HHN 2012!!

Thanks to everyone who made it out last night to the event.  I had one of the best times ever at Horror Nights and meet some amazing people that I look forward to being friends with for sometime!!  I look forward already to next years trip when we visit HHN 23 in an even bigger and better way!!

Posted some pics from the event and a new one of the rumored Potter construction area....they are moving so fast on the project it is amazing! Most of the pictures I took either last night or VIP preview night...a couple are promo shots...just to give you a feel for the event!  Cheers!

On the way!

Front Gate time

Map for this year

Crazy sky at sunset

Rumored Potter construction in full swing

Part of the crew for the night heading into the Penn and Teller 3D house

Goddesses of Beauty

Paulina, Robby, and Beth in the Zombie spirit outside of Walking Dead

Pumpkin spirits in the trees watching us

Damn doll in Dead End was alive...I swear

EVIL bunny was just freaky 

Mel's Drive In from American Graffiti...now Mel's DIE IN for HHN

Nice Promo pic of the gang waiting to greet you inside

Still one of my favorite houses this year

Uh Oh...i hear the sirens

The gang from Silent Hill

Sophia wait here...Walking Dead was awesome

Bring out your dead!!

HHN 2012 Local gathering tonight!!

LOCAL ALERT: Halloween Horror Nights 2012 trip is tonight.  Everyone that wants to join our group and be part of this yearly event should contact me via Facebook, Text Message, or Pigeon..lol..so I can provide you with details.  The weather is going to be perfect and the group a great mix of people.

Looks like we are going to meet in font of Hard Rock Cafe (level closest to the waterfront) around 5:30 PM and get our scare on from there. Look forward to seeing everyone!!!

The Top Ten Tastes from the 17th Food and Wine Festival.....

The 17th Annual Food and Wine Festival begins at Epcot this Friday, and I must admit this is one of my favorite events at Walt Disney World.  The World Showcase side of Epcot is already a great experience for those that like to try culinary delights from around the world, and drinking around the World Showcase Lagoon is an activity that has an almost cult following.  The event runs for a record 46 days this year!

Disney each year adds themed pavilions, 29 this year, that serve tapas style dishes, drinks and wines from the native country that the pavilion represents. These marketplaces are sprinkled all along the World Showcase lagoon and allow guests to stroll at their own pace and enjoy foods and drinks that most people would never experience otherwise. 

The culinary event, named one of the Best Food and Wine Festivals by the Travel Channel, runs through Nov. 12 and includes daily Eat to the Beat pop concerts with top name acts.This year’s celebration introduces a new chocolate tasting experience, fresh Florida Local flavors and the first marketplace with vegan cuisine, named TERRA. New this year will be Food and Wine's first Watermelon Patch and back for a second year the popular “Discover the Cranberry” Bog experience. Food and Wine also hosts weekend HGTV celebrity home-design seminars making the event truly a one of a kind event.

Remember these are just a few of the amazing goodies that you can taste at the festival, so plan on visiting more than once. Weekends can get a little insane but I feel it just adds to the festival like atmosphere.  Cheers!!


Below is a post from the official Disney blog that talks about the top ten tastes from this years event:


Re-Posted from the Official Disney Blog:


The countdown has begun! The 17th Annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival opens Friday, and the chefs are putting last-minute touches on the tastes in the 29 Marketplaces around World Showcase Lagoon. We’ve been lucky enough to sneak in the kitchen for a few tastes, and here are our Top 10 “must tastes” for this year.

1. -The new Florida Local Marketplace shrimp ceviche. Pair with key lime wine for a taste of the Sunshine State.

2. -  Also at Florida Local, we can’t get enough of the white corn arepa with Mangalitsa pork rillette and Zellwood sweet corn salad. Doesn’t get any fresher than this.

3. - Trust us when we tell you, you won’t believe the chili Colorado is vegan at the new Terra Marketplace. You have to taste it just to say you’ve tried vegan chili with crunchy housemade chips and cashew cheese.

4. - The grilled lamb chop in Australia – it’s back, but this year the finish is a-mazing: salt & vinegar potato chip crumbles with a kicky mint pesto. Oh yeah.

5. -In Belgium, the steamed mussels are back, but they’ve ditched the cream for Hoegaarden Beer broth and a baguette for sopping up the juices. We like it better than the cream.

6. - We just might recommend starting at the Dessert and Champagne Marketplace and digging into the dark chocolate mousse with chili and salted caramel. It’s a small serving, so the guilt factor is low and it’s worth every calorie.

7. - Canada kicks it up with a favorite dish from Le Cellier Steakhouse brought out on the promenade just for Food & Wine – the buttery wild mushroom beef filet mignon with a splash of truffle butter sauce. You may want to go ahead and order two.

8. - Zapiekanki – Yes, it’s hard to pronounce, but step up at the Polish Marketplace and order this street food that most closely resembles pizza bread with cheese, mushrooms, onions and a drizzle of homemade ketchup. Comfort food.

9. - Frozen Strawberry Nesquik® – Childhood is calling at the Desserts and Champagne Marketplace. They added this just for kids, but we think adults will love this just as much as a glass of bubbly.

10. - Bacardi Torched Cherry Frozen Cherry Limeade – The finale, this slushy drink guarantees a brain freeze if you don’t slip it slow, which isn’t easy. Tart, icy and just right for a hot afternoon.

Remember these are just a few of the amazing goodies that you can taste at the festival, so plan on visiting more than once. Weekends can get a little insane but just add to the festival like atmosphere.  Cheers!!

Potter Construction Pics...

