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Westeros
Based on the acclaimed George R.R. Martin fantasy novel series - A Song of Ice and Fire, and the HBO series Game of Thrones, Westeros is a mesmerizing journey to another realm of dragons, political treachery, and drama. Westeros is a continent located in the far west of "the known world". Most of the events in Game of Thrones take place in Westeros which makes it an essential factor in the land decision. Within Westeros are several kingdoms ruled by various houses, and while there is a rich backstory to the series and the novels that the series is based on, the amount of comprehension necessary to take in all the details of the backstory would be too dense for an average theme park goer, especially a novice to Game of Thrones. Consequently, rather than focusing on the rich history in the depiction of the land, a condensed version of Westeros, portraying some of the most popular and mainstream locations from the show, will act as the gateway for those novice guests to recognize aspects from the show. As you get more involved with the attractions, restaurants, and more - the hard core fans will appreciate the attention to detail, easter eggs, among other hidden nods to the show and novels, while the average fan can still enjoy and understand the experience as a whole.
In regards to the map - there are 3 main locations to Westeros in the land. Those locations being the Mountains of the Moon, King's Landing, and Winterfell.
- The Mountains of the Moon are tall and forbidding, among the tallest peaks in all of Westeros.
- King's Landing is the capital, and largest city, of the Seven Kingdoms and is also the site of the infamous 'Iron Throne'
- Winterfell is the traditional home of House Stark. The Winterfell castle is located alongside the Kingsroad as it makes its way from the Wall to the capital at King's Landing. The wall is a structure that guests the kingdoms of Westeros from the 'White Walkers' of the north, and the wall is guarded by a group called 'The Night's Watch'
The Mountains of the Moon (in a bit of a derivation from the series and novels) is home to the signature attraction of the land - called Dance of Dragons
Dance of Dragons is a thrilling IMAX first-person simulator attraction that puts you in the center of the action in an epic battle for Westeros with help from Daenerys Targaryen also known as the 'mother of dragons' among other names on the show, but in pop culture that is a recognizable title. She's called the mother of dragons because she is actually the mother of three powerful dragons, that she has used in battle to defeat her enemies with their fire breathing capabilities and sheer size. In this adventure, you are traveling through the Mountains of the Moon on an expedition when you are met with one of Daenerys' dragons hiding out in the mountain range. In the pre-show, the dragon reers its head out from a cave, and an audio-animatronic head turns and breathes right in the guest faces. The mother of dragons can be seen calming her dragon, and her second in command demands for a reason why you are in the mountains. Before the answer can be given - an alert from Jon Snow, King of the North is discovered stating that there is a White Walker attack in the North, and Daenerys is needed as well as her dragons. For backup protection, the guests are told that they will fight for her in battle and be able to ride one of her three dragons into the battle for the north. She explains how you should act around the dragons, how to board them, and what the sensation will feel like. Then you enter into the cave and proceed to the load area of the attraction.
Similar to the new Avatar: Flight of Passage attraction at Disney's Animal Kingdom - there will be rows of 8 guests lined up on bike-like vehicles, leaning forward and the simulated 'dragons' breathe and move around as you fly towards the North and into battle on an IMAX projection screen akin to Forbidden Journey. However, unlike those attractions, Universal Creative developed a new patent that is a manipulation of the IMAX screen towards the individual. Something originally planned for flight of Passage - you will be able to see the head of your dragon in front of you on the screen, breathing fire and more, to further immerse you in the experience.
As the attraction begins, you are thrust into a speedy pursuit of the Wall, and you are immediately immersed in the sights, sounds, and smells of Game of Thrones. The crisp winter air bodes strong and you can feel the chill around you in this immersive theater, even to the extent of seeing your breath in front of you. Your dragon breathes heavily, its lungs moving the vehicle back and forth, when suddenly you emerge out of the clouds and into the battle, where your dragon breathes fire down onto the army of white walkers. You soar over the battle field and weave in and out of the decaying trees and surrounding fire. The snow continues to fall as you approach the Wall. The wall begins to break slightly and a massive Ice Dragon attempts to knock your dragon over. An aerial battle ensues, but together you emerge victorious...for now.
Once the battle temporarily ends, the dragons attempt to retreat back to their home in the mountains, but decide to take the long way as to not be found. You're treated to an aerial flight over Westeros, gliding through the clouds and over the seven kingdoms, eventually landing back in the mountains, and roaring on the mountain top as the inspirational music and attraction come to an end.
