So what scares the director of art and design for Universal Orlando® Resort’s Halloween Horror Nights®? Find out in this edition of “Away We Go” with T.J. Mannarino.
Favorite type of vacation: Adventure or relaxation?
It depends on what time of year. After I’ve done Halloween, I want a big relaxation vacation, but usually, I’d say, with my family, we’re all about adventure and activities. So I think it’s a mix.
Best vacation you’ve ever had?
That’s good. Hm. I think…
It’s not going to Universal?
Oh, of course! Always!
I interviewed Comic Writer Kyle Higgins recently, and he said going to Marvel Super Hero Island® was one of his favorite vacations.
Oh! Oh, good!
It’s really interesting to see when the guests come to the parks for the first time and see some of the stuff that’s to scale and the level of fun that’s here.
We opened the first Harry Potter a few years ago, and I was on some of the design team. And we did the grand opening. To watch the fans of those films and the characters show up in the land and emotionally react—I actually saw people crying. I saw people fall down to their knees, shaking. It’s amazing how much even this style of entertainment can be effective and emotionally connect people.
It’s a fun a place to work. All of us who do it enjoy it every day. So on one side, this is a little bit of a vacation, but I think to answer your question, [my family and I] really enjoy going to the beach. We’ll take an extended time, and we’ll get a little beach condo for the family, spend a week. We’ll escape all the stuff from our work and the home responsibilities, and as a family, we just enjoy spending time together and enjoying the sun.
Dream vacation destination?
I don’t know if my family would share this with me, but I’ve always been intrigued about Australia. I’d be interested to see what Australia would look like.
Favorite hotel?
I don’t do a lot of big traveling. I would say…I don’t know if there’s a certain brand. When we go and travel, we’ll try to get some condos because we’ll stay a few days.
Favorite restaurants/dish?
I would say, when we travel, we’ll head off to the coast, and we’ll be by the ocean. In Orlando, you don’t have the big, great seafood places. So I think it’s trying to find some good local fare seafood places. I have family who live up in Pensacola. That’s a big shrimping town. Going up there and eating up all different type of shrimp meal and concoctions is always fun. We like that a lot.
Favorite vacation drink?
Ah, drink? Not so much. I’m a sports drink person. I drink Gatorade just about anywhere I go to. So maybe just a nice cool beer.
Favorite activity?
I have two children, and they’re about five years apart, so neither of them like to do the same thing at the same time. So I would say bike riding. We enjoy that, especially being in Florida. Going to a beach is an activity the whole family tends to like because everyone can find something they like doing.
Pool or beach?
Probably both because my daughter loves the beach and my son loves the pool, and I’m usually stuck in the middle.
Socks or no socks with sandals?
That’s a good question. I’d say no socks with sandals because my daughter would never want to stand next to me if I do.
What scares you?
I’m a hard scare. I’d say the thing that scares me, because of the work that we do, is the timelines. It’s about getting this stuff, in two days we have, done.
Because Halloween Horror Nights® does not wait.
[laughs] No, it does not. We open in October because Halloween comes on the 31st.
[Edit: Halloween Horror Nights® begins this year in September.]
