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Welcome to The Genre Traveler! Please sign up using the form to the right so that you'll get all the latest updates to the site. You also might want to sign up for the RSS feed, which you can do via email or your favorite RSS Reader. Disneyworld's Epcot Center celebrates its 25th Anniversary Oct. 1. Although Disney itself won't be promoting this special occasion, The Intrepid Traveler will. They've sent out media advisory to travel writers, encouraging them to turn to some of the Disney World experts they have in their roster of authors, including. Charles Ridgway Ridgway, who was a Disney publicist and press agent for more than forty years, has his own window on Main Street U.S.A. and even worked with Walt Disney himself. In his memoir, Spinning Disney's World: Memories of a Magic Kingdom Press Agent, Ridgway describes how the opening ceremonies for Epcot were touch and go until the very last minute. He also tells the fascinating story of how that event ushered in the brave new world of electronic news gathering and satellite transmission that we take for granted today. Steven M. Barrett Did you know that the whole phenomenon of "hidden Mickeys" started at Epcot? To distinguish his new park from the Magic Kingdom, Walt himself decreed that cartoon characters would have no place at the futuristic Epcot. But the "Imagineers" who built and designed the place were not willing to abandon their beloved Mickey Mouse. And so they tucked cleverly camouflaged images of the "main mouse" into the pavilions and public places of the new park. They went unnoticed and unheralded for years by all but a handful of insiders. Eventually, however, word leaked out and today "hidden Mickey mania" is in full flower at Disney parks around the globe. Dr. Steven M. Barrett's book, Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide To Walt Disney World's Best Kept Secrets helps visitors to Disneyworld have hours of fun tracking down these elusive images. Louis A. Mongello Mongello has been visiting Walt Disney World since he was three. In the process, he transformed himself into one of the world's leading experts on WDW history and lore. His books, The Walt Disney World Trivia Book volumes 1 and 2, have made him a celebrity with Disney fans who flock to his public appearances and who have made his award-winning "The WDW Radio Show" a roaring success. The show was named the "Best Travel Podcast of 2007," marking the second year that Mongello has won the award.

Well, now that its September, it is officially Haunt Season. So, Hauntworld Magazine, the haunt industry's leading trade publication, has announced its list of the Top 13 Professional Haunted Attractions in the U.S. According to the press release, "these attractions are being recognized for their attention to detail, high-quality special effects, and overall scare factor." "The haunts we've included are as expertly produced as any major motion picture today," said Larry Kirchner, Editor-in-Chief of Hauntworld Magazine. "They have behind-the-scenes teams of master Hollywood special effects technicians, make-up artists, set designers, and trained actors. We're an industry that exists to make people scream and laugh at the same time -- and these haunts do just that, and more." So here's their list: Read more »

Busch Gardens Africa in Tampa, Fla., is offering "Howl-O-Scream sleepovers" for 7th through 10th graders. That's pretty cool. According to their website, for $75 per teen, participants are treated to "chaperoned front line access to haunted houses, bone-chilling coasters, 'creatures of the night' animal interactions, two freaky meals and accommodations at [their] on-site dormitory." You also get a T-shirt and water bottle to remember the scares. Dates for the "Family Fear Sleepover" -- 7th - 10th grade with adult(s) are Oct. 13, 20 and 27. Dates for the 7th to 8th Grade Sleepover are Oct. 6, 12 and 20. Dates for the 9th to 10th Grad Sleepover are Oct. 5, 13, 19 and 26. Passport holders receive a $10 discount on the price. For more information, visit www.seaworld.org/adventure-camps/bgt/sleepover/seasonal/howl-o-scream.htm or call 877-BGT-CAMP (877-248-2267).

The theme parks certainly are. According to Theme Park Insider,  Busch Gardens Europe, located in Williamsburg, Va., has announced its new stuff for the Halloween season. They're going to add two mazes and a scare zone to a new village, "The NeverAfter," which is designed for visitors age 17 and up. The village takes Brothers Grimm fairy tales and gives them a few macabre twists. Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights has launched a "Pre-Screening" website complete with sneak peaks, free wallpapers and more.