Archive - Park Journey

Published on

October 30, 2014

Development Plans Announced for Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea

Frozen New Fantasyland Tokyo Disneyland Tokyo DisneySea

URAYASU, CHIBA— Oriental Land Co., Ltd. announced that plans for the further development of Tokyo Disneyland® and Tokyo DisneySea® Parks have been decided.
The plans, outlined in the Oriental Land Group’s “2016 Medium-Term Business Plan” (for the period of March 2015 through March 2017) announced on April 28, include a 500 billion yen level of investment in the theme park business over the next ten years.

The plan for Tokyo Disneyland Park centers on the redevelopment of Fantasyland, which will nearly double the size of the themed land. Work on implementing this large-scale area development has already begun. In addition to the renovation of the existing Fantasyland, major new attractions, restaurants and shops are being considered for installation in the expansion site.

Under consideration for Tokyo DisneySea Park is the development of a new themed port in the expansion site located south of Lost River Delta. This eighth themed port will include major new attractions, restaurants and shops.

Oriental Land will also further invest in the two Parks in multiple ways: renovation or creation of attractions and entertainment programs; development of hardware that will enhance the Guest experience in the Parks; further improvement of restaurants; easing of congestion; development of measures to protect Guests from hot and cold weather; and other ways of to make a more comfortable environment for all Guests. Furthermore, investment will be made to strengthen the theme parks’ “backstage” support functions and operational base.

In addition to the above investment in infrastructure, Oriental Land will continue to raise the level of hospitality provided by Cast Members, which is vital to the Disney theme parks, by strengthening human resources development and raising employee satisfaction to an even higher level.

Oriental Land’s aim for the two Disney theme parks is for them to continue to be places where Guests will have unforgettable experiences that are unlike anywhere else in the world. Oriental Land will strive to make this a reality through the above investments to maximize the value of the theme parks.

1. Amount of Theme Park Business Investment
The breakdown of the 500 billion* yen level of investment in the theme park business over the next ten years ( fiscal year** 2014 through fiscal year 2023 ) is projected as follows.
(Orientation of Investment)

2. Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea Development Plans
Centering on the redevelopment of Fantasyland at Tokyo Disneyland and the development of a new themed port at Tokyo DisneySea, as well as the introduction of new attractions and other facilities, Oriental Land’s investment will aim at maximizing the value of the theme parks. Moreover, the amount of the additional investment for the Fantasylandredevelopment is expected to be the largest ever for Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo
DisneySea.

Preparations for creating comfortable environments at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea Parks
By further enhancement of restaurants, easing of congestion, introduction of measures to protect Guests from hot and cold weather and other actions, Oriental Land will proactively create environments that Guests can enjoy in comfort.

Concrete Examples:
• Restructure the show viewing area
• Enhance restaurants further
• Make service facilities more comfortable
• Restructure the IT environment

Area of Fantasyland Redevelopment at Tokyo Disneyland

Site for New Themed Port Development at Tokyo DisneySea

Strengthening the base for operations including support functions
In order to handle the highest level of Park attendance and provide the best Guest service, business-use land, including the land for the theme parks, will be created in the backstage area (the operations base for the theme parks) by enlarging support facilities and moving some facilities.

Concrete Examples:
• Move and enlarge the Logistics Center and Central Kitchen to company-owned property nearby
• Move part of the administration functions to company-owned property nearby

Show Viewing Area Restructuring (concept image)

Restaurant Enhancement and Improvement (concept image)

The contents of this release are still at the planning stage. Details for each subject will be announced as soon as they are decided.

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Published on

October 28, 2014

Construction continues at Universal Hollywood as HHN enters it's final weekend

2015 Attractions 2016 Attractions Fast And Furious: Supercharged Halloween Horror Nights Harry Potter Harry Potter And The Forbidden Journey Hogwarts Simpsons Springfield Studio Tour Universal Studios Hollywood Wizarding World

One of the busiest construction area's in all of Southern California has to be at Universal Studios Hollywood. If it's not the busiest, it's certainly the fastest moving. Amazing what happens when a corporation can see the benefit of getting new attractions open quickly.

We'll start off our update with a look outside the park at the new parking structure and Fast and Furious.

As you can see above, the first level of the structure is now being worked on.

Looks like they are installing some kind of new sign. Doesn't really fit with the existing road, so it's likely the entrance or exit to the new structure will not the the same as it is now. Or the direction of traffic will be changing.

The facade for the entrance to Fast and Furious: Supercharged is going up. Guessing this will be something similar to what's on King Kong 360 3D.

