Saturday, January 16, 2010
Intimidating, splendid Niagara!
The second of our masti trips after the roller-coaster whirlwind tour of Orlando was to the imposing, mighty Niagara Falls, NY, one of the must-see spots in the USA for one and all. This time it was a road trip from New Jersey, about a 6.5 hours drive, with breathtaking scenery along the way, the calm green hills of the east coast. After a tiring drive (not for me, but for my better half who did all the driving :-() we reached around 7 p.m., and after checking in to Holiday Inn-Express, rushed excitedly to the Niagara area to witness the Falls by night under the bright colored lighting. What we saw was an absolute marvel, left me gaping and staring at the sight of the brilliant hues (changing color, red, then blue and suddenly violet!), and the sound of the roaring waters. Niagara under lights is an absolute spectacle, makes you feel like you're watching a movie with special effects, happening right in front of you for real!
Monday, June 8, 2009
Let's Hit the Ride!
yay! Here we are, entering into the turtly magical world of our first fun trip to a dream destination - Orlando, Florida. Five fun-packed days, worth every penny spent, in the two mind-blowing theme parks - Universal Studios and Disney World. Let's dive straight in to the Adventure! (Btw, "we" here include myself, Minnie and my better half, Mickey :-))
Day 1 - Universal Studios
We walked in around 9:15 a.m. after a good continental breakfast. The "Big Universal Globe" caught us right on and it was photo-time. Mickey reminded me that we'd better get going inside or else we wouldn't be able to finish the rides.
Shrek
We had just stepped into the attractions area when Shrek the Ogre grabbed us, took us on a rapid-fire 4-D journey to rescue his princess Fiona, along with his talkative friend Donkey. First we thought we felt water splashing on us, then
spiders tickling our legs and when the hot fire from Dragon's breath hit us in the face, it was too hard to believe what we had been told - that it was just a Virtual Reality show we were watching - no, I don't think so, coz I tell you what, we actually met Shrek and Donkey after the show and took pictures with them :-) Now, how more real can it get?
Revenge of the Mummy
If you want a thriller, a ride with the unexpected, including a sudden drop and speedy twists and turns right when you are busy observing what lies in front, then this one's for you. The second best ride I woud say! The sudden appearance of the mummy, the sprinkling water and the fire flashes that seemed to appear out of nowhere, made this ride all the more exciting.
A must-do for one and all! (and yes, it does give you a l'il bit of a churn in your stomach he he he :-))
Twister
Was not as exciting as the name sounds, (since there is no 'ride' involved) but still worth seeing once, it's all about the making of Twister, the movie with the massive tornado that gulps anything and everything. It is definitely striking to witness the experience - with the amazing sets the movie makers have designed - to see and feel the immense power of a furious raging tornado and the havoc it wreaks like crumbling buildings, tractor falling, animals being swept away etc. That's as real as it can get to 'watching' a natural disaster right in front of your eyes and being safe yourself! Don't get "carried away" :-)
Jaws
How would you feel if you're sailing in a boat and a shark pops up to say "How do you do"? Well, that exactly what Jaws (tries to) make you feel, just like in the movie. Kids might get 'scared'. For adults, it's like a series of expected surprises :-). The shark's movements and sudden appearances are fun to watch though, because it does bare its 'jaws' wide open, almost touching the boat you're in! (My, that was close :-)). Overall, a pleasant boat ride with a 'deadly' visitor at sea. Watchout!
Disaster
We headed to this one after lunch, and had our hopes held in anticipation seeing the long queue (as an indication of its popularity). But take my word for it - it's pathetic, true to its name - a 'disaster' to our hopes. :-( So don't go for it unless you want to waste an hour of your precious time at the park, you'd be better off doing Simpson's or Mummy twice! All they do in this one is pick 5-6 persons from the audience, make them enact a small role which they record, and then put together all the captured video bits into a thriller movie which they then show you sitting in a supposed-to-be-moving train. Tries to give us an idea of how thriller movies are shot, but doesn't do it well enough to keep us (at least me!) interested.
