WEBVTT 00:14.464 --> 00:16.627 [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, and welcome to very amusing. 00:16.827 --> 00:21.212 [SPEAKER_01]: You're one stop shop for the story, secrets, and shenanigans of a popcorn fueled theme park journalist. 00:21.652 --> 00:32.183 [SPEAKER_01]: I'm currently by Zelle and I, my new perfume scent is lemon grass citrinella because I am covered in bug spray because LA is undergoing an epidemic of mosquitoes. 00:32.424 --> 00:34.186 [SPEAKER_01]: I don't know what is happening in this town. 00:34.206 --> 00:35.267 [SPEAKER_01]: We used to never even have them. 00:35.727 --> 00:44.670 [SPEAKER_01]: He's never had mosquitoes and now there's so many, there's like a colony outside of my front door that I run out my door like like I'm like scared They're gonna get me if I'm outside for two minutes. 00:44.710 --> 00:45.310 [SPEAKER_01]: They get me. 00:45.330 --> 00:48.411 [SPEAKER_01]: They got me at the coffee shop today I've never seen a mosquito there in my whole life. 00:48.711 --> 00:58.074 [SPEAKER_01]: They're going to this coffee shop for a while But I I covered myself in bug spray to sit inside my house and record a podcast and that is what summer in LA feels like but there are some highlights 00:58.414 --> 01:06.903 [SPEAKER_01]: because as you know, if you follow me on social media, this past weekend, I got to attend the Paw Patrol, the Dino movie premiere, which was unbelievable. 01:07.023 --> 01:08.544 [SPEAKER_01]: It was really unbelievable. 01:08.664 --> 01:12.308 [SPEAKER_01]: I cannot even stab them that this is something I was able to bring my daughter to. 01:12.328 --> 01:18.875 [SPEAKER_01]: I need to publicly stand up on Mike and to thank Loki Mask out of the podcast Jeffrey Epstein for hooking it. 01:19.515 --> 01:23.920 [SPEAKER_01]: Up, he is the reason that I got connected to them to Paramount and was able to go to the premiere. 01:24.461 --> 01:25.982 [SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to tell you the movie's actually good. 01:26.443 --> 01:35.012 [SPEAKER_01]: And I say that because I know I'm going to have to go to theaters to see it at least two to three more times because we watched the trailer every night in my house because my child is obsessed with it. 01:35.733 --> 01:38.075 [SPEAKER_01]: And it's worth going to the movie theater for. 01:38.095 --> 01:40.718 [SPEAKER_01]: I don't bring her to the theaters a lot because I'm kind of like, 01:41.579 --> 01:42.660 [SPEAKER_01]: Stuff's gonna scare me? 01:43.100 --> 01:45.941 [SPEAKER_01]: Stuff's gonna scare me for three-year-old, I think, and like, it does it. 01:45.961 --> 01:49.803 [SPEAKER_01]: We usually only take her to movies that she's seen before, like, a goofy movie when it's screening in theaters. 01:49.823 --> 01:54.245 [SPEAKER_01]: There's something like cars which is coming back to theaters this fall, which I'm gonna get for maybe 20th, the movie. 01:54.805 --> 01:55.566 [SPEAKER_01]: Some kind of anniversary. 01:55.686 --> 01:56.906 [SPEAKER_01]: I'm definitely gonna get tickets for that. 01:57.427 --> 02:02.549 [SPEAKER_01]: But if you were on the fence about it, definitely consider going to the movie because it was not too intense scary. 02:02.749 --> 02:09.092 [SPEAKER_01]: And I know she tried to watch in a different Paw Patrol movie with my mom and my mom was like, it was too scary. 02:09.112 --> 02:10.493 [SPEAKER_01]: And then I ended up seeing a little bit later 02:11.134 --> 02:12.398 [SPEAKER_01]: with a truck accident. 02:12.699 --> 02:16.291 [SPEAKER_01]: So I'm right there with her, uh, but Paw Patrol Dynamo V. Incredible. 02:16.492 --> 02:17.174 [SPEAKER_01]: Highly recommend. 02:17.926 --> 02:23.371 [SPEAKER_01]: This week, we have such a fun episode because we have a very special guest. 02:23.731 --> 02:40.706 [SPEAKER_01]: Laura Salz is the assistant director of creative development and show direction for art and design entertainment at Universal Orlando Resort and all of those words are just basically to say that Laura is a G. Laura's career will blow you away in absolute legend before these episodes I reach out for a bio just. 02:41.166 --> 03:00.902 [SPEAKER_01]: So I can know the extent of someone's work before I interview them because a lot of times if you are higher up at a You know a company like Walt Disney Imagine hearing or like universal later resort universe creative things like that you've worked out a lot of stuff and Hora I just wrote back and was like Laura is a legend and I'm so excited to bring her to you today because 03:01.642 --> 03:09.305 [SPEAKER_01]: Halloween Hornet is something that comes up on this podcast a lot and a lot of people are on the fence about if it's too scary it's kind of like pro with movies isn't it? 03:09.365 --> 03:12.466 [SPEAKER_01]: Wow, real full circle moment that I did not plan at all. 03:12.766 --> 03:17.808 [SPEAKER_01]: But a lot of people love theme parks, loves theme design, love theme entertainment, but aren't sure if HHN is for them. 03:17.868 --> 03:24.650 [SPEAKER_01]: And so this week we are going to help you determine that by also really talking about what it is beyond just the straight-up scares. 03:25.070 --> 03:27.471 [SPEAKER_01]: Stick around, uh, this is really it's going to be a good one. 03:27.531 --> 03:29.332 [SPEAKER_01]: It's going to be a good one and I'll see you on the other side. 03:35.867 --> 03:36.808 [UNKNOWN]: Thank you for watching! 03:49.243 --> 03:49.844 [SPEAKER_01]: Welcome back. 03:50.244 --> 04:05.665 [SPEAKER_01]: This week essentially is the ultimate Halloween horror night's fratey cat guide because if you're anything like me You love this stuff, but you also don't like getting the bejeezy scared out of you I am somebody who jumps a toast coming out of a toaster if there's a noise anywhere I go 04:06.526 --> 04:27.412 [SPEAKER_01]: So I am not built for something like HHN, however I have been and I continue to go because it is so freaking cool and I want to kind of break down all of it with someone who helps create these events year after year to hopefully shine a different kind of foggy spotlight on this event and hopefully encourage you to go if you have been on the fence in the past. 04:27.812 --> 04:32.253 [SPEAKER_01]: I've been getting more calls on the show's hotline over the past year, too, about people being like, should I go? 04:32.353 --> 04:32.874 [SPEAKER_01]: Is this for me? 04:32.894 --> 04:33.634 [SPEAKER_01]: I want to give it a shot. 04:33.674 --> 04:34.614 [SPEAKER_01]: Everyone's talking about it. 04:34.894 --> 04:42.316 [SPEAKER_01]: And hopefully by the end of this episode, you will know, because we are talking to Laura Sals, who I told you in the intro, had the most unbelievable bio. 04:42.376 --> 04:43.317 [SPEAKER_01]: Let me give you some of the highlights. 04:43.337 --> 04:43.457 [SPEAKER_01]: Okay? 04:44.037 --> 04:44.857 [SPEAKER_01]: Let me give you some of the highlights. 04:45.217 --> 04:54.200 [SPEAKER_01]: Laura has been with Universal Orlando for more than 20 years, beginning her career, singing and dancing is the bright of Frankenstein, and then working in Universal Entertainment Division. 04:54.780 --> 04:55.341 [SPEAKER_01]: O.G. 04:55.401 --> 04:56.341 [SPEAKER_01]: Brighta Frankenstein. 04:56.361 --> 04:59.384 [SPEAKER_01]: Okay, we're coming up the spooky ranks and we know what we're doing. 04:59.984 --> 05:04.928 [SPEAKER_01]: Some of her major accomplishments also mixing major accomplishments doesn't even like, doesn't even quantify it. 05:05.428 --> 05:10.472 [SPEAKER_01]: Uh, she launched Universal's Holiday Parade Featuring Maces, OMG, you know we love a balloon. 05:10.933 --> 05:16.857 [SPEAKER_01]: The Grinch Miss Hoolid A spectacular huge, and has been a part of the Halloween Horror Knights development team since 1998. 05:19.179 --> 05:23.961 [SPEAKER_01]: There is a large portion, a not-nothing portion of this podcast that was not alive then. 05:24.281 --> 05:31.645 [SPEAKER_01]: And Laura has been churning out incredible spooky season activities and entertainment since 19, friggin 98. 05:32.225 --> 05:43.070 [SPEAKER_01]: Laura was kind enough to take some time out to talk to us specifically so that we can try to work together to tell anyone you might want to come to HHN for the first time, exactly why you should. 