I didn't do the tram, so this is all of the Fast and Furious you get for today. The rest would have just been pictures of a building anyway. =)

Potter Props

Heading inside the park, production schedule for last Friday. Nothing new here.

More HHN decorations have been covered up during the day. Soon there won't be anything out.

Moving over to Springfield and Hogsmeade, more walls and insulation are starting to go up.

Pointy roofs

Ben & Jerry's and Louie's are closed. More on that below.

Even on a not-so-busy Friday afternoon, lots of congestion in this area.

The path to the Studio Tour has been moved again.

Walls surround 2/3 of the Kwik-E-Mart, only the side closest to The Simpsons Ride is open

As you can see in the two pictures below, the path to the Studio Tour has curved around quite a bit for construction.

A look at Hogwarts and more of Hogsmeade going up.

The new path gives us some new angles of Hogsmeade, so there's that. =)

Moving above ground, lots of work looks like it's been done on the lower levels of Springfield.

On the top this would be KrustyLu Studios and the hospital, on the lower would be Androids Dungeon and Lard Land Donuts.

Wonder if any of the games they just re-did last year are going to move. Sure would create more room. Just not sure where they'd put them.

More work on the new trash compactor

This will be all Kwik-E-Mart when the new additions are done. No more Moe's, at least not here.

A look at the work being done near Louie's.

At 1:30 in the afternoon they were already putting up signs for HHN. Hope nobody got offended. =)

Alright, that's going to wrap it up for today's update.

Remember, HHN ends on Sunday. If you are planning on going, be sure to check out our Strategy Guide and our full reviews of the event from September 22 and September 30.

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Published on

October 28, 2014

Twisted Colossus Update #7

2015 Attractions Colossus Fright Fest Six Flags Six Flags Magic Mountain Twisted Colossus

Another week, another Twisted Colossus update.

A bit more wood (?) / steel (?) has been added to the lift to replace what was damaged during the fire and we found a new spot to get some pictures while not breaking any rules or getting any of our employee friends in trouble. =)

Twisted Colossus

Construction on Twisted Colossus continues to steam along. While it may not look like much is happening week to week there is a great deal of work being done inside the structure. Once the work on the lift/drop is done they should start working on the outside part of the track which will make it a lot easier to see the construction.

Lets hope the remaining portions of the structure are going to get a beautiful white paint job to match what's been added. It looks kind of odd right now.

Lots of new pieces ready to go up.

Moving inside the park, I decided to take a spin on Goliath and managed to catch this spot to get some good pictures.

You can see some of the pre-lift in the picture below.

If you'd like to see a good view of construction, just take a ride on Goliath, but please don't take any pictures from the ride as it's against park rules.

No new work has been done on the "Steampunk District".

I'd guess that work will begin in this area after Fright Fest as the Total Darkness maze is in the theater. Nothing in this area has been prepped for Holiday in the Park, so perhaps the entire area will be shut down after Fright Fest. Which is probably a good thing.

I did photoshop in some of the artwork in the picture above to show what the entrance to the area could potentially look like. Looks pretty good. I'm sure it will be a bit bigger than that, but I didn't want to distort the image too much.

Nothing new in the station area, but they were working on removing some more of the old Colossus track.

Doesn't really look much different from this angle.

Around The Park

Not really much else going on in the rest of the park.

This is your VERY last weekend to visit Fright Fest for 2014. In fact, only Friday and Saturday. Hard to believe it's already over. You can see our full Fright Fest review here.

We'll likely be there on Saturday night to say goodbye to all of our favorite monsters until next year .

Noticed these in a couple of the stores, and they seem to be a trend at a lot of parks now. They are "don't scare me necklaces".

IMO, if you don't want to be scared, don't go to a Halloween event. Although things like this make a bit more sense at Six Flags than other parks since the park doesn't close in before Fright Fest starts.

With all of the recent issues with people at Halloween Events, I'm guessing this will become more of the norm.

Because we do so many updates I don't always go into the park to ride stuff, although I do attempt to ride at least every coaster in the park once per year. There were only 2 I haven't ridden yet, Riddlers Revenge and Tatsu. (I haven't ridden Green Lantern: First Flight, but I don't count that as I'll never ride it again).

So I decided to take a spin on Riddler's during my visit. I actually got a front-row solo ride. Something to be said about starting your day in the back of the park.

Since this is a theme/amusement park site, guess I should include some coaster photos once in awhile. =)

Alright, that's going to wrap it up for this update. We won't have a Twisted Colossus update next week even if we do end up at Fright Fest as we'd only be going up in the evening.

