​Written by Renée Girard and Andrew Cunningham
(Click on any of the pictures below to see a larger version)

​First we stopped by the Art of Pinocchio exhibit that is here through January.

​No photography is allowed inside the actual exhibit, but it was very cool to see all that went into making Pinocchio

​Selfies are encouraged as well

​Just a few of the awards that Walt Disney has received. The one for Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs is the most unique

​Venice International Film Festival award for Snow White.

​"Comandango Mickey" Award from the Artists of Brazil in 1935.

​Walt Disney had a great love for animals, and was awarded the Humane Society Award of Merit in Canada.

​The original furnishings from the Disneyland Apartment

Walt Disney's business card when he was just starting out in Kansas City. ​

​A whole wall for the animation of Steamboat Willie.

The introduction to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. ​

​Technicolor was introduced to the animation in 1932.

The interactive parts of the Walt Disney Family Museum are really fun and interesting.

​A Christmas card from Roy and Walt Disney in 1940.

​The first and only issue of "A Day with Walt" in 1943 for the armed forces.

​Pin Ups for service men insert from Dispatch from Disney's in 1943. (Ooh Laa Laa)

More awesome WWII memorabilia 

​Walt Disney's work badge.

​You can interact and view various artworks from Disney films

​There is also a pretty nice view of the Golden Gate Bridge from the museum.

One of the original benches from the Griffith Park carousel. ​

A section of the museum for Walt's love of trains. ​

An original model of the Fantasyland castle. ​

​One of the original cars from Autopia at Disneyland.

All about the World's Fair, where some of Walt Disney's attractions originated. ​

The models and designs for Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. ​

A model of the Carousel of Progress. ​

Photos of Walt Disney in Florida on the land that would be developed into Walt Disney World. ​

Interacting with one of the animatronics from the Enchanted Tiki Room. ​

Tweet, Tweet, Tweet, Tweet, Tweet ... 

​The world mourned the passing of Walt Disney.

​Because no visit to San Francisco would be complete without visiting the Yoda fountain at Lucas Studios.

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What better way to start off a Universal Studios Hollywood update than in Hogsmeade? 

I'm not an Owl ... 

No sign of Yakko, Wakko and Dot ... 

Let's take the Starway down for a look at the lower lot ... raise your hand if you have kind of forgotten there is a Lower Lot at Universal Studios Hollywood since about April. =) 

​From up here the Exorcist doesn't look very scary. 

Not sure I've ever been so excited for a maze ... ever. 

Even though it was very cool for Labor Day Weekend, it was still warm enough for a trip through Jurassic Park

This one is happy to see you 

The Studio Tour is a must do of course ... 

Construction on the all new Halloween Maze is going along quite nicely. 

Due to filming on the backlot we weren't able to get any shots of the mazes that will be down here, but still plenty of activity going on. 

Look for this in a Movie/TV Show/Commercial/Music Video (those are apparently still a thing) near you ...

These are how they keep you locked up for HHN ... 

Just time for a quick bite ... 

More HHN Prep ... 

It's too bad they couldn't somehow incorporate this in to HHN 

What's up Orlando ... 

Doesn't look too Psycho to me 

Lots of work going on for the Terror Tram. Some kind of facade here and lots of stuff to walk through. Yay!! 

Just wish we could have the fire back

Work on the humongous new soundstages is progressing quite nicely. Or just chilling on break. 

It's just too bad John and crew couldn't have gotten one year of HHN use out of these soundstages before they are put to use. Could you imagine the amazing pair of mazes they could have had here? 

Speaking of amazing mazes ... 

Thankfully since the attraction has opened there's been no toning down of the scares ... in fact, we've heard it's gotten even scarier, which is awesome. 

And we'll leave you with one of the amazing performers at the park. They truly are the best. 

Since Halloween Horror Nights starts next week that means we'll have our world famous HHN Strategy Guide up early next week. Well, maybe not World Famous ... LA famous? ... Internet Famous? ... well, it's famous somewhere if only in our own mind. 

