To contact us Click HERE
Well, after a Holiday Hiatus, we're back! First thing I want to do before getting to some editorials is to catch up on some of the bigger news.
So, the Transformers ride is opening. This is considered big news, so here's a recap. It's basically a new version of the Spiderman ride in my viewpoint, but I suppose this is a good backup plan for Universal if and when they ever lose their Marvel license to Disney. Slashfilm reported recently that the attraction vehicle is an actual transformer. Your car is a character. My good friends over at Topless Robot had this to say:
Transformers: The Movie: the Ride is just about ready to open in Universal Studios Singapore, and one of the local news stations did this report on what getting to the ride will be like. I feel like it's notable for two reasons:
1) That it could take up to 1.5 hours of waiting in line to actually get on Transformers: The Ride. The idea that anyone would wait up to 90 minutes for a ride based on Bayformers -- unless they were some sort of war criminal, and this was their court-mandated punishment -- depresses me to no end.
2) On the other hand, as the newslady is happy to point out, the walls surrounding the queue will be full of buttons to press and switches to flip, so that people can "entertain" themselves while waiting. By pressing buttons and hitting switches. Like developing infants do with toys.
As harsh as that sounds, I can't disagree. However, I'm sure I'll be amazed with the technology once it opens. You can make up your own mind by viewing this video.
In other news:
-I should point out that we have seen a new type of ticketing system put into use that could possibly eliminate turnstiles.
-Coney Island is celebrating its roots with some new construction work.
-Kennywood sold Pitfall, so could a new ride be on the way?
-TDS celebrates its 10 birthday just in time for the holidays.
Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! And if you didn't, it could be worse. The Pilgrims had to catch their own turkey. I'll leave you with a look at what that might have looked like, courtesy of Sally Dark Rides.
26 Eylül 2012 Çarşamba
...we're back?
To contact us Click HERE
Hello readers!
First of all, I definitely need to apologize for the lack of updates. I've been ridiculously busy with other things over the past several months, and I regret not updating this sooner. Sadly, I simply haven't had time. Thank you to those who have continued to visit and check on the site - I appreciate it greatly.
On that note, I'm hoping to get the site going again with news, Impressions, photos, and other possible new features. What better day to pick back up than on our one year anniversary! That's right, we've been up for one year today (even if we have been gone for several months), and that's an achievement I'm quite proud of. Thanks once again for your readership.
So, what have we been doing? Spring break this year included stops at Thorpe Park and Disneyland Paris, so expect to see reviews for those up sometime in the near future. On top of that, I still have one to finish off from last year; again, oops. Right now, I've just uploaded 100 photos from Thorpe to our Facebook page, including lots of pictures of The Swarm. Head on over and check it out, and maybe go ahead and like our page while you're at it ;)
I'll be sure to post as often as possible, but I can't guarantee daily updates right now. As always I'll do my best. For now, enjoy the Thorpe Park photos, and thanks for sticking with us!
-Wynn
First of all, I definitely need to apologize for the lack of updates. I've been ridiculously busy with other things over the past several months, and I regret not updating this sooner. Sadly, I simply haven't had time. Thank you to those who have continued to visit and check on the site - I appreciate it greatly.
On that note, I'm hoping to get the site going again with news, Impressions, photos, and other possible new features. What better day to pick back up than on our one year anniversary! That's right, we've been up for one year today (even if we have been gone for several months), and that's an achievement I'm quite proud of. Thanks once again for your readership.
So, what have we been doing? Spring break this year included stops at Thorpe Park and Disneyland Paris, so expect to see reviews for those up sometime in the near future. On top of that, I still have one to finish off from last year; again, oops. Right now, I've just uploaded 100 photos from Thorpe to our Facebook page, including lots of pictures of The Swarm. Head on over and check it out, and maybe go ahead and like our page while you're at it ;)
I'll be sure to post as often as possible, but I can't guarantee daily updates right now. As always I'll do my best. For now, enjoy the Thorpe Park photos, and thanks for sticking with us!
-Wynn
25 Eylül 2012 Salı
From The Vault: Knott's Berry Farm 1994 Brochure
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Here's a Vault entry from not so long ago, but long enough that the featured park was quite a different place. The time? 1994. The place? America's First Theme Park, aka, Knott's Berry Farm.
Snoopy and a Boomerang - quite the combination! In 1994 Knott's was still family owned, and was working to stay relevant in the crowded Southern California theme park market. 
