Disney To Get Some Competition (http://wcco.com/water/watercooler_story_028090335.html) - AP, 1/28/03

Dracula Park (http://www.draculapark.ro/index.php?&lang=2) is the focus of this article.

QuikQuote: A Dracula theme park will be built near the Romanian capital rather than deep in the Transylvania region to draw more visitors, a Romanian tourism official announced.
"The government wants the park to be built in the most profitable location," said Adrian Tone, a Tourism Ministry spokesman, announcing the decision to build the park within 95 miles of the capital.

Ah, so it wasn't scrapped. If I find the other article on how it was put off becuase of the location I will post it.

The population of the area around Sighisoara would not be enough to fill the park all year around. Transportation over the Transylvanian Alps would be extremely difficult for 4-5 months of the year, and certainly out of reach for even upper-middle-class Romanian families. Plus, those roads really could not handle that kind of traffic, believe me. Bucuresti (Bucharest) is the population center of Romania, and I am not surprised that they would choose to build closer to there. My son was in an orphanage not far from Bran and Brasov, and getting there from Bucuresti was quite a trip, even in good weather.

Dracula is a fictional character - I am kind of amazed that the Romanians are going with this. But really, they don't need a theme park. There are incredible places to visit there, for people who are brave and adventurous. You want thrill rides? Trust me on this one. Ride taxis in Bucuresti. They swerve into oncoming traffic to pass horse drawn carts, drive extrememely fast on cobblestone streets, take corners with wheels barely on the pavement... and not a seatbelt in sight! Or, try the trolley cars, and hold on tight to the rails...and your wallet. The subway isn't as exciting, but it carries the element of danger -- safety issues are superfluous there. I have not ridden on the trains myself because I was warned in advance about the smoke, but I hear they are an adventure. The bathrooms are a hole in the floor to the track below... not exactly the happiest potties on Earth. Or, go for a drive in the foothills or mountains. Yeee-haw!

Actually, Draccula did exist, but not as the stories all tell, I forget the exact real story, but alas he wasn't a vampire, even y some of todays standards, he was ecentric yes, but he didn't drink blood and I believe didn't even live in that country.

Vlad Tepes (Dracula) wasn't a vampire - he was the Prince of Wallachia in the 15th century who fought to keep the Turks from taking over Romania, and established a strict moral code of conduct on his people. He was famous for his ruthless intimidation of his enemies, the torture and horrific deaths of 10s of thousands of people, and horrific atrocities against poor and disabled people. :(

Not exactly Mickey Mouse.

Here's a like to a site with information about Vlad the Impaler (http://www.ucs.mun.ca/~emiller/tepes.htm) whi was the supposed inspiration for Dracula.

I'm glad someone else knows their history, I couldn't rememberr all the details....but I do agree, not exactly Mickey Mouse, but hey, it's part of history, we need to know our history or else....well, you know the rest.

Vlad used to like to impale people on sticks and then put the sticks in the ground with the bodies in various states of decay all around the entrance to his local community as a deterent to anyone thinking of criminal/immoral activities. Now there is an impressive front gate to a "fun" park , eh?

Well, it wouldn't be Disneyland, that's for sure.