Had a busy few days with some events here in Central Florida; some Disney and some not. So here is my recap:
Universal Escape (yes, I still call it this):
The Florida Universal park announced that Despicable Me will replace Jimmy Newtron. In what has been a rare move for them, Despicable Me is actually a Universal franchise. I wonder if they went with Gru and his minions because they were tired of having to deal with third parties like the Harry Potter people or Disney’s Marvel. If only NBCUniversal had some quality franchises of its own, park management wouldn’t have to worry about complex licensing agreements. Speaking of Marvel, they also announced they will be reanimating the ride films of The Amazing Spider-Man ride. I feel sorry for Universal for spending all that money to update their attraction when it is just a matter of time before Disney figures out a way to regain the theme park rights to the best comic book characters out there.
Prom:
When it comes to Disney films, I like to stay positive. I take the “Thumper” attitude when it comes to Disney films of “if I can’t say nothing nice, don’t say nothing at all”. This concludes my thoughts on Prom.
Shrek: The Musical:
I went to see this show at the Mr. Incredible Performing Arts Center in Downtown Orlando. While the show had its moments of humor, the show was flat with unmemorable music and a dull plot that doesn’t do much to expand upon the film. The best moment was the end when the whole cast rocks out to “I’m a Believer” If more of the show had that energy, it might be a decent production. My favorite part of the experience was reading the Playbill where they talked about the Dreamworks Theatrical division. I wonder what they do all day? Considering the bio has not been updated since How to Train a Dragon was released, I am guessing they might not even exist anymore.
Star Tours Tweetup:
I was lucky enough to get in to the Star Tours Tweetup the night before the attraction officially opened. It was a great event. They bused us in from Blizzard Beach to backstage behind Star Tours where we were greeted by an assortment of Star Wars characters. There was an ice cream sundae bar with all the fixings as we milled about. We could experience the attraction as much as we wanted and were often accompanied by some Star Wars friends. (The Jawas kept trying to steal the 3D glasses). There was a Q&A with WDI and the same DJ that entertained us at the Last Tour to Endor. I was lucky enough to have a yellow wristband so I was invited to get a set of 4 travel posters signed by the artist at the Backlot Express, which was a nice little plus. As we exited, the other member of my party was given one of the four. All in all, it was a great little event and it definatley let us normal folk feel like we were part of the grand opening festivities.
Star Tours Grand Opening:
I debated attending the opening ceremony. Since these things are designed for the press, it is generally hard to get a good view and can be quite disappointing after investing hours of standing around. While it was quite tempting to stay home and watch the webcast, I decided I would risk the disappointment and head to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. I got there at 5am to find a huge line. Luckily this was the merchandise/autograph line, and there were few people in line to actually get in to the park. Around 6 the storm troopers came out and did their normal Star Wars Weekends shtick. The park had a surprise open slightly after that and I went straight to the hat. The guest control cast members were fantastic. After a little while they told us where to go if we wanted to see the processional and another place to go to get a view of the ceremony. I followed their instructions to see the ceremony, and their advice was spot on. I had a great view for Bob, George, Anthony Daniels, and the fireworks. I am glad I went with seeing this in person as the excitement and spectacle of the ceremony was infectious. Thanks to Disney for allowing Joe Public to see this special moment. Check out the video of the ceremony here.
Muppets Trailer:
The new Muppets trailer came out with Pirates 4. Part of the gag requires you to not realize it is a Muppets trailer, but obviously I am spoiling it for you :) Disney even created a “Green with Envy” YouTube channel and Facebook page. The trailer exceeded my expectations as I have not been sure what to think of this upcoming film until now. I hope this movie is awesome and restores the Muppets to the status they deserve. You can check out the video on Laughingplace.com here.