Terminator 2
How did we like this one? "Super!" (Oh well, not really but that's what we kept hearing the hostess say, so that's the only word we remember of it :-)). But, to be fair, it was indeed pretty good - it's a 3D show in a staged in a theatre, with real persons doing the shooting, fighting and jumping live in front of you with all the wonderful special effects juxtaposed magically. The thrill of the action is heightened by your 3-D glasses of course, as bullets are "fired at you" and "fly by really close" - another great piece of virtual reality at work. You feel immersed right inside a tense scene of fiery action, until .....you're "terminated"! (well, of course, what I meant was "until the show terminates" :-) :-))
MIB (Men In Black) Alien Attack
"Shoot, shoot shoot! Before the aliens hit you in the foot!" MIB is like playing a video game with real movement instead of on a computer screen. The ride isn't super fast but the fun is in that you have to be attentive and shoot down the aliens as they suddenly appear on your path in course of the ride. Watch out coz there'll be a scene like a busy street dotted with buildings on the pavements and aliens will be seen anywhere and eveywhere, even peeping from behind windows!
The Simpsons Ride
This is by far the BEST ride of Universal Studios. Mickey and myself enjoyed it so much that we did it twice, waiting in line for 40 mins each time. So don't you even think of missing this one! It is a spectacular 3-D ride that makes you feel like you're on a crazy topsy-turvy roller coaster when in fact you're not moving all that much at all (again, there's the magic of virtual reality). It's an awesome, swooping, smashing journey with the Simpson's family as they battle with a villian and end up braving the most treacherous conditions, dangerous circumstances and narrow escapes ! Very colorful and creative, you feel immersed in a whole new world that once in, you'd never like to come out of!
E.T. Adventure
Enter the Woody Woodpecker's kidzone and you see all the cute lil stuff that kids like. The ET ride, however, is something for the likes of kids and adults alike. It's a 'starbound' bicycle ride, in which you embark on a journey through the heavens on a flying bicycle (you don't have to pedal it, it a 'magic' one that pedals itself :-)), in an effort to help E.T. save his dying planet and rescue his friends. Do keep an eye out for a glimpse of the shining white moon! Good one, distinct for its creativity and the colorful, starry, 'painted' scenes of the sky you see as you ride!
Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster
This one is mainly for kids (but I liked it too :-)). It's a light train ride that goes zig-zag though Woody's nut factory built on a tree. You get a really nice view of Kidzone from here, so do capture it all in your eyes! This and ET are ideal rides to try if you're scared of those big roller coasters but are up for something easy for a start.
Nickelodeon (Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast)
A 3-D ride similar to Simpsons but not quite as nice (if you have time to do just one of them, forget this one and do Simpsons). This one takes you on a rocket, Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius takes you on a wild chase through the world of Nicktoons, including SpongeBob SquarePants and The Rugrats. I'd say it's fun enough to try it out once.
Day 1 - Universal Studios
We walked in around 9:15 a.m. after a good continental breakfast. The "Big Universal Globe" caught us right on and it was photo-time. Mickey reminded me that we'd better get going inside or else we wouldn't be able to finish the rides.
Shrek
We had just stepped into the attractions area when Shrek the Ogre grabbed us, took us on a rapid-fire 4-D journey to rescue his princess Fiona, along with his talkative friend Donkey. First we thought we felt water splashing on us, then
spiders tickling our legs and when the hot fire from Dragon's breath hit us in the face, it was too hard to believe what we had been told - that it was just a Virtual Reality show we were watching - no, I don't think so, coz I tell you what, we actually met Shrek and Donkey after the show and took pictures with them :-) Now, how more real can it get?Revenge of the Mummy
If you want a thriller, a ride with the unexpected, including a sudden drop and speedy twists and turns right when you are busy observing what lies in front, then this one's for you. The second best ride I woud say! The sudden appearance of the mummy, the sprinkling water and the fire flashes that seemed to appear out of nowhere, made this ride all the more exciting.
