Category: Theme Parks
365 Adventures in 2011: Day 351 – Ear in Review
After spending the afternoon at a local flea market searching for collectibles and other goodies (which we found a few of), I sat in my office chair for nearly 5 hours straight. Okay, I do that every day when working, but this time I was also recording a podcast continuously for that same amount of time. It was our annual “Ear” in Review show, in which I discuss the year’s Disney news with Paul Barrie from A Window to the Magic. The show went very well and those listening live seemed to enjoy it. It’ll be released on January 1. And I was happy that it didn’t last quite as long as last year’s show, breaking the trend of it becoming longer year after year. Maybe next year we can trim it down to 3 hours. (Yeah, right.)
365 Adventures in 2011: Day 347 – Goodbye Jaws
To say goodbye to the classic attraction, I rode Jaws six times in a row at Universal Studios, recording video, audio, and taking pictures all the way through. I’m working on a full tribute to the ride and its surrounding Amity area, which will close Jan. 2, 2012 to make way for something new. Whether it’s Harry Potter, Transformers, Madagascar, or something else, I will always miss Jaws, if only a little. It’s a ride I’ve enjoyed for the past 20 years or so.
365 Adventures in 2011: Day 342 – Art and Design
I returned to the Orange County Regional History Center for a special presentation by the Universal Orlando Art & Design team about how they take their ideas from concept to completion. It’s related to the exhibit that opened a couple weeks ago featuring their artwork from the last 10 years or so. It was an interesting and entertaining panel discussion followed by a Q&A session. (And you can watch the whole thing online, as I recorded it.)
365 Adventures in 2011: Day 337 – Universal Orlando Christmas
Following a night of Christmas entertainment at SeaWorld, I visited Universal Orlando to take in all of their Christmas excitement in both theme parks, from Grinchmas to Macy’s Holiday Parade to the most excellent Mannheim Steamroller concert. Other than sitting down for the Grinchmas show, I was on my feet for somewhere around 5 hours – but it was worth it! It’s nice to see each of Orlando’s competing theme parks do Christmas a quite differently from each other. They’re all worth checking out.
365 Adventures in 2011: Day 336 – SeaWorld Christmas
SeaWorld does Christmas really, really well. Walking through the park, it just feels like Christmas time. There are lots of live musical acts, great food, and entertaining shows. The fireworks at the end of the night are a special treat too. And it’s truly a Christmas celebration, avoiding the politically correct “happy holidays” nonsense.
These two elves interact with kids and pose for photos. They’re one of many characters encountered while walking the park streets this time of year.
