Watch the new “Legacy” featurette (below), from MALEFICENT, featuring a behind-the-scenes interview with Angelina Jolie.
Also, starting today, fans can enter for a chance to win a trip to the world premiere of the film in the Maleficent “Embrace Your Inner Evil” Sweepstakes. Fans can enter by recreating Maleficent’s laugh and posting the video to Instagram using #MaleficentLaughSweeps. Official Rules: http://di.sn/MaleficentLaugh
“Maleficent,” the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the classic “Sleeping Beauty,” reveals the events that hardened Maleficent’s heart and drove her to curse the baby, Aurora, only to later realize that the child may hold the key to peace in the land.
“Maleficent” is produced by Joe Roth and directed by Robert Stromberg, with Angelina Jolie, Michael Vieira, Don Hahn, Palak Patel, Matt Smith and Sarah Bradshaw serving as executive producers. Linda Woolverton wrote the screenplay. “Maleficent” opens in U.S. theaters on May 30, 2014.
Even with Christopher Nolan’s Producer credit stamped in the lower left hand corner of Transcendence, it could not have saved itself from a lackluster performance from some of the most well-known names in Hollywood right now.
Among them are Johnny Depp, who plays Will Caster, the world’s most prominent research on Artificial Intelligence. His goal throughout the film is to create a god-like computer that could access all the information on the planet while harnessing human emotions and becoming a sentient self-aware super computer. What a mouth-full that was!
So here’s the thing; the directorial debut of Will Pfister (who can typically be found amidst the credits of Christopher Nolan films as the Cinematographer) falls short of pretty much all angles. The performances were dull at best, even with the likes of Depp, Morgan Freeman, Paul Bettany, Kate Mara, Cillian Murphy, the list of stupendous acting talent goes on and on. But even with all that Hollywood star-power, it can’t save itself from poor writing, a hacked plot that took several downward spirals into the downright silly, most notably when Cillian Murphy’s character, Agent Buchanan claims the only way to stop Depp’s Frankenstein internet monster is to “Shut down the Internet”.
****SPOILER ALERT***
With Will Caster being targeted by anti-technology extremist groups nation-wide known as RIFT, he falls victim to an attack that leaves him with under a month to live. His wife Evelyn (played by Rebecca Hall) believes that through her husband’s accumulated research over the years, she could download his subconscious into a massive hard drive to save his brilliant mind.
Of course this turns out to be successful, but with unexpected chaotic results that lead Caster and his wife to a small town in the middle of nowhere to which they use Caster’s internet smarts to play Wall Street, make millions, and build an underground facility designed to take human evolution to a whole new level. Sounds a little like Mad Libs does it not?
From here the story takes an outrageous turn when a construction worker is mugged outside the facility and Caster takes him in to “heal” him. It is there that Caster miraculously uses the tech at their disposal to bring the near-death construction worker back to tip-top shape. But that is not all. In an effort to make him better than he was before, the construction worker is given super-human speed, strength and intelligence through a network created by Caster that links him to those he saves. When word gets around that the construction worker is by far better than before, people come from all over the world to be saved, believing that Will Caster has god-like healing powers.
It is at this point that the FBI and RIFT team together to take them all down and stop Caster before he gains control over the whole world by sending out nanobots into the earths atmosphere and infecting the entire planet.
All-in-all, Transcendence is a movie with a great cast, marginal performances at best from each of the big names you recognize, a plot that makes little sense plagued by constant left turns into “what the heck is happening right now” territory that leaves the audience confused and wondering just what kind of movie Transcendence was trying to be. A preposterous plot, boring performances, a director who should stick to cinematography and nothing more, and a score that sounds all too familiar to most other films with Christopher Nolan’s name attached to it.
Transcendence falls flat and ends up being one of those movies you are better off forgetting you heard about and curiously stumbling upon it on your Netflix subscription long after the dollar movie theaters have emptied their closets of copies of Transcendence 10 months from now. But even then, you may just want to skip over this one entirely and save your two hours doing something more entertaining such as watching paint dry.
Disney Club Penguin players can now experience the #1 virtual world for kids on iPhone and iPod Touch. The virtual world was brought to iPad as a playable experience in December, and today’s update brings the playable world to iPhone and iPod Touch. The Club Penguin app has reached nearly 5 million downloads and is available in six different languages.