If anybody ends up at the park this weekend and would like to share pictures, feel free to contact us. We always give full credit for pictures. =)

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Published on

October 28, 2014

Great Adventure Celebrates Birth of Female Giraffe Calf

Six Flags Six Flags Great Adventure

Things Are Looking Up at Six Flags Safari

Great Adventure Celebrates Birth of Female Giraffe Calf

Jackson, NJ — October 28, 2014 — Six Flags Great Adventure’s animal care team is celebrating the birth of an adorable giraffe calf at the Safari. Mika, a female reticulated giraffe, was born to first-time mom Noel Oct. 11 inside the giraffe barn. Mika is the Safari’s ninth giraffe.

“Noel is a great mom,” said Jason Holloway, a safari supervisor who oversees the giraffe herd. “She began nursing right away. Mika is healthy and doing very well.” Holloway said that Mika stood within an hour of her birth and measured 5 feet 10 inches tall.

Mika’s mother Noel was born December 2001. The calf’s grandmother, named Georgia, has been one of the Safari’s most beloved residents since 1993.

Mika ventured outside the giraffe barn for the first time Oct. 21 under Noel’s watchful eye, and Holloway was there to capture the first moments on video. Guests will be able to see Mika on the Safari Off Road Adventure during the park’s closing weekend Nov. 1 and 2, and during the Grape Adventure Wine Festival’s Safari tours Nov. 8 and 9, weather permitting.

Reticulated giraffes, also known as Somali giraffes, are native to northeastern Kenya, southern Ethiopia and Somalia. They possess a distinctive coat pattern featuring red-brown polygonal patches divided by thin white lines. Full-grown female giraffes stand approximately 16 feet tall and weigh approximately 1,800 lbs.

Giraffe gestation lasts approximately 13 to 15 months, with typically one calf born. Mothers give birth standing up. Newborn calves typically stand approximately 6 feet tall.

For more information on Six Flags Great Adventure, visit www.sixflags.com/greatadventure

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Published on

October 27, 2014

Review: Raymond Hill Mortuary and Sherwood Scare

Over the weekend we had a chance to visit some local haunts, Raymond Hill Mortuary in South Pasadena, Sherwood Scare in Northridge and Backwoods Maze in Burbank.

While Backwoods Maze is a great local amateur haunt that is donation only, I have to resist the urge to refer to Raymond Hill Mortuary and Sherwood Scare as "Amateur" haunts, because they aren't.

The quality of the mazes and the showmanship is as good, if not BETTER than a lot of professional haunts.

We also want to thank our friends at "Is it October Yet" for setting up the schedule for our Haunt night and "Gaming Shogun" for hanging out as well. it was great meeting you and connecting with new friends that are awesome.

We had a great time with great people getting scared. Really doesn't get any better than that.

Our group for the night:

Raymond Hill Mortuary

Since we first heard about Raymond Hill Mortuary and heard how good Evil Twin Studios first year Haunt was last year, this was EASILY the most anticipated Haunt of the year. After we got an exclusive Interview with the creative directors back in September, it just upped our anticipation, so we had some pretty lofty expectations for this event.

And we are happy to say the event EXCEEDED any expectation we had. It is THAT good. This was, hands down the most terrifying event we've done this year.

The fact that the event is held in what used to be a Mortuary sets the tone as to what is coming. Groups of 8 people at a time are allowed through the event that is part show and part maze. There are about 3 or 4 show scenes and everybody in your group has the chance to become a part of the show. So be aware, there are some "physical" elements to the event. But we had two people in our group who have had neck/back issues in the past few years and neither of them had any issues.

The talent in the maze are all volunteers, but don't let that fool you. These scare-actors have such passion for the event and it's totally obvious that the love starts at the top with the creative minds behind the event and trickles down all the way to the talent.

Raymond Hill Mortuary is, HANDS DOWN, the most immersive event we've been to so far in 2014, and considering we aren't getting to any new ones this weekend it's going to keep it's place at the top of our list. If you have ANY WAY to get out to South Pasadena and do this event, you need to. It does sell out every night and lines get up to about 90 minutes.

We aren't fans of waiting in lines, but 90 minutes for this event is TOTALLY worth it. Show up early as it will likely be VERY busy this weekend.

Plus, you know if celebrities have heard about your event it's gonna be good. Derek Hough from Dancing with the Stars was there with his partner and there will be a feature on Raymond Hill Mortuary on the show tonight.

