Bob Sehlinger's Blog, page 1284

Update: The View From Every Disney World Resort Room – Riverside, French Quarter and Pop Century

By Len Testa

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At the beginning of October we launched Hotel Room Views, showing the view you’ll get at every Disney World hotel room.  (Read the original blog post here.)

Over the past 24 hours we’ve added photos from every room at Port Orleans Riverside, Port Orleans French Quarter, and Disney’s Pop Century Resort.  These join the All-Star Sports, Saratoga Springs, Polynesian, Wilderness Lodge, and All-Star Movies resorts already done.  We should have Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs and Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House done this week too.

This is a huge project. Besides taking more than 30,000 photos, you can search for rooms by the room’s cost on any date through 2014, the type of beds in the room, handicap accessibility information, how noisy it is, walking distance to the lobby, food and bus, and more.  There are probably some typos in the data – I know of some Alligator Bayou rooms in Riverside that need adjusting, for example.  Drop us a line if you see anything odd.

Here’s the roll-out schedule for the remaining resorts:

Week Ending
Resort


October 4
All-Star Sports Done!


October 11
Polynesian Done!

Saratoga Springs Done!

Wilderness Lodge Done!


October 18
Port Orleans French Quarter Done!

Port Orleans Riverside Done!

Caribbean Beach

All-Star Movies Done!

Pop Century Done!


October 25
Coronado Springs

Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House


November 1
All-Star Music

Art of Animation


November 8
Fort Wilderness (campsites and cabins)

Beach Club

Yacht Club


November 15
Contemporary Resort

BoardWalk Inn

Grand Floridian


November 22
Bay Lake Tower

Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas


December 6
Wilderness Lodge Villas

Old Key West

Saratoga Springs Treehouses


December 13
Grand Floridian Villas

Beach Club Villas

 

 

 

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Re-Creating New Orleans at Disneyland

By Sam Gennawey

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The Disneyland Story

From the publisher of The Unofficial Guide books comes The Disneyland Story: The Unofficial Guide to the Evolution of Walt Disney’s Dream by Sam Gennawey, the story of how Walt Disney’s greatest creation was conceived, nurtured, and how it grew into a source of joy and inspiration for generations of visitors. Here is a brief excerpt:

“Disneyland has always had a big river and a Mississippi stern-wheeler,” Walt said. “It seemed appropriate to create a new attraction at the bend of the river. And so, New Orleans Square came into being—a New Orleans of a century ago when she was the ‘Gay Paree’ of the American frontier.” New Orleans Square opened along the banks of the Rivers of America on July 24, 1966, at a cost of $15 million. It was the first new land since the park opened and the first time that the Imagineers were challenged with creating an environment that was a representation of a specific place at a specific time: romantic, pre-Civil War New Orleans in 1850, when it was the most cosmopolitan and diverse city in America.

In an early press release, the Imagineers proclaimed that  Disneyland’s New Orleans was “a city of contrasts. Magnificently gowned ladies, genteel and gracious, strolled past benign Indian squaws selling sassafras root. Iron-lace balconies seemed even more delicate when compared with stretches of ashed walls. Intimate courtyards were lazy counterpoints to crowded markets.” This new section of the park would “be as exciting as a pirate treasure hunt, as colorful as a Mardi Gras ball, as memorable as a visit to the French Quarter.”

John Hench described New Orleans Square as “Disney Realism, sort of Utopian in nature, where we carefully program out all the negative, unwanted elements and program in the positive elements. In fact, we even go beyond realism in some cases to make a better show. The streets were much cleaner than New Orleans had ever experienced.” He noted, “Frankly, if we created a totally perfect, authentic themed experience where we had complete realism, it would probably be ghastly for contemporary people.”

Guests could easily spend an entire day at New Orleans Square. The French Market Restaurant offered buffet-style dining and a terrace with live Dixieland music. It was the largest restaurant in New Orleans Square and was decorated in old brick with accents of core and green, black iron furnishings, and a quarry-tile floor all under an antique pressed-tin ceiling. The domed “skylight” had two tile murals portraying the ceremonies for the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. For a quick drink, the Mint Julep Bar offered non-alcoholic mint juleps, lemonade, and fritters. For those in need of an ice cream or coffee, there was the Sara Lee Cafe Orleans, complete with a 19th-century espresso machine acquired by Walt during a trip to Milan.

