moinab Posted November 11, 2010 Share Posted November 11, 2010 (edited) My daughter's Brownie troop went on a field trip today to Sally Corporation, here in downtown Jacksonville. It was a cool little tour. Our guide was the daughter of John Wood, one of the founders, and current chairman and CEO. On to the photos! I wanted to get a photo of the whole building, because it's really cool, but I was hindered by the Veterans' Day parade traffic. Small price to pay. Electronics display Blasters! Tour theater The original "Sally" piano player Rhiannon shooting at Santa's elves Die, mutant freak! Hall display Rooby Roo! sculpting room Lyndon B. Johnson random dusty box of hands random dusty Scooby head, stuffed between some cabinets random mummies Challenge of Tutankhamon dude We weren't introduced to this guy, so I'm not sure what he's working on, but I just thought I'd take a photo of work in action! We did not get to experience the Safari Party Room. T-Rex in a box! They will both be at IAAPA, next week! Random work space - watch out, Mr. Bill! Wish my locker at work had a decorative arch. *pout* Bird show can be yours for around $20,000. I would prefer T-Rex in a box, for around $100,000. This guy was very cool. And yes, they do take private commissions, so Dave could put in an order for a shark in a box! ROWR! random dusty skeleton in a chair black light painting room My foot, and some of the fluorescent paint splatters. There were guys working in here, as we passed through. Creepy fluorescent clown, guarding the paint. Skull. Didn't show very well. Sorry. I liked the Elvis on the wall. Politically incorrect cabinet security! Wonder where this guy might be headed...hmmmm... Pneumatics testing. See through bird. Finished off the tour with a few rounds of Boo Blasters, then a Q and A session. If you should happen to be in Jacksonville, for some ungodly reason, try to schedule a tour! It was fun! Edited November 12, 2010 by robbalvey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwm1444 Posted November 11, 2010 Share Posted November 11, 2010 That looks pretty amazing - I sometimes feel like slagging Sally off, mostly for all the copycat Ghost Blasters-type rides, but still, I would love a tour of an animatronics factory more than pretty much anything else. Thanks for posting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoCalCoasters Posted November 11, 2010 Share Posted November 11, 2010 Wait, they have a Boo Blasters INSIDE their factory? Is that what they do when they're on break? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moinab Posted November 11, 2010 Author Share Posted November 11, 2010 ^Just one scene. I think the Safari Party Room is for breaks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted November 11, 2010 Share Posted November 11, 2010 Very cool! Can you tell us more about what they said on the tour? Did they talk about any upcoming projects? Obviously seeing those lego guys we have a small inkling as to what they are for! Awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted November 11, 2010 Share Posted November 11, 2010 I'd love to take this tour someday. The "Boo Blasters" may be their bread-and-butter, but they do a lot of other rides, as well. Thanks for the look inside! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarryH Posted November 11, 2010 Share Posted November 11, 2010 Cool photos! Also, while in Jacksonville, there's a credit at a water park in Jacksonville Beach. Yes, it is a 400 foot tall Intamin...no wait, it is in fact a Wacky Worm! I see Jeff Johnson got excited. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Clinksalot Posted November 12, 2010 Share Posted November 12, 2010 Very very cool!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The SETGO Guys Posted November 12, 2010 Share Posted November 12, 2010 (edited) Removed by user Edited January 5, 2012 by The SETGO Guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moinab Posted November 12, 2010 Author Share Posted November 12, 2010 Elissa - I don't think our guide was the most reliable source of information. When Rhiannon asked her if they did any work for Dollywood, and another girl asked if they did anything at Holiday World, she told them, "I'm not sure. You can check our website." She also said the closest place we could experience one of their rides is Myrtle Beach. She did mention several animatronic projects, such as the one they just finished for Teddy Bear World, which just opened in Waikiki, and some museum projects (that was what LBJ was for.) The only theme park project she talked about was Johnny Thunder, for Legoland Florida, and basically she just said that they are working on it. We got a lot of "I don't knows" and "I'm not sures." So, information-wise, it was pretty sucky, but it was still a cool tour! Barry - we've lived here, (10 minutes away from Adventure Landing in Jax Beach,) for over 9 years, and I've never been there! Rhiannon just happened to get that credit last weekend, at a birthday