The brochure makes it quite clear that the latest attraction to open at Knott's was Mystery Lodge, a special effects filled theater show settled into the Wild Water Wilderness area of the park. Guests enter a recreation of a Native American longhouse and watch as smoke from a fire magically turns into characters that accompany the story. 
Knott's has never been shy about showing off the world's most famous beagle, and here he is featured quite prominently. The park also advertises itself as America's most beloved independent amusement park - something that's no longer true.
How about some rides! By detailing the different themed areas of the park, they're able to show off all they have to offer. From the wonderfully classic log flume to a trip to the jurassic era on the Kingdom of the Dinosaurs, there was quite a mix of rides to check out.
Here's that beagle again. Even if the Peanuts characters are dressed in their western finest, there's still other areas to check out. Indian Trails, Wild Water Wilderness, and of course Camp Snoopy had a little of something for everyone. At the time Knott's had three major coasters, and one kiddie version. Today they offer a total of nine - a bit of a testament to how the park has progressed over the years.
Six Flags Great Adventure Hosts Largest Fright Fest Ever
To contact us Click HERE
Fright Fest at Six Flags Great Adventure is also running for a longer season this year too, stretching a full six weekends. With so much new this year, it is almost hard to decided where to head first, but whatever the decision is spine tingling entertainment awaits.
Once six o'clock falls the park transforms into a most demented version of itself, overtaken by a legion of monster and ghouls. To mark the transformation The Awakening takes place each night, where the Ghoulmaster awakens Dr. Fright to release the zombies into the park.
The park offers four separate Zombie Zones, where the ghouls roam freely and utilize many props and decorations along the way to scare the wits out of guests. Oh, and of course there is fog... lots of fog.
Frontier Adventures becomes the Bone Butcher Terror-Tory, with crazed western zombies, and colonial era zombies stalk prey near the park entrance by The Bloody Fountain. Anyone with a fear of clowns will want to avoid the midway area of the Boardwalk, as it turns into Circus Psycho. New this year is Shipwreck Cove, an area in the Lakefront that's packed full of undead pirates.
One area where Six Flags Great Adventure's Fright Fest has excelled in the past - and especially this year - is with live entertainment offerings. The uber popular show called Dead Man's Party - The Guest List has moved over near the former Batman stunt theater, and received a sweet new set up. This year it features all new music and storyline as the zombies put on their best song and dance performance.
Many smaller shows takes place throughout the park as well, such as the Circus of Thrills along the Boardwalk, which has a "globe of death," wheel of destiny and sway poles. There's also Doc Swan's Sideshow of Oddities, showcasing amazing feats and superhuman strength in Frontier Adventures.
2012's Fright Fest sees the return of a couple fan favorites from the park's past. Todd Robbins is back in Professor Zombini's Freak Show after being on broadway for several years, and Bad Bob the Bone Butcher, a comedy gunfight show, is back after a six year hiatus.
For those looking to rock the Dead & Local Music Showcase in the Lakefront is the place to be, where live bands perform for the crowds. Maybe they'll catch their big break!
Those who are really looking for a terrifying experience will want to check out the park's four Terror Trails. This year there is one totally brand new trail, and two others have been completely rethemed. I must say that the trails are vastly improved over past years, featuring tons of live actors and much more detailed sets.
Brand new this year is Voodoo Island, which is set underneath the park's log flume, out on a peninsula by the lake. The story is this: "a location tour for TV's newest reality show turns into a horrific path of black magic, human sacrifice, taboo rituals and cannibal carnage." Needless to say things have gone very wrong over at Voodoo Island, and you can count on many scares along the winding, wooded path.
The Manor, a very long terror trail located in the Golden Kingdom, is back for a second year after opening in 2011. The trail has been beefed up considerably for this season, making it worth a visit even if you went through last year.
Two locations from previous Fright Fests have all new terror trails this year. The area that used to house the Chiller roller coaster now holds Insanity: Gears of the Mind, where you enter the mind of a totally insane, and at times rather gross, individual. There were a lot of great scares to be had in this trail, with actors using their props to the fullest.
Back on the edge of the park, and in the woods, is Wasteland, where botanical experiments in the Demented Forest have gone wrong. Really wrong!
Now obviously that is a lot of scary stuff, but the park also has a nice daytime Halloween celebration that the whole family can enjoy, including small kids.
