Nov 24th - Hello again
Posted by Bill Bickford on Monday, November 24, 2014
It has certainly been a while since I've posted on here. Made a few
adjustments and changes and now we are back and going forward. Had some
down time due to other issues but I guess the best medicine for
anything is to get back on the path. Well, the path has been found and
I'm focusing on what needs to be done now.
So quite a bit has happened over the last month plus and while I may be behind a bit, gonna update this now more occasionally. Also looking at changing our format.
So while another Halloween season is behind us, I did get out and visit a few of the haunts and theme parks. First thing I did was I took my guy to Howl-O-Scream where we had a really good time. The first thing we did was get in line for Cheetah Hunt since it was only a 20 minute wait. We got in the front row line and just as we were about to get on, they shut down the ride due to lightning and rain. We waited for about 45 minutes and then were told the ride had a technical problem during run through. So we waited another 45 minutes but finally got to ride in the front row. It was my guys first time on it so it had to be proper. He loved it as I did too and easily made a great start to the night. We went through all the haunted houses, save one and finally left the park around 1 am. While I enjoyed it and had fun, I felt the effort was a little short from Busch Gardens. It seems to be dropping and the atmosphere just isn't there like it used to be. It seems tired and in need of fresh blood to reinvent the concept.
Also did Halloween Horror Nights and again, while it was a good time, it was just too damn crowded to be as fun as it could be. Hit The Walking Dead maze first and I swear, you wait for almost 2 hours to get in there and all they want to do is run you through in a few minutes. I like to see what's going on and experience the whole thing. Not have some idiot tell me to hurry up. That really pissed me off cuz it's just a cattle call. Not sure I'm gonna go back there next year. Though I do have to say, The Michael Meyers house was quite possible the coolest one there as it fit the storyline and scenes perfect.
I also went up to Epcot for the final farewell tour of Maelstrom at Norway. While it wasn't a great ride, it was enjoyable and fun to ride. Plus, there was the nostalgic flavor to it, which as anyone who knows me, know I love the nostalgia part of anything. I've never seen Frozen so I have no idea what they plan to do there with a Frozen ride but we shall see.
Since I was at Epcot for Maelstrom, it was also the Food and Wine Festival and I was able to tour World Showcase and get my sample on from different countries. I avoided Germany as I had recently just returned from a 3 month trip there so I already had authentic German cuisine.
I also hit the haunt at Old Town in Kissimmee and that was very cool. They keep it open year round and it's done on a smaller scale but it is definitely very cool and enjoyable.
I also manage to finally get on The Seven Dwarves Mine Train in The Magic Kingdom and while it's a nice ride with some nice drops and curves, it wasn't nearly what I was expecting from Disney. All the hype and build up just seemed kind of overdone and made me expect more. But oh well, I know Disney isn't who they were before but we shall see about some of the rumors I've been hearing and if they can improve things.
Now with Christmas here, I can't wait to visit all the theme parks and see the decorations. Also going to some Christiana concerts, one of my favorites is Transiberian Orchestra. They are amazing.
So here are on the verge of Thanksgiving and the holiday season so eat well and have a great time. I'm looking full forward now and hoping for good things and focusing on the positive and learning from the past. The pie is special and always will be.
So until we cross paths again...
BB out
So quite a bit has happened over the last month plus and while I may be behind a bit, gonna update this now more occasionally. Also looking at changing our format.
So while another Halloween season is behind us, I did get out and visit a few of the haunts and theme parks. First thing I did was I took my guy to Howl-O-Scream where we had a really good time. The first thing we did was get in line for Cheetah Hunt since it was only a 20 minute wait. We got in the front row line and just as we were about to get on, they shut down the ride due to lightning and rain. We waited for about 45 minutes and then were told the ride had a technical problem during run through. So we waited another 45 minutes but finally got to ride in the front row. It was my guys first time on it so it had to be proper. He loved it as I did too and easily made a great start to the night. We went through all the haunted houses, save one and finally left the park around 1 am. While I enjoyed it and had fun, I felt the effort was a little short from Busch Gardens. It seems to be dropping and the atmosphere just isn't there like it used to be. It seems tired and in need of fresh blood to reinvent the concept.
Also did Halloween Horror Nights and again, while it was a good time, it was just too damn crowded to be as fun as it could be. Hit The Walking Dead maze first and I swear, you wait for almost 2 hours to get in there and all they want to do is run you through in a few minutes. I like to see what's going on and experience the whole thing. Not have some idiot tell me to hurry up. That really pissed me off cuz it's just a cattle call. Not sure I'm gonna go back there next year. Though I do have to say, The Michael Meyers house was quite possible the coolest one there as it fit the storyline and scenes perfect.
I also went up to Epcot for the final farewell tour of Maelstrom at Norway. While it wasn't a great ride, it was enjoyable and fun to ride. Plus, there was the nostalgic flavor to it, which as anyone who knows me, know I love the nostalgia part of anything. I've never seen Frozen so I have no idea what they plan to do there with a Frozen ride but we shall see.
Since I was at Epcot for Maelstrom, it was also the Food and Wine Festival and I was able to tour World Showcase and get my sample on from different countries. I avoided Germany as I had recently just returned from a 3 month trip there so I already had authentic German cuisine.
I also hit the haunt at Old Town in Kissimmee and that was very cool. They keep it open year round and it's done on a smaller scale but it is definitely very cool and enjoyable.
I also manage to finally get on The Seven Dwarves Mine Train in The Magic Kingdom and while it's a nice ride with some nice drops and curves, it wasn't nearly what I was expecting from Disney. All the hype and build up just seemed kind of overdone and made me expect more. But oh well, I know Disney isn't who they were before but we shall see about some of the rumors I've been hearing and if they can improve things.
Now with Christmas here, I can't wait to visit all the theme parks and see the decorations. Also going to some Christiana concerts, one of my favorites is Transiberian Orchestra. They are amazing.
So here are on the verge of Thanksgiving and the holiday season so eat well and have a great time. I'm looking full forward now and hoping for good things and focusing on the positive and learning from the past. The pie is special and always will be.
So until we cross paths again...
BB out