05:43.170 --> 05:55.299 [SPEAKER_01]: This interview was so much fun, and as you're about to learn, there's never been a better time to get into Halloween Horror Nights, because if you've been looking for original IP, original characters, a lot of theme park lore, H.A. 05:55.319 --> 06:01.944 [SPEAKER_01]: Giant is sitting here waiting for you, and there is so much cool stuff that goes into it. 06:02.451 --> 06:04.012 [SPEAKER_01]: Now, I do want to flag a few things. 06:04.072 --> 06:08.156 [SPEAKER_01]: First of all, this episode does talk about gory adjacent things. 06:08.436 --> 06:15.802 [SPEAKER_01]: The language is very, very light, but I just want to let you know in advance that we will lightly touch on it, but there's not not that much detail. 06:15.842 --> 06:21.386 [SPEAKER_01]: I assure you, Halloween, Hormorites, Orlando and Universal Studios Florida begins August 28th. 06:21.686 --> 06:23.688 [SPEAKER_01]: So if you listen to this and you're like, heck yeah, I'm doing it. 06:23.708 --> 06:29.372 [SPEAKER_01]: There is enough time to go reach out to MouseFan travel, duh, MouseFan travel.com slash amusing. 06:29.412 --> 06:31.374 [SPEAKER_01]: They will set you up and they will book your whole trip for. 06:31.514 --> 06:35.855 [SPEAKER_01]: free, and also I just want to give you a rundown of some of the houses that are available this year. 06:36.056 --> 06:50.380 [SPEAKER_01]: As you're about to learn, which is very cool, they split the houses between original IP, original storylines they've created, and famous things you're familiar with, like Aussie Osborn, the final year that they're going to have a stranger thing's house, and even sinners. 06:50.600 --> 06:50.961 [SPEAKER_01]: Okay? 06:51.501 --> 06:51.841 [SPEAKER_01]: Scinders! 06:52.001 --> 06:53.041 [SPEAKER_01]: How freaking cool is that? 06:53.061 --> 06:55.142 [SPEAKER_01]: It's like an Oscar's theme park crossover. 06:55.502 --> 07:07.486 [SPEAKER_01]: So if you were on the fence, if you never considered HHN or you're pretty intimate and just want to appreciate it on a whole new level, from one of the minds that creates these things, you are going to love hearing from Laura. 07:07.846 --> 07:14.648 [SPEAKER_01]: I had the most wonderful time talking to her, truly I could have talked to her for hours, and I hope that you feel the same after you hear this. 07:20.705 --> 07:22.325 [SPEAKER_01]: Laura, welcome to very amusing. 07:22.886 --> 07:27.207 [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you for having me, I'm so excited to be here to talk about all things spooky. 07:27.507 --> 07:29.427 [SPEAKER_01]: Oh my gosh, I'm so delighted to meet you. 07:29.627 --> 07:31.628 [SPEAKER_01]: Your resume is bonkers. 07:31.648 --> 07:33.588 [SPEAKER_01]: You're like Loki, the Queen of Halloween. 07:34.268 --> 07:35.688 [SPEAKER_00]: Aw, you're so sweet. 07:35.809 --> 07:41.930 [SPEAKER_00]: No, I've had the great privilege of working at Universal Orlando for 30 years. 07:42.610 --> 07:47.011 [SPEAKER_00]: And specifically, I've had the best time working on Halloween 07:51.032 --> 07:54.094 [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, this is what I mean, and you're not beating the Queen of Halloween allegations. 07:56.415 --> 08:00.098 [SPEAKER_01]: Now, I think you got your start as Bright African stuff. 08:00.358 --> 08:01.759 [SPEAKER_01]: Can you tell me a little bit more about that? 08:02.179 --> 08:02.859 [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, my gosh. 08:03.099 --> 08:06.361 [SPEAKER_00]: So I was a singer and dancer in my past life. 08:07.542 --> 08:15.487 [SPEAKER_00]: And the one musical show that Universal Orlando at the time in the mid-90s, they had a Beetlejuice Graveyard Review. 08:16.167 --> 08:22.713 [SPEAKER_00]: really celebrated all of our amazing classic monsters singing rock and roll music. 08:22.973 --> 08:30.420 [SPEAKER_00]: So I auditioned and I got into that beatle use graveyard review as a singing and dancing bright a Frankenstein. 08:30.960 --> 08:32.302 [SPEAKER_00]: I sang natural woman. 08:32.742 --> 08:34.424 [SPEAKER_00]: I sang your love as lift a knee higher. 08:34.844 --> 08:41.270 [SPEAKER_00]: Like I was I was singing rock and roll as a classic universal monster. 08:42.150 --> 08:46.093 [SPEAKER_01]: Wait, I'm like I like want to go to the show with like I want to go and bring it back. 08:46.553 --> 08:47.033 [SPEAKER_01]: Bring it back. 08:48.454 --> 08:56.219 [SPEAKER_00]: I did have the great privilege of doing multiple versions of the show before it ultimately. 08:56.339 --> 09:00.221 [SPEAKER_00]: We did have to close it, but I I love that show. 09:00.261 --> 09:01.361 [SPEAKER_00]: It was my beginning. 09:01.562 --> 09:05.504 [SPEAKER_00]: I still have very dear friends that I met on that show doing that show. 09:05.804 --> 09:07.425 [SPEAKER_01]: That is so cool. 09:07.545 --> 09:09.726 [SPEAKER_01]: Also, the 10 year, oh my gosh, I'm just blown away. 09:10.366 --> 09:12.447 [SPEAKER_01]: Now, you began working at Halloween Horneits. 09:12.467 --> 09:13.907 [SPEAKER_01]: I believe you said 28 years ago? 09:14.588 --> 09:15.168 [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah. 09:16.368 --> 09:20.270 [SPEAKER_01]: Talk to me about how much it has changed since you first got involved with AJ Jen. 09:20.710 --> 09:25.032 [SPEAKER_00]: Oh my gosh, Halloween Horneits is a constant evolution. 09:25.212 --> 09:30.134 [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, from our beginnings, 35 years ago, it was 100th house, it was one weekend. 09:31.655 --> 09:32.015 [SPEAKER_00]: That was it. 09:32.615 --> 09:35.878 [SPEAKER_00]: And then every year, it just got bigger and bigger and bigger. 09:36.579 --> 09:39.481 [SPEAKER_00]: To now, we have 10 incredible haunted houses. 09:39.821 --> 09:46.126 [SPEAKER_00]: We get to half of them are with the biggest IPs and properties in four. 09:46.507 --> 09:48.228 [SPEAKER_00]: Five of them are original content. 09:48.288 --> 09:51.330 [SPEAKER_00]: And that's because we started as original content. 09:51.451 --> 09:54.453 [SPEAKER_00]: Year one, that first house was an original content story. 09:55.274 --> 09:58.816 [SPEAKER_00]: And our fans have loved those original content stories, 10:02.159 --> 10:03.680 [SPEAKER_00]: the creative brains here. 10:05.322 --> 10:07.063 [SPEAKER_00]: So we do a split five and five. 10:07.103 --> 10:14.769 [SPEAKER_00]: So usually we have five intellectual properties based in the number one horror franchises and films. 10:15.270 --> 10:17.672 [SPEAKER_00]: And then we do five original content houses. 10:17.732 --> 10:19.813 [SPEAKER_00]: So that evolution is constant. 10:19.853 --> 10:23.376 [SPEAKER_00]: We even back in our early days didn't have scarce zones. 10:23.456 --> 10:28.881 [SPEAKER_00]: And then a few years in we started to really populate our our streets, our locations 10:31.042 --> 10:33.565 [SPEAKER_00]: those have grown over the years as well. 10:34.766 --> 10:41.934 [SPEAKER_00]: We've always had a little show element to our event, but even those shows have grown and grown and grown. 10:42.034 --> 10:45.457 [SPEAKER_00]: And like I said, howling hornet is a constant evolution. 10:46.558 --> 11:03.962 [SPEAKER_00]: I've got to be a part of that, like I said for 28 years and I've seen the evolution and it's just it's an amazing story and it's an amazing product that everyone needs to come and see and experience because it's different than anything else out there. 11:04.662 --> 11:15.905 [SPEAKER_01]: So I have a bunch of stuff I'm going to ask you, but from the top you did, you let it slip that you used to be a freighty cat and I need to hear about how you went from that to create these experiences for people going. 11:16.565 --> 11:22.510 [SPEAKER_00]: Well, like I said 28 years ago, I was asked to choreograph life shows for Halloween Horanite. 11:22.570 --> 11:29.596 [SPEAKER_00]: So, I got to choreograph a lot of life shows, but I never wanted to go into a haunted house back then. 11:30.076 --> 11:31.897 [SPEAKER_00]: I was what they called the purse holder. 11:32.938 --> 11:35.841 [SPEAKER_00]: I would hold everyone's bags while they go to the haunted house. 11:36.201 --> 11:42.106 [SPEAKER_00]: I didn't like scary movies, it just, it wasn't in my DNA, back then. 11:43.053 --> 11:46.376 [SPEAKER_00]: And then I became a show director in 2000. 11:46.816 --> 11:52.521 [SPEAKER_00]: And in that year, our senior leader, T.G. 11:52.561 --> 12:04.272 [SPEAKER_00]: Manorino, who is now the vice president of the art and design team, that those are the scenic people, the decor people, the costume designers that design and create Halloween Horanights with our creative development team. 12:04.842 --> 12:06.443 [SPEAKER_00]: likes to craft all those stories. 