feel like a child. With aching feet. Even though Avatar is not open yet, Animal Kingdom is a magical place at night The tree of life show is really amazing Fantasmic! is the best way to end a day at Disney's Hollywood Studios And you can have a seat. That's a plus. When it comes to fireworks, nothing beats IllumiNations Especially the finale is absolutely amazing Even when seen from the parking lot Or from the pavillion in Japan But my show #1 is still the Fireworks display at the Magic Kingdom Nothing beats standing on Main Street U.S.A. and looking up to the castle Walt and Mickey would agree!

I live in Bonn for 7 years now. The city is surrounded by a web of motorways and I still get completely lost without a GPS. But I always find the shortest way back from any Disney Park to the hotels at Bonnet Creek. Home is where the heart is. By the way ... I just dug up some hotel pictures I could not find yesterday. And I just remembered a story about how extraordinary service can be. Some time ago I stayed at the grand Floridian and they had just introduced Magic Bands for paying, opening the door to your room and getting into the park. At that time the system had some major hiccups. When I returned home I received an online survey, which I completed, writing about the problems that occurred. The same day I got an e-mail from a Disney representative who asked if he could call me. So we had a talk, I explained the problems and some days later I got a letter from Disney that basically said “The guy who shows this letter, will stay one night for free”. I kept the letter in my backpack and almost forgot about it. One day I was staying at a budget hotel and had some neighbors that really loved each other. Every night. Quite loudly. So after a day at the Magic Kingdom, I just took my chance and the boat to the Grand Floridian, showed up and showed the letter. And I got a room and a place at the bar at Cittricos within 5 minutes. Things that will never happen in Germany. This is the inside of the contemporary resort The resort monorail runs straight through it, but you also can "walk" to park This is the hotel shuttle boat for guests who stay at the Grand Floridian And this is the lobby You do not have to pay an awful lot of money for a decent stay. This is a room at the Comfort Suites next to Fun Spot in Kissimmee.

One thing that is really enjoyable about Orlando is the vast choice of hotels. No matter what your price range is, you’ll find a place to stay easily. Everybody who has tried to get a decent accommodation near places like Monument Valley, Grand Canyon or the L.A. beachfront will surely appreciate this. If you want the “full park experience”, you can book an on-site hotel at Disney or Universal, which is convenient and keep’s you “in the magic” all the time. This can be strenuous though, escpecially if you are on an “all parks”-Trip, that last 8 days or longer. But if you are into a kind of “maximum park experience” staying close to the Magic Kingdom or Universal is awesome. Taking a boat to the parks in the morning gets you in the mood for fun instantly. Hotels in the U.S. are quite different to those in Germany. First: they are basically completely smoke-free, which is fantastic. In Germany you always have the chance of ending up in a stinky smoker’s room at some hotels. Second: if you stay at a Disney Hotel and do not have a dinner reservation, there is a good chance, that you will stay hungry in the evening. Third: the staff in the hotels is commonly super-helpful, but you should not be in a hurry. For example: When we stayed at the Polynesian our in-room safe said “LOW BAT”, which could mean “I might not open tomorrow when you need to rush to the airport”. 5 minutes after we called front desk, a friendly lady from housekeeping arrived, examined the safe and called tech. 15 minutes later two ladies from tech arrived, examined the safe and concluded, that the battery would have to be replaced. Another 10 minutes later a guy with a replacement battery arrived and fixed the problem. This is what happened to us in Orlando. I promise: in a German hotel nobody would ever show up to fix the safe. After a long flight, after standing in line for immigration and customs, after fighting with the rental car guy ("No, I don't want the Zombi Apocalypse insurance, yes the Hummer is big enough for me!") nothing beats collapsing into your hotel bed for the first time. Care for some pictures? This is the Royal Pacific Hotel at Universal They have boats running to the park all day If you stay at the Grand Floridian, you can take a bus, the monorail or a boat to the Magic Kingdom This is the property as seen from the Polynesian And that's the Grand Floridian at night The grand lobby at Christmas This is a room in the Contemporary Resort And that's the polynesian If you do not want to stay on property but very close, maybe the Hilton Bonnet Creek or the Waldorf Astoria are right for you The view is quite stunning. Can you spot Spaceship Earth, Tower of Terror and Expedition Everest? And you can watch IllumiNations and Wishes and the Star Wars Fireworks from your private Balcony This is my very favorite hotel. More on this one soon ...

