February 6, 2025 • 25 mins
It's the most wonderful time of the year...aka MegaCon weekend! On this weeks episode of The Theme Park Podcast the guys preview all the upcoming fun that will happen at MegaCon 2025! Plus Scott talks about his try to see the Mardi Gras parade a Universal Studios, we learn when It’s Tough to Be A Bug is closing and much more.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
From the theme park capital of.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
The World, Orlando, Florida. This is the Theme Park Podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
Wait podcast?
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Is this all the radio? Why does everything gotta be
so messy on this station?
Speaker 4 (00:13):
Anyway?
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Here's your host, Dickerman, Jimmy D and Scott Harris.
Speaker 4 (00:19):
Hey thereon, Welcome to the Theme Park Podcast. Dickerman, here,
there is Jimmy D.
Speaker 5 (00:24):
What's going on, guys?
Speaker 4 (00:25):
And Scott Harris.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
It's the most wonderful time of the year.
Speaker 5 (00:30):
It is. It is.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
It's not spooky season, but it's it's there's lots going
on right now. Yeah, I can tell you that much.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
It's what I like you for is bad for my
wallet season.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
Yeah, it's MegaCon weekend. Scott has already been to MegaCon
as we record this podcast. He's already made the first trek.
So we're gonna have to talk about what we have
to expect this weekend. But also you are out at
Universal too. Why are you so busy this week?
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Because I have stuff in my personal life next week.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Oh so I'm.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Trying to just get to a bunch of fun stuff
while I still can for a while, get.
Speaker 5 (01:07):
It done while you can.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
And it's fair enough.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
It's gorgeous weather outside.
Speaker 5 (01:13):
It really is.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
And I have not seen the outside in quite some time,
but I hear it's really nice out there.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Hey we saw the outside this past weekend.
Speaker 5 (01:21):
Yeah we went out places.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Yeah we saw a bunch of planes flying around.
Speaker 4 (01:26):
That is true. We did go out and had some
experience this weekend. I was curious about the planes flying
in formation over a Popka. I don't really know what
was happening there, but nothing bad seemed to happen, So okay.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
My favorite part of that is none of us, none
of the four of us ever googled what's going on?
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Like is there an air show happening?
Speaker 5 (01:48):
There was no air show that I know of, But
how do we known? We would have never known.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
And I mean, in this day and age, we really
should be should be at least a little concerned. Earned
when you see four or five planes flying in formation
together and you're not in an air show, Like what's happening?
Speaker 5 (02:06):
They were like World War two, like biplane So I
think it was.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
I know that's a kamikazi situation, you know it with
those things.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
If if Red Dawn happens, it's it's it's a m
if Red Dawn happened, who who's who in this situation?
Speaker 4 (02:27):
Like what, I haven't seen the movie in forever. Who's
the slow one that gets hurt and can't run? That's me?
All right, So he's Jennifer Kid with the asthma.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Wait, wait, which red daughter? Are we basing this off of.
Speaker 5 (02:45):
The new one or the old one? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:46):
The one that's the one that has thor or not.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
And I'm definitely not thor.
Speaker 6 (02:52):
It doesn't really end well for most of the I
was gonna say, I don't think it an intal for
anyone in the movie.
Speaker 7 (02:57):
Not.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Sorry to spoil a forty one year old movie.
Speaker 4 (03:01):
Well, you know, all right, let's talk. Let's talk the
parks before we get into bacon. Let's uh, let's get
a quick idea of with this nice weather, you are
out at Universal Orlando, what's it looking like out there?
Are there long line, super crowds? Is it difficult?
Speaker 3 (03:17):
So the thing is, I went on a Wednesday, which
good day to goo. The thing is park close at
seven during the week, So if you're going during the week, Well,
the thing is I learned there was an event happening
Islands Adventure, so that was already a factory with that park.
But I'm like, you know what, weather's nice. I really
want to get out of the house. I want to
walk around a little bit. I want to check out
the Marty Grot Tribute store. Yep, go get a butter beer.
(03:42):
And when I got there, people were already lining up.
I got into the park around five thirty. People are
already lining up for the parade, which was starting at six.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
So yeah, so got in, got to check out the
tribute store. It's very you know, swampy themed, you know,
because there's a Chomp Chomp float in the parade, King Gator,
King Gator.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
There's also a King Baby Cake.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Float.
Speaker 5 (04:13):
Okay, wait, King Cake has a little plastic baby in it. Yeah,
that's thing. Yeah, so they've made a float dedicated to that.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
It was scary, like the baby was terrifying looking. I'm
I'm I'm hoping I have I got a picture or
a video of said float because it it terrified me.
Speaker 6 (04:34):
Did they have one of those like hyperflesh masks so
it looks like kind of real.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Well, no, it's an actual baby.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Like it was a giant like donut cake looking thing
and then the baby's sitting in it.
Speaker 5 (04:46):
Okay, so it's like a sculpture on the front of
the boat. Yes, oh, but it was like scary.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
Yes, there's a there's a portion in Resident Evil eight
where you're chased by this giant baby, and it's probably
the most terrifying part of the game.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
I mean, I remember, is it in Toy Story three
when there's a giant baby.
Speaker 5 (05:07):
Babies are scary, Let's just face it. That's why you
don't like the Simpsons ride.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
Oh Maggie, I don't like the smell of her baby
powder either.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
That's probably part of the when when she thinks you're
a pacifier.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
So I went over there, and then as I'm like
walking back with my butter beer, parade has started, so
I have to stay on like the outskirts. So I'm like,
you know, by your favorite ride, Fast and Furious.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
Great Ride, Super Ride, Wonderful by.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
The Mummy, and then making the hook over by Jimmy Fallon,
and I realized there's a whole bunch of Saturday at
Live fifty merchandise inside that store.
Speaker 4 (05:54):
Yeah, so you decided to go take a look.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Yeah, because I'm like, I have only done Jimmy Fallon once.
I've never I don't think I haven't been in that
store since then, I'm like, oh, let me see what
they have. They have some pretty kind of fun like
Saturda Night Live merchandise inside of there. It's really cool.
And then as I'm leaving, I'm like, all right, I
gotta hug the wall to like now exit the park,
and let me tell you I'm trying to I'm looking
(06:18):
at the parade, but I'm also trying to walk ahead
and not like step on people. Okay, James, you have
been a bead thrower.
Speaker 5 (06:27):
Correct, I've been a thrower and a catcher.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Are you intentionally trying to hit people in the head?
