3/4/11) I’m not sure how true this is, but according to one insider, IOA was going to attempt to reopen Ripsaw Falls earlier. I don’t know if they did or not, but even if they were unable to do it, it’s a good sign that the ride will reopen very soon.
(3/1/11) I’ve heard is said that Ripsaw Falls has started testing boats again, and if the rumors are true, the ride could reopen again in the very near future. Anyone have a more solid date?
(2/25/11) Don’t look now, but I’m told that Universal has signed a contract with a company to come in and finally repaint the Incredible Hulk. According to the new permit files sent my way, they have hired Baynum Painting to do it, a company well known for their ride painting at the Six Flags theme parks. They even have a special section on their website to list the over 135 roller coasters they have painted throughout the nation… though according to the list, they have never worked for Universal before.
The paperwork was just filed with the county on Feb. 23rd, and according to the description, it will include the Hulk’s”Track, Buildings and Launch Tube”.
(2/17/11) I’ve heard an interesting rumors this week, claiming that at some point in the next 8-10 months we will likely see Spiderman close for an extensive rehab. I’m told that the plan is to replace the projection systems with new current digital projection systems, which may also result in the new of an improved 3-D system. Of course the switch to an all digital system will only make any future possible transformations of the attraction (if they give up the rights to Spiderman) a little easier to handle.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Monday, February 28, 2011
orlando attractions info
- Star sighting: Jennette McCurdy (of ?iCarly?) at Islands of Adventure
- Star sighting: Jon Stewart at Islands of Adventure
- Welcome to February: Time for exploration, elbow room at theme parks
- Flight of Hippogriff at Wizarding World of Harry Potter for adults, too
- Star sighting: Tom Felton (aka Draco Malfoy) at Universal?s Islands of Adventure
- Yearly attendance, sales and profits soar at Universal thanks to Potter
- Disney Parks chief says Wizarding World hasn?t been a ?dramatic negative? for Disney World
- Universal tweaks Harry Potter ride for fuller-figured fans
- Disney parks chief: Fantasyland expansion plans being redrawn
- Harry Potter beats Mickey Mouse ? but he also helps him
Star sighting: Jon Stewart at Islands of Adventure
Star sighting: Jon Stewart at Islands of Adventure
Talk-show host and comedian Jon Stewart visited Zonkos joke shop at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure on Tuesday. Clowning around with “The Daily Show” personality were his son Nate (front) and nephews Gavin (left) and Colin. (Photo by Roberto Gonzalez/Universal Orlando)
Talk-show host and comedian Jon Stewart visited Zonkos joke shop at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure on Tuesday. Clowning around with “The Daily Show” personality were his son Nate (front) and nephews Gavin (left) and Colin. (Photo by Roberto Gonzalez/Universal Orlando)
Jennette McCurdy, who plays Sam on Nickelodeon series ‘iCarly,’ visited Honeydukes,
sighting: Willie Nelson at SeaWorld Orlando »
Star sighting: Jennette McCurdy (of ‘iCarly’) at Islands of Adventure
Jennette McCurdy, who plays Sam on Nickelodeon series ‘iCarly,’ visited Honeydukes, the candy store at Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the newest section of Universal’s Islands of Adventure, this week. McCurdy was visiting Orlando with family and friends. (Photo by Kevin Kolczynski/Universal Orlando)
Jennette McCurdy, who plays Sam on Nickelodeon series ‘iCarly,’ visited Honeydukes, the candy store at Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the newest section of Universal’s Islands of Adventure, this week. McCurdy was visiting Orlando with family and friends. (Photo by Kevin Kolczynski/Universal Orlando)
Jennette McCurdy, who plays Sam on Nickelodeon series ‘iCarly,’ visited Honeydukes,
sighting: Willie Nelson at SeaWorld Orlando »
Star sighting: Jennette McCurdy (of ‘iCarly’) at Islands of Adventure
Jennette McCurdy, who plays Sam on Nickelodeon series ‘iCarly,’ visited Honeydukes, the candy store at Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the newest section of Universal’s Islands of Adventure, this week. McCurdy was visiting Orlando with family and friends. (Photo by Kevin Kolczynski/Universal Orlando)
Jennette McCurdy, who plays Sam on Nickelodeon series ‘iCarly,’ visited Honeydukes, the candy store at Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the newest section of Universal’s Islands of Adventure, this week. McCurdy was visiting Orlando with family and friends. (Photo by Kevin Kolczynski/Universal Orlando)
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Painting the Incredible Hulk at Universal Orlando!
Painting the Incredible Hulk at Universal Orlando!
February 26, 2011
Due to the Hulk’s unique layout (partially above water) and it’s proximity to surrounding attractions, the repaint will be completed entirely via brush and roll application. A combination of products from industrial paint manufacturers PPG and Color Wheel by Comex will be used on the ride and station house.
Though Baynum Painting has been coating roller coasters for over 25 years, this is their first project for Universal Studios. “We’re incredibly happy to be able to showcase our work on such a marquis coaster like Hulk, in a park that sees over 5 million visitors annually” says owner Chris Baynum.
While the color concept isn’t changing, the new coats of Hulk Green in an incredibly durable urethane from PPG are sure to WOW park visitors for years to come. Stop by Islands of Adventure soon to see our work in progress, and be sure to take Hulk for a ride – it takes off so fast you won’t see much more than a blur of green around you, but rest assured Baynum Painting is making sure that the blur will be bright and shiny!
Check back soon for regular work-in-progress photos and updates.
Photo: It takes a 135 ft boom lift, a pressure washer, and tons of nerve to prep this ride!
Photo: painters Darin and Doug spend the night prepping the station house outside of the launch tube.
Visit Baynum Painting online for more info about the company.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
According to the Orlando Sentinel, Universal Orlando saw it’s attendance rise 20% in 2010, just by having the Wizarding World of Harry Potter open
(2/16/11) According to the Orlando Sentinel, Universal Orlando saw it’s attendance rise 20% in 2010, just by having the Wizarding World of Harry Potter open for the last six months. All said and done, Universal Orlando had 11.2 million visitors in 2010.
(2/2/11) Now that Comcast has taken over NBC Universal it seems this change of ownership triggers a contract clause that would give Blackstone the rights to sell their 50% stake in Universal Orlando. Of course, according to this other article, Blackstone has raised $15 billion in funds, ripe for use as “a war chest for acquisitions”. After successfully spinning off the former Anheuser Busch owned theme parks into their own company, I do have to wonder if they are thinking about offering to take the rest of Universal Orlando off Comcast’s hands, as the theme park business is unknown territory for Comcast.
(1/21/11) Quick update for the Mardi Gras schedule… the Thirty Seconds to Mars concert has been moved to April 23.
(1/18/11) I forgot to mention that Universal Orlando has confirmed their concert lineup for Mardi Gras. I’ve posted the lineup here (see sidebar) or you can see it over at the official site.
(1/13/11) According to the official Frankie Valli website, a tour date has been set at “Universal Studios Orlando” on February 12th. Could this be the opening act for Mardi Gras 2011?
(1/6/11) Universal Orlando has raised prices and added new blackout dates to their annual passes for 2011. The changes do include a ton of summertime blackout dates for Islands of Adventure due to the popularity of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Read more here.
(12/30/10) If your staying at the Universal Orlando Resort keep and eye open for a brand new ship sailing the waterways between the resorts and Citywalk. I’ve been told that Santa delivered a brand new water taxi to the resort this year dubbed, “Take Two”. I’m told that this is to help replace two other vessels that were retired earlier this year.
(12/28/10) I’m not sure if there is anything to this or not, but one reader claims to have heard about a mystery new slide project that may have been in development for Wet ‘n Wild, somewhere near the lake. Anyone know more?
(12/20/10) It’s just an estimate, but near the end of this article, an analyst with Moody’s Investors Service predicts that Universal Orlando will spend about $80 million on construction in 2011, down from the $105 million average it was pulling in from 2007 to 2010 when they built The Simpsons, Hollywood Rockit and the Wizarding World.
Of course to someone like me who tries to follow and predict the future of the parks, the next few years are somewhat cloudy right now. After finally coming to the end of an intense period of expansion, we see Universal taking a break for 2011. This is much like what happened 10 years ago, when Universal had finished up Islands of Adventure, Men In Black and some other minor additions and tweaks in 2001, Universal just kind of shut itself down from adding anything new for a couple of years until Shrek 4-D opened in 2003 and Revenge of the Mummy in 2004.
So if Universal Orlando is going dark for 2011, do they really have an $80 million project waiting in the wings for 2012, or was that purely blind speculation on the park of Moody’s?
(11/30/10) Few details are given, but it seems a Universal Orlando VP (Jan Stratton) died from a self inflicted gunshot wound over the holiday weekend. The death has been ruled as a suicide from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Jan was the VP of Community and Diversity Relations, responsible for many charitable programs and community events.
(10/21/10) Orlando Parks News has info on an interesting survey Universal was giving to passholders this week, asking how they feel about the idea of adding any number of special new benefits to the annual passes, such as Ride It Again options, free hotel suite upgrades, after-hours park access, free tickets to HHN or Rock The Universe and many other options.
(2/2/11) Now that Comcast has taken over NBC Universal it seems this change of ownership triggers a contract clause that would give Blackstone the rights to sell their 50% stake in Universal Orlando. Of course, according to this other article, Blackstone has raised $15 billion in funds, ripe for use as “a war chest for acquisitions”. After successfully spinning off the former Anheuser Busch owned theme parks into their own company, I do have to wonder if they are thinking about offering to take the rest of Universal Orlando off Comcast’s hands, as the theme park business is unknown territory for Comcast.
