One of my favorite "nerd" things is that I am very interested in weather patterns and averages. I keep track of how many days in a given month in Orlando are above average and below average and how many days of rain we get and how it relates to the average. This is my favorite time of the year because after months of never ending heat the daily temperatures slowly start to dwindle down, so on September 7th with fall approaching lets take a look where we are and how close we are to real fall' or Floridas version of fall at least.
First of all the maximum average high temperature and maximum average low temperature in Orlando both reach their peak on the same day: July 29th. After that day both start to decrease. However, one thing that I find interesting it that until about the beginning of October the average high temperature drops much faster than the average low temperature.
The maximum average high temperature in Orlando is 92.3 degrees. On September 7th it is 90.1 degrees, so we have lost 2.2 degrees off the average.
The maximum average low temperature in Orlando is 76.1 degrees. On September 7th it is 74.9 degrees, so we have lost 1.2 degrees off the maximum average.
The probability of rain on a given day in Orlando maxes out on July 20th, when it rains on 71% of that day historically. On September 7th, the chance that it will rain on that day historically has dropped to 58%, we are down 13% from the maximum.
If you are looking for a specific day this year in which there was a "dropoff" in temperature look at August 27th. In the 10 days before August 27th, the average high reached 94.0, in the 11 days starting on August 27th the average high has reached 89.8, still not low enough to say we have reached fall, but it shows that the relentless 90 degree days are more or less behind us.
Another interesting thing to look at is how much daylight we have lost.
On the longest day of the year the sun rise at 6:28 AM and sets at 8:26 PM for 15 Hours and 58 Minutes of daylight.
On September 7th the sun rise at 7:06 AM and sets at 7:40 PM for 12 Hours and 34 Minutes of daylight.
Monday, September 7, 2015
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Full HHN 25 Preview Part 1: The Past
25 years ago Universal Studios ran a little 3 night event called "fright nights." It was a modest event costing a mere $20 dollars per person, and included just one haunted house, a parade, a costume contest, and a special fireworks show. That little event over time transformed into what is the biggest, best, and most popular Halloween event in the United States today.
The first nine years of the event basically followed the same pattern as the first. 1-3 haunted houses, a parade, keep the rides open, a costume contest, and a fireworks show. Then in 2000, Universal changed the game on what a Halloween event could be, and Halloween Horror Nights would never be the same. Universal decided to build 5 haunted houses in 2000, but rather than just have them be a mishmash of five unrelated haunted houses, they set out to relate them in a way. To do this they created "Jack the Clown" the first and still most popular of what is now a long list of Halloween Horror Nights "hosts" or as they are really called "icons." Universal created an elaborate backstory for Jack, that he was a mass murdering clown setting up his carnival at Universal. All the houses that year had Jack tied into it somehow giving the event one overall cohesive theme. Fans ate up this cohesive theme idea and the events popularity would skyrocket as a result and never turn back.
In 2001, Universal created a new icon "Eddie" a chainsaw wielding maniac who also happened to be Jacks brother. Unfortunately due to 9/11, Eddie was scrapped at the last minute and Jack ended up returning as the events host that year, and even though Eddie never got his place at HHN, he is still popular in HHN lore among die hard fans and has appeared in scare zones in two separate years since.
In 2002, the icon was supposed to be "Cindy" the daughter of an owner of a morgue, with an interest in experimenting on dead things. Once again however, that plan needed to be scrapped as a string of Child abductions in Florida around this time led Universal to believe it would be in bad taste to have the icon be a child. So instead, her dad "The Caretaker" became the icon. Cindy would finally get her own house "The Orphanage" in 2010.
2003 would bring yet another new icon, the Director, a director of snuff films notorious for killing people in gruesome ways to entertain himself and others. Universal took a break from the icon idea in 2004, and fans were so upset that they went right back at it in 2005 with the Storyteller. Even over ten years later these four Icons (Jack, Caretaker, Director, Storyteller) are still known as the "core four" and remain incredibly popular among HHN fans and still always have a precense at the event. These years can be known as the golden years of HHN, as since 2005 Universal has not created a single icon that has been able to find the popularity that these four have to this day.
