Halloween Horror Nights 24 The return of the Scare zones.

 For Halloween Horror Nights 22 and Halloween Horror Nights 23, Universal experimented with new scare environments for those the events. Halloween Horror Nights 22 introduced NO scare zones and no place was safe; meaning that the scare zone of the past were gone and actors wandered the park. So if you were at restaurant eating, in  store shopping, putting things in a locker, etc. the scareactors could wander by and scare the living daylights out of you. I personally thought this was great...... many other guest said it was too intense.(Halloween Horror Nights are Intense that is the whole point)

Halloween Horror Nights 23 brought about a Single theme for  Scare Zones. They were all based on Iconic Scenes from Seasons 1 through 3 of The Walking Dead and Scareactors, in this case, zombies could wander from zone to zone beacause they fit the theme. There were also other scareactor tribes that wandered freely adding to the story line. This was decent but again other guest said it was too much and/or too boring.

So here comes Halloween Horror Nights 24 with the return of separate Scares Zones. The Purge: Anarchy, Bayou of Blood, Syfy's FaceOff, and MASKerade: Unsticthed.  The Purge by far was the star of these Scare Zones but was in limited operation while we were there because of the weather. FaceOff was just a waste of space and time.  Bayou of Blood had a lot of potential but then again weather kept us from seeing it in all of it glory.

 Here is a small sample of what Scare Zones are like at Halloween Horror Nights. This is From Halloween Horror Nights 24 on September 19th, 2014 opening night. Some of the effects like Flames and the Scarectors were not able to get on the bus to do their shows on the intended stage because of the rain. The Bayou of Blood had the scareactors pulled out because of the rain.

Next years Halloween Horror Nights will be celebrating 25 years of scaring people! We hope to be able to be there to see what they have to offer as the event is already being planned and planning starting even before this year's event kicked off.

Make sure you use my services to help plan your Halloween Horror Nights Getaway! My expertise will help you get the most enjoyment and value from your Universal Orlando and Halloween Horror Nights getaway!
www.firehousefamilyvacations.com

Aquatica Revisited: An Honest Review

Over the years, I have had the pleasure of visiting several different water parks, both indoors and out. I have visited the largest outdoor water park, Noah's Ark in Wisconsin Dells, which is an amazing water park. The largest indoor water park, The Kalahari in Sandusky, Ohio; it may have size but that's about it. A few mom and pop water parks that had two slides at the most and are no longer in business, and some major park chain water parks. I have also visited all of  the water parks Disney World has had, River Country  included. It pretty safe to say, I like water parks and enjoy going to them and on my last trip to Orlando, I revisited Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. I also recently visited the AquaVenture at Atlantis in Nassau.  The visits to those water parks made me really appreciate Aquatica.

Aquatica.... you have arrived

Aquatica is a water park that is part of the SeaWorld Orlando park complex that includes SeaWorld and Discovery Cove. Aquatica opened in 2008 billed as a whimsical, one-of-a-kind waterpark unlike any you've ever experienced, immersing you  in the playfulness of the sea. This park heavily relies on the uniqueness of water park attractions with animal interactions.

The star attraction of this park is  Dolphin plunge, a water slide that send you through the home of  black-and-white Commerson's Dolphins. When I heard about this attraction, I was sold and dead set on getting to this water park. I went into this park with high expectations and was really looking forward to the animal interactions like those of the Dolphin Plunge would have to offer.

Hello little guy, is there someone in that slide?

Look you have a friend also!

As always when heading to a water park, I plan on getting there at gate opening, crowds are generally smaller, lockers and chairs are easier to find, plus you can usually get a decent amount of slide time in before the afternoon showers interrupt the day and gates are closed because the parks are at capacity. My expectation grew as we entered the park with all the lush foliage and theming that is present around the Dolphin Plunge slide and the Commerson's Dolphins.  The kids excitement grew as well; we just had to get on that slide. So we got a locker that just happened to come with a "free" souvenir towel then headed straight for the Dolphins Plunge.