What is the etiquette with throwing beads from the floats?
Speaker 5 (06:40):
Well, there's only like you can't overhand throw beads. You
have to underhand. Okay, so you just like ring cos
you aim for heads so you can get it around
the head.
Speaker 6 (06:52):
Well, I was mostly aiming for like when somebody had
a cigarette in her hand, I would aim for the
cigarette or.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Like a drink in their hand.
Speaker 6 (07:01):
You're going for the drink, no, no, But like if
you got a camera out, I'm probably gonna aim for
your camera lens to see if you can get like
a cool shot with like the beads coming like in
the foreground.
Speaker 5 (07:11):
I think that'd be a neat shot. So I felt like.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
They were like whipping them at people, like there was
some watching. There was like some wrist action happening, Like
it's like Predator with his little Ninja star thing.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
Well, it's like, you know, you watch fast pitch softball,
them girls are throwing under hand, but they whip that thing.
Speaker 6 (07:32):
M hm, you really can't get well, yeah, with a
fast pitch softball, I can totally understand because of the
size of the ball and stuff, but you know, a
little thing of plastic, it's really hard to get any
kind of velocity on them. Although like underhand I'm saying.
I will say, as a former employee that used to
load the beads onto the floats, we would get into
(07:55):
bead wars all the time when we were on bead chips,
and you would end you would just end up taking
like an entire like because they would come in like
a gross of ten wrapped with a piece of paper,
and you just take that whole gross and just wing
it at somebody else who's because all the for the
(08:16):
most part, they're all together in either a pole, barn,
or inside a you know, inside one of the sound stage,
not sound stages, but you know what I'm talking about.
The stages they have backstage where they use them for
Halloween harnites during this spooky season. But we would just
get the speed wars.
Speaker 5 (08:33):
All the time.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
I miss having jobs like that where you'd just be
a just a troublemaker. It's just two ridiculous stuff and
being an idiot. That's one thing you missed about those
old jobs. They don't pay well, but they're fun.
Speaker 6 (08:44):
I mean, it wasn't like we were like that's all
we did, was like, you know, screw as soon as
we got there. It was when you're starting to wind
down the end of the shift.
Speaker 5 (08:53):
You know, maybe you guys goop around for a few minutes,
just have fun.
Speaker 4 (08:56):
What gum embars?
Speaker 3 (08:58):
I was gonna say, what's easier to throw of beads
or gummy bear or skittles?
Speaker 4 (09:04):
Oh the skittles we have in our office.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Cleaning crew did not like us.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
Oh my god.
Speaker 6 (09:11):
So if you're not familiar people at home, our old
boss Jeff would buy an industrial size like bag, like
like a ten pound bag of skittles for birthday birthday
to eat to eat and nobody would touch him at
birthday birthday, so they go virtually untouched.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
See I touch him in the beginning, but then once
people start sticking their hands in there, I'm like, all right,
I'm done now.
Speaker 5 (09:34):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 6 (09:37):
But the candy would end up in our office, yeah,
our little Google themed office, and I don't know, once
in a while, like the mood catches me and I
want to throw things at people, and then it just
breaks out into an all out fight. Yes, and you
know Jeff would walk in, we'd like taste the rainbow
(09:57):
and throw a handful of skittles at.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Him, and then when we get stepped on, and then
it become part of the floor for the rest of time.
Speaker 5 (10:04):
Yeah, it's still there.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
I know there's a little there's a little bump in
the in the carpet.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
Yep, this is true.
Speaker 5 (10:13):
Okay, So yeah, we were talking about beats. Yeahs.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
So then I left that, went over to Islands of Adventure,
got to ride, uh, the Spider Man ride right before
it closed, because you know, Spider Man costume want to
you know, get in the right headspace of everything.
Speaker 5 (10:30):
Right Mega con this weekend, and you want I realized.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
That right is amazing. It is like that exactly.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
That ride is like twenty six years old and it's
like on par with a new ride that comes out today.
Speaker 5 (10:46):
Well, it has been updated so that they had like
HD projections.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
But like the yes, but the mechanics and everything, Like
I still the part where you get shot with the
levitation gun. It still gets me every single time when
it's you're floating, it's like, it's amazing.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
It's good ride, fast and furious. Could learn something from
Spider Man, like be a good there be a better ride.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
But it's like, you know, Transformers came out like fifteen
years later and it's just like Spider Man is still
like a better version.
Speaker 5 (11:17):
Yeah, you're right, Transformers.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
The best part about Transformers is the very end when
you're when you're going out in the Giant Robots there.
Speaker 6 (11:25):
Well I was gonna say that when you when you
see that first shot of Optimus Prime and you see
him like real life in front of you, like full size.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
To me, that was like whoa, yeah, does he ever
recognize you on that ride?
Speaker 5 (11:41):
Who are you talking to?
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Dickerman?
Speaker 5 (11:43):
Why would he recognize me?
Speaker 3 (11:45):
You've hung out with You've hung out with Optimus Prime
before you've interviewed.
Speaker 4 (11:48):
Oh yeah, that's Jimmy was with me that when we
hung out with Peter Cullen. That's true.
Speaker 6 (11:52):
It was funny because everybody calls you Dickerman and he
him and your wife are the only two people I've
ever heard you call you Brian. Well, Brian, I come
to work now they call me Ryan on the time, Brian,
who's Brian? Like this situation with the new e or
I'm not happy about that.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
They're using your adult name.
Speaker 5 (12:14):
Yes, I felt like I felt like we were in trouble.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
And then I tried to go check out the Cursed
Coconut Club, but it was closed for a private event.
Speaker 5 (12:23):
Oh fancy, Yeah, you brought a butter beer.
Speaker 6 (12:27):
You guys saw March first. There's gonna be a bunch
of butter beer flavored uh.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
It Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
I have already ordered some things and I'll be sending
them to one of the households in the show.
Speaker 5 (12:42):
We should have a theme park theme park podcast tasting
and we try them all. I think I saw tell
you that he's having it shipped to my house.
Speaker 7 (12:52):
Okay, Oh no, no, no, no, his house, Dickervans. Oh yeah,
I said goldfish. I saw butt stripes. I saw other things.
I don't remember what they were. They were in a picture.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
She's kisses and polistics. I definitely want to do the
fud stripes. I can tell you that much.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
Worth trying, worth trying.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
He'll try.