2006 was a "sweet 16" bringing together all of the core four icons together to all host the event. In 2007, Jack the Clown took the reigns yet again for the 3rd time as the event host. In 2008, Universal secured the rights to use "Bloody Mary," and so she became the icon of that year. It was the first time that a well known character, rather than an original creation served as the events host. In 2009, Universal came up with "The Usher", an owner of an old dilapidated movie theatre where the movies come to life. While a popular character, the Usher failed to resonate with fans as strongly as the core. 2010 and 2011 would bring FEAR and Lady Luck respectively, and mark a huge turning point in the events history yet again. FEAR and Lady Luck both were big flops as icons, neither were strongly liked by either die hard fans of HHN or even casual fans. Due to back to back flops, Universal went in a new direction with the event in 2012 and hasn't looked back since. With 2012 Universal opted to stop creating new icons, and stop creating an overall cohesive theme for the event, and put together more houses based on Movies and TV shows. Before 2012, HHN hardly ever had houses based on Movies or TV Shows, but every year since has seen a plethora them. It truly has been a new era of HHN. Even though it appears new "icons" are a thing of the past, the core four remain as popular as ever, and are set to return in their own scare zone in 2015, with Jack having his own show. Maybe one day Universal will return to creating new icons and a cohesive theme for the event, but with record crowds every year, for now they feel making houses off of popular Movies and TV Shows are what brings people in.
The first nine years of the event basically followed the same pattern as the first. 1-3 haunted houses, a parade, keep the rides open, a costume contest, and a fireworks show. Then in 2000, Universal changed the game on what a Halloween event could be, and Halloween Horror Nights would never be the same. Universal decided to build 5 haunted houses in 2000, but rather than just have them be a mishmash of five unrelated haunted houses, they set out to relate them in a way. To do this they created "Jack the Clown" the first and still most popular of what is now a long list of Halloween Horror Nights "hosts" or as they are really called "icons." Universal created an elaborate backstory for Jack, that he was a mass murdering clown setting up his carnival at Universal. All the houses that year had Jack tied into it somehow giving the event one overall cohesive theme. Fans ate up this cohesive theme idea and the events popularity would skyrocket as a result and never turn back.
In 2001, Universal created a new icon "Eddie" a chainsaw wielding maniac who also happened to be Jacks brother. Unfortunately due to 9/11, Eddie was scrapped at the last minute and Jack ended up returning as the events host that year, and even though Eddie never got his place at HHN, he is still popular in HHN lore among die hard fans and has appeared in scare zones in two separate years since.
In 2002, the icon was supposed to be "Cindy" the daughter of an owner of a morgue, with an interest in experimenting on dead things. Once again however, that plan needed to be scrapped as a string of Child abductions in Florida around this time led Universal to believe it would be in bad taste to have the icon be a child. So instead, her dad "The Caretaker" became the icon. Cindy would finally get her own house "The Orphanage" in 2010.
2003 would bring yet another new icon, the Director, a director of snuff films notorious for killing people in gruesome ways to entertain himself and others. Universal took a break from the icon idea in 2004, and fans were so upset that they went right back at it in 2005 with the Storyteller. Even over ten years later these four Icons (Jack, Caretaker, Director, Storyteller) are still known as the "core four" and remain incredibly popular among HHN fans and still always have a precense at the event. These years can be known as the golden years of HHN, as since 2005 Universal has not created a single icon that has been able to find the popularity that these four have to this day.
