Disney Hollywood Studios 25th Anniversary Celebration.
Did you know this is an Anniversary year at Disney World? Don't feel bad, most people don't. Hollywood Studios (Formerly Disney-MGM Studios) theme park is celebrating 25 years open in the 2014 season.
However, you won't find much news coverage about the event. The park has never been what Disney World has hoped it would develop into, while it has some great events during the year, the lack of planning and Disney money in the park has kept it rather underdeveloped compared to others.
Over it's 25 year life, not much has been added in the way of 'big attractions' to the park. Pretty much 2 'big ticket' rides and a lot of cuts has kept the park quietly in the background. While it's always been one of my personal favorites, it makes me rather sad to see Disney NOT making a bigger deal of it's 25th Anniversary. There will be some limited 25th Anniversary merchandise available for purchase.
This park needs love and attention, just as much as Epcot does. It needs a vital influx of money and ideas to make it sparkle, which it could do easily if someone at WDW just cared enough to stop building resorts and dumping all the cash into Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom.
On May 1st, 2014 Disney Hollywood Studios will celebrate it's 25th Anniversary with the following events-
10am- Re-Dedication Ceremony with Dan Cockerell and some of the 25 year employees.
7pm- "Stars of the Studios" Motercade, which will travel up Hollywood Boulevard featuring some big stars found in the park (Captain Jack Sparrow, Darth Vader. Wreck-it Ralph, Sophia the First plus Mickey and Minnie Mouse. No nod to past stars or other characters found in the park).
After the Motorcade- A Dance Party will be held at the stage in front of the tacky 'Sorcerers hat' .
9:30pm- Fireworks Show to be set off around the same tacky 'Sorcerers' hat.
All Events are available to anyone with normal park admission.
-That's It-
Some love it, some hate it and many just can't get the song out of their heads for days after riding this iconic attraction.
Disney's "It's A Small World" attractions are celebrating the 50th anniversary since their inception at the 1964 Worlds Fair to promote UNICEF. The classic song (which inspires love and hate in people) was written by the famous Sherman Brothers and within two weeks of it's debut, a world hit happened.
Image from Orlando Sentinel
From the World's Fair the attraction was enlarged, upgraded and built at Disneyland in 1966, Another version was built at Disney World's "Magic Kingdom" park which opened in 1971. Versions of the ride are also found at Disneyland Paris. Tokyo Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland. Each park has it's own with slight differences but it's easy to say this this attraction is a must-have Disney Park staple.
To help celebrate the attractions anniversary, Disney has created a website dedicated to the ride where users can upload their own version of "It's a Small World Afterall". Guests can also create their own unique "Small World Figure" and soon you can purchase anniversary items which still support UNICEF projects.
On April 10th, 2014 Guests and Cast Members of the Disney Parks can unite as one and sing along with the song to celebrate the anniversary event.
Love it or Hate it, Small World has impacted both Adults and Children. It's simply a legend and without it, the Disney Parks would be a slightly duller place.
Happy 35th Birthday to King's Island The Beast!!!!
Hello peoples!!
Yesterday was the 35th Anniversary of The Beast at King's Island. In 1979 King's Island unveiled the monster that we know and love to the public.
So here is some info about the angry coaster:
Length:
7,359 ft
Height:
110 ft
Drop:
141 ft
Inversions:
0
Speed:
64.8 mph**
Duration:
4:10
Capacity: 1,200 riders per hour
**(We call BS on this because ISI has clocked her running around 80mph and
anyone who has ridden the coaster knows that as it gets cooler outside Beast
runs faster. I killed a bug with my face because of her speed, trust me.)
New Shamu Night Show coming to All Seaworld Parks.
Today Seaworld Parks announced that in Summer of 2014, they will be launching an all new "Nighttime Shamu Show" to replace the seven year old "Shamu Rocks" show.
This new orca show works with Seaworlds big "Sea of Surprises" 50th anniversary projects. Along with the new shamu show, the parks will be adding in other fun surprises for visiting guests. Including expanded animal encounters and art installations (made from washed up ocean debris). Along with this, Seaworld San Diego is getting a new entrance plaza called "Explorers Reef" which will feature touch pools and learning stations.
None of these moves have been a response to the sad phenomena of "Blackfish" (which isn't getting that Oscar they so wanted- HA!). The parks have reported record earnings and states these anniversary programs have been on the list since they decided to make a project of the event.
Carowinds Repaints both Afterburn and Ricochet for 2014.
Carowinds is spending some of their big new budget on repainting. Both Afterburn and Ricochet are getting fresh coats of paint for the 2014 season.
Afterburn, which is a B&M version of the old Paramount Parks "Top Gun" coaster, will celebrate it's 15th birthday during the 2014 season and is seeing some much needed attention in return. Carowinds has posted several new photo's to their Facebook Page showing Afterburn getting a coat of primer.
No one is currently sure if the coaster will be repainted in it's current colors or if it'll be receiving a new color for it's birthday.
Ricochet, the parks 'Wild Mouse' coaster, is also getting a new paint job for 2014.
Carowind's reports on it's Facebook page that the track will now be painted a 'lime green' color to go with the new blue and teal supports.