At Crystal D’Orleans, guests could watch the glass blower at work and purchase fine Spanish crystal and decorative glassware. The silversmith at Leaflet’s Silver Shop made jewelry to order and performed minor repairs. Guest could purchase a hat or film at Le Chapeau Hat Shop and kitchen accessories and spices from Le Gourmet. Custom stained glass and wrought iron could be found at Le Forgeron. Over at Mlle. Antoinette’s Parfumerie, guests could blend custom fragrances. The shop kept records so that guests could return and reorder the exact fragrance they had previously selected.

Walt personally wanted an antique shop in the park. The One-of-A-Kind Shop was meant to emulate a walk through a favorite grandmother’s attic. Every square inch was covered in merchandise. Items ranging from old maps to fireplace fixtures to door knockers were available. Some of most valuable items for sale included a Gregorian Chant Book dated 1607 and old negatives that turned out to be pictures of the Wright Brothers flying in Paris. In spite of such treasures, the store was never about making money, only adding a sense of authenticity.

Other touches included tucked-away little spaces like Le Grand Court with its spiral staircase and ornate gas lamps. At times, artist would be available to paint watercolor portraits. Throughout the land were carts appropriate to the period, selling flower baskets and candy and Louisiana pralines, mints, and pecans.

Sam McKim was put in charge of designing the Pirate’s Arcade (also known as the Rogues’ Galerie). Walt wanted him to reconfigure existing arcade games into pirate-themed machines. McKim designed games with names like Free Booter Shooter, Captain Hook, and Blackbeard. Dick Nunis helped McKim build 16 machines. McKim was proudest of one particular machine, “Fortune Red,” a machine that stamped out pirate tokens. As the mold for the tokens, McKim used a “piece of eight” coin from an ancient Spanish galleon that had sunk in the Dutch East Indies.

“You know, those arcade machines were played for 10 cents for years . . . I even had some 5 cents machines in there,” McKim said. “We were following Walt’s philosophy about this. He didn’t even want them to raise the price of parking, which stayed at 25 cents for years. He didn’t mind making money off the Park, but he didn’t want to make money off the parking. He wanted to give the public a good deal.”

New Orleans Square was blessed with a mature tree canopy, giving it an instant authenticity. In 1962, Bill Evans had discovered that the City of Los Angeles was doing a remodel of Pershing Square in downtown. He drove by and noticed that there were about thirty small Ficus trees at the edges of the park and another eight very large ones in the middle. This was too good of an opportunity to pass up. He contacted the contractor and learned that they were going to box up the smaller trees to be reused elsewhere and destroy the large ones. In fact, they had already disposed of one of the large trees. Evans quickly moved in to acquire the remaining trees. He boxed them up and cut off the top 15 feet of the trees as required by the California Highway Patrol.

Walt asked Evans where he was going to plant these trees. Evans had no idea but he knew this was a good find. He suggested storing them behind the Haunted Mansion area. Within a year, Bill Martin started on the New Orleans Square project and the seven trees found a home. In addition, six Italian cypress trees that had been used to delineate the entrance to Tomorrowland were moved in front of the Haunted Mansion when construction started on the Tomorrowland area in 1967.

When Walt died, in 1966, he had seen the New Orleans Square area and he’d seen the mock-ups for the Pirates of the Caribbean, but he did not see the ride open. At the grand opening of the new land, Walt joked with New Orleans Mayor Victor H. Schiro how much cleaner his version was compared to the real thing.

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Run The World: Wilderness Trails

By Kristina Murphy

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In a previous post, I shared some of the maps and routes around the various resort and theme park areas where you can safely get in your morning jog (or evening run, or really any variation in between).

Follow the footsteps!

Based on comments and interactions, I’m back with some new posts that not only feature tips about running these routes, but some visual aids to help convey just what a run at Walt Disney World really looks like, starting with one of my absolute favorite places to run: the Wilderness Trails.

Tucked along the waterfront area of Bay Lake, the Wilderness Trails are mixed terrain paths that connect Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. Designated for both pedestrians (walking, jogging, running) and cyclists, they provide a welcome diversion to the hustle and bustle of a Walt Disney World vacation, and truly transport guests to – you guessed it – a feeling of being surrounded by the beauty of the wilderness.