Speaker 5 (13:13):
All of that looks like.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
An odd one, I will. I will. The goldfish seems
like an odd one. But they do make sweet goldfish,
so do they really? I could see them trying it.
Speaker 5 (13:19):
Yeah, I didn't know that.
Speaker 4 (13:21):
They like make cupcake flavored and chocolate flavored.
Speaker 6 (13:24):
Yeah, this is the first time I'm going to be
willing to try a sweet goldfish. I'm strictly savory when
it comes to my goldfish.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
Like pizza.
Speaker 6 (13:35):
Yeah, well no, I like pineapple and pizza. So this
is That's why I'm gonna get the butter beer a chance.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
That's true. But hey, here's the thing.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
If you plan it correctly and you go, you have
time to go after work. It's fun going to Universal. Yes,
their hours are kind of like short during the week.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Just pay attention to it.
Speaker 4 (13:52):
You can.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
You can, if you go motivated, you can knock out
like four to five rides because of the weights. Start.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
Aren't that bad?
Speaker 4 (13:58):
There you go? Yeah, I don't don't like the early close,
but now's a great time for endly closed because it
gets dark early and it's not so hot in the afternoons.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
Yeah, when I I think the longest wait I saw
was King's Cross Station.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
Oh the train, the trade that was it?
Speaker 3 (14:13):
Like I think Velosa was thirty to thirty five minutes.
I just wasn't going to make it to the back
of the park in time.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 5 (14:24):
All right, should we uh? Should we dive into mega
con or news items?
Speaker 4 (14:27):
What do you want to hit first?
Speaker 3 (14:28):
I can very quickly do news. Okay, So we now
have a permanent closure date for It's tough to be
a bug.
Speaker 5 (14:35):
Okay, when's that final performance?
Speaker 3 (14:37):
Is March sixteenth, and then it'll be closing on March seventeenth.
Speaker 4 (14:41):
Okay, so you got a little over a month, but
it will.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Be replaced by a new show later this year.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
Oh wow, that's a quick turnaround for Zutopia.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Better zoogether.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
Okay, all right, I mean I like Zutopia. It's been
eight hundred years since that movie came out, But let's
do it.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
But later this year there's Zootopia too.
Speaker 5 (15:04):
Oh I didn't even realize that.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
Okay, yes, and there's reports out that possibly starting next week,
there will be phased previews of Epic Universe really for
team members. Let's get jobs, guys on a on a
land by land basis. Look, guys, we uh we we
(15:27):
started a podcast to try and get into Disney. If
we can't do that, let's just get jobs Universal to
go check out Epic Universe.
Speaker 6 (15:33):
All right, you got to do a job at Universal.
They're gonna let you pick anyone, any job you want.
What are you taking.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
I'm going back to my I'm going back to cinema
and I know that place.
Speaker 4 (15:44):
Scott's good to get with what he knows it.
Speaker 5 (15:47):
I'm gonna do it.
Speaker 4 (15:48):
Who's got the best outfits? I want to do something
probably in Harry Potter work.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
I'm gonna say, well, I'll say this. I'll say this
comfiest outfits sous landing.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
Oh yeah, this thanks just like PJ.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
It's sweatpants and a baggy T shirt.
Speaker 4 (16:03):
Yeah that sounds good.
Speaker 6 (16:05):
He would look sharp in like one of those little
platform one in three fourths or nine and three fourths.
Speaker 5 (16:13):
I could just I could work the train. I could
be the train guy. I'd be the trained guy.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
I mean, I wouldn't mind being uh one of the
men and black people. Nicest place in the park exactly,
and rate air conditioning. Yeah, the best air conditioning in
the world.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
Actually, if we raided air conditioning in the world, that
place would come out number one. I don't know what's
happened in there, but I love it.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
I don't I don't want to know what the bill
is for that building specifically.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
Yeah, we got a spike in energy over here.
Speaker 5 (16:41):
You wouldn't want to be slung in butterer beer.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
No, he would look like he would be scratching himself
like it's right there, I'm gonna.
Speaker 5 (16:51):
Have some and eventually you're just gonna snap and turn
into and see no man at the at.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
The Yes that that machine s Yes, exactly.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
Wait does the thing still come out of Universal the
thing from the Fantastic four?
Speaker 5 (17:07):
I don't know I've ever seen the thing. Oh well
if I if we can do that, I'll bring the
thing that will become the thing.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
Just you pit yourself orange every single day.
Speaker 4 (17:19):
Cloborantime, claborantime.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
So yeah, that's that's allegedly happening.
Speaker 4 (17:28):
Okay, all right, that's awesome. Yeah, good for cast members.
We'll start seeing some reports.
Speaker 5 (17:32):
Members, I'll check the team member website.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
So yeah, but aside for that, megicic On is happening.
Speaker 5 (17:41):
Yeah, so megaicon is happening all weekend long.
Speaker 4 (17:43):
So if you're listening to this, you know before this
airs on the radio on Saturday, of course, it's Thursday, Friday,
Saturday and Sunday Scott on Thursday, you have already been
to Mega con.
Speaker 5 (17:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
First impressions, first impressions, massive, big. It is in the
South Concourd, So plan accordingly. Figure out where you're gonna park.
I know where I'm gonna park. I know where you're
gonna park. I'm not gonna say where we're gonna park.
You're gonna keep it a secret, hut because I want
to keep it a secret. I mean, it's also a
very popular lot.
Speaker 4 (18:16):
Yeah. Yeah, everybody, you know, just a park near the
South Concourse because there's a lot of places you can park.
Speaker 5 (18:22):
And you're like, oh my god, I still got to
walk a mile?
Speaker 3 (18:23):
What?
Speaker 5 (18:24):
Yeah, I have party is expensive parking.
Speaker 3 (18:27):
If you can prepay parking, I believe there are still
places available to do that.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
Today alone I have walked just about seven miles. Oh wow,
that includes at the show as well.
Speaker 4 (18:40):
So yeah, well you can.
Speaker 5 (18:42):
You can walk aways inside that place for sure, but
it's massive.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
It takes up so much of like they're using like
the entire South Hall. They're using every level of the
concourse like eight is wow, so spaced out, Like the
autograph area is one entire like quadrant, and then the
photo area is completely separate on the opposite side, which
(19:07):
is so smart because that area can back up so much.
Speaker 5 (19:12):
Yeah, no room for us though, huh.
Speaker 4 (19:16):
Apparently did you did you see any celebrities while you're
out today?
