PhotoMatt Pics - 09.05.08 - MNSSHP

[Legally Brunette]

Wonderful pictures! They've definitely got me super excited for DL's Halloween setup

[danyoung]

Why won't they put benches in the hub? All they care about is viewing for Wishes.

My guess is that if there were benches there, people would be reserving them early in the afternoon. And then come showtime you have people yelling back and forth about blocked views and standing vs. sitting and it just becomes a big ol' mess.

So, what's the difference between WDW's Dole Whip and DL's? And which one is better?

Great pics and commentary - your little camera did a fine job with your eye driving it. Thanks for posting!

[Jerren]

Originally Posted by Hakuna Makarla

wow, loved every picture!!! truly a wonderful view of the park with out all the people. thank you for sharing !
Also who is this lady? I have not seen her in pictures there before. very cute.

She's the lady who stole all the benches in the hub!


Great pic's Matt as always.

[Mad Madame Momba]

I never thought of going into the WDW forum before, but then I noticed your name on a trip report in there and thought, "Hmmm...if DLR's very own PhotoMatt is doing a TR at WDW, then I'm going to look at it!" I loved it!

[Ginarella]

Great photos Matt and I loved your TR comments.

How many times did you ride TTA? That's my fav ride.

[PhotoMatt]

Originally Posted by Grizzly

By a little, I guess, yeah. It's not amazingly better. The bulk of the additions were just the stuff DL had for 3+ years. The updated audio/spiel in the strecthing room was nice, but the effect wasn't as great or dramatically different as they described.

I don't get it, maybe the WDW mansion was in such desrepair that it just seems that amazing now. I remember it pre-refurb, so I would understand that.

Nice pictures! Hope to make it to the Halloween party one year.

In January, just before I moved from Orlando to LA, I attended a Pirate's and Princesses Party. During that party I rode the HM a few times since there were no lines. A few days later I was in LA and, of course, one of the first things I did was go to the HM at DL. I was REALLY disappointed at how much darker and less vibrant the ghosts and effects were. Only a very short time had passed between visits, so it was easy to make the comparison. The biggest difference I found was the seance room. The instruments in FL are vibrant and highly detailed. The ones in CA are too dark, even when you ride it at night.

When I rode the HM in FL again for the first time in 8 months I was again amazed at the difference in quality and show between the two versions. It's more than just sound. It's the vibrance and colors on the ghosts. It's the stairway room, which is easily my favorite now - I love the footstep effects. I can understand that not everyone is amazed by the FL version. But I also don't think it's fair to say that there is just a little difference. I agree there is little difference in the layout of the ride, but the difference in quality is what I find amazing.

Thanks again for the compliments on the pictures.

[PhotoMatt]

Originally Posted by Ginarella

Great photos Matt and I loved your TR comments.

How many times did you ride TTA? That's my fav ride.

I rode it three or four times. For me TTA stands for Tired Tootsy Alleviator, so my feet thank me after each ride.

[DonDuck]

Awesome pics. Halloween event and low crowds... I gotta talk to my wife about this for next year.

[Grizzly]

Originally Posted by PhotoMatt

But I also don't think it's fair to say that there is just a little difference.

I still have to say that, even though I do think the MK one is a little better. I rode the one at DL the day after I got back from WDW. Really, the staircase room is the only major difference, obviously, that I find noteworthy. I really think it has to do in part on just how bad the show quality was in Florida's HM for such a long time. By comparison, yeah, it's like night and day and then people got overly pumped up about it.

[Wendygirl]

Originally Posted by PhotoMatt

Florida starts earlier to allow more guests, a large percentage of whom are international, to experience some aspects of the holiday of Halloween. It also allows them to generate a boatload of extra money on historically slow days. Some people are against this and some are for it. I am mostly for it and I would go to several MNSSHP's each year if I still lived in Orlando. Last year I easily paid more for hard ticket events than I did for my premium WDW AP.

I don't know the exact answer to the opening show on the trolley, but it could be a space issue. Main Street at the MK is much wider than at DL. That is just a guess though.

I'm sorry but I don't know the answers to the remaining questions.

Thanks for letting me know I'm looking forward to all the decorations coming up a week from Friday at DL (can you tell I'm counting the days?).

Also, in reading comments about the HM in WDW I'm looking forward to seeing that when I'm back there in the Spring. Sounds interesting and that staircase room thing is intriguing.

[SeaWolf38]

Hi there! I've never posted in the WDW section... I'm a DLand person lol. ANYWAYS, I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed looking at all those pics PhotoMatt! I've never even been to WDW, so seeing pics is really cool, something completely new. I have a question as well... can you even walk through Cinderella Castle? It is Cinderella, right.....? hehe The TTA is probably one ride I want to go on most at the MK.

[WDW Monorail]

Originally Posted by SeaWolf38

Hi there! I've never posted in the WDW section... I'm a DLand person lol. ANYWAYS, I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed looking at all those pics PhotoMatt! I've never even been to WDW, so seeing pics is really cool, something completely new. I have a question as well... can you even walk through Cinderella Castle? It is Cinderella, right.....? hehe The TTA is probably one ride I want to go on most at the MK.

You can walk through it, shop in it, eat in it, sleep in it if you are fortunate. Some would call it a mall within a castle.

[GrouchyRob]

Great pics and TR Matt. That place looked eerily empty. Kind of makes the DCA party pale in comparison.

[danyoung]

Originally Posted by SeaWolf38

... can you even walk through Cinderella Castle? It is Cinderella, right.....?

Yup, it's Cinderella Castle. Although they did for many years have King Stephan's Banquet Hall up there, so there was some question for a while. And yes, you can walk through the castle, just the same as in Disneyland. In fact, you'll want to be sure you do walk through, as there are some incredible glass bit murals in the walkway, depicting the story of Cinderella, that are simply breathtaking!

[Mac Daddy]

Matt - Ironically, I had just visited your profile page to see what had become of you. Thanks for these great shots! When you get home, crank up that Nikon and get back to the DLR!