12:07.383 --> 12:11.584 [SPEAKER_00]: But TJ asked me in 2001 to be a part of the haunted house team. 12:11.764 --> 12:13.405 [SPEAKER_00]: And I went, what, you're crazy? 12:15.026 --> 12:17.246 [SPEAKER_00]: I said, I, everything scares me. 12:17.286 --> 12:18.747 [SPEAKER_00]: And he goes, that's exactly why. 12:19.590 --> 12:21.071 [SPEAKER_00]: He said, everything scares you. 12:21.432 --> 12:24.995 [SPEAKER_00]: So we need you in the room to tell us what scares you. 12:25.055 --> 12:27.177 [SPEAKER_00]: And I said, that I can totally do. 12:27.938 --> 12:34.403 [SPEAKER_00]: So since 2001, I've been a part of the House team, the scares own team. 12:34.944 --> 12:38.187 [SPEAKER_00]: I've had the great opportunity to direct life shows. 12:38.988 --> 12:40.829 [SPEAKER_00]: I've really had an awesome experience. 12:40.929 --> 12:43.392 [SPEAKER_00]: And really, that first year, 12:44.072 --> 12:48.474 [SPEAKER_00]: Um, I still was a big fratey cat and really watching the movies that I needed to watch. 12:48.594 --> 12:59.540 [SPEAKER_00]: I would watch them during the day with my all the lights on in my office with people outside like I would do that now 28 years later, I can watch horror movies in my home by myself at night. 13:00.060 --> 13:01.561 [SPEAKER_00]: They, they're fine. 13:01.641 --> 13:02.742 [SPEAKER_00]: I'm a huge horror fan. 13:02.762 --> 13:05.083 [SPEAKER_00]: We go to the movie theater to see horror movies. 13:05.564 --> 13:07.626 [SPEAKER_00]: Um, I love going to other people's haunts. 13:07.666 --> 13:09.227 [SPEAKER_00]: I love going through haunted houses. 13:09.748 --> 13:14.552 [SPEAKER_00]: Um, but back when I first went through haunted houses and this is still my tell to all the characters. 13:15.172 --> 13:19.917 [SPEAKER_00]: I didn't want, um, the characters to know that I was frightened of them. 13:19.997 --> 13:21.958 [SPEAKER_00]: So I would just applaud them. 13:22.679 --> 13:25.181 [SPEAKER_00]: But now I've done it for 28 years. 13:25.321 --> 13:30.926 [SPEAKER_00]: Now everyone, when I clap for people, they find me afterwards and they're like, I got you. 13:31.026 --> 13:32.788 [SPEAKER_00]: And I guess you did. 13:34.746 --> 13:36.749 [SPEAKER_00]: Now it's my tell when I'm getting scared. 13:36.789 --> 13:43.036 [SPEAKER_00]: Is that a clause, but back then 20, you know, 26 years ago, it was my, oh, good job. 13:43.216 --> 13:43.957 [SPEAKER_00]: Oh, good job. 13:44.117 --> 13:50.665 [SPEAKER_00]: Just because I didn't want them to see that I was so frightened, but how will we more nights has made me a horror fan. 13:50.725 --> 13:51.506 [SPEAKER_00]: That's for sure. 13:51.986 --> 13:52.947 [SPEAKER_00]: Wow. 13:53.067 --> 14:00.355 [SPEAKER_01]: Also, one of my biggest tips to people who are scared of going is to be Midwestern, which is where I'm from, which is just to be like, huh? 14:00.395 --> 14:03.419 [SPEAKER_01]: And just be like overly friendly in the house, so they're like, who is this freak? 14:03.719 --> 14:08.704 [SPEAKER_01]: So knowing that you came from a similar applauding them mentality feels, feels like a good vibe. 14:10.446 --> 14:11.366 [SPEAKER_00]: and from the Midwest. 14:11.726 --> 14:13.547 [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, thank you. 14:13.847 --> 14:16.288 [SPEAKER_00]: Just to be like, yeah, I'm so happy to be here. 14:16.349 --> 14:19.850 [SPEAKER_03]: Just kind of cuts through all the chainsaw noise. 14:20.150 --> 14:31.116 [SPEAKER_01]: As you know, as you've experienced horror is so mainstream now, which is why I think as someone is in the theme park space, we are seeing so many first timers who are more curious about going to HHN now than ever before. 14:31.897 --> 14:37.603 [SPEAKER_01]: given that you also have crossed over from someone who was scared who now lives horror every single day. 14:37.983 --> 14:46.213 [SPEAKER_01]: What advice would you as an expert have for people who love theme parks who love to go to Universal Orlando, but are really hesitant about committing to HHHN for the first time. 14:46.891 --> 15:00.782 [SPEAKER_00]: Well, what is wonderful about a theme park enthusiast come enthusiast coming to Halloween Hornights is really the change that the entire Universal Studios Florida goes through to create Halloween Hornights. 15:01.562 --> 15:12.791 [SPEAKER_00]: We're starting to see some of our scenic peppered the streets right now as we speak, but really when we on any of our operational days, when that day guest is 15:13.471 --> 15:18.716 [SPEAKER_00]: is leaving and the night guests are coming in, the Halloween or night guests are coming in. 15:19.277 --> 15:24.342 [SPEAKER_00]: It's also a beautiful ballet of our technicians moving out scenery, right? 15:25.323 --> 15:32.130 [SPEAKER_00]: Of all of our characters back of house in places that our guests can't see, getting transformed into these 15:32.570 --> 15:35.471 [SPEAKER_00]: beautiful, horrific characters, right? 15:36.331 --> 15:38.171 [SPEAKER_00]: It is a huge thing. 15:38.311 --> 15:43.412 [SPEAKER_00]: And then, you know, as night falls, the lighting in the park changes. 15:43.832 --> 15:46.793 [SPEAKER_00]: You have characters filling the streets. 15:47.193 --> 15:49.734 [SPEAKER_00]: You have different music in the park. 15:49.834 --> 15:56.075 [SPEAKER_00]: So really, the entire universal studios Florida changes to something completely different. 15:56.315 --> 15:57.997 [SPEAKER_00]: which for a theme park enthusiast. 15:58.578 --> 16:01.601 [SPEAKER_00]: I enthusiatic person, that's amazing. 16:01.641 --> 16:04.124 [SPEAKER_00]: Like see that change out is so cool. 16:04.164 --> 16:06.747 [SPEAKER_00]: The fog, you can smell the fog. 16:07.288 --> 16:10.291 [SPEAKER_00]: People say it's our, it's our saying, see in the fog. 16:10.591 --> 16:13.975 [SPEAKER_00]: So it's just, it's just a total change out of the theme park. 16:14.075 --> 16:14.716 [SPEAKER_00]: But also, 16:15.657 --> 16:21.058 [SPEAKER_00]: It's just beautiful for those that might not like getting scared themselves. 16:21.178 --> 16:26.360 [SPEAKER_00]: We have benches on our streets and you can sit and enjoy other people getting scared. 16:26.400 --> 16:28.040 [SPEAKER_00]: That's one of the things I love to do. 16:28.160 --> 16:35.042 [SPEAKER_00]: I like to see how our our characters are working together in the streets and so I'll sit on 16:41.243 --> 16:53.710 [SPEAKER_00]: individuals are guest to see what scares them the most as they're walking through the street again because not only does Halloween four nights evolve every year, but we evolved during the course of the event. 16:54.150 --> 16:57.112 [SPEAKER_00]: We as the creative team really, we do go out there. 16:57.152 --> 16:58.973 [SPEAKER_00]: We we stand at the end of the houses. 16:59.093 --> 17:05.956 [SPEAKER_00]: We sit in the scares zones and really see what's working and what we need to change to make it work better for our guests. 17:06.877 --> 17:10.599 [SPEAKER_01]: That's so cool that you're constantly improving HHN long-term and short-term. 17:12.925 --> 17:13.125 [SPEAKER_01]: Wow. 17:13.145 --> 17:13.625 [SPEAKER_01]: What a job. 17:14.986 --> 17:18.727 [SPEAKER_01]: How would you explain the interior of some of these houses to someone who hasn't been before? 17:18.767 --> 17:23.648 [SPEAKER_01]: Because I always recommend theme park people go just to experience the artistry of it firsthand. 17:23.708 --> 17:30.210 [SPEAKER_01]: But as someone who works on creating these spaces, I just love to hear your take on the level of execution inside these houses. 17:30.910 --> 17:33.973 [SPEAKER_00]: 100% these are movie quality sets. 17:34.373 --> 17:35.634 [SPEAKER_00]: They truly are. 17:35.934 --> 17:37.256 [SPEAKER_00]: They are 360. 17:37.396 --> 17:44.301 [SPEAKER_00]: Yes, when you come to Halloween for our nights and you're in that Congoling, you may only be seeing what's in front of you and then you're getting a startle here. 17:44.622 --> 17:52.428 [SPEAKER_00]: Some people will bury their head so they may not see anything, but really if you can take it in, if you can go to these houses multiple times and look up and 18:00.122 --> 18:02.344 [SPEAKER_00]: um, movie quality scenes. 18:02.944 --> 18:06.146 [SPEAKER_00]: Um, we have the best scenic designers in the business. 18:06.406 --> 18:07.607 [SPEAKER_00]: I believe 100%. 