There are several “start points” from which you may begin your trail adventure, and are are follows:

Wilderness Lodge: Take the walkway to the left as you exit the main lobby / valet area. A winding sidewalk will take you toward a sign that proclaims “WHOA” – that’s how you’ll know you went the right way!
Villas at Wilderness Lodge: Take the sidewalk that winds down past the Villas at the Wilderness Lodge toward the bike rental building – the path is packed gravel/sand and connects directly to the nature trail.
Fort Wilderness: Cross the street adjacent to the Tri Circle D Farm, it is marked as the beginning of the trail.

Taking a look at the map (pictured), the dotted line denotes the paved trail, and the “unmarked” path that snakes along the side of the lake (starts directly right of the marker at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge) is the nature trail. You may create different paths/variations based on how long of a distance you are planning to cover.

Much of the course is at least partially shaded, which is a welcome part of running the paths. I walked the path one afternoon (around 3 PM) to take these photographs and ran them the next morning (around 8 AM); I was met with a quiet reception – each time I probably saw about 2-3 runners/walkers and about 4-5 cyclists.

Other important notes: 

There are no water fountains along the route, but on the Fort Wilderness side there are some near the trading post. I carried my own bottle of water and filled it there on one of my loops over.
You may choose to run both the nature trail and the paved trail, or just the paved – the path gives you that option. Don’t wear your best shoes if you’re planning to “off road.”

So without further ado, let’s get to the heart of this post: the pictures of the gorgeous running path from the Wilderness Lodge all the way to Fort Wilderness!

Start here!

Starting from the Wilderness Lodge, take the paved trail toward the “WHOA” sign (as mentioned above). You’ll travel about .25 of a mile before you have the option of turning left onto the “NATURE TRAIL” that loops closer to the lake. Whether you continue straight or take the left turn, you will return to the same paved path en route to Fort Wilderness.

Once you are on the Nature Trail, the path is fairly straightforward. There are minimal options for veering off the course; however, if you turn left (back toward Wilderness Lodge) at the first opportunity presented, you’ll be right back to the optional starting point of the bike rental building, which makes about a half mile loop if you are looking to do a very short jog.

Back on the trail, your left turn will set you on a course toward Fort Wilderness. The sun peaks through the canopy of leaves just enough to keep it bright and sunny, but shades you just enough to feel comfortable. If you are a bird watcher, you can hear many different melodic tunes, and you might even catch a glimpse of a family of deer or wild turkeys!

Packed dirt, shady trees.

Traversing the path, you’ll notice how close you are to the shores of Bay Lake and her attractions. I recommend skipping the iPod on this run, because the sounds that fill the path are truly incredible: you can pick up the steam whistle from the ferryboats, the ambient sounds of nature, and even, if you listen hard enough, the clanging of the trolleys on Main Street, U.S.A. It’s almost a surreal experience to hear this joyous cacophony.

Another tip: One of the best parts about this adventure into nature is that even though you feel miles away from civilization, you’re not far from the comforts of home, either. I was able to use my GPS mapping application on my phone with no problem – in fact, the signal strength on this path was a lot better than what I get back home in my suburban neighborhood! Go figure!

Worlds away…

 

As you continue on your path, you may encounter moments where you feel you’re going the wrong way or lost – have no fear! I am the most map-reading-challenged person, and I found that as long as I stayed on the marked path, I was fine. I know, I know… Robert Frost would not approve, but if you get lost easily, too, stay on the path more often traveled. And when you see signs that clearly state Cast Member access only, it’s a good idea to follow that rule.

Follow the rules!

 

 

 

 

Path crossing

 

 

 

 

 

 

Before long, the nature trail will intersect back with the paved one – but not before crossing a street. Be sure to exercise caution here (there may be fast moving maintenance vehicles) and make it safely to the other side of the street. From here, it is a straight shot to Fort Wilderness, on a wide paved multi-use path.

The path to Fort Wilderness

Tri-Circle-D Farm

It might not be every day that your running path ends (or begins) at a farm full of hidden Mickeys and adorable ponies, but this one certainly does! Once you’ve reached this point, you are welcome to explore the settlement area, campgrounds, or head back on the path – whatever suits your fancy. Or if that one-way route wore you out, you may walk toward the bus depot for a ride back – or the boat landing for a launch back over the water….the possibilities are endless!

