Third Time's The Charm At The DISNEY COLLEGE PROGRAM Fall '19! (COMPLETE - 8/14)

[PlutosRHM55]

Oh my gosh I LOVE your outfit/makeup! So festive and perfect! I am such a wimp there is no way I could EVER go to an event like that, but it was fun reading about your adventure

Thank you so much! And it honestly is not as bad as you think it is. Again, I got many friends who thought they couldn't do it through every house. I'm glad you're enjoying it though!

 

[PlutosRHM55]

DO YOU CARRY A LUNCH BOX?
9/16 – 9/17/19: Post-Staycation Funk

September 16th, 2019

Today did not start out on a great note. I slept fairly well, which meant that alarm was gonna be a pretty rude awakening. Fortunately for that alarm, it wasn't the alarm that went off, it was a knock on the door AT 8AM. Check out was not until 11am. In their defense, I didn't have the Do Not Disturb sign on my door, but lord, three hours before you have to actually clean the room? Goodness. And they kept on banging on my door every like 15 minutes. Eventually I did answer to let them know I was gonna be awhile and then I put that Do Not Disturb sign out. Truly the only big negative of my stay.

I did get a little bit more sleep before my alarm did go off and I got ready then packed myself up before heading out. I was not in the mood to stay in that room for too much longer if these mousekeepers were gonna be knocking my door down.

Unfortunately, this meant an early goodbye to what was a pretty good staycation at POR. Maybe I'll have a full stay here one day.

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Imagine waking up to that multiple times. *happy sigh*

I caught a rather packed bus to Studios. I was already planning on being there a bit early so I dropped my stuff of in my locker at cast services then went into the park to hang around a bit before going into work.

First, I definitely needed a pick-me-up since there was no way I was gonna get through a shift on sheer willpower.



With my PSL in hand, I went on Sunset where I decided to relax at Sunset Ranch. It was there I caught an On With The Show group in the midst of their orientation, probably talking about Fantasmic (and why Disneyland's is superior hehehe).

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I was only there long enough to uncap my PSL, ensuring I got all that whipped cream goodness and then I headed out of Sunset, enjoying that divine music loop on the way out.

From there, I stopped by Walt Disney Presents for a minute or two. I also caught whatever preview they were showing at the time. Or it could've been the usual One Man's Dream movie. I don't know, I didn't take enough notes.



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I came out into Animation Courtyard where I came face-to-face with this intimidating crowd.

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And with that, it was time to go to work!

Today was not really a great day on-planet. First, someone mistook my lunch box for theirs so I had no lunch. Then, it was just a really rough shift. Not the best way to follow up a great day at Halloween Horror Nights. It was what it was. Not every day at work is gonna be a winner, but this was a distinctly difficult time working not gonna lie.

Luckily, Taylor, my good friend at work, suggested going to Wendy's after work so that is what we did and gosh, those spicy nugs were just the right medicine for not a great night. That and a late night vent session. We love it.



September 17th, 2019

Today was another not-so-great work day. I don't have as many details on this one. It did however start out on a good note since the person who took my lunch box had since returned it. Not to me personally, but I found my baby all nice and cool and clean and unscathed in the backstage fridge.



Thank goodness for that, but other than that. It was not a good time. Again, no details, but I was pretty happy to leave and for what I had planned in the next two days. Stick around to hear all about that!



Continue Here​

 

[Jenny Sanders]

Fingers crossed for you. POR is lovely. Hopefully everything has leveled out by then.

PRAYING!!!!
Do you think you will work in Disney at some capacity when all this nonsense is over???

 

[missjackiemcg]

I loved following along for your HHN fun! Definitely interesting to hear about, as I wouldn't have imagined how they can make every house uniquely stand out from the others. To me, a haunted house is a haunted house, LOL, but wow, the themeing and details sound pretty incredible throughout.

Sorry it was so rough coming off the high of your staycation and HHN fun! I hope things leveled out for you quickly!

I'm with @Jenny Sanders ! Any news on your (hopefully soon) return to WDW??

 

[cindianne320]

I don't think I'd survive HHN! Thanks for your detailed reports on them, though!
Sorry you had some bad days at work.
Also waiting to hear if you will return to WDW soon!

 

[PlutosRHM55]

PRAYING!!!!
Do you think you will work in Disney at some capacity when all this nonsense is over???

I'm with @Jenny Sanders ! Any news on your (hopefully soon) return to WDW??

Also waiting to hear if you will return to WDW soon!

No news. Even for my PT/FT friends, they are still waiting on what the situation is for them with Springs reopening. Frankly, I'm in no rush. I'd rather go back to work, knowing for sure I'm safe to go back to work and despite these decisions to reopen things, the expert opinion seems to point to that that is not the case. I might have to start looking elsewhere for remote positions.

I loved following along for your HHN fun! Definitely interesting to hear about, as I wouldn't have imagined how they can make every house uniquely stand out from the others. To me, a haunted house is a haunted house, LOL, but wow, the themeing and details sound pretty incredible throughout.

It's so amazing what Universal does. I have been to another haunt and grew up watching the travel channel docs on haunts. Universal very much stands out nowadays, especially with what they do with IPs. Like other haunts can do Michael Myers, but they don't do it nearly as accurately as Universal. Honestly, I think Universal is making themselves more accessible so I think you'd be surprised how much you'd enjoy these houses.

Sorry it was so rough coming off the high of your staycation and HHN fun! I hope things leveled out for you quickly!

The universe just needed to balance itself out. Don't worry, HHN comes back to put things back in place.

I don't think I'd survive HHN! Thanks for your detailed reports on them, though!
Sorry you had some bad days at work.

HHN really isn't as bad as some say it is. I'm sure you'd surprise yourself.

Yeah, bad days happen and I might not report well on the good ones, since they tend not to stand out, but I will try my best.

