Chapter 9.
Tuesday
Tuesday morning, we all awoke and knew it was going to be a fun day. Jennifer was feeling much better after her transfusion. She ate lunch and dinner yesterday and slept great last night!
Sally has been hanging out at the water park, and now we know why. It turns out she met a nice, young man named Keith. He’s sixteen and visiting from California with his family. She first made eye contact with him on our first night here. Then they ran into each other and started talking. Turns out, Keith and his family are also on vacation, staying right next door to us.
While we were enjoying breakfast downstairs, his family came over and introduced themselves.
“How are things in California?” I asked his dad, Oscar.
“Hot and crowded,” Oscar replied. “How about Orlando?”
“The same,” I answered. “Have you been to Disneyland and California Adventure?”
“Many times, and it’s always crowded. Long waits, and everything is expensive!” Grumbled Oscar.
“Disney World is the same way. You can reserve up to three Fast Passes if you’re lucky to get them in advance, before the soccer moms do,” I replied. Those staying on property can reserve them up to six months in advance.
“We’re just now getting a version of that in California. It’s rumored that the electronic version of using them will cost though.”
“Wow! That’s a shame,” said Jennifer.
“Well, that’s Disney for you. Profit, profit, profit,” Oscar replied.
“We’re heading to Show Town today to see a few shows. Really looking forward to it!” said Jennifer.
“What’re you going to see?” asked Oscar.
“We’re going to the TV & Movie Stage Tour and then we’re going to catch some comedy at the Comedy Club, then have lunch. Later, we’re going to see ‘Annie’ at the Broadway Theater,” I replied.
“Nice. You’re going to have some real fun. We’re going to The Continents today and were really looking forward to it. It’s our first time there,” replied Oscar.
After we talked a little more and stuffed our bellies with food, we headed back to our suite for a while to relax. We then headed to the Zipvator and “zipped” back over to the Complex.
Once we arrived, we jumped on the Circle Shuttle and exited at the Show Town & Dark Room platform. We then took the escalator down to the main floor and walked a short distance to Show Town. Our reservation was for 10 a.m. to ride the TV and Movie Stage Tour and it was 10:05. We were within our 30-minute window, and walked up to the entrance, scanned our fingers, and got right on the ride.
If you do happen to have a short wait before riding an attraction, you will be in an “active cue” where there is some type of pre-show going on. For the TV & Movie Stage Tour, they were showing different scenes from the shows you will see.
This 1.5-hour attraction/ride moves guests, 16 at a time, in old-fashioned styled cars. The cars come complete with headlights and tiered leather seats. The vehicles travel 3 at a time, so 48 people are moving, one car rolling behind the other, per scene. The vehicles stop and turn in front of various TV and movie sound stages, each re-created to match what they looked like when they were in production at the time. The stages have computer hologram people acting while you are watching from your car. It looked like you really stepped back in time and were watching a TV show being taped and you were part of the studio audience. Sets include Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, Cheers, Gray’s Anatomy, Sanford and Son, M*A*S*H, Seinfeld, and even the Jetsons.
The cars then move to the game show area, where the same principle is used to see Jeopardy, The Million Dollar Pyramid, Jokers Wild, Wheel of Fortune, and a few more. The sets and technology are amazing. You think you are seeing the original people. WOE is known worldwide for their state-of-the-art computer holograms, as they have perfected them, to the envy of the rest of the entertainment world.
The next phase of the attraction takes you into Movie Land, where you travel through different working movie sound stages. Then comes the big one; the opening voice and music of the original Star Trek show start playing, then the bay doors open, and you view a full-size Star Ship Enterprise sitting in the hanger. It’s really mind-blowing and looks just like the real ship, complete with all the lights. This entrance gives you goosebumps. The best part is, your cars then ride into the open cargo door and down the ship’s hallway. You pass the engine room with Scottie saying hello, pass the Sick Bay with Dr. McCoy and then, you ride into and around the Enterprise’s Bridge, with Captain Kirk sitting in his chair and Spock at the controls. Even if you’re not a Star Trek fan, this attraction is fantastic!