King's Landing
The capital of the seven kingdoms, King's Landing is a decrepit underbelly of death and deceit. The dichotomy of the city is astounding, from its gaudy yet elegant Red Keep residence, to its polluted stench ridden streets that make Mos Eisley seem like Fuji in comparison. But that dichotomy is explained by the greed and treachery that lives up in the Red Keep, and those who sit on the Iron Throne - most prominently, the complex, manipulative, and some downright evil family members of House Lannister.
In this section of the land, guests can travel through the streets of King's Landing, and see for themselves the crowded and condensed streets that are all at the feet of the Iron Throne, perched in a forced perspective manner on the cliffside point. As guests make their way up to Red Keep, they queue for a Broadway style show within the castle that in the 35 minute show, elicits the history of the Song of Ice and Fire and gives novice guests an outlet to learn more about the backstory, and for hard core fans to relish in the in-depth presentation style of the show, including actors and actresses detailing the main events from the show's past - including dramatic events like Ned Stark's betrayal, The Red Wedding, The Purple Wedding, Tyrion's Trial by Combat, and more. Inside and adjacent to the theater show, is the King's Feast - a buffet table service restaurant serving english and european meats, fish, wheat, and other amenities that are prominent in the Game of Thrones lore.
Winterfell
Inside the walls of Winterfell is an interactive walk-through adventure where you can become part of the 'watch' and, similar to Jedi Training Academy, learn how to sword fight in the castle grounds, make tools in the woodshop and armory, among other adventures that make you a true King of the North. There is also a small quick service venue and shop located within the castle walls.
Mushroom Kingdom
Intro
Jump into the world of Nintendo and the revered Super Mario Bros. video games as you embark on an epic animated journey through the colorful universe. Approaching the land from either prior land you are coming from (whether it be Illumination Station or Jurassic World) you can see the peak of a large, cubical shaped mountain range in the distance, with green grass and brown mountain facades towering over the rainbow infused lands with the eclectic locations 180 degrees around this mountain range. As soon as you step through the gates to Mushroom Kingdom - you are immediately immersed in the magic of Nintendo, and all of the joy it brings to people of many ages.
Peach Castle
Princess Peach's Castle the entrance gate to Mushroom Kingdom and one of its most prominent landmarks. As you walk through the castle, you can either continue on straight into the main courtyard area, or you can walk through the castle for character Meet and Greet opportunities with Princess Peach and many Toads including Toad and Toadsworth who reside inside. It's also home to the largest Mario gift shop on property, selling any and all Super Mario Bros. merchandise as well as assorted other Nintedo gear. Near Peach's Castle is a Yoshi Meet and Greet area in an expansion area - serving as a reference to the possible Yoshi expansion in the coming years.
Donkey Kong: Monkey Mines
Walking through Kongo Jungle and into the Monkey Mines is a first-of-ts kind family coaster experience inspired by the adventures on Donkey Kong Island. As you enter the queue for the attraction, you walk up and around Donkey Kong's Treehouse as well as his precious Banana Hoard. Deep within Kongo Jungle now, you enter the Monkey Mines and trek down out of the jungle and into the mines themselves.
The ride vehicles themselves are new technology - using a ride track 'jumping' patent that Universal Creative has received, the mine carts will be able to 'jump' between the tracks similar to the video game, through the use of duel tracks, one on top and one on the bottom. To the guest perspective though, the vehicles seem to jump off the track below them and onto the next one, especially from a first person perspective. The track above is camouflaged and picks up the vehicles in the front and back of the guest seats, before the vehicles goes back down towards the original track below.
The goal of the attraction is to 'collect' the bananas and not fall into the mine shaft or get hit with any incoming projections on the track. The ride will reach a max speed of around 30 mph.
Attraction Statistics
Attraction Type - Family Coaster
Height Restriction - 38 inches
Attraction Ticket - D-Ticket
Length - 2 minutes
Mine Train Capacity - 20 guests
Trains per Track - 4
Hourly Capacity - 2,400 guests per hour
Wheelchair Transfer - Yes
Express Pass - Yes
Latiku's Flying Clouds
A dueling spinner attraction akin to Dumbo The Flying Elephant that takes guests up into the skies of Mushroom Kingdom on a whimsical twirl around on a cloud.