Speaker 3 (19:20):
Uh?
Speaker 5 (19:20):
I passed, like, well, I like to peer at them
while they're signing autographs and such.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
I did see Anthony Michael Hall had a line. There
was a lot of anime animation voices. Uh, that had
a lot of the lines. I saw the area the
autograph area for like Mill Gibson, Jude Law, Daddy Glover.
They are in like a separate kind of thing where
there's the sign out front and then you get the
autograph behind.
Speaker 4 (19:44):
That's the go behind the curtain. You regulars can't see them,
you don't get to eye them.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
You.
Speaker 4 (19:49):
Yes, I can't imagine what it costs to bring in
a mel Gibson to something like this.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Yeah, well it's a two hundred and ninety nine dollars
for a picture.
Speaker 5 (19:56):
I can't imagine this first reaction, What do you want
me to go to? No, that's right.
Speaker 4 (20:01):
Wait how much are they paying?
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Okay, he's got a movie to promote right now.
Speaker 6 (20:07):
Honestly, this is the way that celebrities are promoting their
they're doing projects is through appearing at these conventions across
the country because you still get.
Speaker 5 (20:15):
To do all the pr but you're getting paid to
do it instead of doing it for free.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
That's true, good for them, but.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Yeah, it's it's it's way more spread out, which I
think is such. It's just it's really good. It doesn't
you don't feel like you're stepping on people the entire time.
Speaker 5 (20:30):
Which is a lighter day. So how was the crowd?
Speaker 3 (20:34):
Like?
Speaker 2 (20:34):
It was decently busy.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
By the time I left, it was getting a little
bit more busy, but it never felt overwhelming. Obviously, Friday
it's gonna be it's gonna get more crowded. Saturday will
get very crowded, and then Sunday. Yeah, I've always said
if you're going with like little kids, Sunday is a
very good day to go, Scott.
Speaker 6 (20:55):
When I go shopping, I only buy something if I
get the oh my god like moment when I see it.
Speaker 5 (21:02):
Did you have that today? Yes, an item that you
said I gotta have this.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
I said it, but I didn't do it. I saw
a giant three D printed iron giant.
Speaker 5 (21:14):
Oh okay, when you say giant? How big?
Speaker 2 (21:18):
Oh like like six six feet tall?
Speaker 5 (21:20):
Yes? How much was that?
Speaker 3 (21:22):
I didn't ask because I didn't want to know.
Speaker 4 (21:24):
I know I can't afford this. I'm not going to ask.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
But here's the thing.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
There were There were benders that were there as well,
because I know you guys have been talking about buying
a bender.
Speaker 6 (21:32):
Oh yeah, we did see that bender the other day.
This guy almost had a free bender and he just
turned it down. Yeah, you didn't know that it was free.
I don't know if I call it free.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Uh, it free, I would call it.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
You wouldn't have had to paid any money for it,
and we're not saying about you stealing it.
Speaker 6 (21:48):
Zero Yeah, zero dollars out of your pocket and you
still get to keep it and it's not stealing.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
So but there was I already saw some really good
cause plays. My favorite one that I saw if you
went to Spooky Empire last year that was at the
West Concourse. Right next door was an event called cattle Con.
Speaker 4 (22:09):
Yes, I remember.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
So there was a guy walking around with a sign
that said cattle Con.
Speaker 4 (22:17):
I love these people that gets so creative with his stuff.
That guy, the guy with the Disney sign or for
the Galaxy, that was.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
The best one. That nothing will top that.
Speaker 4 (22:26):
Yeah, like people that have that in their brains can
think of that. I'm always impressed by So good job
cattle con guy. Funny, but it was great.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
It's just so much fun. Like it's always such a
good atmosphere there. Like I've heard I've bought two photo
op things that I'll be doing on Sunday. There's some
panels that I'm going to go check out. There's one
about x Men, the x Men animated show that I'm
going to go see on Saturday.
Speaker 4 (22:51):
Sunday is a good day, you said for families. But
it's a good day if you've got your eye on
something and you want to get it, because sometimes you'll
get a little break on that price on Sunday because
the people will be like, I don't want to bring
this back. I'll give you a deal on this so here.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Yes, I will agree with that, but you have to
realize the risk of waiting. Yes it is, it might
not be there, or you might not find that booth again.
Speaker 4 (23:17):
That's true too.
Speaker 5 (23:18):
Sometimes you just loose a booth and you're like, where,
what's that?
Speaker 4 (23:20):
Thing?
Speaker 3 (23:22):
Like that has happened to me? Now, if I see
something on a Thursday, I'll take a picture and try
to make a note.
Speaker 6 (23:29):
I don't know the pictures would help me because I
feel like there there was a time where I was like,
I know that if I find this booth, there's gonna
be any as games on the end.
Speaker 5 (23:37):
Cap never saw it again, never again. It never disappeared.
It folded into a vortex and incepted away.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
Yes, very quickly, I will say, up up pro tip.
Download the app.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
Yes, make a conapp because you don't know about reception inside,
and you can set reminders in the app of things
that you want to do.
Speaker 4 (24:01):
Yeah, great, idea great. Don't you need it for your
ticketing too? When you go inside? Don't you actually need
the app in some way, shape or form. No, I
don't know.
Speaker 3 (24:07):
No, you have to act when you get in. You
have to activate you your badge but that's just a
website link that you go to.
Speaker 4 (24:14):
Fair enough. All right, well, Mega con all weekend long.
Follow us on social media. We will have photos and
updates all throughout.
Speaker 5 (24:21):
The weekend on the show, Scott one of those social
media handles.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
You follow us on Twitter at Theme Parks Show, Facebook, Instagram,
TikTok and threads to the Theme Park Podcast. You can
watch it the themepark YouTube dot com and.
Speaker 4 (24:31):
The show traditionally comes to you live from the Laurencampbellreiltro
dot com, tboga Zebo studios for jimmyd For Scott Harris,
I am Dickerman. Until next week, we will see you
out at the parks.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
This has been the Theme Park Podcast. Follow the show
on Facebook and Instagram at the theme Park Podcast. To
catch up on previous episodes, check out the themeparkpodcast dot
com the iHeartRadio app for Apple podcasts
From the theme park capital of.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
The World, Orlando, Florida. This is the Theme Park Podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
Wait podcast?
Speaker 1 (00:09):
Is this all the radio? Why does everything gotta be
so messy on this station?
Speaker 4 (00:13):
Anyway?