You then ride out of the Enterprise and come to the final stop; a drive-in theater. All the cars line up in rows, and then the movie comes on. The 20-minute film highlights scenes from many of the popular shows and movies you just saw being taped or filmed, but now your car is moving “within” the scenes you were watching. There were special effects taking place around the Theater; like wind, lightning, sound effects, and some cool laser effects that looked like birds and planes were flying overhead. When the movie ends, the lights came on, and you disembark from your cars and head out through the faux concession stand.
The TV & Movie Stage Tour is an amazing attraction! I love how it takes you from scene to scene, and you don’t have to get out. That’s the beauty of WOE attractions; they are super high tech, with very realistic scenes, and they last a while. You are “in the show”, not like the typical 3-5-minute rides at the other parks.
Attached to the same building as the TV & Movie Stage Tour are three TV studios called; The 3 Studios (original, right?). Each one of these studios host shows with a Live studio audience and guest personalities every day. The shows are broadcast on the WOE web channel LIVE, which is included if you are a WOE Member. You can reserve your seat in advance for the shows. If it’s a game show, you may get lucky and be chosen to be on the show itself.
One of the studios is shaped like a small arena and seats about 600 guests. It’s a guest’s favorite because it resembles two reality TV shows from CBS that guests can partake in: Survivor and The Amazing Race. Contestants must submit their applications at least three months in advance and be staying on property for at least 6 days to participate. If you are chosen for Survivor, you will compete against other guests for a prize. The show is a mini version of the actual show, and you don’t have to sleep on the beach, but you do meet for six hours a day, for five days and compete against other tribes and contestants in skill games to win rewards or go to Tribal Council. After each competition, the losing tribe votes someone off. There are four competitions a day. However, they are not as strenuous as the ones on the real show on TV, but they’re just as much fun. They also eat real food, not rice. The top two runners-up win a prize, with the Sole Survivor winning bragging rights and a free one-week vacation to the WOE for them and their family in the future.
In the Amazing Race game, contestants must also be staying for at least 6-days and meet for at least five hours a day for five days. They receive clues and race around the Complex and the property looking to complete tasks and overcome Roadblocks. They must race to the finish line for each leg of the race. The winner also receives a future week vacation at the WOE.
Both shows are recorded and shown on the WOE web channel LIVE. On certain days and when they’re on the property doing meet and greets, Jeff Probst, the host of Survivor, and Phil Keoghan, the host of Amazing Race, will host the show at the WOE Complex for a day or so. For fans of either show, this is a blast. Both shows allow the contestants to have fun with their family, all while staying cool. There is also no cost to play.
Once we were done with the TV and Movie Stage Tour, we still had about an hour and a half before our reservation time for the Comedy Co. and lunch. The Show Biz Parade was going to start in 15 minutes at 12 p.m. The parade route begins right next to where we exit the TV and Movie Stage Tour.
All the pathways at the WOE are carpeted with vibrant colors. This helps keep the noise reverb down because everything is indoors. Many other parks that are enclosed have a lot of echo and reverb because they have no sound absorption.
In front of each Theater or attraction in the perimeter of Show Town, there is an area known as the Front Lawn. It extends about 60 feet from the walkway to the front of each theater or attraction entrance. The Front Lawn is mostly for watching the parades and is tapered up to the attraction or show queues, so you’ll have to ‘walk up’ an incline. The Front Lawns are made of artificial grass, so guests can stand or sit to watch the parades. I’ve even seen guests just laying down and resting on the Lawns.
The incline is in contrast to other parks, where you’re trying to see a parade standing on a curb/sidewalk, behind other people, sometimes four or five deep. Here, because of the incline and room to move backward, you can stand back and see over everyone in front of you. There are also no ropes or curbs to keep you back. Just a solid yellow line. The parade staff ensures everyone is off the walkway before the parade begins. Once specific areas fill up, the staff rope off those areas on the sides and behind to keep additional guests from showing up at the last moment and trying to infringe on others, so they can see.