18:07.707 --> 18:15.252 [SPEAKER_00]: Um, and most of our scenic designers have been doing, again, working on Halloween for as long, if not longer than I have. 18:16.293 --> 18:16.453 [SPEAKER_00]: Um, 18:17.468 --> 18:22.374 [SPEAKER_00]: and they live Halloween aren't one of our newer scenic designers he was a character. 18:22.834 --> 18:27.920 [SPEAKER_00]: So he has lived through all the roles of Halloween and he's just such a huge fan. 18:28.321 --> 18:34.688 [SPEAKER_00]: But these are movie quality sets so much so that we started a program called unmasking the horror. 18:35.189 --> 18:36.891 [SPEAKER_00]: It's an add-on ticket. 18:37.391 --> 18:45.080 [SPEAKER_00]: But you can walk through these, these haunted houses without characters with the facility lights on. 18:45.300 --> 18:56.752 [SPEAKER_00]: So you can take everything in because with the show lighting, you're not going to see all that rich detail that these scenic designers, the decor specialists put into these scenes. 18:56.912 --> 18:58.835 [SPEAKER_00]: It is they are absolutely beautiful. 18:59.555 --> 19:02.797 [SPEAKER_00]: every year we really try not to repeat any thematics. 19:03.197 --> 19:09.041 [SPEAKER_00]: So every year at the end of our run it is sometimes very sad to see these things being torn down. 19:09.942 --> 19:17.967 [SPEAKER_01]: I was going to ask you like how heartbreaking is it to see because also I want to emphasize that if someone has ever been to HHN, it's not like a hallway of black tarps. 19:17.987 --> 19:18.567 [SPEAKER_01]: Like it's true. 19:19.188 --> 19:21.870 [SPEAKER_01]: like walking into, as you said, the set of a movie. 19:22.271 --> 19:25.474 [SPEAKER_01]: And the fact that you have to take it all down at the end. 19:25.854 --> 19:32.320 [SPEAKER_01]: Like how sad is it to pull apart a pirate ship or like an entire interior of a home that you just worked so hard to create? 19:32.340 --> 19:42.710 [SPEAKER_00]: It is sad, but it is also, it's a celebratory thing because we know we're about to build the next year. 19:42.850 --> 19:47.193 [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, we are in an 18-month creative and build cycle for Halloween Horanite. 19:47.213 --> 19:53.138 [SPEAKER_00]: So we're well underway for 2027 before we be even open 2026. 19:53.558 --> 20:00.743 [SPEAKER_00]: So it is, it is, there is a moment where we take that moment and we're like, oh, that was a great house. 20:01.184 --> 20:02.004 [SPEAKER_00]: People loved it. 20:02.144 --> 20:05.207 [SPEAKER_00]: This scenic was incredible, but we're ready for the next year. 20:06.122 --> 20:07.143 [SPEAKER_01]: 18 months. 20:07.223 --> 20:10.144 [SPEAKER_01]: Can you walk me through that process of kind of start to finish? 20:10.864 --> 20:11.384 [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, yeah. 20:11.424 --> 20:15.466 [SPEAKER_00]: So we're, I mean, really, it's 365 that we're working on Halloween. 20:16.547 --> 20:31.033 [SPEAKER_00]: And we, we start looking at IPs very early on so that we have a diverse slate because we really want to make sure there's something for everyone, not only with our original contents, but with our intellectual properties that we get to work with. 20:31.633 --> 20:37.295 [SPEAKER_00]: Um, so we start working with our with our IPs and kind of honing in what those IPs are. 20:37.795 --> 20:53.741 [SPEAKER_00]: And then in in late March, early April, the creative teams, these are the creative development show directors, the character designers, the scenic designers all come together in one week to brainstorm what the original content houses are. 20:54.717 --> 20:57.059 [SPEAKER_00]: and what our scare zones could potentially be. 20:57.800 --> 21:05.666 [SPEAKER_00]: So we bring in what those intellectual properties are into that when we brainstorm because again, we want to make sure we have a diverse slate. 21:06.046 --> 21:07.167 [SPEAKER_00]: So we don't want to repeat. 21:07.227 --> 21:17.756 [SPEAKER_00]: If we have a slasher as an intellectual property, we don't want to do a slasher as an original content house because we want to diversify our slate. 21:17.816 --> 21:20.899 [SPEAKER_00]: So out of that, we come up with some amazing content. 21:23.120 --> 21:28.325 [SPEAKER_00]: And then we're rockin' and rollin', and we jump right into the next week with House 1, O.C. 21:28.625 --> 21:33.068 [SPEAKER_00]: 1, where you're developing that with just three individuals really that start the room. 21:33.169 --> 21:35.611 [SPEAKER_00]: It's the show director who writes the story. 21:35.931 --> 21:50.743 [SPEAKER_00]: It's the scenic designer who helps assist that story with coming up with these beautiful scenes, and it's the character designer that comes up with the characters that will inhabit these beautiful scenes, and be a part of this beautiful story. 21:51.724 --> 22:20.033 [SPEAKER_00]: And then from there, it just builds and builds because once we figure out what that story is, where the location is, what the characters are, then we start bringing in our technical designers, what is the tone of the lighting in the scene, is there any special effects in the scene, what is the audio escape that we're hearing, what does that character, that trigger sound like, what does that character sound like, how does this all come together, do we have any sequencing that are show control, 22:20.453 --> 22:21.995 [SPEAKER_00]: designers have to come up with. 22:22.055 --> 22:39.151 [SPEAKER_00]: So the the the team behind these houses grows and grows and grows and then of course we bring in our casting and our production teams to make sure everything is moving the way we need to then our marketing teams are marketing it and our merchandise teams are putting out one of a kind merchandise. 22:39.551 --> 22:48.219 [SPEAKER_00]: Our food teams are working with us to make sure that they have unique food items which our culinary teams are so fantastic. 22:48.279 --> 22:53.423 [SPEAKER_00]: Like you have a culinary adventure when you come to Halloween for a night. 22:53.483 --> 22:54.504 [SPEAKER_00]: It is amazing. 22:56.065 --> 23:10.515 [SPEAKER_00]: So if you just, if you are a scaredy cat and you want to dip your toe into Halloween, come, watch other people get scared, enjoy this culinary adventure of food and beverage that is very unique to Halloween for a night's. 23:11.015 --> 23:14.097 [SPEAKER_00]: And then come back the next day and maybe go into a haunted house. 23:15.298 --> 23:16.799 [SPEAKER_00]: Or two or three. 23:18.180 --> 23:18.960 [SPEAKER_01]: Pure pressure works. 23:19.861 --> 23:22.403 [SPEAKER_01]: It's basically like a seasonal theme park if you think about it. 23:23.939 --> 23:28.021 [SPEAKER_00]: It really does transform universal studios, Florida. 23:28.161 --> 23:32.783 [SPEAKER_00]: It really is a whole different world when you're at Halloween Hornet. 23:54.061 --> 23:56.862 [SPEAKER_00]: We're like I said, we're constantly evolving. 23:56.942 --> 24:11.968 [SPEAKER_00]: This year, we have some really cool tech in one of our original content houses and that's kind of replacing an old style of doing a vortex tunnel and bringing it into a new way with new tech. 24:12.008 --> 24:13.348 [SPEAKER_00]: So it's really cool. 24:13.368 --> 24:14.388 [SPEAKER_00]: We're very excited. 24:15.009 --> 24:18.430 [SPEAKER_00]: But we're constantly trying to evolve our product. 24:18.850 --> 24:20.031 [SPEAKER_00]: with technology. 24:20.791 --> 24:24.073 [SPEAKER_00]: I will say one of the scariest houses in our O.C. 24:24.093 --> 24:25.875 [SPEAKER_00]: sleek this year is cyberborea. 24:27.015 --> 24:31.598 [SPEAKER_00]: That is all about AI robots taking us over and trying to make us immortal. 24:32.399 --> 24:33.399 [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, so it's just the future? 24:35.160 --> 24:45.167 [SPEAKER_00]: Thousands of years into the future and the only way they have figured out how to do that is to take our skin cells and our flesh cells and put it on their robots. 24:47.992 --> 24:50.453 [SPEAKER_01]: Oh my gosh, I think it's just so cool. 24:50.633 --> 25:03.156 [SPEAKER_01]: You guys have really decided to stay so committed to original concepts, like, even in 2026, like, I mean, this is a theme park that's basically named after, like a corporation, like this is, all of these things are so corporate-owned. 