 

[PlutosRHM55]

The Universal Monsters Have Great Taste
9/18/19: HHN Night #3

Obviously, I wasn't able to stay away for too long! After such a great second night and with that Frequent Fear Pass still in hand, I had to go back. This time I was meeting up with old DIS TR writer extraordinaire, Courtney and her father. They were having a nice little staycation at one of the Universal resorts so were spending a few days. Tonight I was lucky to be catching up with them to enjoy an evening altogether.

My friend, Adam also asked to join on this night so we split an uber, even though he had a car but neither of us had an Annual Pass so it was gonna cost way too much to park. Eventually, we arrived.



Adam and I chilled at the entrance waiting while I texted Courtney to see where she was. Her dad and her had gotten their mega early and were right at the gates. They were headed to Depths of Fear so we were planning on meeting up with them there. They said they would wait for us to get there. Bless up.



So sorry for having exposed you to that.

But hey, the event's starting!

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We knew where we were going and that was all the way to the back to Depths so as a result, we had to go through three separate scare zones.

First, the love of my life, Vanity Ball!

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And yes, someone told me I was pretty so my love for this zone was increasing exponentially by the night.

Next, was Vikings Undead where we actually got scare actors in the day time since it wasn't raining.

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Lastly, was the chainsaw gang in Springfields who were definitely keeping Adam and I on edge. Mostly Adam though.

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We did survive and make it out the other side where Courtney and her dad were waiting to go into Depths of Fear. We had introductions then wasted no time going into the first house for I believe, Courtney's dad, but definitely Adam as well. Poor Adam was glued to me during these houses, he was trying his best to look brave for some reason but gosh it was entertaining.

There was basically no wait for this house so we were in and out. I can recall it being a good run-through but not as good as the first time I went through it on my previous night. Still very good though.

From there, we decided to go to House of 1000 Corpses. I don't think Courtney had done that one yet or she had done it but with her eyes closed lol I can't remember but it also had very little line so we walked right on in to this one too.



Quite possibly the best outdoor facade of the event. Screen accurate perfection.

This house definitely hit differently than normal. It is probably one of the darker houses if not the darkest house. I think the only one that comes close to how dark it is would be Nightingales. Doing this house coming in from full sun outside to almost immediate darkness, it made it so much scarier than I remembered it being. It definitely continued to surprise me with how good this house was.

Once I got out of those houses, I did a quick recap of what was done so far.

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As I explained, Nightingales was the next one we hit up. It also didn't have too too much of a wait. It looked pretty long and the queue got extended as we moved through, but it was still a really short wait. We were really banging out all these houses tonight.

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It was still pretty light out even after Nightingales, but my eyes adjusted way better in there than House of 1000 Corpses. I don't recall this being a particularly standout run-through. We checked on the waits for houses and saw that Stranger Things was still under an hour, which was pretty impressive for how early it was. We decided to end our run at the back of the park here to go to Stranger Things. Along the way, we stopped in Hellbilly Deluxe for Courtney to find her co-worker who was a scare actor in that zone. We ended up having to wait for a cast change to catch him. While we waited, I had Adam get some photos of me in the Zombie throne.









After that, the cast change happened and Courtney caught her friend. Also, it was cool seeing a cast change in this zone. I was really loving this one. My fear of it had subsided and I got to appreciate how fun it was. It was a good time over here and I was started to see why this was the big favorite this year.

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We couldn't waste more time and booked it on over to Stranger Things as the sun was beginning to set. It still made it pretty hot waiting over here. This was the most exposed queue and with the waits it would get, we were there awhile even if the wait wasn't as crazy as usual. Adam and I ended up getting some waters at the little stand they have in that queue. Thank heavens for that.

As far as my third run through this house... it really hadn't gotten better. I still walked out complaining about things missing or things changing. My first run-through still remained the best. This house really should've been two separate houses. Courtney and her dad had been able to do the previous year's house and they both said it was much better. It made me sadder that I missed it, but it wasn't like this year's was awful it just... it could've been better. Courtney however got got by the Demigorgon at the end, that was great to watch.

It was after this house that we decided to take a break. Courtney suggested Monsters Cafe for some grub, which I agreed was a fabulous idea. Her friends were there so we could meet up with them and expand the squad. We love expanding squads. Monsters Cafe also had some rather large options for food so we were gonna be there awhile.

It also took awhile to order. One of the team members was just getting off of training so they were really struggling.

I ended up getting the Perilous Pair Platter with Brisket and Steak, I think. I can't remember what I had for the second meet or I just doubled up on one. Then, I got the brussel sprouts and mac n cheese as my two sides.



I believe Adam got something very similar while Courtney and her dad split a pizza, which I think was The Wolfman Combo.

Everything was actually really good. I ate mine rather quickly. Aside from my usual pizza fries, this was my favorite Universal meal to date. It was so hearty and felt like a whole meal. I probably could've gone for seconds it was that good. I too often forget how good this place was.

It also gave us time to relax and meet all of Courtney's friends who were super fun. We all hit it off since a good bunch of us were cast members or former cast members. Once everyone had finished, we all ended up heading out together. Everyone wanted to go to Graveyard Games so we snuck on over that way. I believe we skipped Vanity this time around and just went through Vikings to get over there, but I didn't take any videos of it this time. I do believe recalling Courtney getting really scared by the scare actor on stilts. That was pretty funny to watch.

We immediately got into line for Graveyard Games. It was dark now and the waits were up so we had a bit of waiting, but the waits really weren't too bad tonight so I definitely had longer waits for this one. We had an awesome run through Graveyard Games. As far as I knew, it had definitely gotten scarier than I remember. We also had a bigger group and a lot of them would really freak out. The biggest thing with how good this run-through was was that we did actually have to walk through the children's room and we got this unexpected floor scare that resulted in half our group near falling over. Oh, it was crazy. This house just got better and better, which was insane because it already was amazing.

After this house, the rest of Courtney's friends that joined us split off to go to Ghostbusters I believe. We wanted to do Universal Monsters so Courtney, her dad, Adam and I all did that. This was Courtney & I's favorite so we had to get it in at least once.