When the Show Biz Parade starts, a façade is pulled away in front of the TV and Movie Stage Tour , revealing an entryway from the parade entrance area. The parade goes down toward the other end of Show Town, makes the turn by the Broadway Theater, The Author’s Nook and then turns again to come back on the other side toward The TV and Movie Stage Tour, passing The Journey through Sports Complex. It then travels into a just revealed exit, to go back into the parade storage area under the Stage Tour show building.
The Comedy Co. is right in the middle of the parade route, as it is in the middle of Show Town. At 12.00 p.m., the announcement of the Show Town Parade comes on and the lights dim.
This parade is all about show business and all the actresses and actors that have starred in movies and TV shows of the past. It also has some magic and Broadway in it. Unlike other parades in other parks, there are no people dressed up in character costumes. This parade has many people who look like celebrities, but many celebrities enjoy being in the parade themselves and ride the floats. They also use holograms to “create” the star. Not knowing if someone is really there is part of the mystique.
Now, these floats are unique, as each one has little stages where the actors can stand and wave as their music or show plays on the video screens on the bottom portion of the floats. Four to five floats travel together with the same theme: Hollywood, Broadway, and Vegas. There is a live band on the floats playing for each section – no recorded music. Lights lower from the ceiling and illuminate the surrounding area, as well as lights on the floors and sides of The Comedy Co. These lights are all set to “play” as the floats go by.
The parade is very, very well done and with the actor look-alikes, the holograms, and the possible actor themselves, it’s honestly like seeing all your favorite stars in one parade (and maybe you actually did). There are also floats between each theme that look like iconic props from the movies, TV shows, or Broadway. All entirely lit up and sparkling. This parade is nostalgic and brings the golden era back to life again.
But the nighttime parade in Show Town is much different. It’s called The Musical Sensation Parade. You’ll see floats and lighting like never before. Instead of actors, you’ll see hologram pop stars such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, the Beatles, Elvis, and more. Add in a massive laser show going from one float to the other and live music and you have a one-of-a-kind show. The band for The Musical Sensation Parade is staged on the Front Lawn of the Broadway Theater and plays all the music for the parade. When they change songs, all the holograms on every moving float change to the latest music and artist being played. Each float is designed differently so the singer can be singing on a different level or surface on each float, complete with different lighting and effects. The thunderous sound system, combined with an extremely hi-tech lighting system and special effects package, is not to be missed. The Musical Sensation Parade runs nightly at 8:00 p.m.
Once the Show Biz Parade was over, we headed over to the Comedy Co. for our show. We scanned our fingers at the door and proceeded inside, where you walk right into the Comedy Co. Museum. Articles from many famous comedians over the years are on the walls and in glass cases as you walk through. You can either go to your left for the Dining Improv or to the right for the Jokesters Comedy Club.
The Dining Improv has room for about 400 people and as you’d expect, has an excellent selection of food. If you have a meal plan, you can use your lunch or dinner credit here or order appetizers or something to share before the show. There are six seatings daily, and you get your food ordered through the Touchpad Ordering Assistant, which is a unit on the table that is similar to use as your suite Butler in the suite. Several other restaurants have these as well, and they make ordering very efficient when the shows sound can be an issue when ordering.
The main idea is to limit the conversation between you and the waitress while the comedy show is going on. You just order something, and it’s delivered. More water, coffee, soda, dessert? Just push the icon for a refill or request a new beverage. Remember, drinks are provided free, and there is no tipping. Your wait staff is well taken care of.
We took a right since we were going to Jokesters. Just like every other theater show, you reserve your seat ahead of time. So, a scanned finger gets you a show ticket receipt. The Jokesters Comedy Club holds 800 people. Most of the comedians are not nationally-known, but unbelievably hilarious. There are usually three to four comedians per show. National Acts perform at the later shows or at the Harmony Theater for a charge. There is some cursing, but no heavy stuff. That is forbidden, even at night. No ‘F-bombs’ and certainly no ‘M-F bombs’ or sexual vulgarity. Remember the atmosphere is family, like PG rated, not ‘G’ or ‘R’ rated. Everyone must be ten-years-old or up so the tiniest won’t be there to spoil the show with crying or screaming. This is great for dining as well.