(1/21/11) Quick update for the Mardi Gras schedule… the Thirty Seconds to Mars concert has been moved to April 23.
(1/18/11) I forgot to mention that Universal Orlando has confirmed their concert lineup for Mardi Gras. I’ve posted the lineup here (see sidebar) or you can see it over at the official site.
(1/13/11) According to the official Frankie Valli website, a tour date has been set at “Universal Studios Orlando” on February 12th. Could this be the opening act for Mardi Gras 2011?
(1/6/11) Universal Orlando has raised prices and added new blackout dates to their annual passes for 2011. The changes do include a ton of summertime blackout dates for Islands of Adventure due to the popularity of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Read more here.
(12/30/10) If your staying at the Universal Orlando Resort keep and eye open for a brand new ship sailing the waterways between the resorts and Citywalk. I’ve been told that Santa delivered a brand new water taxi to the resort this year dubbed, “Take Two”. I’m told that this is to help replace two other vessels that were retired earlier this year.
(12/28/10) I’m not sure if there is anything to this or not, but one reader claims to have heard about a mystery new slide project that may have been in development for Wet ‘n Wild, somewhere near the lake. Anyone know more?
(12/20/10) It’s just an estimate, but near the end of this article, an analyst with Moody’s Investors Service predicts that Universal Orlando will spend about $80 million on construction in 2011, down from the $105 million average it was pulling in from 2007 to 2010 when they built The Simpsons, Hollywood Rockit and the Wizarding World.
Of course to someone like me who tries to follow and predict the future of the parks, the next few years are somewhat cloudy right now. After finally coming to the end of an intense period of expansion, we see Universal taking a break for 2011. This is much like what happened 10 years ago, when Universal had finished up Islands of Adventure, Men In Black and some other minor additions and tweaks in 2001, Universal just kind of shut itself down from adding anything new for a couple of years until Shrek 4-D opened in 2003 and Revenge of the Mummy in 2004.
So if Universal Orlando is going dark for 2011, do they really have an $80 million project waiting in the wings for 2012, or was that purely blind speculation on the park of Moody’s?
(11/30/10) Few details are given, but it seems a Universal Orlando VP (Jan Stratton) died from a self inflicted gunshot wound over the holiday weekend. The death has been ruled as a suicide from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Jan was the VP of Community and Diversity Relations, responsible for many charitable programs and community events.
(10/21/10) Orlando Parks News has info on an interesting survey Universal was giving to passholders this week, asking how they feel about the idea of adding any number of special new benefits to the annual passes, such as Ride It Again options, free hotel suite upgrades, after-hours park access, free tickets to HHN or Rock The Universe and many other options.
The Incredible Hulk’ Smashes Other Movie Standees
‘The Incredible Hulk’ Smashes Other Movie Standees
on May 13th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Theater lobbies littered with cardboard standees promoting Indiana Jones, Dark Knight, Hellboy II and other movies may be a familiar sight these days, but to paraphrase the Hulk, they’re just "puny banners!"
Selected theaters across the country recently received life-size maquettes to promote the release of The Incredible Hulk on June 13. And when we say "life-size," we mean it!
Measuring over 8-feet tall and as wide as a truck, simply standing next to one of the maquettes is enough to understand why that anonymous soldier in the classic Stan Lee/Jack Kirby origin issue called him a "hulking monster."
You have to wonder which movie theater employee gets to take this home.
Universal Studios Florida
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Universal Studios Florida
Orlando, FL
NBC Universal / Blackstone Group
Click to buy Universal Studios Tickets
Park News - (2/23/11) Over the past several days, many different reports regarding the use and status of the old original Hard Rock Café building at Universal Studios Florida have come in. These included several eye-witness reports of the building itself from over the years, most of which seem to confirm that while the building was never really used as office-space, it does seem like it was used as long-term storage for a period of time as well… though it seems it is no longer used for this purpose either.You may be wondering why, and the one common thread I’ve been told over and over is that the inside of the building is a disaster area. In fact some believe that the damage to the structure itself (possibly from Hurricane damage over the years) may have been significant enough that Universal may have lost their occupancy permit to use the building for anything at all. This story isn’t completely unheard of, as the long closed Murder She Wrote / Herc & Xena theater next to Shrek 4-D has also been closed for many years for a variety of reasons.
That said, the chances of the site being used for a new Haunt for HHN are slim to none at this point.
(2/21/11) There is an interesting rumor found here, claiming that Universal could be eyeballing the old original Hard Rock Café building behind the Woody Woodpecker Nuthouse Coaster as a site for a new haunt for HHN 2011. They even go so far as to suggest that it could be transformed a year-round haunt of some kind, possibly similar in concept to the one they have at the Hollywood park.
ORLANDO ATTRACTIONS
(2/17/11) I’m told that Old Town has removed another ride this week, the Pharoh’s Fury swing ship, which has apparently been sold to a new owner. (You can see a few pictures of the ride being removed over at Orlando Parks News.) No word on what might replace it, but this ride was next to the Wave Swinger which is also leaving, so I wonder if they have something larger in mind to fill the combined space? If they would also remove the somewhat pathetic go-kart track nearby as well, they would have a very large space to use for a future expansion.
And who wants to ride those Go-Karts anyway with Fun Spot USA next door now? Speaking of Fun Spot USA, there is a good construction update posted to Orlando Park News this week too.
(2/9/11) It seems that a new arcade / game room attraction has opened just in front of Fun Spot USA called Boomtown. Check it out here.
(2/2/11) The wave swing at the front of Old Town appears to have been listed as being for sale at the UsedRides.com website. That’s a prime location for a new very visible new ride if they plan it out right, so I’ve got to wonder what they may have planned.
(1/31/11) The local county is looking into the possibility of taking control of Florida’s Silver Springs Nature Park, a long time classic location off the beaten path in the Central Florida area. It would come with a large pricetag however to the local taxpayers but with a vision to turn the site into a large eco-tourism attraction that would offer biking, hiking, swimming, diving and more… in addition to the classic glass bottom boat tours Silver Springs is known for. A public hearing took place a few days ago and you can read about some of the comments and reactions here as well.
(1/3/11) Fun Spot’s original location on the north end of International Drive has announced plans to triple the attractions size. The current 5 acre site will be expanded with the purchase of a new 10 acre empty site directly behind it where they will add moe rides, more go-karts and “other attractions.” It’s worth mentioning that long before Fun Spot purchased the Skycoaster site for their second location, they were long rumored to be planning a land purchase just like this one to make room for a large wooden coaster. I’ve got to wonder if they’ve kept those old plans close all these years and have now decided to act upon them. The timing is interesting as well with the threat of the Orlando Thrill Park project set to drop in just down the street from Fun Spot.
(12/17/10) Kennedy Space Center is promising to add a $100 million exhibit to the site if NASA were to award one of the retired space shuttle orbiters to the attraction. The shuttle would be put on display in a 64,000 sqft interactive exhibit space, telling the story of the Space Shuttles like no other site really can.
In other news, I've got a video link embedded below showing off the new lights on the Orlando Skycoaster now. As you can see in the fly-by footage, the lighting package is quite spectacular and eye catching.
And who wants to ride those Go-Karts anyway with Fun Spot USA next door now? Speaking of Fun Spot USA, there is a good construction update posted to Orlando Park News this week too.
(2/9/11) It seems that a new arcade / game room attraction has opened just in front of Fun Spot USA called Boomtown. Check it out here.
(2/2/11) The wave swing at the front of Old Town appears to have been listed as being for sale at the UsedRides.com website. That’s a prime location for a new very visible new ride if they plan it out right, so I’ve got to wonder what they may have planned.
(1/31/11) The local county is looking into the possibility of taking control of Florida’s Silver Springs Nature Park, a long time classic location off the beaten path in the Central Florida area. It would come with a large pricetag however to the local taxpayers but with a vision to turn the site into a large eco-tourism attraction that would offer biking, hiking, swimming, diving and more… in addition to the classic glass bottom boat tours Silver Springs is known for. A public hearing took place a few days ago and you can read about some of the comments and reactions here as well.
(1/3/11) Fun Spot’s original location on the north end of International Drive has announced plans to triple the attractions size. The current 5 acre site will be expanded with the purchase of a new 10 acre empty site directly behind it where they will add moe rides, more go-karts and “other attractions.” It’s worth mentioning that long before Fun Spot purchased the Skycoaster site for their second location, they were long rumored to be planning a land purchase just like this one to make room for a large wooden coaster. I’ve got to wonder if they’ve kept those old plans close all these years and have now decided to act upon them. The timing is interesting as well with the threat of the Orlando Thrill Park project set to drop in just down the street from Fun Spot.
(12/17/10) Kennedy Space Center is promising to add a $100 million exhibit to the site if NASA were to award one of the retired space shuttle orbiters to the attraction. The shuttle would be put on display in a 64,000 sqft interactive exhibit space, telling the story of the Space Shuttles like no other site really can.
In other news, I've got a video link embedded below showing off the new lights on the Orlando Skycoaster now. As you can see in the fly-by footage, the lighting package is quite spectacular and eye catching.
disney news
(2/24/11) In a somewhat surprising move that I feel is somewhat of a sad reflection of the more clueless nature of the Walt Disney World management team, they have now decided that the new Mickey Mouse Meet ‘n Greet area going into Main Street’s Town Square Theater will need to be put onto the FastPass system. Yep… if you want to avoid an extreme and painfully long wait in the stand-by line, you’ll need a Fastpass ticket from now on just to see the main Mouse.