A must-do for one and all! (and yes, it does give you a l'il bit of a churn in your stomach he he he :-))
Twister
Was not as exciting as the name sounds, (since there is no 'ride' involved) but still worth seeing once, it's all about the making of Twister, the movie with the massive tornado that gulps anything and everything. It is definitely striking to witness the experience - with the amazing sets the movie makers have designed - to see and feel the immense power of a furious raging tornado and the havoc it wreaks like crumbling buildings, tractor falling, animals being swept away etc. That's as real as it can get to 'watching' a natural disaster right in front of your eyes and being safe yourself! Don't get "carried away" :-)
Jaws
How would you feel if you're sailing in a boat and a shark pops up to say "How do you do"? Well, that exactly what Jaws (tries to) make you feel, just like in the movie. Kids might get 'scared'. For adults, it's like a series of expected surprises :-). The shark's movements and sudden appearances are fun to watch though, because it does bare its 'jaws' wide open, almost touching the boat you're in! (My, that was close :-)). Overall, a pleasant boat ride with a 'deadly' visitor at sea. Watchout!
Disaster
We headed to this one after lunch, and had our hopes held in anticipation seeing the long queue (as an indication of its popularity). But take my word for it - it's pathetic, true to its name - a 'disaster' to our hopes. :-( So don't go for it unless you want to waste an hour of your precious time at the park, you'd be better off doing Simpson's or Mummy twice! All they do in this one is pick 5-6 persons from the audience, make them enact a small role which they record, and then put together all the captured video bits into a thriller movie which they then show you sitting in a supposed-to-be-moving train. Tries to give us an idea of how thriller movies are shot, but doesn't do it well enough to keep us (at least me!) interested.
Terminator 2
How did we like this one? "Super!" (Oh well, not really but that's what we kept hearing the hostess say, so that's the only word we remember of it :-)). But, to be fair, it was indeed pretty good - it's a 3D show in a staged in a theatre, with real persons doing the shooting, fighting and jumping live in front of you with all the wonderful special effects juxtaposed magically. The thrill of the action is heightened by your 3-D glasses of course, as bullets are "fired at you" and "fly by really close" - another great piece of virtual reality at work. You feel immersed right inside a tense scene of fiery action, until .....you're "terminated"! (well, of course, what I meant was "until the show terminates" :-) :-))
MIB (Men In Black) Alien Attack
"Shoot, shoot shoot! Before the aliens hit you in the foot!" MIB is like playing a video game with real movement instead of on a computer screen. The ride isn't super fast but the fun is in that you have to be attentive and shoot down the aliens as they suddenly appear on your path in course of the ride. Watch out coz there'll be a scene like a busy street dotted with buildings on the pavements and aliens will be seen anywhere and eveywhere, even peeping from behind windows!
The Simpsons Ride
This is by far the BEST ride of Universal Studios. Mickey and myself enjoyed it so much that we did it twice, waiting in line for 40 mins each time. So don't you even think of missing this one! It is a spectacular 3-D ride that makes you feel like you're on a crazy topsy-turvy roller coaster when in fact you're not moving all that much at all (again, there's the magic of virtual reality). It's an awesome, swooping, smashing journey with the Simpson's family as they battle with a villian and end up braving the most treacherous conditions, dangerous circumstances and narrow escapes ! Very colorful and creative, you feel immersed in a whole new world that once in, you'd never like to come out of!
E.T. Adventure
Enter the Woody Woodpecker's kidzone and you see all the cute lil stuff that kids like. The ET ride, however, is something for the likes of kids and adults alike. It's a 'starbound' bicycle ride, in which you embark on a journey through the heavens on a flying bicycle (you don't have to pedal it, it a 'magic' one that pedals itself :-)), in an effort to help E.T. save his dying planet and rescue his friends. Do keep an eye out for a glimpse of the shining white moon! Good one, distinct for its creativity and the colorful, starry, 'painted' scenes of the sky you see as you ride!
Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster
This one is mainly for kids (but I liked it too :-)). It's a light train ride that goes zig-zag though Woody's nut factory built on a tree. You get a really nice view of Kidzone from here, so do capture it all in your eyes! This and ET are ideal rides to try if you're scared of those big roller coasters but are up for something easy for a start.
Nickelodeon (Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast)
A 3-D ride similar to Simpsons but not quite as nice (if you have time to do just one of them, forget this one and do Simpsons). This one takes you on a rocket, Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius takes you on a wild chase through the world of Nicktoons, including SpongeBob SquarePants and The Rugrats. I'd say it's fun enough to try it out once.
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