So be sure to check back for that next week. 

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​Part I: The breast entertainment 25.00 can buy
 
After a nearly 18 month wait, it was time for me & my partner to take our first real vacation together - in this case, a road trip up to Pigeon Forge/Knoxville.  We were able to luck out on so many fronts, and I will admit, my travel fairy was sitting on my shoulder the entire time... in part at least.
 
Leaving Atlanta in the evening of the 1st, we made our way up into the northern part of the state, passing such interesting places as Cartersville, GA (Home of Anheuser Busch's brewery...) and past Rossville... which would be a destination on the return trip. As we made our way into Tennessee, we saw the vestiges of civilization slowly disappear and morph into a world of wonderful, twisted & somewhat freaky examples of tourist trap hell... in more ways than one. We reached our destination, and had a reunion 20 years in the making. 
 
Friday, 2 September 2016:  The DOLLYEST place on earth.

​We woke in the morning to see this view out of my friend's guest room. And this would be the hallmark of the entire stay - expect the unexpected, and there was something more special around each corner. And it was. ​

We headed the short drive down to Dollywood, to start our day with a tram ride to the front gate area. And my Travel Fairy spread her wings & dust... and the first surprise of the trip: A 25.00 ticket for a day at Dollywood!  The weather was slightly cloudy and a little cool-ish (at least to a desert rat such as me) but still a beautiful way to spend a day at the park.  As we entered, there was a decided lack of crowds to make their way through. Correction: You could roll a bowling ball from one side of the park to the other and not hit another guest. Walk on... EVERYTHING!  But first, a stop at the A.D.A. booth inside the park gates to get an elevator pass for the rides.

A side note: Six Flags, Cedar Fair, SeaWorld Parks, etc. : Please take note of this system. Learn it. Love it. USE IT.  Dollywood (And Herschend Parks for that matter) has been at the forefront of guest services and adapting the A.D.A. compliance to a gold-standard unbeaten in any sense. Why? They spent a bit of money to update a park's system to a laminated sheet with everything easily found and dictated out. They they actually trained their operators to use it. And guess what: It works BRILLIANTLY. If I could give a Golden Ticket to Dollywood for A.D.A. compliance & ease of use, I would.  ​

​I love my fiancé. Really. No, I love him more than life itself. And I'm willing to do anything for him, now and forever.  Now I know you're wondering why I'd say this... but as you all know my beloved readers, I'm not a fan of high-intensity rides. Even less so about RMC's ideas in ride design & development. But I love him... dearly. Knowing the issues and temperament that Lighting Rod at Dollywood has had over the past months made it the first stop of the day... but in order to secure the ride just in case of a ride-shutdown/closure situation, we had to ride it right away. As I don't do stairs, waiting in line with him would have been painful and decidedly difficult, so with my A.D.A. pass in tow, we ascended the hidden lift to the special entrance to said monster coaster... (I really love my fiancé...)

​At first glance, you can only see a few bits of LR from the park, primarily the quad-down into the overbanked brake turn, and the launch. And both are quite interesting to view. The trains blister up the lift at a pace that is insane to begin with, and fly through the quad down in a way that makes you wonder about the strength of the upstop wheels. The aptly designed train (complete with flames & other such decorations) rolls down the steep brake hill into the station, where the riders exit; we're next to board. A row change from the absolute last seat to the front of the train is done... and it is time to board. 

​(I really -REALLY- love my fiancé...)
 
As is typical with any RMC coaster, a seatbelt and the lap-bar of DOOOOOM is in place to securely rivet you to the seat. As in: You're not going anywhere anytime soon...
 
Or so you think...
 
Once all restraints are checked, a quick visual scan, and the sound of revving engines means 'dispatch' of the train. The trains turn around towards the waiting lift... and then OFF YOU GO.
 
(I really -REALLY- REAAAALY LOVE MY FIANCE.)