party! I never even thought about it, until you mentioned it. I just asked her if she went on it at the birthday party, and she said she did! ^No, you don't have to be a Girl Scout. My son's 4th grade class is going, next week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoCo Posted November 12, 2010 Share Posted November 12, 2010 I was a boy scout for at least three years and we NEVER did ANYTHING this cool. Glow-in-the-dark Shaggy ROCKS OUT! Thanks for both the photos and the Jacksonville tourist tip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disneygurlz2s Posted November 12, 2010 Share Posted November 12, 2010 Very cool!! Sounds like the kids knew more than the tour guide, LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moinab Posted November 12, 2010 Author Share Posted November 12, 2010 Wait - now I'm confused. I was thinking Family Kingdom was another original IntimidaTour park that closed, but I think I'm mixing it up with Ghost Town in the Sky. So you can still experience the Great Pistolero Roundup in Myrtle Beach, right? Not so for Nights in White Satin, alas. Sorry, I'm a little slow - can't keep up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larrygator Posted November 12, 2010 Share Posted November 12, 2010 So you can still experience the Great Pistolero Roundup in Myrtle Beach, right? And that looks like where the politically incorrect Mexican is from (or for). I'm jealous as I've never done the tour. I think they only offer it one or two days a week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted November 12, 2010 Share Posted November 12, 2010 Wait - now I'm confused. I was thinking Family Kingdom was another original IntimidaTour park that closed, but I think I'm mixing it up with Ghost Town in the Sky. So you can still experience the Great Pistolero Roundup in Myrtle Beach, right? Not so for Nights in White Satin, alas. Sorry, I'm a little slow - can't keep up! Nights in White Satin was the best thing at Hard Rock Park--nearly as good as the Great Pistolero Roundup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disneyfan1313 Posted November 12, 2010 Share Posted November 12, 2010 ^ Nights in White Satin was AWESOME. Was that a Sally ride?!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Johnson Posted November 12, 2010 Share Posted November 12, 2010 ^ Nights in White Satin was AWESOME. Was that a Sally ride?!?! Yes it was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarryH Posted November 12, 2010 Share Posted November 12, 2010 ^I wonder how much pot they smoked while designing the ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy T. Koepp Posted November 12, 2010 Share Posted November 12, 2010 ^I believe they were tripping balls on mushrooms! Pot doesn't cause you to hallucinate like that. Just alter your perception of what is really going on around you. I say shrooms. Definitely shrooms! It wasn't harsh enough to be acid or heroin. Guy "Of course I have no basis what so ever to compare that to." Koepp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meteornotes Posted November 12, 2010 Share Posted November 12, 2010 There were likely more people in that video than the number that ever actually visited HRP. dt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mxman005 Posted November 12, 2010 Share Posted November 12, 2010 I've gotten the chance to tour this factory a few times. I never even knew it existed up until about 5 years ago. Last I was in house they were working on some stuff for the Universal Singapore. I believe it was for the Treasure Hunters attraction. For all of the Nights in White Satin Fans (aka the best freaking dark ride ever), in the painting room they do have a few murals up from that attraction. This was during the transition period from Hard Rock to Freestyle and I asked them what the fate of the attraction was. My tour guide said she didn't even know anythign about the park closing. I doubt they really give any sensitive information to the tour guides. The last one I had said she only works 2 days a week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted November 12, 2010 Share Posted November 12, 2010 There were likely more people in that video than the number that ever actually visited HRP. dt Hah! I thought the same thing when I watched it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navywife19 Posted November 12, 2010 Share Posted November 12, 2010 They did ET at Universal Studios Orlando and Hollywood. sallycorp.com/darkrides/et_adventure.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeemerBoy Posted November 12, 2010 Share Posted November 12, 2010 Very cool report! So Jacksonville does have something worth seeing there. Interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MayTheGForceBeWithYou Posted November 12, 2010 Share Posted November 12, 2010 The T Rex looks like the one from Water World in Denver... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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