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Perfect as always. No complaints. I did see the funniest scare ever watching Courtney's dad getting backed into a wall by the Bride of Frankenstein as well as getting it good from Frankenstein's monster. Oh good run-through. Granted I never really had a particularly bad run through this house. They were all fun and good for a multitude of reasons.

After this, Courtney and her dad were planning on staying while Adam were definitely starting to feel like it was time to head out so we split off here. I believe I might've gotten the Twilight Gateway specialty drink after this and a cup. I can't be for certain though. I also think I might've gotten the Saturn specialty drink on my first night. Again, my memory is foggy and I took terrible notes. Either way, Twilight Gateway was meh and the Saturn was fabulous. I know many don't like the specialty drinks since they are sugary and watered down. I like sugary so I dig it and I'm not a beer person minus ciders so it works for me. I will say, the watered down part sucks. I know Universal can make some strong drinks, especially after my experience with Mardi Gras so that is my main beef, but these drinks were always just fun to have.

I think Adam might've also gotten a twisted tater which he was disappointed with. This is when I found out that twisted taters are pretty common fair food and he was very familiar and said this was disappointing. I believe he was also with me the night that I had my own and I concurred. Again, we got to give it to pizza fries, of which I did not get tonight because of my meal at Monsters Cafe.

On our way out, we passed through Vanity Ball and hung in there for a bit while I might've drank. Again, I'm not sure. I really did not document this night too too well. Oopsies.

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We were there for a bit. Adam loved it just as I did. As I said, this zone definitely spoke more to the LGBTQ+ individuals than the regular crowd so it was almost as if we walked into a gay club except this was a scare zone and a lot of the costuming was pretty gruesome. We had fun though.

After this, I believe we saw that Killer Klowns had a short wait. Or it might've been Ghostbusters. I can't really remember. Maybe Us was a house we did with Courtney and her dad then Vanity then out of the park? Again, I did a terrible job of documenting this night in particular. It was a really fun night so I swear Killer Klowns was where we ended. Catching it middle of the night with a short wait, that sounded about right. Also, I just had to bring someone like Adam who had freaked out in all the other houses and Killer Klowns was by far the fun house (no pun intended) of the event (well, and Ghostbusters).

After Killer Klowns, we headed out and I left with some parting thoughts.

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I also made a quick stop to get the HHN29 shot glass. I needed some more as is and this was perfect.



Adam and I then walked out and split the Uber back. As I said I would be back tomorrow so I immediately went to sleep so I'd be well recharged for night number four. Sweet nightmares until next update!

Continue Here​

 

[Jenny Sanders]

Timmy, I meant to tell you. Your make up looks AWESOME!!!!

 

[PlutosRHM55]

Timmy, I meant to tell you. Your make up looks AWESOME!!!!

Thank you so much Jenny!!

 

[Jenny Sanders]

Thank you so much Jenny!!

Of course!!!! xoxo

 

[PlutosRHM55]

We’re Upgrading The Fear And The Mayhem
9/19/19: HHN Night #4

Night #4??? You'd think I'd be tired by now. No, absolutely not. I slept the prior night off and I was ready for another evening of horror.

And with another evening, we get another lewk. I also got to show off a shirt I had bought I think on the previous night? I don't remember, but this was the second shirt I had gotten during my evenings at HHN.



It was another uber drive this evening, except I was once again by myself. I hadn't found anyone prior who had wanted to join me. We had a group for SWGE people who wanted to go, but I hadn't heard anything. However, when I arrived at Universal, I did find out Becky and Cassidy were gonna be there so I said I'd meet up with them. They said they wouldn't be there until a bit later and I still had time until I really needed to be at the Universal gates so I decided to make a stop in the Universal store in CityWalk.



I was looking at quite a few things then I noticed that they had one Stranger Things classic Dustin hat in stock. I'm not a big hat person but this one was pretty cute and I really wanted something Stranger Things related so I ended up purchasing it. I found out while the team member cashed me out that they were going fast and potentially selling out so thank goodness I got this when I did.



After that purchase, I headed over to the gates...

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Before I really walked in, I went over to Guest Services. I decided after much deliberation that I wanted to upgrade my Frequent Fear Pass to a Frequent Fear Plus Pass. The Frequent Fear was good, but it eliminated access to the last few days of the event. I was going enough now that I definitely was gonna do my best to get in those last few nights. It was about a $20 upgrade so it worked well for me.

After that, I found a pretty decent spot. It was then while I waited on my lonesome next to a rather obnoxious group of high schoolers (for the record, the only time I'd complain about that crowd) that I heard my name a few times. I looked around and saw Jordan, a friend from my first program. I waved back. Then, I realized I wasn't vibing with being on my lonesome so I decided to sneak on over to join her until my friends showed up. She was with a friend who was visiting, but she was nice enough to let me join for a bit.

Eventually, they pushed us forward a bit and we were really close to the gates so I was actually able to see the opening scaremonies.

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Eventually, it was time for HHN to begin AGAIN!

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We went straight towards Ghostbusters since we both were really feeling that one. I had skipped it on my previous nights so I needed another run through. The wait was already pretty long by the time we got over there, which made it even better having joined up with them. They did seem to keep the conversation between the two of them, but it was better to have company than be quiet and to myself like I normally would've.

Ghostbusters itself was a lot of fun. A lot more fun than I remember. The time was still not great since I just barely missed certain triggers and scares. That house is really fun and really well done. I understand why many say it's their favorite.

When we got out, we all took a bathroom break then met up with the rest of Jordan's friends. I still hadn't heard if Cassidy and Becky were here yet so I stuck with them as we went over to Graveyard Games. When we got to Graveyard Games was when I got a text that they were there, I also heard from Courtney that she was around with her dad again. I however decided to stick with the group I was with, even though they were clearly dismayed by it all. It was not a good feeling. They were being very stand-offish and honestly kinda rude, trying to get me to leave the line which we had already gotten in. I was not enjoying it at all.

