BeemerBoy

^ Big fan of flowers and trees, eh?

I feel the same about this, as well as Dick Tracy. Such a shame. So sad I missed out on Epcot this year.

Thanks, Larry. This further proves the awesomeness of monorails in society.

So Robb, will this be your new "gym"? The new Falmouth port reminded me a LOT of Mallory Square in Key West. Beyond those gates though.....

Jon - My time around the monorail system on this visit was far too short, thus the amount of monorail pictures suffered tremendously. In fact, Renee even made us take the ferry (GASP) back to the TTC after MNSSHP!! Okay, it may have been because they were only running the resort line sporadically, but I'm still blaming Renee. Bob - I've spent hours conducting market research in order to learn what really sells these reports. Dave - It wasn't just Ice Bat.....it was "Disco" Ice Bat, which makes me even sadder that I failed to get a picture with you guys. And wait, five minutes? I'm ambitious....so I'm shooting for at least six! And now for more Disney goodness. In this installment, I present to you random shots from around the Downtown Disney Marketplace. While this building is obviously now occupied by AAU, it has a certain historical significance at WDW. Do you know why? Overheard twice while in the store: "Yes, I believe it is open now, but no, ma'am, it's actually not a Disney park." My little niece likes legos. And that's a boring caption. Sorry. It's like straight out of a sci-fi film or something. Close enough. Wait, it IS still just place two parts together and push, right? Oh, okay, they must've been using those computers for high tech engine calibration then. Why is there a one-handed pirate in sneakers walking four dogs? Um, your guess is as good as mine on this one. World of Overspending store time! Oh, and hi again, Lou. There's a large model of the castle in here. (insert Disneyland joke here). It comes complete with a "Hidden Mickey." Do you see it? I don't watch the show, but I think it would be awesome if a "Biggest Loser" contestant wore this once. "What has two thumbs, and is the focus of Disney pervs everywhere?" It's like a monorail.....ON A MONORAIL!!! "Attention all Central Florida pedos, there will be a little princess parade through the Downtown Disney plaza at 2 pm. Thank you, and have a magical day!" Time for my first visit to the Earl. And it was....... ....HEAVENLY. Stupid Flanders. Then we got transported to Tokyo....which was alright by me. Hi, Elissa! Time to grab a treat and head out. Up next, some Disney resort love. Stay tuned, and as always, all comments welcomed.

The one up near the glass, without the people in it.

Picking a healthcare plan is easier.

Yeah, the lifeguard shot is ridiculously good, but I also really like the Commerson's Dolphin tank shot. I'm curious about your process on that one?

^ A good investment indeed! Great parade shots, Hanno. I'm curious how you shot the Headless Horseman? He's like the "holy grail" of Disney nighttime parade shots, and that's one of the more unique shots I've seen of him!

Ha! Yeah, I was pretty surprised/proud of that shot. I fully expected an 8 second handheld exposure to not work out. I just wish the mansion could have been in focus....but I'm not greedy. Thanks, guys! Matt, if you or anyone else is interested in the full size pic of that one, or any other, just hit me up.

You just swipe your seapass card and choose one of three amounts for it to pour. It was brilliant.....until it randomly started denying some of our cards for whatever reason. The zipline was amazing (got slapped in the arse by a wave), and the coaster was better than expected. The lift hill alone felt like a half hour climb!

Loved the report, Divv! It looks like Alton does a pretty good job with the event.

