ibluv
Posts: 2354
Registered: 7/15/2004
Rank: Platinum Critic
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 5/28/2005 11:30:02 AM
I left Leon at 2:30 in the morning on a bus, and got to Atocha train station in Madrid just before 6:30, where I purchased my ticket into the park (32 euros) and got free roundtrip train fare to and from the park (WBMWM is about a 45 minute train ride south of Madrid). Left Atocha at 7:15 and got to the park just after 8. The park wasnLt supposed to open til eleven, but the guidebook I read made it sound like it was in the middle of the town of San Martin de la Vega, so I figured I could eat breakfast there and maybe walk around a bit before the park opened.
I was wrong.About 10 minutes from the park, the Madrid suburbs petered out into a vast semi-desert scrubland, with nothing to see except for the occasional rabbit or lizard. No houses. No buildings. Nada. Just when I thought I had somehow gotten on the wrong train I spotted the top of the drop tower bearing the Warner Bros. logo in the distance."It must be a mirage" I thought, but as I got closer other taller attractions came into view: Stuntfall, the water tower, Superman:La Atraccion de Acero, El Rio Bravo. Movie World was there in the middle of nowhere, alright, and ILd be experiencing it within a matter of hours.
But first I had to wait. I got off the train at Warner BroLs own train station and crossed the huge empty parking lot to the park entrance. Loud Looney Toons music was playing from speakers hidden in the bushes, but the place was absolutely deserted, which was kinda eerie. Luckily I brought a good book with, so I sat down on a bench in the shade and read.
Around 9 the first employees began to show up. They were surprised to see me so early, but let me stay, as I already had my ticket, and there was nowhere else for me to go anyway. Shortly after 10 the first noisy school groups arrived, and by the time they started letting people in at 10:30, the entrance area was packed.
The park is made up of 5 differently-themed "areas". The first, called Hollywood Boulevard, is directly inside the park. ItLs supposed to resemble Sunset boulevard and is where the majority of the parkLs eateries and gift shops are located,as well as customer service and cosignments, where I couldnLt get a large locker for my backpack cuz they were all broken, and there arenLt any other lockers in the park. Instead of good ole manual lockers where you drop in a quarter and take out the key, these are all run by some fancy electric system, which happened to be down that day.I wasnLt thrilled about lugging my rather large backpack around, but that turned out to be the smaller of only 2 disappointments I had all day.
Hollywood BlvdLs also got a "Walk of Fame" only in the shape of Warner Bros logos instead of stars, each one bearing an American filmstar's name, and a collection of older American automobiles parked at random intervals along the street (probably repros), including a black 1950Ls Caddy with fins. Such vehicles are nearly if not entirely nonexistent in Spain, and most Spaniards have only seen them in the movies.It was fun to watch excited younger kids run up to the cars look at them as if they were spacecraft from another planet.
The other 4 areas opened at 11. I went to Superheroes World first, where the Superman and Batman coasters are located, but ILll hafta tell you the rest later as ILm hungry and just realized thereLs no food in the house so I need to go shopping.
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12 hours and 48 minutes to go
Message updated 5/28/2005 11:35:10 AM by ibluv
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