Graveyard Games was great as ever and I ran into Courtney on my way out then decided to split off from that group to wait for Cassidy and Becky. Cassidy said they were still waiting to get into Graveyard Games so I waited for them in Kidz Zone. Eventually they caught up. Becky however had to bounce not too long after this so it was just Cassidy and I. I told her how happy I was now to be with her. She agreed their behavior was definitely rude, but it was whatever. I clearly had better friends.

Now, this is where things get a bit fuzzy for me. Cassidy and I did a lot on this but I clearly did not document this well as I've mentioned before. There is a massive gap of time after Graveyard Games where I cannot put my finger on what we did next and in what order so bear with me.

I asked Cassidy what she had done and she said there was a lot she was still nervous about doing. Graveyard Games was a lot for her, but she was ready to get through as many as she could. The ones she was most nervous about were Universal Monsters and Us since she had heard or knew about mirrors being present in either house which freaked her out. Obviously, we weren't gonna start there. She said House of 1000 Corpses was one she hadn't done so we went there first.

It was then we come to night two of "assuming the position". Cassidy was the perfect heigh for it so it made sense. However, it was definitely different. There wasn't a long wait for House of 1000 Corpses so we went in pretty quickly and it was obvious Cassidy was a much more nervous little pouched kangaroo than Dina, for lack of better analogies. Every time someone jumped out or a noise or whatever, she tugged on my hands and pulled them upwards which made for a kind of awkward position if you catch my drift. I told her after about it and she didn't even realize. She apologized but I said it's whatever as long as she wasn't uncomfortable. We were friends, bosom buddies as some would say, if all is good and one feels better with the security of a prompose, we can do the thing.

Cassidy definitely was thrown by House of 1000 Corpses. She was really pushing herself through all the difficult houses at this point. We decided to take a break and headed over to Diagon Alley where we saw Gringotts didn't have a bad wait so we went and did that.

I'm still not the biggest fan of Gringotts. It definitely pails in comparison to, well at this point in time, Forbidden Journey and now having done Mummy too... there are better coaster hybrids. It's still fun and Cassidy and I had a good time. After Gringotts, we decided we'd go over and try Universal Monsters.

The nighttime waits were settling in so we had a bit of a wait for Universal Monsters. While waiting for Monsters, we saw Jordan and her group again. I tried to say hi but they ignored me. Real cute.

Monsters ended up not being as bad for Cassidy and she agreed it was really good. She definitely was weirded out by the Phantom room with all the mirrors and mirrored boo-holes, which was always one of my faves. Those phantoms would get me good every time.

After that, we decided it was time for some refreshment. I had seen the special cider they had for HHN and I wanted to try that. Mostly because I loved the look of the can. Emily had told me it doesn't taste nearly as good with a smaller amount than what you could get at that little booth we had on my first full evening at the event.

At this point, it was alcohol and it fit my aesthetic perfectly as it did for Cassidy's.



And where were we gonna go to enjoy this?



Ok... a little to the left...

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Obviously, we had to make sure to stop in Vanity Ball tonight!

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We didn't stay too long since as we got to the other side, Cassidy realized she hadn't gotten photos in Anarch-cade like everyone else so we went there for photos. Cassidy went first then I went and if you couldn't tell, I was a bit hyper aware in this zone of the possibility of someone coming at me with a knife.







After the photoshoot, we decided to get into line for Killer Klowns. Cassidy and I both were still drinking our cider. For the record, they really weren't that great. They were a bit bland for a cider. We were glad we got it just to say we tried it. Cassidy did however say she enjoyed it. I enjoyed it, but I would much rather have the big cup of Angry Orchard instead.

Killer Klowns was super fun. Cassidy didn't even need the position, which seemed to be a recurring theme for this house. It just wasn't scary which was fine because I loved it so much. I don't know if I had seen the movie at this point but after seeing the movie I loved this house even more. Also, nothing beats hitting those buttons or wagging your finger at the sassy girl clowns. Lowkey this house was such a wild acid trip, but I'm down for the high.

When we got out, I remembered that I still hadn't seen Marathon of Mayhem and neither had Cassidy. I had heard amazing things about it so I really wanted to see it. We checked the times and saw it wasn't gonna be awhile so we kinda wandered that way wondering if we should go wait or not. Then, we noticed Transformers. I realized I hadn't done it before and it had little wait, which would give us the perfect amount of time to find a spot to watch Marathon. Knock out two new things on this night!

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I was hyped up but ended up being disappointed. First off, I'm very skinny and was sat with people who were about three Timmy waist sizes bigger so I had all this space between me and the lap bar. This made for a ride where I was tossed every which way which was not fun, especially after just finishing my cider not long ago. Then, to top it off, Transformers is the off-brand version of Spider-Man. First off, it's mostly 3D with little physical sets that make Spider-Man so cool since it mixes both really well, but this is 3D and it's just too disorienting. I was not a fan. Haven't been on it since, no interest whatsoever.

I was however ready now to go see Marathon of Mayhem. The viewing area was already pretty filled up by the time we got there, but it was set up so nicely along the lagoon that there weren't really bad spots to watch from. We did try to optimize and eventually found a pretty good spot to watch.

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The pre-show music for Marathon might trump that of Studios' Fantasmic. It had Hungry Like The Wolf... yeah, that's enough said. It was just so 80s and so fun. Cassidy and I were dancing like fools and singing along. It made the time go by until finally, it was time for the show to begin!



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WOW.

Yeah, this one blew away all expectations I had. It was so good. They did such a good job making a show that tied the event together with that 80s theme they were going with and 80s it up even more. The music was great, the scenes chosen, transitions and the overall theme. Wow. I can go on and on. The use of the buildings behind the lagoons was incredible. I had seen them on a previous night but seeing it from the proper viewing area was perfection. Speaking of the viewing area, again perfect. As someone who struggled so much with the viewing area specifically made for World of Color, which definitely factored into my mixed feelings towards that show, this was nice. And yeah, I will say it, Marathon of Mayhem blows World of Color out of the water. All day, every day, any day.