The update coincides with one of Club Penguin’s most popular events in the virtual world, the Puffle Party. Features from the Puffle Party event will be included in the app, such as:
Members can now adopt up to 40 pet puffles, including the new dog and cat puffle
Members can walk puffles in the world and play and dig for cool clothing or coins
Players can roleplay in six new rooms like the Puffle Park, Hotel Rooftop and Pet Shop
It’s spring time and that must mean one thing, it’s Knott’s Berry Bloom event at Knott’s Berry Farm as well as their Annual Boysenberry Festival now through April 27th. This is their second year doing this event, and it’s a lot of fun for the entire family. At the main entrance you can take a photo with a display of overgrown flowers and butterflies. Step back in time into the old west in Ghost Town, there you can find a shack selling individual pots of strawberry, blackberry and of course boysenberry that you can take home and plant in your own garden.
For more info and to book your travel, use the Price Your Vacation Form in the Sidebar or click here. You can also call 877-918-8941 and ask for Heather to book. Make sure to mention that you were referred by Socalthrills.com! Safe travels everyone!
Also here you can try what the chefs have concocted for this spring event like the Jalapeno stuffed pepper with Boysenberry Cream Cheese coated in chocolate at The Calico Saloon or Alligator bites with Boysenberry Aioli at Calico Fry Co. just to tease you with a few. (Please see below for my personal review of the foods that I was able to try.) At certain dinning locations in Ghost Town and Calico Square you can purchase a punch card for $20.00 that will give you 6 unique menu offerings. I think this card is worth the $20 since if you bought the items a la carte they would range from $7.00 to $10.00 each, which it will cost you a whole lot more. If you have some little Peanuts in your family make sure to visit Camp Snoopy, there your little ones can meet with some of the world famous Peanuts characters take pictures and also go on the Search for the Easter Beagle. Children ages (3-11) can participate in the search that will send you around Camp snoopy, Fiesta Village, the Boardwalk. Throughout the entire park there were little interactive pop up spring egg and flower displays, such as a frog shooting water, or a ladybug roller coaster. Most had employees at each station encouraging children and ‘children at heart’ like myself to press the button and watch the scene come to life, while at the end of the little show Snoopy would pop out of a hiding place. From the different children activities that I did see my favorite was the talking Mayan like god statue with the bird on top that lays an egg at a push of a button.
Now for the adults Knott’s is offering wine tasting at the Towering Topiary Tasting Garden at the Wilderness Dance Hall. Here you can find different wineries offering tasting stations. It cost $15.00 and includes a punch card for up to 6 samples and a plate of cheese, crackers, fruits and nuts that will compliment the wines during the tasting. There are about 12 different wine vineyard stations that offer 3 wines to choose from. Just outside the dance hall is a beer tasting station as well if you do not fancy wine. Your children can partake as well with the punch card; they can use one of your punches to get lemonade or boysenberry punch. Wow time sure flies when you’re eating and drinking. Thankfully for this punch card you can come and go as you please, you can do a taste or two leave go watch a show or go on a ride and then come back and keep tasting. As the sun sets in the evening, the stage is set at the Boardwalk Circle Fountain for Bloomination Dance Party. Here a DJ spins the latest and greatest hits. Dancers take to the stage in white spandex like costumes and dance the night away while stilt walkers roam the stage area taking pictures with guests.
Calico Saloon: The Jalapeno Stuffed Pepper with Cream Cheese does sound like a very strange combination to me but for this instance it was a match made in heaven, a perfect balance of sweet and spicy. At first I was really hesitant of trying this offering. The jalapeno had a crunch like a crisp bell pepper and they boysenberry cream cheese was light and sweet. The apple smoked wood bacon was cooked to a crisp, covered in white chocolate and festive sprinkles; it made for a sweet and salty balance. They also did offer the bacon also covered in milk and dark chocolate as well, I do recommend to try it with the white chocolate its better. Later in the evening I did go back to eat another piece and they only had the milk or dark chocolate, I opted for the milk and it was way too sweet. I do have a sweet tooth but I tasted more chocolate than bacon, I was a little disappointed.
Little pop up stand with a grill (Left of the candy store): The Flank Steak with Boysenberry BBQ sauce on a stick. It was freshly grilled in front of me. The employee was very nice and made small talk as I waited for the meat to be cooked. At the first bite it was tender and the BBQ sauce was not overpowering the steak. Also the BBQ sauce had a hint of the boysenberry not like some food items that when an element is highlighted it becomes too overpowering.