After the show, we headed out and continued to look at all the artifacts in the museum. Then we entered the Comedy Vault, where there are about ten rooms, each showing different stand-up comedians from the past. Each room has seats, so you can sit and watch until you’ve seen enough, then you can walk out of that room and into another. As expected, the heavy foul language was muted out.
So far, we have all had a ball, and Jennifer was really enjoying herself. She laughed so hard at the comedy show that she had a little “accident.” But she really needed to laugh, and it was good to have this time together. Sally was having fun too. She really loves coming here. She often tells me that the WOE reminds her of the futuristic cartoon; The Jetsons. I often agree. With the Suite Butler, Zipvators, holograms, and high-tech attractions, it could be.
One of her favorite rides isn’t really a ride, per se, but another form of transportation. They’re called Shuttle Pods. These Pods, which look like glass cylinders, can hold about six people each and lift-up and down, like an elevator. Except, once they hit the top and are above all the buildings, they then slide along on a cable system to go from place to place around the Complex. They can be a little unsettling at first because once they go up and connect to the cables, they will slightly sway, especially when they first start moving. But they offer magnificent views, are fun and provide quick access to anywhere in the Complex.
The Shuttle Pods are accessed through Jump Stations. There are ten Jump Stations around the Complex and Harmony Theater. Each Jump Station has six bays that allow for loading and unloading. Each station can hold up to 12 Shuttle Pods each. There are two separate shafts for each station that provides for extra Pods to be loaded behind the bays. Once one Pod leaves, another takes its place. To operate, you just push the desired destination button and wait for the Shuttle Pod that will be bringing you there, which will light up, indicating your destination. As an elevator only has up and down buttons on the outside, the Shuttle Pod has all ten locations available.
Each Shuttle Pod is lit in neon colors. When you look up, you see these glass, neon-colored tubes zipping around the Complex. Guests have fun just riding them. Plus, it cuts down on walking. After all, you are on vacation.
Tuesday
Tuesday morning, we all awoke and knew it was going to be a fun day. Jennifer was feeling much better after her transfusion. She ate lunch and dinner yesterday and slept great last night!
Sally has been hanging out at the water park, and now we know why. It turns out she met a nice, young man named Keith. He’s sixteen and visiting from California with his family. She first made eye contact with him on our first night here. Then they ran into each other and started talking. Turns out, Keith and his family are also on vacation, staying right next door to us.
While we were enjoying breakfast downstairs, his family came over and introduced themselves.
“How are things in California?” I asked his dad, Oscar.
“Hot and crowded,” Oscar replied. “How about Orlando?”
“The same,” I answered. “Have you been to Disneyland and California Adventure?”
“Many times, and it’s always crowded. Long waits, and everything is expensive!” Grumbled Oscar.
“Disney World is the same way. You can reserve up to three Fast Passes if you’re lucky to get them in advance, before the soccer moms do,” I replied. Those staying on property can reserve them up to six months in advance.
“We’re just now getting a version of that in California. It’s rumored that the electronic version of using them will cost though.”
“Wow! That’s a shame,” said Jennifer.
“Well, that’s Disney for you. Profit, profit, profit,” Oscar replied.
“We’re heading to Show Town today to see a few shows. Really looking forward to it!” said Jennifer.
“What’re you going to see?” asked Oscar.
“We’re going to the TV & Movie Stage Tour and then we’re going to catch some comedy at the Comedy Club, then have lunch. Later, we’re going to see ‘Annie’ at the Broadway Theater,” I replied.
“Nice. You’re going to have some real fun. We’re going to The Continents today and were really looking forward to it. It’s our first time there,” replied Oscar.
After we talked a little more and stuffed our bellies with food, we headed back to our suite for a while to relax. We then headed to the Zipvator and “zipped” back over to the Complex.