 Our  excitement turned to frustration because as soon as we got to the top of the slide, my daughter, who wears a shirt over her swimsuit to help from getting badly sun burnt, was told she couldn't ride with the shirt on and had to exit the slide and put it in the locker. This after walking past several park employees that monitored the line for the slide and no signage indicating shirts were not allowed. So, instead of walking all the way back to the locker, I had my daughter take the shirt off and I went and waited for her to ride, then gave her her shirt back after her journey through Dolphin Plunge(this was the only slide the unposted rule was enforced on). At the end of her ride, her reaction to the slide was rather lackluster.  So it was my turn to ride and I will have to say, I too was disappointed. The problems with this slide is the tube that goes  through the tank with the dolphins was cloudy and hard to see out of, plus you actually go through that portion of the slide so fast, it is hard to see the dolphins. The dolphins would have to be literally right next to the tube to actually see them.  Needless to say, out of the 4 of us that rode it, none of  us saw the dolphins while on the slide, and none of us liked the slide. The dolphins are best viewed from the underwater viewing area near the entrance of the park. Now the themeing and foliage that are around Dolphin Plunge is very detailed and also has some nice bridge overlooks for those long waits to use the slide.It is a decent experience with a lackluster slide, if you are more interested in just seeing the dolphins, skip the slide and head over to the underwater viewing area. Sporadically throughout the day there were trainers in the underwater viewing area to educate about the Commerson's Dolphins. Now to be fair over down at Atlantis's AquaVenture they had the infamous Leap of Faith Water slide through a tank of sharks. It has the same lackluster type slide that speeds your through the tank so you can't see the Sharks. The other tube slide that went through the tank was slower and more unique experience!

The best view for the Commerson's dolphins
is the underwater observation area off the slide

After spending our time at the Dolphin Plunge we headed over to the newest addition to the park at that time, Omaka Rocka. Since our visit Ihu's Breakways Falls has opened and I eagerly want to experience those new slides!
Omaka Rocka is a tube slide with sections that are half-pipes.  My family loves the half pipe/funnel slides and this one had several sections that fed into smaller versions of  half pipe slides, so it was bound to be a hit. It ended up being pretty boring. The reason this was boring, the half pipe sections of the slides became mini-splash down pools and did not allow the experience that larger half pipe slides offer.(google a youtube video of Michigan Adventure's Funnel of Fear for a good idea of what large half pipe slides are like)  So the first two slides of the day were not home runs.  So we decided to hit Roa's Rapids.

Roa's Rapids is a fast moving river with water falls, rapids and lush foliage all around. Roa's Rapids far exceeded our expectations and was by far the star of the park for my family and myself. We spent hours floating this river. My wife and I had to drag the kids out of it.We loved that it was a free of  inner tubes and you could opt in to wearing a FREE personal flotation devices. While there were no animal interactions on this river, unlike the lazy river Loggerhead Lane, giggles and cheers filled this area of the park. A special note about Loggerhead Lane, while it is the a lazy river, one can easily miss the fish tank on this river because of the split in the river and placement of the tank. Also be forewarned, to access some of the water slides(just a couple), you have to walk through Loggerhead Lane to get to them. This can be very confusing if you don't follow the signs.

The rest of the water park  had standard water park slides, kid's slide& splash complex, and a well themed, but tame wave pool with a sandy beach.  The animal interactions were just ok.  We loved Roa's Rapids, and it was interesting to see Commerson's Dolphins in a water park(just not the water slide affixed to them). Aquatica is a nice small water park and is well worth a visit. If you can, definitely look for a deal where you can get a day at SeaWorld or Discovery Cove that includes admission to Aquatica(currently those deals are available but could change at anytime). Aquatica has it picturesque areas but still has room to improve.Roa's Rapids made up for the shortcomings of Dolphin's Plunge. This is still a young park and a new concept for SeaWorld, I hold hope out that this park can be expanded and improved upon. Aquatica is probably one of the better Water Park in Central Florida. It's hard to live in the shadows of Wet n Wild, Typhoon Lagoon, and Blizzard Beach, but  Aquatica has stepped out from the shadows and become a force in Central Florida.We will come back to the park over the years because over all, it is a really is a nice park.

Aquatica is neatly placed behind Seaworld, as you can see it behind
Journey to Atlantis here.

Staying On-Site at Disney World: A little known but important benefit

There are many benefits that Disney publicly advertises to entice guest to stay in the on-site resorts, but there are some benefits Disney doesn't advertise. One of these unadvertised benefits is a great perk that gives on-site guest an advantage they may not even know they are receiving. That benefit kicks in when the parks reach capacity.

How does it work?
When a park reaches capacity, Disney goes into what as know as Phase Closures. There are 4 Phases of closures that have been determined to try to maintain guest satisfaction. Notice I mentioned the word try because when a park gets to these levels, there will be dissatisfaction resulting from the waits for rides,food, restrooms, and attractions. Some people have been able to get their hands on the actual policy Disney has and implements when capacity is reached and phase closures kick in. Others, like myself, have learned from experience what is part of a phase closure and who will benefit and who will be denied entry.On-Site Guest will be some of the last people affected by the Phase of Closures.