Calico Fry Co.: Alligator with Boysenberry aioli was worth the wait. You get three bite size pieces of alligator that is battered and deep fried. It is served in a cone shaped carrier with a bed of french fries and a generous scoop of fresh boysenberry aioli that is nestled in a little cup at the top of the cone. It is hard to get good alligator here on the west coast. I know a lot of readers will be hesitant in trying this but it does taste a lot like chicken but it’s just a little chewier. I think once you do try it, it grows on you. I hope that this food offering will stay.
Little pop up stand with a grill (Left of Sutter’s): This little stand has a sign posted for Chicken Wings and the Alligator bites. It was a little frustrating to stand in the line and reach the employee to tell me that they offer the wings and corn on the cob instead. If I wanted the alligator bites I had to go around the corner to Calico Fry Co. to wait in another line get that. As for the hot wings they are precooked in the Sutter’s kitchen building and then walked over to the pop up stand in each boat you get about 4 or 5 chicken wings. Then they are placed on the grill to heat them up once again then tossed into a bowl with the boysenberry BBQ sauce. This sauce utilizes the same base from the flank steak but this one seems to have a few more spices so it had a really nice kick.
Ghost Town Bakery: Offers the sweet treat of Waffle on a Stick and Waffle Tacos. The concept is good but sadly this one fell flat. Waiting about 45 to 50 minutes before I was able to order and when I did I was informed that the regular waffle iron that makes the tacos was malfunctioning and if I wanted that, I could check back later. They only have one waffle iron that makes four waffles on a stick per batch and they only had one iron. The employees seem to have a hard time keeping up with the demand of this unique treat. A few guests a head was a lady and her children they were waiting for more than 30 minutes for the order that they already placed, it seemed like the cooks accidentally lost her order. Either utilize another waffle iron or do not offer this because they can not seem to keep up with the demand.
Little pop up stand with grill (Next to the train tracks): Sweet potato with boysenberry butter, this sounds strange but quite delicious and light. I just wished that when they pull out the sweet potato out of the smoke box that they would open up the foil and cut a slit down the middle like a baked potato. Also here you can pick up your turkey leg with a boysenberry glaze over the leg. Sadly my turkey leg was very dry on the outside and a little chewy, but love the boysenberry BBQ sauce.
Gourmet Churro Factory: The Churros are freshly made and fried and can be plain with just cinnamon and sugar or you can be adventurous and try it filled with boysenberry, custard or I think strawberry. I tried the regular cinnamon and sugar churro at the end of the night as Knott’s was closing. It was still warm and tasty.
On a slightly frustrated note, I was not able to try the deep fried boysenberry ice cream at the Ghost Town Grub. Sadly they did not appear to be prepared for a large turnout on an opening day. I do hope that they see this as a good sign and hopefully they can keep this permanently, I would love to go and try it soon, I hope. Overall Knott’s Berry Bloom is EGGcellent. The spring time decor of the over sized flowers and animals are amazing.
The ultimate X-Men ensemble fights a war for the survival of the species across two time periods in X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST. The beloved characters from the original “X-Men” film trilogy join forces with their younger selves from the past, “X-Men: First Class,” in order to change a major historical event and fight in an epic battle that could save our future.
X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST
Action-adventure
Release: May 23, 2014, in 3D
Director: Bryan Singer
Screenplay by: Simon Kinberg; Story by Simon Kinberg and Matthew Vaughn & Jane Goldman
Producers: Lauren Shuler Donner, Bryan Singer, Simon Kinberg, Hutch Parker
Cast: Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin, Ellen Page, Peter Dinklage and Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen. Evan Peters, Omar Sy
Disney is giving amateur baseball pitchers in the nation a chance to compete for a $1 million prize in the Million Dollar Arm Pitching Contest. The Million Dollar Arm Pitching Contest is being held to celebrate the opening of Disney’s “Million Dollar Arm,” an incredible true story about two young men who went from never throwing a baseball to getting a Major League tryout.
Amateur baseball pitchers—male or female, who are legal United States residents at least 18 years of age or older—are invited to qualify to compete in the preliminary rounds of the Million Dollar Arm Pitching Contest at either Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida, Disneyland® Resort in California or at the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Day at the Tribeca Family Festival in New York City. The three contestants from each location who throw the fastest pitches will advance to the finals and have a chance to compete for a $1 million prize at the world premiere of Disney’s “Million Dollar Arm” in Hollywood, California. Official rules are available on Disney.com’s “Million Dollar Arm” homepage at http://disney.com/PitchingContest.
