Hezbollah theme park: an attraction designed with terror in mind

by Tom Johansmeyer on


Are you always searching for a roller coaster that will make your hair stand on end? Well, if you really want to scare yourself, skip the traditional amusement park rides and catch a flight out to Beirut. There’s a “theme park” in town that will open your eyes wide and keep you looking over your shoulder.

Hezbollah has gotten into the Disney business.

Identified as a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department, Hezbollah’s new endeavor isn’t doing a thing to change that perception. Called “Landmark for the Resistance,” the theme park celebrates the group’s military efforts against Israel. Enter the park, and you can wander among implements of mayhem and destruction, from tanks to machine guns … and you can even get some photo ops of the kids with their fingers on the trigger!

Designed and built by Hezbollah, Landmark for the Resistance cost a mere $4 million, a pittance compared to what it would cost to get an attraction up here in the United States. So far, the park’s been a success, one of the few in a country that has had trouble attracting tourists because of … well … Hezbollah.

Buoyed by the strong response, especially the smiling children, I suspect, Hezbollah has already committed to expansion plans. Look for a cable car wandering around the guns ‘n’ ammo soon – and a hotel and a restaurant.

Caught on tape: Basketball shot made from a theme park ride

by Leigh Caldwell on

Do you remember those Hampton Inn Hilton Honors Points commercials from a couple of years back with the amazing basketball shots? Teen boys banked shots off roofs and stairways or used a tennis racket to shoot them into the goal. The ads were all followed by the tagline “Want an easier way to score points?”

It turns out those were real teens, shooting real videos at their homes in Alabama, and uploading them to YouTube, where they were discovered for the ads.

And now the boys, who call their YouTube channel The Legendary Shots, have turned their attention to theme parks. Their latest video shows one of the them making a shot from the Stratos-Fear ride at Alabama Adventure theme park in Bessemer.

In the video information on YouTube, The Legendary Shots crew thanks Alabama Adventure staff for making the Stratos-Fear video, and a second ferris wheel video, possible.

Can a basketball/theme park commercial be far behind?

Tourists routinely assault Taiwanese zombies

by Tom Johansmeyer on

What would you do if you were face-to-face with the undead? Well, if you’re smart, you won’t show any fear. That’s what several visitors to a Taiwanese theme park have been doing recently. Actors dressed as various creatures have been knocked around by tourists who are choosing not to let fear ruin their vacations.

Well, it’s having an effect on morale, unsurprisingly. Some of the employees at Janfusun Amusement Park’s “Horrorwood” have been given leaves of absence or transfers, according to a company spokesperson.

Of course, it doesn’t help that some of the assailants aren’t very bright. Sure, some get a bit scared and lash out. That’s not too bizarre. But, one guest said he wanted to find out if the “ghost” in front of him was real.

The worst, however, happened to a male staffer who was hit “in the private parts with an umbrella.” Okay, I’d want a transfer, too.

[photo by Ateo Fiel via Flickr]

Topple the Evil Empire at LEGOLAND California’s STAR WARS days

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Guests came face to face with pure evil at LEGOLAND California. Flanked by his 501st Legion of Storm Troopers, Darth Vader descended upon the park for LEGO STAR WARS Days. The two-day event, which ends today, consists of a number of geek-friendly activities (appealing to a guy like me) including a Droid Hunt, video game battles, building, trivia competitions and a costume contest.

According to LEGOLAND California:

One of the most popular LEGO STAR WARS™ Days events is the Droid Hunt. Guests of all ages receive collectible “droid badges” if they are among the first in line at The Beginning of the Park. When guests wearing the collectible droid badges are “caught” within the Park by members of the 501st Legion, they must respond to the question “How long have you had these droids?” to receive a raffle ticket for the chance to win fantastic LEGO STAR WARS™ and LEGOLAND California merchandise.

Showing up in costume comes with the potential to win, with prizes valued at more than $500. Packages include LEGO STAR WARS toys, collectibles and tickets to LEGOLAND California Resort.

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To quell crowds, Universal halts liquor sales at Wizarding World of Harry Potter

by Leigh Caldwell on


It’s been almost a month since the Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened, and folks are still waiting, and waiting, and waiting to see the new attractions at Universal Orlando Resort.

In fact, more than 500,000 people have ridden the Wizarding World’s centerpiece ride, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. (But rest assured, none of them were obese.)

As the Orlando Sentinel reported, Universal is having to get creative to handle the crowds. One of their more creative moves is halting the sale of liquor in the Hog’s Head tavern at the theme park.

Now you might think that liquor sales were halted to keep the crowds from lingering over another round, but that’s not the case. The prime culprit is butterbeer, the nonalcoholic brew described in the books as tasting “a little bit like less-sickly butterscotch.”

Apparently, the bartenders at Hog’s Head need to spend more time pouring butterbeer to keep up with the demand, so Universal has taken mixed drinks off the menu.Beer and wine is still for sale, and park officials say the liquor ban is temporary.

I can attest that the butterbeer is wonderful stuff – golden, creamy and smooth, and probably, probably, worth the wait.

Bonus trivia note about drinks inside the Wizarding World: Know what else isn’t for sale? Soda. Sodas are of course sold elsewhere in the Islands of Adventure theme park, but not inside the Harry Potter section.

By the way, it’s still weird to see photos of people dressed for the Florida heat walking around Hogsmeade with its snow-topped roofs. It doesn’t feel funny when I’m there, it just looks funny afterward in the pictures. Just me?

[Photo credit (top): Flickr user Digital Rampage]

[Photo credit (middle): Flickr user gordontarpley]