​I've been on every type of launch coaster built - LIM, LSM, Cable, Flywheel, Compressed Air, Weight Drop... all of them. I can say that LR reminds you there IS a G-D, and he can punish you. And will. The launch is glass-smooth (save for the slight shudder of the trains) as they shoot you up the lift hill at astoundingly fast speed. Cresting the top (known as the Cathedral hills) you get your first dose of solid, almost perfect airtime, before dipping down & repeating a second time into the first long drop to the terrain. I will tell you this: It isn't bad - at all - and I thought if the rest of the ride was paced better, this would be a great ride... but as we all know, that's not RMC's style.

​(I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, UNQUESTIONABLY LOVE MY FIANCE. AND THE RING HAD BETTER BE SIX CARATS & "A" CLARITY...)
 
From here, the ride becomes a blur - a non-stop, unrelenting, paceless, twisting, throw you into the hands of G-D experience. I was NOT happy. The train flew around each turn & reverse turn hard; picture being a rag doll in the mouth of a pissed off pit bull with emotional disorders.  And it does not stop. Not an inch of pacing here - just more and more of the same body being torn apart feeling.
 
And then there's the Quad-Down. 

​(I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, MUST LOVE MY FIANCE. AND WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT A NICE BMW AND THE RING OF UNQUESTIONABLE SIZE AND QUALITY.)
 
Imagine, if you will, what it would be like to be shot into your lap restraint with tremendous force in a painful, BDSM sort of way. Now multiply that by a factor of four, and you have the Quad Down. Ejector air is one thing; Ejection from a high-speed jet plane air is another. I've never been so happy to see the final turn before in my life on ANY ride, anywhere. Of course... there is a camera at the base of the last bump before said turn...
 
So as we exit, and I begin to pick the BMW & ring I want, we stop at the photo booth to see the picture. As many of you know, I'm not exactly pale; I have my ethnic backgrounds and colors as part of my natural skin pigment...
 
But I was <WHITE WHITE WHITE> in the picture. As in: Casper the ghost. As in: Wonder Bread. As in: Snowfall. I rarely change colors on a ride... this was the exception.
 
Needless to say, the picture did NOT come home with us. 

​After LR, we made our way up through the park, to Fire in the Glory Hole (Blazing Fury) and around up to the rest of German Row &  the majority of the E-ticket coasters. Every single ride for the most part was walk-on, even with a single train. Wild Eagle? Choose your seat... anywhere. Same with FireChaser Express. And Thunderhead. All of them - all of them - wide open. 

​ We made our way through the park, exploring just about everything - and anything - in the deserted Dollywood - and including the much-required for any visit to the park Chicken Blessings from Miss Lilian. This tradition is something everybody should experience at some point or another; her in-dining show is priceless, funny & truly beautiful - something you will not find at any other park in the world. It is something that differentiates Dollywood from the best of the best, and elevates it to a higher level. It is why Dollywood is possibly the USA's best theme park - and untouchable by any means.

As the sun began to slowly descend behind the clouds and mountains, my beloved wished to go on that thing again. Being the wonderful, understanding & loving fiancé I hope to be... we headed back down to the ride. Swallowing more acid & bile from the thought of being turned into a human projectile, we headed into the front entrance building in the former Cas Walker's gas station. A lovely attendant heard my pleas for no more brutal and cruel punishment, and gave me a reprieve. My beloved could ride using the ADA access point without me.  And he did. And he loved it. And I got to enjoy a wonderful, clean, cool park bench as my reward. Life is good. ​

​Of course, no trip to Dollywood is complete without the tasty treat known as crystal methampetacocaicinnamonheroin bread. This beloved treat, going under the guise of "Cinnamon Bread" is possibly the most addictive substance known on this planet - and in many ways far more dangerous. One does not simply buy a loaf of cinnamon bread. They enjoy it, slowly, satisfyingly with icing and a feeling of hard euphoria, followed by the rush as it enters the body. Once your mind enters the state of altered consciousness, you ascend to the next level of fervent pleasure, unlike anything produced by man. After that last bite... the withdrawal symptoms kick in. You find yourself slowly craving it again... you need it... you want it... you begin to look for Cinnamon Bread from your corner dealer, that tweaky kid at the mall, you want it. YOU NEED IT. YOU MUST HAVE IT. 
 