And we are moving on ... I’ve done quite a couple of trips to Orlando and I always enjoy taking first time visitors with me. As it is really a long trip I try to visit all parks und to "do" as much "stuff" as possible, which can be quite exhausting. In order to prevent people from freaking out (I call it the “Disney Koller”) I try to incorporate some “non-park activities”. And one of my very favorites is Kennedy Space Center. I have to admit: I totally love this place. I was 11 years old when the first Space Shuttle started from KSC and since then my fascination for space exploration remains unbroken. I believe the whole Space Center Complex is a unique piece of “living history” and I am always surprised how open NASA displays the Space Program and itself here. One of my favorite attractions is the “Astronaut Encounter”. It’s like Uncle Bob doing a slide show, with the fine difference that Uncle Bob is one of the 344 Americans that left the earth and travelled into space. It even feels like Uncle Bob doing a slide show, with the only difference, that the photos he brings were not taken on the last road trip to Reno but on board a spacecraft. It’s extraordinary. Here's a picture of my wife Regina, me and Mike Leinbach. Mike has been shuttle launch director for several years. I had the oppertunity to do a special tour with him. Almost everything in KSC is real. There is a gigantic Saturn V rocket on display and the Apollo 14 crew module “Kitty Hawk”. There is a real Apollo lunar module hanging above the entrance of a restaurant. It’s incredible. And they have this new amazing display of the Space Shuttle Atlantis. It’s stunning. It always makes me a little sad though, as the time of the Shuttle program is over now. In the past, you could see a Space Shuttle sitting on the launch pad (if you were lucky) or visit the ISS center, where modules for the International Space Station were being prepared. But I am confident, that – after this time of transition is over – we’ll travel into space again. Some private companies seem to be on their way and also NASA keeps dreaming big. The crawler that transports the Space Shuttle to the launch pad This is the firing room here all shuttle missions were supervised The historic Apollo site, where Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee died on a "plugs out test" Apollo cockpit Inside the insanely huge "Vehicle Assembly Building" Atlantis inside the VAB And as the central part of the new exhibit The Saturn V rocket Lunar module suspended next to a restaurant The "Kitty Hawk"

Alright, let’s move on to another park, shall we? Do you remember the time, when every new coaster was exiting and also scary? Back in 2001 – when I visited Universal Orlando for the first time – my “coaster career” basically consisted of the “Gebirgsbahn”, “Space Center” and the “Michael Jackson Thrillride” in Phantasiand. And “Python” in De Efteling. When I saw the green track of the Hulk Coaster for the first time, my only thought was “hell no, there is no way ever I will be riding that thing”. Two years later I was riding that thing. You never forget your first B&M. When it came to coasters with inversions I was used to be beaten up on rides like the SLC prototype in Walibi World. You can imagine my amazement when experiencing the smoothness of this green swiss made roller coaster for the first time. And the whole park blew me away, with attractions like “Spider Man” that are still so technologically advanced that they represent a league of their own. On rides like Popeye and Dudley-Do-Right I learned what Americans mean, when they say “You will get wet”. And when the Harry Potter Area opened some years later, it redefined “immersion” for me. But we germans are known for beeing champions of complaining for a reason: Over the years and with quite a number of visits, I realized that where light is, there is also some shadow: While I do not know any other park that will fascinate first-time visitors that much, “Islands of Adventure” wears off pretty fast. While most of the Disney attractions offer some solid “re-rideability” the rides here are grow old rather fast. The park is not very friendly to your stomach. Okay, it’s not a roller-coaster-only Six Flags, but most of the attractions will cause quite some nausea. And there is a lack of “nice” relaxing rides, as long as you do not want to get soaking wet. That’s why I love the new Kong ride. “Islands of Adventure” does not give you the “full day of fun” experience like Epcot or the Magic Kingdom (which can also be a good thing). If I hit the park on a slow day, I try to be there early, ride the Hulk, ride Spider Man (Nausea starts to kick in), ride Kong (love it), ride Jurassic Park (got lucky: not soaked this time!), ride Harry Potter (Nausea getting worse), ride the Dragons (I think I need a break now). By then it’s 11am and basically all the “big” attractions are done. On the plus side, I totally love “Mythos” and no visit to Islands of Adventure feels complete without a lunch at one of the best theme park restaurants. This is something, most Germans will not expect in a Theme Park: great food. While some places like Europa Park and Phantasialand do offer some great restaurants, most people here will think of “Pommes mit Currywurst” (french fries with sausage) when it comes to eating in a park. I also cannot relate to all the themed “lands” in the park. While Harry Potter and Jurassic Park really give me a feeling of “riding the movies” (walking through the Jurassic Park gates gives me goosebumps every time) “Dr. Seuss Landing” was my very first contact with the stories of Theodor Seuss Geisel (fun fact: did you know the german word “Geisel” means “hostage”?). And while I certainly knew Spider Man and the Hulk I never heard of those “X-Men” guys. A batch of Marvel Movies did change that though. I think “Islands of Adventure” makes a great combination with “Universal Studios” and the “Hogwarts Express” makes reaching each other easy. The attractions are not actuallly “stomach friendly”, especially when you have to cope with the jump in temperature and humidity and suffer from that jet lag that makes you super-hungry at 11am and sleepy all day. But the rides make up by being “oh my god I’ve never seen such a thing in my whole life”. Let's begin with the Hulk, or better "The New Hulk" Riding through the tunnel - amazing Sticking to B&M coasters: here are the not-dueling-anymore Dragons It's really a shame! You will get wet. Visiting hogwarts Mr. Dumbledore is not in his office today. The friendly conductor, or as we say "Thank you for Deutsche Bahn" Welcome to Jurassic Park Where they will spit at you before trying to eat you Kong is King and Kong is pissed The better of the two shows in the park Light is fading We close with a nice nightshot of the hulk