October 2011 finally arrived, and it was time to take the plunge with TPR for a week of Orlando goodness, followed by another week of Western Caribbean goodness aboard the Freedom of the Seas! Although we've been to Orlando countless times and seen what feels like everything there is to see, this trip was filled with brand new experiences! For starters, it was really nice to finally meet up with many of you I've only known online for the longest time. Then there were the parks. We had our first visits to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, Discovery Cove, Halloween Horror Nights, Aquatica, and last but not least, the TPR house party. In the report, it should also be noted that I decided to borrow a friend's Canon D50 for the trip. The downside of this was that I really only had several days to try and learn everything on it. From point and shoot to DSLR is like a Ford Fiesta to a Ferrari....but I'm always up for a challenge. On top of that, the other day a friend suggested I try using Gimp with some of the images. Again, uncharted waters for me, but I figured "what the hell...let's do it," so I decided to mess around a little. The results are questionable to say the least, but I did get a triple double....so all is good. Anyway, let's get this party started. Up first is Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. We loved it. The Magic Kingdom, people dressed up, good friends, candy, a great parade (complete with brainwashing soundtrack), fireworks, and 5 minute lines for everything? Um, yeah...sign me up! Picture pages (sorry, no Jell-O)..... Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party Downtown Disney Marketplace Disney's Coronado Springs Resort Wilderness Lodge Discovery Cove Halloween Horror Nights 21 review Aquatica First day at sea Labadee, Haiti Montego Bay, Jamaica & the Margaritaville "slide of death" Cozumel, Mayan Ruins, Margaritaville Final Day at Sea More Disney Goodness We stayed here for the week. The owner of this condo provided the worst cable package ever. I can't tell you what happened in sports from Oct. 9th through the 16th, but I'm well versed on everything that happened in Orlando's Latin community during that week. He almost died because this. If you know exactly where this is located, you visit WDW a lot. Not that that's a bad thing. "Oh, we'll park in 'Villains' if I say we park in 'Villains'.......muahahaha." I see you, Red. Fake HDR FTohwaitaminutethat'sjustawful. Redemption? Yay, we're here. "Velcome to my lair. Do make yourself comfortable." The park now offers personalized lightsaber design and construction. The future and stuff. Mostly stuff. Something about Disneyland here. Not only the costume look good, but it was selected for aerodynamic purposes as well. This is not in Tomorrowland. OMG, Justin Bieber.....and Divv! I'm sure this picture will one day hang in a museum. I've titled it, "Lou makes a $240 phone call, Ginny is shocked, and Chuck is busy thinking about a Dole Whip." Told ya. "He stole my balloons!!! Why didn't someone tell me that he had one of those...things?!?" Those balloons mean one thing....candy! Chuck and Bieber, about rock out on BTMR. Jack, Caribbean, sequels, lots of money, and um, stuff. Boo to you. Hi, Larry. Hi, Lou! I told you he had magical powers (or just got caught in a pleasant photographic surprise). It's Halloween, so I suppose the Haunted Mansion makes sense, no? I don't mind this one following me home. Hanno, you win. Love this one. One last time.... See ya real soon.....just not here much longer. We took a spin just so Larry could laugh at how much better Japan's is. Pro Tip: without a tripod and a remote shutter release, fireworks pictures suck. =( These had so much potential. Goodnight, Magic Kingdom. Up next, more random Disney goodness. Stay tuned!

Looks good!

Awesome stuff. I seriously miss my endless supply of food. Please tell me someone got a pic of Piers' reaction when he walked into Jonathon Rockets and saw the crew dancing.

I definitely think it's a mix of both. While most of the houses relied on the same (somewhat boring) scare tactics, I was pleased to see such a wide range of themes. It makes it almost certain that every guest will have at least one or two that really appeal to their specific interests.