And so the day draws to a close. 8.5 hours at Dollywood. Memories were made beyond anything that I could ever wish to have happen, and it was truly a special day that I will cherish my entire life.
 
Along with the BMW & the diamond ring.

We are spending the weekend at Disneyland for the runDisney half marathon!

It's a gorgeous day here at Disneyland! ​

Having breakfast at Rancho del Zocalo, while watching Big Thunder Mountain trains roll by. ​

It's the wildest ride in the wilderness! ​

Not a whole lot going on behind the walls for Star Wars land yet. ​

Love the fun Disneyland 60 photo ops still in the parks. ​

Are these the lights from Stranger Things? ​

We'll have to check out the new version of this attraction, Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters. ​

​Hold on like ya mean it! Ready to take off on one of my favorite coasters, California Screamin'!

​Here's a tree, in memory of the Maliboomer.

​I love this view too!

​I love this view most of all.

​The Cove Bar at DCA is always a popular spot. Lines start early!

​Gonna check out Soarin' Around the World later to see the west coast version.

Racers is back open! 45 minutes standby and 5 minutes singles! ​

​Old school fast pass for Hyperspace Mountain tonight.

​We booked the Paint the Night on the go dining package tonight, since it ends in a few days.

Time to make a stop at the Disneyland Hotel to pick up our runDisney goodies for the weekend.

​If pre-gaming is your thing, you can get a rum runner specialty drink before your race.

The people at Raw Threads always have the best shirts, and they're super comfy too! ​

Disney always does a terrific job at designing the medals and the Disneyland Half weekend is no exception

​Super jealous of those running the inaugural Disneyland Paris half marathon and castle to chateau challenge!

​Going for a ride on Hyperspace Mountain! Can't wait!

​Jammin' on the Backlot is the nighttime entertainment in Hollywood at DCA. We wouldn't mind if ElecTRONica came back

Saw our first and final viewing of Paint the Night parade tonight ​

The technology in Paint the Night is amazing! ​

Several of the Disney princesses make an appearance in Paint the Night. And Olaf. ​

​The Toy Story friends on Slinky in Paint the Night.

​The final float in Paint the Night with sorcerer Mickey is exceptional. I hope this parade returns one day!

​Caught the Disneyland Forever fireworks after the parade, which we viewed at It's a Small World rather than Main St.

​The projections and fireworks from Disney films looked great on the building.

​The Lion King segment was one of my favorites.

​It wouldn't be a Disney show without "Let It Go" from Frozen.

​A fantastic finale for Disneyland Forever, another show that we're sad to see go. Goodnight, we'll be back tomorrow!

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NEVER go into a parks restricted area to get a Pokemon - 
It's simply not worth it. Not only will you get thrown out of the park, but there is actual danger in going in a restricted area. It's there for your safety. You don't want to win a Darwin Award for trying to catch an Oosterdam (that's a Pokemon right)

Watch where you're going -  
This is not only good advice when you're in a theme park but pretty much anywhere. You don't want Pokemon Go to become the next "Strollers in Disneyland" argument do you? This is doubly important when you are at parks that have resort transportation (like Main St USA). 
We've already heard of somebody walking into a water hazard at a golf course, you don't want to be that person we're all laughing at. 

