Episode 117 - It's A Small World

Greetings, one and all! SurferClock here, along with TAP-G, to bring your the latest episode of "What's the Attraction?"

Today, we bring a message of friendship from aboard the happiest cruise that ever sailed...we're taking on It's A Small World! A staple at Magic Kingdom since 1971, this classic attraction serves as a prayer for peace, and yet, can be so terribly maligned by the general public, mostly due to its infectiously memorable attraction song, a song that took #1 on our Top 10 Attraction Songs list (have a refresher here!) There's a good reason for that, but outside of the song, does it still hold up after so many years? Check out what we thought by clicking on the link below.

Episode 117 - It's A Small World on YouTube

Fed Up #9 - I Can't Relate: Disney Springs

It's TAP-G's turn to take over for a solo segment! With all the changes happening along Central Florida's parks, it's turned attention away from one of the biggest transformations to happen in nearly a decade: the complete transmogrification of the Downtown Disney area into the hip, hot, trendy and 'happening' Disney Springs. Sure, there are Downtown Disney-esque elements still in place, as several of the shops that made it truly unique still exist, and you can still play in DisneyQuest (for now!) or catch the breathtaking Cirque du Soleil: La Nouba. As it is, Disney Springs has undergone such radical change that you can barely recognize the place if it's been more than maybe about a year since you've been. Towering parking garages, trendy new shops and restaurants...you could probably drop thrice in one day if your motif is to "shop 'til you drop," as it were.

Needless to say, I can't relate. What can I say, I'm a nostalgia nut whose first visits to Disney World back in Far-Too-Long-Ago Land seriously impacted me in many positive ways. So, to see what it's all become is, to steal from my buddy SurferClock's favorite film series, "kinda heavy."

I'm not saying EVERYTHING about it is terrible, there are some really nice things about it, things we didn't have before. And in today's Fed Up, I'm going to lay it all out on the table. If you can't tell from the title, it's mostly a case of "I Can't Relate," but give it a listen, and feel free to share your own thoughts as well. Keep it civil, though, please and thank you.

Fed Up #9 - I Can't Relate: Disney Springs on YouTube

Episode 116 - Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor Comedy Club

Hello, world! SurferClock here along with TAP-G once more to bring you the very latest episode of "What's the Attraction?" That's right, we're finally back from hiatus!

This week, the boys decide to take on an attraction over at the Magic Kingdom Park, live from Tomorrowland, it's the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor Comedy Club! This space has been just about every attraction under the sun, having at least 4 previous attractions under its belt. Based on the Pixar film Monsters Inc., this sort of pseudo-sequel continues the notion of monsters needing fuel from humans, but rather than harvesting your screams, it's now your laughter they're after! Proven to be 10 times more powerful than the screams of yesteryear, you'll join Mike Wazowski, the "Monster of Ceremonies," in trying to power the town of Monstropolis with your laughs. Will you be throwing your arms up in laughter, or seeking out the nearest tomato to toss? Find out by listening to our review by clicking the link below!

Episode 116 - Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor Comedy Club on YouTube

Thanks to Daniel Shull for contributing today's cover art! You can find more of his art over on his deviantART page, linked riiiiiight here!

SurferClock 

Episode 115 - Rest in Pieces: The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera

Gosh golly willikers, sports fans! (When am I ever going to get a chance at that kind of intro again?) SurferClock here, along with TAP-G, to bring you the latest episode of "What's the Attraction?"

Requested by several folks (which makes this by popular demand), today's episode of "What's the Attraction?" is the Rest in Pieces episode for "The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera" at Universal Studios Florida! This attraction opened with the park on June 7, 1990, and featured a wild chase through the cartoon universes of the acclaimed Hanna-Barbera Studios. Hosted by Yogi Bear and Boo Boo, guests joined them on the ride to save Elroy Jetson from the likes of Dick Dastardly. The attraction closed to make way for Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast, and then that closed to make way for the currently-operating Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem. Find out the fascinating history behind it all, and then strap in as the boys give this attraction one last ride as a proper send-off...this time, you get the pre-show AND the ride!

The best part of all...you don't even have to queue up! Just click the link, and enjoy. Episode 115 - Rest in Pieces: The Funtastic World of Hanna Barbera on YouTube

Episode 114 - Skull Island: Reign of Kong

BEGIN MESSAGE, STOP

NEWLY FOUND AUDIO RECORDING DEPICTS STUDLY GENTLEMEN TACKLING NEW UNIVERSAL ORLANDO ATTRACTION, STOP

SKULL ISLAND: REIGN OF KONG AT UNIVERSAL'S ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE REVIEWED, STOP

AUDIO RECOVERY AND REFURBISHMENT PROVIDED BY EIGHTH WONDER EXPEDITION COMPANY, STOP

LISTEN AT THE HYPERLINK THAT WILL APPEAR BELOW, STOP

EPISODE 114 - SKULL ISLAND: REIGN OF KONG ON YOUTUBE, STOP

Episode 113 - Journey to Atlantis

Ahoy there, folks! SurferClock here, along with TAP-G, to bring you the latest episode of "What's the Attraction?"