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Here's your host, Dickerman, Jimmy D and Scott Harris.
Speaker 4 (00:19):
Hey thereon, Welcome to the Theme Park Podcast. Dickerman, here,
there is Jimmy D.
Speaker 5 (00:24):
What's going on, guys?
Speaker 4 (00:25):
And Scott Harris.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
It's the most wonderful time of the year.
Speaker 5 (00:30):
It is. It is.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
It's not spooky season, but it's it's there's lots going
on right now. Yeah, I can tell you that much.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
It's what I like you for is bad for my
wallet season.
Speaker 4 (00:42):
Yeah, it's MegaCon weekend. Scott has already been to MegaCon
as we record this podcast. He's already made the first trek.
So we're gonna have to talk about what we have
to expect this weekend. But also you are out at
Universal too. Why are you so busy this week?
Speaker 3 (00:58):
Because I have stuff in my personal life next week.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
Oh so I'm.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
Trying to just get to a bunch of fun stuff
while I still can for a while, get.
Speaker 5 (01:07):
It done while you can.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
And it's fair enough.
Speaker 2 (01:10):
It's gorgeous weather outside.
Speaker 5 (01:13):
It really is.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
And I have not seen the outside in quite some time,
but I hear it's really nice out there.
Speaker 3 (01:17):
Hey we saw the outside this past weekend.
Speaker 5 (01:21):
Yeah we went out places.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Yeah we saw a bunch of planes flying around.
Speaker 4 (01:26):
That is true. We did go out and had some
experience this weekend. I was curious about the planes flying
in formation over a Popka. I don't really know what
was happening there, but nothing bad seemed to happen, So okay.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
My favorite part of that is none of us, none
of the four of us ever googled what's going on?
Speaker 2 (01:45):
Like is there an air show happening?
Speaker 5 (01:48):
There was no air show that I know of, But
how do we known? We would have never known.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
And I mean, in this day and age, we really
should be should be at least a little concerned. Earned
when you see four or five planes flying in formation
together and you're not in an air show, Like what's happening?
Speaker 5 (02:06):
They were like World War two, like biplane So I
think it was.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
I know that's a kamikazi situation, you know it with
those things.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
If if Red Dawn happens, it's it's it's a m
if Red Dawn happened, who who's who in this situation?
Speaker 4 (02:27):
Like what, I haven't seen the movie in forever. Who's
the slow one that gets hurt and can't run? That's me?
All right, So he's Jennifer Kid with the asthma.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Wait, wait, which red daughter? Are we basing this off of.
Speaker 5 (02:45):
The new one or the old one? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (02:46):
The one that's the one that has thor or not.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
And I'm definitely not thor.
Speaker 6 (02:52):
It doesn't really end well for most of the I
was gonna say, I don't think it an intal for
anyone in the movie.
Speaker 7 (02:57):
Not.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Sorry to spoil a forty one year old movie.
Speaker 4 (03:01):
Well, you know, all right, let's talk. Let's talk the
parks before we get into bacon. Let's uh, let's get
a quick idea of with this nice weather, you are
out at Universal Orlando, what's it looking like out there?
Are there long line, super crowds? Is it difficult?
Speaker 3 (03:17):
So the thing is, I went on a Wednesday, which
good day to goo. The thing is park close at
seven during the week, So if you're going during the week, Well,
the thing is I learned there was an event happening
Islands Adventure, so that was already a factory with that park.
But I'm like, you know what, weather's nice. I really
want to get out of the house. I want to
walk around a little bit. I want to check out
the Marty Grot Tribute store. Yep, go get a butter beer.
(03:42):
And when I got there, people were already lining up.
I got into the park around five thirty. People are
already lining up for the parade, which was starting at six.
Speaker 4 (03:51):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
So yeah, so got in, got to check out the
tribute store. It's very you know, swampy themed, you know,
because there's a Chomp Chomp float in the parade, King Gator,
King Gator.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
There's also a King Baby Cake.
Speaker 3 (04:11):
Float.
Speaker 5 (04:13):
Okay, wait, King Cake has a little plastic baby in it. Yeah,
that's thing. Yeah, so they've made a float dedicated to that.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
It was scary, like the baby was terrifying looking. I'm
I'm I'm hoping I have I got a picture or
a video of said float because it it terrified me.
Speaker 6 (04:34):
Did they have one of those like hyperflesh masks so
it looks like kind of real.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
Well, no, it's an actual baby.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Like it was a giant like donut cake looking thing
and then the baby's sitting in it.
Speaker 5 (04:46):
Okay, so it's like a sculpture on the front of
the boat. Yes, oh, but it was like scary.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
Yes, there's a there's a portion in Resident Evil eight
where you're chased by this giant baby, and it's probably
the most terrifying part of the game.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
I mean, I remember, is it in Toy Story three
when there's a giant baby.
Speaker 5 (05:07):
Babies are scary, Let's just face it. That's why you
don't like the Simpsons ride.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
Oh Maggie, I don't like the smell of her baby
powder either.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
That's probably part of the when when she thinks you're
a pacifier.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:22):
So I went over there, and then as I'm like
walking back with my butter beer, parade has started, so
I have to stay on like the outskirts. So I'm like,
you know, by your favorite ride, Fast and Furious.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
Great Ride, Super Ride, Wonderful by.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
The Mummy, and then making the hook over by Jimmy Fallon,
and I realized there's a whole bunch of Saturday at
Live fifty merchandise inside that store.
Speaker 4 (05:54):
Yeah, so you decided to go take a look.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Yeah, because I'm like, I have only done Jimmy Fallon once.
I've never I don't think I haven't been in that
store since then, I'm like, oh, let me see what
they have. They have some pretty kind of fun like
Saturda Night Live merchandise inside of there. It's really cool.
And then as I'm leaving, I'm like, all right, I
gotta hug the wall to like now exit the park,
and let me tell you I'm trying to I'm looking
(06:18):
at the parade, but I'm also trying to walk ahead
and not like step on people. Okay, James, you have
been a bead thrower.
Speaker 5 (06:27):
Correct, I've been a thrower and a catcher.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Are you intentionally trying to hit people in the head?
What is the etiquette with throwing beads from the floats?
Speaker 5 (06:40):
Well, there's only like you can't overhand throw beads. You
have to underhand. Okay, so you just like ring cos
you aim for heads so you can get it around
the head.
Speaker 6 (06:52):
Well, I was mostly aiming for like when somebody had
a cigarette in her hand, I would aim for the
cigarette or.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
Like a drink in their hand.
