Went to the Holy Land Experience Theme Park in Orlando

[bumblebee]

Oh my that is awesome. It really does look like a casino. :pink-shock: :clap:

When I read Holy Land Experience I pictured a giant mostly outside theme park desperately "landscaped" to "look and feel just like walking where Jesus walked without leaving America!" type thing with a tiny Jerusalem, Bethlehem and some of the other sites you can go to on a pilgrimage etc. Not gold horses and sequins and penguins.

[micatite]

I have never seen so many mirrors, sequins and thrones and glitz in my life. First stop, the ladies room, and there was a huge GOLD throne, as in fancy chair, not toilet in the bathroom, and in the handicap stall, this Roman looking couch with curved arms. The concrete was painted either copper, silver or white everywhere.

I live on the West Coast, but when you said this, my first thought was TBN...before I even realized it really IS affiliated with Trinity Broadcast Network. They do love their gilt paint, 'tis true. Their Costa Mesa, CA compound is a monument to cheap metallic gold paint spashed everywhere, especially their baroque monstrosity of a curved staircase. Tacky, tacky, tacky!

[Coconut Flan]

Thanks! What a place that is. It reminds me of Vegas also. I love the "Jesus" walking around. That baptismal pool with the fountains spraying would scare a lot of people not just a four year old. Baptisms as crowd entertainment - what a concept. I loved seeing the spangly Mary and baby Jesus.

[Talitha Cumi]

$50? Each, or for all of you? That sounds crazy expensive if there aren't even any rides.

Well, one-day Disney tickets are about $100 each, so $50's kind of a bargain. :)

I live in Orlando, and I've passed by HLE a hundred times. The headship and I have always joked about going, but I just can't bear to. It sounds even worse than I imagined. If any other Free Jingerites come down, though, I'll brave the bling and join you.

[Lady Grass Lake]

Yes, $50 each. Worth it just once. Hubby's works gave him use of company vehicle and gas money, and pays hotel and his meals. We tag along and our expenses are just our own meals and entertainment. We've done Disney a few times so this trip was finding other things to do. Drove by it and just had to go. I think they do 1 free day a year, Easter I think but I'll bet it's packed.

[Lady Grass Lake]

The gold horses - were in the parking with a huge chariot and angel. There were big metal plates on the feet so we figured an exhibit or something at entrance. The angel appears to be the driver.

[Tish Cook]

Thank you for this....the pictures made my day! still laughing :lol:

[Vivi_music]

Seriously, the gold horses, the sparkly animals, the mirrors, the sequin, the strange chairs, this is just too much crazy at the same time.

Great photojournalism though! ;) Thanks a bunch.

[Ave Maria]

Oh my that is awesome. It really does look like a casino. :pink-shock: :clap:

When I read Holy Land Experience I pictured a giant mostly outside theme park desperately "landscaped" to "look and feel just like walking where Jesus walked without leaving America!" type thing with a tiny Jerusalem, Bethlehem and some of the other sites you can go to on a pilgrimage etc. Not gold horses and sequins and penguins.

That might have actually been cool and had some educational merit.

I was hoping the penguins would be in some kind of "God created all these diverse animals" display or something to do with Noah's Arc. But nope, just Penguins of Random .

[Rebelwife]

Those pictures were awesome! It's such a weird mix of over-the-top Vegas style glitz and chintzy cardboard tackiness. :cray-cray:

[ADoyle90815]

Thanks for the pictures! Those bathrooms look like they belong at the Madonna Inn near San Louis Obispo, CA. The rest of it reminds me of Vegas as well.

[Handmaiden of Dog]

Wow. A million thanks from me as well. I would be very hard pressed to spend that kind of money for a cheap laugh so I probably won't ever go. I was bemused by most of the pictures until I got to the cardboard Jesus in front of the living water fountains. Seriously? They charge $50.00 per person to get in and then they have a cardboard cut out? Why not a statue? Bizarre choice.

I'm also a bit confused by the Crucifixion. It looks very bloody but Jesus is not on a cross-- is this a new interpretation? Jesus is just tied to a wood board?