2006 was a "sweet 16" bringing together all of the core four icons together to all host the event. In 2007, Jack the Clown took the reigns yet again for the 3rd time as the event host. In 2008, Universal secured the rights to use "Bloody Mary," and so she became the icon of that year. It was the first time that a well known character, rather than an original creation served as the events host. In 2009, Universal came up with "The Usher", an owner of an old dilapidated movie theatre where the movies come to life. While a popular character, the Usher failed to resonate with fans as strongly as the core. 2010 and 2011 would bring FEAR and Lady Luck respectively, and mark a huge turning point in the events history yet again. FEAR and Lady Luck both were big flops as icons, neither were strongly liked by either die hard fans of HHN or even casual fans. Due to back to back flops, Universal went in a new direction with the event in 2012 and hasn't looked back since. With 2012 Universal opted to stop creating new icons, and stop creating an overall cohesive theme for the event, and put together more houses based on Movies and TV shows. Before 2012, HHN hardly ever had houses based on Movies or TV Shows, but every year since has seen a plethora them. It truly has been a new era of HHN. Even though it appears new "icons" are a thing of the past, the core four remain as popular as ever, and are set to return in their own scare zone in 2015, with Jack having his own show. Maybe one day Universal will return to creating new icons and a cohesive theme for the event, but with record crowds every year, for now they feel making houses off of popular Movies and TV Shows are what brings people in.
Sunday, May 3, 2015
HHN House #2
Last week we talked about the first HHN house in this years 2015 lineup, An American Werewolf in London, and since that post there has been a little bit of controversy surrounding the legitimacy of the leaked HHN house lineup. According to a few people "in the know" Universal intentionally leaked a false house lineup and all the houses that have been leaked are not actually happening. A few others in the know say that is not true and that the leaked lineup is 100% Accurate. And a few say the leaked lineup is a mix of false houses and accurate houses. It would make a little sense for it to be false because some houses, such as the return of American Werewolf in London, seem questionable. However, my personal opinion is that Universal is just embarrassed the houses leaked so early and is trying to save face by making it seem like false info and I believe the lineup is more or less accurate. So today we continue to house Number Two
The Walking Dead
This will be the 4th year for the Walking Dead at Halloween Horror Nights and many people are sick of it. There are two groups of people that go to HHN. There are the first group like me, who talk about HHN year round, count down the days, and go 10+ nights a year when it comes around. That group HATES the Walking Dead at HHN. Group two is the group that doesnt even give a passing thought to HHN until October rolls around, goes for one night, then doesnt give a passing thought about it until the next year. Group two LOVES Walking Dead at HHN. The Walking Dead is a show I enjoy, alot. Its a great show, but it is not a show that lends itself well to a haunted house. It's not a "horror" show, its a drama, and trying to make it a haunted house has failed 3 straight years, so why would a 4th be any better? One thing is for sure though, group two will flock to this house like bees to honey, it will draw 3+ hours long lines every night, the big suits who only care about money will deem it a success no matter how much the house sucks, and Walking Dead will return in 2015 for a 5th year, the cycle repeats again. The Walking Dead is going to be in the parade building this year behind ET, which will allow them to use the ET queue line for the house on super busy nights. The parade building house has the most potential space for a line so it makes sense to put the house that will draw the longest lines there.
Next week we will talk about house number three.
The Walking Dead
This will be the 4th year for the Walking Dead at Halloween Horror Nights and many people are sick of it. There are two groups of people that go to HHN. There are the first group like me, who talk about HHN year round, count down the days, and go 10+ nights a year when it comes around. That group HATES the Walking Dead at HHN. Group two is the group that doesnt even give a passing thought to HHN until October rolls around, goes for one night, then doesnt give a passing thought about it until the next year. Group two LOVES Walking Dead at HHN. The Walking Dead is a show I enjoy, alot. Its a great show, but it is not a show that lends itself well to a haunted house. It's not a "horror" show, its a drama, and trying to make it a haunted house has failed 3 straight years, so why would a 4th be any better? One thing is for sure though, group two will flock to this house like bees to honey, it will draw 3+ hours long lines every night, the big suits who only care about money will deem it a success no matter how much the house sucks, and Walking Dead will return in 2015 for a 5th year, the cycle repeats again. The Walking Dead is going to be in the parade building this year behind ET, which will allow them to use the ET queue line for the house on super busy nights. The parade building house has the most potential space for a line so it makes sense to put the house that will draw the longest lines there.