I hope you enjoyed this “wild” adventure – I look forward to sharing more pictorial running routes with you in the future! In fact, if you have a special request, please leave a comment and share. I’d love to take you all along on my next “‘Run ’round the world!”

—

Have you ever run this route? What points or tips would you add for someone interested in doing this on their next vacation?

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The Disney’s in the Details: Main Street, U.S.A.

By Daisy Lauren

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Today we tour the land that serves as the entryway to Magic Kingdom – Main Street, U.S.A.! One thing you will notice is that I’ve skipped the famed windows that feature the names of various Disney legends. These windows are numerous and could be an entire post on their own! (Actually – let me know in the comments below if you’d like to see that!) To get this into one post, I had to save them for another time, but you’ll notice below I threw in a couple of my favorites! So without further delay, let’s take a stroll down Main Street, U.S.A.! When you first enter on the right hand sign you will notice this little sign:

If you look at my forthcoming post on Tomorrowland (check back on October 24!), you’ll notice a stark contrast with the stroller parking sign featured there. The quality of the features in Main Street is top notch, and they are some of the best details in the park! Just next to this you will find some fun signs for the gift shop attached to Mickey’s meet and greet!

And tucked away in the flower bed out front is this little sign looking for heroes:

Past the flower bed you will come to a sign for Town Square Theater, where you can meet the big cheese himself! This sign is impressive by day but really beautiful at night when all of Main Street lights up with bright white lights.

Continuing past this you will come to Tony’s Town Square Restaurant, where you’ll find Goofy on the bench out front waiting for you:

Moving past Tony’s you’ll come upon a large wall that hides a cast area. However, being Disney it is covered with a really neat mural:

Next to this is my favorite sign in all of Walt Disney World. It is so detailed and pretty! I hope everyone takes an extra moment to find this one on your next visit. It is a detail worth noticing!! For me it always reminds me of the old Disney cartoon where the hats fall in love.

Just past this is the Confectionery, which you can smell before you see! The sugary aroma hangs in the air as you walk past this magical sweet shop!

Just past this is the Main Street Cinema, which used to actually show old movies but has now been reduced to mostly a gift shop. The signage outside is still lovely, though!

Just next door is Uptown Jewelers. Unfortunately, I realized after I got home that I had a terrible glare in my photo of the sign. For now, just the watch sign will have to do, but I will be back to update with the proper sign!

Next to this is a little “alley” where you can have a silhouette made or just find a quaint table and relax. This is one tiny section of the park that hasn’t been monetized. An oasis between gifts shops! It also houses one of my favorite details in the Magic Kingdom. If you walk down into this area and look at these two windows, you can actually hear the lessons going on inside!

Other windows down this passage are portals for sorcerers!

Getting out of this little area and back onto Main Street, you will see the Crystal Shop just ahead. If you haven’t stopped in here before to see a live glass blowing demo, it is really worth stopping to watch. I also love the glasses and mugs that can be personalized by etching your name in the glass; they make a great souvenir!

Next is the Main Street Bakery and the home of Starbucks in the Magic Kingdom! This smells almost as good as the Confectionery, with fresh roasted coffee clearly in the air. It is almost impossible to walk by on an early morning trip!

If you make it past the Bakery, the next thing you will smell is fresh cooked waffle cones at the Ice Cream Parlor next door. It is hard to get down Main Street without craving a snack of some kind!

Just around the corner from here on the right is The Plaza Restaurant. This is an often forgotten but excellent table service restaurant. Inside you’ll find intimate seating, reasonable prices, excellent service, and a yummy menu! You should stop by next time you’re in the area!

And now let’s cross the street and head back toward the train station down the other side of Main Street. The first staple that you will see here on the corner is Casey’s Corner – home of gourmet hot dogs! Now since we’ve been talking about the pleasant smells that line the other side of Main Street, it should be mentioned that Casey’s reeks of sauerkraut. The smell wafts out of the building and into the neighboring gift shop.

Outside you can find these guys marking the entrance:

And if the smell of sauerkraut hasn’t drawn you in as you walk by, you’ll find this last little sign as you continue down Main Street:

Next on this side of the street you will pass the Hall of Champions, which is mostly an apparel store. I may be in the minority, but I still miss when it was the Penny Arcade!