Presented by SUBWAY® restaurants, the three qualifying events will take place on April 25 and 26, from 7 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., at both Downtown Disney District in Anaheim, Calif. and ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World® and on April 26 only, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Day during the Tribeca Family Festival in New York City. Contestants will throw three pitches, each tracked by a radar gun, in an attempt to throw the fastest pitch. All participants will receive tickets for themselves and a guest to see an advance screening of Disney’s “Million Dollar Arm” at an AMC Theatres location later that evening.
Nine finalists chosen during these qualifying events will have a chance to compete for the $1 million prize at the world premiere of Disney’s “Million Dollar Arm.” The top three eligible pitchers with the fastest pitches from each qualifying round location will be flown with his or her guest to the final contest, which will take place at the world premiere of Disney’s “Million Dollar Arm” in Hollywood, Calif., on May 6. Each of these finalists will throw three pitches on Hollywood Boulevard. Any eligible finalist who throws one 100 mph strike (out of three pitches) will become a potential winner of the $1 million grand prize.
The nine finalists and their guests will be VIPs at the film’s premiere along with stars, filmmakers, major league players, coaches, scouts and celebrities.
In Disney Magical World, players pick from a selection of characters and can customize with Disney-themed outfits and accessories. The personalized character explores the world by managing a café, planting crops, and collecting Disney character cards in a new magical world. Favorite Disney characters also join in the fun to find missing items and solve problems.
After creating a personalized avatar and a customized dream life, players embark on a 3D fantasy adventure featuring more than 60 iconic Disney characters across a main central plaza and its four surrounding worlds inspired by Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Aladdin and Winnie the Pooh. It’s all Disney, all the time as players design their own outfits, interact with beloved characters, manage a café to earn in-game coins, set off on ghost-hunting quests and even visit friends’ towns via StreetPass.
The game also leverages unique features of the Nintendo 3DS system. By scanning AR Cards – which will be distributed online, in stores and at special events – using the Nintendo 3DS camera, players can unlock new clothes, accessories and furniture items for a limited time. The game also offers additional paid downloadable content, including one free monthly Disney-themed avatar T-shirt, via Wi-Fi to players using a broadband Internet connection. Players also can opt in to receive free downloadable items like clothing and furniture every season, starting today.
The Disney Magical World game is now available in stores and in the Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS for $29.99. For more information about the game, visit http://disneymagicalworld.nintendo.com.
The second annual Knott’s Berry Bloom returns this spring season with larger-than-life displays of beautiful spring colors, interactive family-friendly activities, expanded gourmet food and wine tasting opportunities, and more! New for 2014, celebrate the nostalgic history of Knott’s roots (literally!) at the Ghost Town Boysenberry Festival. This immersive festival honors the delectable berry that started it all in inventive and delicious ways.
This spring, the historic theme park will host the inaugural Ghost Town Boysenberry Festival where guests can wine, dine, and buy boysenberry inspired products throughout the windings streets of the Old West. Festival entrances feature rustic banners and oversized boysenberries, just ripe for taking that special photo. Walter & Cordelia Knott’s Original Roadside Boysenberry Stand will be recreated for the special event, from which guests can purchase authentic boysenberry plants. The Knott family sold freshly picked boysenberries from the original stand, and the rest, as they say, is history!
As part of the festival, inside Wilderness Dance Hall guests will find a variety of boysenberry inspired gourmet food and wine offerings from around the world. Just outside of the Dance Hall, towering sculpted topiaries provide shade during warm April days and twinkle brighter than stars at night. Ghost Town will be filled with the mouthwatering aroma of ribs, chicken, alligator and other charbroiled treats smothered with boysenberry glaze and cooked on open-air barbeques throughout the streets of the festival.
On School House Road, guests can try their hand at western themed games with a boysenberry twist! Winners can take home an exclusive Boysenberry Festival prize. And what’s a festival without a pie eating contest? Daily boysenberry pie eating contests will also take place in front of the Bird Cage Theatre. It’s almost too much fun to stomach.
While strolling the streets of Ghost Town, guests can capture the moment and the memories at boysenberry themed stand-in cutouts, each featuring fun historical facts and special moments from Knott’s history. Some will resemble original photo ops from the historic Pitchur Gallery on Main Street. While enjoying the festival, guests may meet Logan Berry, the mayor of Ghost Town, presiding over the Boysenberry Festival. But watch out for bandits hankerin’ to steal a piece of boysenberry pie. From day to night, Ghost Town has never looked so deliciously fun.
When the sun sets, things get krazy when Krazy Kirk and the Hillbillies mount their toe tappin’, knee-slappin’, gut-bustin’ country comedy show in front of the Bird Cage Theatre that has Knott’s audiences clamoring for more! It’s the perfectly krazy end to a day at Knott’s Berry Bloom.