Next week we will talk about house number three.
Friday, April 24, 2015
HHN 25 House Lineup revealed
With this being the 25th anniversary of HHN and a very special year, it was inevitable things were going to be hyped differently. Usually one or two houses will leak by July, never earlier, and the whole lineup isn't leaked until around Mid August. To get the whole lineup leaked in April is unprecedented and so much earlier than ever before. But we do have it now, and out suspicions have been confirmed as there will be 9 houses this year, more than ever before. I was originally going to do a write-up of all nine houses in one post, but instead I will write about one house per week each of the next nine Fridays to make the time go by quicker.
1. American Werewolf in London: The most controversial and surprising house on this list. Universal has never before done a house twice, let alone do the same house twice in a 3 year span! many people would be open to a house being repeated, but would prefer it to be a house that happened 5+ years ago, but AWIL was just a house in 2013. The house was so popular however that Universal thought it would be appropriate to bring it back once more. It remains to be determined whether this house will be the exact same as the one in 2013 or if there will be some differences to make it fresh and new. the house in 2013 is considered by many to be one of the top 5 HHN houses of all time, (the official HHN countdown last year that included guest feedback rated it as the second best HHN house of all time) and while I thought it was a great house also, its not in my personal top 5 (I have it at my personal 7th favorite house ever.) The way I look it as is we usually have 8 houses and this year we have 9 so this is basically a bonus house and doesnt hurt anyone to bring it back. Early rumors suggest this house will be located in the first soundstage which would make its entrance right next to Despicable Me. The house that is located here is traditionally the house I end up doing the least amount of times every year because it is the closest house to the entrance of the park and therefore builds up long lines right away that never go down.
One House Down, 8 to go. Next week we will take at look at house number two. One important thing to note is since this leaking of the house lineup is so much earlier than ever before, things can still change. Until construction starts, nothing is 100% permanently set in stone. Even once construction starts things can change, as in 2012 a Chupacabra house was 75% finished before it was scrapped in July! In 2013 an American Horror Story house was slated to happen, but fell through at the last minute and we got Evil Dead instead. And in 2014 a boogeyman house was intended to be built before a From Dusk Till Dawn deal was struck late in the game to replace it. So even though its a pretty good bet the leaked lineup will be what we see in September, it is not a guarantee yet.
1. American Werewolf in London: The most controversial and surprising house on this list. Universal has never before done a house twice, let alone do the same house twice in a 3 year span! many people would be open to a house being repeated, but would prefer it to be a house that happened 5+ years ago, but AWIL was just a house in 2013. The house was so popular however that Universal thought it would be appropriate to bring it back once more. It remains to be determined whether this house will be the exact same as the one in 2013 or if there will be some differences to make it fresh and new. the house in 2013 is considered by many to be one of the top 5 HHN houses of all time, (the official HHN countdown last year that included guest feedback rated it as the second best HHN house of all time) and while I thought it was a great house also, its not in my personal top 5 (I have it at my personal 7th favorite house ever.) The way I look it as is we usually have 8 houses and this year we have 9 so this is basically a bonus house and doesnt hurt anyone to bring it back. Early rumors suggest this house will be located in the first soundstage which would make its entrance right next to Despicable Me. The house that is located here is traditionally the house I end up doing the least amount of times every year because it is the closest house to the entrance of the park and therefore builds up long lines right away that never go down.