A Halloween celebration wouldn't be very fun without ... CANDY! The Trick-or-Treat Trail takes care of that need, and everyone gets to meet their favorite Looney Tunes characters. There's several shows for kids like the Spooky, Kooky Magic Show, which features tricks and illusions that will mystify viewers.
The Sea Lion Celebration show is both entertaining and educational, and if you want to go on a really neat journey check out the Haunted Wagon Spells hayride. The wagon takes guests way out beyond the park boundaries and past several friendly scenes with characters like Frankenstein, Dracula, and the Wolfman.
When all is said and done 1,200 pounds of webbing, 1,400 cornstalks, 9,000 pounds of CO2 to make fog, 11,000 pounds of propane for fire, and 1,300 ounces of makeup are used to create Great Adventure's Fright Fest. With all that work going into the production, and so much new this year, it is a great time to check out the event.
Many thanks to the park for having us out to see all that's new!
It does not seem to me that the popularity of Halloween has started to taper yet, each year it grows and grows and along with it are the park celebrations we love so much. This year Six Flags Great Adventure has stepped up their game and are holding the largest Fright Fest in their history, that's more entertainment, more monsters, more terror trails, and more zombie zones than ever before!
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| A scene from the Shipwreck Cove Zombie Zone |
Once six o'clock falls the park transforms into a most demented version of itself, overtaken by a legion of monster and ghouls. To mark the transformation The Awakening takes place each night, where the Ghoulmaster awakens Dr. Fright to release the zombies into the park.
 |
| Bone Butcher Terror-Tory, a Zombie Zone |
Frontier Adventures becomes the Bone Butcher Terror-Tory, with crazed western zombies, and colonial era zombies stalk prey near the park entrance by The Bloody Fountain. Anyone with a fear of clowns will want to avoid the midway area of the Boardwalk, as it turns into Circus Psycho. New this year is Shipwreck Cove, an area in the Lakefront that's packed full of undead pirates.
 |
| A scene from Doc Swan's Sideshow of Oddities |
Many smaller shows takes place throughout the park as well, such as the Circus of Thrills along the Boardwalk, which has a "globe of death," wheel of destiny and sway poles. There's also Doc Swan's Sideshow of Oddities, showcasing amazing feats and superhuman strength in Frontier Adventures.
 |
| Crazy western zombies in the Terror-Tory! |
For those looking to rock the Dead & Local Music Showcase in the Lakefront is the place to be, where live bands perform for the crowds. Maybe they'll catch their big break!
 |
| The great new Dead Man's Party set up |
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| Insanity: Gears of the Mind |
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| The entrance to Wasteland, one of the four Terror Trails |
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| Just entering Insanity: Gears of the Mind |
Back on the edge of the park, and in the woods, is Wasteland, where botanical experiments in the Demented Forest have gone wrong. Really wrong!
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| Ghouls from Circus Psycho and the Bloody Fountain |
A Halloween celebration wouldn't be very fun without ... CANDY! The Trick-or-Treat Trail takes care of that need, and everyone gets to meet their favorite Looney Tunes characters. There's several shows for kids like the Spooky, Kooky Magic Show, which features tricks and illusions that will mystify viewers.
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| The Wolfman in Haunted Wagon Spells, howling, of course |
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| The Bloody Fountain at dusk |
Many thanks to the park for having us out to see all that's new!
Scott and Carol Present Worlds of Fun's Haunt Part 2
To contact us Click HERE
Last Thursday our story on Worlds of Fun’s Haunt highlighted the parks newest haunt Zombie High. Part two tells the rest of the story. .jpg)
While the haunts and mazes looks great, Worlds of Fun relies on Dawna to provide appropriately decorated bodies. She oversees a squad of nearly 30 artists for every night of the Haunt. Every artist has to pass both a portfolio and time test, because quality production is the name of the game. Usually 80% of the artists return each year, and some of them enjoy Haunt so much they decorate others, and then join them in entertaining the guests. .jpg)
Preparing the cast is a long process, and they are going to be on their feet all night, so plenty of places to sit are provided for the early arrivals to pass the time. With nearly 400 characters to prep, an orderly flow of characters to the artist is essential. .jpg)
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Every member of the group is asked what they would like to be, and if it fits into the plan, their requests are honored. Once they are fitted for a costume, they are that character for the entire season. The park cleans the costume daily and reissues it to them so they don’t have to maintain it themselves. .JPG)
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After everybody is ready to go, the individual groups gather for a short meeting before the rally. During the rally, safety rules are reiterated, and announcements made concerning what group turned in the best performance on the night before. .JPG)
Any special guests are introduced, imagine the nearly 400 screaming monsters of all types shaking their fists and weapons at you, and they form up for the Rise of the Overlord..jpg)
Back in the park, guests have been staking out their spots for the show for hours, because Worlds of Fun really pulls out the stops for the Haunt. A few scaractors ride, but most march down to the show. As the Overlord rises, the music crescendos, and the screams begin as some of the monsters work the crowd. .jpg)
The atmosphere builds every night, a stark contrast to the daylight hours when not so scary activities for the little monsters guests give them something special during the day. But they need to watch out after dark, because Haunt is recommended for ages 12 and over. Nobody is passing out candy after being summoned by the Overlord. Here is a video from over a year ago.