Speaker 6 (07:01):
You're going for the drink, no, no, But like if
you got a camera out, I'm probably gonna aim for
your camera lens to see if you can get like
a cool shot with like the beads coming like in
the foreground.
Speaker 5 (07:11):
I think that'd be a neat shot. So I felt like.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
They were like whipping them at people, like there was
some watching. There was like some wrist action happening, Like
it's like Predator with his little Ninja star thing.
Speaker 4 (07:28):
Well, it's like, you know, you watch fast pitch softball,
them girls are throwing under hand, but they whip that thing.
Speaker 6 (07:32):
M hm, you really can't get well, yeah, with a
fast pitch softball, I can totally understand because of the
size of the ball and stuff, but you know, a
little thing of plastic, it's really hard to get any
kind of velocity on them. Although like underhand I'm saying.
I will say, as a former employee that used to
load the beads onto the floats, we would get into
(07:55):
bead wars all the time when we were on bead chips,
and you would end you would just end up taking
like an entire like because they would come in like
a gross of ten wrapped with a piece of paper,
and you just take that whole gross and just wing
it at somebody else who's because all the for the
(08:16):
most part, they're all together in either a pole, barn,
or inside a you know, inside one of the sound stage,
not sound stages, but you know what I'm talking about.
The stages they have backstage where they use them for
Halloween harnites during this spooky season. But we would just
get the speed wars.
Speaker 5 (08:33):
All the time.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
I miss having jobs like that where you'd just be
a just a troublemaker. It's just two ridiculous stuff and
being an idiot. That's one thing you missed about those
old jobs. They don't pay well, but they're fun.
Speaker 6 (08:44):
I mean, it wasn't like we were like that's all
we did, was like, you know, screw as soon as
we got there. It was when you're starting to wind
down the end of the shift.
Speaker 5 (08:53):
You know, maybe you guys goop around for a few minutes,
just have fun.
Speaker 4 (08:56):
What gum embars?
Speaker 3 (08:58):
I was gonna say, what's easier to throw of beads
or gummy bear or skittles?
Speaker 4 (09:04):
Oh the skittles we have in our office.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Cleaning crew did not like us.
Speaker 4 (09:09):
Oh my god.
Speaker 6 (09:11):
So if you're not familiar people at home, our old
boss Jeff would buy an industrial size like bag, like
like a ten pound bag of skittles for birthday birthday
to eat to eat and nobody would touch him at
birthday birthday, so they go virtually untouched.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
See I touch him in the beginning, but then once
people start sticking their hands in there, I'm like, all right,
I'm done now.
Speaker 5 (09:34):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 6 (09:37):
But the candy would end up in our office, yeah,
our little Google themed office, and I don't know, once
in a while, like the mood catches me and I
want to throw things at people, and then it just
breaks out into an all out fight. Yes, and you
know Jeff would walk in, we'd like taste the rainbow
(09:57):
and throw a handful of skittles at.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Him, and then when we get stepped on, and then
it become part of the floor for the rest of time.
Speaker 5 (10:04):
Yeah, it's still there.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
I know there's a little there's a little bump in
the in the carpet.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
Yep, this is true.
Speaker 5 (10:13):
Okay, So yeah, we were talking about beats. Yeahs.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
So then I left that, went over to Islands of Adventure,
got to ride, uh, the Spider Man ride right before
it closed, because you know, Spider Man costume want to
you know, get in the right headspace of everything.
Speaker 5 (10:30):
Right Mega con this weekend, and you want I realized.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
That right is amazing. It is like that exactly.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
That ride is like twenty six years old and it's
like on par with a new ride that comes out today.
Speaker 5 (10:46):
Well, it has been updated so that they had like
HD projections.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
But like the yes, but the mechanics and everything, Like
I still the part where you get shot with the
levitation gun. It still gets me every single time when
it's you're floating, it's like, it's amazing.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
It's good ride, fast and furious. Could learn something from
Spider Man, like be a good there be a better ride.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
But it's like, you know, Transformers came out like fifteen
years later and it's just like Spider Man is still
like a better version.
Speaker 5 (11:17):
Yeah, you're right, Transformers.
Speaker 4 (11:19):
The best part about Transformers is the very end when
you're when you're going out in the Giant Robots there.
Speaker 6 (11:25):
Well I was gonna say that when you when you
see that first shot of Optimus Prime and you see
him like real life in front of you, like full size.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
To me, that was like whoa, yeah, does he ever
recognize you on that ride?
Speaker 5 (11:41):
Who are you talking to?
Speaker 2 (11:42):
Dickerman?
Speaker 5 (11:43):
Why would he recognize me?
Speaker 3 (11:45):
You've hung out with You've hung out with Optimus Prime
before you've interviewed.
Speaker 4 (11:48):
Oh yeah, that's Jimmy was with me that when we
hung out with Peter Cullen. That's true.
Speaker 6 (11:52):
It was funny because everybody calls you Dickerman and he
him and your wife are the only two people I've
ever heard you call you Brian. Well, Brian, I come
to work now they call me Ryan on the time, Brian,
who's Brian? Like this situation with the new e or
I'm not happy about that.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
They're using your adult name.
Speaker 5 (12:14):
Yes, I felt like I felt like we were in trouble.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
And then I tried to go check out the Cursed
Coconut Club, but it was closed for a private event.
Speaker 5 (12:23):
Oh fancy, Yeah, you brought a butter beer.
Speaker 6 (12:27):
You guys saw March first. There's gonna be a bunch
of butter beer flavored uh.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
It Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:34):
I have already ordered some things and I'll be sending
them to one of the households in the show.
Speaker 5 (12:42):
We should have a theme park theme park podcast tasting
and we try them all. I think I saw tell
you that he's having it shipped to my house.
Speaker 7 (12:52):
Okay, Oh no, no, no, no, his house, Dickervans. Oh yeah,
I said goldfish. I saw butt stripes. I saw other things.
I don't remember what they were. They were in a picture.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
She's kisses and polistics. I definitely want to do the
fud stripes. I can tell you that much.
Speaker 4 (13:11):
Worth trying, worth trying.
Speaker 3 (13:12):
He'll try.
Speaker 5 (13:13):
All of that looks like.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
An odd one, I will. I will. The goldfish seems
like an odd one. But they do make sweet goldfish,
so do they really? I could see them trying it.