Why is this important?
Well we are quickly approaching the Holiday season and the Grand Opening of the New FantasyLand. During the Holiday season (especially New Year's Eve) the parks are sure to reach capacity. These next few months is also the time of year several families book their Spring Vacations. The Spring break time is another time when parks tend to reach capacity. It is important to note that phase closures also apply to the Water Parks and the Water Parks generally reach capacity much quicker than the 4 major parks!(It is no fun at all to be in the water parks when they are at capacity, if there is a phase closure, hit the hotel pool instead.)

Below is a breakdown of what happens for each Phase of Closure based on experience and what has filtered out to travel agents by those that have seen the actual policy.

Phase 1
Guest will be turned away at the Parking Lot Toll Plaza if they have:
A 1-Day 1-Park Ticket
No admission ticket
Cast Members using Main Gate &Silver Passes
YES DISNEY WILL TURN YOU AWAY!!!

Guest that can enter during Phase 1 are:
Those with multi-day or multi-park tickets
Those staying at a Disney Resort(including the Walt Disney World Swan and
Dolphin, and guests arriving by bus from the Hotel Plaza Boulevard
hotels)
Annual Passholders and Premium Annual Passholders
Those re-entering the park that day.
Those "hopping" from another park.
Those with in-park reservations or reservations for Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique or
The Pirates League.
Those arriving via Disney transportation

Phase 2
Guest that will be allowed to enter a park include:
Disney Resort Guests (including the Walt Disney World Swan and
Dolphin, and guests arriving by bus from the Hotel Plaza Boulevard
hotels)
Guests with dining reservations
Magic Kingdom Guests with reservations for Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique or
The Pirates League
Guests using Walt Disney World Resort Transportation will be admitted.
Annual and Premium Annual Passholders

Phase 3
Admission is limited to:
Disney Resort Guests (including the Walt Disney World Swan and
Dolphin, and guests arriving by bus from the Hotel Plaza Boulevard
hotels)
Premium Annual Passholders
Guests with dining reservations
Magic Kingdom Guests with reservations for Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique or
The Pirates League

Phase 4
Closed to all guests.
Aspect of these closures can be changed at anytime by Disney.

What is important to note is, if you are traveling to see all that Disney has to offer and can't pass up that great deal to stay at an off-site location; the only thing you might see is the toll plaza and cast member telling Sorry Folks We're Closed. Please don't go Clark Griswald on that poor Cast Member! So if you are planning to head to a Disney Park during the busy season, plan on experiencing crowds and rest assured it is a very wise choice to stay at an on-site resort.

Sorry Folks We're Closed

Have you ever been at a Disney Park when it was in a Phase Closure? Tell us your experience.

Disney's "New" Technology to Enhance your Vacation!

This will be an important Icon
for your Next Disney Vacation

Updated Monday 1/7/2013 at the bottom of the post
This new program has been officially named MyMagic+ Experience.

There are many benefits to using a travel agent when you go on any vacation. Disney in the near future will introduce some "New" Technology to enhance your vacation that maybe confusing. A travel agent, like myself, will help you understand and help you utilize this technology to get the most out of your Disney vacation(for free even).Disney has been quietly working for a number of years on "new" technology to make your vacation extremely unforgettable. How quiet you ask? Unless you are directly involved in the project, the project doesn't exist. The only idea that something was going on was/is the massive dollar amount that has been spent on "something" keeping profits down in the year end reports to stockholders. How big of a dollar amount? It has been estimated that Disney has spent close to $1.5 billion dollars on this project  nicknamed by insiders as NextGen. My personal speculation is that NextGen has been in the works since before My Pal Mickey made his debut(click here to learn more). It appears as 2013 approaches, we are inching closer to the big reveal of what NextGen is and how it will enhance your vacation experience.

Pieces of NextGen began to emerge from secrecy and were installed around the Walt Disney World resort in the spring of 2012. While not ground breaking, these first pieces of technology came in the form of WiFi.  People in the resorts that it began to pop up in were overjoyed that they now had FREE  wireless connections for their laptops, tablets, and Smart Phones. Of course there were others that grumbled that it was about time. Then with the opening of the Arts of Animation Resort, a larger piece of the mystery of NextGen came to light. All of the locks at the Arts of Animation Resort were RFID locks. Those locks began to spread to every resort  and every guest room, one resort at a time. This process is still ongoing.