NEVER try to catch a Pokemon while on a ride - 
See tip number one. There might be one right in the loop of your favorite ride, but you don't want to be that guy who loses his phone and smacks yourself in the head with it should you drop it. Loose articles are not ok on most rides. You wouldn't drive while looking for Pokemon would you? (PLEASE don't drive while looking for Pokemon)

Check parks twitter pages to see where Pokemon are - 
Quite a few parks are already posting up Pokemon in their parks, we've seen them from Dorney Park, World's of Fun, Carowinds and a few other so far. So it certainly seems like the parks are getting in on the fun. And who knows, maybe some in-park contests could be coming soon. If you follow the park rules and have fun with it, then this is going to be an awesome addition to your theme park day. 

Don't cut in lines to get your Pokemon - 
Just because you are playing a virtual game on your phone doesn't mean you get any kind of special access. If there is a Pokemon at the end of the 90 minute line, then wait in the 90 minute line. Not only do you get to catch a Pokemon, but you'll also get on an awesome ride at the end to celebrate. 

What other tips do you have? Be sure to post them below and we'll add them to the article. 

​Happy Hunting!!! 

Editors Note: 
As always, the opinions of RD do not always reflect the opinions of this website as a whole, this is only the opinion of one person in the Park Journey family, and such is the case here. But we always have and always will give a voice for a difference of opinion. We've never been about appeasing any parks we have working relationships with. That being said, we do have working relationships with parks, we don't all hold the same opinion as RD does in this particular instance although we will defend his opinion vigorously.

​So again, the opinions here do not generally reflect the opinions of Park Journey as a whole. 
​
Lastly, this article is most definitely PG-13, so please, proceed with caution. 

BOHICA (bend over, here it comes again) ​

​It's that special day once a year where SixFlags reveals their new for 20XX attractions in mass announcements across the country. And in true, typical corporate fashion, they are marketed out to the masses in spoon-fed bites of typical overbloated promotion for what is essentially a case of the masses eating up regurgitated shit.
 
And you know what, the majority of the public will eat their spoon-fed crap and think it's the greatest thing in the history of EVAR, and it's the best thing since wonder bread, and it will save the world from the political turmoil and bullshit that are currently dogging the USA. It's a saving salvation of paradise in a world lacking in that aspect of civility. The media outlets will spew for these great new things, pushing the hyperbole and the bullshit further, exonerating on the press releases and massive blitz of crap that the new SixFlags CEO has put forth.
 
BOHICA!
 
Here's the thing. If you look at the majority of enthusiasts, park fans, websites, countless pages that are dedicated to the world of the theme park, the opinions are just about unanimous. Other than a few teat-sucking sites which relish in the fact that SF is paying attention to their scroungy little pages, the opinion is clear. SixFlags Corporate bought the world's largest Xerox machine - and has hit the copy button one too many times. They say disasters and deaths come in threes... and today proved it in spades.
 
I honestly have lost all respect for the SF brand, the SF corporate staff, and for the most part their policies of "More of the Same."

​Now why am I so damn angry right now? I ask you this: Why are YOU not angry? Why are YOU not as frustrated as I am? Simply put: The SF chain, a company that took pride in their parks having a good and solid feel to them has turned to the LOWEST form of mediocrity in the world: Duplication. Not just the rides themselves, but the name, the colors, the themes, the areas in the parks. All cloned. One by one. And like clones, they have no soul, no spirit, no emotions.
 
Duplication is the loser's way of drawing attention to themselves. I'm not talking about the ride builders per se (Yes, Vekoma has made an art out of duplication - as did Arrow & Schwarzkopf as well...) but rather, why is the second largest theme park operator in the world basically assuming their guests are mentally challenged and memory-failed automatons who won't notice that every park looks EXACTLY alike? And why are you, the guests, settling for such nonsense?  Because. SF has trained you to do so. Because SF is letting you down. Because SF is able to. Because SF is happy on settling for second, third or even fourth best. Because you're letting them.
 
Humans as a whole thrive on creativity,  they grow on thought, and are inherently curious creatures which learn best by acknowledging the differences in between things. We are imaginative and explorative. It is human nature to do this. And yet, Sixflags has decided that you don't need creativity, imagination or originality to run a theme park company. SixFlags is mocking you my friends. They're making sure you are satisfied with recycled attractions, duplication of every key attention point in a park, and ensuring you're lulled into a false sense of happiness.  