I think this happens when you see your "home park" with someone else's eyes. Glad you like the photos.

Yes. Of course. Happy to hear that. I'm certainly not Jack Crouse (I love his work) but I keep trying.

You wish = my command

Part I: Universal Orlando When you visit the US for the first time, there is quite a “learning curve” of things that you would not expect in the first place: Automatic transmission in cars. Never use two feet! They use “Sir” differently than in “Sir Alec Guinness”. The guy who sells pizza at the airport calls you “Sir”. That’s cool. I like it. All bank notes have the same size and look almost the same. And they are very sticky. “Yes” is not a valid reply to “Forhereortogo?” People don’t smoke in the queues; they don’t smoke in the parks. What a relief! The weather in Florida can change quite quickly and dramatically. That’s different to where I live. If it starts to rain, it will most probably go on for days. The first thing I remember when I think of my visit to Universal Orlando was the huge parking structure. And that was before they made you park your car at the most distant corner of it, if you do not opt for “preferred parking”. The second thing that comes to my mind is me sitting at the “Beverly Hills Boulangerie” with a humongous chunk of dough and meat that they gave me, when I ordered a “croissant” for breakfast. It’s sunny and pleasant when all of a sudden Doc Brown turns up and asks me what year it is, running away when I tell him it’s 2001. It’s not that we do not have character encounters in Germany, but that’s strictly for the kids. Everything else would be – of course – super awkward. Over time you get used to character encounters. It still feels a little bit strange though. But let's face it: the shirt is awesome. Speaking of “awkward”: One of my favorite attractions has been “Twister”. Yes, I know, many of you think, that thing was a cheesy, crappy show, but I really enjoyed it. First of all, because it introduced me to the concept of a “pre show”, something that was absolutely new to me. In German parks you wait in line until you can ride and then you ride. That’s it. But a preshow, that gets you into the mood for the main show to come, with real actors, come on, that’s so cool! I also have a crush on Helen Hunt. Don’t tell my wife. Let's start with a signature shot. You know that place, don't you? Globe + boat = instantaneous vacation feelings For me it's an okay ride. I get a little sick on it and the storyline is ... well is there a story line? Face it: I grew too fat lately. Can't close the restraint on that one any more. Do not miss it too much. It's a cliché, but a very, very nice one. And hey, it's a George Lucas Movie, right? Everybody loves the Simpsons! And I am no exception. I think the ride and the whole area are a great improvement over "Back to the future" I am not the biggest fan of shooting dark rides, but for "Men in Black" I am declined to make an exception In my opinion, the "small" shows like the Blues Brothers make a visit very enjoyable. They are the "icing on the cake". Although the chance of being subjected to "guest interaction" at this one freaks me out. Big time. Not my favorite one but a) you can sit down and b) in a shady place. Did anybody say "Harry Potter"? Alright, time for Diagon Alley photos. Find the hidden detail in this shot. Hint: it's not the dragon. Fire breathing dragon - check! Hogwarts Express - check! Impressive Nightshot of Diagon Alley with nobody in it - check! I really like Universal Studios, although little of the attractions that were there when I first visited the park are still there. I loved Kongfrontation, but I think the “Mummy” is one of the greatest Indoor-Coasters. I enjoyed Jaws, but the “New Potter” is also very impressive. I do miss Disaster and I hope that E.T. and Terminator will still stay there for a couple of years. And although I do not go crazy for projection based attractions, I appreciate the way the parks re-invents itself over the years again and again.