Knott’s Berry Bloom also features an extensive line up of live and interactive entertainment. The iconic Charleston Circle fountain transforms into a beautiful floral fountain, adorned with colorful flowers creating an iconic centerpiece for Bloom. Located in the Boardwalk area, the stunning monument will serve as a dramatic backdrop for two spectacular interactive shows. Peanuts Party in the Park returns bigger and more interactive than ever with an all-new rockin’ set list, more Peanuts characters, and tons of fun surprises in Charleston Circle. And this year Knott’s debuts a new nighttime dance party, Bloomination! After sundown, larger-than-life flowers and vines affixed to the Charleston fountain light the night with LED lighting effects; butterfly stilt walkers prance among the crowd, and a DJ spins the hottest dance music for all ages.
Last year’s guest favorite, the Search for the Easter Beagle returns this year as the Easter Beagle’s ENORMOUS Egg Hunt. This year, all five of the interactive Easter Beagle locations will also be prize locations for kids 3-11 years old who are on the hunt for spring time fun. The path will lead explorers to a grand finale meet and greet location with the one and only Snoopy, himself in an area of Camp Snoopy created just for this experience!
Near Xcelerator, challenge one another to an oversized game of shuffle board, giant tic tac toe, larger than life bowling, and more at Big Boardwalk Games. This season, Big Boardwalk Games has sprouted new and exciting games, and throughout the day, Sally and Peppermint Patty come out to play along and challenge park guests to some friendly competition. Let the good times roll!
In the Camp Snoopy Theatre, Lucy’s Really BIG Show, will showcase the Peanuts pals singing, dancing, and celebrating springtime to cheerful tunes – and they just might invite little ones on stage to celebrate with them! As part of the 30th celebration of Camp Snoopy and renovation of the entire land dedicated to kids, guests will enjoy the show in the comfort of the new audience shade structure!
Guests don’t have to be experts at the cha-cha-cha to enjoy Salsa Dancing in Fiesta Village, where everyone can to take to the floor with some of their favorite dance music.
Most of the exciting Knott’s Berry Bloom activities are included with admission to Knott’s Berry Farm, which also offers a full day of thrilling coasters and family fun rides, like the all-new Boardwalk attractions and the beautifully restored Timber Mountain Log Ride.
Knott’s is open extended hours from 10am to 10pm during Knott’s Berry Bloom, April 12 – 27, 2014 allowing guests extra time to take advantage of all of the limited-time offerings.
“Despicable Me Minion Mayhem,” an original 3D Ultra-HD adventure, and “Super Silly Fun Land,” an immersive carnival setting – both based on Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s worldwide blockbuster “Despicable Me” franchise – celebrated their dynamic grand opening on Friday April 11, 2014 at Universal Studios Hollywood. Among the many surprises inspired by the beloved films, guests will be “turned into” an army of iconic Minions and embark on a secret training mission.
“Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” officially opens to the public at Universal Studios Hollywood on Saturday, April 12, 2014.
[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/91744660[/vimeo]
The world premiere was attended by many Minions parading along the yellow carpet, who were joined by Chris Meledandri, founder and CEO of Illumination Entertainment; Ron Meyer, Vice Chairman of NBCUniversal; Tom Williams, Chairman & CEO of Universal Parks & Resorts; and Larry Kurzweil, President of Universal Studios Hollywood. L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti made a special guest appearance to show support for the theme park’s newest addition, speaking to an enthusiastic crowd about Universal Studios Hollywood’s long-term impact on tourism in the region.
Also in attendance were “Despicable Me” series stars, including Miranda Cosgrove (Margo), Dana Gaier (Edith) and Elsie Fisher (Agnes), who were joined by versatile entertainer and host of EXTRA, Mario Lopez; the cast from NBC’s “Crisis,” including Stevie Lynn Jones, Lance Gross, Joshua Erenberg, Max Martini and Max Schneider; TGT recording artist, Tank; HBO’s “Band of Brothers” star Neal McDonough; Syfy’s “Face Off” host, McKenzie Westmore; and Ultimate Fighting Champion Chuck Lidell.
“The irreverent humor, endearing characters and storyline that have captivated movie-goers worldwide makes ‘Despicable Me’ a perfect match for our theme park,” said Kurzweil. “This imaginative new attraction will not only take guests on a hilarious and heartwarming adventure that captures the spirit of the film, but will also invite them to embrace their ‘inner Minion’ – that mischievous alter-ego that hides within all of us. As the film franchise continues to break new ground as a modern day classic, so too will ‘Despicable Me Minion Mayhem’ as yet another marquee Universal Studios Hollywood attraction.”