25:03.216 --> 25:06.736 [SPEAKER_01]: And yet, you're still turning out brand new ideas year after year. 25:06.816 --> 25:13.578 [SPEAKER_01]: Like, you guys are getting together and writing like zombie ghouls on a whiteboard and like making up these extravagant houses. 25:13.618 --> 25:15.598 [SPEAKER_01]: I think it's so cool that for theme park fans 25:17.999 --> 25:20.180 [SPEAKER_01]: You guys are kind of doing it to the highest degree. 25:20.840 --> 25:21.560 [SPEAKER_00]: Well, thank you. 25:21.700 --> 25:24.440 [SPEAKER_00]: It is something that our teams absolutely love. 25:24.500 --> 25:37.523 [SPEAKER_00]: We love to present our intellectual properties in a way that everyone can walk through what they know of a film or a series, but we also love to develop these original contents. 25:37.663 --> 25:41.724 [SPEAKER_00]: And that, again, is what Halloween Hornites, that's our roots, right? 25:41.864 --> 25:42.984 [SPEAKER_00]: For Halloween Hornites in 25:47.186 --> 25:55.952 [SPEAKER_00]: So we love that our fans are really excited about those original content houses and we love crafting those stories and you're right. 25:56.653 --> 26:01.156 [SPEAKER_00]: That week is a whiteboard and no idea is a wrong idea. 26:01.476 --> 26:14.906 [SPEAKER_00]: Everything is thrown on that board from different characters to different areas to different environments to different technology based things like everything is thrown on the whiteboard and we craft these stories out of that. 26:15.546 --> 26:17.469 [SPEAKER_00]: What a wild job. 26:17.569 --> 26:25.420 [SPEAKER_01]: I can't imagine being like a teenager and being like, sorry, you're going to a room for a week to just make things up and then you build it and it's real. 26:25.500 --> 26:26.281 [SPEAKER_01]: That's crazy. 26:26.942 --> 26:32.630 [SPEAKER_00]: It is, um, again, I'm very humbled that I get to work with some amazingly creative people. 26:33.070 --> 26:36.534 [SPEAKER_00]: and get to lead this team that gets to write all those crazy stories. 26:37.154 --> 26:40.578 [SPEAKER_00]: As, you know, we do work on other products. 26:40.678 --> 26:44.062 [SPEAKER_00]: We do holiday programs, so it keeps us balanced. 26:44.102 --> 26:52.491 [SPEAKER_00]: We have the horror of Halloween, but we have the, you know, the fund of the holiday program with brinchmas and the universal holiday parade featuring macy's. 26:53.151 --> 26:53.452 [SPEAKER_00]: We do 26:54.579 --> 27:07.795 [SPEAKER_00]: We work on Marty Graw, which is just a fun celebration, so we do get to dip our toes into all of these events, but Halloween is really our 365 and we absolutely love crafting. 27:08.462 --> 27:15.191 [SPEAKER_00]: stories and giving people exactly what they want from a horror event, from the world's premiere horror event. 27:15.211 --> 27:16.253 [SPEAKER_01]: And it truly is. 27:16.814 --> 27:23.342 [SPEAKER_01]: Now, if someone listening to this podcast is about to walk into a haunted house in the University of Florida, they're starting to get very scared. 27:23.683 --> 27:25.545 [SPEAKER_01]: What pep talk would you give them? 27:26.281 --> 27:26.881 [SPEAKER_00]: You got this. 27:26.942 --> 27:28.182 [SPEAKER_00]: These actors can't touch you. 27:28.242 --> 27:30.404 [SPEAKER_00]: They will, they will come out and jump scare you. 27:30.444 --> 27:31.565 [SPEAKER_00]: That is what it's all about. 27:31.625 --> 27:36.729 [SPEAKER_00]: But have fun, try to keep your eyes up, try not to push into the people in front of you. 27:37.169 --> 27:38.190 [SPEAKER_00]: Just have fun. 27:38.630 --> 27:41.292 [SPEAKER_00]: That's what it's supposed to be about and everyone. 27:42.473 --> 27:45.295 [SPEAKER_00]: Everyone I know after they scream, they laugh. 27:46.203 --> 27:54.750 [SPEAKER_00]: So it causes that endorphin rush that it's just, it's just a good time and it will be over in five to seven minutes. 27:55.651 --> 28:01.235 [SPEAKER_00]: And after it, there's so much we like to sit at the end of houses because people are laughing. 28:01.555 --> 28:07.000 [SPEAKER_00]: They're talking with their friends about what they loved, what they, what they saw, what they didn't see. 28:07.820 --> 28:09.922 [SPEAKER_00]: It's just such a fun experience. 28:15.146 --> 28:19.568 [SPEAKER_00]: diverse stories that you could go into, we have comedy horror. 28:19.728 --> 28:25.630 [SPEAKER_00]: Our HR Blood and Guts presents a Halloween-fright tackler is kind of on the dark comedy side. 28:25.990 --> 28:29.511 [SPEAKER_00]: So if you want a little maybe lighter fair, they'll still be jump scares. 28:30.513 --> 28:34.156 [SPEAKER_00]: But these stories are going to be a little lighter. 28:34.636 --> 28:37.839 [SPEAKER_00]: And then like I mentioned, cyberborea, very gory. 28:38.980 --> 28:42.122 [SPEAKER_00]: Jack and dog fellow chaos and control, very trippy. 28:42.242 --> 28:46.786 [SPEAKER_00]: And that's two of our biggest icons coming together in that house. 28:47.386 --> 28:52.910 [SPEAKER_00]: Madlands, cage, cannibals, you're in a post-apocalyptic zoo, and there's cannibals wanting to eat you. 28:53.010 --> 28:58.355 [SPEAKER_00]: Like, we have an alien house, yeah, invasion, alien abduction. 28:58.995 --> 29:09.521 [SPEAKER_00]: You are in the moment where these aliens, these gray aliens that look like the silhouette of what we all know is aliens, but they are very monstrous once you get close. 29:10.022 --> 29:13.704 [SPEAKER_00]: They're attacking and abducting this family. 29:14.344 --> 29:16.246 [SPEAKER_00]: So there is something for everyone. 29:16.326 --> 29:22.129 [SPEAKER_00]: But again, if it's your first time and you want a little bit of that lighter, dark comedy, H.R. 29:22.149 --> 29:24.010 [SPEAKER_00]: Blood and Gut says the place for you to start. 29:24.471 --> 29:25.871 [SPEAKER_00]: And then once you do a house, 29:27.643 --> 29:55.526 [SPEAKER_00]: And you get the sense of how the mechanics of the house is as a guest, it is easier to go to the next and then it's easier to go to the next one and then it's easier to go to the next one and then like I said go to a scarce own sit and watch how people are getting scared right and then go to your next house so it takes a minute, but if you need to start with that dark comedy that we have something for you. 29:56.182 --> 30:00.566 [SPEAKER_01]: That's such a good tip because also I so I was looking into this year's homie hornites. 30:00.966 --> 30:07.491 [SPEAKER_01]: I didn't realize that HR blood and guts is a throwback to a is it a 2001 house that you guys did 15 years ago. 30:07.511 --> 30:09.733 [SPEAKER_00]: 2011. 30:09.813 --> 30:10.734 [SPEAKER_00]: Okay. 30:11.415 --> 30:13.456 [SPEAKER_00]: That's we got 2011. 30:13.937 --> 30:15.318 [SPEAKER_00]: We had an HR blood and guts. 30:15.358 --> 30:21.343 [SPEAKER_00]: He was like a horror host that killed everybody at this studio just so he could host his 30:26.446 --> 30:26.726 [SPEAKER_00]: shoot. 30:26.886 --> 30:29.827 [SPEAKER_00]: Like so he put all of his favorite holiday movies. 30:29.867 --> 30:30.988 [SPEAKER_00]: We had the feast or bungee. 30:31.048 --> 30:32.548 [SPEAKER_00]: We had President's Day. 30:32.608 --> 30:34.809 [SPEAKER_00]: We had Thanksgiving and they were all horror movies. 30:35.669 --> 30:42.051 [SPEAKER_00]: So it was that kind of anthology house that you went through different holiday horror movies. 30:42.711 --> 30:43.771 [SPEAKER_00]: But you got to see H.R. 30:43.791 --> 30:48.312 [SPEAKER_00]: Blood and Guts in his studio doing his hosting thing. 30:49.013 --> 30:50.653 [SPEAKER_00]: So at the end of that house 11 30:54.282 --> 30:58.265 [SPEAKER_00]: Agent Glenn Gutz was captured by the prison system. 30:58.325 --> 30:59.486 [SPEAKER_00]: He was imprisoned. 30:59.986 --> 31:02.348 [SPEAKER_00]: Well, now our story is he busted out of prison. 31:02.649 --> 31:04.790 [SPEAKER_00]: He killed all the security guards. 31:04.890 --> 31:06.231 [SPEAKER_00]: He's captured a security guard. 31:06.251 --> 31:08.994 [SPEAKER_00]: He's gone back to the debunked TV studio. 31:09.294 --> 31:13.277 [SPEAKER_00]: And now he's featuring all of his street to VHS favorite horror films. 31:15.531 --> 31:31.734 [SPEAKER_01]: incredible I love how deep the lorries for something that is is technically for us not for you but for us seasonal and yeah it's like the things that theme park fans are looking for exists here at Halloween horror nights yes um like our two icons jack the clown um was introduced in 2000 31:33.535 --> 31:39.917 [SPEAKER_00]: And when Jack the Con was introduced to horror fans, we actually didn't really have him walking around the event. 