Some of you guys may have met me on one TPR trip or another and may already know some of the stories I want to share with you all. For the rest of you: Hi, I’m Tom, I life in Germany and I thought it would be fun to give you guys an insight of how foreign people experience American theme parks und Floridian theme parks in particular. As you will have noticed, I’m no “native writer”, so please pardon my bad English. Some of you may have visited some European or even German theme parks in the latest past and found them quite appealing with lots of great and unique attractions. This has not always been the case. When I was a kid, there was no Disneyland Paris or Warner Bros Movie World, no Expedition GeForce or Silver Star. I basically grew up with Phantasialand and fun fairs, where I loved to ride “ghost train” style attractions. Fun fact: a lot of German people have no idea what a “dark ride” is, so they refer to them as “ghost trains” (even the press does). Pirates of the Caribbean? A ghost train. Great Movie Ride? A ghost train with 22 minutes ride time (most people will completely freak out on that one). When I was younger there were only two TV stations (conveniently named “1st” and “2nd”) and there has been a show called “Bilder aus Amerika” (Pictures from America). One episode was about Walt Disney World in Florida. The reporter Dieter Kronzucker told us, that this park was so huge, it had his own radio station so people could find a parking spot. There was also a ride that went under water with submarines. Can you imagine that? Unfortunately intercontinental flights were super expensive those days, so it took me 31 years to set my foot on American soil for the first time. And although my first visit to the Magic Kingdom was a complete disaster that - “thanks” to a tropical storm - lasted just about 3 hours, I kept coming back for more than 25 times since then. Sometimes with a couple of friends, sometimes with my wife and one time with 40 German theme park enthusiasts. But that’s another story.

Yes, you are right, at 8am (oder 9am?) EST. Bearing that in mind, I was able to get FP+ for most of my desired attractions on my recent trips. I had to be quick though: Seven dwarfs is always a very close call, even late time windows are gone within seconds. Unlike you, I never had luck with Frozen and fireworks can be hard to get too. Will be coming very soon! Let me pick some of my favorites and write some odd-sounding captions - maybe you could ask Kristen to do some copy-editing on them

Hi Elissa, Thank you for this "inside view" - it was really helpful and "uplifting" (especially the weather part, as I had my share of gray skies and soggy german weather for the last 6 months). And thank you for bringing up the Disney Hotel FP+ idea ... I completely forgot about that option - and that my annual pass gives me some quite nice discounts for that time period.

I've been flying to Orlando for more than 15 years now and I always travelled in April/May (while avoiding easter) or October/November (for halloween). But because of the grand opening of Avatar and the (hopefully) successful finish of a large-scale project I am working on right now I play around with the thought of visiting my second home end of may this time. You guys live in Orlando so maybe you could give some advice on two topics: 1. The crowds: I know that especially Disney can get crazy busy, even in October and April, but with some strategically planned use of FP+, being in the parks really early, avoiding weekends and extra magic hours and quite some "Theme Park stamina" do you think a visit could still be enjoyable? 2 The clouds: I do a lot of Themepark photography and partly cloudy skies in Orlando are particulary nice as a background. The heat does not bother me at all. I even don't mind a shower or two, the only bad thing would be overcast skies all day. Is that a common weather pattern for this part of the year? Those clouds ar okay with me! Your advice is greatly appreciated and will be honored with a dining invitation at a restaurant of your choice

Actually they are not. And yes - the Nikon D810 has indeed a quite large dynamic range. But the main reason is: Taron does look that way at night! The park did a really great job putting up lights and using fog effects to make the coaster look amazing after dark. The park does offer a "quick pass" which gives you front-of-line-access to most of the attractions (sadly not Taron). You can use the pass at four attractions. If you stay at a phantasialand hotel you did get some extra ride time on Taron as well - hopefully the will offer this again this season.

Yes, sir. Handmade at 25°F.

In most cases the reason are the park's neighbors. Germany is densely populated and our parks are almost always very close to residential areas.

It is a little busy, but as the new Klugheim Area is always busy, it does not really matter. Be prepared to wait around 60 minutes for Taron at any time of the year. Sometimes more, sometimes less. It depends more on the time of the day.