Getting to see the main characters anymore is getting to be as difficult as getting a doctor appointment at a time that is convenient for you. So now we have a reservation system for Mickey… so what’s next? Tipping the bouncer to get into Mickey’s VIP Lounge?
(2/23/11) The big news from the Magic Kingdom today was all about a big change in place at the very end of the ride. I’ve been sent several reports about how the final hallway of mirrors where “The ghosts will follow you home” has been changed. From the description, the normal effect has been replaced with a series of visible projectors shooting images of ghosts onto screens. (In fact, you can see yourself in the video clip embedded below posted by Inside the Magic. Click here to see their own update about the new ghost projections.)
Now before everyone grabs the pitchforks and torches, I’m heard several times that this is just a new temporary effect while they work to install something much better for the ride’s finale. More when we find out…
(2/7/11) I’m told that the Tiki Room will reopen on March 27th, once they’ve had time to repair all the damage from the fire back on January 12th.
(1/31/11) According to a reader, Splash Mountain was seen testing empty logs with the new lap bars in place all day long over the weekend to get ready to reopen this week.
Meanwhile MouseSteps has posted pictures from the Magic Kingdom this week, where a new temporary bridge to Adventureland has been put in place while they work on the main bridge. Then it’s over to Fantasyland to look at all the new concept artwork posted to all the walls.
(1/27/11) Orlando Parks News has a huge update from the Magic Kingdom this week, with a look at all the projects around Fantasyland and rehabs in Adventureland and beyond. They have also posted a closer look at the new Lap Bars on Splash Mountain as well, so check it out.
(1/22/11) If you subscribe to the official Screamscape Twitter, you already know this (and if not... what’s a matter with you?). The rumors are 100% true... Splash Mountain is currently adding a large single lap bar to each and every row on the logs. As outraged as I am about the very concept of this, unfortunately we as guests, have only ourselves to blame. Apparently there are a large number of morons out there who think it’s funny / cool / xtreme to either stand-up during portions of the ride, combined with an equal number of stupid tourists who think that at the first time of a ride stoppage, they are free to jump out of the log and go wanderi
ng about inside the mountain. Then the real fun begins as CMs are sent out to search every nook and cranny inside the gigantic structure for these lost guests before they can turn the ride back on. (So maybe we should all agree, as a theme park loving community, that if we’ve in a park and see someone doing something stupid... say something and stop them.)
Adding insult to injury, this will cut down on the capacity of the ride as well in two ways. Previous policy allowed for groups of three that could fit (3 kids, 2 adult & 1 small child) to sit in one row, for a maximum of 12 riders per log. Now I know this didn’t happen all the time, but with the new lap bars two riders per row is all that will be allowed. Secondly, the ride’s capacity will be cut again as the dispatch time between logs has been raised from 12.5 seconds to an estimated 15-20 seconds per log to allow for increased loading time to deal with guests loading more slowly due to the lap bars and time for the ride crew to give each bar a quick tug.
Now for the good news... the lap bars are nothing like what Universal put on Ripsaw Falls. Instead they are very similar in style to what is used on Big Thunder Mountain. I’ve also been sent a pictures showing off the new restraints. Thanks to everyone who responded about this... I must have had between 20-25 different people contact me today to confirm this unfortunate news.
(1/21/11) While Splash Mountain is currently undergoing rehab, I was sent a strange rumor today claiming that there are whispers going around the park that when Splash reopens later this month, the cars could have new lap bars installed.
I would certainly hope this is completely false… but after seeing the crazy logs they have on Ripsaw Falls at Universal and what a mess Disney has made the logs over at Disneyland, I’m unsure. Anyone with contacts “in the know” able to clear this up for us?
(1/17/11) FloridaThrills dropped by the Magic Kingdom to get a peek at the new “Let the Memories Begin” promotional decorations that are now covering up the main entrance area. There is also a new Fantasyland photo update below as well.
Speaking of the Magic Kingdom, the Tiki Room is still closed while they work to repair the fire damage. According to a Screamscape source, it could be closed for awhile as the fire is rumored to have caused severe damaged the Iago animatronic figure that comes down from the ceiling. With no replacement figure on hand, the show could be closed until a replacement is made.
(1/15/11) According to the latest passholder mailer, Mickey’s Toontown Fair will close down on February 12th. So visit now, while you can. If not… you can always check out MousePlanet’s final Tribute.
(1/13/11) According to the local news, a small fire started in the attic of the Tiki Room at the Magic Kingdom earlier today, but was quickly put out by the automated sprinkler system. No injuries were reported.
In other news, a nice general photo update of the various rehab projects going on in the park this week has been posted to Orlando Parks News Finally MouseSteps takes one last tour through Mickey’s Toontown Fair before it vanishes forever, as well as dropping by the Haunted Mansion to try and get a peek at what is going on in the Graveyard. The Tomorrowland Speedway is now also down to just 2 of the 4 lanes, as it looks like they are preparing to alter the course of the speedway a bit along with the closure of Toontown Fair..
(1/3/11) Check out the NYE fireworks that took place at the Magic Kingdom over at Amusement Insider this week.
(12/29/10) Take a peek inside the new Disney Operational Command Center bunker, under Cinderella Castle, to see how Disney is now attempting to fine tune and tweak how the park runs and lessen the stress of waiting in line. Inside this giant command center, covered with wall to wall monitors, Disney follows the flow of the crowds around the parks. Too many people in Fantasyland? They’ll dispatch a mini parade style show to draw some of those crowds over towards Tomorrowland. If the lines are too long at Pirates, they may dispatch Captain Jack Sparrow into the queue to entertain the masses. If this all sounds a bit too familiar somehow, then you’ve probably seen the 1973 film Westworld, directed by Michael Crichton. Yes, the same Crichton who went on to create the Jurassic Park novels, based on the similar idea of yet another theme park gone crazy.
In Westworld, the story revolved around an ultra premier theme park experience called Delos, divided into several themed lands such as MedievalWorld, RomanWorld and WestWorld, inhabitated by lifelike robots to simulate the local population. Guests arrive, and are taken down into a Utilidor style network of underground hallways for orientation and to get into costume and then taken to their respective worlds. Pulling all the strings from a deep underground bunker was the Central Control Room. If a guest was having a bad time, they would manipulate the experience (and actions of the bots) to enhance that guests experience. Having a bad time in MedievalWorld? Then next thing you know you’ve just defeated the Black Knight in a duel and gained the attention of the princess, all under the ever watching eyes and ears of the command center crew.
For a great look at the daily start-up of the resort from the Control Room, check out the video clip embedded below, but jump ahead to the 2:45 mark, followed by an early morning wake up call from the resort’s evil gunslinger played by Yul Brynner. If you haven’t seen it before, it’s really worth watching and gives you all kinds of interesting ideas of just what other plans Disney may have up their Next Gen sleeve. Next time you see a child lose a Balloon in a Disney park and see a CM come up and give away a new one to the crying child, it will make you think a little harder about just who was really watching.
Ride Rehabs - The following information is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate.
Tiki Room - NOW CLOSED through 3/26/11
Toontown Fair – Closes For Good 2/12/11
2011 - Haunted Mansion Queue Rehab - In Progress - (2/14/11) Some all new pictures of the new Haunted Mansion queue section have been posted to MyTravelingMouse this week. You can see a metal frame going around the other edge that I imagine may be for a new covered pathway perhaps.
(2/10/11) Want to see what’s new in the Haunted Mansion queue area this week? Make the jump over to JeffLangeDvd.com and scroll down past the football player nonsense to see the latest pictures and even a video.
From the look of things, they are creating a nice little addition into the graveyard area soon to be full of new tombstones, columbarium and crypts… of the interactive nature. There is also a staircase up that goes up into a turnaround that perhaps will head back towards the old entrance doorway into the Mansion’s foyer.
If we take ideas that Disney has been playing with for their test queue events into consideration here (like the one at Rock ‘n Roller Coaster) I have to wonder if groups of guests will be released into this new graveyard area for some free roaming playtime for 5-10 minutes before their groups are called up the steps and into the mansion proper.
(1/27/11) One of our readers sent in a small batch of new pictures showing off the latest changes to
the Haunted Mansion’s graveyard scene in the queue, as the renovation continues. Anyone know when they are expecting this to be finished?
(1/11/11) Orlando United has posted some new pictures of the former Haunted Mansion queue-side graveyard area. While we don’t have much in the way of new themeing in yet, there is a ton of conduit sticking up out of the ground, which means there may be lots of fun new interactive items coming our way very soon.
(10/20/10) Orlando United has posted a few new pictures showing off the hillside outside the Haunted Mansion where the tombstones used to be. Yes… used to be. Currently it looks like they have all been removed.
(10/16/10) Disney seems to have begun the rumored upgrade work to the Haunted Mansion queue graveyard at the Magic Kingdom. The view of the graveyard is now blocked off by a construction barrier.
(10/8/10) A posting over at Orlando United claims that the queue area for the Haunted Mansion will soon be replaced with a “Next Gen” style interactive queue, which will include the replacement of the tomb stones in the graveyard with new “interactive” tombstones. I’m not so hot on the idea of removing the old tombstones myself, but I wouldn’t mind seeing some fun new ones added, much like the one added a few years ago that has the eyes that look around.