Voiced by the film’s original stars, the fully immersive motion-simulator ride features the lovable cast of characters who have resonated with audiences across the globe: (former?) super-villain Gru (Steve Carell), his adorable girls – Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Elsie Fisher) – and an army of unpredictable Minions, voiced by Pierre Coffin.
“Despicable Me Minion Mayhem’ and ‘Super Silly Fun Land’ bring our movies to life, with all of the gorgeous artistry, humor and the heart – and of course the thrills – that the team at Universal Studios are known for,” said Chris Meledandri. “In addition to the state-of-the-art 3D ride, we’ve built out an immersive environment with many other attractions – shops, restaurants, countless water features, a round ride, and even the arcade games featured in the first ‘Despicable Me’ movie. Who wouldn’t want to spend a day as a Minion?”
As if lifted from the world of “Despicable Me” and placed within Universal Studios Hollywood, the “Despicable Me” ride welcomes guests to ‘Minion Mayhem’ via Gru and the girls’ idyllic suburban neighborhood, re-created with precision to mirror their ominous house and Miss Hattie’s Home for Girls. Whimsically themed queues, clever preshow videos and comedic dialogue set up Gru’s nefarious plot: to create an army of Minions from guest recruits.
As guests enter Gru’s living room, they will encounter many memorable artifacts from the series, including his notorious SR6 Shrink Ray and rhinoceros chair, and then make their way into Gru’s super-villain laboratory. The exciting journey will send guests, who wear wearing specially-designed 3D “Minion Goggles,” on an excursion through the humorous Minion training mission. Soon, guests will actually become Minions themselves. A post-show Minion dance party invites everyone to join in the impromptu fun and celebrate the anniversary of Gru and the girls becoming a family.
“Super Silly Fun Land,” an all-new elaborate carnival setting and play zone unique to Universal Studios Hollywood, is just adjacent to “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem”. Who doesn’t remember when Gru took the girls to the seaside resort in the first film and “won” Agnes the iconic fluffy unicorn? Now, guests can win a unicorn of their own and roam this uniquely stylized environment, which until now could only be enjoyed on the big screen.
The colorfully themed, interactive Minion-inspired outdoor venue will entertain guests of all ages with more than 80 different water play features. A nearby dry zone will invite guests to climb, jump and slide – while a Minion-themed ride, “Silly Swirly Fun Ride,” will soar and spin guests around for a 360-degree view of “Super Silly Fun Land” aboard a fleet of uniquely-designed ride vehicles.
Together, “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” and “Super Silly Fun Land” represent a distinct, immersive environment within the theme park – reimagined to fully engage guests in the world of Gru, his girls and the Minions, – joining Universal Studios Hollywood’s dynamic roster of award-winning themed attractions.
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Disney’s “it’s a small world” theme park attraction, thousands of guests and cast members at Disney Parks around the globe united on April 10th in a historic “It’s a Small World” sing-along. Fans everywhere joined in online at SmallWorld50.com, a “global hub” of music and harmony created for the Golden Anniversary of the iconic attraction that opened as a tribute to peace and hope, saluting UNICEF, at the 1964 New York World’s Fair.
Here is a video of the cavalcade that Robert Sherman led at Disneyland Park.
” ‘it’s a small world’ has inspired hundreds of millions of people through its timeless theme,” said Tom Staggs, chairman, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “Every moment of every day there are Disney guests enjoying ‘it’s a small world’ somewhere around the globe. The 50th anniversary of this attraction represents a celebration of the shared optimism, hope, and humanity of people throughout the world.”
Throughout the day, Disney Parks guests participated in events in all five resorts around the world, including in-park sing-alongs, cavalcades and special musical performances. Richard M. Sherman, the Oscar®-winning songwriter who composed “It’s a Small World” with his late brother, Robert, led a sing-along at Disneyland Park in California and participated in a Google Hangout that can be seen at SmallWorld50.com.
Check out our photo gallery from the April 10th event at Disneyland Park.
In the attraction, hundreds of dolls “sing” the familiar song, “It’s a Small World,” in five languages (English, Italian, Japanese, Spanish and Swedish). Academy Award®-winning composers Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, who won two Oscars® for their work on Disney’s feature film “Mary Poppins,” were asked by Walt Disney to create a simple, yet catchy piece that could be sung in many different languages while guests traveled by boat through the attraction. The resulting song, “It’s a Small World (After All),” became one of the most well known and happiest of all Disney tunes.