Cassidy agreed it was fantastic. It really pumped us up with all that great music (it sounded so epic and grand, but still 80s synth like WHAT) and iconic imagery. We were ready to get back to our night. What to do next?

Continue Here​

 

[PlutosRHM55]

Only Yeti For My Friends, Tribute Store Only For Me
9/19/19: HHN Night #4

After Mayhem, most of the houses that Cassidy hadn't done were over in the NYC area of things. I believe at this point it was just Yeti and Us. Before we did that, we decided to go ride Mummy because OBVIOUSLY.

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Gosh, I love that queue and that ride! Fabulous and fun as always. Also, I was getting better at finding the camera during the drop. Love that for me.

After we got off, we noticed they had all those arcade games set up in the Mummy dump shop so we decided to get some photos with them. Cassidy and I took turns yet again with them.

Of course, I took this whole photoshoot in a direction no one else should ever take a photoshoot.













I have no explanations or excuses. I'm... so so sorry.

We were both still feeling in a photo mood and I wanted to just go check it out like I do every night, so we continued to the Tribute Store.





We browsed for a bit, admiring everything we wanted to buy but knowing we couldn't possibly buy everything. Eventually, we came upon the Ghostbusters photo op so I had a fun little shoot with that. Thanks to Cassidy for indulging all of this so far.









OH, I also found the props!







I make a pretty adorable Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, right?

Just say yes so we can move on.

Next, we ended up in the Upside Down where I heavily considered the Stranger Things AP shirt they had. Cassidy had been wearing it this night and gosh part of me wanted it. Ultimately, I did not buy it, but this was one of the nights where I very much wanted to.

However, in contemplation, I decided to have a little Stranger Things shoot while browsing and I actually really love how it came out.









Almost bought the Scoops Ahoy too, but I had my Dustin hat so I was good.

Eventually, we scooted out of there and finally went back to doing some houses!

First, we decided to get Yeti out of the way. As you know, it was not my favorite and I had hoped to not go back, but since Cassidy had not done it and we'd done all my other favorites essentially, we'd knock it off. Cassidy did end up needing the support of the prompose walkthrough, but she ended up agreeing that it wasn't really that great. The scariest part were the gun shot sounds.

Once we got out of that, it was now the moment of truth. Cassidy was going to do Us. The wait was still a bit up there so the anticipation was revving up while we waited until it was no turning back. She clinged on quite tightly to me. In the end, once we got through, she said it wasn't as bad as she thought. It was still creepy but she was so relieved the mirror section was only ever so short. She really liked it though.

After we got out of Us, we only had a few more minutes left of this night. Cassidy really wanted to do Stranger Things since it was her favorite. Its wait was dropping fast and it was right there next to Us so we decided to hop right into line for our last house of the night.

The line ended up being quite short. Definitely explains the logic behind why most do this at the end of the night. I don't remember too too much from this run but I believe it was good. Again, I wasn't too about this house, but it was still cool getting to experience a Stranger Things house so I wasn't going to take that for granted.

After we got out and sang along a bit to Never Ending Story, it was time for us to bounce. I believe we might've gotten out just before the big rush so we booked it out. Along the way, I asked tentatively if Cassidy would drive me home and she said yes so I wouldn't have to pay for an Uber back. Bless her.

Of course, as we left, we ran into a different problem than the guest rush.

Click to watch!


It rained on us... AGAIN! If you recall, it rained when we were together and leaving Mickey's Not So Scary. Now we were leaving Horror Nights and it rained on us again. It started raining while we were on the moving walkways just outside of CityWalk and it was coming down. I had my small umbrella but it was windy so it didn't really help. It also didn't help that I was wearing converse as was Cassidy. She also was parked atop King Kong so we just had to speed walk it through in the rain. Awful, but we laugh about the curse of the rain we got when we hung out. Good times.

She got me home safely. I thanked her profusely and immediately went to my apartment to sleep. I was back to work the next day so I needed it, especially after two great days. Hopefully, it wouldn't be too much of a drop in energy being at work. Fingers big crossed on that.

Continue Here​

 

[missjackiemcg]

Another fun HHN in the books! I used to read Courtney's TRs awesome that you guys are friends!

Everything was actually really good. I ate mine rather quickly. Aside from my usual pizza fries, this was my favorite Universal meal to date. It was so hearty and felt like a whole meal. I probably could've gone for seconds it was that good. I too often forget how good this place was.

We've only been to Universal twice, and the only place we've eaten IN their parks was the Grinch breakfast at Circus McGurkus. That was fine for themed Seuss-food, but I definitely need to expand my Universal eats next time around!

The Frequent Fear was good, but it eliminated access to the last few days of the event. I was going enough now that I definitely was gonna do my best to get in those last few nights. It was about a $20 upgrade so it worked well for me.

A $20 upgrade sounds like a no brainer when you were loving HHN so much!!

They were a bit bland for a cider. We were glad we got it just to say we tried it. Cassidy did however say she enjoyed it. I enjoyed it, but I would much rather have the big cup of Angry Orchard instead.

Bland cider sounds pretty meh, but at least you got that cute pic with the can!! Sometimes it's all about the aesthetic anyway, right!? mmm, I could go for an angry orchard right now!

Gosh, I love that queue and that ride! Fabulous and fun as always. Also, I was getting better at finding the camera during the drop. Love that for me.

I really love Mummy, too! The first time I rode it, I was the very first rider of the day....so I was completely alone! I was so creeped out in the queue by myself, and not knowing what to expect on the ride. The first time the track whips you around a corner, my lanyard came loose from being tucked in my shirt and got caught in my hair, LOL. So, my ride photo was lovely, as I tried to keep from losing the lanyard altogether while untangling it from my hair in a car all alone!! So sad I didn't buy that one. I really should have.

Who knew Stay Puft could be so damn adorable!?