Getting to see the main characters anymore is getting to be as difficult as getting a doctor appointment at a time that is convenient for you. So now we have a reservation system for Mickey… so what’s next? Tipping the bouncer to get into Mickey’s VIP Lounge?
(2/23/11) The big news from the Magic Kingdom today was all about a big change in place at the very end of the ride. I’ve been sent several reports about how the final hallway of mirrors where “The ghosts will follow you home” has been changed. From the description, the normal effect has been replaced with a series of visible projectors shooting images of ghosts onto screens. (In fact, you can see yourself in the video clip embedded below posted by Inside the Magic. Click here to see their own update about the new ghost projections.)
Now before everyone grabs the pitchforks and torches, I’m heard several times that this is just a new temporary effect while they work to install something much better for the ride’s finale. More when we find out…
(2/7/11) I’m told that the Tiki Room will reopen on March 27th, once they’ve had time to repair all the damage from the fire back on January 12th.
(1/31/11) According to a reader, Splash Mountain was seen testing empty logs with the new lap bars in place all day long over the weekend to get ready to reopen this week.
Meanwhile MouseSteps has posted pictures from the Magic Kingdom this week, where a new temporary bridge to Adventureland has been put in place while they work on the main bridge. Then it’s over to Fantasyland to look at all the new concept artwork posted to all the walls.
(1/27/11) Orlando Parks News has a huge update from the Magic Kingdom this week, with a look at all the projects around Fantasyland and rehabs in Adventureland and beyond. They have also posted a closer look at the new Lap Bars on Splash Mountain as well, so check it out.
(1/22/11) If you subscribe to the official Screamscape Twitter, you already know this (and if not... what’s a matter with you?). The rumors are 100% true... Splash Mountain is currently adding a large single lap bar to each and every row on the logs. As outraged as I am about the very concept of this, unfortunately we as guests, have only ourselves to blame. Apparently there are a large number of morons out there who think it’s funny / cool / xtreme to either stand-up during portions of the ride, combined with an equal number of stupid tourists who think that at the first time of a ride stoppage, they are free to jump out of the log and go wanderi
ng about inside the mountain. Then the real fun begins as CMs are sent out to search every nook and cranny inside the gigantic structure for these lost guests before they can turn the ride back on. (So maybe we should all agree, as a theme park loving community, that if we’ve in a park and see someone doing something stupid... say something and stop them.)Adding insult to injury, this will cut down on the capacity of the ride as well in two ways. Previous policy allowed for groups of three that could fit (3 kids, 2 adult & 1 small child) to sit in one row, for a maximum of 12 riders per log. Now I know this didn’t happen all the time, but with the new lap bars two riders per row is all that will be allowed. Secondly, the ride’s capacity will be cut again as the dispatch time between logs has been raised from 12.5 seconds to an estimated 15-20 seconds per log to allow for increased loading time to deal with guests loading more slowly due to the lap bars and time for the ride crew to give each bar a quick tug.
Now for the good news... the lap bars are nothing like what Universal put on Ripsaw Falls. Instead they are very similar in style to what is used on Big Thunder Mountain. I’ve also been sent a pictures showing off the new restraints. Thanks to everyone who responded about this... I must have had between 20-25 different people contact me today to confirm this unfortunate news.
(1/21/11) While Splash Mountain is currently undergoing rehab, I was sent a strange rumor today claiming that there are whispers going around the park that when Splash reopens later this month, the cars could have new lap bars installed.
I would certainly hope this is completely false… but after seeing the crazy logs they have on Ripsaw Falls at Universal and what a mess Disney has made the logs over at Disneyland, I’m unsure. Anyone with contacts “in the know” able to clear this up for us?
(1/17/11) FloridaThrills dropped by the Magic Kingdom to get a peek at the new “Let the Memories Begin” promotional decorations that are now covering up the main entrance area. There is also a new Fantasyland photo update below as well.
Speaking of the Magic Kingdom, the Tiki Room is still closed while they work to repair the fire damage. According to a Screamscape source, it could be closed for awhile as the fire is rumored to have caused severe damaged the Iago animatronic figure that comes down from the ceiling. With no replacement figure on hand, the show could be closed until a replacement is made.
(1/15/11) According to the latest passholder mailer, Mickey’s Toontown Fair will close down on February 12th. So visit now, while you can. If not… you can always check out MousePlanet’s final Tribute.
(1/13/11) According to the local news, a small fire started in the attic of the Tiki Room at the Magic Kingdom earlier today, but was quickly put out by the automated sprinkler system. No injuries were reported.
In other news, a nice general photo update of the various rehab projects going on in the park this week has been posted to Orlando Parks News Finally MouseSteps takes one last tour through Mickey’s Toontown Fair before it vanishes forever, as well as dropping by the Haunted Mansion to try and get a peek at what is going on in the Graveyard. The Tomorrowland Speedway is now also down to just 2 of the 4 lanes, as it looks like they are preparing to alter the course of the speedway a bit along with the closure of Toontown Fair..
(1/3/11) Check out the NYE fireworks that took place at the Magic Kingdom over at Amusement Insider this week.
(12/29/10) Take a peek inside the new Disney Operational Command Center bunker, under Cinderella Castle, to see how Disney is now attempting to fine tune and tweak how the park runs and lessen the stress of waiting in line. Inside this giant command center, covered with wall to wall monitors, Disney follows the flow of the crowds around the parks. Too many people in Fantasyland? They’ll dispatch a mini parade style show to draw some of those crowds over towards Tomorrowland. If the lines are too long at Pirates, they may dispatch Captain Jack Sparrow into the queue to entertain the masses. If this all sounds a bit too familiar somehow, then you’ve probably seen the 1973 film Westworld, directed by Michael Crichton. Yes, the same Crichton who went on to create the Jurassic Park novels, based on the similar idea of yet another theme park gone crazy.
In Westworld, the story revolved around an ultra premier theme park experience called Delos, divided into several themed lands such as MedievalWorld, RomanWorld and WestWorld, inhabitated by lifelike robots to simulate the local population. Guests arrive, and are taken down into a Utilidor style network of underground hallways for orientation and to get into costume and then taken to their respective worlds. Pulling all the strings from a deep underground bunker was the Central Control Room. If a guest was having a bad time, they would manipulate the experience (and actions of the bots) to enhance that guests experience. Having a bad time in MedievalWorld? Then next thing you know you’ve just defeated the Black Knight in a duel and gained the attention of the princess, all under the ever watching eyes and ears of the command center crew.
For a great look at the daily start-up of the resort from the Control Room, check out the video clip embedded below, but jump ahead to the 2:45 mark, followed by an early morning wake up call from the resort’s evil gunslinger played by Yul Brynner. If you haven’t seen it before, it’s really worth watching and gives you all kinds of interesting ideas of just what other plans Disney may have up their Next Gen sleeve. Next time you see a child lose a Balloon in a Disney park and see a CM come up and give away a new one to the crying child, it will make you think a little harder about just who was really watching.
Ride Rehabs - The following information is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate.
Tiki Room - NOW CLOSED through 3/26/11
Toontown Fair – Closes For Good 2/12/11
2011 - Haunted Mansion Queue Rehab - In Progress - (2/14/11) Some all new pictures of the new Haunted Mansion queue section have been posted to MyTravelingMouse this week. You can see a metal frame going around the other edge that I imagine may be for a new covered pathway perhaps. (2/10/11) Want to see what’s new in the Haunted Mansion queue area this week? Make the jump over to JeffLangeDvd.com and scroll down past the football player nonsense to see the latest pictures and even a video.
From the look of things, they are creating a nice little addition into the graveyard area soon to be full of new tombstones, columbarium and crypts… of the interactive nature. There is also a staircase up that goes up into a turnaround that perhaps will head back towards the old entrance doorway into the Mansion’s foyer.
If we take ideas that Disney has been playing with for their test queue events into consideration here (like the one at Rock ‘n Roller Coaster) I have to wonder if groups of guests will be released into this new graveyard area for some free roaming playtime for 5-10 minutes before their groups are called up the steps and into the mansion proper.
(1/27/11) One of our readers sent in a small batch of new pictures showing off the latest changes to
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(1/11/11) Orlando United has posted some new pictures of the former Haunted Mansion queue-side graveyard area. While we don’t have much in the way of new themeing in yet, there is a ton of conduit sticking up out of the ground, which means there may be lots of fun new interactive items coming our way very soon.
(10/20/10) Orlando United has posted a few new pictures showing off the hillside outside the Haunted Mansion where the tombstones used to be. Yes… used to be. Currently it looks like they have all been removed.
(10/16/10) Disney seems to have begun the rumored upgrade work to the Haunted Mansion queue graveyard at the Magic Kingdom. The view of the graveyard is now blocked off by a construction barrier.
(10/8/10) A posting over at Orlando United claims that the queue area for the Haunted Mansion will soon be replaced with a “Next Gen” style interactive queue, which will include the replacement of the tomb stones in the graveyard with new “interactive” tombstones. I’m not so hot on the idea of removing the old tombstones myself, but I wouldn’t mind seeing some fun new ones added, much like the one added a few years ago that has the eyes that look around.