Why am I going after SixFlags so badly? Because they deserve it. The high and the mighty they are not - and they are painting themselves into a corner that will be 10x more expensive to get out of than to stop the illogical and patently bad behavior of cloning their parks up the wazoo until they are all alike.
 
Let's compare for a second CF's parks and Disneyland/Magic Kingdom. Cedar Fair's parks have some VERY similar rides, and even some key duplication (Huss Troikas, NoWindSeekers, Morgan Hypercoasters.) And yet: You can go to Kings Dominion, and ride I-305, a wicked beast of a gigatwister.  Or you can go to Kings Island, and ride the Beast - the world's longest wooden mine train. Or I can fly out to Knott's and experience Silver Bullet - an inverted coaster on stilts. Or I can head to Worlds of Fun & experience Prowler, a ground-hugging terrain twister. And yet: CF annual passes are more expensive to purchase, cost a LOT more to go up to Platinum status, and don't have all the frills that SF's passes have... and they have a continuity factor of nearly 50% - that is - 50% of ticket revenue is now derived from Season Pass sales & park pass sales. And their stock price is happy at the same time.
 
Thus the difference in CF from SF: They duplicate some things, but the coasters are almost universally different park to park. You don’t see 5 of the same exact coaster layout & style. (Yes, I'm pointing to Joker & to BatClone: THE RIDE). And by charging more, they are able to invest in more - and better, original attractions. Which keeps guests happy.
 
Now let's turn to Disneyland & the Magic Kingdom: Laid out similarly, with identical names on attractions, hell, even down to the style of each ride and to the ride's general purpose. Yet... Space Mountain is different. As is Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Splash Mountain, Jungle Cruise, Rivers of America, Big Thunder Mountain...
 
Thus the difference between Disney & SF: Disney uses the same name & themes, but the rides themselves are changed & altered to avoid duplication - a rule Walt himself once talked about. "You can't beat pigs with pigs."
 
So let's get back to Six Flags Over Duplication... or the future generic parks of the Six Flags Chain of Six Flags Parks. As it stands, the Six Flags corporate offices don't see that originality spurs sales... which spurs revenue increases... which makes the stockholders happy.  In turn, they see cheap cloning and repeating over and over to make the parks work... at the same time, it's pushing guests away from visiting other SF parks. And this my friends is something they're pushing to INCREASE year over year: To get more SixFlags season passholders to visit other SF parks throughout the country.
 
But wait... why should I (Or any intelligent person for that matter) choose to visit another SixFlags park if they've got identical attractions? The answer: You won't. You'll spend your vacation money and go to another park or another original adventure... and not to visit another cloned park.

​So way to go SixFlags. You're duplicating yourself into mediocracy and at the same time, you're ensuring that your future sales, growth & financial stability are in jeopardy by placating things with cheap, knockoff duplication of the attractions you're "investing" in. Way to go. Pat yourselves on the back. You're destroying what Angus Wynne worked so hard to build from scratch in 1960. Instead of looking new, contemporary & creative, you're looking old, stodgy and bland. Instead of investing in the new future and more original attractions, you're seeking refuge behind tired, old ideas. And meanwhile, Cedar Fair and other are not only gaining ground on you - they're passing you - both in revenue, ticket sales, operational strengths and many other financial factors. And you're not looking at CF through your rear-view mirror... they're looking at YOU through theirs. Wake up Six Flags Corporate. Before you become more of an obsolete dinosaur than you already are.
 
BOHICA.
 
(As an aside, and as a shareholder in SFInc, I will be voting my shares in trust to the activist shareholder group currently building up pressure from outside. I stand with them and support the overthrow of the current CEO, President & entire board of directors. It's time to clean house up there - and I have -zero- confidence in their future with the SF Corporation in its entirety.)
 
R.D.
9/1/2016

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