If you love theme parks at night, Germany isn't exactly the best place to be, as most parks close before sunset. Luckily Phantasialands opens in winter for the so called "Wintertraum" (winter dream) and stays open until 8pm. With the sun setting at around 5pm you have plenty opportunities to enjoy Taron and the Klugheim area lit up at night. And to take a ride on Taron in the dark, if you do not mind riding at 25°F. And if you get too cold, you can head for one of the hot spiced wine stalls. Because if it comes to drinking alcohol in public, Germany is exactly the best place to be. The amount of detail the park puts into themeing the coaster is just incredible Taron at sunset The launch tunnel glows red at night The first turn just after the launch The whole "backlot" of the coaster The launchtrack Starry night @ Klugheim One final look at the launch trench

You'll find a graphical representation for Autumn break, sorted by the different German states here.

Went to Phantasialand again. Took some photos, I'd like to share: Train going around Taron falls Planet Taron a.k.a. "Fisheye lens FTW" The "Taron Falls" curve Coasters and Rocks Panoramic view A Panoramic view B Incredible themeing What goes up Just before the thunderstorm

There is a kind of guest that think it is essential to leave "their mark" on the themeing elements, but Phantasialand has shown, that it can cope with such douchebags by repairing and restoring. Plus: there is a large non themed "overflow queue" that the park is using right now to keep damage done by bored and mindless guests to a very minimum.

Summer has finally arrived in germany and even if most schools were closed for the big summer break (a guarantee for big crowds) I packed my camera stuff and made another trip to Phantasialand. Taron was running great: While wait times were 60 minutes in the early morning hours (as everybody went to experience the new ride) they quickly dropped to 35 minutes. Operations were flawless and you could hear the roaring of the LSMs every few seconds. I am still more than impressed with this addition to the park's ride line-up: the themeing, the trains, the sound effects - everything adds up to an "one-of-a-kind"-experience. The first turn after the first launch After the first turn Happy riders everywhere A train on the launch track The end of the first overbanked turn The train - high over the northern part of the area Dashing through the "Kornmuller" building Seen from a different perspective Just before ascending to "Taron Falls" Seconds before launch, the tension rises The launch - seen from the queue One train speeds over another waiting in the end course break The themeing is completely amazing Taron speeding through the rockwork Overview of the southern part of the coaster The infamous "Kornmuller Twist" High speed S curve More "Kornmuller" goodness Rocks and tracks Pure speed Everybody loves Taron It's launch time Camelback Airtime! Hope, you enjoyed my report

While the pre opening of Klugheim was a fantastic event and a rare opportunity to take some great "night shots" of the area, it has been quite hard to take decent photos of the trains speeding around the track. Living close to Phantasialand, I returned to the park to take some more shots in bright sunlight - and ride Taron a couple of times. While there were some very short downtimes the team did a fantastic job on operating the ride at high capacity, so even with massive summer crowds the wait was less then 60 minutes all day. I also caught up on riding Raik. The attraction features some kind of "steam punk time travel" theme, that I really like. The fun part of Phantasialand is, that it does not only attract "die hard coaster enthusiasts". And because Taron does not feature a frightning tall lift hill you'll find plenty of families giving the ride a try (and beeing surprised by it's intensity). And despite of the wait times they keep queuing up again and again. There are also the kind of kids we like to call "krasse checker" that think they are "too cool for this coaster" and it's soooo satisfying to see them screaming and grasping the handlebars while actually riding. I am super happy, that with Taron and Raik, there are two brand new heavily themed coasters around and Phantasialand shows, that all the extra money for themeing was well spent: every piece of decoration, every building, the sound track, the uniformed ride ops, all that contributes to the experience. Just a reminder: We are at Klugheim right now I hope all this stuff will stand the less mindful visitors The level of detail put into this themed area is completly insane Every corner looks so amazing I would call this Element "Mount Taron" This is the infamous "Kornmuller Twist" Parts of the "general public" are "surprised" by the intensity of the ride A train travelling over a bunny hill The beautifully styled train against a beautifully styled background Shooting through a building Train and rocks One of the many turns - close to the "restaurant area" Taron overview When airtime becomes "hairtime" Only a few dare to put their hands up in the air Most rely on the handlebars - especially after the second launch I love this shot. It shows how a themed coaster can look like The center of the area A train speeding over "Taron Falls" Diving into a mysterious field of rocks Taron crosses the "Raik" track Another high-speed S-curve Unlimited fun Turning close to the "Raik" queue Train through tunnel