31:39.957 --> 31:40.977 [SPEAKER_00]: They asked for it. 31:41.077 --> 31:43.958 [SPEAKER_00]: So we were like, oh, everyone loves Jack the clown. 31:44.578 --> 31:51.660 [SPEAKER_00]: We had a show that year, which I was a part of, Jacked up, where we saw a different version of Jack in that show element. 31:51.760 --> 31:57.802 [SPEAKER_00]: But our fans really make our characters iconic. 31:58.322 --> 32:03.487 [SPEAKER_00]: They love Jack the clown and Jack the clown story always had Dr. 32:03.587 --> 32:12.116 [SPEAKER_00]: Odd fellow as a part of it And just you know a few years back we brought Odd fellow to the forefront of our event and Dr. 32:12.196 --> 32:14.258 [SPEAKER_00]: Odd fellow kind of had his moment to shine 32:14.678 --> 32:21.920 [SPEAKER_00]: fans went nuts because he was always a part of Jack's story and Jack came back to to Halloween or nights multiple times. 32:22.421 --> 32:24.501 [SPEAKER_00]: So now the fact that Dr. 32:24.561 --> 32:31.704 [SPEAKER_00]: Odd fellow and Jack the clown are coming together, not as buddies, not as friends, they just want everyone's screens. 32:32.564 --> 32:35.125 [SPEAKER_00]: So they feel that their power is stronger together. 32:36.278 --> 32:43.389 [SPEAKER_00]: Um, so having those two characters that our fans made iconic, we say that all the time. 32:43.729 --> 32:47.695 [SPEAKER_00]: We make cool characters, our fans make them icons. 32:49.233 --> 32:54.458 [SPEAKER_01]: Uh, this is going to be a tough question for you because it's basically asking you to pick from your hundreds of favorite children. 32:54.598 --> 33:00.142 [SPEAKER_01]: But is there one house that looms largest for you one house where you're like that is so special to me. 33:00.162 --> 33:01.183 [SPEAKER_01]: That was so important. 33:01.223 --> 33:02.404 [SPEAKER_01]: That was so incredible. 33:02.424 --> 33:07.008 [SPEAKER_01]: Like is there one if you had to choose one favorite house you've ever worked on what would it were so right. 33:07.148 --> 33:08.009 [SPEAKER_00]: It's so hard. 33:08.129 --> 33:09.450 [SPEAKER_00]: I know I'm sorry. 33:09.951 --> 33:17.017 [SPEAKER_00]: So many times, like, but I will say my one of my very first houses that I back 33:17.537 --> 33:22.380 [SPEAKER_00]: in those very first moments that I helped to develop was Castle Vampire. 33:22.900 --> 33:35.308 [SPEAKER_00]: So I will say that that house has a very special place in my heart, because that was the first time that I helped to develop a haunted house, that I helped create a story for a haunted house. 33:35.408 --> 33:38.710 [SPEAKER_00]: And for someone who was not a horror fan 28 years ago, 29 years ago. 33:40.251 --> 33:42.272 [SPEAKER_00]: That was a huge stepping stone for me. 33:42.712 --> 33:47.175 [SPEAKER_00]: So that one does hold a special place in my heart, but they are all so special. 33:47.875 --> 33:53.998 [SPEAKER_00]: There are so many of them that I could list of reasons why I loved them so much. 33:54.779 --> 34:05.245 [SPEAKER_00]: But I guess if I have to answer Castle Vampir, holds a very special place in my heart because it is one of the very first houses that I ever was a part of the team to create that story. 34:05.725 --> 34:07.586 [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, again, Loom's Lord just has to. 34:08.629 --> 34:24.462 [SPEAKER_01]: Uh, my last question for you, which we may have already covered, but just in case some of the advice I give people every year is to wear earplugs if they're scared to go in these houses is to wear dark colors because I at my first Halloween hernites did not and my friends teased me when I got there. 34:24.562 --> 34:25.203 [SPEAKER_01]: Things like that. 34:25.223 --> 34:31.628 [SPEAKER_01]: Do you have any other free arrival tips that I can share with listeners for someone's first time at AJ Jen. 34:32.290 --> 34:41.992 [SPEAKER_00]: Earplugs is a great tip, dark colors, but know that if everyone in the haunted house as a dark color, you might not see the person in front of you because it is dark in there. 34:42.392 --> 34:50.153 [SPEAKER_00]: So if you have something that can be a little brighter on you, people can see in front of you, because it is a conglomerate scenario. 34:51.433 --> 34:52.994 [SPEAKER_00]: But I understand the dark colors. 34:53.634 --> 34:54.694 [SPEAKER_00]: It's a Halloween event. 34:55.014 --> 34:56.774 [SPEAKER_00]: A lot of people have dark colors on. 35:02.975 --> 35:26.185 [SPEAKER_00]: Stay the quote or stay if a Halloween go stay from opening till close because if you want a little less to line weight after midnight is the way to go because a lot of fans come early and leave around that midnight 12 30 mark. 35:27.373 --> 35:33.236 [SPEAKER_00]: So from 12 30 till 2 a.m. because we open till 2 a.m. every night, those two lines go down. 35:35.798 --> 35:37.239 [SPEAKER_00]: Also take it all in. 35:38.259 --> 35:47.745 [SPEAKER_00]: Make sure you're not on your phone when you're walking through scare zones phones are the best distraction for our characters with AC a phone out and they see a glow on a face. 35:47.785 --> 35:49.406 [SPEAKER_00]: They're like, yes, I have them. 35:50.046 --> 35:52.407 [SPEAKER_00]: So I tell my family and friends, 35:55.878 --> 35:57.138 [SPEAKER_00]: but just have fun. 35:57.278 --> 35:59.519 [SPEAKER_00]: I think the biggest thing is have fun. 35:59.959 --> 36:02.180 [SPEAKER_00]: It is, it is, it's not real. 36:02.820 --> 36:04.621 [SPEAKER_00]: It is all fantasy. 36:05.021 --> 36:06.701 [SPEAKER_00]: It is all fiction. 36:07.321 --> 36:08.782 [SPEAKER_00]: So just have fun with it. 36:09.262 --> 36:15.584 [SPEAKER_00]: Enjoy the food, enjoy the drinks, enjoy the merchandise, enjoy the surroundings. 36:16.124 --> 36:16.804 [SPEAKER_00]: Have fun. 36:17.865 --> 36:22.466 [SPEAKER_01]: I love that you and your team have done such a good job that we actually do need to be reminded that it's not real. 36:22.998 --> 36:26.279 [SPEAKER_01]: because sometimes you'll be in those houses and you will think it is. 36:26.820 --> 36:27.080 [SPEAKER_00]: I know. 36:27.120 --> 36:28.360 [SPEAKER_00]: Well, thank you so much. 36:28.380 --> 36:31.381 [SPEAKER_00]: We can't remember myself from like, this is not real. 36:31.822 --> 36:32.582 [SPEAKER_00]: This is not real. 36:32.982 --> 36:34.303 [SPEAKER_00]: We're creating stories here. 36:34.663 --> 36:34.883 [SPEAKER_01]: Yes. 36:35.123 --> 36:38.304 [SPEAKER_01]: And now that we know the person behind some of it, it's not going to be a scary. 36:38.965 --> 36:39.425 [SPEAKER_01]: Right. 36:39.905 --> 36:40.345 [SPEAKER_01]: Right. 36:41.045 --> 36:46.107 [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you so much for coming on the podcast and for sharing your incredible career and your expertise. 36:46.187 --> 36:49.449 [SPEAKER_01]: And hopefully, some of us, this gear will see you in the fog. 37:05.786 --> 37:10.207 [SPEAKER_03]: Hi Carly, so I have a crazy situation happen, which I want. 37:10.707 --> 37:20.050 [SPEAKER_03]: I want a sweepstakes to go to B-23X Bell, and I'll get to bring my partner and the whole trips pay for, you know, a lot to get to all the days, and 37:20.565 --> 37:24.607 [SPEAKER_03]: And to the Honda Center, like, well, see steering teams, I'm really excited. 37:25.088 --> 37:27.989 [SPEAKER_03]: But it's also not something I ever like imagined. 37:28.049 --> 37:29.810 [SPEAKER_03]: I would go to, or really wanted to go to. 37:29.850 --> 37:31.531 [SPEAKER_03]: Like, I wouldn't spend my own money on it. 37:31.551 --> 37:35.133 [SPEAKER_03]: Because I'm really just happy to hear the news from people like you. 37:35.153 --> 37:37.495 [SPEAKER_03]: I'm excited to go. 37:37.515 --> 37:39.216 [SPEAKER_03]: I think I'm excited to be in the Disney bubble. 37:39.616 --> 37:43.678 [SPEAKER_03]: And maybe see if I can get some part 10 in because we live in the Midwest. 37:43.738 --> 37:47.901 [SPEAKER_03]: So my partner, so my question is, if you are a part 37:50.723 --> 38:16.371 [SPEAKER_03]: uh... and didn't care too much about what we see other them up at which days would be a must go this year you know which days could we may be speaking sometimes in the park in the morning for afternoons um... and yet you have any other advice for first time detainery expo because i literally don't know anything uh... the website has like so much stuff um... but yet it was a crazy situation and if you have any insights please let me know 38:21.062 --> 38:21.402 [SPEAKER_01]: You were right. 