Spruced Up in the Poconos

As promised, I returned to the Poconos with Lutra to update about the renovations. Things are looking good! Read on for more info.

Photobomb!

What will probably catch your eye first is a new statue of Charlock! This one doesn't appear to move, but the eyes light up and he speaks to you when you cast on him. There is a barrier around him so children don't climb on him so he doesn't eat the tourists. They also appear to have added a Master Magi Ceremony, which they did not do previously but will bring this location in line with some other Lodges in that regard.

Our good old friend Charlock!

Face detail.

Wing detail.

Tail detail.

Informational sign about the Master Magi Ceremony.

Probably the most significant aspect of the renovations is the new shop, though. It's still on the lowest level, but it's been moved to the opposite side into a space that has been newly designed for it.

A selection of new merchandise and Magi equipment was available.

Wands and toppers could be selected in the center.

New signage to tie in with the general aesthetics.

Even a new floor!

Most of the renovations focused on the shop area, but we did notice some other areas had also gotten some TLC. 

A few of the podiums looked like they'd been given a fresh coat of paint.

Charlock got some new bling.

Lastly, a few words about ShadowQuest. I had mentioned that last time I visited, ShadowQuest was not working. This time, it was technically available to play, but so many of the elements were down that it was not clear how/if it could have been completed. (We were playing MagiQuest this time, so we didn't experiment with that firsthand.) It appeared to be in a pretty rough state again, although slightly better than it was during my previous visit.

This nonfunctional screen was pretty typical of how ShadowQuest was looking that day.

Combined with the rumors that ShadowQuest was on the rocks, this was making me a little nervous about the future fate of our Light Pixie friends. When I outright asked an employee if ShadowQuest was being retired, though, she seemed surprised and said that as far as she knew ShadowQuest would be continuing, and they had not received anything from Corporate to suggest otherwise. So fear not - at least for now, ShadowQuest is safe!

That's all I have to say about the Poconos for now. It was nice to be in a familiar realm and catch up on all the new developments!

~Annacat