Attraction Statistics
Attraction Type - Flat Ride
Attraction Ticket - B-Ticket
Length - 1.5 minutes
Hourly Capacity - 800 guests per hour
Koopa Loopa
A flat kiddie ride themed after koopa shells. Similar to the Mad Tea Party, guests will spin around in their koopa shells as classic Nintendo music plays in the courtyards around you.
Attraction Statistics
Attraction Type - Flat Ride
Attraction Ticket - B-Ticket
Length - 2 minutes
Hourly Capacity - 900 guests per hour
Bowser's BBQ
Inside Bowser's Castle you can sit down in a smokehouse BBQ quick service restaurant serving a variety of individual meals such as pulled pork sandwiches, smoked turkey sandwiches, among a variety of other grilled favorites.
Mario and Luigi's Pizzeria
It's a'me - a'Mario! Welcome to this quick service pizzeria where you can get individual slices or pies consisting of cheese, pepperoni, avocado, mozzarella, basil, sausage, mushrooms, onions, chicken, meatballs, and more.
Jurassic World Intro
A land - 65 Million Years in the Making. Welcome to Isla Nublar and the thrilling adventures that await in Jurassic World. One of the most visited places on the planet, Jurassic World brings to life creatures from a once lost world of dinosaurs. The childlike awe is put on center-stage as soon as you step foot onto the main street of Jurassic World and the memorable John Williams score envelops you in majesty.
Hong Kong Intro
Lights, Cameras....Action! That third word has created some of the most eventful and memorable films of the last century. Movie fans love action - film special effects, daring acrobatics - action films are entertaining and visceral in their impact - and many times action films choose exotic locations away from Hollywood in order to evoke a more distinctive flare to the cinematography. We travel to Hong Kong, and discover the action 'stage' for thrilling films and motion pictures, yet also appreciate the cultural impact of the film set - learning about the deep connection that films and specific locations have with each other.
Restaurant #1 - Dim Sum Tea House
Menu/Image
Food Truck #1 - Rice
NS Fried Rice
Special house fried rice with egg and assorted vegetables served with fresh cucumber slices.
$9.75
Basil Fried Rice
Exotic taste fried rice with egg, fresh basil and assorted vegetables.
$9.95
Mango Fried Rice
Fried rice with tropical fresh juicy mango, ginger, egg, and assorted vegetables.
$10.50
Roasted Chili Fried Rice
Ancient-recipe fried rice in roasted chili sauce, egg, cashews, and vegetables.
$10.50
Pineapple Fried Rice
Fried rice with pineapple, raisins, egg, and assorted vegetables.
Food Truck #2 - Salad
Kak Salad
Mesclun mix salad with authentic peanut sauce comes with boiled egg, and crispy wonton noodle.
$7.50
All Season Salad
Light dressing on medley green salad, carrot, bell peppers, mint, basil, ground peanuts.
$7.50
Mango Salad
Homemade carrot dressing comes with fresh juicy mango over mesclun mix salad.
Hong Kong docks description
Along the shoreline are quaint shops and villas steeped in Hong Kong culture and old world architectural designs. The shops are all connected and have various arts and crafts, culturally significant symbols, paintings, and designs, as well as other things that add depth to the other wise action packed land.
American Mystery Intro
All work and no play makes you a dull boy...venture into a land of chills and thrills. Of horror and intrigue. Inspired by the terrifying writings of Stephen King, American Mystery is a land steeped in themes that evoke a sense of suspense. What may seem like natural beauty of coastal seaside towns in Maine, or a Rocky Mountain getaway - are filled with intricate backstories that will leave a lasting memory when you discover what lies within.
Pet Sematary
Follow in the footsteps of the Creed family as you venture into the Pet Sematary in Ludlow, Maine. You creep around the corners, not heeding warning to not cross the barrier into the Pet Sematary, as the ground beyond is 'sour'. Be prepared for some spooky encounters.
The Shack at Cabot Cove Harbor
Located on a harbor in Maine, the Murder, She Wrote inspired restaurant - The Shack - is a fish/lobster quick service restaurant with a New England inspired menu. Featuring items such as a lobster roll, lobster salad, crab roll, New England clam chowder, and more - this is one of the most exquisitely quaint quick service venues in the entire park.
