I just can’t bring myself to do it. You know what I would rather do than relive my memories of this place? I would rather eat cake. This cake. Right here.

This is a good and pleasing cake.

Wizarding World is not a good and pleasing place.

…

Nah, just (sort of) kidding. It’s alright, but not as fun as I hoped. And the job of today’s entry is to tell you exactly why.

OH BOY SO EXCITING YOU’RE AS EXCITED AS I AM RIGHT?!

And then the excitement goes out the window when you see how insanely crowded the place is. THERE ARE…

PEOPLE!

ABSOLUTELY!

EVERYWHERE!

FUCK!

And therein lies the problem with the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It’s not very large and there are way too many people in it. My father and I made sure to go to this section first thing in the morning. By the time we got there it had already become flooded in a horrifying sea of pink flesh.

You want to have fun with Harry Potter? You BETTER be here as soon as the park opens.

To those wanting to partake of any of this area’s glory be prepared to wait in line. Long lines. For everything. Want to go on a ride? Get in line. Want to eat? Get in line. Want to buy stuff? Get in line. I was expecting lines for the grub and rides, but for the stores as well? That’s just nutty!

I tried to venture inside one store but it didn’t end so well. The experience could probably be best compared to getting stuffed inside an overcrowded bullet train in Japan. (At least I like to think it’s like that) I JUST WANTED TO BUY A TIN ROBOT!

…there are tin robots in Harry Potter, right? I’ve only read up to the fourth book so I’m not too sure.

After you get over the shock of seeing so many pale white humans jam packed into a single place you’ll start to notice all the really cool things around. There are oodles of shops to choose from, with each looking like it was ripped right out of a cozy little corner in jolly old England.

They even went through the trouble of recreating the Hogwarts Express, though it doesn’t work and you can’t ride it.

Lots of love and attention went into every corner of this area. (After all, it was planned to be the Islands’ new cash cow. AND BOY IS IT A SUCCESS!) Even this weird…water fountain ash tray thingamajig looks like it’s from some weird fantasy realm.

Just check out that trash can! I wonder if it’s made of magic. WIZARD magic!

When I first entered the area it felt as if I had left Jurassic Park and wandered into one of my many beloved Japanese role playing games. Just look at those cobblestone streets, looming castle spires, and ye olde fashionede woode buildingse withe snowe coverede roofeses. Totally had Final Fantasy VII town music playing in my head the whole time.

Unlike the Lost Continent and it’s disappointing lack of things to do, the Wizarding World has several rides and events for you to enjoy.

Remember what I mentioned in the Lost Continent article? Two of the area’s rides were “lost” when the medieval section was torn down in favor of turning it into a Harry Potter island. Dueling Dragons and the Flying Unicorn have been reworked into Dragon Challenge and Flight of the Hippogriff.

I don’t know why they changed “Dueling Dragons” to “Dragon Challenge”. Dueling Dragons is such a cooler name. :/

For those not into rides the area also offers small performances by “authentic Hogwarts students”. They’ll come out every now and then to show off their cool threads and sing a few songs a capella style.

I had tried to get a picture of the whole group while they were performing but too many inconsiderate guests got in the way of my camera. Fortunately I was still able to snag a shot of one of the students. Check out that robe. Aren’t you jealous? (I’m more jealous of that gorgeous hair color.)

After you’re done running around like the ecstatic fan you are you can stop for a bit of food and drink. How about a cold mug of butterbeer?

Yes, the famed brew can be yours for a reasonable price! Shell out a few extra bucks for a collectable plastic mug. You’re probably wondering if butterbeer is good, and I’m pleased to tell you that it is…in small doses. The problem with this drink is that it’s absurdly sweet. Have you ever had cream soda? It tastes almost exactly like that, except even more sweet. This is definitely a drink you’ll want to split with someone.

As if the drink itself wasn’t sweet enough you’ve also got this bizarre sugary “foam” coating on the top to deal with. No clue what it actually is. The actual drink doesn’t foam up. Instead they add this stuff separately from a second vat.

If this doesn’t sound appealing to you then you’re in luck! Check out this other beverage you can buy at your local friendly Wizarding World of Harry Potter:

You don’t even have to wait in line to get this stuff!

…I wonder if it’s because this stuff is really that horrible or people are just scared of the name “pumpkin juice”?

