Monthly Archives: November 2010

Disney Channel Rocks

Posted on November 26, 2010 in News by

Disney Channel Rocks just debuted today and featured songs from popular Disney Channel shows.  The show is set on the Palisades Stage in the new Paradise Park World of Color viewing area and features and elaborate set up.

So I just saw the show twice today and I have very mixed emotions about the show.

To say I hate the show would be hypocritical of me. There is no doubt, the show is an honest to good effort. The stage was really big. There is lighting equipment on either side of the small mini stages. There is a healthy number of performers. It really is impressive. The use of the fountains is well done, and the show’s values are really good. For the first time in a very, very long while, I congratulate Disney on greatexecution. It’s really hard to bash the show for its set-up. The show is fantastic at doing what it does (the very opposite of C!RAP).

Saying that, this is money really spent in the wrong direction. The theme of the show kills any sense of atmosphere that area of Paradise Pier once had. My biggest issue was that the park plays Radio Disney in the very short 35 minutes between each show. So guests walking by can listen to the loud obnoxious ringing of Miley Cyrus singing “Jingle Bell Rock”. The park really had no business doing that in between. The obvious issue with the show is the concept. I really just don’t like the music, the costuming, and the overall concept. It really is a huge step back in theming.

Some other nit-picky notes are that only the far left platform is used, but the middle platform was also visible (this is probably unrelated to the show). The bigger problem was was that the left platform didn’t submerge between shows, an eyesore most certainly.

Some random things I liked was how wide angled the show was with performers on the stage, just below the stage, and on either side of the water play ground. I also liked the rising platforms. And I liked the timing of the fountains (only the ending and opening).

So the show is a step in the right direction in some categories. The execution is great but the concept needs a lot of work. I am very impressed at how versatile of an entertainment location Paradise Park serves for shows. I can totally picture some seriously awesome entertainment offerings coming later on. I have pics and videos on their way but might not be up for a while as I am going back for WoC tonight. At the same time, the park needs to re-assess how they are approaching Paradise Pier. Seriously Disney, finish your dinner. Fix the shop facades, and drop these modern shows.

Below are pictures.  Video coming soon.

Disney teams up with Gowalla

Posted on November 19, 2010 in News by


In somewhat of a shocking announcement, Disney Parks has teamed up with the online location-tracking service Gowalla. The two are rolling out hundreds of new badges for rides, shows, and much more at the Disneyland Resort & Walt Disney World Resort parks. Gowalla has even rolled out a page on their website dedicated to the parks. Gowalla users will be able to pick up special tour badges if they visit a certain list of attractions at a park.

It’s quite interesting that Disney choose to go with Gowalla instead of Gowalla’s bigger (actually much bigger) competitor, Foursquare. This past July, Foursquare had more than 1.9 million users, while Gowalla had a mere 340,000. What could be the reasoning behind the move to Gowalla instead of Foursquare? It’s unsure, but the Six Flags and Foursquare partnership from earlier this year may have played a role in the decision.

Disney Parks page on the Gowalla Website

Will you use Gowalla if you visit a US Disney Park soon? Do you think this was a good move for Disney to choose Gowalla over Foursquare? Leave your thoughts below.

Badges & page screenshot from Mashable

Bolliger and Mabillard 2011: The Year of Quality

Posted on November 15, 2010 in News, Updates by

Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), described as producing the “Ferraris” of roller coasters, is known for making some of the biggest and most intense roller coasters on the planet.  From air time machines like Apollo’s Chariot (Busch Gardens Williamsburg) and Intimidator (Carowinds), to the inverts that let your feet soar through the air such as Silver Bullet (Knotts Berry Farm) and...

Dollywood’s Barnstormer quickly progresses

Posted on November 13, 2010 in News by

Dollywood’s upcoming S&S Screamin’ Swing, “Barnstormer” is already well into construction. It appears that most of the rides structure is now up, and work of the surrounding “barn” is now underway. At this rate, there’s pretty much no question that the ride will be ready for the park’s opening day. You can see more photos on the Barstormer website.

Are you excited...

Welcome to Ferrari World Abu Dhabi

Posted on in News, Updates by

After more than a year of construction and years of planning, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi has finally opened its doors to guests.  Guests of all ages are welcome to experience the world of Ferrari, the iconic super car that is world renowned for its power and speed.  Ferrari World Abu Dhabi is a one of a kind theme park that gives guests...

Poll Results: Halloween Events

Posted on November 9, 2010 in Polls by

For October, we asked what was your favorite Halloween event.  Readers gave us their park thoughts and after lots of input, where is the best place to spend their Halloween: Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights, Knott’s Scary Farm, Knobel’s Hallo-fun!, Busch Garden’s Howl-O-Scream, or Kennywood’s Phantom Fright Nights.  No surprise, but the clear winner in this race was Universal’s Halloween Horror...