I attended Star Trek: The Experience for the last time on Wednesday. Here are my impressions and memories, good and bad.
My first stop was lunch at Quark's. I met an Andorian with a dry wit and several cool people at the bar. I ordered a mini Warp Core Breach, and it caused me to get truly drunk for the first time in my life. For a while, I was flying high, but then I felt sick to my stomach for about a half hour.
The Secrets Unveiled tour was next. Christopher was my tour guide, and he was very friendly and pleasant. Seeing the costumes and how some of the effects are done was cool.
The tour ended just in time for pictures. That experience was pretty fun, but the Borg chamber is far too cramped for eight people to fit into.
This was my first time on the Borg Invasion show. The assimilation part is very creepy, and there is good integration between visual and physical effects.
There was an hour wait until the next Klingon ride, which is inexcusable in my book. However, since I was there for the last time, I decided to kill time in the shops until 8 PM rolled around. There were a few decent shirts and toys, but there really hasn't been that much innovation in the last five or so years. The most memorable toy is still easily the tribble. I also don't understand the fascination with the bears in different outfits. Why not some different plushes like sehlats? I am glad that they have books for sale, but the most recent is The Sky's the Limit. They should at least have the Terok Nor books or A Burning House in stock.
The line for the Klingon Encounter became very fun when the Klingon started making the rounds. He mocked pretty much everybody. He teased me about wearing a red shirt, given what tends to happen to others in similar attire. He also tossed off a good line about getting hit by shrapnel in regards to a guy's piercing under his lower lip. The ride itself was a little jerkier than I remember, partially because I was in the front corner this time.
I'm actually not that sad about The Experience closing anymore. The rides and shops are badly in need of updates. The best thing about the place are the staff and customers, and all we need to gather these types of people together is a common meeting place. The Exhibition will be one option. The Meetup forum and local clubs are other possibilities.
My first stop was lunch at Quark's. I met an Andorian with a dry wit and several cool people at the bar. I ordered a mini Warp Core Breach, and it caused me to get truly drunk for the first time in my life. For a while, I was flying high, but then I felt sick to my stomach for about a half hour.
The Secrets Unveiled tour was next. Christopher was my tour guide, and he was very friendly and pleasant. Seeing the costumes and how some of the effects are done was cool.
The tour ended just in time for pictures. That experience was pretty fun, but the Borg chamber is far too cramped for eight people to fit into.
This was my first time on the Borg Invasion show. The assimilation part is very creepy, and there is good integration between visual and physical effects.
There was an hour wait until the next Klingon ride, which is inexcusable in my book. However, since I was there for the last time, I decided to kill time in the shops until 8 PM rolled around. There were a few decent shirts and toys, but there really hasn't been that much innovation in the last five or so years. The most memorable toy is still easily the tribble. I also don't understand the fascination with the bears in different outfits. Why not some different plushes like sehlats? I am glad that they have books for sale, but the most recent is The Sky's the Limit. They should at least have the Terok Nor books or A Burning House in stock.
The line for the Klingon Encounter became very fun when the Klingon started making the rounds. He mocked pretty much everybody. He teased me about wearing a red shirt, given what tends to happen to others in similar attire. He also tossed off a good line about getting hit by shrapnel in regards to a guy's piercing under his lower lip. The ride itself was a little jerkier than I remember, partially because I was in the front corner this time.
I'm actually not that sad about The Experience closing anymore. The rides and shops are badly in need of updates. The best thing about the place are the staff and customers, and all we need to gather these types of people together is a common meeting place. The Exhibition will be one option. The Meetup forum and local clubs are other possibilities.
