Gabe

At the park's outset, the WS pavilions were either in whole or in part financed by their respective countries for a set amount of years. Over time, many, including Norway, didn't re-up. In those cases, Disney has free reign to do what it will with those pavilions. The Land will get a nice face lift with the 3rd theater (and accompanying digital upgrade to go along with the new film) for Soarin' and hopefully Imagination and Energy will as well. The boat ride in the Land used to be personally narrated and was much more informative than the current generic auto spiel you get now. If you're at all interested in what goes on behind the scenes at the Land, spring for the "Behind the Seeds" tour offered there.

The acreage they've purchased is roughly the size of KI, albeit 2 miles down the road. Def more than enough room for a 3rd gate, but with the distance involved, Universal would either have to subcontract shuttle service to/from, or, like Disney, buy a fleet of buses to take people back and forth.

For parks open year-round, there is never going to be a good time for maintenance. Something will always be under refurbishment at any one given time. At least in this day and age, Disney posts the closures on its website (they're also found on other third party Disney planning sites as well), so people can plan accordingly. In the past, transforming some of the rides with overlays has only taken 2-3 days, so I wouldn't count on 2 week closures (no guarantees though). Be thankful you're not Clark Griswold, who drove cross-country to find a whole park closed haha!

Disney is slowly rolling out the addition of Murphy-style beds resort-wide. They are being installed with families in mind who may not want to stay at a place like AOA, but who also don't want to pay for 2 rooms at another Disney resort.

also of note about TOT is the fact that its design is completely different from the front and back. The back of the ride faces Epcot, and more specifically, the Monaco pavilion in World Showcase. The desire was to make the back of the ride blend in with the background behind Monaco, so the back of the ride is themed to that extent.

In the last couple of years, Don has done a really nice job of keeping the KI enthusiast crowd up to date on off season activities. Last year he posted pictures of a Racer and Beast car completely disassembled with an explanation (video interview) accompanying the picture of what the process is for tearing down, sprucing up and then reassembling the rides. I'd watch the park's social media pages as the updates came every so often just after the first of the year. Given the job he does, I don't see a need to wander around the park on a cold grey day when Don is paid (handsomely we hope!) to do it for us.

I would imagine that probaly the building was constructed first and then the insides of the ride were built. That makes the most sense to me. Well, if the ride was built similar to FOF and Rock N Roller Coaster at the Disney Studios, the ride was built first. I've seen construction pics showing those rides standing out in the open, after which are pics showing the building being constructed around it.

Synergy! Universal and NBC share a parent company, so Jimmy's ride helps promote his show, which in turn drives viewers, which leads to higher ad rates charged by the mother ship. A relatively cheap install for a much larger ROI.

Speaking of violations and water parks.. http://www.wthr.com/story/30494586/waterpark-owner-camps-out-atop-slide-to-save-park Telling that the owner's Go Fund Me Campaign has, to date, raised barely 1% of its goal. As the saying goes, People Gotta Eat, but they're also smart enough not to patronize places where their health and/or safety will be at serious risk.

isn't that a pic of the south toll booth? Has it been torn down yet as well?

Disney announced today that Dec. 1 will mark the start of the Star Wars-themed events around DHS. For the first 90 days, Star Tours will only offer the ride program based on the new movie, after which it will join in with the other sequences. Star Wars Launch Bay will also open Dec. 1. Also, construction will begin on the new Star Wars land just after the new year, so Disney also announced that Star Wars Weekends would not take place in 2016. No decision has been made about bringing the event back upon completion of the land.

Cedar Fair and Intamin? Cedar Fair and Mondial? The list goes on. Last I checked, there was conflict there, but the rides still stand, no?

If memory serves from reading the restroom ads there from last year, the gold pass price from early Nov-Memorial Day was about 50% higher than the price offered the previous fall.

Well, to be more specific, Jimmy Fallon announced it last night on his show. "Race Through New York starring Jimmy Fallon" will be a motion simulator ride coming in 2017. Hopefully the preshow features him reading "Thank You Notes!" : http://variety.com/2015/biz/news/jimmy-fallon-ride-universal-studios-1201628811/

Not originally it wasn't. Quite the opposite. Which was why, soon after its opening, then-CEO Eisner ordered it toned down and neutered.

Haunt Fridays are generally less busy than Saturdays. A lot of the target audience are attending various HS football games, or otherwise doing something else on Fridays. Most KI vets will go Fridays, esp. if they're not planning to buy Fright Lane, which is almost a must on Saturdays if you hope to hit more than just a few rides and mazes. I don't think the 5k will change that dynamic.

Well, their house is about to sit empty for the foreseeable future, and, given its size, could make for a good-sized haunt!

Head to the Mouse if you're looking for ambient music that matches your surroundings. I may be wrong, but I recall that the IR elevator still exists and is used.

It's clear the 09 Haunt depiction of then-recent dead celebs like Michael Jackson, McNair, etc. was clearly a publicity stunt..the park was fully prepared to change the displays once the garnered media attention was achieved..mission accomplished.

The article states Universal holds the rights to Marvel characters in Orlando "in perpetuity" thanks to its original deal. When Disney no longer sees fit to allow their use, be certain it will alter the deal. Nothing lasts forever.

Last I read, Universal has already dropped off all of the trains and track at a local recycling plant.

Well for a week now anyway, it's known as Disney Springs. Annual Passes are going up again for the second time this year, while daily parking now goes to $20 from $17. Those free garages at Disney Springs have to be offset somehow...

Compounding the problem is a stagnant low pressure system lingering off the lower and middle east coast. Joaquin is still a huge storm, so when its rain bands co-mingle with the low pressure system already there, it's going to cause major flooding. Joaquin in and of itself, given its track, isn't all to blame.

Copied below is an article from the Indy Star (via the Courier-Journal) about KK's second season. The article mentions that the uptick in attendance came mainly from the Nashville, Indy and Lexington markets. What is doesn't mention is the obvious reason people likely came from those markets (hint, it wasn't because of the food). http://www.indystar.com/story/entertainment/2015/10/01/big-changes-pay-off-kentucky-kingdom/73141696/

FWIW the Haunt site still shows it as featuring the train; then again, it also has Slaughterhouse placed in Action Zone (though it is in the correct place on the map).