 

[Jenny Sanders]

I have never been to HHN, probably because I would be scared out of my mind. LOL!!!

 

[PlutosRHM55]

Another fun HHN in the books! I used to read Courtney's TRs awesome that you guys are friends!

Courtney is wonderful. We've kept well in touch since she did her first CP. A very good friend. DIS friends tend to be.

We've only been to Universal twice, and the only place we've eaten IN their parks was the Grinch breakfast at Circus McGurkus. That was fine for themed Seuss-food, but I definitely need to expand my Universal eats next time around!

Most definitely! I've eaten at a fair few places, but most of them are pretty basic to kinda sub-par. Monsters Cafe, TODAY Cafe and The Three Broomsticks are three that I would highly recommend. The only one I'd say to stay away from is Richter's Burger Co., worst burger I've ever had in a theme park.

A $20 upgrade sounds like a no brainer when you were loving HHN so much!!

Worth every penny, that one.

Bland cider sounds pretty meh, but at least you got that cute pic with the can!! Sometimes it's all about the aesthetic anyway, right!? mmm, I could go for an angry orchard right now

Oh I could go for one too! Heck I'd go for that cider again. It wasn't awful, just could've been better.

I really love Mummy, too! The first time I rode it, I was the very first rider of the day....so I was completely alone! I was so creeped out in the queue by myself, and not knowing what to expect on the ride. The first time the track whips you around a corner, my lanyard came loose from being tucked in my shirt and got caught in my hair, LOL. So, my ride photo was lovely, as I tried to keep from losing the lanyard altogether while untangling it from my hair in a car all alone!! So sad I didn't buy that one. I really should have.

Oh my gosh, that's a wild story. You should have definitely got that photo lmao All my favorite on-ride photos are the ones where I look absolutely ridiculous. But a whole cart to yourself? I'd love to do that one day. I could just quote the entire ride without worrying about other people who were riding it for the first time.

Who knew Stay Puft could be so damn adorable!?

I try. Thank you

I have never been to HHN, probably because I would be scared out of my mind. LOL!!!

It is so much more fun and not as scary as you'd think it was. Don't knock it until you try it.

 

[PlutosRHM55]

Ordinary Days
9/20 - 9/23/19: Some More Shifts

September 20th, 21st, 22nd & 23rd

After a fun double night at Horror Nights, it was back to work for the week and I couldn't go back for some time. As a result, it might've dampened my mood. I know the day after wasn't particularly great but since I was at work for a longer period than usual it started to pick up in the days following. I do believe the 23rd was a bit tough, but I did get Wendy's that night.



Gotta love those spicy chicken nuggies!

However, in trying to get some sleep for the shift they day after I was kept awake by the boys playing basketball loudly until past quiet hours. I usually am good at ignoring that type of stuff but that night I was struggling and they were being REALLY loud. It was full team basketball going on out there, music blasting, everything. Eventually, I snapped and ended up calling security on them. Not my finest moment, but it is what it is. I will say because of my decision to do that, I never had any issues since.

Lucky for me, I had a fun day in store the next day so a lack of sleep wouldn't be horrific for me.

Continue Here​

 

[PlutosRHM55]

I Don't Care I'm Claiming Tiana
9/24/19: Skyliner Preview

In the midst of HHN, opening SWGE, etc., they had announced opening for the Skyliner and subsequently cast previews. I also found out in that time that our dear friend, Zach, would be on the opening team. We love the DIS fam opening up all these new Disney attractions.

Well, today was my cast preview and I had mentioned it to my friend, Dina, who had neglected to reserve her own cast preview so she would end up joining me today as my guest too! Yay!

I got to Studios a bit early so I wouldn't be late and to chill in the park beforehand. Dina wasn't as prompt so I spent most of my time in the park on my own, which was fine by me.



Upon entering the park, I saw that Jack Diamond was having a little magic show right next to Hollywood & Vine with Evie Starlight as his assistant. How could I pass up watching a bit of that?

Click to watch!


Click to watch!


I freakin love the Citizens of Hollywood. They are so much fun.

After I watched their little show through, I decided to go head on over to Batuu. On planet, I ran into JT, one of my co-workers, as well as my leader, Mack. Otherwise, I kinda did my own thing and didn't really bother my fellow Batuuans on this day.

Instead, I got myself some blue milk.



Again, I prefer green milk but either or for me. They are delish.

After that, I got a text from Dina saying she had arrived. It was just about time for our preview so I headed out to the front to catch her. She was right next to the Skyliner so we went over to check-in then enjoy a quiet little preview aboard the newest in Disney transportation services.





We decided to gamble on our gondola this time so we got put in the Lilo & Stitch gondola on our journey to the switch-off point where you could either go to Riviera/Epcot or Pop Century. We were so insanely excited about it.

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When we got off at the next station, they had a whole photo op set up that we just couldn't pass up. There also was a sweet group waiting behind us who offered to take our photos too so not only did we get individuals, but a group shot too. We took their photos too. Love that cast member mentality.







After we were satisfied with our photos, we decided to take a ride all the way to Epcot. We had enough time and we were loving the skyliner so far so why not?

This time, we were in a Wreck-It Ralph gondola I believe.

Click to watch!


Obviously, we couldn't get off at Riviera since it wasn't open yet. We did however get to chatting with some nice Skyliner CMs who still had to man that station and then we were off to Epcot. On the way to Epcot, I had Dina take a photo of moi looking all cute in the gondola.



Don't ask why I just took out my umbrella. I'm pretty positive I had my bag with me but my umbrella was out? I don't know. I love that photo though.

Eventually, we arrived at Epcot. At Epcot, we did find out that we were allowed to go into Epcot then back onto the gondola but we elected to just get back on so we had to loop around and get back on. It was here where I believe we ended up with a Star Wars gondola, which Dina and I were just dying over. We can't escape it, can we?



On the way back, Dina got a few more pics of me just enjoying the view.





