Christmas Town

[Nicole]

I don't disagree with the idea if a Christmas overlay on EitA, but I wonder about Polar Express, specifically. It is 12 years old now. Do kids still watch it? Also, my personal opinion us that it is incredibly creepy: Santa as a fascist is not quite in keeping with my American views of the holiday.

I have done the Polar Express a few times at SWO, but honestly, I am much more interested in the belugas on the other side. Of course, I adore the Arctic exhibit, once you get past the awful simulator, and I generally use the walking side anyway.

 

[Imaginique]

I see no more 9pm closings; does this mean they plan on continuing the discount days? Or just easier to make Christmastown hours uniform?

 

[deacfan31]

I see no more 9pm closings; does this mean they plan on continuing the discount days? Or just easier to make Christmastown hours uniform?

I'm guessing they may be planning a discount at some point, maybe based on early ticket sales, and it's just easier place the hours now rather than later.

 

[JUmelSA]

There were no 9pm closings last year.

 

[Eric]

I'm pretty sure this is last year's calendar, which includes 9pm closings.

 

[Mushroom]

I don't disagree with the idea if a Christmas overlay on EitA, but I wonder about Polar Express, specifically.  It is 12 years old now.  Do kids still watch it?  Also, my personal opinion us that it is incredibly creepy: Santa as a fascist is not quite in keeping with my American views of the holiday.

That's a good point, Nicole. I could understand an argument that Polar Express's shine has worn off, yet it's not old enough to become a classic.

Since the park is now partnered with the Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer franchise, I wonder if they could turn the animated film into a simulator ride? They could do the same thing they did with the Polar Express film — shorten the entire movie's duration into a ride's length by including only crucial plot elements and action sequences.

Since Rudolph is full of different "action" scenes, and the story is already so well-known, I can't imagine creating the film would be difficult. From there, the park would just need to re-program the simulator, which from what I understand is not as difficult as it may seem.

 

[Nicole]

I was thinking of Rudolph too, and for the same reasons!

I suppose we both need to acknowledge the expense creating of a new animated film, however.

 

[Mushroom]

I guess I wasn't clear, but I was suggesting the super-cheap method of just trimming the original Rankin-Bass stop-motion film into an incredibly short mini-film.

Then again, maybe that would come off as too cheap.

 

[Nicole]

I understood. I am just not convinced that it would be that cheap.

 

[Zimmy]

Is there really enough time to make the change out after HOS?

 

[Eric]

Is there really enough time to make the change out after HOS?

Wild arctic closes for only ten days for its transformation. Nov. 10-20.
Couldnt imagine EITA would take too much longer.

 

[Thomas]

Do they have to remove an entire maze from wild arctic?

 

[Username]

I guess I wasn't clear, but I was suggesting the super-cheap method of just trimming the original Rankin-Bass stop-motion film into an incredibly short mini-film.

Then again, maybe that would come off as too cheap.

Random thing I recently learned about Rankin-Bass Christmas specials, apparently the TV Networks have exclusive broadcast rights on all of them and it is near impossible to get the rights to show it. So all those city "screen on the green" showings that you may see around town, technically illegal.

 

[Nicole]

You know what would be perfect? The Grinch, since it is set in Charlottesville. But of course Uni has those rights.

 

[Eric]

Do they have to remove an entire maze from wild arctic?

Even though EITA has a maze for HOS, they would still have 2 weeks more to transform the ride than the wild arctic does, they could spend 2 weeks to take down the maze and 10 days to turn it into,well, whatever , I believe it can totally be done... If the park wanted to.

 

[horsesboy]

I'm pretty sure this is last year's calendar, which includes 9pm closings.

It is but the truth is that every time I went on a 9 closing night they ended up extending the hours do to it being extremely crowed.

 

[deacfan31]

Wish the penguins were still there. My wife really liked them and my son went nuts over them at Seaworld this past spring.

 

[tursiops]

I would like to see the penguins somehow placed in Europe in the Air's building. The building design would fit thematically too.

 

[BenWilkerson]

Is it confirmed that tempesto is gonna be open?

 

[Thomas]

I've heard it will be. But not sure if I'd call that confirmed.