Well, there you go. There’s the Harry Potter section in some of its glory. Would’ve loved to get more pictures…and in fact I did have more pictures! But most of those consisted of the backs of peoples heads as they walked in front of my camera. How rude.

COMING UP NEXT: LOTS OF MUSCULAR MEN IN EXTREMELY TIGHT CLOTHING

Part 1: Port of Entry
Part 2: Seuss Landing
Part 3: Toon Lagoon
Part 4: Matt Hoffman’s Aggro Circus
Part 5: The Lost Continent & Jurassic Park
Part 6: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter <— YOU ARE HERE
Part 7: Marvel Super Hero Island

Works range from cute and simple to painfully detailed.

For those of you who possess resin kits but are unable to build them for one reason or another, Annya does offer painting services. Please refer to the “Contact Information” page for price estimates and…uh…contact information.

…wait, what’s that? What do you mean we have to go through an ancient lost continent first?

Fine.

IT’S LOST CONTINENT TIME!

WARNING: VERY IMAGE HEAVY POST AHEAD

Welcome to the “totally not Atlantis or anything” section of the Islands, aka the “Lost Continent”. This area is a bit peculiar compared to the other sections as it’s not based on any kind of character, book, cartoon, movie, franchise, etc etc. It’s just…mythical. Mystical. Magical. Majestic. Don’t believe me? Just check this out:

If a giant vomiting god head isn’t majestic, I sure as hell don’t know what is.

Unfortunately aside from some really sweet architecture there isn’t much to do in this area. There’s a show called Poseidon’s Adventure but it was closed the last two times I visited. Not sure if it’s permanently shut down or if I just showed up while they were having technical difficulties. A major reason why there’s so little here is because part of the Lost Continent no longer exists.

You can still find bits and pieces of the lost section. Can you figure out what it was by looking at this picture?

….

……..

………..That’s right, it was a medieval section! Complete with knights and dragons and maybe a princess or two.

The Lost Continent used to be split into three major sections: Totally Not Atlantis or Anything, Sinbad, and Ye Olde Medieval Fantasy. The medieval section was shut down and replaced with the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The problem is that the area’s only two rides were in the medieval section. Flying Unicorn, a small rollercoaster for children, still exists as “Flight of the Hippogriff” in the Wizarding World. Likewise, the larger rollercoaster was renamed from “Dueling Dragons” to “Dragon Challenge” to make it more…Harry Potterish? *shrugs*

So the drawback to shutting down a chunk of the island is that it’s left with…well..barely anything. There are a couple of shops and (supposedly) the greatest theme park restaurant in the country. But who goes to a theme park to eat and shop? It’s all about them rides, yo.

Cool trash cans, though.

Here’s the Sinbad section. There’s not much to say about it. It’s got shops. Lots and lots of shops.

Big shops, little shops, fast shops, sloooooooooooow shops, even shops that blow through snow.

Oh, well there IS this Sinbad show that plays a couple of times a day but it’s incredibly cheesy. You’ll probably love it if you’re a kid or just really into silly adventures with lots of hammy acting.

The Sinbad area is kind enough to continue the vomiting theme.

As well as the cool trash can theme.

Well, enough of that. Let’s look at some dinosaurs. Listen to this. It’ll help set the mood.

Alright, song playing? Good. Have a dinosaur.

If this was a figure I had to review I’d praise the paint job but take off some points for the dorky looking face sculpt. And WHAT is with that horrible seamline on the neck? This statue probably cost several thousand dollars to make. I hope Universal gets their money back.

Now THAT is a quality dinosaur. Just look at the detail! The paint!

This is top quality stuff, folks.

The only thing I don’t get about this skeleton is that it’s in the center of a food court. Perhaps it’s there to remind people to eat so they don’t starve to death? *shrugs*

Compared to the previous area, Jurassic Park is much more exciting. There aren’t as many cool looking buildings but instead you get a shitload of cool looking dinosaurs.

There are even cool looking cars! I can’t help but wonder if it actually works…

Plenty to see and do in Jurassic Park, unlike the previous area we just saw. Want rides? You got them. How about shops? Plenty of those, and each is full of ridiculous looking dinosaur merchandise. Restaurants? Absolutely everywhere and full of MEAT. Anyone that’s gone to Disney World or Disney Land know of their infamous giant “smoked turkey legs”.