For the record, I was pointing at the Epcot ball which we could see most of our journey back to Studios. We also found out when we got to the Riviera stop from a CM that the highest point on the entire Skyliner system was above Caribbean Beach and you could see all four parks from there. We tried to be eagle-eyed and catch everything, but I think we only saw Studios, Epcot and maybe DAK. We weren't sure. It was difficult, especially with the design on the outside. We said we'd have to go back and ride on the non-design gondolas to get the proper view.

We eventually got back to the last stop before getting back to Studios. We went back on over to that station and before we loaded on, I saw the Princess and the Frog gondola and I had to claim it. There were people behind us but I totally held up because I HAD to ride in that one. The CMs all thought it was so funny but the people behind us weren't too happy I took the gondola with the best Disney movie imprinted on it. Sorry fam, it's mine.





Click to watch!


Of course, I got it on the shortest of the rides, but I'm glad I did. And when I got off, guess who was there? ZACH!! Yup, he just happened to be training when I got off so I said hi. He was training obviously so we couldn't chat. I had to go to work too so it was bad timing but it was cool seeing him.

My overall thoughts on the Skyliner? I really loved it. I'm lowkey obsessed with it. It really brought me back to the days when riding a Disney bus and hearing that spiel was so infinitely magical for me. It was so nostalgic and so much fun. It really is quite exhilarating being kinda air born. I will say I never really got full use of them since I didn't end up riding them all that much since I don't really enjoy transportation and prefer walking to places. I still always considered it. Today's adventure on them was very fun for me and put me in a really good mood.

I said goodbye to Dina since she wasn't working today I don't believe and I headed to work. I didn't write anything about my shift, which I'm sure means it was fairly decent. I'm sure I was quite tired. Skyliner flying plus building scrap metal is no easy feat in one day. Made for a pretty positive experience on this day and I'm always grateful for that.

Continue Here​

 

[dwonderz]

I finally just got all caught up ... thought I quoted a bunch of things ... and it seems like this is the only quote which saved...

I believe I got the salmon dish there and neglected to get a photo. I can say with utmost certainty it was some of the best salmon I've had on property (and I REALLY like my salmon made well).

So! Totally agree with you on this (and love that salmon from Sunshine Seasons)!

Anyway - love all the updates and will hopefully do a better job of quoting next time!

 

[BrerMama]

Well this is great! I was just hitting "new posts" and found this sitting at the top of my list. Definitely coming back to read Timmy! Your stories are the best stories.

 

[RoseBen009]

We’re Upgrading The Fear And The Mayhem
9/19/19: HHN Night #4

Night #4??? You'd think I'd be tired by now. No, absolutely not. I slept the prior night off and I was ready for another evening of horror.

And with another evening, we get another lewk. I also got to show off a shirt I had bought I think on the previous night? I don't remember, but this was the second shirt I had gotten during my evenings at HHN.



It was another uber drive this evening, except I was once again by myself. I hadn't found anyone prior who had wanted to join me. We had a group for SWGE people who wanted to go, but I hadn't heard anything. However, when I arrived at Universal, I did find out Becky and Cassidy were gonna be there so I said I'd meet up with them. They said they wouldn't be there until a bit later and I still had time until I really needed to be at the Universal gates so I decided to make a stop in the Universal store in CityWalk.



I was looking at quite a few things then I noticed that they had one Stranger Things classic Dustin hat in stock. I'm not a big hat person but this one was pretty cute and I really wanted something Stranger Things related so I ended up purchasing it. I found out while the team member cashed me out that they were going fast and potentially selling out so thank goodness I got this when I did.



After that purchase, I headed over to the gates...

Click to watch!


Before I really walked in, I went over to Guest Services. I decided after much deliberation that I wanted to upgrade my Frequent Fear Pass to a Frequent Fear Plus Pass. The Frequent Fear was good, but it eliminated access to the last few days of the event. I was going enough now that I definitely was gonna do my best to get in those last few nights. It was about a $20 upgrade so it worked well for me.

After that, I found a pretty decent spot. It was then while I waited on my lonesome next to a rather obnoxious group of high schoolers (for the record, the only time I'd complain about that crowd) that I heard my name a few times. I looked around and saw Jordan, a friend from my first program. I waved back. Then, I realized I wasn't vibing with being on my lonesome so I decided to sneak on over to join her until my friends showed up. She was with a friend who was visiting, but she was nice enough to let me join for a bit.

Eventually, they pushed us forward a bit and we were really close to the gates so I was actually able to see the opening scaremonies.

Click to watch!


Eventually, it was time for HHN to begin AGAIN!

Click to watch!


We went straight towards Ghostbusters since we both were really feeling that one. I had skipped it on my previous nights so I needed another run through. The wait was already pretty long by the time we got over there, which made it even better having joined up with them. They did seem to keep the conversation between the two of them, but it was better to have company than be quiet and to myself like I normally would've.

Ghostbusters itself was a lot of fun. A lot more fun than I remember. The time was still not great since I just barely missed certain triggers and scares. That house is really fun and really well done. I understand why many say it's their favorite.

When we got out, we all took a bathroom break then met up with the rest of Jordan's friends. I still hadn't heard if Cassidy and Becky were here yet so I stuck with them as we went over to Graveyard Games. When we got to Graveyard Games was when I got a text that they were there, I also heard from Courtney that she was around with her dad again. I however decided to stick with the group I was with, even though they were clearly dismayed by it all. It was not a good feeling. They were being very stand-offish and honestly kinda rude, trying to get me to leave the line which we had already gotten in. I was not enjoying it at all.

Graveyard Games was great as ever and I ran into Courtney on my way out then decided to split off from that group to wait for Cassidy and Becky. Cassidy said they were still waiting to get into Graveyard Games so I waited for them in Kidz Zone. Eventually they caught up. Becky however had to bounce not too long after this so it was just Cassidy and I. I told her how happy I was now to be with her. She agreed their behavior was definitely rude, but it was whatever. I clearly had better friends.