Right in this area, if you look around, you will find this door for Disney casting. Every time I look at it I still have a little hope that maybe I’ll get to work for Disney one of these days!

Just next to Hall of Champions you will find The Emporium Gallery, which mostly houses seasonal items and other gifts.

Just past the Gallery you will enter the actual Emporium! This is the epicenter of of Magic Kingdom shopping, housing a little bit of everything from all around the park. The building is marked with large signs and beautiful stained glass windows over the doors.

 

Out front I also found these beautiful markers next to the doors:

Just next door to the Emporium you will find the Harmony Barber Shop, home of pixie dust haircuts! That’s right, kids of all ages can really get their hair cut inside Magic Kingdom! Reservations are recommended by calling 407-WDW-PLAY.

Moving past this, before you get to the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom sign up station, you can find this interesting poster. I’ve always wondered about this one! We’ve had great luck with our readers giving us info up to this point. Does anyone know the story on this oddly placed poster?

Then, of course, there is the Sorcerers Building itself. I have to say I like this better than the old Fire Station, but I have quite a card collection! What does everyone think of the change?

In this area you will also see several other little details like a place to catch a ride on the Fire Engine:

And also a place to tie up your horse or mail a letter:

Just past this we will reach the end of our tour at the Chamber of Commerce. I love the rich wood sign that marks this building!

And, of course, there is a sign out front marking where you go to pick up your packages. I’ll take the package that contains another grand circle tour of Main Street, please!

As we come close to finishing this series, what would you like to see next? I always appreciate your ideas and feedback so please let me know in the comments below. And as always thanks so much for reading!

Other Magic Kingdom posts in this series:

The Disney’s in the Details: Adventureland
The Disney’s in the Details: Fantasyland Part 1


The Disney’s in the Details: Fantasyland Part 2
The Disney’s in the Details: Fantasyland Part 3
The Disney’s in the Details: Frontierland
The Disney’s in the Details: Liberty Square

 

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Universal Orlando Merchandise Video Review: Interactive Marauder’s Map from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

By Seth Kubersky

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All those who have seen or read the Harry Potter stories have probably wished they had a magical Marauder’s Map to surreptitiously surveil their kids or co-workers. Since opening in 2010 with The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando‘s Islands of Adventure, Filch’s Emporium of Confiscated Goods (located at the exit of the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride) has stocked souvenir Marauder’s Maps that, while handsomely detailed, are decidedly inert.

As of a couple weeks ago, Filch’s has begun selling a new electronic interactive version of the Marauder’s Map that is exclusive to Universal Parks and the Harry Potter Studio Tour in London. The new maps, which retail for $59.95, feature light-up footsteps and sound effects that are triggered by a “magic” wand.

Watch this video for an in-depth look at the Map’s features. To be frank, I was a bit disappointed by the limited interactivity it offered, and the wand was sometimes unresponsive (make sure the tip touches the magnetized area just below the characters’ names), but it’s sure to be a must-have for hardcore Harry Potterphiles.

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Disneyland Annual Passholder Event with Dave Bossert on Oct 24

By Seth Kubersky

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Disney animation producer Dave Bossert

The Walt Disney feature animators who originally occupied the Magic of Disney Animation attraction at WDW’s Disney’s Hollywood Studios park were furloughed well over a decade ago. But, for one next week at least, a member of Disney’s animation team will appear at the sister attraction across the country.

On Thursday, October 24, Annual Passholders can attend a free session with , Producer, Creative Director and Head of Special Projects for for Walt Disney Animation Studios. Bossert will tell behind-the-scenes tales and give “a close-up look at the new Disney Animated app.”

The 45-minute presentations will be held at 3pm, 4pm, 5pm, and 6pm at the Disney Animation attraction in Disney California Adventure’s Hollywood Land. Required registration must be done in person at the attraction on the day of the event, staring at park open. As always, a valid annual pass is required, and space is limited.