What is RFID? 

This is the quick and dirty look at  RFID. RFID or Radio-frequency identification is a wireless non-contact system that uses radio-frequency(RF) to transfer data from a tag to a sensor. This RF allows for automatic identification and tracking. It is speculated that Disney's RFID tags require no battery and are read at short ranges. The tag contains SECURED electronically stored information which can be read from up to several  yards away from a DISNEY sensor. Disney will be able to personalize RFID tags with specific information. This technology is not new, it has just become more affordable. It was invented in 1945 and began to have larger uses in the 1970's. 

Why it is important?

Disney's Point of Sale RFID Scanner

Disney is not stopping at door locks that use RFID technology. Test began at EPCOT using RFID Tickets. Disney removed a section of Turnstiles at EPCOT, gave a certain amount of test subjects RFID stickers to place on their tickets and told them when you go to EPCOT, walk near a specific entrance point to enter. It was virtually a barrier free entrance staffed by Cast Members that could rectify any problems that could occur. This meant no hold ups from  strollers being manipulated through gates and tickets having to be re scanned over and over causing lines to form.  Disney says it went off without a hitch. Since this original test,they have successfully tested at The Hollywood Studios and The Magic Kingdom.  So if you are keeping track, with RFID you can open your resort door and get into the theme parks with it. It doesn't stop there! A while back Disney did a small test with a certain mouse at his Town hall Meet-n-Greet. That test included a Talking Mickey Mouse......that could identify children by name.....Kid's and adults alike light up when they meet the mouse, but imagine their surprise when he knows your name without you telling him. Of course, the information on your RFID device is doing that seamlessly. Other aspects of RFID appear to incorporate payment options, pre-ordered meals, and FastPass+. More to come on those at a later time.

Disney's FastPass+  RFID Reader

 Wait a second, I thought you this was a quiet project that didn't exist how do you know so much?? 

I have been following this for a while, because it intrigues me. The possibilities seem endless on how RFID could be used with other technologies and the personalization that can come from them. Disney began to unveil how some of the technology will be used in a place most people over look. I guess you can say hidden in plain site.
   Over the summer, Disney released a new phone app called My Disney Experience. With that app, in the terms of agreement that many people don't read, there were many features of Disney's NextGen Technology that you had to agree to. Yes, you should read the terms of agreements! I was able to get some hands on experience with the app on my vacation to Walt Disney World in September. It worked wonderfully when connected to Disney's FAST WiFi network. Once off  WiFi, it was sluggish and not worth a damn to be bluntly honest. So as you can gather the WiFi is important.

When it came to RFID, Cast members and test subjects began to relay their experiences online in forums and videos( yes there were some hoaxes out there but there is also solid evidence). I also had my own experience with RFID in September when I wanted to check out the Big Blue pool area at the Arts of Animation Resort. Well, since I was not a guest at the resort and had no RFID "key", the only view I got of the Big Blue was from the fence surrounding the pool. Simple, yet effective. Think of the safety measure that has for kids that may sneak away from their parents! No Key, No Entry! I know its not a novel idea here, but most pools around the Disney Resorts aren't fenced in and pool hopping used to be a favorite past time.

A" Blogosphere" controversy arose over another test that Disney attempted with the use of RFID. This test involved limiting guest of abuse of refillable mugs and pop purchases at one of the All-Star resorts. Lets face it, many return visitors bring back their refillable mugs from trip to trip. Some people even take them into parks or keep their other cups through out the day hitting unmanned soda fountains and getting free refills. Clearly when a refillable mug is purchased, it is noted that it is to be used for your length of stay at the resort you are checked-in to. Disney came up with this crazy idea of keeping guest honest by placing an RFID tag in the Refillable Resort mugs and cups purchased at the All-Star Resort. The soda fountain would only activate when the RFID tag was recognized. The Tag would expire in x amount of days, meaning if you came back months later, you had to buy a new refillable mug like the original program intended. CURSE YOU DISNEY for making people follow the rules! As you might suspect, if every soda fountain had this technology across the resort, it could save Disney money in the long run and "virtually" stop theft or bending of the rules.

I will take Blue....