[micatite]

Trust me when I say that Vegas casinos are not nearly as tacky as the stuff that TBN comes up with. I wish I could post a picture of their Costa Mesa place. Such a gaudy mishmash of clashing architectural styles you have never seen (all of which they light up like Times Square for the holidays.) My favorite thing, though, was driving around and seeing the one private parking space marked with the sign, "Don't even THINK of parking here." Very Christian. :roll:

Here's a link to the staircase I mentioned:

http://www.jjfamiglioinc.com/#!TBN-Costa-Mesa-CA/zoom/cpc9/image1h6i

[Dandruff]

Thanks for posting. I'm having a really dreadful day today but the photo of the throne in the restroom and the "Shalom?" at the bottom of the sign made me laugh.

Wonder what the job requirements and pay are like for the "Jesuses".

[tralala]

Why is it so TACKY? Dear Lord.

This was my face throughout the entire album

[SquirrelySquirrel]

A thousand thank yous! This is awesome. I don't know why, but cardboard Jesus walking on water is my favorite. It made me snort-laugh!

[jailormoon]

Why is it so TACKY? Dear Lord.

This was my face throughout the entire album

YES! haha. Then the Chucky doll baby Jesus at the end was the icing on the cake! Thanks for sharing.

[formergothardite]

Here you go, enjoy. Some of the photos were taken inside in poor lighting, so some are blurry but you still get the full effect. Tried to put photos that didn't show any of the regular people, just staff.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/f7619nydzilo ... n_kCtn3Tja

I was not prepared for that level of tacky. I was envisioning more of a Heritage USA. Who designed this? Baby Jesus will give you nightmares. :shock:

[dilannsmom]

Trust me when I say that Vegas casinos are not nearly as tacky as the stuff that TBN comes up with. I wish I could post a picture of their Costa Mesa place. Such a gaudy mishmash of clashing architectural styles you have never seen (all of which they light up like Times Square for the holidays.) My favorite thing, though, was driving around and seeing the one private parking space marked with the sign, "Don't even THINK of parking here." Very Christian. :roll:

Here's a link to the staircase I mentioned:

http://www.jjfamiglioinc.com/#!TBN-Costa-Mesa-CA/zoom/cpc9/image1h6i

OMG! When I lived in HB TBN was always at the top of my list of places to take friends and family when they came to visit at Christmas time. Words just CANNOT describe the level of tacky! (Never went inside...those stairs!!!!)

Edited: letters are confusing

[Mela99]

Wow.

Just wow.

I'm actually somewhat offended by the commercialization of baptism and whatnot. Am I crazy?

[Mary C Doates]

Thank you! Those pics are hilarious. That pink tunnel reminds me of a display at a local children's museum where someone can walk through a giant replica of the intestines/colon. The bathrooms look like they belong in a casino. What on earth is going on with the gold horses?

And I LOVE biker Jesus...might I suggest that you make that your avatar for this site? It's just...perfect.

I thought the pink tunnel (and the pink-tinged cave) were more-than-vaguely erotic. I bet there have been plenty of adolescent fundie boys snickering over them.

My favourite was the cardboard Jesus walking on water.

Srsly, you would think hard-core fundies would be offended by this--it's like a parody of a religious experience...which is probably why I am dying to go!

[alliem]

I'm also a bit confused by the Crucifixion. It looks very bloody but Jesus is not on a cross-- is this a new interpretation? Jesus is just tied to a wood board?

Looks like the scourging that takes place before Jesus's crucifixion - in all of the gospels, Pilate has Jesus flogged before allowing the crucifixion to proceed. That amount of blood seems incredibly gross and unnecessary and weird, like the theme park is making money from glorifying violence and exploiting the blood of Jesus? It's like something you might set up in front of your house to scare/entertain trick or treaters on Halloween.

[ariel9]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm pretty sure I would have to explain a lot to my kids (if I had any).

-such as penguins and polar bears do not live the same place.

- that is not really Jesus baptizing peope and that does not happen at normal churches.

[NotALoserLikeYou]

That was fascinating. I can't believe it's $50 a person!

[formergothardite]

They have the fancy gold horses and fancy chairs in the bathroom yet cardboard Jesus. How very strange.