HHN23 - Third House - The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead: No Safe Haven

"AMC’s The Walking Dead returns to Halloween Horror Nights. Fans will have a chance to walk in the footsteps of human survivors as Universal debuts an all-new terrifying maze inspired by Season 3 of the critically-acclaimed, award-winning television series."

The eerily authentic and disturbingly real maze will place you at the heart of the show’s once impenetrable prison, the West Georgia Correctional Facility, now overrun by hordes of flesh-eating walkers. Then, cower through the walker-infested wilderness that surrounds the prison and into the seemingly utopian town of Woodbury, where gruesome secrets are concealed.

Last year's Walking Dead house was pretty good, not great though. Based on season 2, there were a lot of zombies in a farm/barn setting, not my favorite season, to say the least. This year looks to be so much more fun and much scarier, just the fact that it's based primarily in a prison already sounds more terrifying!

A few preview pics of the haunt -

I'll talk more about it later, but I wanted to note that all the scare zones are Walking Dead themed this year as well.

This one is located in the Parade building behind the Simpsons ride and the entrance is near the KidZone stage.

HHN23 - Second House - La Llorona

Urban Legends: La Llorona

Her legend is one of tragedy… of murder. To hear her mournful cries sends chills down your spine colder than the murky, watery depths she drowned her victims within. Forced to eternally walk the earth, she seeks others to share her pain and suffering – now and forever…

I'm actually kinda psyched for this one as it's been a very popular house at HHN Hollywood for a number of years and they're finally bringing it to Orlando!

Guests will come face to face with the 500-year old legend that has haunted millions of people in Latin America for generations, as the popular Mexican legend La Llorona comes to life as a haunted house at Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights 23.

It will begin when guests enter an old Mexican chapel where they hear La Llorona’s horrifying tale of murder, tragedy and fatal love. Guests step into the funeral of her victims, and as they progress, they’ll hear her cold, ghostly whisper that announces her presence.

“La Llorona’s intriguing and tragic story has been terrifying people in Mexico and all over Latin America for centuries,” said Mike Aiello, Creative Director for Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights. “And now at Halloween Horror Nights, you will be transported into her mysterious realm and experience firsthand this disturbing folktale.”

From Wikipedia:

Although several variations exist, the basic story tells of a beautiful woman by the name of Maria who drowns her children in order to be with the man that she loved. The man would not have her, which devastated her. She would not take no for an answer, so she drowned herself in a lake in Mexico City. Challenged at the gates of heaven as to the whereabouts of her children, she is not permitted to enter the afterlife until she has found them. Maria is forced to wander the Earth for all eternity, searching in vain for her drowned offspring, with her constant weeping giving her the name “La Llorona”. She is trapped in between the living world and the spirit world.

In some versions of this tale and legend, La Llorona will kidnap wandering children who resemble her missing children, or children who disobey their parents. People who claim to have seen her say she appears at night or in the late evenings from rivers or oceans in Mexico. Some believe that those who hear the wails of La Llorona are marked for death. She is said to cry, “Ay, mis hijos!” which translates to, “Oh, my children!”

A few preview pics of the house -

This one is located in Tent1 behind the Simpsons ride and the entrance is near the KidZone stage.

Random Fun Facts About Polar Bears!

Did you know that the Polar Bear is my favorite animal? No, that's not the random fun fact, just a little more about me.

Polar bears are fascinating animals. Not only are they the world's largest land predators, but also one of the most enigmatic. Researchers believe that polar bears may be just as intelligent as apes, since they seem to be able to learn and modify behavior to match their environmental challenges.  

Polar bears are actually not white. The hair of a polar bear is transparent, made up of a thick hollow core that reflects light. As the light bounces on the air spaces between hairs, you see white, a reflection of all colors combined. This special feature of their hair has a double purpose: it helps them blend better with their environment and it insulates them from the cold and snow.  

And to follow up on that, they are obsessive about keeping clean. Following mealtime, they will spend 15-20 minutes grooming themselves, making sure there is no dirt or residue left on them that may interfere with the insulating properties of their fur.

They are so well padded with fat and thick fur that they can overheat quickly, even in subzero temperatures. To prevent this, polar bears tend to walk slowly, avoid running and spend lots of hours lying down and resting.

They’re excellent swimmers. In fact, they spend so much time in the water that some scientists prefer to classify them as marine mammals. Because their front paws have webbed toes, polar bears are able to paddle better through the water, generating enough momentum to swim for up to 70 miles at a stretch. The webbed toes, along with rough padded feet, are also essential to prevent slipping on the ice.

Unlike all other bear species, Polar Bears don’t hibernate. Pregnant females will curl up in their dens and become less active, but polar bears in general will keep hunting and eating throughout the whole winter. While land bears hibernate, their body temperature drops to about 32F. When polar bears sleep in winter, their body temperature never goes below 88F.  

 
There is a really big difference in size and weight between males and females. While males can reach up to 1500 pounds and 10 feet in length, females rarely exceed 600 pounds and average 6.5 feet in length.  
 
They have been known to have tantrums. Experts have observed frustrated polar bears throwing chunks of ice, kicking piles of snow or growling in disappointment after losing prey they'd been trying to catch.

Finally, one not so fun fact. But considering that Polar Bears are endangered due to global warming and the actions of man - Humans are the only species that preys on polar bears.

I'll leave you with a few links to check out, I encourage you to donate if you can to help save these majestic creatures.

Polar Bears International
WWF Polar Bear Conservation
Sea World Polar Bear Conservation