Disney World has recently gone on a bit of a frenzy in closing attractions. They have closed or moved a lot of things in the past couple of years. But the Studio Backlot Tour marks the second thing that Disney's Hollywood Studios has lost this year. The first was the American Idol Experience. However the Backlot Tour has a long history and a lot of fond memories.
The Backlot Tour was not as exciting as use to be and a lot of people would skip it because they found it boring or long and just not interesting. And while it use to be a much better attraction than it was in recent times it was still fun. I had the pleasure of saying goodbye to this ride on its final day and I have to admit I was filled with sadness. I found myself taking photos of everything I could and trying to take it all in so that years from now I can remember the ride.
I remember being young and riding this ride and it was before they did the water in the bay bit before the actual ride, it was the bumblebee, where the people that were chosen got to ride a bumblebee. And I remember seeing things at the studios when they were in use, and the houses before they were torn down. And so much and I remember being amazed at all that you got to see on that tour, it was one of my favorite things to do at MGM Studios (yes it was MGM back then). As I found myself riding the ride for the last time I was remembering all these things, even when the water tower was the icon for the park, not the hat. And so much of the things that were able to be seen on the ride won't be seen anymore. It's sad to think about.
I know a lot of people don't remember the Backlot Tour in all it's glory, but even without that it was still a good ride, and it use to be a great ride. And for anyone that remembers it from years and years ago they are even more sad to see it go. All I can say is that I hope Disney has great plans for whatever takes it's place. And I also hope that they keep to true to what made MGM/Hollywood a great park, and that's a love for all movies and the process behind them.
Life is a trip, and it's what we make of it. This is a travel guide that has tips, tricks and information for places that I have visited.
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Thursday, September 18, 2014
Rantings From a Theme Park Pro, Please Please Please Don't Do These in a Theme Park
Well hello online world! It's been a while but I have to admit I've had a blast while I've been away from you guys. So far I have been traveling and seeing all kinds of things and meeting all kinds of new people! However I have found out a few things, I am in a fact a theme park junkie. I have friends that are as well, we would live at the parks if we could. I consider myself a theme park pro actually. I have been to more theme parks than I can count and spend more hours there than most anywhere else. I love it! I did have the unfortunate realization that I love theme parks but I hate dealing with the people there. Mainly because most of them are rude. Which prompted me to want to write this little note for all of you to read. If you find yourself going to a theme park please keep these things in mind.
First off, if you don't need a wheelchair don't rent a wheelchair or a scooter. The only purpose it serves is to take a space and be rude and make it harder for everyone else around it, and for rides that allow people to skip the line if they have a wheelchair its terrible for those that need it. I actually listened to two women talk about how great it was to get these scooters and skip the bus line, bus pulls up they get on, little girl from the make a wish foundation has to wait, why, because these women are lazy. And here's another thing, reasons you need one are not that your feet get tired, because everyone's feet get tired at the parks, nor do you need one if you are so out of shape that you get winded from walking, this can be solved by preparing for your trip by getting up and getting shape before you trip. I am all for people that need them using them, and I will be first person to let them go ahead of me or hold a door open or anything I can do to help, but I hate seeing people take advantage of other's niceness or theme park benefits.
Another thing I hate, strollers, now if you have a small child that needs a stroller please bring it, more power to you. However make sure that you know how to push it, don't run over the people in front of you, and don't look to the side or behind you while pushing it. Theme parks are crowded and people are everywhere, so pay attention. And please please please only use a stroller if your child is of an appropriate age to need one. You would be surprised how many children I see that are way too old for a stroller, we are talking 8,9,10 and sometimes older being pushed in a strollers. This just clogs up walkways and makes its harder for everyone to get around.
Everyone does dumb things from time to time, but I think a lot of people just don't try at the parks. I have gone out of my way to let kids stand in front of me at shows and parades and even made room for entire families to be up front. My reward many of these times, are loud kids or parents that keep stepping on me or pushing me out of the way. This is not okay no matter what the situation but if someone is trying to be nice remember that they didn't have to be and you should respect them and be nice given that they were doing it just because. Also regardless of the situation if you are standing and someone is sitting you need to be mindful so as not to step on them, or their things. The first time can be forgiven, the second, third and forth not so much. You would not want someone doing that to you so don't do it to them.