Once we arrived, we jumped on the Circle Shuttle and exited at the Show Town & Dark Room platform. We then took the escalator down to the main floor and walked a short distance to Show Town. Our reservation was for 10 a.m. to ride the TV and Movie Stage Tour and it was 10:05. We were within our 30-minute window, and walked up to the entrance, scanned our fingers, and got right on the ride.
If you do happen to have a short wait before riding an attraction, you will be in an “active cue” where there is some type of pre-show going on. For the TV & Movie Stage Tour, they were showing different scenes from the shows you will see.
This 1.5-hour attraction/ride moves guests, 16 at a time, in old-fashioned styled cars. The cars come complete with headlights and tiered leather seats. The vehicles travel 3 at a time, so 48 people are moving, one car rolling behind the other, per scene. The vehicles stop and turn in front of various TV and movie sound stages, each re-created to match what they looked like when they were in production at the time. The stages have computer hologram people acting while you are watching from your car. It looked like you really stepped back in time and were watching a TV show being taped and you were part of the studio audience. Sets include Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, Cheers, Gray’s Anatomy, Sanford and Son, M*A*S*H, Seinfeld, and even the Jetsons.
The cars then move to the game show area, where the same principle is used to see Jeopardy, The Million Dollar Pyramid, Jokers Wild, Wheel of Fortune, and a few more. The sets and technology are amazing. You think you are seeing the original people. WOE is known worldwide for their state-of-the-art computer holograms, as they have perfected them, to the envy of the rest of the entertainment world.
The next phase of the attraction takes you into Movie Land, where you travel through different working movie sound stages. Then comes the big one; the opening voice and music of the original Star Trek show start playing, then the bay doors open, and you view a full-size Star Ship Enterprise sitting in the hanger. It’s really mind-blowing and looks just like the real ship, complete with all the lights. This entrance gives you goosebumps. The best part is, your cars then ride into the open cargo door and down the ship’s hallway. You pass the engine room with Scottie saying hello, pass the Sick Bay with Dr. McCoy and then, you ride into and around the Enterprise’s Bridge, with Captain Kirk sitting in his chair and Spock at the controls. Even if you’re not a Star Trek fan, this attraction is fantastic!
You then ride out of the Enterprise and come to the final stop; a drive-in theater. All the cars line up in rows, and then the movie comes on. The 20-minute film highlights scenes from many of the popular shows and movies you just saw being taped or filmed, but now your car is moving “within” the scenes you were watching. There were special effects taking place around the Theater; like wind, lightning, sound effects, and some cool laser effects that looked like birds and planes were flying overhead. When the movie ends, the lights came on, and you disembark from your cars and head out through the faux concession stand.
The TV & Movie Stage Tour is an amazing attraction! I love how it takes you from scene to scene, and you don’t have to get out. That’s the beauty of WOE attractions; they are super high tech, with very realistic scenes, and they last a while. You are “in the show”, not like the typical 3-5-minute rides at the other parks.
Attached to the same building as the TV & Movie Stage Tour are three TV studios called; The 3 Studios (original, right?). Each one of these studios host shows with a Live studio audience and guest personalities every day. The shows are broadcast on the WOE web channel LIVE, which is included if you are a WOE Member. You can reserve your seat in advance for the shows. If it’s a game show, you may get lucky and be chosen to be on the show itself.
One of the studios is shaped like a small arena and seats about 600 guests. It’s a guest’s favorite because it resembles two reality TV shows from CBS that guests can partake in: Survivor and The Amazing Race. Contestants must submit their applications at least three months in advance and be staying on property for at least 6 days to participate. If you are chosen for Survivor, you will compete against other guests for a prize. The show is a mini version of the actual show, and you don’t have to sleep on the beach, but you do meet for six hours a day, for five days and compete against other tribes and contestants in skill games to win rewards or go to Tribal Council. After each competition, the losing tribe votes someone off. There are four competitions a day. However, they are not as strenuous as the ones on the real show on TV, but they’re just as much fun. They also eat real food, not rice. The top two runners-up win a prize, with the Sole Survivor winning bragging rights and a free one-week vacation to the WOE for them and their family in the future.
