Free Universal Studios season pass!

I don't know how I got on the mailing list, but yesterday I was mailed a flyer from Universal Studios Hollywood that included several coupons including one for free admission or a free season pass. Not that I'm the biggest Universal fan (can we say shopping center/tourist trap with a few attractions), but it was still a nice surprise. Can't wait to go in the fall once all the summer crowds subside. If you want one too, I suggest you sign up for anything that says Universal Studios on it!

And how was it???

Well, I did end up going to Disneyland Resort for their private media day on May 4th and I have to say that I had a pleasant experience. Not great, not bad, just pleasant. I guess it would've been better if I hadn't seen Eisner. That guy just oozes "jerk". Can't wait until he's gone. I can only hope that with its new regime, Disney finds a way to be less reactionary and more innovative and more importantly, imaginative.

All in all, my family and I had a good time. I must say that having 5-10 minute waits all day was probably the best perk that I will EVER experience. I did enjoy the new Buzz Lightyear ride -- much better than I expected it would be. It's still a bunch of flat sets (for the most part) with glowpaint and blacklight, but they did a really good job at creating an adventure for the whole family. I can't wait to take my niece when she's a little older.

Other than that, nothing blew me away. The parade was good (not great) and I didn't get to see the fireworks (as I was not part of the VIP list for the evening) so I can't really comment on that. It was, however, nice to see all the hard work over the past couple of years pay off. The new paint and refurbishments were a very welcome addition to what was not long ago a decaying park but it's hard for me to get excited about things that never should've been an issue in the first place. What did get me excited was the promise of what could be in store. For the first time in a looooooooooong time, park management seems to be listening to what the public wants and not what Disney wants the public to want. Bottom-line, as long as Disneyland becomes and stays a relevant entertainment destination (and not just a merchandise outlet), I will be happy to spend my money there.

I'm going to Disneyland!

I can't believe it! My sister is 1 of 20 winners in the ABC/Disneyland sweepstakes which means she gets 2 nights accommodations at the DLR and 4 3-day park hopper tickets with exclusive access to the May 4th preview day (which is closed to the public)! And I get to go! Woo hoo! I really have been looking forward to checking out the new additions, so this is going to be fun! I've heard a rumor that they *might* be previewing Space Mountain on the 4th... God, I hope it's true. That would be too cool. And I hope they fixed the problem with the logs on Splash Mountain and reopened it. I can't imagine going to the park without it open especially on such a big media day.

The plan is to go to California Adventure on Tuesday and Disneyland on Wednesday. Unfortunately, I have to be back at work on Thursday so it looks like I'll be missing the "big" day. Oh well. I'm sure it's going to be a nightmare with all the crowds. The only thing that I'm kinda bummed about is not being to see the new fireworks show. See, on the preview day at Disneyland, they close the park at 5 (presumably so they can clear the park of guests and reopen it for all the press and celebs) which means no fireworks for me since I won't be there on Thursday. However, they might be previewing it on Tuesday night... which means all I have to do is hop over to Disneyland after spending the day at DCA. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Here goes nothing!

Welcome to my humble blog. Admittedly, I'm a newbie to all this blog crap, but since http://themepark.blogspot.com wasn't taken (can you believe it?), I figured I'd kick myself later if I didn't snatch it up now. So, without further ado, I christen this blog as officially open. [insert fanfare here]

OK, now that that's out of the way, I guess I should say a few things up front. First, a bit about me for those of you who are interested in that kind of thing. I was born a poor white child.... Seriously, I've been an avid theme park enthusiast (Note: That does not mean "geek") for as long as I can remember starting with my home park Paramount's Great America (ah, I miss the days when Marriott owned it) and the long-since gone Frontier Village in San Jose, CA. I've worked at a few parks over the years (ranging from performing to management), but as the result of wanting to actually get paid a decent salary, I've gone the professional route for the past 6 years or so. Sure, it's not nearly as fun, but hey, I now have a house so it can't all be bad. Because I'm no longer actively in the biz, I've turned to the web to get most of my theme park news. Some of my online haunts are:

http://www.screamscape.com

http://www.jimhillmedia.com

http://www.miceage.com

http://www.themeparkinsider.com

http://www.thrillnetwork.com

Check 'em out if you already haven't. They're not half bad. Really. Sure, some of the people that post to these sites can be crusty and jaded or just so happy that they have no opinion either way, but at least the news is there if you want it.

Anyway, let's get back to business. If you're looking for a blog that is "politically correct" or strives to make everyone happy at all times, you might as well keep surfing. This ain't the place. That's not to say this blog will become a breeding ground for negativity, profanity, or abuse in general, but still, if I have something to say, I'll say it. I'm going to try to keep all my posts theme park related, but I'm sure there'll be the occassional off-topic rant/rave that I'll just have to chime in on. OK? I want this blog to be fun, informative, laid back, and even moronic at times. I think I'm entitled to that, right?

That's it for today. Drop me a note if you want to say "hi".

I'm outta here.