Well, it turns out the Islands have them too. And you can get your very own sodium-loaded hunk of mystery meat at Jurassic Park. For extra fun let’s pretend you’re actually eating a smoked dinosaur leg.

Also those turkey legs are no joke. They’re very big, very salty, and very difficult to finish. Good luck if you get one.

The shops in Jurassic Park are a little weird…they consist half of JP related merchandise, and half bizarre souvenirs that you can find at any museum or science store. It’s a little disappointing.

Come at the right time and perhaps you’ll catch a glimpse at the rare miniature furred oh who am I kidding, that is a cat.

There are two rides to be found here. Not pictured is a flying ride with pterodactyls. Or was it pteranodons? Eh, either way you fly. This ride does have a weight limitation, so if you’re larger than a pre-teen odds are you won’t be able to get on.

The second ride, River Adventure, is exactly what it says on the tin. It’s an adventure. On a river. In a boat. With dinosaurs. It’s very calm (at first) but you’d be a fool to relax. Just trust me on that.

Tired of being out in the blazing hot sun? Head to the Discovery Center for some refreshing air conditioning.

Oh, and there are educational exhibits in there. But who cares about that?

Within the Discovery Center is a mini muse-um…I mean, SCIENCE LAB with various exhibits you can interact with. The neatest one is by far the incubator. Show up at the right time and you can even see one of the eggs hatch! Like any good laboratory there are men and women in white coats prancing about. There are also biohazard signs plastered on the walls.

If learning about various dinosaur types and egg incubation bores your children to tears then perhaps they’d like a fun round of DINO TRIVIA. This room features some pretty cool lights and an extremely overexcited narrator asking participants various questions about ancient critters. How delightful! You can compete against other people, though there’s no prize for winning aside from bragging right.

Can’t say all the dinosaurs look great…but you gotta give ‘em points for trying. Shame that they shut down the display with the animatronic triceratops. I’m sure there are plenty of kids out there who’d love to see a dino get a physical and take some medication.

Gotta love how the trash cans keep up with the themes. Here’s a rugged green can for a rugged green island.

COMING UP NEXT: MAGIC N’ ENDLESS WAVES OF MUGGLES

Part 1: Port of Entry
Part 2: Seuss Landing
Part 3: Toon Lagoon
Part 4: Matt Hoffman’s Aggro Circus
Part 5: The Lost Continent & Jurassic Park <— YOU ARE HERE
Part 6: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Part 7: Marvel Super Hero Island

- G.K. Sil Kamina

OH BOY, A CIRCUS! I haven’t been to one of those in ages! Let’s check it out!

First of all, I apologize for the picture quality (or should I say QUALITY) in this post. It seems “aggro” means “we never stay still so you can get a decent picture”. Well, no. I don’t completely remember what aggro actually means, but apparently it has something to do with going beyond the impossible with your MAD SKILLZ. (According to Wikipedia it’s also a slang term for aggresion!)

Second of all, this isn’t quite what I had in mind when they said circus! So much for the cliched big top, elephants and carnival food. What you get here is a showcase of skateboard, bicycle, rollerblade and motorcycle tricks. The stage itself isn’t very large so the performers make it up by doing stunts throughout the entire arena…including the aisles inbetween the audience’s seating areas!

That brings me to a story: At the start of the show the announcers make it very clear that the performers will be roaring down the aisles at high speed. They also make it very clear that you keep your behind in your seat and, under no circumstance, venture into the aisles during the show. Unfortunately about halfway through the show some girls decided to sneak in. They managed to slip by the guards completely undetected! Can you guess what happened next?

No?

Oh. Well…

One of the girls seemed to be aware that something was off so she stopped at the end of some stairs. The other one kept going…and then decided to stop right in the middle of an aisle RIGHT as a cyclist was speeding down it. Fortunately he managed to dodge her and continued on his way. The guards immediately showed up and escorted both girls out of the arena. Kudos to the cyclist for how he handled the situation: He kept a smile on his face the entire time and didn’t let the near-disaster phase him ONE BIT.

Here’s a guy handling his bicycle way better than you could ever handle yours. Funny enough he’s actually very close to where the girl was standing right before she nearly got run over. I’d say only about half the show is on the stage. A good portion takes place in the aisles while the rest takes place in…

…this thing, which I unfortunately forgot the name of. It’s a big ball. OF DAAAAAAAAAAAANGER! Basically a guy on a motorcycle will go in and start driving around and around and around and around and around. It’s a lot more impressive than it sounds. They start with one guy driving around. And then one guy driving around while the ringmaster stands in the center and panics.