In the Amazing Race game, contestants must also be staying for at least 6-days and meet for at least five hours a day for five days. They receive clues and race around the Complex and the property looking to complete tasks and overcome Roadblocks. They must race to the finish line for each leg of the race. The winner also receives a future week vacation at the WOE.
Both shows are recorded and shown on the WOE web channel LIVE. On certain days and when they’re on the property doing meet and greets, Jeff Probst, the host of Survivor, and Phil Keoghan, the host of Amazing Race, will host the show at the WOE Complex for a day or so. For fans of either show, this is a blast. Both shows allow the contestants to have fun with their family, all while staying cool. There is also no cost to play.
Once we were done with the TV and Movie Stage Tour, we still had about an hour and a half before our reservation time for the Comedy Co. and lunch. The Show Biz Parade was going to start in 15 minutes at 12 p.m. The parade route begins right next to where we exit the TV and Movie Stage Tour.
All the pathways at the WOE are carpeted with vibrant colors. This helps keep the noise reverb down because everything is indoors. Many other parks that are enclosed have a lot of echo and reverb because they have no sound absorption.
In front of each Theater or attraction in the perimeter of Show Town, there is an area known as the Front Lawn. It extends about 60 feet from the walkway to the front of each theater or attraction entrance. The Front Lawn is mostly for watching the parades and is tapered up to the attraction or show queues, so you’ll have to ‘walk up’ an incline. The Front Lawns are made of artificial grass, so guests can stand or sit to watch the parades. I’ve even seen guests just laying down and resting on the Lawns.
The incline is in contrast to other parks, where you’re trying to see a parade standing on a curb/sidewalk, behind other people, sometimes four or five deep. Here, because of the incline and room to move backward, you can stand back and see over everyone in front of you. There are also no ropes or curbs to keep you back. Just a solid yellow line. The parade staff ensures everyone is off the walkway before the parade begins. Once specific areas fill up, the staff rope off those areas on the sides and behind to keep additional guests from showing up at the last moment and trying to infringe on others, so they can see.
When the Show Biz Parade starts, a façade is pulled away in front of the TV and Movie Stage Tour , revealing an entryway from the parade entrance area. The parade goes down toward the other end of Show Town, makes the turn by the Broadway Theater, The Author’s Nook and then turns again to come back on the other side toward The TV and Movie Stage Tour, passing The Journey through Sports Complex. It then travels into a just revealed exit, to go back into the parade storage area under the Stage Tour show building.
The Comedy Co. is right in the middle of the parade route, as it is in the middle of Show Town. At 12.00 p.m., the announcement of the Show Town Parade comes on and the lights dim.
This parade is all about show business and all the actresses and actors that have starred in movies and TV shows of the past. It also has some magic and Broadway in it. Unlike other parades in other parks, there are no people dressed up in character costumes. This parade has many people who look like celebrities, but many celebrities enjoy being in the parade themselves and ride the floats. They also use holograms to “create” the star. Not knowing if someone is really there is part of the mystique.
Now, these floats are unique, as each one has little stages where the actors can stand and wave as their music or show plays on the video screens on the bottom portion of the floats. Four to five floats travel together with the same theme: Hollywood, Broadway, and Vegas. There is a live band on the floats playing for each section – no recorded music. Lights lower from the ceiling and illuminate the surrounding area, as well as lights on the floors and sides of The Comedy Co. These lights are all set to “play” as the floats go by.
The parade is very, very well done and with the actor look-alikes, the holograms, and the possible actor themselves, it’s honestly like seeing all your favorite stars in one parade (and maybe you actually did). There are also floats between each theme that look like iconic props from the movies, TV shows, or Broadway. All entirely lit up and sparkling. This parade is nostalgic and brings the golden era back to life again.
But the nighttime parade in Show Town is much different. It’s called The Musical Sensation Parade. You’ll see floats and lighting like never before. Instead of actors, you’ll see hologram pop stars such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, the Beatles, Elvis, and more. Add in a massive laser show going from one float to the other and live music and you have a one-of-a-kind show. The band for The Musical Sensation Parade is staged on the Front Lawn of the Broadway Theater and plays all the music for the parade. When they change songs, all the holograms on every moving float change to the latest music and artist being played. Each float is designed differently so the singer can be singing on a different level or surface on each float, complete with different lighting and effects. The thunderous sound system, combined with an extremely hi-tech lighting system and special effects package, is not to be missed. The Musical Sensation Parade runs nightly at 8:00 p.m.