News has been flowing out of Kings Dominion over the last week about their plans for their upcoming 40th Anniversary Celebration which will take place over the 2014 season.
The latest bits of News include the Return of the "Singing Mushrooms" as well as the "Clown Bands" the "Candy Apple Grove" and the "Floral Clock". Things seem to be moving forward quickly as they've already begun to re-build and possibly install components such as the Singing Mushrooms and Candy Apple Grove.
The Kings Dominion Facebook Page Reports: We take you behind the scenes of Garner
Holt Productions and TIVOLITOO, which are building our Singing
Mushrooms and Candy Apples for the #KD40
Celebration respectively. Garner Holt in currently making the infamous
frog and TIVOLITOO is using an original candy apple from Kings Dominion
to create 20 new large candy apples to be installed by the spring of
2014! Enjoy!
The park has many more great photos of the rebuilding and reconstruction of both these iconic items on their Facebook Page. So make sure you stop over there and take a peek!
The 2014 plans have been announced and some of them are pretty impressive.
While no new coaster is the works, Knott's has announced that the classic dark ride attraction "Calico Mine Ride" will undergo a complete refurbishment. Opened in 1960's and designed by the legendary Bud Hurlbut it's one of the most immersive and impressive dark ride attractions It carries riders through an impressive series of dark 'mine tunnels' of an active gold mine.
Knott's stated the following about the refurbishment- "It is our company's top priority to preserve and enhance the original
story of a working gold mine deep in the heart of the Old West," said
Garner Holt, GHP's founder and president. "The Calico Mine Ride will be
filled with lifelike sounds and motion, while maintaining the uniquely
authentic feel of the attraction as designed by Knott's and industry
legend Bud Hurlbut." The renovation of the iconic attraction includes
the addition of over 50 new state-of-the-art animatronic figures, all
new audio and theme lighting system, and special effects that will
capture the imagination of would-be miners as they journey deep into the
winding caverns of the attraction.
Also on the list for 2014 is the 30th anniversary of Camp Snoopy, Home to the famous beagle and his gang of friends since 1983.
To celebrate this event Knott's is giving the entire land a new polish including adding in new attractions plus updating and restoring the entire area. They also state the entire theme of the area will be enhanced and brought out to shine.
We all have them. Those memories parks that we wish we didn't have, the one we wish had gotten lost someplace in our mental coding but didn't. The few memories about what scared us as children or even still freak us out as adults. In some cases even things we liked as innocent children that now make us collectively stop and go "My God, That's some freaky shit".
Digging into my own personal memory banks, I give you a small list of things that fall into my own mental list of "Shit I wish I could FORGET, Disney Edition". This is by no means a full collection nor even my own photos as my parents have those and I haven't yet got the motivation to dig threw dusty boxes of ancient history, although I probably should get to that one of these days!
Tonight, I'll give your three examples of various things I WISH I could forget about various trips to Disney World. Each week I plan to present another three things which in turn wigged me out at some point in my life. There is quite a bit of materiel here to work with! So with that, let's begin with the very first set of things which come to mind...
1. The 25th Anniversary Birthday Cake Castle
(As I called it "The Barbie Barf Castle")
Image from Intercot.com
What in the seventh level of Dante's own hell is THIS shit? Yeah that was my reaction too the very first time my innocent childish eyes spotted the beyond pepto-bismal pink shade that Cinderella's Castle was sporting the fall of 1996.
It was a nightmare. A monstrosity. It was Barbie throwing up her party cake after to many Comsos' in Kens convertible Porsche! The true horror of this thing can't even be explained with words or pictures, you really had to see this for yourself to understand the levels of "DEAR GOD, WHY?!" that happened.
Hundreds of complaints happened because of this fiasco. People wanted to sue Magic Kingdom for ruining wedding photos and vacations since they didn't tell anyone the dirty trick they where playing on the general public with this one. To this day I can still recall vowing not to step foot in Magic Kingdom until it was gone, I didn't either because.. well just look at it!
2. The Magical World of Barbie
(As I called it "Barbie Does Epcot")
No. I'm Not Kidding.This shit was REAL. I remember it, I remember being mildly horrified by it.
In 1994 Barbie became the "Friendship Ambassador" of Epcot Center and the bimbo got a series of dolls and her own damn show at American Adventure. Why? We don't have a clue but I'd be willing to bet all my "good" alcohol on the fact Mattel had sponsorship with Disney World and according to some rumors was in contract to give the broad her own show (according to Walt Dated World). This show was a little girls nightmare come true. Fireworks, Birds, Bad 80s-90s fashion and a pink limo for those must have family photos!
3. Epcot's "People of the World" Dolls.
(As I once said "Incomprehensible SCREECH!")
Image from http://disneyshawn.blogspot.com
Holy Shit. These damn things. I HATED these things, they scared the ever-lovin' hell out of me as a small child. Imagine an 8 foot doll, they walked, they hugged, they BLINKED and LOOKED AT YOU. No, I'm not kidding these things could WATCH you.
In the early years of Epcot these 'Giant Dolls' where dressed as People of the World and wondered about World Showcase shortly after opening in 1982. They didn't last very long, probably due to the fact they terrified both kids and adults! I have a picture someplace of my young toddler self entirely terrorized by one of these things.
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