After the shows conclude, the parade starts, with the monsters traveling en masse through the park, splitting off at their respective mazes and scream zones. They all have their pennants and marching orders, but sometimes they pause to give a guest some unwanted attention.jpg)
The Overlord is the final part of the parade, to better ascertain whether his serfs are at their duly appointed tasks.
Here is a link to a past parade video..jpg)
London Terror is based on werewolves terrorizing London, with Big Ben, everybody using English accents, and some great stunts. Our favorites were the wolf eating the body and being startled by the wolf leaping out of the building at us.
Bloodshed is based on a slaughter house, and it starts off where the chickens met their end, and you need to listen to the guy who tells you to “Watch out for the pig.” It will be uncomfortably close to you..jpg)
Asylum Island features our favorite character, the needle lady..jpg)
Filled with lots of strobes and smoke, they lull you into a false sense of security while you walk a very long way, and then the scare you from all sides. They even have some real time cameras hooked to monitors to shows guests in the queue the people ahead of them being scared..jpg)
With one of the best Cornstalkers we have experienced, the narrow paths force you to constantly create your own rustling noise, and when the anticipation reaches its height, they not only scare you, then they laugh at you while the next guy scares you too. One of the creepiest decorations is the dead dog in the middle of the path. The boundaries force you to step right next to him, ugh..jpg)
Master McCarthy’s Doll Factory features lots of doll hanging from hooks through their heads, a wall of “barbies,” and a wall of “Kens.” But the best part is when you must weave through the corridor of peeing dolls.
And, here is a photo of Scott hanging around with one of the other out of towners visiting the Haunt!.jpg)
Lore of The Vampire leads into Club Blood. The attacking spider and the option of buying shots of “AB” blood in the bar add a grotesque touch, along with a large pile of coffins. Our favorite prop was the sparkle ball coffin; she really partied till she died..jpg)
There is also Blood Drums, a percussion show encompassing barrels, a muffler, and even an air conditioner cover as instruments. The highlight is when there is dueling grinders.
So that is just a taste of Haunt at Worlds of Fun, it would be so much better for us if it wasn’t clear across Missouri and Illinois both. Wishing you the scariest Halloween ever, thanks for reading!
We're Back, and We're Stuffed
To contact us Click HERE
Well, after a Holiday Hiatus, we're back! First thing I want to do before getting to some editorials is to catch up on some of the bigger news.
So, the Transformers ride is opening. This is considered big news, so here's a recap. It's basically a new version of the Spiderman ride in my viewpoint, but I suppose this is a good backup plan for Universal if and when they ever lose their Marvel license to Disney. Slashfilm reported recently that the attraction vehicle is an actual transformer. Your car is a character. My good friends over at Topless Robot had this to say:
Transformers: The Movie: the Ride is just about ready to open in Universal Studios Singapore, and one of the local news stations did this report on what getting to the ride will be like. I feel like it's notable for two reasons:
1) That it could take up to 1.5 hours of waiting in line to actually get on Transformers: The Ride. The idea that anyone would wait up to 90 minutes for a ride based on Bayformers -- unless they were some sort of war criminal, and this was their court-mandated punishment -- depresses me to no end.
2) On the other hand, as the newslady is happy to point out, the walls surrounding the queue will be full of buttons to press and switches to flip, so that people can "entertain" themselves while waiting. By pressing buttons and hitting switches. Like developing infants do with toys.