One House Down, 8 to go. Next week we will take at look at house number two. One important thing to note is since this leaking of the house lineup is so much earlier than ever before, things can still change. Until construction starts, nothing is 100% permanently set in stone. Even once construction starts things can change, as in 2012 a Chupacabra house was 75% finished before it was scrapped in July! In 2013 an American Horror Story house was slated to happen, but fell through at the last minute and we got Evil Dead instead. And in 2014 a boogeyman house was intended to be built before a From Dusk Till Dawn deal was struck late in the game to replace it. So even though its a pretty good bet the leaked lineup will be what we see in September, it is not a guarantee yet.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
HHN 25 dates announced!!!!
Today Universal Orlando dropped the dates for Halloween Horror Nights and I got all giddy! All in all HHN 25 will run for an unprecedented 30 nights!!! This is up from last years 28 nights, which was a record as well. All in all, the dates have now increased from 25 in 2012, to 27 in 2013, to 28 in 2014, and now we are up to 30. Opening night is September 18th, which is now just 197 days away! Where are the two extra days coming from? Well there will be one extra Wednesday from last year, so instead of three Wednesdays, there will be four. Universal also tacked on a night to the end of the event, as it will run through Sunday November 1st, instead of ending on Halloween night. Now that we have dates we are just two months away from the beginning of the houses beginning construction, four months away from official house announcements, and 5.5 months away from lights and props going up around the park as well as rehearsals. We are getting closer every day!
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Join the club...
Just another person echoing the sentiments of so many others over the past 5 years or so. Think Disney will ever wake up?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christy-heitgerewing/for-the-first-time-in-forever-i-did-not-enjoy-disney-world_b_6261760.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/christy-heitgerewing/for-the-first-time-in-forever-i-did-not-enjoy-disney-world_b_6261760.html
Monday, November 24, 2014
Weekly Theme Park Roundup
New news in the theme park world is very sparse this week, but we'll try to make do with what we have in this Thanksgiving edition of theme park round up.
Universal Orlando announced today that Mardi gras will take place on Saturday Nights and select Friday and Sunday nights from February 9th-April 18th 2015. No bands have yet to be announced for Mardi Gras, that news likely won't come until the calendar has flipped to January.
Possibly the biggest thing that was kept an eye on this week, and will be the biggest thing into the future is the rapid speed at which King Kong construction is progressing. Just two weeks ago it was nothing but rubble and now he have a building taking shape. Universal does not mess around when building new rides. Of course, this ride is still unannounced, but there hasn't been a single reliable source that hasn't said this will be a King Kong ride so it seems safe to assume. Actually, I can't recall another time in which there was a 100% consensus on what was being built before the announcement. When Transformers was being built some sources were trying to argue it was a Fast and Furious ride among others, and when Diagon Alley was being built, there was a number of different speculations as to what it could go. But with this everyone is in agreement this is a King Kong ride. What people cant agree on is when it will open. Some say Christmas 2015, some say Summer 2016. Anyway, here a couple pictures.
And this one is to get perspective as to where in the park this ride will be located
That should just about do it for this week. Happy Thanksgiving! 305 Days until HHN 25
Universal Orlando announced today that Mardi gras will take place on Saturday Nights and select Friday and Sunday nights from February 9th-April 18th 2015. No bands have yet to be announced for Mardi Gras, that news likely won't come until the calendar has flipped to January.
Possibly the biggest thing that was kept an eye on this week, and will be the biggest thing into the future is the rapid speed at which King Kong construction is progressing. Just two weeks ago it was nothing but rubble and now he have a building taking shape. Universal does not mess around when building new rides. Of course, this ride is still unannounced, but there hasn't been a single reliable source that hasn't said this will be a King Kong ride so it seems safe to assume. Actually, I can't recall another time in which there was a 100% consensus on what was being built before the announcement. When Transformers was being built some sources were trying to argue it was a Fast and Furious ride among others, and when Diagon Alley was being built, there was a number of different speculations as to what it could go. But with this everyone is in agreement this is a King Kong ride. What people cant agree on is when it will open. Some say Christmas 2015, some say Summer 2016. Anyway, here a couple pictures.
That should just about do it for this week. Happy Thanksgiving! 305 Days until HHN 25
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