Speaker 5 (13:19):
Yeah, I didn't know that.
Speaker 4 (13:21):
They like make cupcake flavored and chocolate flavored.
Speaker 6 (13:24):
Yeah, this is the first time I'm going to be
willing to try a sweet goldfish. I'm strictly savory when
it comes to my goldfish.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
Like pizza.
Speaker 6 (13:35):
Yeah, well no, I like pineapple and pizza. So this
is That's why I'm gonna get the butter beer a chance.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
That's true. But hey, here's the thing.
Speaker 3 (13:43):
If you plan it correctly and you go, you have
time to go after work. It's fun going to Universal. Yes,
their hours are kind of like short during the week.
Speaker 2 (13:51):
Just pay attention to it.
Speaker 4 (13:52):
You can.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
You can, if you go motivated, you can knock out
like four to five rides because of the weights. Start.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
Aren't that bad?
Speaker 4 (13:58):
There you go? Yeah, I don't don't like the early close,
but now's a great time for endly closed because it
gets dark early and it's not so hot in the afternoons.
Speaker 3 (14:05):
Yeah, when I I think the longest wait I saw
was King's Cross Station.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
Oh the train, the trade that was it?
Speaker 3 (14:13):
Like I think Velosa was thirty to thirty five minutes.
I just wasn't going to make it to the back
of the park in time.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 5 (14:24):
All right, should we uh? Should we dive into mega
con or news items?
Speaker 4 (14:27):
What do you want to hit first?
Speaker 3 (14:28):
I can very quickly do news. Okay, So we now
have a permanent closure date for It's tough to be
a bug.
Speaker 5 (14:35):
Okay, when's that final performance?
Speaker 3 (14:37):
Is March sixteenth, and then it'll be closing on March seventeenth.
Speaker 4 (14:41):
Okay, so you got a little over a month, but
it will.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Be replaced by a new show later this year.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
Oh wow, that's a quick turnaround for Zutopia.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Better zoogether.
Speaker 4 (14:54):
Okay, all right, I mean I like Zutopia. It's been
eight hundred years since that movie came out, But let's
do it.
Speaker 3 (15:00):
But later this year there's Zootopia too.
Speaker 5 (15:04):
Oh I didn't even realize that.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
Okay, yes, and there's reports out that possibly starting next week,
there will be phased previews of Epic Universe really for
team members. Let's get jobs, guys on a on a
land by land basis. Look, guys, we uh we we
(15:27):
started a podcast to try and get into Disney. If
we can't do that, let's just get jobs Universal to
go check out Epic Universe.
Speaker 6 (15:33):
All right, you got to do a job at Universal.
They're gonna let you pick anyone, any job you want.
What are you taking.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
I'm going back to my I'm going back to cinema
and I know that place.
Speaker 4 (15:44):
Scott's good to get with what he knows it.
Speaker 5 (15:47):
I'm gonna do it.
Speaker 4 (15:48):
Who's got the best outfits? I want to do something
probably in Harry Potter work.
Speaker 2 (15:53):
I'm gonna say, well, I'll say this. I'll say this
comfiest outfits sous landing.
Speaker 4 (15:58):
Oh yeah, this thanks just like PJ.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
It's sweatpants and a baggy T shirt.
Speaker 4 (16:03):
Yeah that sounds good.
Speaker 6 (16:05):
He would look sharp in like one of those little
platform one in three fourths or nine and three fourths.
Speaker 5 (16:13):
I could just I could work the train. I could
be the train guy. I'd be the trained guy.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
I mean, I wouldn't mind being uh one of the
men and black people. Nicest place in the park exactly,
and rate air conditioning. Yeah, the best air conditioning in
the world.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
Actually, if we raided air conditioning in the world, that
place would come out number one. I don't know what's
happened in there, but I love it.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
I don't I don't want to know what the bill
is for that building specifically.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
Yeah, we got a spike in energy over here.
Speaker 5 (16:41):
You wouldn't want to be slung in butterer beer.
Speaker 3 (16:45):
No, he would look like he would be scratching himself
like it's right there, I'm gonna.
Speaker 5 (16:51):
Have some and eventually you're just gonna snap and turn
into and see no man at the at.
Speaker 2 (16:57):
The Yes that that machine s Yes, exactly.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
Wait does the thing still come out of Universal the
thing from the Fantastic four?
Speaker 5 (17:07):
I don't know I've ever seen the thing. Oh well
if I if we can do that, I'll bring the
thing that will become the thing.
Speaker 2 (17:14):
Just you pit yourself orange every single day.
Speaker 4 (17:19):
Cloborantime, claborantime.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
So yeah, that's that's allegedly happening.
Speaker 4 (17:28):
Okay, all right, that's awesome. Yeah, good for cast members.
We'll start seeing some reports.
Speaker 5 (17:32):
Members, I'll check the team member website.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
So yeah, but aside for that, megicic On is happening.
Speaker 5 (17:41):
Yeah, so megaicon is happening all weekend long.
Speaker 4 (17:43):
So if you're listening to this, you know before this
airs on the radio on Saturday, of course, it's Thursday, Friday,
Saturday and Sunday Scott on Thursday, you have already been
to Mega con.
Speaker 5 (17:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:55):
First impressions, first impressions, massive, big. It is in the
South Concourd, So plan accordingly. Figure out where you're gonna park.
I know where I'm gonna park. I know where you're
gonna park. I'm not gonna say where we're gonna park.
You're gonna keep it a secret, hut because I want
to keep it a secret. I mean, it's also a
very popular lot.
Speaker 4 (18:16):
Yeah. Yeah, everybody, you know, just a park near the
South Concourse because there's a lot of places you can park.
Speaker 5 (18:22):
And you're like, oh my god, I still got to
walk a mile?
Speaker 3 (18:23):
What?
Speaker 5 (18:24):
Yeah, I have party is expensive parking.
Speaker 3 (18:27):
If you can prepay parking, I believe there are still
places available to do that.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
Today alone I have walked just about seven miles. Oh wow,
that includes at the show as well.
Speaker 4 (18:40):
So yeah, well you can.
Speaker 5 (18:42):
You can walk aways inside that place for sure, but
it's massive.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
It takes up so much of like they're using like
the entire South Hall. They're using every level of the
concourse like eight is wow, so spaced out, Like the
autograph area is one entire like quadrant, and then the
photo area is completely separate on the opposite side, which
(19:07):
is so smart because that area can back up so much.