38:21.422 --> 38:23.163 [SPEAKER_01]: This is a crazy situation. 38:23.243 --> 38:29.286 [SPEAKER_01]: I feel like all of us are basking in the glow of being winner adjacent and I am so happy for you and so excited. 38:29.306 --> 38:33.469 [SPEAKER_01]: And also congratulations like you hear that people win these things, but you really want it. 38:33.489 --> 38:35.990 [SPEAKER_01]: Like you're really going that's incredible. 38:36.570 --> 38:40.492 [SPEAKER_01]: I'm so excited for you and especially because you're showing up with like no priorities. 38:40.512 --> 38:44.394 [SPEAKER_01]: You're showing up just be like we'll see how it goes, which is the best attitude for D23. 38:45.655 --> 38:51.540 [SPEAKER_01]: I, I know you and I talked separately because I was trying to assess out because my brain goes into hyperdriven is like, here's everything you need to do. 38:51.800 --> 38:58.185 [SPEAKER_01]: But I really want to make sure that you have like, like, you know, like the full run of the gamut info that you need. 38:58.645 --> 39:02.788 [SPEAKER_01]: Now, as you mentioned, D23 is split between two venues again this year. 39:02.848 --> 39:05.990 [SPEAKER_01]: You have the Anaheim Convention Center, which is like really the expo halls. 39:06.231 --> 39:09.113 [SPEAKER_01]: And then you have the Honda Center, which are the really big presentations. 39:09.633 --> 39:12.315 [SPEAKER_01]: Because you're kind of like, we just want to chill, we just want to check it out. 39:12.976 --> 39:18.281 [SPEAKER_01]: Ev the busiest that D23 is going to be is the morning of the first day on that Friday. 39:18.501 --> 39:19.642 [SPEAKER_01]: Because everyone's trying to get in. 39:19.662 --> 39:21.283 [SPEAKER_01]: It's the first day of security processes. 39:21.303 --> 39:25.467 [SPEAKER_01]: Like everything is really just getting off the ground and everyone wants to be either the moment it starts. 39:25.915 --> 39:41.334 [SPEAKER_01]: So I would actually, I would actually tell you to zag where other zig if I was you and you're just kind of like here to check it out you know, you know, no pressure nothing I would go to Disneyland on Friday because any Disney fan kind of like worth their weight in magic is going to be 39:42.235 --> 39:44.598 [SPEAKER_01]: at the expo hall on that Friday. 39:44.978 --> 39:48.281 [SPEAKER_01]: I bet Disneyland is probably going to be super quiet that Friday. 39:48.301 --> 39:58.091 [SPEAKER_01]: I would take a gamble and try to do that on Friday and then you can always go to go to D23, go to the Anaheim Convention Center Friday afternoon and we'll get into nighttime stuff in a moment. 39:58.192 --> 40:00.974 [SPEAKER_01]: Because late Friday there is a Muppets panel. 40:01.575 --> 40:10.404 [SPEAKER_01]: There has not been many details about it, but I will mention that the last Muppets panel I went to at D23 2020 for did not have a Muppet appearance. 40:10.424 --> 40:12.065 [SPEAKER_01]: I feel like it was a miss piggy specific. 40:12.866 --> 40:14.047 [SPEAKER_01]: I also podcast, that's not what it is. 40:14.267 --> 40:16.329 [SPEAKER_01]: This piggy specific panel, it was like Muppets. 40:16.770 --> 40:18.772 [SPEAKER_01]: It was Muppets specific and there was no Muppet appearance. 40:19.072 --> 40:29.637 [SPEAKER_01]: So I'm not fully banking on their being mopped at this, I almost had Seth Rogan, oh my gosh, at this Seth MacFarlane panel, I'm sure it'll be fun, but I don't know if the mopped's will actually be there. 40:30.037 --> 40:34.600 [SPEAKER_01]: So that is something that for you, even as a mopped's fan, I would say definitely don't miss. 40:35.260 --> 40:40.663 [SPEAKER_01]: Then I would probably spend Saturday at the convention and get all of it done once everyone's been there for a day. 40:40.683 --> 40:45.105 [SPEAKER_01]: If you're not like really going home on buying things, the second thing they come out, I think you can just like, 40:45.465 --> 40:50.673 [SPEAKER_01]: That way you can go to the park, you can see everyone's coverage from Friday, and then go figure out what you really want on Saturday without being overwhelmed. 40:51.133 --> 40:58.323 [SPEAKER_01]: We do have to talk about the nighttime panels though, because you mentioned as we discussed offline, celebrities are not a top priority. 40:58.383 --> 41:02.329 [SPEAKER_01]: And that is a really, really big part of two of the three Honda Center panels. 41:02.879 --> 41:09.126 [SPEAKER_01]: Friday night and we are going to discuss this like kind of at length next week, but the Friday night panel is the entertainment panel. 41:09.186 --> 41:15.754 [SPEAKER_01]: And a lot of this is them showing new movie trailers, trotting out celebrities to introduce their projects and making some project announcements. 41:16.194 --> 41:19.178 [SPEAKER_01]: If you want to see celebs on stage, that is a great opportunity. 41:19.238 --> 41:19.679 [SPEAKER_01]: But again, 41:20.159 --> 41:22.380 [SPEAKER_01]: There's probably not going to be a lot of people at the park at night. 41:22.641 --> 41:24.202 [SPEAKER_01]: So that might be a great park night. 41:24.542 --> 41:28.064 [SPEAKER_01]: If you want to see famous people on stage, you can still do that on Sunday. 41:28.384 --> 41:31.186 [SPEAKER_01]: And one, I think it's one 30 p.m. the Legends presentation. 41:31.646 --> 41:35.028 [SPEAKER_01]: That Legends ceremony will have Bob Eiger, Jonas Brothers, things like that. 41:35.048 --> 41:41.072 [SPEAKER_01]: And if you can see a bunch of famous people, I think that might be the go-to if you're not desperate to see the trailers the first second to they come out. 41:41.352 --> 41:43.574 [SPEAKER_01]: A lot of them will drop online, you'll still be able to see them. 41:43.874 --> 41:47.877 [SPEAKER_01]: And this way you can kind of get the best of both worlds, not like a Hannah Montana reference, but why not? 41:48.017 --> 41:49.898 [SPEAKER_01]: We always should be referencing Hannah Montana. 41:50.238 --> 41:54.159 [SPEAKER_01]: Saturday night, I am going to recommend that that Honda Center panel you do not miss. 41:54.720 --> 41:57.661 [SPEAKER_01]: Given that you were calling on a Charles Hotline, I think you're a Disney Parks person. 41:57.981 --> 41:58.801 [SPEAKER_01]: I think it's pretty safe. 41:58.921 --> 42:05.263 [SPEAKER_01]: And to be in the room when this news breaks, isn't experienced that you can only get at D23 every two years. 42:05.583 --> 42:14.547 [SPEAKER_01]: To be there and to hear people scream and like loudly care about the things you care about in the same way that a sports fan would like, you know, the like the NBA finals. 42:14.847 --> 42:17.067 [SPEAKER_01]: To be in that room is really something so special. 42:17.107 --> 42:18.588 [SPEAKER_01]: And I think you should absolutely be there. 42:18.608 --> 42:23.612 [SPEAKER_01]: So my idealite scenario for you, again, a suggestion, trust your gut, you can do whatever you want, you got all the tickets. 42:24.373 --> 42:26.515 [SPEAKER_01]: Friday, I'm a go to the parks, cause I don't think people are gonna be there. 42:26.775 --> 42:29.657 [SPEAKER_01]: I don't think people are gonna, I mean, like, I feel like they're not gonna be there, I'm ready. 42:30.038 --> 42:42.248 [SPEAKER_01]: Then Saturday, or a Friday, then go late, go late, go to the Muppets panel, go late, and then you can either go back to the park, or if you feel like go to the Honda Sender, cause you have freedom, you can, just make sure to time it out and check the bus schedule because there is transportation that is required. 42:42.288 --> 42:43.789 [SPEAKER_01]: They offer it, you just wanna make sure you are there. 42:44.310 --> 42:45.151 [SPEAKER_01]: Early enough to take it. 42:45.751 --> 42:47.313 [SPEAKER_01]: Saturday, have up your expo day. 42:47.673 --> 42:49.174 [SPEAKER_01]: And then plan to do all of its Saturday. 42:49.214 --> 42:49.775 [SPEAKER_01]: Go to the expo. 42:49.795 --> 42:50.996 [SPEAKER_01]: You should have a little later, you want? 42:51.536 --> 42:53.658 [SPEAKER_01]: I would definitely check out the Imaginary Favilion. 42:53.678 --> 42:55.880 [SPEAKER_01]: That's one of the main things I'm most excited to see there. 42:56.260 --> 42:57.742 [SPEAKER_01]: Saturday night parks panel. 42:58.002 --> 42:58.322 [SPEAKER_01]: Boom. 42:58.462 --> 42:59.523 [SPEAKER_01]: Plan to be there the whole night. 