 

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SATURDAY SIX: Top Six Hidden References in Halloween Horror Nights 23′s Haunted Houses

By Derek Burgan

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The Saturday Six is a weekly look at the most interesting, most fun, and sometimes even the most outrageous things within the theme park world that we all love so much. Whether it’s checking out the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, unlocking the secrets of Marvel Superhero Island, or looking at the Portofino Bay Hotel, the Saturday Six is your personal guide to experiencing the very best Orlando has to offer

Resident Evil house has this picture of Mike Aiello, Creative Director of HHN t.. It has been repurposed from the Leave It To Cleaver house at HHN 19.

This week’s Saturday Six looks at the Top Six Hidden References in Halloween Horror Nights 23′s Haunted Houses. We’ve already done Saturday Sixes on what we loved about HHN 23 and even our favorite food and drink items from the event, but we also took both the Morning Menace and Afternoon Abominations Unmasking the Horror Tours. These were lights-on tours of six of the haunted houses with a personal tour guide from Universal. The Morning Menace tour led us through La Llorona, The Walking Dead: No Safe Haven, and The Cabin in the Woods. The Afternoon Abominations tour took us to Resident Evil: Escape from Raccoon City, An American Werewolf in London, and Evil Dead.

There are two major things we came away from when the tour was over: 1) We are 100% doing this tour next year and every other year it is offered. And 2) There were so many things in the houses that we never saw when we walked through them during HHN 23! We were blown away at the level of detail when we walked through the conga line during the actual event, but to be able to explore these houses and to see the level of craftsmanship involved in areas that no one will ever see except during these tours was worth every penny we paid. We’ll cover the tours in full very shortly, but let’s get on to the list of the top six hidden references!

(Remember, you can click on any picture to see the full size version)

Donald, Mickey, and Minnie didn’t want to wait until 2017 for Avatarland

# 6 – Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Donald Duck

What?! Three founding members of the Fab Five making an appearance inside Universal?! We can thank Universal Creative’s attention to detail for this one. In the movie An American Werewolf in London, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Minnie Mouse are all seen as toys in the apartment when the main character, David, starts to hallucinate. Another character, Jack, picked up the Mickey toy and even mimicked Mickey’s voice saying, “Hi, David!”

One of the rooms that guests walk though in An American Werewolf in London’s haunted house is a recreation of the apartment living room where the conversation between “Jack” and David took place. This room is filled with items faithfully recreated from the late 1970s/early 1980s era that the film took place in, including the three Disney characters that are on display in the movie. This living room is the same room in the maze in which you see David’s “transformation” into a werewolf and is the only room in the entire HHN experience that Universal stops the flow of traffic into the room in order to change out the actors working inside of it.

20 Penny Circus played their twisted take on magic at 2012′s HHN 22 event

 

# 5 – 20 Penny Circus Beer Bottles

This was one of my favorite surprises of the tour. I really enjoyed the 20 Penny Circus performance at HHN 22 last year. They bill themselves as “Entertainment For People With…Questionable Taste,” and I thought they provided a really unique take on your standard magic show. I was hoping they would return for this year, but instead Rocky Horror Picture Show – A Tribute made its return to HHN at the Beetlejuice’s Graveyard Revue stage.

The 20 Penny Circus themed bottle is almost impossible to see unless you are doing an Unmasking the Horror tour because it is used more for atmosphere and not something that the house is deliberately trying to get guests to notice. 20 Penny Circus malt, along with “Aass Ale” (another beer made up by Universal Creative), can be seen in both The Cabin in the Woods and Evil Dead houses.

You know what they say, “two heads are better than one….”

# 4 – Characters from John Carpenter’s The Thing

Since I’m not big fan of horror movies in general, I can actually thank Halloween Horror Nights for being a reason I finally watched two classic films that I might not have ever watched otherwise. Believe it or not, I had had never seen An American Werewolf in London until I realized that I needed to watch it before going to HHN this year, and a couple years ago I finally broke down and watched John Carpenter’s The Thing because of its involvement in HHN 21. Even to a non-horror fan, both these films were incredible. I actually became such a big fan of The Thing that I watched the new version of The Thing from 2011, which is actually a great prequel for the original movie.

Universal likes to repurpose effects used in previous years, and since they did a house for The Thing for HHN 21 they reused some of the elements from it in two houses this year. In An American Werewolf in London, you’ll see some of the human characters sitting in the adult theater watching See You Next Wednesday. Meanwhile, over in The Cabin in the Woods house, some of the incredible monster effects were used in the second half of the house when all hell breaks loose.