Travel away to a quaint Greek island for a destination wedding of Sophie Sheridan (Chelsea Williams) and Sky (Chris Stevens). Chaos ensues when the day before the wedding guests are arriving and Sophie has invited her father to the wedding to walk her down the aisle but she does not know who it its.
The three potential fathers are: Harry Bright (Mark A. Harmon), Bill Austin (Michael Colavolpe) or Sam Carmichael (Jeff Drushal). To add to the comedy Donna Sheridan (Georgia Kate Haege) use to perform with her best friends Tanya (Gabrielle Mirabella) and Rosie (Carly Sakolove) in a singing group called Danna and the Dynamos and have come back to the island to help Donna and see Sophie tie the knot.
This evening’s opening night performance of Mamma Mia! was delightful and very energetic. Director Phyllida Lloyd did an amazing job bringing this show to life and I have to thank all the hard work that both the cast and crew worked effortlessly to make everything seamless. No doubt this tour is like a family working well together. The music of ABBA is very iconic like “Dancing Queen”, “Does Your Mother Know”, “Lay All Your Love On Me” and “Mamma Mia” just to name a few. I bet you that by the end of the night you will be out of your seat singing and clapping along to the music. This is a great show for a date night, girls night out, or even grab your friends and family and rock out to Mamma Mia!
Mamma Mia! has delighted audiences all over the world. The original West End production has celebrated more than 6,000 performances in London and the international tour has stopped at over 74 foreign cities in 35 countries and has been seen by more than 4.3 million people. We are honored to have this tour stop here at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
This floating Greek island will have a short engagement of now until April 13th 2014. Take a mini vacation and treat yourself to a wedding, here your all family. Tickets are starting at $29.00 are available online at SCFTA.org, at the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling a friendly operator at (714) 556-2787. For groups of 10 or more please contact the Group Services office at (714) 755-0236. The TTY number is (714) 556-2746. The 2 p.m. performance on Saturday, April 12th will include audio description, open captioning and sign-language interpretation.
WARNING: The use of tight colored spandex and platform boots are utilized. You have been warned. Enjoy the show!
Reaffirming its position as the #1 tourist destination in Los Angeles with one of the most progressive and exciting theme park experiences anywhere, Universal Studios Hollywood, is making an unprecedented five-year investment in revolutionary new thrill rides and expansive themed environments that will radically alter the familiar footprint and landscape of The Entertainment Capital of L.A.
This monumental transformation, the most significant undertaking in the theme park’s storied 50 year history, will have substantial impacts across all facets of L.A.’s economic spectrum from job creation to tourism. Representing the single largest investment ever made, this sweeping makeover began in 2012 with the introduction of the award-winning mega-attraction, “Transformers: The Ride—3D” and will culminate in 2016 with the much-anticipated Los Angeles debut of “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™.”
“This is a pivotal time in the history of Universal Studios Hollywood as we build upon our extraordinary success and expand our vision for the future of our world-class destination,” said Larry Kurzweil, President of Universal Studios Hollywood. “This broad investment in our five-year transformation will further strengthen Universal Studios Hollywood as an economic leader, significantly contributing to long-term employment opportunities and tourism throughout L.A.”
“This amazing investment by Universal Studios Hollywood represents a dramatic boost for Los Angeles tourism, creating new world class entertainment that will add new jobs, stimulate hospitality revenues and contribute to the economic prosperity of our city,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.
From its humble beginnings 50 years ago, Universal Studios Hollywood has remained true to its roots of immersing guests in the awe-inspiring world of movie-making magic, providing remarkable access to movie sets on a real working studio lot. Its once celebrated “Glamour Trams” have evolved to become the now world-famous Studio Tour and a hallmark attraction, bringing millions of guests onto areas of an authentic movie and television studio typically restricted to authorized movie production personnel and into that elusive world motivated by three compelling words: lights, camera, action.
The evolution of breakthrough, next-generation thrill rides has continued to revolutionize the theme park renowned for its innovative collaborations with top Hollywood filmmakers and the greatest creative minds in entertainment – Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson, Michael Bay, Chris Meledandri – whose credibility contribute immensely to a ride’s authenticity.
Working in collaboration with Universal Creative, the visionary design and development division of Universal Parks & Resorts, Universal Studios Hollywood has crafted an ambitious blueprint for the future of the theme park detailing its expansive redesign and mega-attraction introductions.