So then you take this guy and double him, and then stick them both in the ball…with the ringmaster in the center. The end result is this:

But wait, we’re not done. That ringmaster? He spends most of the show talking big but it turns out he’s got the skills to back up his words. To prove this they take him out of the ball, stick him on a motorcycle and then put him back in. Then this happens:

Every now and then after a series of stunts the ringmaster turns the show over to the main man himself: MATT HOFFMAN. Unfortunately Mr. Hoffman isn’t physically there. Instead you get pre-recorded videos of him. Sounds like a drag? Rest assured that that’s not the case. Mr. Hoffman is very enthusiastic about his circus. Enthusiastic to the point where he comes off as overwhelmingly cheesy. It’s cute and fun.

ONE OF THESE THINGS IS NOT LIKE THE OTHER.

This show isn’t really for everyone. Whether or not you enjoy it depends on how impressive you find these kinds of stunts and how funny you find the ringmaster/Matt Hoffman’s cheesiness. It is a good way to pass the time, especially if you’re tired of being out in the sun waiting to get on the rides.

COMING UP NEXT: DINOSAURS! ANCIENT GODS! GOOD TIMES!

Part 1: Port of Entry
Part 2: Seuss Landing
Part 3: Toon Lagoon
Part 4: Matt Hoffman’s Aggro Circus <— YOU ARE HERE
Part 5: The Lost Continent & Jurassic Park
Part 6: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Part 7: Marvel Super Hero Island

- G.K. Sil Kamina

Alright kids, are you ready for the next part of our ADVENTURE? Put on your nostalgia goggles and prepare for one heck of a blast to the past. No, seriously. I don’t know if you’re ready for this.

But if you are, hit the jump for more.

The next area up for exploration is Toon Lagoon. It’s a celebration of all things..uh…toony. Not just toon toony, either. RETRO toony. There are characters here that you probably haven’t seen in quite some time.

Also, that’s totally supposed to be Comic STRIP Cafe. Not Comic Trip. My mistake.

For those of certain generations this island is most likely going to be a gigantic nostalgia bomb. Everywhere you look there are old favorites like Rocky & Bullwinkle, Beetle Bailey, Mother Goose & Grimm, Marmaduke, etc. Enthusiasts of old cartoons and comics will have a field day in this area. Youngsters, on the other hand, will probably wonder who all these characters are.

It did make me a little sad realizing just how many characters in this area are either forgotten or just uncared for nowadays. Toon Lagoon, like Seuss Landing, is usually nowhere near as crowded as the Marvel or Harry Potter islands. When I first showed up on this particular day the area was practically deserted. It picked up tremendously after an hour, but it was still nothing in comparison to the other areas.

The two major rides here are water rides so you’ll want to take extra care with your electronics. Like the other areas there are plenty of shops here to burn your hard earned cash on. Betty Boop and Popeye lovers will find plenty to buy here!

Do you remember Blondie’s? And would you eat a sandwich composed of the ingredients seen above? I was digging it until the raw seafood showed up. I do like sushi but can’t say I want to put a whole fish fresh from the water on some toast. With spaghetti.

Flash! Flash, I love you, but we only have fourteen hours to save the Earth! *dun dun dun dun dun dun dun…*

I’m not sure who these guys are. They bark along to the area’s background music.

I know it’s an old joke, but who seriously cares about Family Circus? I never found it entertaining. But it was nice seeing the characters again. In fact, that’s a good way to sum up this whole island: a trip back through time where you’re reunited with old friends. Old papery friends who smelled like ink.

Woah, is that Little Nemo? That can’t be Little Nemo. No, seriously. Is that Little Nemo? That’s a reference a lot of the adults visiting the park might not get, much less the kids!

Oh man, that takes me back. Beetle Bailey? I haven’t read that comic in years.

But wait! It gets better! Not only is there a Beetle Bailey store…

…there are actual characters running amok as well!

I somehow managed to attract the attention of several Beetle Bailey characters by sitting around doing absolutely nothing. First to approach is good ol’ Zero, looking just as derpy as always. He was a dear. I managed to embarrass myself in front of him by having technical difficulties with my camera.