King's Needful Things (Store)
Inspired by the mind of Stephen King, this New England facade shop is home to various merchandise from the surrounding attractions, in addition to a library of all of King's work for purchase, as well as a variety of other horror/suspense novels.
Illumination Station Intro
Based on the films from Illumination Entertainment - this bright, animated land is home to a variety of ever expanding franchises including Despicable Me, The Secret Life of Pets, and much more. Journey through the family friendly environments featuring attractions, restaurants, shops, and a variety of meet and greet locations/entertainment.
The Secret Life of Pets: Flushed Rescue
In this guided dark ride attraction, guests enter on the first floor of the attraction facade of Katie's apartment building will be the attraction queue. The first floor, adjacent to the queue includes the restaurant Pop's Kitchen, as well. The queue enters through the apartment building lobby, then goes through the hallway, into Gidget's apartment, Penny's room, and then eventually into a pre-show where guests can look out onto New York City as Max narrates about his life in NYC. He then says that Katie will be home soon, and you board the ride vehicles to exit the apartment so Katie doesn't see you.
Attraction Ride Through
Scene 1 takes place in Katie's apartment the next day, as you're leaving the scene, Katie goes to work and Max heads out to the Terrace as you transition into Scene 2 - which has all the dogs in the apartment building talking about their days together. After this scene, in Scene 3, Duke arrives at Max's apartment and Max shows visible disdain for his presence, yet soon the ride jumps in a transition out of the apartment and into an alley with the sphynx cat ozone, who brings Max and Duke to Snowball, the leader of the Flushed Pets. In Scene 4, you venture into the sewers and try to make your escape, yet are almost caught by animal control, dodging the large nets above you. As you make your way onto the Brooklyn Bridge in Scene 5, you dodge incoming traffic as Max tries to save Duke from the animal control, attempting to break him out of his cage, when all of a sudden, Snowball saves the day by wrecking the animal control vehicle, Duke is saved, and the dogs head back to the apartment before Katie comes home and greets them in the finale scene.
Pop's Kitchen
Downstairs, on the first floor of the attraction space, is a Secret Life of Pets themed quick service restaurant Pop's Kitchen - named after the old basset hound in the film. It features a variety of burgers, sandwiches, sides, drinks, and children's menu options.
The Secret Life of Pets Parade
A small festival type float that comes around in Illumination Station throughout the day with your favorite characters from the film - check your times guide for more information.
The Pink Berets Daring Quest
The Pink Berets attraction be set in a new building that is based on a mixture between a rabbit burrow and a police station. The indoor queue features photos taken by The Pink Berets of various crime photos as evidence to a private spy program. This queue also features a three separate screens for each of the Pink Berets while a big screen in the middle features a male detective agent that tells what the next mission for them will be and also invites the audience to help them with their next mystery or crime case.
The ride vehicles are trackless and has a LPS system. ride to be similar to The Cat In The Hat attraction where it's all sets with a few characters but much longer. I'm mostly thinking of what the pre-show area would look like from the inside. I am picturing the pre-show to be a bit like Symbolica at Efteling in The Netherlands. While I haven't though that much out on how the scenes for each of the locations will be. Picture The Pink Berets theme to be played throughout the attraction and also marking the first time female rabbit team will be able to be talking besides making grunts and noises like they did in HOP. The AA's will also be more expressive in the ride.
There is also an indoor meet and greet location where you can meet them after you get off the attraction next to the gift shop and might even be found wandering around the indoor area and outside depending on the weather.
Quick Service - Easter Island Chocolate Emporium - Pink Berets M&G
Based off the Easter Island Chocolate Factory in the film, Hop - this quick service location duels as a chocolate factory as well as a Pink Berets Meet and Greet Location.
Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem
'clone' - 4D simulator.
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Sing
Based off the 2016 film, Sing, this is an interactive attraction similar to the recently closed American Idol Experience attraction, yet not as competitive. Children can sing on stage in a makeshift tryout, then at the end of the tryout, the children put on a performance for the audience (their parents) in a 15 minute production. Essentially this is a combination of the American Idol Experience mixed with Disney Junior Live on Stage.
Shop - Illumination Shop
Featuring a variety of merchandise from Illumination Entertainment, especially the films that are located within the land. In the back of the shop there is a blue sky area that depicts and shows off new projects that Illumination Entertainment is working on for the future.
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