Friday, January 14, 2011
small fire started in the attic of the Tiki Room
Park News - (1/13/11) According to the local news, a small fire started in the attic of the Tiki Room at the Magic Kingdom earlier today, but was quickly put out by the automated sprinkler system. No injuries were reported. In other news, a nice general photo update of the various rehab projects going on in the park this week has been posted to Orlando Parks News Finally MouseSteps takes one last tour through Mickey’s Toontown Fair before it vanishes forever, as well as dropping by the Haunted Mansion to try and get a peek at what is going on in the Graveyard. The Tomorrowland Speedway is now also down to just 2 of the 4 lanes, as it looks like they are preparing to alter the course of the speedway a bit along with the closure of Toontown Fair..
(1/10/11) MouseSteps wanders around the Magic Kingdom this week taking a look at all the little things being worked on, including sections of Main Street as well as a look at Splash Mountain’s current rehab in progress.
(1/3/11) Check out the NYE fireworks that took place at the Magic Kingdom over at Amusement Insider this week.
(12/29/10) Take a peek inside the new Disney Operational Command Center bunker, under Cinderella Castle, to see how Disney is now attempting to fine tune and tweak how the park runs and lessen the stress of waiting in line. Inside this giant command center, covered with wall to wall monitors, Disney follows the flow of the crowds around the parks. Too many people in Fantasyland? They’ll dispatch a mini parade style show to draw some of those crowds over towards Tomorrowland. If the lines are too long at Pirates, they may dispatch Captain Jack Sparrow into the queue to entertain the masses. If this all sounds a bit too familiar somehow, then you’ve probably seen the 1973 film Westworld, directed by Michael Crichton. Yes, the same Crichton who went on to create the Jurassic Park novels, based on the similar idea of yet another theme park gone crazy.
In Westworld, the story revolved around an ultra premier theme park experience called Delos, divided into several themed lands such as MedievalWorld, RomanWorld and WestWorld, inhabitated by lifelike robots to simulate the local population. Guests arrive, and are taken down into a Utilidor style network of underground hallways for orientation and to get into costume and then taken to their respective worlds. Pulling all the strings from a deep underground bunker was the Central Control Room. If a guest was having a bad time, they would manipulate the experience (and actions of the bots) to enhance that guests experience. Having a bad time in MedievalWorld? Then next thing you know you’ve just defeated the Black Knight in a duel and gained the attention of the princess, all under the ever watching eyes and ears of the command center crew.
For a great look at the daily start-up of the resort from the Control Room, check out the video clip embedded below, but jump ahead to the 2:45 mark, followed by an early morning wake up call from the resort’s evil gunslinger played by Yul Brynner. If you haven’t seen it before, it’s really worth watching and gives you all kinds of interesting ideas of just what other plans Disney may have up their Next Gen sleeve. Next time you see a child lose a Balloon in a Disney park and see a CM come up and give away a new one to the crying child, it will make you think a little harder about just who was really watching.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Sheriff says Jan Stratton's death self-inflicted
Sheriff says Jan Stratton's death self-inflicted
Executive guided company's civic and charity work, serving on many local boards
 Universal Orlando executive Jan Stratton died Sunday from a self-inflicted gun shot wound in an apparent suicide. (Stratton family, Stratton family / November 27, 2010) |
"Jan Stratton's fingerprints were on so many things," said long-time friend and associate Dick Batchelor. "This is so surreal because she gave so much to so many people in this community."
She served on boards for many organizations, including Give Kids the World, the Valencia Community College Foundation, the Orlando Regional Healthcare Foundation, Arnold Palmer Children's Hospital Advisory Board, African American Chamber of Commerce, Central Florida Urban League, Florida's Independent Living Advisory Council, Association of Corporate Contributions Professionals, City of Life, Orlando Children's Trust Committee, Harbor House of Central Florida, and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Community groups received hundreds of thousands of dollars in corporate donations earmarked by Stratton.
"Jan was a woman of enormous heart. She had a great passion for helping the families of our community," said Universal Orlando spokesman Tom Schroder. "She will be forever missed."
Pam Landwirth, president of Give Kids the World, which hosts more than 5,000 families with ill children each year, first met Stratton 30 years ago when they worked for Walt Disney World.
"Jan cared so deeply and passionately about children," Landwirth said Sunday evening. "She just drew you in and you knew it was genuine. She genuinely cared."
David Odahowski, president and CEO of the Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation, said he knew Stratton for 20 years and will remember her and her trademark red business suit with black trim.
"There is no one more passionate and professional in her work," Odahowski said. "She is a great advocate for children and champion of the Second Harvest Food Bank."
Before coming to Universal in 1996, the University of Central Florida alumnus worked for the Walt Disney Company for 21 years. Stratton was named Business Woman of the Year by the Orlando Business Journal in 2000 and by the Orlando Rotary Club in 2004. In 2007, Stratton was the recipient of the Summit Award by the Women's Resource Center.
Stratton is survived by her husband, Jack Cudworth, and two sons, James and Michael.
"The way to celebrate her life is to continue giving and supporting the causes she cared so much about," said Batchelor, who hosts an annual 5K foot race to support abused children. "It will be a void that will be very, very hard to fill."
SeaWorld Orlando has posted their concert line-ups for the upcoming Band Brew & BBQ
(12/23/10) SeaWorld Orlando has posted their concert line-ups for the upcoming Band Brew & BBQ and Viva La Musica events in Spring 2011.
Band Brew & BBQ:
Feb. 12 – Hey Lewis & The News
Feb. 19 – Willie Nelson
Feb. 26 – REO Speedwagon
Mar. 5 – Josh Turner
Viva La Musica:
Mar. 12 – Chino Y Nacho
Mar. 19 – Manny Manuel
Mar. 26 – Jerry Rivera
Apr. 2 – Edniya Nazario
In other news, a 44 year old woman from Miami was arrested after seemingly to abandon her “severely disabled” son at SeaWorld Orlando. An off duty police officer noticed him alone in the Happy Harbor area for up to two hours and took action to help what had appeared to be a 8 year old in distress. According to the report, the son may actually have been between 18-21 years old, but has no ability to communicate.
(12/7/10) A review of SeaWorld Orlando’s Christmas offerings can be found at BGT Nation this week. I’ve also embedded a nice video showing off the park’s Sea of Trees display below, showing off the huge display of lights set up in the water along both sides of the park’s lengthy bridge over the central lake.
Band Brew & BBQ:
Feb. 12 – Hey Lewis & The News
Feb. 19 – Willie Nelson
Feb. 26 – REO Speedwagon
Mar. 5 – Josh Turner
Viva La Musica:
Mar. 12 – Chino Y Nacho
Mar. 19 – Manny Manuel
Mar. 26 – Jerry Rivera
Apr. 2 – Edniya Nazario
In other news, a 44 year old woman from Miami was arrested after seemingly to abandon her “severely disabled” son at SeaWorld Orlando. An off duty police officer noticed him alone in the Happy Harbor area for up to two hours and took action to help what had appeared to be a 8 year old in distress. According to the report, the son may actually have been between 18-21 years old, but has no ability to communicate.
(12/7/10) A review of SeaWorld Orlando’s Christmas offerings can be found at BGT Nation this week. I’ve also embedded a nice video showing off the park’s Sea of Trees display below, showing off the huge display of lights set up in the water along both sides of the park’s lengthy bridge over the central lake.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Halloween and haunted houses go hand in hand
ALBANY, GA (WALB) – Halloween and haunted houses go hand in hand and one opened their doors Friday night.
Darton and Shriners' House of Horrors gave visitors quite a scare. It's in the old Office Max building behind the mall.
There was a line of people waiting to get in. Organizers didn't let us in because they didn't want to ruin the scary surprise.
"We didn't want the reporters to go through with because we want our customers to be scared and surprised," said Cynthia Mann, Darton College Servant Leadership Dir.
"$7 admission we're open 7-11PM Friday and Saturday 7-11PM next weekend, during the week Monday-Thursday we're open from 7-10PM," said Dorsey Holt, Shriner's Potentate.
The money collected will split between the Shriner's and to Darton's Leadership Program so they can take a trip to the Florida Keys to study Coral.
Halloween events and haunted houses
Halloween events and haunted houses
by WWLTV.com
wwltv.com
Posted on October 15, 2010 at 5:30 PM
Updated today at 1:24 PM
Gallery
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See all 39 photos »
Looking for a good scare? Check out some area Haunted Houses:
* House of Shock: For 18 years this haunted house has creeped out locals and brought those looking for a good scare from far and wide. Inside a warehouse in Jefferson, it is rated one of the most intense haunted houses. Open Oct. 14-17, 21-24, 27-31 from 8 p.m. - 11 p.m. Admission $25. Located at 319 Butterworth St. Jefferson, LA. 70121
* The Mortuary: An old funeral home that was coverted into a freaky spot for thrill seekers. Oct. 13-17, 21-24, 26-31 from 7 p.m. - 11 p.m. Admission $25. Located at 4800 Canal Street.
* The Warehouse of Terror: Slidell's only haunted house; it is not for the faint of heart. Open 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. every weekend in October. Admission $15 on Fri. and Sat., $13 on Sun. Located at 54367 E. Howze Beach Rd, Slidell
* The Chamber of Horrors: In its fifth year, the River Parishes now have a place for those looking to scare themselves. Open Friday and Saturday night in October and Halloween night. from 7:30 p.m. to 12 a.m. Admission $12. Located at 702 East Airline Hwy., LaPlace, 70068
Click here or the images to take a peek inside the haunted houses.
