By: Andrew Bermudez
This month is officially the last month for "Vacation: Unlimited." While we are currently underway with working on our next big promotion, The Film School Challenge, I decided to take a look back at the past year with some special awards to hand out! So without further ado, here are the Vacation: Unlimited Awards!
Best New Attraction: Radiator Springs Racers Yes, we certainly did have plenty of great attractions this year, including Transformers: the Ride - 3-D and Manta, but if I were to pick the very best attraction of 2012 (and this even counts YouTube videos I've seen of other attractions that I've yet to go on), the clear winner is Radiator Springs Racers. It's an attraction that is so great, it's not only the best attraction of 2012 but the best attraction in Disney California Adventure and among the best attractions that I've ever been on! Will the Imagineers be able to top this with their next hyped-up E-ticket attraction, The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train? It'll take a lot to beat this attraction!
Best Special Exhibition: Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology To be fair, the winner for this award was a tough choice between this exhibit and the Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives exhibit at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. Both had amazing exhibits that were organized in a cohesive manner, making it easy to see the progression through the story being told. However, I had to pick Indiana Jones and the Adventure of Archaeology for one primary reason: the hand-held audio companion. If this exhibit stops in your hometown and you want to check it out, here is how the device works.
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| The actual golden idol prop from Raiders of the Lost Ark is one of many items on display. At the bottom of this picture is the audio companion device. |
Every exhibit features a numbered code, which you type into the touch screen on your device. Once you press the enter button, a relevant video plays on the device, describing the item that you are looking at. Other exhibits only have audio. The device also assists in a treasure hunt throughout the exhibit.
The reason that I say that this device is what puts this exhibition above the rest is that it makes the exhibit more than just display cases; it allows you to explore the history and facts of each and every item on display. The treasure hunt also adds an extra level of understanding to the world of archaeology and allows to see the exhibit in a new light. Well done, National Geographic! You have a winner here!
Animation Contest Winner: Johnny Thunder's Big Vacation We had a few entries in our animation contest last spring, but HollywoodLego's Johnny Thunder's Big Vacation shone above the rest. With its unique and imaginative mix of animation and live action, a nice mix of jokes into a fun story line, and even a humorous ending, it provided the second-best thing to an actual trip to the National Zoo!
Scrapbook Contest Winner: Northern Illinois While it was the only entry into this "forgotten" contest, this video still provided a short and sweet virtual visit to some of the sites of northern Illinois. Some of the unique sights, like the giant paper clip, added a little extra humor.
Most Popular Journal Entry: What's New to Do: Manta at Sea World San Diego To be fair, I was taken aback by the numbers for the viewership of this article, especially since it got more views than the review for Cars Land and Buena Vista Street. Then again, that review was from a cast preview and thus lacked photos, and people are always drawn to photos. Anyway, the exact number of views for the Manta review is currently 65, which is almost as many views as the number of views for all of the other articles in this journal combined! I'm sure Sea World management is happy for the extra publicity.
That wraps up these awards, but we aren't done yet! While these entries, rides, exhibits, etc. ultimately won the awards, there are still many honorable mentions to announce! Here they are!
Honorable Mention: Transformers: the Ride - 3-D Universal has proven once again that it can still be a contender against Disney when it comes to heavily-themed attractions, great storytelling, and state-of-the-art technology. In the case of Transformers: the Ride - 3-D, Universal has out-done the source material (which, in this case, isn't hard to do) by placing the guests in the middle of the action and making them heroes. The attraction works so well, construction is well underway for a version in Florida, set to open this summer.
Honorable Mention: Manta Even though this attraction was mentioned earlier in the most popular journal entry prize, it's a great addition to Sea World San Diego, so it's worth mentioning again. Granted, I'm not a fan of roller coasters, but this attraction really takes the concept of a roller coaster and brings it into the realm of themed attractions. Some speculated that this ride would change Sea World's character, but I say that it reinforces the existing character.
Honorable Mention: Atlantis Submarine Voyage Granted, I've never been on this ride, as it's all the way in LEGOLAND Windsor, but it's not everyday that a more...ahem...value-minded theme park gets a Disney-quality attraction. Therefore, this had to go in the honorable mentions section. Now if they only built this attraction here in the US...
Honorable Mention: Thank You Mustache Maniacs Though not a contest entry, we had to share this hilarious thank you video from HollywoodLego for sending him his prize. It provided the perfect bookend to conclude the Vacation: Unlimited Animation Contest.
Honorable Mention: Heron Miles and the Vacation of Boredom Though it did not win, it is still best to mention this film and the great work they did! Good job!
Honorable Mention: The Holiday Though it did not win, it is still best to mention this film and the great work they did! Good job!
Well, that wraps up our Vacation: Unlimited promotion. As for all of you that participated in our activities, thank you for being so dedicated and for showing your support for Mustache Maniacs Film Co. and this promotion. We hope you will join us for The Film School Challenge later this year, and Ten Years of Going Crazy in 2014. Until then, happy travels!
P.S.: I'm still going to write in here, especially since small vacations and outings are always around the corner, and I still need to finish that San Diego vacation report! Darn procrastination!
