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Monday, March 29, 2010
The Monster Plantation/The Monster Mansion Part 2
As the boats enter the mansion, the ride's theme song is played.
"You're invited/to a picnic/monster picnic/but humans are allowed today, too!
Join the monsters at the mansion---
Glad you came inside/relax, enjoy the ride!"
The first characters seen on The Monster Mansion are new additions. Papa Razzi instructs us to make our best monster faces, then with the help of his bird friend, Nestor, he snaps our picture.
Papa Razzi and Nestor were introduced in 2009. Previously, the space they occupied was very dark, and consisted of floating furniture (the mansion is supposed to be flooded). There was a contest to name the new picture-taking monster. I entered, but cannot remember the name I submitted.
Up next is our hostess, Mizzy Scarlett. She is kind of crazy, and the only human-like monster in the ride. She and her little monster dog, Tatty-too (remember, the TV show Fantasy Island was big when these two characters debuted in 1981) welcome us back to the Mansion. Her dog barks and Mizzy tells us that "Tatty-too says, stay out of the marsh!"
Papa Razzi's picture is displayed on a large TV screen near Mizzy. There used to be a window where the TV is now, looking "outdoors" at all the monsters. Of course, you can buy the picture you see here at the gift shop after you get off the ride.
Our boat pushes through two large doors and goes "outside" to the monster picnic.
Riding on spouts of water are multi-colored new Mansion monsters named Splish, Splash and Squirt (I don't know which one is which).
Playing some odd-sounding Dixieland Jazz is a colorful band called the Lagoon Goons. A new feature to their area is a bubble machine and some colorful flashing lights.
Gone from this section is a large, fat bird character on a statue. The statue was relocated to the ride's graveyard scene, but the bird is missing.
Some new bullfrog characters named Bull, Ribbit and Croak spit water right above our boat (these are "leapfrog" fountains. Clever!)
We then meet Marshall Billy Bob Fritter, and his monster dog, Fritter Bitter. Billy Bob tells us to keep our hands inside the boat, and not to go near the marsh (our second warning!).
A mother monster swings in a tree with her children, and some monster children called the Banner Brats welcome us humans to the party. A Nanny monster tends to some monster babies (the big fat one is named Big Huey). A curious little monster named Calvin discovers a gopher popping up out of the ground. Flying overhead is the ride's propeller-beanie wearing mascot, Buzby.
Talk about sensory overload! There is so much going on here, and in the many years I've ridden this attraction, I've never gotten pictures of all the characters.
I am sharing what I do have, though!
Just wanted to say your illustrations are awesome, as if you didn't know it already. Really cool, man.
ReplyDeleteTales Of A Fourth Grade Nothing
These are great....thanks for sharing them with us. I would like to see this in person some day. I wish Knott's Berry Farm still had Berry Tales. I've said it before, but I'll say it again....every park should have at least ONE dark ride!
ReplyDeleteAwww, thank you Ally! I really appreciate that!
ReplyDeleteThanks TokyoMagic! I've never been to Knott's Berry Farm, so I really feel like I missed out on their Berry Tales dark ride. I think Gary Goddard Productions (Monster Plantation/Monster Mansion's creators) should bring an updated version of the Bear ride to Knott's. Can you imagine all the cute bear merchandise they could sell? They'd make a fortune.
This is really great. Thanks for letting us take a look.
ReplyDeleteHey outsidetheberm! I'm here to entertain. I'm working on the next batch of pictures right now.
ReplyDeleteThe tongue poking out of the horn-blowing monster in the band grosses me out.
ReplyDeleteAlso, is it just me, or does Marshall Billy Bob look a bit like Barney the Dinosaur?
Yes, that is an unsanitary horn blowing monster. Billy Bob was first, but yes, I've seen POV videos of people screaming at "Barney" to shut up.
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