The West Side of the Kingdom
Page 1 of 2
Commercial Breaks, Small World and Halloween Treats
Last Friday night, my wife and I sat for hours, completely impressed with the Opening Ceremonies for the Olympics in Sydney, Australia. The show was nothing less than grand in both scope and class. It was a sight to behold and if you were one of the gazillion people watching the program, you know what I am talking about. If you weren’t watching for whatever reason, then I’m sure about 28 of your closest friends have already told you about it, so I will not go on about the details.
The one thing that did dawn on me as we watched was how positive the show made me feel. As we watched some 200 countries enter Olympic Stadium, it occurred to me that it was It’s a Small World for real. Here were thousands of athletes coming into the stadium in their native country’s clothing, etc. From the slick to the exotic - everything was represented and I couldn’t help but hear the attraction’s music somewhere in the back of my mind. It was one of those rare moments when the real world mirrors fantasy, which sadly, happens to be Disney’s beloved Small World attraction in this case.
I doubt I’ll ever see in my lifetime that the world comes together as one peaceful race - the human race - in harmony. There are too many boundaries - too many ancient conflicts. Maybe one of these days; but I am not holding my breath. I think the closest we’ll ever get is the Disney ride or the Olympic Games.
One gripe I did have with the show (hey, it wouldn’t be me if there wasn’t at least one gripe) was that after sitting through a billion countries entering the Stadium alphabetically, that finally, when the United States of America made its grand entrance and we were treated to the bright faces of our young men and women, some genius at NBC took us to a commercial break! When the coverage resumed, some other country like Vietnam was coming into the Stadium. What kind of knucklehead figures it’s a great time to go to commercial during the United States’ entry to the Opening Ceremonies? Was I the only one that went through the roof or felt really bad for the friends and families of our athletes? Sure, the commercial times are chosen ahead of the broadcast, but come on. I have worked in television - the spot could have been pushed for another minute or so. Oh well. Such is life, I suppose. I just thought it was a bad call on the part of NBC.
Switching gears completely here, we’re going to move on from the human spirit to the realm of Halloween and all the spirits that conjures at theme parks all over the nation.
As you know if you’re also a reader of the Theme Park Adventure Magazine Web site (www.themeparkadventure.com), Halloween is big business around the country for theme parks, big and small. While the traditional act of tick-or-treating has become a lost cause in many neighborhoods around the States, theme parks are cashing in big-time on the event and enthusiasts find more and more events to attend each year.
In Southern California, the undisputed Halloween champion
is Knott’s Scary Farm, which hosts its annual Halloween Haunt event (www.halloweenhaunt.com
Six Flags Magic Mountain (as well as many, if not all of
the other Six Flags theme parks) (www.sixflags.com
Universal Studios is ramping up this year for its annual Halloween Horror Nights (www.halloweenhorrornights.com) in both Hollywood and Orlando. With celebrity names like The Undertaker and Clive Barker, Universal pulls on its entertainment appeal more than any of the other mentioned haunts (although Knott’s is now home to both Elvira, Mistress of the Dark as well as The Crypt Keeper).
Other haunts in Southern California also include The Queen Mary’s Shipwreck 2000 (www.queenmary.com) and other local theme park events and celebrations.