Once the Show Biz Parade was over, we headed over to the Comedy Co. for our show. We scanned our fingers at the door and proceeded inside, where you walk right into the Comedy Co. Museum. Articles from many famous comedians over the years are on the walls and in glass cases as you walk through. You can either go to your left for the Dining Improv or to the right for the Jokesters Comedy Club.
The Dining Improv has room for about 400 people and as you’d expect, has an excellent selection of food. If you have a meal plan, you can use your lunch or dinner credit here or order appetizers or something to share before the show. There are six seatings daily, and you get your food ordered through the Touchpad Ordering Assistant, which is a unit on the table that is similar to use as your suite Butler in the suite. Several other restaurants have these as well, and they make ordering very efficient when the shows sound can be an issue when ordering.
The main idea is to limit the conversation between you and the waitress while the comedy show is going on. You just order something, and it’s delivered. More water, coffee, soda, dessert? Just push the icon for a refill or request a new beverage. Remember, drinks are provided free, and there is no tipping. Your wait staff is well taken care of.
We took a right since we were going to Jokesters. Just like every other theater show, you reserve your seat ahead of time. So, a scanned finger gets you a show ticket receipt. The Jokesters Comedy Club holds 800 people. Most of the comedians are not nationally-known, but unbelievably hilarious. There are usually three to four comedians per show. National Acts perform at the later shows or at the Harmony Theater for a charge. There is some cursing, but no heavy stuff. That is forbidden, even at night. No ‘F-bombs’ and certainly no ‘M-F bombs’ or sexual vulgarity. Remember the atmosphere is family, like PG rated, not ‘G’ or ‘R’ rated. Everyone must be ten-years-old or up so the tiniest won’t be there to spoil the show with crying or screaming. This is great for dining as well.
After the show, we headed out and continued to look at all the artifacts in the museum. Then we entered the Comedy Vault, where there are about ten rooms, each showing different stand-up comedians from the past. Each room has seats, so you can sit and watch until you’ve seen enough, then you can walk out of that room and into another. As expected, the heavy foul language was muted out.
So far, we have all had a ball, and Jennifer was really enjoying herself. She laughed so hard at the comedy show that she had a little “accident.” But she really needed to laugh, and it was good to have this time together. Sally was having fun too. She really loves coming here. She often tells me that the WOE reminds her of the futuristic cartoon; The Jetsons. I often agree. With the Suite Butler, Zipvators, holograms, and high-tech attractions, it could be.
One of her favorite rides isn’t really a ride, per se, but another form of transportation. They’re called Shuttle Pods. These Pods, which look like glass cylinders, can hold about six people each and lift-up and down, like an elevator. Except, once they hit the top and are above all the buildings, they then slide along on a cable system to go from place to place around the Complex. They can be a little unsettling at first because once they go up and connect to the cables, they will slightly sway, especially when they first start moving. But they offer magnificent views, are fun and provide quick access to anywhere in the Complex.
The Shuttle Pods are accessed through Jump Stations. There are ten Jump Stations around the Complex and Harmony Theater. Each Jump Station has six bays that allow for loading and unloading. Each station can hold up to 12 Shuttle Pods each. There are two separate shafts for each station that provides for extra Pods to be loaded behind the bays. Once one Pod leaves, another takes its place. To operate, you just push the desired destination button and wait for the Shuttle Pod that will be bringing you there, which will light up, indicating your destination. As an elevator only has up and down buttons on the outside, the Shuttle Pod has all ten locations available.
Each Shuttle Pod is lit in neon colors. When you look up, you see these glass, neon-colored tubes zipping around the Complex. Guests have fun just riding them. Plus, it cuts down on walking. After all, you are on vacation.