Personalized "Magic Band"

The biggest piece of information to date fell into place in October when Disney filed with the FCC to be able to use RF devices and Wall Street wanting some answers from Disney's CEO Robert Iger. To appease Wall Street, Mr.Iger gave out just enough information to get them off the companies back. From that information surfaced pictures of the "magic band". It is a wristband that looks to be your room key, credit card, theme park ticket, FastPass+, dining plan, and identification. Then Last weekend, Disney selectively rolled out a new website for Walt Disney World(go ahead check to see if you were lucky enough to get it) that you had to have an account for called My Disney Experience....Yep Same name as the app. Right there in the Terms and Conditions again, that most people probably skipped over, Disney displayed what technology they will use and how it will work for you and them!

The big reveal date has not been announced by Disney yet. More than likely it will be a gradual roll out like the RFID locks at the resorts. Many details are still under lock and key but will leak out when more testing is done. A big detail still be determined is if any of the NextGen initiative will cost anything extra for you or if it would be included in your vacation packages. There is some speculation that some resort levels(moderate and deluxe) may have some perks added to entice you to stay there. Then there is that pesky wording in the terms of agreement that state "Depending on the Experience benefits you have purchased..." which opens the door to speculation that you will have to purchase certain items on top of your package or ticket.

Disney is not the only resort in Orlando eyeing RFID, Wifi, and other Technology to enhance your vacations. Last week Universal Orlando introduced an RFID refillable mug for their Coke Freestyle Machines. Darn you Disney for making Universal Orlando return visitors honest!!!! Universal Orlando also is currently looking to expand WiFi throughout their parks and resorts. There are even rumblings RFID technology might show up in a game or experience for the Harry Potter Expansion. That could give some interesting interactivity with those nice expensive wands people purchase!

As with any new program there will be a learning curve and growing pains.Some people that wear tinfoil on their heads and produce conspiracy therories will make up hoaxes and urban legends about what is to come. There are even those that are already making plans to break the system.( I prefere to enjoy my vacation, not get banned from Disney) Things will change and be tweaked. As for me, I am glad Disney's NextGen is ready to break out and enhance Vacations!
What are your thoughts on the enhancements on the way?

Officially announced enhancements by Disney 

• Hidden sensors will read MagicBand data, providing information needed for a personalized greeting: “Hi, Angie,” the character might say without prompting. “I understand it’s your birthday.”

• The Under the Sea attraction features a robotic version of Scuttle the sea gull from “The Little Mermaid” that will be able to chitchat with MagicBand wearers.

• An online options menu will offer various controls: Do you want park employees to know your name? Do you want Disney to send you special offers when you get home? What about during your stay?

• MyMagic+ will allow users of a new Web site and app — called My Disney Experience — to preselect three FastPasses before they leave home for rides or V.I.P. seating for parades, fireworks and character meet-and-greets.

* Disney plans to introduce collectible sets of MagicBand accessories and charms.

The  system will be available at no additional cost. The basic MagicBand RFID bracelet can be upgraded to a customized band, such as a Princess band, for an additional fee. This is only a cosmetic change however, and does impact the actual experience.

Guests will be able to use kiosks inside the parks to choose FASTPASS+ experiences as well as using smartphones or websites.

The system is opt in, and is not required. However, if you do not use 'MyMagic+' you will not be able to use FASTPASS+.

Stay tuned right here and I will get you the latest and greatest information on the new experience!

Halloween Horror Nights 22 at Universal Studios Orlando

Halloween is upon us and that means there is no better time to share with you our adventure and tips from Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights. Universal Orlando Halloween Horror nights  is by far the best Halloween Party and Haunt in this country. Yes not only can you get scared, startled, shocked, and get a good laugh; it is definitely a party/nightclub atmosphere. This year at  Halloween Horror Nights(HHN), Universal went a couple of different directions and moved away from some of the "safe" tried and proven elements they have had for the last 21 years. One of the biggest changes  was that there was no Iconic Figure or theme for this year's event. Last Year's Icon was Lady Luck.I believe this was a good call by Universal  because it didn't over shadow some of the bigger Icons that came with the Haunted Houses this year.  So let's get down to it and tell you about the good, mediocre, and the fantastic of this event. Make sure you read all way to the end to find out some tips that will help you if you should decide to go to HHN in the future.