This week's episode (the blog post of which is a whopping two weeks late! Sorry!) takes us back to SeaWorld Orlando, where it's very first thrill ride awaits…Journey to Atlantis is a generally slow moving boat ride that brings guests into the lost city of Atlantis. Things aren't as they appear, but of course, and you soon find yourself embroiled with trying to escape! The attraction opened in 1998, and was first of its kind for the adventure park - a legitimate adventure! But how does this aging attraction hold up? Find out by clicking below and hearing what we thought of it!

Episode 113 - Journey to Atlantis on YouTube 

Episode 112 - The Jungle Book: Alive with Magic!

Hello there, listeners! SurferClock here, along with TAP-G, to bring you the latest episode of "What's the Attraction?"

We realize that, lately, the show has been doing a lot of side segments and editorials. Seems we've had a lot on our mind, but now we're gonna go ahead and get things back on track with attraction reviews!

Today's review brings us to Disney's Animal Kingdom, where the park has been hard at work bringing about new nighttime entertainment as part of its bid to stretch beyond half-day territory, thanks in no small part to next year's opening of the land based on James Cameron's Avatar film. We were promised Rivers of Light, truly gorgeous nighttime show in concept, but because that's not ready for reasons Disney doesn't want to discuss, we got Jungle Book: Alive with Magic! This isn't the first limited time only experience we've discussed on the show, but the show does take place each evening, bringing the 2016 Jungle Book live-action film to life with music, dancing, and a distinct Bollywood feel! Is it unique enough to woo our critics? Find out by clicking the link below!

 Episode 112 - The Jungle Book: Alive with Magic! on YouTube

Episode 111 - Top Ten "Some Jerk with a Camera" Episodes

To all who come to this synergistic podcast, welcome! We're SurferClock and TAP-G…and if you can't tell by this introduction to the blog post, today we're coming together with a fellow theme park  critic who's quite a bit more well known and 108 times more hilarious than we…featured on Geekvision, That Fellow in the Coat, YouTube, and Channel Awesome, it's Some Jerk with a Camera! His videos reviewing theme park attractions, shows, and related films have garnered tens of thousands of views, his style is unique, and because he's such an inspiration to us and our show (though we try and keep joke theft to a minimum, we swear!), today we want to celebrate his legacy by counting down the Top 10 Some Jerk with a Camera episodes! Why celebrate his legacy?

Um…well…It seemed like a good idea at the time and is in NO WAY related to the various clothing-based video producer wars you may or may not have heard about. Something something Bolivian mice, just go watch the episode already.

Episode 111 - Top Ten "Some Jerk with a Camera" Episodes 

Episode 110 - Are Theme Parks Art? (A WTA Editorial)

Greetings and salutations to you all! SurferClock here, along with TAP-G, to bring you the latest episode of "What's the Attraction?"

Today's episode takes a moment to go a little deeper than the show normally goes...and yes, we are aware that this is a review show, not WatchMojo or Theme Park Theory, but with "What's the Attraction?", we like to go beyond the boundaries of rides, shows, and attractions...we are a guidebook with character, after all, and sometimes, even audiobooks have to make you think now and then. This week's topic is one spurred on by a number of sources and inspirations, but the way TAP-G puts it is this: in an entertainment medium mired by commercialism and escapism, can theme parks as a whole truly be considered fine art?

Catch our discussion and feel free to contribute your thoughts to the comments section by checking out the podcast right here: Episode 110 - Are Theme Parks Art? (A WTA Editorial) on YouTube

As always, thanks for watching!

Episode 109 - Top 6 Reasons We Won't Review "Escape From Tomorrow"

Hello, folks. SurferClock here, along with TAP-G, to bring you the latest episode of "What's the Attraction?"

There aren't many films that come along about the theme park industry, so when they happen along, you'd expect us to review them…and while this isn't a bad notion, we've received a surprising amount of requests to review a little film called "Escape from Tomorrow", a 2013 movie that was filmed at the Disney parks incognito.

We watched it, and after much debate, we decided this movie is not worthy of a Theme Park Reel-view. "No, but why?!" you ask. We compiled 6 good reasons that it's just not worth our time, and we hope you'll understand. Might you be able to cobble a review out of it? Never mind that…listen in and you'll find out why we've opted out of giving it a full review.

Episode 109 - Top 6 Reasons We Won't Review "Escape From Tomorrow" on YouTube 

Episode 108 - Festival of the Lion King

Greetings, listeners! SurferClock here, along with TAP-G (and a special guest!) to bring you the latest episode of "What's the Attraction?"

Today's episode marks a true first for us...while we've employed cameos and guest spots from a range of folks spanning both Channel Awesome (Some Jerk with a Camera) and our YouTube partners at Those Dudes with a Hat, we've never done a true crossover review until today! Lion King/Lion Guard aficionado Brandon the Bambi Man, host of Golden Ticket Reviews on YouTube, joins forces with SurferClock and TAP-G to review a marquee attraction at Disney's Animal Kingdom: Festival of the Lion King! Since its debut way back in 1998, it's drawn crowds for every show. A recent change in venue thanks to Pandora: The World of Avatar (a new land currently under construction as of the time of this blog post) brought it to a new building...does this new venue wow? And what of the show itself? Join the three of us for this review...you won't regret it!