42:59.723 --> 43:01.225 [SPEAKER_01]: It's going to be, it's going to be huge. 43:01.605 --> 43:02.225 [SPEAKER_01]: It's going to be huge. 43:02.506 --> 43:05.388 [SPEAKER_01]: Then Sunday, maybe sleep in, have some Mickey waffles for breakfast. 43:05.729 --> 43:07.010 [SPEAKER_01]: Go to the legend ceremony. 43:07.230 --> 43:09.352 [SPEAKER_01]: And then if you want to go back to the expo hall, it's Sunday night. 43:09.372 --> 43:09.752 [SPEAKER_01]: You can. 43:09.812 --> 43:10.773 [SPEAKER_01]: Otherwise, you can go to the parks. 43:11.073 --> 43:11.494 [SPEAKER_01]: I think that is 43:12.154 --> 43:13.094 [SPEAKER_01]: best possible schedule. 43:13.355 --> 43:14.615 [SPEAKER_01]: Congratulations on winning. 43:14.815 --> 43:25.560 [SPEAKER_01]: I'm truly so amazed and I hope you have a wonderful time and if anybody else has D23 questions, get them in ASAP because we are going to be talking about it nonstop for the next few weeks and I want to make sure I have everything covered for you. 43:25.800 --> 43:27.240 [SPEAKER_01]: Thank you so much for calling and oh my gosh. 43:27.521 --> 43:27.941 [SPEAKER_01]: Oh winner! 43:35.691 --> 43:44.593 [SPEAKER_01]: Oh, thank you all so much for listening and thank you to Laura and Universal Orlando Resort for making sure this podcast could happen on the eve of H.H.N. 43:45.073 --> 43:48.715 [SPEAKER_01]: You can rate review and follow us on Apple Podcasts, rate and follow us on Spotify. 43:49.015 --> 43:51.115 [SPEAKER_01]: You can also give us a call at 7 or 7 shows. 43:51.355 --> 43:53.396 [SPEAKER_01]: We've gotten so many great calls lately. 43:53.436 --> 43:58.918 [SPEAKER_01]: I can't, sometimes I see them come through and I'm like, I want to answer this right now, but I'm not in a mic, but I want to answer it right now. 43:59.699 --> 44:01.481 [SPEAKER_01]: You can book a trip to H.A.J. 44:01.521 --> 44:04.424 [SPEAKER_01]: or really whenever you'd like it, that's not it. 44:04.645 --> 44:05.105 [SPEAKER_01]: See? 44:05.125 --> 44:07.829 [SPEAKER_01]: This is why I have to follow a list because I never do this right. 44:08.309 --> 44:10.272 [SPEAKER_01]: You can book a trip with M.E.I. 44:10.312 --> 44:13.456 [SPEAKER_01]: Mouse fan travel at mousefamtravel.com slash amusing. 44:13.716 --> 44:17.982 [SPEAKER_01]: I, that's like the hallmark of ADHD as you say something a hundred times new still get it wrong. 44:18.402 --> 44:33.382 [SPEAKER_01]: If you are thinking about Beyond Disney, Royal Caribbean, Universal, wherever, just reach out to them and see what the pricing is, because it couldn't be easier, they don't charge you for a quote, they don't charge you for anything, and they can help save you money and help playing your trip, and it's just really wonderful. 44:33.862 --> 44:43.366 [SPEAKER_01]: Universal Disney Cruise Line, anything reach out mousebandtravel.com slash I'm using that'll let them know that I sent you and they'll know you're you know You're a cookie like me and they will help you plan your trip. 44:43.386 --> 44:48.709 [SPEAKER_01]: I mean, they won't know you're cookie, but I feel like internally they got to know I got to be the cookies person who works with them guy mouseman travel, right? 44:49.449 --> 44:49.769 [SPEAKER_01]: It's got it. 44:50.269 --> 44:50.669 [SPEAKER_01]: It's got to be. 44:50.689 --> 44:55.831 [SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to follow me at Curly Waisel and join the Foley at Facebook.com slash group slash Carly Waisel. 44:56.211 --> 45:01.692 [SPEAKER_01]: And you should because D23 is upon us and in updates and some reason gaps I will be attending as media. 45:02.292 --> 45:04.513 [SPEAKER_01]: I don't take anything for granted. 45:04.573 --> 45:08.874 [SPEAKER_01]: I don't assume anything ever so it's always a delight when it's like okay I am going to be there for work. 45:08.974 --> 45:11.334 [SPEAKER_01]: I am going to be able to cover it to my heart to extend. 45:11.354 --> 45:16.855 [SPEAKER_01]: I'm going to pack three phone chargers, two phones, a laptop and all of my prayers to 45:20.157 --> 45:35.288 [SPEAKER_01]: Speaking of subscribe to my Instagram 99 cents a month if you subscribe now you are going to get all of the D23 updates I will be posting wide far and wide, but it'll definitely get a little a little bit of tea I kind of post things and I don't want to be everywhere on there because then it's just between us It's just between friends and it it's quite nice nice and it's a month. 45:35.308 --> 45:35.468 [SPEAKER_01]: Why not? 45:35.488 --> 45:45.796 [SPEAKER_01]: Thanks so much for listening see you real Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 45:54.321 --> 45:55.561 [SPEAKER_02]: Hey honey, it's mom. 45:55.802 --> 45:58.002 [SPEAKER_02]: Okay, Disney when raises prices again. 45:58.423 --> 46:08.566 [SPEAKER_02]: Like 50 cents isn't a big deal, but when they continually raise it over and over again, popcorn prices by 50 cents, it adds up $7 for a popcorn. 46:08.806 --> 46:09.447 [SPEAKER_02]: That's not good. 46:09.747 --> 46:11.467 [SPEAKER_02]: It literally cost pennies to make. 46:11.968 --> 46:12.568 [SPEAKER_02]: And you know what? 46:12.888 --> 46:21.111 [SPEAKER_02]: When I don't want to do a schlepted popcorn bucket with me and at night when the bread shop or going out to dinner and the park, and you know what? 46:21.231 --> 46:23.932 [SPEAKER_02]: I buy popcorn at least three or four times a day. 46:24.314 --> 46:24.914 [SPEAKER_02]: And you know what? 46:25.874 --> 46:28.335 [SPEAKER_02]: It ends up, I bring all of a sudden one back to my room. 46:28.395 --> 46:31.436 [SPEAKER_02]: So maybe that's quarter five, which I've been the first to say. 46:31.716 --> 46:35.777 [SPEAKER_02]: But anyway, we're talking $28 plus a day on popcorn. 46:36.177 --> 46:40.238 [SPEAKER_02]: And if I buy for you because we don't share, we like to have it on a phone. 46:40.598 --> 46:41.459 [SPEAKER_02]: It's wonderful. 46:41.719 --> 46:44.299 [SPEAKER_02]: I'm spending $56 a day on popcorn. 46:44.319 --> 46:45.900 [SPEAKER_02]: That is crazy. 46:46.500 --> 46:51.321 [SPEAKER_02]: Well, I'm so happy that when you came home to visit me, you really enjoyed being home. 46:51.341 --> 46:52.462 [SPEAKER_02]: You never said that before. 46:54.085 --> 46:59.728 [SPEAKER_02]: And Pearl asked him to go back to Nana's house, I die, I die from her, my heart, I love her so much. 47:00.509 --> 47:02.710 [SPEAKER_02]: Alright, driving at home is not LA. 47:02.930 --> 47:06.212 [SPEAKER_02]: Driving here at home in Illinois is like driving in Mayberry. 47:06.632 --> 47:08.633 [SPEAKER_02]: We aren't rushing to go anywhere, there's nobody to go. 47:08.953 --> 47:11.355 [SPEAKER_02]: In fact, we're driving slowly is the usual. 47:11.695 --> 47:14.316 [SPEAKER_02]: So people in LA try crazy. 47:14.376 --> 47:16.578 [SPEAKER_02]: When I go out there, I'm like, I'm insane, I'll never drive there. 47:16.878 --> 47:20.480 [SPEAKER_02]: And I know you want that red light, so, but I have to tell you a story. 47:21.054 --> 47:33.303 [SPEAKER_02]: I was driving, we had to red light at one of the stops, and I stopped at a car, and I thought I stopped long enough, and I made my right turn, and I got to take it because of that light. 47:33.343 --> 47:34.024 [SPEAKER_02]: $150 ticket. 47:34.264 --> 47:34.544 [SPEAKER_02]: Why? 47:34.564 --> 47:36.706 [SPEAKER_02]: I didn't stop long enough. 47:36.766 --> 47:37.827 [SPEAKER_02]: It was called rolling. 47:38.467 --> 47:38.687 [SPEAKER_02]: Why? 47:38.707 --> 47:39.168 [SPEAKER_02]: Hoverwood. 47:39.508 --> 47:40.529 [SPEAKER_02]: I did stop, anyway. 47:40.809 --> 47:41.650 [SPEAKER_02]: I don't like those lights. 47:42.110 --> 47:44.592 [SPEAKER_02]: Masks to red party with Claire, how she doing. 47:44.632 --> 47:45.433 [SPEAKER_02]: She's wonderful. 47:45.673 --> 47:48.515 [SPEAKER_02]: I'm so glad you got to see your best friend again, how fun. 47:49.023 --> 47:51.084 [SPEAKER_02]: This wouldn't be best to get such an ever. 47:51.164 --> 47:51.644 [SPEAKER_02]: I loved it. 47:52.025 --> 47:52.965 [SPEAKER_02]: I love you, Carly. 47:53.385 --> 47:54.806 [SPEAKER_02]: I love you, Pearl so much. 47:55.186 --> 47:56.427 [SPEAKER_02]: I love you, John Stamos. 47:56.727 --> 48:01.749 [SPEAKER_02]: And I love you, Canadian Maple Popcorn for even $7 because you know what? 48:02.050 --> 48:03.250 [SPEAKER_02]: Carly, you said I was right. 48:03.270 --> 48:04.471 [SPEAKER_02]: I was right about the popcorns. 48:04.591 --> 48:05.231 [SPEAKER_02]: I was right. 48:05.791 --> 48:06.292 [SPEAKER_02]: I love you. 48:06.572 --> 48:06.832 [SPEAKER_02]: Bye.