2007-06 Exposure in Gatlinburg

Just returned from Gatlinburg, Tenn. where there is a small walk-through attraction called World of Ilusions. It's located right on Main Street, costs $6.95 to go through and takes 20 min. It reminded me of the old Mystery Fun House in Orlando. Most of the "special effects" were the same Pepper's Ghost illusion but with different themes (Dracula turning into a bat, Frankenstein appearing in a window, Elvis turning into stone etc.) What I did not appreciate was the blatant exposure of the thumb tip (on video) and the "cut-aways" of some of close-ups most guarded secrets. Yes, they are the cheap versions that we have all seen and had from magic kits but there were many exposed...not good reason in an attraction like this. I can only hope that the average person doesn't really understand what each of the effects are supposed to do or look like, therefore, passing by those windows since there were no demonstrations of the effects. But the cut-outs were obvious and if anyone stands there for a minute to study its intent, they will see, although perhaps (and hopefully) not absorb, the secret.
Shame on the attraction owner, Wes Esterbrook, who is probably wealthy from the three other attractions he also owns in the area. For someone to have this kind of $$ to put an attraction like this in operation (the lease on the building more than likely far exceeds the cost of putting all the exhibits into it), I don't understand why he doesn't pay an expert to add finer optical illusions to this "museum" rather than hurting those who still perform those classic tricks.

Dan Stapleton