Speaker 5 (19:12):
Yeah, no room for us though, huh.
Speaker 4 (19:16):
Apparently did you did you see any celebrities while you're
out today?
Speaker 3 (19:20):
Uh?
Speaker 5 (19:20):
I passed, like, well, I like to peer at them
while they're signing autographs and such.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
I did see Anthony Michael Hall had a line. There
was a lot of anime animation voices. Uh, that had
a lot of the lines. I saw the area the
autograph area for like Mill Gibson, Jude Law, Daddy Glover.
They are in like a separate kind of thing where
there's the sign out front and then you get the
autograph behind.
Speaker 4 (19:44):
That's the go behind the curtain. You regulars can't see them,
you don't get to eye them.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
You.
Speaker 4 (19:49):
Yes, I can't imagine what it costs to bring in
a mel Gibson to something like this.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Yeah, well it's a two hundred and ninety nine dollars
for a picture.
Speaker 5 (19:56):
I can't imagine this first reaction, What do you want
me to go to? No, that's right.
Speaker 4 (20:01):
Wait how much are they paying?
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Okay, he's got a movie to promote right now.
Speaker 6 (20:07):
Honestly, this is the way that celebrities are promoting their
they're doing projects is through appearing at these conventions across
the country because you still get.
Speaker 5 (20:15):
To do all the pr but you're getting paid to
do it instead of doing it for free.
Speaker 4 (20:19):
That's true, good for them, but.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Yeah, it's it's it's way more spread out, which I
think is such. It's just it's really good. It doesn't
you don't feel like you're stepping on people the entire time.
Speaker 5 (20:30):
Which is a lighter day. So how was the crowd?
Speaker 3 (20:34):
Like?
Speaker 2 (20:34):
It was decently busy.
Speaker 3 (20:36):
By the time I left, it was getting a little
bit more busy, but it never felt overwhelming. Obviously, Friday
it's gonna be it's gonna get more crowded. Saturday will
get very crowded, and then Sunday. Yeah, I've always said
if you're going with like little kids, Sunday is a
very good day to go, Scott.
Speaker 6 (20:55):
When I go shopping, I only buy something if I
get the oh my god like moment when I see it.
Speaker 5 (21:02):
Did you have that today? Yes, an item that you
said I gotta have this.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
I said it, but I didn't do it. I saw
a giant three D printed iron giant.
Speaker 5 (21:14):
Oh okay, when you say giant? How big?
Speaker 2 (21:18):
Oh like like six six feet tall?
Speaker 5 (21:20):
Yes? How much was that?
Speaker 3 (21:22):
I didn't ask because I didn't want to know.
Speaker 4 (21:24):
I know I can't afford this. I'm not going to ask.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
But here's the thing.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
There were There were benders that were there as well,
because I know you guys have been talking about buying
a bender.
Speaker 6 (21:32):
Oh yeah, we did see that bender the other day.
This guy almost had a free bender and he just
turned it down. Yeah, you didn't know that it was free.
I don't know if I call it free.
Speaker 2 (21:41):
Uh, it free, I would call it.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
You wouldn't have had to paid any money for it,
and we're not saying about you stealing it.
Speaker 6 (21:48):
Zero Yeah, zero dollars out of your pocket and you
still get to keep it and it's not stealing.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
So but there was I already saw some really good
cause plays. My favorite one that I saw if you
went to Spooky Empire last year that was at the
West Concourse. Right next door was an event called cattle Con.
Speaker 4 (22:09):
Yes, I remember.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
So there was a guy walking around with a sign
that said cattle Con.
Speaker 4 (22:17):
I love these people that gets so creative with his stuff.
That guy, the guy with the Disney sign or for
the Galaxy, that was.
Speaker 2 (22:23):
The best one. That nothing will top that.
Speaker 4 (22:26):
Yeah, like people that have that in their brains can
think of that. I'm always impressed by So good job
cattle con guy. Funny, but it was great.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
It's just so much fun. Like it's always such a
good atmosphere there. Like I've heard I've bought two photo
op things that I'll be doing on Sunday. There's some
panels that I'm going to go check out. There's one
about x Men, the x Men animated show that I'm
going to go see on Saturday.
Speaker 4 (22:51):
Sunday is a good day, you said for families. But
it's a good day if you've got your eye on
something and you want to get it, because sometimes you'll
get a little break on that price on Sunday because
the people will be like, I don't want to bring
this back. I'll give you a deal on this so here.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Yes, I will agree with that, but you have to
realize the risk of waiting. Yes it is, it might
not be there, or you might not find that booth again.
Speaker 4 (23:17):
That's true too.
Speaker 5 (23:18):
Sometimes you just loose a booth and you're like, where,
what's that?
Speaker 4 (23:20):
Thing?
Speaker 3 (23:22):
Like that has happened to me? Now, if I see
something on a Thursday, I'll take a picture and try
to make a note.
Speaker 6 (23:29):
I don't know the pictures would help me because I
feel like there there was a time where I was like,
I know that if I find this booth, there's gonna
be any as games on the end.
Speaker 5 (23:37):
Cap never saw it again, never again. It never disappeared.
It folded into a vortex and incepted away.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
Yes, very quickly, I will say, up up pro tip.
Download the app.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
Yes, make a conapp because you don't know about reception inside,
and you can set reminders in the app of things
that you want to do.
Speaker 4 (24:01):
Yeah, great, idea great. Don't you need it for your
ticketing too? When you go inside? Don't you actually need
the app in some way, shape or form. No, I
don't know.
Speaker 3 (24:07):
No, you have to act when you get in. You
have to activate you your badge but that's just a
website link that you go to.
Speaker 4 (24:14):
Fair enough. All right, well, Mega con all weekend long.
Follow us on social media. We will have photos and
updates all throughout.
Speaker 5 (24:21):
The weekend on the show, Scott one of those social
media handles.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
You follow us on Twitter at Theme Parks Show, Facebook, Instagram,
TikTok and threads to the Theme Park Podcast. You can
watch it the themepark YouTube dot com and.
Speaker 4 (24:31):
The show traditionally comes to you live from the Laurencampbellreiltro
dot com, tboga Zebo studios for jimmyd For Scott Harris,
I am Dickerman. Until next week, we will see you
out at the parks.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
This has been the Theme Park Podcast. Follow the show
on Facebook and Instagram at the theme Park Podcast. To
catch up on previous episodes, check out the themeparkpodcast dot
com the iHeartRadio app for Apple podcasts
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