The Stage Shows:

It's time for Bill &Ted's Election Adventure

A  staple of HHN has been The Bill and Ted's Stage show. Each year the theme changes giving  Bill and Ted chances takes jabs at Pop Culture for the past year. This year was no exception and this year controversy arose over the show and caused a change in the show half way through its HHN run. The show, which was in the old west stunt show/Fear Factor Live show arena, started out with a bunch of YouTube clips of people getting themselves Darwin Awards for doing stupid things.  It keep the crowd groaning in sympathetic pains and laughing at the misfortunes of the not so bright.  Showtime started out with a nice, seductive dance montage celebrating the end of the world and the Mayan Calendar. ( I had to explain it to the guy next to me that the dancer were Mayans, he was still too drunk to get it.) After some nice blindingly but fun pyrotechnics, we are then introduced to the stars of the show Bill and Ted. This year's show had Bill and Ted competing against each other and trying to earn peoples votes to become Class  President.  Que the jabs at Pop Culture. This year's show took jabs at everything from Katnis (from the Hunger Games) who kept "Volunteering" throughout the show, to Honey Boo Boo child(the actress did great job spoofing her), Mad Men, Abraham Lincoln Vampire Killer, The Avengers( the high school years), and in my opinion the best jab all  being aimed at the Snow White characters that emerged from this year movies and TV Shows. All of the Snow Whites that we have known and come to love recently were fair game.They jabbed at Kristin Stewart from the Huntsmen noting that all her facial expression and acting were the same for every character she has ever played.  Of course they also took a jab at Disney's Snow White with the Classic line" My name is Snow White, I live with seven men and my safe word is EPCOT."

As I did mention there was controversy with this year's Bill and Ted's show and it came in the form of an Epic Rap Battle between  The President and Mitt & Ann Romney. I really didn't pay much attention to this part of the show because it was the weakest, most uninteresting part of the show.  The controversy goes that some people saw the skit too Pro-Obama and degrading towards Mitt Romney and the Mormon religion. To me it was just poorly paced and not funny.  

The show's final dance number was great and so were the pyrotechnics.  If find yourself at HHN, do not miss this show. Be forewarned this show is not for children and don't count on taking Pictures or Video of the show, they are very strict about allowing photography of any type during the show.

This year's new addition to the stage show line up was 20Penny Circus. Not much info was given out about this show before HHN or even on the park maps that were given out. I truly didn't know what to expect. We caught a glimpse of the show while waiting in line for The Walking Dead House on the big screen. From what we saw, we decided it wasn't worth going to see. It  was basically an extreme side show attraction with comedy that most of the audience wasn't laughing at . We saw someone eating glass, putting a nail up their nose and couple of other not interesting magic tricks taken to the extreme.  

mmm Peanut Butter

The Haunted Houses:

The amount of detail that Universal put into these haunts or haunted houses was amazing.  Most of the houses were either built in former Soundstages or in storage areas.  Some of the house were movie production quality and one just seemed like it was a last minute addition. (It may have been a last minute addition because of the construction happening that will TRANSFORM part of the studios.)  I will list the houses in the order from Mediocre to the Best.(in my opinion)

7) Welcome to Silent Hill

I have never played the game and have never seen the Silent Hill movies , so this house left me confused.  To me it seemed like someone was on a bad acid drip and tried to re-create their trippy nightmare. This house did nothing for me. No Scares and since I didn't play the games or see the movies, their attention to details were lost on me. I have no clue what the pink rabbit or pyramid headed stilt walker were suppose to be.  Never got startled or scared in this house, very few screams from anyone were coming from this house.  I give this one  4 out of 10.

6) Universal's House of Horrors
This house was based on classic horror movies and monsters with characters like the Wolfman, Creature from the Black Lagoon, and Frankenstein to name a few. There was really interesting lighting in this house to make you feel like you were in a Black and White movie.  That is about all that worked for this house. There weren't many scares here. The make-up on some of the Characters was top notch and some of the props were outstanding. There was an awkward section where you had to duck low to get under something(this was the only haunted house to do this) and made no sense.  There was no gore factor in this house at all and had the shortest line.  I would rate this house a 5 out of 10, but still better than any other haunted house I have been in outside of Universal.

5) Dead End

This house had  lot of detail but really no story to go with it. This was a full blown house built in a soundstage.  I am not sure how long this took to build but I think house had everything but working plumbing when it came to the time and detail they put in this. The only drawback to this house was since there was a continuous line of people going through, it didn't allow the actors in the house an opportunity to reset and actually scare people.( Yes, there were people that got freaked out, just not me because I saw it coming.) There really wasn't any gore factor in this house and it seemed like a classic haunted house done very well. I would give this house a 6 out of 10

4) Alice Cooper's Welcome to my Nightmare

This was an interesting house as it was themed to the music and imagery of Alice Cooper's music. It was like walking through a 3D demented music video and it was great how the music changed from room to room. The gore factor was kicked up a notch in here and was a house you could go through more than a few times and have different experiences each time. This house had areas that allowed the actors time to re-hide or blend into the scenery to get the scare factor up and surprise people.  Having seen Alice Cooper themed haunted house before at Six Flags FrieghtFests, this house by far  made Six Flags houses look like child's play.  I give this house a 7 out of 10 for gore, scares, and detail.