Halloween Events - Friday, October 22nd - Sunday, October 31st
* Park-a-Boo, Lafreniere Park, Friday, October 22nd - Sunday, October 24th
* Ghosts in the Oaks, City Park, Friday, October 22nd
* Barktoberfest, New Orleans, Saturday, October 23rd
* VooDoo Experience, City Park, Friday, October 29th - Sunday, October 31st
* SoLA Center for the Art's Halloween Parade, Houma, Friday, October 29th
* Krewe of Halloween Parade and Monster Bash, New Orleans, Saturday, October 30th
* Halloween Hayride and Hoopla, Fairview-Riverside State Park, Madisonville, Saturday, October 30th
* Mortuary Haunted House, New Orleans, Friday, October 22nd - Sunday, October 31st
* The Historic New Orleans Collection presents Haunted Histories, New Orleans, Friday, October 22nd - Sunday, October 31st
* Southern Food Museum's Halloween Party, New Orleans, Sunday, October 31st
* 15th Annual NOLA Designer Halloween Costume Boo-tique, New Orleans, Saturday, October 23rd, 504-948-2583 * Free & open to the public, Saturday, October 23 * 12 Noon - 5 PM, at Blue Nile * 532 Frenchmen St.
* Trick or Trunk, St. John Luthern Church in New Orleans, Friday, October 29th. For more information: Call 488-6641. Children of the community are invited to participate in free games, crafts, and trick or treat from decorated car trunks of church and school members. Please, come join the fun from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on October 29th.
* Boo at the Zoo, Friday and Saturday, October 22 and 23, and the following weekend, Friday and Saturday, October 29 and 30! Admission is 5pm - 9:30pm each day and tickets are $16 each. Proceeds benefit Audubon Zoo and Children's Hospital.
TULSA - Ready for Halloween?
Many people enjoy visiting Haunted Houses during this time of year, but where are the real haunted locations in the area?
2News has compiled a list of places rumored to be haunted in and around Green Country.
1. Gilcrease Museum - The Gilcrease Museum houses one of the world's most extensive and renowned collections of Native American and Western art and artifacts. Thomas Gilcrease passed away in 1962. It is said that the philanthropist's ghost has been seen and heard haunting the museum.
2. Brady Theater - According to local legend, famed opera singer, Enrico Caruso died of pleurisy just one year after an open-air carriage ride on a cold and wet Oklahoma day while on tour in the area. It is said that his ghost still haunts the Brady Theater for causing his death.
3. Haunted Train Tracks - Though the exact location is unknown, legend has it that four children died playing chicken on a particular set of train tracks in Tulsa. Some believe that if you park your car in this location, the ghosts of the children will push your car off the tracks and leave dirty handprints on it.
4. Spotlight Theater - Local legend says footsteps can be heard coming from the costume room, and strange scratch marks can be seen on the wall in the basement.
5. Murdoc's Mansion - It is believed this mansion was once located near 111th and Sheridan. One day the mansion burned down, and people began to visit the site of the old mansion for fun. It is said that these adventurous individuals reported sensing an "eerie" feeling when they stepped foot on the property.
6. Constantine Theater - The theatre is located in Pawhuska, in Osage County. The building is said to be haunted by the ghost of Sappho Constantine Brown, the daughter of George Constantine. While the building was undergoing restoration, workmen claimed to hear phantom footsteps and saw an apparition of a young girl.
7. Philbrook Museum - The statues at this museum may have some "personalities" of their own. It is said that the eyes of many of the statues will follow you, and some of the heads will actually turn.
8. Will Rogers High School - It is rumored that at night you can see a man in a white penguin tuxedo walking around on stage. People say it is the ghost of an old band director who died of a heart attack on stage in the 50's.
Copyright 2010 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Bridgetown teen starts thinking about the spooky holiday in September, when he begins plotting the concept for the annual haunted house he builds at his mother's home at 5603 Green Acres Court.
This year marks the seventh straight year Thierauf, a sophomore at The School for Creative & Performing Arts, has put together a haunted house at his home.
Billed as House of Horrors Manor, it will be open to the public from 6-10:30 p.m. Oct. 29-31. A kid-friendly version of the haunt is open from 6-7:15 p.m. each night.
"I enjoy scaring people," said Thierauf, a lighting design student. "It's actually more fun to scare the older teens and young adults who think they can't be scared."
The first couple of years it was confined to the garage, but now he said the manor encompasses his front and back yards as well. Each year the haunted house gets bigger and bigger, and there are typically about 500 people who walk through it each night, he said.
"The whole driveway is full of people lined up to walk through," he said.
Thierauf starts thinking about the concept for the production and drawing plans in September. He utilizes everything from costumed actors and strobe lights to fog effects and animatronics to scare people. This year the cast includes 15 actors, many of whom are fellow SCPA students.
He said this year he's started making his own latex masks and learning how to do more detailed makeup.
"I wouldn't recommend anyone younger than 10 years old go through it," he said. "We've been told it's better than most of the haunted houses that charge admission."
Spending roughly 20 hours a week building rooms and getting the haunted house together has forced him to enlist the help of his neighbors and Matt Glass, who is engaged to Thierauf's mother, Kimmie.
Glass said it's been neat to lend a hand and watch Ryan work hard to make the haunted house bigger and better each year.
"This is our Christmas," Glass said.
Thierauf said he wants to pursue a career in set design, and his goal is to one day open a haunted house for which he can charge admission.
"Someday I want to go pro," he said.
While admission to House of Horrors Manor is free, Thierauf does accept donations.
For more information about the haunted house, visit www.hohhauntedhouse.weebly.com.
A while back, researchers from the Sonoma County Paranormal Institute came to Cloverdale with their precision instruments to check out several sites where apparitions have reportedly been seen.
Next Saturday, October 23, the researchers will be at the Cloverdale History Center, 215 N. Cloverdale Blvd., for “Haunted Cloverdale,” a presentation on ghosts and related phenomena.
They will also report their findings on two of the buildings they investigated – the Gould-Shaw House and the Isaac East Shaw Building, both of which are adjacent to the new History Center.
Gould-Shaw house
Each building is on the National Register of Historic Places in Sonoma County. The Gould-Shaw House was built in 1862 and is currently home to the Cloverdale Museum. The other building was built in 1875 and currently houses Low Knob Press.
While the first part of the evening is sold out, there are still tickets available for docent led walking tours of these facilities.
Beginning at 7 p.m., researchers will escort Haunted Cloverdale participants into each building, describing in detail the building’s history, as well as what their instruments recorded, and what they personally saw and heard during their investigation.
In case all these ghostly events put your nerves on edge, a Wine Reception with a variety of delicious appetizers from local restaurants will follow.
Tickets are $10 each and can purchased at the door. All proceeds support the Cloverdale History Center’s public programs and education exhibits.
Darton and Shriners' House of Horrors gave visitors quite a scare. It's in the old Office Max building behind the mall.
There was a line of people waiting to get in. Organizers didn't let us in because they didn't want to ruin the scary surprise.
"We didn't want the reporters to go through with because we want our customers to be scared and surprised," said Cynthia Mann, Darton College Servant Leadership Dir.
"$7 admission we're open 7-11PM Friday and Saturday 7-11PM next weekend, during the week Monday-Thursday we're open from 7-10PM," said Dorsey Holt, Shriner's Potentate.
The money collected will split between the Shriner's and to Darton's Leadership Program so they can take a trip to the Florida Keys to study Coral.
Halloween events and haunted houses
Halloween events and haunted houses
by WWLTV.com
wwltv.com
Posted on October 15, 2010 at 5:30 PM
Updated today at 1:24 PM
Gallery
*
*
*
*
See all 39 photos »
Looking for a good scare? Check out some area Haunted Houses:
* House of Shock: For 18 years this haunted house has creeped out locals and brought those looking for a good scare from far and wide. Inside a warehouse in Jefferson, it is rated one of the most intense haunted houses. Open Oct. 14-17, 21-24, 27-31 from 8 p.m. - 11 p.m. Admission $25. Located at 319 Butterworth St. Jefferson, LA. 70121
* The Mortuary: An old funeral home that was coverted into a freaky spot for thrill seekers. Oct. 13-17, 21-24, 26-31 from 7 p.m. - 11 p.m. Admission $25. Located at 4800 Canal Street.
* The Warehouse of Terror: Slidell's only haunted house; it is not for the faint of heart. Open 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. every weekend in October. Admission $15 on Fri. and Sat., $13 on Sun. Located at 54367 E. Howze Beach Rd, Slidell
* The Chamber of Horrors: In its fifth year, the River Parishes now have a place for those looking to scare themselves. Open Friday and Saturday night in October and Halloween night. from 7:30 p.m. to 12 a.m. Admission $12. Located at 702 East Airline Hwy., LaPlace, 70068
Click here or the images to take a peek inside the haunted houses.
Halloween Events - Friday, October 22nd - Sunday, October 31st
* Park-a-Boo, Lafreniere Park, Friday, October 22nd - Sunday, October 24th
* Ghosts in the Oaks, City Park, Friday, October 22nd
* Barktoberfest, New Orleans, Saturday, October 23rd
* VooDoo Experience, City Park, Friday, October 29th - Sunday, October 31st
* SoLA Center for the Art's Halloween Parade, Houma, Friday, October 29th
* Krewe of Halloween Parade and Monster Bash, New Orleans, Saturday, October 30th
* Halloween Hayride and Hoopla, Fairview-Riverside State Park, Madisonville, Saturday, October 30th
* Mortuary Haunted House, New Orleans, Friday, October 22nd - Sunday, October 31st
* The Historic New Orleans Collection presents Haunted Histories, New Orleans, Friday, October 22nd - Sunday, October 31st
* Southern Food Museum's Halloween Party, New Orleans, Sunday, October 31st
* 15th Annual NOLA Designer Halloween Costume Boo-tique, New Orleans, Saturday, October 23rd, 504-948-2583 * Free & open to the public, Saturday, October 23 * 12 Noon - 5 PM, at Blue Nile * 532 Frenchmen St.