Now everyone knows that when people come to theme parks they want to relax, and that's great, but other people came for the same reason as well. This means that you need to be mindful that other people are around. Don't take up the entire walkway so nobody else can get around you, and don't stop in the middle of the walkway. This is a great way to get run into and then its a disaster for everyone involved. It can involve injuries, messes, and crying children. The only reason its okay for you to stop in a walkway, or block a walkway is if you are having an emergency, this means if someone isn't bleeding its not an emergency. And finally pay attention to whats going around you. If you have a child then you should know where they are and make sure that are not swinging things to the point that they hit someone. All those swords and other things yeah they hurt.
The swords issue makes me think of those light up toys that you can get for the night time shows. Rides, non light shows and buses are not appropriate places to use these things. For one on the rides and in certain shows they can ruin it for other people, and this could their only chance to see that ride or show, and your child is going to ruin it if you don't monitor and they play with those toys. And buses are not a good place either. Its an enclosed space that can be migraine and seizure inducing for someone on the bus. I have actually seen this happen before. Once again you would not want that to happen to you so don't do it to others.
Which leads me to this, shows, rides, parades anything you see at a park is something people pay to see. This means that you should enjoy it but be mindful of others. Dont' yell, don't kick seats, don't try to be annoying, and don't cuss. And hats, oh yeah those wonderful tall hats that you can buy or Mickey ears or whatever, need to come off during these things. Do you want someone wearing these sitting in front of you? I doubt it, so take them off, its rude.
And then of course if you come to Florida its going to rain. If you are one of those people that thinks ponchos work (they really don't) that's great and feel free to wear them. But take them off when boarding buses and rides and shows. The reason is that that poncho takes up more space that just you do, its big and it fans out and branches over to the people around you. And not only that, when you sit down that water on your poncho goes all over the people next to you. If you are going to use them that's find but take them off when you have to sit next to other people, so as not to take up more than your share of space or get them wet.
The last thing I'm going to mention most people never think about, bags. A lot of people hold the idea the bigger the better because it holds more. I have found this is not the case but if you like it that way great. But if you have a bag you need to watch where it is and how you are moving while wearing it. For instance if you are a bus, and you have a backpack and its on your back you need remember that. That means you can't go swinging around and talking to this person and then turning and talking to this person. If you do that you just took two people with your backpack. So be mindful of the fact you wearing a bag.
Those are the biggest gripes I think I have. I have others I don't like, people hitting and running over kids without saying they are sorry. People that put kids on their shoulders, (it blocks the view of every child and adult behind them), just hold them at your height. Line cutters, I have come to the point where I tell them where the line is. People will be more likely to help you if you don't do these things. For instance I always have extra passes to skip lines, and I pick random families to join me. I would never choose anyone doing any of the things listed above. I would pick people that seemed more considerate to those around them. Everyone can do as they please, but if you think about it then you would not want people doing these things to you, so don't do them to other people. And by being considerate and nice you would be surprised how many friends you can make and how much of a better time you can have. Take it from a theme park pro, being considerate can go a very long way in making your vacation a great one.
First off, if you don't need a wheelchair don't rent a wheelchair or a scooter. The only purpose it serves is to take a space and be rude and make it harder for everyone else around it, and for rides that allow people to skip the line if they have a wheelchair its terrible for those that need it. I actually listened to two women talk about how great it was to get these scooters and skip the bus line, bus pulls up they get on, little girl from the make a wish foundation has to wait, why, because these women are lazy. And here's another thing, reasons you need one are not that your feet get tired, because everyone's feet get tired at the parks, nor do you need one if you are so out of shape that you get winded from walking, this can be solved by preparing for your trip by getting up and getting shape before you trip. I am all for people that need them using them, and I will be first person to let them go ahead of me or hold a door open or anything I can do to help, but I hate seeing people take advantage of other's niceness or theme park benefits.