Progress on the new rumored Potter area is in "full steam ahead" mode, and after seeing the fence open the area is going to be massive....

EDITORIAL...Why is Mickey being so Mousey

This article is an editorial and should be treated as such.  Please feel free to respond and leave comments.

Why is Mickey being so Mousey?

One year ago last week Disney made a major announcement that James Cameron's AVATAR would be coming to the Walt Disney World resorts Animal Kingdom.  The news was meet with mixed reviews and even the most hardcore Disney fans took a step back and went "Wait...WHAT?".

Now here we are over a year later and Disney has not released one clue as to what we can expect or be excited about when it comes to AVATAR.  No details have been given, no concept artwork "leaked" and other than a promise at a recent stockholders meeting, Disney seems to be avoiding the topic.  Disney knows better than any that it's the fan base that keeps the theme parks running, and while Universal is moving forward leaps and bounds with their property here in Florida, Disney just seems kind of stale and stagnant.

Living in the Orlando area I have heard rumors that Cameron (who is known for being a OCD perfectionist) and Disney are at a stand off about the creative aspects of the new area as well as budgets, and that Imagineering has never really been "on-board" with the project.  Add to that the news released a couple of weeks ago from IGN that AVATAR 2 has been delayed (we will not see the second installment until 2015) and that the studios producing AVATAR  is getting cold feet about making the series as Cameron has envisioned. The Disney Avatarland project has just lacked that "WOW" factor from the start.

In Disney's defense they are opening a new expansion in the Magic Kingdom this year which, while very nice and much needed, really does not have the punch that Disney needs to move ahead in the theme park "buzz"  game.  Dumbo received a twin ride system and new queue area, Goofy's was simply re-themed, Storytime with Belle is cute (if you have small children), the Be Our Guest Restaurant is, well a restaurant,  and the Little Mermaid attraction (which I am excited about) is simply a copy of the one in California.  Disney will have a new Snow White themed family style coaster in place with the expansion but that is not on the slate until 2014.

Adding to this Disney recently announced huge capital cut backs for 2013, as it is investing most of its capital funds into the new Shanghai property with Disney fronting 43 percent of the 4.3 billion dollar project and the Chinese government supplying the rest. (Disney and the Chinese government...again i say "Wait...WHAT?").
Disney CFO Jay Rasulo speaking at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia Conference in New York, said that after Fantasyland in Florida is upgraded, "The next project of size in Florida will be Avatarland in Disney's Animal Kingdom." That is the only official announcement Disney has made on the project in some time.

Capital cutbacks mean that the rumored Cars Land/Pixar Land expansion at Disney Hollywood Studios has been placed on hold, which is a shame since the Cars Land expansion in California is making record profits.  A Cars/Pixar Land themed area could be the "Potter swatter" that Disney is looking for in the Orlando area. The fact projects of this nature are on hold is just another sign that Disney is fine with riding out it existing projects and not really into spending the extra capital to"step up their game" here in Orlando.

Disney will always be Disney.  I will always be a fan of basically anything that the company does with its parks and product.  I would however like to see the old Disney attitude back in the drivers seat, making huge park announcements, building excitement about future projects, and Mickey standing back and saying "Catch us if you can!"

Simpson's Mini-Land arriving at Universal Studios..

Universal filed more permits this week for destruction/construction of the International Festival food court that is located next to the wildly popular Simpsons attraction. The Qwik-E-Mart, adjacent food court and restrooms are to be closed in the next few weeks in order to undergo a major transformation. 

Universal continues to improve and adjust its product on a major scale, and this area will should be no exception.  Universal seems to be taking what it learned from the Wizarding World about adding food, merchandise, and drinks to this remodeled area.  The attraction is already getting its own themed games area and rumors are that a real life Krusty Burger and Moe's Tavern are on the blueprints!!  

Flaming Moe anyone?!?!

Rumored Potter Expansion Taking shape at Universal Studios...

Universal has made no official announcement regarding construction at it's Studio location in Orlando, but it is widely believed to be the highly anticipated expansion to the game changing Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure. Since the closing of Jaws Universal has been working round the clock to add this new area to it's roster of attractions by late 2014/early 2015. The area is rumored to have more shops, elaborate dining experiences, and yes attractions!!

The streets of London including a rumored Big Ben will provide the street view as guests approach the new expansion. Remember however Diagon Alley, the main area for the new expansion,  is "hidden" from the eyes of "muggles" so expect Universal to use some movie magic to allow us to enter the Wizard play land.

Diagon Alley

Here is a Potter map of Diagon Alley (above)  and may provide details of what we can expect to see as we pass through the "secret" entrance. The rumored "E ticket" attraction for the new area is a roller coaster/motion based ride system themed to Gringott's Bank.  The next highly anticipated attraction will be the Hogwarts Express which will take you from the streets of London (Studio Side) to Hogwarts (Islands side).  The train will be highly themed and will have ultra high def video screens instead of windows which will allow for all kind of possibilities (Dementor attack anyone?).

Construction on the lagoon wall for the new area is complete and is a replica of the Victoria/Albert Embankment in London, and it looks amazing.  This new area will not only provide for a great look for the London facade but will be a perfect spot to watch Universal's new night time show Universal's Cinematic Spectacular! Construction is vertical and they have even started the roof on Gringott's Bank. (Photos below)

New Lagoon Front

Gringott's Bank??

A local talented artist has drawn a rendering of what the new area may looked like when completed.  The artwork is based on leaked existing blue prints and is probably pretty close to what we can expect to see. Remember this is all rumors and talk until Universal makes an official announcement but no matter what the final product is, I am sure we can all agree it will be outstanding!!