* Trick or Trunk, St. John Luthern Church in New Orleans, Friday, October 29th. For more information: Call 488-6641. Children of the community are invited to participate in free games, crafts, and trick or treat from decorated car trunks of church and school members. Please, come join the fun from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on October 29th.
* Boo at the Zoo, Friday and Saturday, October 22 and 23, and the following weekend, Friday and Saturday, October 29 and 30! Admission is 5pm - 9:30pm each day and tickets are $16 each. Proceeds benefit Audubon Zoo and Children's Hospital.
TULSA - Ready for Halloween?
Many people enjoy visiting Haunted Houses during this time of year, but where are the real haunted locations in the area?
2News has compiled a list of places rumored to be haunted in and around Green Country.
1. Gilcrease Museum - The Gilcrease Museum houses one of the world's most extensive and renowned collections of Native American and Western art and artifacts. Thomas Gilcrease passed away in 1962. It is said that the philanthropist's ghost has been seen and heard haunting the museum.
2. Brady Theater - According to local legend, famed opera singer, Enrico Caruso died of pleurisy just one year after an open-air carriage ride on a cold and wet Oklahoma day while on tour in the area. It is said that his ghost still haunts the Brady Theater for causing his death.
3. Haunted Train Tracks - Though the exact location is unknown, legend has it that four children died playing chicken on a particular set of train tracks in Tulsa. Some believe that if you park your car in this location, the ghosts of the children will push your car off the tracks and leave dirty handprints on it.
4. Spotlight Theater - Local legend says footsteps can be heard coming from the costume room, and strange scratch marks can be seen on the wall in the basement.
5. Murdoc's Mansion - It is believed this mansion was once located near 111th and Sheridan. One day the mansion burned down, and people began to visit the site of the old mansion for fun. It is said that these adventurous individuals reported sensing an "eerie" feeling when they stepped foot on the property.
6. Constantine Theater - The theatre is located in Pawhuska, in Osage County. The building is said to be haunted by the ghost of Sappho Constantine Brown, the daughter of George Constantine. While the building was undergoing restoration, workmen claimed to hear phantom footsteps and saw an apparition of a young girl.
7. Philbrook Museum - The statues at this museum may have some "personalities" of their own. It is said that the eyes of many of the statues will follow you, and some of the heads will actually turn.
8. Will Rogers High School - It is rumored that at night you can see a man in a white penguin tuxedo walking around on stage. People say it is the ghost of an old band director who died of a heart attack on stage in the 50's.
Copyright 2010 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Bridgetown teen starts thinking about the spooky holiday in September, when he begins plotting the concept for the annual haunted house he builds at his mother's home at 5603 Green Acres Court.
This year marks the seventh straight year Thierauf, a sophomore at The School for Creative & Performing Arts, has put together a haunted house at his home.
Billed as House of Horrors Manor, it will be open to the public from 6-10:30 p.m. Oct. 29-31. A kid-friendly version of the haunt is open from 6-7:15 p.m. each night.
"I enjoy scaring people," said Thierauf, a lighting design student. "It's actually more fun to scare the older teens and young adults who think they can't be scared."
The first couple of years it was confined to the garage, but now he said the manor encompasses his front and back yards as well. Each year the haunted house gets bigger and bigger, and there are typically about 500 people who walk through it each night, he said.
"The whole driveway is full of people lined up to walk through," he said.
Thierauf starts thinking about the concept for the production and drawing plans in September. He utilizes everything from costumed actors and strobe lights to fog effects and animatronics to scare people. This year the cast includes 15 actors, many of whom are fellow SCPA students.
He said this year he's started making his own latex masks and learning how to do more detailed makeup.
"I wouldn't recommend anyone younger than 10 years old go through it," he said. "We've been told it's better than most of the haunted houses that charge admission."
Spending roughly 20 hours a week building rooms and getting the haunted house together has forced him to enlist the help of his neighbors and Matt Glass, who is engaged to Thierauf's mother, Kimmie.
Glass said it's been neat to lend a hand and watch Ryan work hard to make the haunted house bigger and better each year.
"This is our Christmas," Glass said.
Thierauf said he wants to pursue a career in set design, and his goal is to one day open a haunted house for which he can charge admission.
"Someday I want to go pro," he said.
While admission to House of Horrors Manor is free, Thierauf does accept donations.
For more information about the haunted house, visit www.hohhauntedhouse.weebly.com.
A while back, researchers from the Sonoma County Paranormal Institute came to Cloverdale with their precision instruments to check out several sites where apparitions have reportedly been seen.
Next Saturday, October 23, the researchers will be at the Cloverdale History Center, 215 N. Cloverdale Blvd., for “Haunted Cloverdale,” a presentation on ghosts and related phenomena.
They will also report their findings on two of the buildings they investigated – the Gould-Shaw House and the Isaac East Shaw Building, both of which are adjacent to the new History Center.
Gould-Shaw house
Each building is on the National Register of Historic Places in Sonoma County. The Gould-Shaw House was built in 1862 and is currently home to the Cloverdale Museum. The other building was built in 1875 and currently houses Low Knob Press.
While the first part of the evening is sold out, there are still tickets available for docent led walking tours of these facilities.
Beginning at 7 p.m., researchers will escort Haunted Cloverdale participants into each building, describing in detail the building’s history, as well as what their instruments recorded, and what they personally saw and heard during their investigation.
In case all these ghostly events put your nerves on edge, a Wine Reception with a variety of delicious appetizers from local restaurants will follow.
Tickets are $10 each and can purchased at the door. All proceeds support the Cloverdale History Center’s public programs and education exhibits.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
disney info
(10/13/10) Amusement Insider drops into Mickey’s Not So Scary and posts an update of nearly 100 new photos from the upcharge event at the Magic Kingdom.
(10/8/10) A posting over at Orlando United claims that the queue area for the Haunted Mansion will soon be replaced with a “Next Gen” style interactive queue, which will include the replacement of the tomb stones in the graveyard with new “interactive” tombstones. I’m not so hot on the idea of removing the old tombstones myself, but I wouldn’t mind seeing some fun new ones added, much like the one added a few years ago that has the eyes that look around.
(9/17/10) Over 300 pictures taken at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party can be seen at MouseSteps this week.
(9/10/10) Orlando United has posted the first pictures of the Boo To You parade at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, taken during a CM Preview performance.
(9/9/10) MouseSteps takes a look around the Magic Kingdom at all the new Halloween decorations going up, as well as a peek at what’s new in Fantasyland.
(9/7/10) A new photo update from the Magic Kingdom as they add all the Halloween decorations to the park can be seen at WDW MouseTails this week, as well as a peek at the Little Mermaid site.
(8/25/10) Local WDW sources tell us that the characters on the Small World merchandise are not planned to be added to the ride and that the merchandise may simply be repurposed designs created originally for Disneyland but modified for use at WDW. The true primary purpose of the lengthy rehab is to reverse the way the load/unload traffic works. When it reopens guests will load in through the longer “exit” queue pathway and exit up the old entrance ramp.
(8/23/10) WDW Mouse Tales has posted an interesting update this week from the park. In addition to the basic construction updates to Fantasyland and Main Street. Then they came across something that may give a clue as to what’s going on inside Small World during the current rehab. New Small World merchandise can now be found in Fantasyland gift shop outside Philharmagic that clearly shows classic Disney characters mixed in with the Small World dolls. Is a top secret upgrade to Small World taking place like the one done to Disneyland? Oh... and in case it wasn’t mentioned before, the Tomorrowland Transit Authority has gone back to being called the Peoplemover once again... or TTA: Peoplemover if you will.
(8/17/10) Orlando Parks News has a new construction update from the Magic Kingdom this week.
(8/16/10) Summer Nightastic may be ending but you can relive it again with this great photo coverage of the Fireworks Spectacular from the Magic Kingdom posted to Amusement Insider this week.
(8/2/10) Storytime with Belle will come to an end with the final show on September 12th. It will be replaced with a new Meet ‘n Greet experience for the Tangled characters (Rapunzel & Flynn Ryder) starting October 15th.
(7/30/10) WDW has confirmed today that they will be keeping the Main Street Electrical Parade INDEFINITELY.
(7/11/10) I actually missed this when it was posted back in May but The Theme Park Guy managed to get permission for a rare low-altitude fly-over the Magic Kingdom and posted some great pictures of the park showing of the size of the Fantasyland expansion site as well as a look down into the former River Country waterpark.
Late 2010 - Space Mountain in Starry-O-Phonic Sound - (8/31/10) Good news for Disney fans, the new rumored Audio system on Space Mountain has now opened to the public. Disney has created a new old-time looking attraction poster to promote it, calling it “Starry-O-Phonic Sound”. According to the posting it is , “a new composition that’s exclusive to the attraction at Magic Kingdom Park that will play with varying sound effects throughout all “flights” on 60 newly installed speakers. “Starry-O-Phonic Sound” compliments a slew of enhancements that debuted on Space Mountain last year, including new lighting, storyline elements and updated decor.”