As harsh as that sounds, I can't disagree. However, I'm sure I'll be amazed with the technology once it opens. You can make up your own mind by viewing this video.
In other news:
-I should point out that we have seen a new type of ticketing system put into use that could possibly eliminate turnstiles.
-Coney Island is celebrating its roots with some new construction work.
-Kennywood sold Pitfall, so could a new ride be on the way?
-TDS celebrates its 10 birthday just in time for the holidays.
Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! And if you didn't, it could be worse. The Pilgrims had to catch their own turkey. I'll leave you with a look at what that might have looked like, courtesy of Sally Dark Rides.
So, the Transformers ride is opening. This is considered big news, so here's a recap. It's basically a new version of the Spiderman ride in my viewpoint, but I suppose this is a good backup plan for Universal if and when they ever lose their Marvel license to Disney. Slashfilm reported recently that the attraction vehicle is an actual transformer. Your car is a character. My good friends over at Topless Robot had this to say:
Transformers: The Movie: the Ride is just about ready to open in Universal Studios Singapore, and one of the local news stations did this report on what getting to the ride will be like. I feel like it's notable for two reasons:
1) That it could take up to 1.5 hours of waiting in line to actually get on Transformers: The Ride. The idea that anyone would wait up to 90 minutes for a ride based on Bayformers -- unless they were some sort of war criminal, and this was their court-mandated punishment -- depresses me to no end.
2) On the other hand, as the newslady is happy to point out, the walls surrounding the queue will be full of buttons to press and switches to flip, so that people can "entertain" themselves while waiting. By pressing buttons and hitting switches. Like developing infants do with toys.
As harsh as that sounds, I can't disagree. However, I'm sure I'll be amazed with the technology once it opens. You can make up your own mind by viewing this video.
In other news:
-I should point out that we have seen a new type of ticketing system put into use that could possibly eliminate turnstiles.
-Coney Island is celebrating its roots with some new construction work.
-Kennywood sold Pitfall, so could a new ride be on the way?
-TDS celebrates its 10 birthday just in time for the holidays.
Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! And if you didn't, it could be worse. The Pilgrims had to catch their own turkey. I'll leave you with a look at what that might have looked like, courtesy of Sally Dark Rides.
...we're back?
To contact us Click HERE
Hello readers!
First of all, I definitely need to apologize for the lack of updates. I've been ridiculously busy with other things over the past several months, and I regret not updating this sooner. Sadly, I simply haven't had time. Thank you to those who have continued to visit and check on the site - I appreciate it greatly.
On that note, I'm hoping to get the site going again with news, Impressions, photos, and other possible new features. What better day to pick back up than on our one year anniversary! That's right, we've been up for one year today (even if we have been gone for several months), and that's an achievement I'm quite proud of. Thanks once again for your readership.
So, what have we been doing? Spring break this year included stops at Thorpe Park and Disneyland Paris, so expect to see reviews for those up sometime in the near future. On top of that, I still have one to finish off from last year; again, oops. Right now, I've just uploaded 100 photos from Thorpe to our Facebook page, including lots of pictures of The Swarm. Head on over and check it out, and maybe go ahead and like our page while you're at it ;)
I'll be sure to post as often as possible, but I can't guarantee daily updates right now. As always I'll do my best. For now, enjoy the Thorpe Park photos, and thanks for sticking with us!
-Wynn
First of all, I definitely need to apologize for the lack of updates. I've been ridiculously busy with other things over the past several months, and I regret not updating this sooner. Sadly, I simply haven't had time. Thank you to those who have continued to visit and check on the site - I appreciate it greatly.
On that note, I'm hoping to get the site going again with news, Impressions, photos, and other possible new features. What better day to pick back up than on our one year anniversary! That's right, we've been up for one year today (even if we have been gone for several months), and that's an achievement I'm quite proud of. Thanks once again for your readership.
So, what have we been doing? Spring break this year included stops at Thorpe Park and Disneyland Paris, so expect to see reviews for those up sometime in the near future. On top of that, I still have one to finish off from last year; again, oops. Right now, I've just uploaded 100 photos from Thorpe to our Facebook page, including lots of pictures of The Swarm. Head on over and check it out, and maybe go ahead and like our page while you're at it ;)
I'll be sure to post as often as possible, but I can't guarantee daily updates right now. As always I'll do my best. For now, enjoy the Thorpe Park photos, and thanks for sticking with us!
-Wynn
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