Another thing I hate, strollers, now if you have a small child that needs a stroller please bring it, more power to you. However make sure that you know how to push it, don't run over the people in front of you, and don't look to the side or behind you while pushing it. Theme parks are crowded and people are everywhere, so pay attention. And please please please only use a stroller if your child is of an appropriate age to need one. You would be surprised how many children I see that are way too old for a stroller, we are talking 8,9,10 and sometimes older being pushed in a strollers. This just clogs up walkways and makes its harder for everyone to get around.
Everyone does dumb things from time to time, but I think a lot of people just don't try at the parks. I have gone out of my way to let kids stand in front of me at shows and parades and even made room for entire families to be up front. My reward many of these times, are loud kids or parents that keep stepping on me or pushing me out of the way. This is not okay no matter what the situation but if someone is trying to be nice remember that they didn't have to be and you should respect them and be nice given that they were doing it just because. Also regardless of the situation if you are standing and someone is sitting you need to be mindful so as not to step on them, or their things. The first time can be forgiven, the second, third and forth not so much. You would not want someone doing that to you so don't do it to them.
Now everyone knows that when people come to theme parks they want to relax, and that's great, but other people came for the same reason as well. This means that you need to be mindful that other people are around. Don't take up the entire walkway so nobody else can get around you, and don't stop in the middle of the walkway. This is a great way to get run into and then its a disaster for everyone involved. It can involve injuries, messes, and crying children. The only reason its okay for you to stop in a walkway, or block a walkway is if you are having an emergency, this means if someone isn't bleeding its not an emergency. And finally pay attention to whats going around you. If you have a child then you should know where they are and make sure that are not swinging things to the point that they hit someone. All those swords and other things yeah they hurt.
The swords issue makes me think of those light up toys that you can get for the night time shows. Rides, non light shows and buses are not appropriate places to use these things. For one on the rides and in certain shows they can ruin it for other people, and this could their only chance to see that ride or show, and your child is going to ruin it if you don't monitor and they play with those toys. And buses are not a good place either. Its an enclosed space that can be migraine and seizure inducing for someone on the bus. I have actually seen this happen before. Once again you would not want that to happen to you so don't do it to others.
Which leads me to this, shows, rides, parades anything you see at a park is something people pay to see. This means that you should enjoy it but be mindful of others. Dont' yell, don't kick seats, don't try to be annoying, and don't cuss. And hats, oh yeah those wonderful tall hats that you can buy or Mickey ears or whatever, need to come off during these things. Do you want someone wearing these sitting in front of you? I doubt it, so take them off, its rude.
And then of course if you come to Florida its going to rain. If you are one of those people that thinks ponchos work (they really don't) that's great and feel free to wear them. But take them off when boarding buses and rides and shows. The reason is that that poncho takes up more space that just you do, its big and it fans out and branches over to the people around you. And not only that, when you sit down that water on your poncho goes all over the people next to you. If you are going to use them that's find but take them off when you have to sit next to other people, so as not to take up more than your share of space or get them wet.
The last thing I'm going to mention most people never think about, bags. A lot of people hold the idea the bigger the better because it holds more. I have found this is not the case but if you like it that way great. But if you have a bag you need to watch where it is and how you are moving while wearing it. For instance if you are a bus, and you have a backpack and its on your back you need remember that. That means you can't go swinging around and talking to this person and then turning and talking to this person. If you do that you just took two people with your backpack. So be mindful of the fact you wearing a bag.
Those are the biggest gripes I think I have. I have others I don't like, people hitting and running over kids without saying they are sorry. People that put kids on their shoulders, (it blocks the view of every child and adult behind them), just hold them at your height. Line cutters, I have come to the point where I tell them where the line is. People will be more likely to help you if you don't do these things. For instance I always have extra passes to skip lines, and I pick random families to join me. I would never choose anyone doing any of the things listed above. I would pick people that seemed more considerate to those around them. Everyone can do as they please, but if you think about it then you would not want people doing these things to you, so don't do them to other people. And by being considerate and nice you would be surprised how many friends you can make and how much of a better time you can have. Take it from a theme park pro, being considerate can go a very long way in making your vacation a great one.
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