Weekend Update: Penny Arcade Expo; Sea World Nights; Olso, Norway; Route 66

We're having a blast at the D23 Expo this weekend. It's been so much fun meeting all of our MiceAge and MiceChat friends. Don't forget that there are two more fun packed days remaining. Come on out and get your Disney geek on, visit the MiceChat booth and register for your chance to win one of the hundreds of prizes we're giving away during the course of the Expo. You'll find lots of up to the minute coverage of the Expo in the D23 Section of MiceChat.

We start the Weekend Update this week with a report from Monorail Man on an expo of a very different kind. He went to Seattle to experience the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle. Talk about your geeks!

CaptPhoebus continues reporting on his recent trip to San Diego. This time we have a look at the nighttime shows at Sea World. After that, we're off to the Baltic with a new series of reports from Ian Parkinson and Richard Williams. Finally, we have a trip down memory lane and Route 66 through vintage post card images.


Penny Arcade Expo
Seattle, Washington

Monorail Man takes us to gamer Nirvana!


Greetings from the 2009 Penny Arcade Expo!

What is the Penny Arcade Expo (PAX)? It's the ultimate convention for gamers. No matter if your into tabletop gaming (like Dungons and Dragons, or board games), computer games, handheld games or console games - you'll find eveything you want to do at PAX!

PAX is held in Washington each year, and this year it was held at the Washington State Convention Center.

Not exactly "out sick", but you get the picture.

Once you're inside the door, you'll find a couple of helpful things:

You'll find the rules to PAX - don't break these our you could be tossed out by one of the "Enforcers".

The world map. Each level contains more fun than you ever thought possible. Don't get lost!

When the convention doors open, you'll find lots to do at PAX:

You can grab a bean bag chair, and kick back and play some handheld games (or like most people there - take a nap).

You'll find over a dozen rooms for tabletop games. You can check out a wide selection of european board games, or a Monster Manual for those adventure types.

You can play in open PC gaming competitions.

You can also head over to Console Freeplay and play all of your favorite video games.

Don't forget to look over your PAX Instruction Booklet, because it gives you the times for great panels about everything gaming!

For example, the stars of The Guild were there answering questions.

However, the most important part of PAX is the Expo Hall. Where video game companies bedazzle you with their latest and greatest games.

Welcome to the Expo Hall!

There's plenty of booths to explore, so you'll be back here all weekend long!

Some booths went all out, this one even had a mechanical horse.

There were also both that were themed, like this one for a new WWI shooting game (Darkest of Days).

Don't you wish you had a setup like this at home?

You'll even find cool props on the floor, like this one from the new Avatar movie that's coming out.

Even Disney was there, demoing its new Split Second racing game.

Over 50,000 people were at PAX this year. Quite a group for a bunch of nerds!

Overall, PAX is a great event filled with people who just want to have fun playing games. I can't wait to go back next year!




Sea World
San Diego, California

CaptPhoebus continues his report on his San Diego weekend.



Here's a little look back to what SeaWorld San Diego had to offer during their usual summer promotion, Summer Nights. It may seem strange that a "water" park be open past sunset, but SeaWorld definitely sure steps up the entertainment and does a great job of keeping you in the park well into the evening hours. It just takes a little planning, but you'll be able to see everything that there is to offer. Below is just a sampling of what the typical nightly shows would entail.

Ignight
Ignight is the nighttime dolphin show that features everyone's favorite Bottlenose and Commerson's Dolphins. Though lacking a unified storyline, it weaves a story throughout 4 different vignettes using both the trainers and the dolphins as the cast of characters. The show takes use of a lot of lighting effects, as well as fire effects to help ignite the stage aglow.


Shamu Rocks
A "worldwide" concert showcasing the various sounds from across the globe. Shamu delights the crowd as performers dance and rock out in the background. Lighting and video effects help to accent this dazzling show.


Fireworks

Sea Lions Tonite
Sea Lions Tonite is not your typical show. The show itself is all about recreating the other shows and attractions that one would experience during their day at SeaWorld. Those lovable Sea Lions Clyde and Seamore take on the roles of dolphins, orcas, acrbobats, and even dogs and cats. It's definitely a show not to miss.

He's got Oh Oh Oh-Oh-Oh, the Right Stuff

We're lucky to have another fantastic photo report from Richard Williams and Ian Parkinson. This time they take us along with them on their Baltic cruise. Today we visit Oslo, Norway. In the weeks to come, we'll see Gdansk, Stockholm, Tallinn, St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Copenhagen and Bruges.




Today, we have a post card folder that celebrates the romance of Route 66, the first continuous road to link Los Angeles with Chicago. In 1926, it was thought of as a "super highway", and generations enjoyed the freedom of travel it represented. Strangely, this card folder takes us on a pictorial trip from Los Angeles to . . . St. Louis! Not quite all the way to Chicago! Nonetheless, the vistas are spectacular the color is brilliant, the sensibilities a bit dated, but still it manages to make me yearn for that simpler time. Anybody want to hitch a ride?

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

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
sir clinksalot
MickeyMaxx
CaptPhoebus
Ian Parkinson and Richard Williams
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.