3) AMC's The Walking Dead, Dead Inside

This is the Haunted House I was most looking forward to.  If you are a fan of the show this is a haunt you would want to go through over and over again to pick out the details from the Iconic Scenes they chose from Seasons 1&2.  You start out in the hospital and see the boarded door letting you know that there are dead inside. You then begin to snake your way though the hospital encountering Walkers.  Then you transition(poorly) from the hospital to the Department store in Atlanta.  From there you come to the RV and appear to be on the farm and enter the Barn.  There are a lot of walkers in the barn, even the well-walker from Season 2.  After surviving the Walkers in the Barn you exit into Walkers in the Highway Scene from season 2 and see a message for Sophia.(Sadly I don't think Sophia will ever get the message).  The only drawback to this maze was the transitions from scene to scene, which is understandable . This had a decent gore factor to it and the Walkers were great. I Give this maze a 8.5 out of 10. Well done Universal!

2) Penn& Teller's Newkd Las Vegas

This house was a mixture of Illusions, laughter, and gore. It was nearly perfect and in 3D. This house should be rated R at the bare minimum.  Las Vegas has been Nuked and Penn&Teller do a wonderful job of spoofing what Vegas would look like after it has been mutated by radiation. As you enter near the Iconic Welcome to Las Vegas sign you encounter a vomiting animatronic and it only gets more interesting from there.  There is everything from a mutated buffet, three breasted lady, and a great Christmas light type room that words can't describe, especially with people in the room that reach for you that blend in because they are covered with lights.  There are some things that didn't work well in this house and that is because of the constant line of people being pushed through. One such thing was the mutated buffet because you had the opportunity on the back side to press buttons to add special surprise to people at the buffet, but the inability to stop didn't allow it work. One thing that I missed was that on Select nights Penn& Teller were actually part of the House and took the time to meet fans. Nice touch! I give this house a solid 9 out of 10.

1) Gothic

Gothic was by far my favorite house. It had surprise elements, no gore, and stunning scenes.  In this house, Gargoyles came to life and even at times flying down at or over people.  The scenes had a lot of great detail and you were actually made to feel as if you were climbing to the roof a gothic style church.  If you are afraid of heights the final scene would be sure to get you because it was of looking down on a city from high above. It was extremely convincing and detailed, while you were mesmerized by the final scene, occasionally a surprise would catch you off guard and make you scream. I give this house a 9.5 out of 10.

The atmosphere:

Universal this year went away from the safe Scare Zone where Creatures of the night would conjugate and scare the living daylights out of people that dare walk through.  Instead this year they made it clear that ENTIRE studios was going to be the Scare Zone. Some of the fans of HHN didn't like this, I on the other hand loved it and enjoyed the freedom that the creatures had. I witnessed them chase people into the Locker areas, scare people while they were eating dinner, follow people into gift shops, and show up in unexpected places.  For me this really worked well!  To add to the ambience there of course was plenty of Fog, special lighting, Flame throwers(yes Flame throwers),and mood music.  There was also plenty of opportunity for those who wished to get drunk to partake in their beverage of choice, and boy did some people seize that chance.  To add to the experience this year as well, Universal took advantage of using the Cinema Spectacular show in the lagoon to pay tribute to Classic Horror Movies and Monsters. This was really a cool idea and nice added piece of entertainment.
  

The pictures that I and many others have taken really don't do this event justice. Adam TheWoo on other  was able to capture this video that does a pretty good job of capturing the entire experience. Check it out.

This is an event that I am going to try to make a tradition to come to and have learned a lot from my experience here. I have many tips but will limit them here to 10 very important ones.

1) Plan now for HHN 23 in 2013, save your pennies to get here!

2) This event is not kid friendly. I saw many parents( and drunk parents) that had brought their young children (maybe around 5 years of age) and the kids were traumatized.  Also there is a big Night Club Atmosphere here.  In the end, it is up to you if you think your kids can handle this and if they can't if you can afford the years of therapy they will need after this.

