Just finished our second day here in Orlando, and it was the first day we were able to get to Universal Studios Islands of Adventure park. After enjoying the Spider-Man ride (a must-do, by the way) we made straight for the Jurassic Park island, based on the classic film.
One of the things I have always enjoyed is how the desigers of the rides decorate the wait-line, adding details derived from the fictional worlds the ride represents (this is called “theming”). Well the people behind the Jurassic Park attraction have raised the bar for all attractions that follow.
They have recreated, in incredible detail, the welcome center building seen in the first movie, along with “biologists” who walk the grounds and celebrate the hatching of every new dinosaur (these are usually raptors). The effect is remarkable, and if you are a fan of the fantastic and would love to live in a world where dinosaur cloning is a reality, definitely check it out.
I’m off with the family to a vacation to Orlando tomorrow morning, so site updates will be limited after this one until late next week. Obviously, with San Diego Comics Con going on this weekend there will be lots of cool geek news – if the news is REALLY cool I will post something about it (I’ll also be posting photos from the iPhone sporadically from the Sunshine State). See ya!
Hi all, if you’re like me (and most of you, blessedly, are not) and love the smell of vintage plastic action figures, then you REALLY should have been at the Joelanta 2009 toy show this weekend. There were a LOT of great dealers (myself included) selling items for low low prices (again, myself included).
I always look at this show as more of an opportunity to socialize rather than make money selling stuff, and that was even more true this year. The show was less attended than last years (in my opinion) in part due to the economy and the weather (rain poured down most of the day) but it was still a good show with LOTS of different items on sale.
One thing I definitely took advantage of this year was the dropping prices of original 1960s G.I.Joe pieces… I picked up five vintage 12″ Joes for what I would have had to pay for two just a couple of years ago. And two were Talking G.I.Joes that still worked! I would have bought more but I held back – the kids still need all that… what do you call it again? Oh, yeah – food.
My sons also enjoyed it, which also makes the show a great father/son bonding experience. With toy tanks! So much the better…
Anyway, thanks to all who organized this great show – I can’t think of a better way to spend a weekend. Oh, and GREAT diorama again this year guys! Please find some more pictures below.
OK, here’s today’s public service announcement – next weekend is the great Joelanta toy and action figure show, run by two of my pals Marten and Buddy. All proceeds from Joelanta benefit the Cody Lane Foundation, toward creating the Cody Lane Memorial Toy and Diorama Museum – so you can attend the show, buy some cool toys, and contribute to a good cause.
The Chicago O’Hare airport is really beautifully designed, as you can see from the photos below, but… After five hours of waiting for my flight, the enjoyment fades.
Yes the winter weather in the Midwest has stranded me in the airport and I may… May… Get home around 1 am. Wish me luck, faithful reader!
Joseph Dickerson is a User Experience Architect focused on improving the usability of on-line and mobile applications. With over a decade of experience in software design and user research, Dickerson has made it his mission to make technology easier for people to use.