Episode 108 - Festival of the Lion King on YouTube

Thanks again to Brandon for joining us in this review! If you like how he sounds and want to both see and hear more from him, check out his channel by clicking here (let's make this link bigger... GOLDEN TICKET REVIEWS!)

~SurferClock

Episode 107 - Doctor Doom's Fearfall

Greetings, listeners! SurferClock here, along with TAP-G, to bring you the latest episode of "What's the Attraction?"

We're finally finishing off Marvel Superhero Island's attractions over at Universal's Islands of Adventure with today's review of Doctor Doom's Fearfall! This attraction features a drop tower designed by the titular Doctor Victor Von Doom to extract the very fear from your body, in the hopes of using that fear to defeat the Fantastic 4! Does the plan succeed, and more importantly, is it worth going through that fear extraction process? Find out by checking out our review by clicking the link below!

Episode 107 - Doctor Doom's Fearfall on YouTube

*Special thanks to Matt Timmy Creamer over at moviepilot.com, who provided us some key information about the Doctor Doom character. You can find his blog here.

~SurferClock

Episode 106 - Versus! Men in Black Alien Attack vs. Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin

Ding ding ding! Get ready to watch SurferClock and TAP-G put up their dukes as What's the Attraction? brings you another episode of Versus!

In the red corner, dapperly dressed in black and ready to fight the worst scum of the universe, it's Men in Black: Alien Attack from Universal Studios Florida, represented by SurferClock!

And in the blue corner, straight out of Star Command, it's Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin from Magic Kingdom Park, ready to reclaim those crystallic fusion cells with the assistance of TAP-G.

Two attractions enter, two attractions leave (because we can't realistically have attraction grudge matches…yet!) But which of them is worth a good, long wait? Find out as the attractions go head to head on Versus!

Episode 106 - Versus! MIB vs Buzz on YouTube 

Episode 105 - Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin

Greetings, cadets! SurferClock here, along with TAP-G, to bring you the latest episode of "What's the Attraction?"

Today's episode brings us to the not-too-distant future of Tomorrowland, where we take on the evil emperor Zurg to save the crystallic fusion cells…that's right, it's Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin at Magic Kingdom Park! This attraction puts you in the role of a Star Command recruit, where you zap targets and score points to stop Zurg's plans. The attraction debuted in 1998, and some would say it was ahead of its time…but how does it hold up against the march of new technology? Find out by giving us a listen at the link below!

Episode 105 - Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin on YouTube 

Episode 104 - How Broken is Epcot? (A WTA Editorial)

Hello there, folks. SurferClock, along with TAP-G, to bring you the latest episode of "What's the Attraction?"

We're taking a break from ride and show reviews once more to bring up something of an important point...looking into the state of Walt Disney World, in all its strange state of disarray with at least two of the parks having many major attractions closed or being refurbished, we decided to focus on just one of the parks and ask...just how broken is Epcot? By considering Walt's purpose for Epcot, what Epcot became, and all its potential, we hope to offer a brief history, some insight, and a few solutions on how to potentially bring some life back into the aging theme park. Check it out by clicking the link below, and feel free to bring your own insights and ideas into the comments section! We'd love to hear what you have to say.

Episode 104 - How Broken is Epcot? (A WTA Editorial) on YouTube

Episode 103 - Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Howdy, folks! SurferClock here, along with Rootin' Tootin' TAP-G (his suggestion, not mine!) to bring you the latest episode of "What's the Attraction?"

Today's adventure brings us to Frontierland at the Magic Kingdom Park to conquer yet another of the park's mountains…Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has been thrilling guests since 1980…but how will the wildest ride in the  wilderness fare when put to our scrutiny? Find out by listening to the episode below!

Episode 103 - Big Thunder Mountain Railroad on YouTube 

Episode 102 - Storm Force Accelatron

Hello, folks! SurferClock here, along with TAP-G, to bring you the latest episode of "What's the Attraction?"

Marvel Superhero Island, we're back in you again to take a look at the kid-friendliest of the rides, the Storm Force Accelatron. Tasking park guests with helping to power Professor Xavier's Accelatron to channel Storm's power, there are many who compare it directly to the Mad Tea Party at Magic Kingdom…but is there something more to it than that? Find out by checking out our review at the link below!

Episode 102 - Storm Force Accelatron on YouTube 

Episode 101 - Top Ten Most Heartbreaking Attraction Closures

Happy 2016, folks! SurferClock here, along with TAP-G, to bring you into a new year of "What's the Attraction?"

Over the years, the face of the parks we review have changed significantly, but not everyone takes kindly to these changes. Rides and shows come and go, but while some attractions need more than a little sprucing up (Rest in pieces, Twister!), there are often closures which can baffle the park-going public. Some are merely inconvenient, but others can bring out anguish and heartbreak! This episode, we're counting down the top ten most heartbreaking closures, the ones that brought petitions and anger straight to Guest Services / Guest Relations! Check it out by clicking the link below.

Episode 101 - Top Ten Most Heartbreaking Attraction Closures on YouTube