FUCKING CAMERAS HOW DO THEY WORK

And of course there’s Beetle himself. He somehow managed to have a ten minute conversation with a family without uttering a single word. It’s amazing what you can do with pantomime! Such a shame that you don’t see much of it these days. Eventually Zero showed up and tried to join in the fun but Beetle was having none of that and chased him off.

After finishing up with the family he decided to pay me a visit. Cool guy, that Beetle Bailey. We even took a picture together! Not that I’m posting it here. You’ll just have to imagine what it turned out like.

Cartoonish soldiers aren’t for everyone. Luckily there’s a rather nice looking Betty Boop running around as well. DAT BETTY, HNNNNNNNNNNNNNNG. I would’ve gotten better pictures of her but people kept getting in my damn way.

HEY, THEME PARK ETIQUETTE RULE #1: IF YOU SEE SOMEONE TAKING A PICTURE, EITHER GO BEHIND THEM OR WAIT FOR THEM TO FINISH. DO NOT WALK IN FRONT OF THEIR CAMERA.

GEEZ.

It’s only when seeing a living breathing human version of Betty Boop do I finally realize that she really is a sex symbol. It’s hard to see her as ‘attractive’ in her cartoon form thanks to those bizarre things she calls a head and face. I mean, YIKES! But this Betty? This is a good looking Betty.

Cute, but totally family unfriendly! Alcohol? In my cartoon land? Modern Disney would have a fit.

That guy in the white shirt looks confused.

For those of you who don’t want to have fun (like me, I didn’t ride a single thing during this visit) you can hang out at this internet cafe. Why go on roller coasters and water rides when you can check your email? In all seriousness, though, this is a nice thing to have for those who are unable to go on the rides for one reason or another.

Presenting the most popular ride in Toon Lagoon: Dudley Do-Right’s…Roaring…Rip…well, it’s called something. And it’s quite a bit of fun. Word of advice, though…don’t take the front seat. DON’T SAY I DIDN’T WARN YOU!

That Dudley face would make for a great reaction image.

Here’s a shot of the island’s most popular ride: …which, uh, I can’t remember the name of. But it’s a Popeye themed river adventure! You will get soaked. You WILL get SOAKED. If the splashing water doesn’t get you the little waterfalls will. If the falls somehow fail to get you the water cannons will wreck you. You’re getting wet, friend, one way or another.

I can just imagine Olive Oyl flailing in that there water screaming for Popeye to save her. Meanwhile, Popeye is playing fisticuffs with Bluto on one of the island’s inflatable rafts.

By the way, I should probably mention that you’ll want to bring a change of socks if you’re not planning on rocking sandals for your adventure. Don’t want to walk around in soggy socks all day, do you? There are rental lockers available for you to store your gear in while you get doused with gallons of whimsical water.

Popeye technically has its own little subsection within Toon Lagoon. The architecture changes from comic strip themed to pier themed. Check these decorations out. Don’t you feel like you’re really about to set off on a grand adventure with Popeye himself?

It makes sense for ol’ Pops to have his own section. He’s gotta be the least forgotten of all the cartoon/comic characters featured on this island. I mean…how many kids are honestly going to know (or even care about) the likes of Blondie, Marmaduke or Betty Boop?

Yeah, and you personally consume each of them too. >:(

While waiting for my father to finish getting soaked at the nearby water ride I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. Using my camera’s lens to zoom in I discovered an entire shelf stuffed with these adorable chibified Popeyes. If I was more of a Popeye fan I probably would’ve taken one home with me. Didn’t see any cute Bluto or Olive Oyl plushies.

Out of the corner of my other eye I happened to notice this: a barrel themed trash can unique to the Popeye area of Toon Lagoon. Now THAT’S a themed trash can! Maybe not quite as visually impressive as the Seuss Landing one but rather nice regardless. Wish I could say the same for the other trashcan seen in Toon Lagoon…

I mean, really? Is that the best you can do?! What a crushing disappointment. It isn’t cartoony at all!

I guess we’ve all had enough of these cartoony shenanigans, huh? How about we take a break and visit an…”AGGRO CIRCUS“? Aggro? Isn’t that the horse from Shadows of the Colossus…?

