Weekend Update: Jonas Brothers; Haunted Mansion; Disney Asia; Discovery Kingdom; more

Wazzup MiceChat??? Da Jonas Brothers are in da house!!!!

Ever wonder what one of those Disney heartthrob songfest concert extravaganzas looks like? Well, SummerInFL gives us an inside look at a recent Jonas Brothers concert that she attended with her daughter.

And if that wasn't enough, we have much, much more for you in this week's edition of the Weekend Update. We'll take a look at the Magic Kingdom's Haunted Mansion through the lens of PhotoMatt. Then TDLFAN has some more great shots from the Asian branch of the Disney Worldwide Empire. Following that, sir clinksalot gives us a look at part of the Six Flags empire – Six Flags Discovery Kingdom near San Francisco. Ian Parkinson wraps it up with more signs from Disneyland Paris.

My apologies to Fishbulb and CaptPhoebus, but the San Diego Zoo and the Mystery Spot will have to wait for another Weekend Update! (And I'm not revealing who went where until then!)


Jonas Brothers Concert
St. Pete Times Forum
St Petersburg, Florida

SummerInFL attended the Jonas Brothers Concert with her daughter and sent us these photos. (We know you always wanted to attend one of these Disney phenom concerts - didn't you? Go on...admit it!



With the millions of screaming fans ready and waiting, the Jonas Brothers descended on the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, FL. About 20,000 fans showed up to cheer on their favorite Disney Channel pop group and they didn't diasappoint.

There were a few opening sets to start off the evening.

First up, Honor Society.


Then a new band from Asia called the Wondergirls. The retro outfits were cute but it was a little over the pop for me.


Then the American Idol winner Jordin Sparks sang some of her hit songs.


After a brief intermission the Jonas Brothers took to a massive spinning stage which made it great for them to bring the entertainment to the 360 degree forum.


They opened with Paranoid to a very happy crowd, singing 21 songs in total and ending with Burnin' Up.


As a parent with children who are fans and not much of one myself I have to say I was never bored, they kept the energy up and moving throughout the entire show and there were some really moving moments. Namely Nick's piano solo and his speech regarding his Diabetes was very motivating and well put together.


Another thing I found impressive was the amount of instruments the boys would play, Nick alone played the guitar, drums, and piano. I think it's great that they weren't just copy and paste pop stars and actually have more than just good singing voices.


The stage itself was impressive all on it's own, very interactive. There was the rotating part in the center with the inner circle capable of dropping down and was replaced at one point with a trampoline which they had fun it. (You can see it in the photo above)

The complete stage.


This particular picture below used the circle on the right (in the photo above) and it raised up to the height of the 3rd level, which was great for those up so very high, as we were.


On the left side of the stage was another crane like structure that lifted Kevin and Joe up into the air and at one point they pulled out these hoses and sprayed the audience. It rotated completely around so they managed to cover a large area, I couldn't tell fom our vantage point if it was real water or some fake looking snow but it was funny to watch.


My favorite aspect by far was the water portion they had and the various words and symbols that would fall in the water. It was pretty amazing and incredibly neat to watch!


At one point in the show Jordin Sparks joined the boys back on stage to sing her hit song "Battlefield."


They ended the show in the same fashion as they started it, from the inner circle. Overall I enjoyed it and was very happy with the family friendly aspects of it. My daughter was screaming the entire time and proclaimed it, "THE BEST NIGHT EVER!!" So if you were ever contemplating whether or not you think the show is worth it, I can promise you that this mother/daughter combo gives it two thumbs up.



Haunted Mansion at the Magic Kingdom
Walt Disney World
Orlando, Florida

PhotoMatt takes us on a trip through the Haunted Mansion in Walt Disney World, as only he can. Be prepared to get your fright on!



And, perhaps the ultimate definition of iconic.



Disney Asia


TDLFAN takes one more look at the Summer happenings at TOKYO DISNEYSEA and HONG KONG DISNEYLAND...