Want to take a quick listen? WDWMouseTales.com braved the ride a few hours ago to record it and post it on YouTube for everyone to enjoy. Follow the link or check out the embedded version below! However, as I feared, this is a poor substite for having an actual on-board audio system, as the audio is very hard to hear for much of the ride, other than the occasional loud sound effect.
(10/8/10) A posting over at Orlando United claims that the queue area for the Haunted Mansion will soon be replaced with a “Next Gen” style interactive queue, which will include the replacement of the tomb stones in the graveyard with new “interactive” tombstones. I’m not so hot on the idea of removing the old tombstones myself, but I wouldn’t mind seeing some fun new ones added, much like the one added a few years ago that has the eyes that look around.
(9/17/10) Over 300 pictures taken at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party can be seen at MouseSteps this week.
(9/10/10) Orlando United has posted the first pictures of the Boo To You parade at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, taken during a CM Preview performance.
(9/9/10) MouseSteps takes a look around the Magic Kingdom at all the new Halloween decorations going up, as well as a peek at what’s new in Fantasyland.
(9/7/10) A new photo update from the Magic Kingdom as they add all the Halloween decorations to the park can be seen at WDW MouseTails this week, as well as a peek at the Little Mermaid site.
(8/25/10) Local WDW sources tell us that the characters on the Small World merchandise are not planned to be added to the ride and that the merchandise may simply be repurposed designs created originally for Disneyland but modified for use at WDW. The true primary purpose of the lengthy rehab is to reverse the way the load/unload traffic works. When it reopens guests will load in through the longer “exit” queue pathway and exit up the old entrance ramp.
(8/23/10) WDW Mouse Tales has posted an interesting update this week from the park. In addition to the basic construction updates to Fantasyland and Main Street. Then they came across something that may give a clue as to what’s going on inside Small World during the current rehab. New Small World merchandise can now be found in Fantasyland gift shop outside Philharmagic that clearly shows classic Disney characters mixed in with the Small World dolls. Is a top secret upgrade to Small World taking place like the one done to Disneyland? Oh... and in case it wasn’t mentioned before, the Tomorrowland Transit Authority has gone back to being called the Peoplemover once again... or TTA: Peoplemover if you will.
(8/17/10) Orlando Parks News has a new construction update from the Magic Kingdom this week.
(8/16/10) Summer Nightastic may be ending but you can relive it again with this great photo coverage of the Fireworks Spectacular from the Magic Kingdom posted to Amusement Insider this week.
(8/2/10) Storytime with Belle will come to an end with the final show on September 12th. It will be replaced with a new Meet ‘n Greet experience for the Tangled characters (Rapunzel & Flynn Ryder) starting October 15th.
(7/30/10) WDW has confirmed today that they will be keeping the Main Street Electrical Parade INDEFINITELY.
(7/11/10) I actually missed this when it was posted back in May but The Theme Park Guy managed to get permission for a rare low-altitude fly-over the Magic Kingdom and posted some great pictures of the park showing of the size of the Fantasyland expansion site as well as a look down into the former River Country waterpark.
Ride Rehabs - The following information is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate.
Small World – NOW CLOSED through 10/22/10
Late 2010 - Space Mountain in Starry-O-Phonic Sound - (8/31/10) Good news for Disney fans, the new rumored Audio system on Space Mountain has now opened to the public. Disney has created a new old-time looking attraction poster to promote it, calling it “Starry-O-Phonic Sound”. According to the posting it is , “a new composition that’s exclusive to the attraction at Magic Kingdom Park that will play with varying sound effects throughout all “flights” on 60 newly installed speakers. “Starry-O-Phonic Sound” compliments a slew of enhancements that debuted on Space Mountain last year, including new lighting, storyline elements and updated decor.”Want to take a quick listen? WDWMouseTales.com braved the ride a few hours ago to record it and post it on YouTube for everyone to enjoy. Follow the link or check out the embedded version below! However, as I feared, this is a poor substite for having an actual on-board audio system, as the audio is very hard to hear for much of the ride, other than the occasional loud sound effect.
halloween news in orlando
Grab your little vampires, superheroes, princesses, monsters — and duffels.
Halloween is no longer just about trick-or-treating in the neighborhood. Instead, you can take your pick of zoos, museums, theme parks, campgrounds, big cities, small ones — all of which have Halloween doings guaranteed to scare the teens and plenty of benign "spooky" fun for the littlest ghosts and goblins.
Even Broadway is getting into the act with its first Kids' Night on Broadway Halloween, which means kids between 6 and 18 can see Broadway shows for free, including hits like "Wicked," "Billy Elliot" and, perfect for Halloween, "The Addams Family," "Mary Poppins" and" Memphis." (Use promo code KNOB2010. A paying adult must accompany each kid.) Even better, KNOB tickets include a pre-theater Halloween party at Madame Tussauds, restaurant and parking discounts and more. You can feel extra good about participating because the event salutes the 60th anniversary of Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF, which to date has raised nearly $160 million. (For more on New York's Halloween offerings visit http://www.nycgo.com/.)
Twenty theme parks across the country have big Halloween haunts, including Knott's Berry Farm, which is celebrating its 38th Halloween Haunt, Busch Gardens Williamsburg and its Howl-O-Scream (Want to have your makeup done just like the performers?), the less frightful Legoland in Carlsbad, Calif., where "Brick-or-Treat includes "Mail Order Monsters" where your little monsters can help Princess Playwright break the spell and the brand-new maze at Paradise Park in Lee's Summit, Mo. (Try not to get lost in this 9,500-square-foot labyrinth!)
Mickey and Minnie welcome guests to Halloween Time at Disneyland.
Go to Disneyland's Halloween Time where Space Mountain turns into Ghost Galaxy — yes, a haunted version of what may well have been your kids' first "scary" ride, and the chance to meet and greet all of your favorite villains and vote for them too. (For 10 nights this month, you can come to Mickey's Halloween Party ($49, if tickets are purchased in advance; $59 on Halloween) in costume and trick-or-treat your way through the park, as you enjoy special shows, fireworks and more. (To save $300 on four-day packages, visit http://disneyland.disney.go.com/special-offers/.)
You're crazy busy, of course, shuffling work, the kids' science projects, soccer practice, clarinet lessons ... all the more reason to take an afternoon, or a weekend, if you can manage it and have some fun in the pumpkin patch. Visit www.pickyourown.org and find one near you.
Go camping. Some of the busiest camping weekends are in the fall at Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts, which offer "no scare" weekends with corn mazes and more.
Head to a resort. Great Wolf Lodge Niagara Falls, Canada's largest indoor water park, transforms into a haunted lodge complete with monster mash family dance, spooky story time and even science projects.
If you are in Northern California — or hanker for a getaway there — visit Half Moon Bay. Located about 40 miles south of San Francisco, Half Moon Bay calls itself the pumpkin capital of the world with festivals, farms, pumpkin ale and even pumpkin spa experiences. (While you're in the neighborhood, the California Academy of Sciences — considered one of the "greenest" museums in the world — is celebrating the "SuperNatural" all October with special programs and events that allow you to commune with bats and get up close and personal, just not too personal, with tarantulas, snakes and otherworldly fish.
In Orlando, SeaWorld's "Ocean of Halloween Fun" means kids can watch "spooky" shows and help "Sesame Street's" Abby Cadabby find her magic wand and search for hidden "sea" treasures throughout the park. There's even a Spooky Spectacular Sleepover Oct. 15-16 and Oct. 22-23. There are hotel discounts as much as 25 percent off at Walt Disney World too, where your littlest park goers will like Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. Nearby, Universal Orlando is celebrating its 20th Halloween Horror Nights with what they promise will be the scariest yet with eight new haunted houses, scare zones and live shows.
Make it a new tradition to head to a city near you for some spooky fun. Chicago's Navy Pier brings you the zombie march, a haunted house and carnival of curiosities, as well as fireworks every Saturday in October.
Providence's Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular features thousands of illuminated jack-o-lanterns.
Providence, R.I., boasts the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular at the Roger Williams Park Zoo where there will be thousands of illuminated jack-o-lanterns that have been created by professional pumpkin carvers.
If you are looking for real ghosts, Ohio promises that Waynesville is a bona-fide haunted village with hands-on ghost hunting and information on real ghostly encounters.
If you're planning a holiday in Britain, then head to Wales and stay in a haunted castle. (Wales apparently has the highest castle-to-person ration in the world — 641 castles, 3 million people — and a long history of hangings and riots and, as a result, plenty of ghosts.
Ghostly encounters aren't that unusual closer to home either. According to a Rent.com survey, 11 percent of renters believe they have lived in a home inhabited by ghosts. The website lists the top 10 haunted cities in the country, including Savannah, Ga. And Gettysburg, Pa., where all 40 miles of the battlefields where some 51,000 Civil War soldiers died are believed to have paranormal activity.
And let's not forget Salem, Mass., the site of the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692. The restless spirits of the 19 hanged as witches are said to haunt Gallows Hill. New Orleans' St. Louis Cemetery, meanwhile, is considered one of the country's most haunted resting places and you can also tour the historic Voodoo Museum. New Orleans touts plenty of good October deals, too.
Wherever you decide to go this Halloween, just don't forget your witch's hat.
For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com and also follow "taking the kids" on www.twitter.com, where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments.
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