We want to send a special thanks to Scott and Todd for not only putting on an amazing event, but for being cool guys who have an amazing behind the scenes staff. Thanks to Jennifer for setting up our visit and interview last month. Even the front-end staff at the ticket booth was great, friendly and welcoming. Again, you can tell how much everybody loves putting on this event and I'm going to be so proud to wear my new Evil Twin Studios T-shirt ... a LOT!!

For more info about Raymond Hill Mortuary check out their website, and you can save $2 if you buy your tickets online.

Sherwood Scare

Like Raymond Hill Mortuary, Sherwood Scare is in NO WAY an Amateur Haunt. Located in a neighborhood in Northridge you'd never think that a professional haunt of this magnitude would exist here. The story, the technology and the talent in this maze are as good if not better than what you'll see at Universal, Knott's or Fright Fest.

The story revolves around an abandoned movie studio and just has so many small touches that make it great from classic movies to great Shirley Temple inspired movie posters.

The maze itself is a good 5-10 minutes, which for being in a backyard is pretty amazing. The maze is downright scary, creepy, entertaining and engaging and is a must-do for any Haunt fan.

Again, we don't want to spoil anything but for $3 (that goes to Cystic Fibrosis) it's hands down amazing.

Like Raymond Hill, the staff out front is great and only about 9 or 10 people get to go through the maze at a time. So lines can get long, and will likely be long this weekend. We did support their Kickstarter and had front of the line passes but we ended up not using them since most in our group didn't have them.

So there's a VERY good chance we'll end up back at Sherwood Scare this weekend. For more on Sherwood Scare check out their website. They are open Thursday, Friday and Saturday this week.

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Published on

October 24, 2014
The Purge Auctioneer removed from Halloween Horror Nights

Halloween Horror Nights Universal Studios Hollywood
Commentary:

As of last night, the Auctioneer at #ThePurge (seen below), one of the more fun and spontaneous portions of the event is gone. This is now two years in a row that people with a thin skin and an agenda have managed to get things removed from the park.

This all began when a pair of 13 year-old girls who were at the event with no adult supervision felt they were singled out and called "Sluts and Whores" by the Auctioneer.

If you've seen the Purge movies you know that this is a part of the "show'. If you look at the video in this link you will see that they girls were in no way singled out, but referred to. They weren't called up on stage, they weren't ridiculed publicly.

As a parent, I have to admit that when I first heard the story I was very torn. I know I wouldn't be happy if somebody had called my daughter a slut in the way that it was first presented (that they were called up and singled out).

But as more details began to come out I became far less torn. A few thoughts on the matter.

Halloween Horror Nights is an event intended for "Mature Audiences". I can't imagine dropping my 13 year old daughter off at a theme park by themselves, let alone an event like HHN
As a parent, if you are going to drop off your 13 year old at an event, it's up to you to research that event. A look at the HHN website to see the properties that are represented should give you that information that it's not appropriate.
The Purge is an Rated R movie, 13 year old girls wouldn't be allowed into the movie without an adult. I think the time is coming where HHN will be the same. it sucks for the 99% of other people who "get it" but it's better than the alternative.
As seen in this video from our friends at Inside Universal, the Auctioneer did the same thing on opening night and other nights. Everybody gets it, they laugh, they realize they are a part of "The Show" and not ACTUALLY being called Sluts.
The Purge (and many other scare zones and mazes at the event) have simulated murder, whether by Chain Saw, Werewolf, Alien, Vampire, Zombie, etc ... apparently that is all ok, but two words said in a show is unacceptable.

Was Universal wrong here? Only in the sense that they let the Auctioneer become the scapegoat in this situation. The show has run for almost a month before this came to light. If it was about just getting an apology, why go to Gloria Allred, one of the most notorious media attorneys in Southern California?

In my opinion Universal does owe these girls an apology, for having parents that didn't do enough research to make sure the event was appropriate for their kids.

So what do you think Universal needs to do to insure this doesn't happen again? An age restriction? Toning down the event and making it more family oriented?

At the VERY least they need to make sure those under a certain age (16 or 17) aren't attending the event without adult supervision.

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Development Plans Announced for Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea

Construction continues at Universal Hollywood as HHN enters it's final weekend

Twisted Colossus Update #7

Twisted Colossus

Around The Park

Great Adventure Celebrates Birth of Female Giraffe Calf

Review: Raymond Hill Mortuary and Sherwood Scare

Raymond Hill Mortuary

Sherwood Scare

The Purge Auctioneer removed from Halloween Horror Nights