The Jigsaw logo (top) and Billy from Dead Silence (Below)

# 3 – The Saw logo/Dead Silence “Billy” doll

The horror movie genre is filled with certain character archetypes that continue to scare viewers. Zombies, hillbilly rednecks, and clowns are among the most well known. Another? Puppets. Halloween Horror Nights has had houses in the past based around evil puppet characters including Chucky from Child’s Play, the Jigsaw puppet from Saw in 2009, and Billy from Dead Silence in 2007. This year HHN pays tribute to a couple of those houses with a reference to the Jigsaw logo in Walking Dead: No Safe Haven and the Billy puppet in The Cabin in the Woods.

To see the Jigsaw logo, pay attention to the crates in the interrogation room while you are in the town of Woodbury. The Billy doll is in the room from Cabin which has all the horror elements in which the characters could choose from to trigger whichever monster would terrorize them. Here you’ll see the conch shell that would have called the Merman, the music box for the sugarplum fairy, and of course the diary that calls forth the Zombie Redneck Torture Family that we see in the film (and the lovable Buckner family is represented throughout the first half of the Cabin haunted house experience, as well). Nestled in between a bunch of creepy looking dolls is Billy himself.

4 8 15 16 23 42

# 2 – The DHARMA Initiative logo from LOST

This was a jaw dropper for me and something I didn’t have a clue about when walking through the Waking Dead house the night before. There are two rooms inside the prison sets that stood out to me. One had the rotary style telephone that was used in the show to show that Rick was losing his mind. You found out later he was “talking” to his dead wife Lori. Universal created that phone, and when you pick it up it triggers a voice effect from Lori talking to you. Great stuff. Almost all of the elements of these houses are triggered by the actors themselves, but this is one the guests have a hand in.

The second room has the dead body of Lori inside and nearby on a desk is paperwork which has the logo from the DHARMA Initiative, who – like the Governor in Woodbury – played foils to our heroes on the TV show Lost.

Jaws

# 1 – Jaws and King Kong

As if you needed another reason to love An American Werewolf in London house. We’ve already discussed the nods to Disney, using characters from John Carpenter’s The Thing, and the fact that they recreated an adult movie theater within a theme park, but we haven’t even mentioned the insanely detailed wolf puppets that are throughout the attraction. These puppets have that “wow” factor that only comes with something truly special, like the first time you see the Transformers characters for photo-ops. Need more? How about a faithful recreation of the Slaughtered Lamb pub, detailed to the point where John Landis pointed out that a hat hanging on the rack needed to be brown like it was in the film.

King Kong

For me, though, the true highlight of this house was seeing tributes to former Universal attractions Jaws and King Kong. This was actually an another repurposing of previously used show elements, but the more acknowledgements we can get to Jaws and Kong into the parks, the better. I feel one trait that Universal comes up short in is acknowledging its own history. While Disney over-delivers to its fanbase when it comes to nostalgia (whether it be through pins, vinylmation, or references inside the parks), there are Universal fans who desperately miss long-gone attractions like Back to the Future, the Ghostbusters stage show and even seeing the old Bates Motel. For them, there is very little history to collect or appreciate.

So when walking through the Werewolf house, getting to a graveyard scene and seeing little tributes to Jaws and King Kong really make this experience special.

In honor of Carla Young, a Universal Team Member who passed away in 2013

HONORABLE MENTION – Young’s Flowers

Most of the work inside theme parks, and this includes Halloween Horror Nights, goes un-credited. We may know a name of an Imagineer here or there or someone like Mike Aiello at Universal, but it takes hundreds of people to produce the final product. From the people who put pen to paper and design the attractions, to the people fabricating the actual show elements, to the team members/scareactors putting the cherry on the top of the sundae as they guide us through the journey, it truly takes a village to create the theme park world we love so much. We almost never learn about many of the people who work tirelessly to provide us with the park entertainment, but one such person, Carla Young, is immortalized in Walking Dead: No Safe Haven with a flower shop façade in Woodbury dedicated to her name.

Carla Young was major force behind the VIP tours at Universal – such as the Unmasking the Horror tours – and there’s even a nod to the tours themselves on the store. On the sign listing what hours that Young’s Flowers is open, Saturday has the hours of 10AM – 2PM. These were the hours that the Unmasking the Horror tours used to run until this year, when they broke it up into a morning tour (starting at 10:30 AM) and an afternoon tour (staring at 2:oo PM.)