Part 1: Port of Entry
Part 2: Seuss Landing
Part 3: Toon Lagoon <— YOU ARE HERE!
Part 4: Matt Hoffman’s Aggro Circus
Part 5: The Lost Continent & Jurassic Park
Part 6: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Part 7: Marvel Super Hero Island

- G.K. Sil Kamina

The lovely 1/7 scale Xiao Mei (Xiaomei? Xiao-Mei?) from Shining Hearts. She’s the first Max Factory PVC I’ve gotten in AGES. Aside from a little flub here and there she’s absolutely fantastic. Bigger than expected too!

But this is what I was REALLY excited about:

Cube’s Kyuubey plush. He’s a lot smaller than expected but very cute and cuddly. He’s also stuffed with beans so he’ll make for a good hacky sack (not that I’d ever kick him, I LOVE HIM). This plush was wildly popular and sold out during the pre-order phase. He might be a bit tough to find now but he’s totally worth it!

- G.K. Sil Kamina

Not only is this an awesome way to get your own figure, you’ll also raise a crapload of money for those still suffering from the 2011 disaster if you win! SO ALL YOU ARTISTS OUT THERE: GET DRAWING!

Here’s my submission to the contest, by the way (click the thumbnail to see the full sized image) :

- G.K. Sil Kamina

You know, I considered doing this entire entry in rhyme but decided that required way too much effort for an article only a handful of people will read. OH WELL! On to the pictures!

To be honest I don’t really have that much to say about this area. This is usually the island I spend the least amount of time on whenever I visit the park. Just have never been a big fan of Seuss books. Sure, I know about green eggs and cats in hats and silly (though impressive) rhymes. That’s about it. There just isn’t much here that holds my interest. Not the rides, not the shops. I will give Seuss Landing this: the architecture is CRRRAAAAZY!

Look at that nutty thing! Would you believe it if I told you that’s a restaurant? Check out the landscaping around it! Even the sidewalk, the part that no one really pays attention too, is bizarre and colorful. I remember hearing somewhere that Seuss Landing is frequently slapped with a fresh coat of paint to keep everything vibrant. I think it was as frequent as every night! (But that couldn’t possibly be true, right?)

Apparently in the wonderful…no wait, what was the word? Wubbulous? Apparently in the wubbulous world of Dr. Suess this is what a normal house looks like. Would you want to live in it? I think if I moved in there the first thing I’d get rid of is that purple fence. PURPLE? The local Homeowner’s Association would have the most hissy of fits.

Gotta admit, those are some pretty cool plants. I bet somewhere out there in the universe there’s a planet that has trees like that. And I hope that planet will be explorable in Mass Effect 3.

That kid staring directly into my camera is wigging me out.

Oh, I guess I should talk about the thing behind the kid. Say hello to one of Seuss Landing’s rides: the carousel! Can’t have a theme park without this family favorite ride. All of the rides here are family friendly and tame. If you’re looking for hardcore thrills you’ll have to move on to the next area.

The lack of any BIG rides may be one reason why this seems to be one of the less popular islands. Not that it isn’t full of people. It is. OH IT IS. It just isn’t AS crowded as…oh…the Harry Potter island.

WORLD’S BIGGEST CAT IN THE HAT HAT. Loses points for not including the world’s biggest Cat in the Hat cat. I’m also sure you’ve figured this out by now but…YES, THEY SELL THOSE HATS HERE. I’m actually shocked that I didn’t see a single person wearing one that day.

Seuss Landing really loves cats and hats. Was the Cat in the Hat shop not enough? Have some Cats, Hats and Things! Didn’t see any cat hats being worn but I saw plenty of Thing 1 and Thing 2 shirts being sported.

I remember when I came a long time ago there was a shop that sold good ol’ southern fudge. Maybe it was this one? What else could ‘goodies’ possibly refer to?

You know, this entire place reminds me of Mira from the Baten Kaitos games. Namely this particular part of Mira.

I’m not sure what it was but there’s something about this pool that bothered me. Compared to the rest of the park, which looks very shiny and well maintained, this little pool seemed….neglected. Do you get the same feeling? Doesn’t it seem like there’s something missing?

Hmm. Maybe it’s just me.

Now THAT’S what I call a themed trash can. Just look at that thing! Surely this is the most whimsical trash can I have ever seen. Seuss Landing does not disappoint.

That’s all for the mind-numbingly colorful Seuss area. Next up is TOON LAGOON.

