WriterJason

The park will cost the same amount as always: "Too much."

Well, I learned that Universal/Six Flags/SeaWorld fans are different from Disney fans by several orders of magnitude. Only Disney fans could hate any and all changes to the Disney parks that much.

I learned that, while I intended the account for the general public, it has really resonated with theme park employees around the country, both current and former. They tag each other on Facebook and refer to inside jokes that I don't understand. So it's been interesting to see that working in a theme park -- the joys and the sorrows -- are small-u universal. And apparently conditions haven't changed much since my first day, many years ago.

I will most miss interacting with fans. I like retweets, shares, likes, etc., but having an actual in-universe dialogue is great fun. It's a combination of writing and improv.

The park is technically not within the jurisdiction of either the United States or the Geneva Convention.

So if you take a selfie with Princess Rainbow and then don't make all the editing and Photoshop changes she demands, you will be beheaded (first warning) or burned at the stake (second warning).

Yes! When I started, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter had opened just a few weeks before. Then Disney bought Lucasfilm and Marvel, bringing in all those characters and opening Galaxy's Edge. Then SeaWorld had its issues with captive breeding. Then came a pandemic which closed all parks worldwide for the first time in history.

For the average fan (like me), I think the biggest effects were the new philosophy around ticketing -- virtual queues, lightning lanes, etc. -- as well as the general cost of visiting even a single park for a single day. The result is an expensive, complicated process that requires a lot of planning and ends with a lot of frustration and disappointment.

When I started at Universal, it was $39 for one day. There was no front-of-line pass or single-rider line.

I'll let you in on a secret -- I'm a big chicken when it comes to coasters. I've done Space Mountain once. Jurassic Park once. Going upside-down? Forget it.

But I do love simulator rides, or controlled-track rides where you never go too fast. So my favorites include Star Tours, Indiana Jones, Forbidden Journey. At my own park, I thought Terminator 2:3D and Back to the Future were great.

And of course...the Universal Studios tour. Orlando may have more and better rides, but the backlot at USH is the genuine studio with 100 years of film and TV history.