3) If you want to drink, stay on site, don't overindulge, and bring plenty of money cause the drinks are expensive. Again know when to stay when, Stay on Site so you don't drive drunk or at least bring a Designated Driver. BE RESPONSIBLE

4) Buy the Express Pass and buy it in advance! This year really had no "slow" nights and line were quickly over 90 Minutes long. While in past years the express pass got you front of the line access, this year it was only guaranteed to cut your wait in half. If you want to see all the Haunted Houses in one night, you will need the express pass.

5) Be patient, you are going to have to wait in line.

6) Show up to the stage shows at least A half hour before show time, even if you have an express pass.  If you can, sit the back row, these are the only seats that have a "back rest".

7) Take your time on the streets of Universal Studios and look for all the detail that has been put into the event.

8) Contact a Travel agent like myself to plan your trip, the ticket options and packages can be confusing. A Travel Agent like myself will help you find the best deal for you and make your trip nearly stress free.

9) Bring your wallet, HHN can be expensive but is worth every penny.

10) I can't emphasize these two enough, This is not an event for children and if you drink be responsible!

Enjoy some of our other pictures and thanks for reading .Click on the pictures for larger Images!  Tell us about your adventures at HHN!

Adam The Woo doing his thing!

Holding area before we were unleashed into the night!

WALKERS!

These Walkers look hungry!

Poor Sophia

This was only part of the line, it was 120 minutes at this point

Monster on the water!

Cinema Spectacluar Halloween Horror Nights edition

This fellow was happy to pose for a picture

Thanks for reading and be sure to stop by our webpage and click here to like us on Facebook.

Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem-Gru Got It Right!

Get out my way I want to be a Minion!

This summer(2012) Universal Studios Florida became home to the new ride Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem.  Despicable Me replaced the dated Jimmy Neutron ride that was showing its age with many characters featured in the ride the younger audience could not remember or relate to.  We were one of the last people to ride Jimmy Neutron ride in the summer of 2011 and were excited to hear that it was being replaced.  We were not so excited when it was announced that  Jimmy Neutron would  replace The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera when it got dated. Since I have had the pleasure of riding all three these family friendly adventures, I will have to say, Despicable Me is by far the best. I will even venture to say it is even much better than Shrek 4D, which is right across the street from it.

 Despicable Me is one of the first attractions you encounter when entering the Studios and Gru's House is inviting you to come on in. You really don't need to be a fan of the movie Despicable Me to like this ride, but it maybe help if you have seen the movie and the Shorts that were released with it on Blu-Ray to really appreciate some of the inside jokes.( Banana!)


Universal knocked this ride out the park and did not skimp on anything when it came bringing the movie characters to life in this 3D adventure.  The 3D is phenomenal and the story is, well heart-warming and comical. This ride has a huge re-rideablity factor(unlike Shrek 4D) because of how much is going  not only in the ride itself but the Que and pre-show. Universal really did a wonderful job themeing this ride from exterior of Gru's house to ending dance party and photo op with the minions.

Getting my Groove on with a Minion.

While I will let some spoilers out of the bag here with some pictures, I will leave the actual ride experience for you to find out for yourself as you take on your own Minion Training.
Here are couple important tips for you.
1) There are bad seats in this ride. If at all possible(ask the ride op) try to sit in the middle of the ride theater. If you can't, don't take someone elses assigned seat.
2) Have fun at the Dance Party at the end of ride and make sure you look at some of the cool merchandise in store. There are some great photo ops here!
3) There are non-motion seats available make sure you tell the ride op you want one if motion isn't your thing!
4) Be prepared to ride this ride again. Kids(and most adults) will love this ride. 
*****DISCLAIMER******
Now I am going to say something here that may get some Disney Fans upset, so cover your eyes if you are a Disney Fan( as I am). This ride is currently better than anything new that has been done by Disney in many years. Even Better than Mickey's Philharmonic. That's right it is better than a Disney Ride!



So make sure if your heading to Universal to Island of Adventure to see Harry Potter,  get yourself Park to Park access so you can experience the Minions at Universal Studios Florida. Got questions on Universal Orlando or need a ticket or vacation package quotes be sure to ask me, I have answers!

Enjoy some of our pictures of Minion Mayhem.Click on the Pictures to make them Larger.

Good thing there are Tennis balls  on those spikes.

Love the Family Tree

It's a Dog eats cat , lion eat dog world!

As you walk in Despicable Me is on the left, Shrek 4D is on the right. ALWAYS GO LEFT!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures and get a chance to enjoy becoming a Minion.

BANANA!