Part 1: Port of Entry
Part 2: Seuss Landing <— YOU ARE HERE!
Part 3: Toon Lagoon
Part 4: Matt Hoffman’s Aggro Circus
Part 5: The Lost Continent & Jurassic Park
Part 6: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Part 7: Marvel Super Hero Island

- G.K. Sil Kamina

…well, I’d have money if I’d stop spending it all on extremely expensive anime merchandise. That’s beside the point. Disney is expensive and we’re not going! But hey, don’t cry. There are plenty of other fun places to go to! How about we go see some MERMAIDS? No? How about a big pink tower? That’s magical! Not that either?

Fine. We’ll go to another theme park.

What about that one?

Welcome to Universal Orlando Resort, located in the heart of the bizarre Floridian city of Orlando and not too far from the Great Mouse’s Kingdom. This resort encompasses:

- City Walk, a shopping district with clubs, big name restaurants, shops of all sorts and a very large movie theater!
- Hard Rock Cafe! You know, that one music themed restaurant that sells those collectible lapel pins people love to buy.
- Blue Man Group! Why are they so bald?
- Universal Studios, which isn’t anywhere near as good as I thought it would be.
- Bubba Gump’s Shrimp Company. Yes, THAT Bubba Gump’s. I even got a Teddy Gump.

STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES.

Here’s a shot of the Hard Rock Cafe which, for some odd reason, seems to have partially merged itself with the Coliseum. Hard Rock’s food isn’t anything to write home about. Just standard dine-in fare. I think most people go there for the experience, kinda like with Planet Hollywood.

Anyway, back to the Islands. Islands of Adventure was opened back in the late 1990′s. Universal had rides but seemed to emphasise its shows a bit more. These Islands are all about the rides. Well…and the shops. But especially the rides! Well…and the experience too…uh, and what an experience it is! Once you manage to make it through City Walk’s barrage of shops you get to go through the Port of Entry’s barrage of shops!

What’s the Port of Entry, you ask? It’s the very first of Islands’…um…islands. You see, the park is composed of several islands themed after different characters/properties. Each area has its own rides, shops, restaurants, costumed characters, etc. Which island is the best? That’s up to you to decide. No one seems to favor the Port of Entry, though. Such a shame. The Port definitely has some of the nicer themed trash cans in the park. Look.

Now that’s a trash can!

The nice thing about the shops in this area is that they sell merchandise from all the other islands. You’ll understand how great this is after you try to shop at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter’s stores. (Hint: GOOD FUCKING LUCK) This area also has some pretty nice architecture. You’ll almost feel like you’re in some weird fantastical port. Too bad it’s not a fantastical One Piece port.

Oh man, a Mugiwara Island would be so amazing.

Anyway, enough rambling. The Port of Entry is nice but it’s only the start of the adventure. I think we should take things easy and start in the most kid friendly of areas…

SEUSS LANDING!

Part 1: Port of Entry <— YOU ARE HERE! YOUR ADVENTURE BEGINS!
Part 2: Seuss Landing
Part 3: Toon Lagoon
Part 4: Matt Hoffman’s Aggro Circus
Part 5: The Lost Continent & Jurassic Park
Part 6: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Part 7: Marvel Super Hero Island

- G.K. Sil Kamina

Today’s subjects include My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, One Piece, and Puella Magi Madoka Magica.

DRAW PONIES AS GENERIC ANIME GIRLS: First up is Fluttershy, the extremely timid pink-haired pegasus and my current favorite in the series. I always seem to gravitate towards pink haired characters, even if they’re not human!

Pinkie Pie, the psychotic (but happy) party pony, is actually my least favorite of the bunch. Not that I hate her. She’s pretty entertaining with her…questionable personality. She’s just the pony I’ve connected with the least.

Next up is Twilight Sparkle, namely the Twilight seen angrily drinking in the first episode. Personality-wise I’m most similar to the anti-social Twilight seen in the show’s premiere (Mare on the Moon, I think?). She lightens up significantly in the following episodes.

AND OF COURSE I CAN’T GO A DAY WITHOUT SOME MADOKA MAGICA LOVE! HOMERUUUUUUUUUUUUUN

AND OF COURSE I CAN’T GO A DAY WITHOUT SOME HEBIHIME LOVE! Forget Nami, Boa Hancock is the One Piece girl for me!

- G.K. Sil Kamina