See you next weekend for the latest edition of the Saturday Six. If you had fun, be sure to check out The Magic, The Memories and Merch! articles or head on over to the TouringPlans.com Podcast Network and check out Universal NOW! and Pardon the Pixie Dust.

Halloween Horror Nights takes place on selected nights from September 20 through November 2, 2013. For more information and to buy tickets: click here.

Special thanks to Brandon Glover and Zeus Navarro for their assistance with this week’s Saturday Six.

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SATURDAY SIX: Top Six Hidden References in Halloween Horror Nights 23′s Haunted Houses is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

Park Recommendations Affected By Crowd Calendar 4 Conversion

By Fred Hazelton

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Our team is working hard to resolve issues that arose during conversion to Crowd Calendar 4. One of the results is that during this transition, the Park Recommendations listed on the calendar may not be consistent with the park crowd levels. Jennifer, a subscriber from Rockford, MI noticed the issue during the dates of her April trip.

Hello,

I’m confused on your crowd tracker for April 2014. I’ve been using as it my guide for planning and making dining reservations for spring break.  Something seems amiss to me!  Crowd numbers have changed and recommendations seem ‘off’.  For example, Saturday, April 5 suddenly has three parks at crowd level 5 and Epcot crowd level 8. Your recommended park that day is Epcot!?!  Is this correct, or are you experiencing a glitch in your system?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Yes, it is a glitch. We suggested Jennifer avoid Epcot and choose one of the other parks listed at ’5′. While we work through the conversion to Crowd Calendar 4, you may notice these types of discrepancies. Our suggestion is to focus on the park levels and ignore the park recommendations, for now. Once we solve the issues we will completely convert to the new calendar.

For further information on how to use the park levels to choose which park to visit, check out our Park Recommendations page.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. As always, contact us here for questions about the crowd calendar and park recommendations.

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Park Recommendations Affected By Crowd Calendar 4 Conversion is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

Limited Time Magic for October 20 – 26

By Rikki Niblett

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From October 21-25, select guests will have the ability to take a special Limited Time Magic tour of the gardens of Epcot.

Guests can enter for a chance to tour the gardens that are found across World Showcase with Manager of Walt Disney World Horticulture, Eric Darden. Eric will talk about how horticulture helps to tell the story of Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival.

There will be one tour a day, starting at 9:00 a.m. 25 guests will be selected at random. For more information on the specifics and to sign up, visit the Disney Parks Blog.

In addition, now both Disneyland and Walt Disney World have Glow With The Show Ears, fun ear hats that interact with nighttime spectaculars in some of the theme parks. To celebrate, Disney will vibrant ear clings to guests who purchase a pair of these ears. Each pair will come complete with 2 sets of stickers: one side will say good bye to 2013, and one side will welcome 2014. These will be available while supplies last.

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Limited Time Magic for October 20 – 26 is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.

This Week On TouringPlans YouTube Channel: Spaceship Earth, Attraction Poster Calendars, Marauder’s Maps, and More!

By Guy Selga Jr.

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Every Friday on the TouringPlans Blog we bring you the week’s newest videos from our YouTube channel. Let’s get started!

Disneyland and Walt Disney World got beautiful new attraction poster calendars, and they are now available in stores! Take a look at our review of the Disneyland version of the calendar.

It is my opinion that Spaceship Earth is one of the best attractions in all of Walt Disney World. I am pleased to bring you a full 1080p HD ride through video!

More videos after the jump.

Take a stroll through a mostly empty Caribbean Beach Resort as we explore some of the amenities.

Seth takes a look at the new Marauder’s Map, which is now available at Filch’s Emporium in Islands of Adventure’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Is it worth the high price tag? Find out in this review.

On this week’s Ask Jim Hill, Jim Hill and Len Testa discuss the Universal Orlando Lord of the Rings rumors.

That’s all for this week. We add new videos to the channel several times a week. Be sure to head to http://youtube.com/touringplans and subscribe!

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This Week On TouringPlans YouTube Channel: Spaceship Earth, Attraction Poster Calendars, Marauder’s Maps, and More! is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.