Okay, I feel compelled, so here's my perspective as a first time visitor to this event. First off, I'm not the biggest Halloween-type person. It's cool and all, but it's not necessarily the highlight of my year. With that said, this was the one event I had been wanting to experience for quite some time. I've read glowing reports for years and years, and have watched it grow into the juggernaut that it is today. I've also read the not-so-glowing reviews from recent years about its slow demise. Put it all together, and I wasn't quite sure what to expect as a HHN virgin. Well, if there's one word to sum up my whole experience, it's "anticipointment." Don't get me wrong, we still managed to have a great time with some great friends. However; for what I paid, I feel like I really got bent over by Universal. The one thing that still holds up is what everyone continues to be 100% correct about - the Express Pass. If you're only visiting once, and it happens to be on a typically busy evening........BUY IT. There is absolutely NO way we could've done everything without it. Our visit was not unlike many others you've read about. We met up around official park opening time, got several houses done before darkness and bigger lines, ate some stuff, rode HRRRRRRRRRR, saw Bill & Ted, MiB, did the rest of the houses/scare zones, went back and did a few more again (this time with Express Pass), took a spin on Mummy, then left. Anyway, here's my thoughts on the houses, from favorite to least favorite: 1. Nightingales - Prior to our trip, this was my third most anticipated house. We did it once early in the evening, and then again right before we left. On our first trip through I was blown away by the set and the atmosphere it created. I LOVED the story, the noise, and the general creepiness of it all. Unfortunately, it somehow felt a little flat in the scare department. Our second visit through was a HUGE improvement though! This time it all just "worked." I realize these things can be hit or miss, and I left feeling really happy that I caught this one at the right time, thus cementing it's place as my favorite of the night. 2. Nevermore - I'm a Poe fan. In reading many of the reports from this year, I realize this fact helps dramatically. I'm also a huge fan of subtle scares. I don't always need scare actors jumping out from behind a plywood board. I appreciate a "feeling" of fright, and that's what this house delivered. Just walking past Poe standing there looking at you with a menacing look gave me a shiver or two. And the "Masque of the Red Death" scene? Top notch!! 3. Forsaken - This was my most anticipated house. The backstory had SO much potential, but the execution of it left a lot to be desired. On the other hand, the set and the atmosphere helped out a ton. 4. Winter's Night - This is about where I expected this house to fall....right in the middle of the pack for me. As most agree, the set design was amazing, and the atmosphere they created was pretty impressive. The execution, again, just left me wanting a bit more. 5. Saws N Steam - I'm really warming up to the whole Steam Punk thing. I think this is another house with a story that had some potential, but didn't quite deliver for some reason. I really dug the vibe around this one though. 6. Blood N Guts - Again, I liked the theme, I just thought the scares were pretty lame. Piers may have been the highlight of this house. You're welcome. 7. The Thing - I've heard some folks talking about the buildup to the final scene, but I'm not gonna tell you anything about it......but that's because I don't remember a damn thing about it either, other than sub-par costumes. 8. In-Between - You wear cheap 3D glasses for a few minutes. Scare zones - I thought they were all pretty lame, except for the acid rain thing -the crumbling building effects were awesome. Oh, and I can't forget the black tarp-covered chain link fences of death. Oh, the horror (and comedy of it all)!!! Bill & Ted - I have very limited resources to pull from regarding shows of the past, so my opinion may not be worth much here. All things considered, I thought it was pretty fun. Music, sarcasm, adult themes/language, explosions, and chicks? Put that up against any other theme park show and it's kinda hard to knock it, right? It was fun. No need to dissect it or get too critical, so I'll leave it at that. Overall, my first impression of HHN was a mixed bag. There were some highs, lows, and some "mehs." What struck me the most is the short amount of time it took for me to clearly see what the die-hard fans are so concerned with. It literally only took a couple of houses to realize what now seems to plague this event.....it's a victim of its own success. For years it seems to have been "edgy" enough amongst competitors to carve out it's own unique niche in the industry. Along with that came the accolades ("Best Halloween Event" - Amusement Today, Hauntworld, etc., etc.), and given the corporate nature of things (insurance, security, safety for scare actors, etc.) it just seems like the company is willing to put it in neutral and coast for a while. And that's a shame really. I'm not opposed to paying a premium price for a premium service/product, but that's clearly NOT what I thought I got from my first visit. Even so, as said before, it helps when you're surrounded by a great group of friends!

PETA thanks you all for continuing to give them a voice in the world.

Ha! Larry, you should fill out the survey and suggest that they also build a drivers' lounge.

"New Fantasyland" just took on a whole new meaning.

^^ Very true about the track, but I think I could still manage to deal with taking the 458 around it. What's really weird is that as we passed by it two weeks ago, I made the comment that it had become such a waste of space.

OH HELL YES.

After seeing some of these shots, is it safe to assume you're a fan of Tom Bricker and several others on Flickr?

I remember you showing me those in line. I thought they looked pretty good on the small display screen, and they look really good here too.....especially for handheld shots with no post work done to them! Nice work, Hanno. I'm anxious to see more.

Theoretically, I could stand off to the side of ANY coaster and throw stuff at it until I hit someone. Should we "idiot proof" everything?