Now, this is where things get a bit fuzzy for me. Cassidy and I did a lot on this but I clearly did not document this well as I've mentioned before. There is a massive gap of time after Graveyard Games where I cannot put my finger on what we did next and in what order so bear with me.

I asked Cassidy what she had done and she said there was a lot she was still nervous about doing. Graveyard Games was a lot for her, but she was ready to get through as many as she could. The ones she was most nervous about were Universal Monsters and Us since she had heard or knew about mirrors being present in either house which freaked her out. Obviously, we weren't gonna start there. She said House of 1000 Corpses was one she hadn't done so we went there first.

It was then we come to night two of "assuming the position". Cassidy was the perfect heigh for it so it made sense. However, it was definitely different. There wasn't a long wait for House of 1000 Corpses so we went in pretty quickly and it was obvious Cassidy was a much more nervous little pouched kangaroo than Dina, for lack of better analogies. Every time someone jumped out or a noise or whatever, she tugged on my hands and pulled them upwards which made for a kind of awkward position if you catch my drift. I told her after about it and she didn't even realize. She apologized but I said it's whatever as long as she wasn't uncomfortable. We were friends, bosom buddies as some would say, if all is good and one feels better with the security of a prompose, we can do the thing.

Cassidy definitely was thrown by House of 1000 Corpses. She was really pushing herself through all the difficult houses at this point. We decided to take a break and headed over to Diagon Alley where we saw Gringotts didn't have a bad wait so we went and did that.

I'm still not the biggest fan of Gringotts. It definitely pails in comparison to, well at this point in time, Forbidden Journey and now having done Mummy too... there are better coaster hybrids. It's still fun and Cassidy and I had a good time. After Gringotts, we decided we'd go over and try Universal Monsters.

The nighttime waits were settling in so we had a bit of a wait for Universal Monsters. While waiting for Monsters, we saw Jordan and her group again. I tried to say hi but they ignored me. Real cute.

Monsters ended up not being as bad for Cassidy and she agreed it was really good. She definitely was weirded out by the Phantom room with all the mirrors and mirrored boo-holes, which was always one of my faves. Those phantoms would get me good every time.

After that, we decided it was time for some refreshment. I had seen the special cider they had for HHN and I wanted to try that. Mostly because I loved the look of the can. Emily had told me it doesn't taste nearly as good with a smaller amount than what you could get at that little booth we had on my first full evening at the event.

At this point, it was alcohol and it fit my aesthetic perfectly as it did for Cassidy's.



And where were we gonna go to enjoy this?



Ok... a little to the left...

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Obviously, we had to make sure to stop in Vanity Ball tonight!

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Click to watch!


We didn't stay too long since as we got to the other side, Cassidy realized she hadn't gotten photos in Anarch-cade like everyone else so we went there for photos. Cassidy went first then I went and if you couldn't tell, I was a bit hyper aware in this zone of the possibility of someone coming at me with a knife.







After the photoshoot, we decided to get into line for Killer Klowns. Cassidy and I both were still drinking our cider. For the record, they really weren't that great. They were a bit bland for a cider. We were glad we got it just to say we tried it. Cassidy did however say she enjoyed it. I enjoyed it, but I would much rather have the big cup of Angry Orchard instead.

Killer Klowns was super fun. Cassidy didn't even need the position, which seemed to be a recurring theme for this house. It just wasn't scary which was fine because I loved it so much. I don't know if I had seen the movie at this point but after seeing the movie I loved this house even more. Also, nothing beats hitting those buttons or wagging your finger at the sassy girl clowns. Lowkey this house was such a wild acid trip, but I'm down for the high.

When we got out, I remembered that I still hadn't seen Marathon of Mayhem and neither had Cassidy. I had heard amazing things about it so I really wanted to see it. We checked the times and saw it wasn't gonna be awhile so we kinda wandered that way wondering if we should go wait or not. Then, we noticed Transformers. I realized I hadn't done it before and it had little wait, which would give us the perfect amount of time to find a spot to watch Marathon. Knock out two new things on this night!

Click to watch!


I was hyped up but ended up being disappointed. First off, I'm very skinny and was sat with people who were about three Timmy waist sizes bigger so I had all this space between me and the lap bar. This made for a ride where I was tossed every which way which was not fun, especially after just finishing my cider not long ago. Then, to top it off, Transformers is the off-brand version of Spider-Man. First off, it's mostly 3D with little physical sets that make Spider-Man so cool since it mixes both really well, but this is 3D and it's just too disorienting. I was not a fan. Haven't been on it since, no interest whatsoever.

I was however ready now to go see Marathon of Mayhem. The viewing area was already pretty filled up by the time we got there, but it was set up so nicely along the lagoon that there weren't really bad spots to watch from. We did try to optimize and eventually found a pretty good spot to watch.

Click to watch!


The pre-show music for Marathon might trump that of Studios' Fantasmic. It had Hungry Like The Wolf... yeah, that's enough said. It was just so 80s and so fun. Cassidy and I were dancing like fools and singing along. It made the time go by until finally, it was time for the show to begin!



Click to watch!


Click to watch!


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Click to watch!




WOW.

Yeah, this one blew away all expectations I had. It was so good. They did such a good job making a show that tied the event together with that 80s theme they were going with and 80s it up even more. The music was great, the scenes chosen, transitions and the overall theme. Wow. I can go on and on. The use of the buildings behind the lagoons was incredible. I had seen them on a previous night but seeing it from the proper viewing area was perfection. Speaking of the viewing area, again perfect. As someone who struggled so much with the viewing area specifically made for World of Color, which definitely factored into my mixed feelings towards that show, this was nice. And yeah, I will say it, Marathon of Mayhem blows World of Color out of the water. All day, every day, any day.

Cassidy agreed it was fantastic. It really pumped us up with all that great music (it sounded so epic and grand, but still 80s synth like WHAT) and iconic imagery. We were ready to get back to our night. What to do next?

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That show looks AMAZING!