Arriving at Tokyo DisneySea is always a special thrilling treat!


The lovely Tower of Terror stands proud.


Guests take a moment to cool down at one of the many "cool zones" available throughout TDS this summer...


Inside Mysterious Island...


Ride vehicles from "Journey to the Center of the Earth" pops out of Mount Prometheus every few seconds apart...


Chip and Dale's Cool Service sails around TDS' waterways to offer guests much needed relief from the heat and humidity of Tokyo's summertime days.


Mickey and Goofy also join in the fun of Chip and Dale's Cool Service, with their own water blaster guns...


Over at American Waterfront, New York Street is busy with guests out shopping and enjoying the sights.


Elegance and romance are the key ingredients when you ride one of the Gondolas around Mediterranean Harbor.


One last look at Mediterranean Harbor.


In the meantime... Over at HONG KONG DISNEYLAND, Summer Time fun continues until early september. Seen here is Sleeping Beauty Castle.


Rixter's (and all of Micechat's members') favorite character ever, Stitch, hosts one groovy beach party on Main Street USA... Stitch's Summer Dance Bash. Guests can join in the fun and dance along with the characters and dancers...


The Summer Dance Bash features some of our favorite characters.. like Goofy, Mr. Incredible, Genie, Ariel.. and of course.. Stitch.


Also, the ever popular High School Musical show continues to entertain the masses at the Castle forecourt. Can this franchise ever be stopped and thrown out of the DL parks for good???


Next month on Sept 12th will be HKDL's 4th anniversary and some of the cool anniversary merchandise has already premiered in the park's gift shops..


Limited Edition Kung Fu Mickey statue caught TDLFAN's attention...


TDLFAN says hello from lovely Hong Kong Disneyland.



Are you ever going to let me live down my Stitch comment, TDLFAN?

Thanks for sharing that portrait shot - looking fine!

Looking for up-to-date reports from Disneyland
including photos, gossip, park schedules and more?

Visit these MiceChat columns each week:

Andy Castro's Dateline Disneyland

David DarkBeer Michael's In the Parks

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
Vallejo, California

Join sir clinksalot as he takes us along on his recent trip to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo, California.


Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is a great mixture of animal park and "coaster" park. It has something for everybody.


The parks entrance is beckoning us in for an amazing time


The fountain at the front of the park entices you to enjoy some amazing animal attractions


Random statues around the park also show you what's in store



Some of the animals found around the park include Camels


Chinchillas


Porcupines


And Otters complete with ... "Otter Pops"?


The newest addition to the park is Odin's Temple of the Tiger. A truly amazing stadium for the tiger show.


Tigers on the prowl


TigerVision


In addition to the animal attractions, the park features some great coasters


Vertical Velocity (or V2) is another one of the parks signature coasters


This is "Oswald" the Penguin ... (extra points for whoever gets why that name is significant)


The park also features a Dolphin Harbor


The park also contains a few kids area's including Tava's Elephant Trails


Mr. Six is represented at the parks parade


As well as park specific, Loony Tunes and WB characters


More signs from Ian!





And that brings us to the end of another week. Our photographers have just enough time to reload their cameras before we see you all again next weekend. Thank you to all of our wonderful readers, and as always, a huge thank you to our amazing team of global photographers, spies, and gossips:


TDLFAN
Denise nbodyhome Preskitt (mousesteps.com)
SummerInFl (wdwfanpics.com)
sir clinksalot
MickeyMaxx
CaptPhoebus
Ian Parkinson
BigPigletFan
Abominable Snowman
Fishbulb
PhotoMatt
Jack Hollywood 1939 Wixom

Your Editor - Rixter

Where have YOU been recently? We invite you to share your photos of theme parks or any other destination that may be of interest to our readers. Please feel free to contact me via MiceChat Private Message (screen name Rixter)
or send me an email: oceansiderick@gmail.com.