“Transformers: The Ride—3D” set the stage for this epic transformation in 2012 and raised the bar for immersive, technologically advanced entertainment offered at Universal Studios Hollywood or elsewhere. Working in partnership with award-winning filmmaker Michael Bay and the technical luminaries at Industrial Light & Magic, the ride infused an adrenalized multi-level ride-track and visceral special effects with one of the most elaborate flight simulation ride systems ever created. Housed within a newly built 60,000 square foot structure, the ride utilized the highest, most sophisticated resolution of 3D-HD technology available to virtually launch guests into the dynamic, action-packed robotic world of the Transformers.
In summer 2013, the interior focal point of the theme park profoundly changed with the installation of Universal Plaza, a visually aesthetic 37,000 square foot art deco styled piazza. This impressive and versatile polygon-shaped entertainment venue sits at the heart of the theme park as a welcoming open air courtyard, architecturally reminiscent of classic Hollywood glamour. Featuring a soaring 70 foot tall tower emblazoned with the word Universal, the venue is large in scope, yet provides a warm and inviting environment to host an array of special events and entertainment.
On April 12, 2014, “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” and “Super Silly Fun Land” will open at Universal Studios Hollywood. Based on Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s Academy Award® and Golden Globe Award-nominated film franchise, and created in collaboration with Chris Meledandri, founder and CEO of Illumination Entertainment, “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” will resonate with the same endearing qualities and characters that catapulted the franchise to international blockbuster fame.
The footprint for “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” and “Super Silly Fun Land,” however, will serve as a crucial turning point for the theme park, as the adventure represents its first foray into fully expansive themed environments aimed at immersing visitors from the moment they enter the space. From experiencing Gru’s neighborhood to Miss Hattie’s Home for Girls and the imaginative seaside carnival, this all-encompassing approach is a decisive departure from the park’s more commonly used vignette ride exteriors to create holistic experiences and transport guests to that imaginary place.
2015 will be a momentous year for the theme park with two spectacular attractions debuting as part of the 50th anniversary. “Springfield” an immersive land surrounding “The Simpsons Ride” will open in Spring 2015 and in Summer 2015, “Fast & Furious—Supercharged,” based on the blockbuster film series, will be introduced as the grand finale to the celebrated Studio Tour.
The former layout of the park will become unrecognizable when “Springfield” hometown of America’s favorite family, The Simpsons, breathes new life to the sprawling and vibrant space surrounding “The Simpsons Ride.” “Springfield” will capture the spirit of the town and engage visitors and fans of the show in the intensely absorbing and colorful world made famous throughout the series’ 25 seasons.
“Springfield” is being designed to make guests feel as if they are being propelled through their television sets into the accurately depicted city, complete with signature eateries from Krusty Burger to Luigi’s Pizza and Phineas Q. Butterfat’s 5600 Flavors Ice Cream Parlor to iconic watering holes like Moe’s Tavern and Duff’s Brewery.
“Fast & Furious—Supercharged” will be a pulse-pounding, adrenaline-fueled finale to the world-famous Studio Tour. This technologically advanced thrill ride, will catapult guests into the high-stakes underground world of fast cars where they’ll join the cast in a harrowing escapade. The ride will be situated within a newly constructed 50,000 square foot building on the legendary backlot and will reunite stars from the Fast & Furious series in a groundbreaking mega-attraction, conceived as a new installment to the dynamic film series that can only be experienced at The Entertainment Capital of L.A.
The dynamic hydraulic-motion based ride will tell an original Fast & Furious story, incorporating hyper-realistic special effects and state-of-the-art 3D-HD imagery projected onto the world’s longest and most expansive 360-degree screen spanning nearly 400 feet in length to encircle Studio Tour guests in the Fast & Furious universe.
2016 will be a magical year for Universal Studios Hollywood as the theme park’s epic transformation becomes fully realized with the highly-anticipated arrival of “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.”
Inspired by the magical world created by J.K. Rowling and brought to life in the Warner Bros. films, “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” at Universal Studios Hollywood will be a fully immersive land designed for the entire family that brings the Harry Potter fiction and films to life with impeccable detail and authenticity. Similar to the dynamic Universal Orlando Resort themed land that opened in 2010, the Hollywood experience will be faithful to the visual landscape of the fiction and films, including Hogwarts castle that will serve as the iconic focal point of the impressively themed environment. “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” is a collaboration between J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros. Entertainment and Universal Parks and Resorts.
This evolution of Universal Studios Hollywood will also include the addition of two newly constructed parking structures that, combined, will accommodate thousands of additional vehicles. Construction on the second parking structure will be completed in late 2015.
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