Ever since Stranger Things aired on Netflix four seasons ago, fans have all noticed that the show-runners have always snuck in many Arnold Schwarzenegger posters, hidden Easter eggs and other cool references to the greatest action hero. Some examples I can recall would be "The Terminator" being promoted on a movie theater marquee, a Conan the Barbarian poster on a kid’s wall and let’s not forget the character Grigor, the 1984 Russian hitman from the third season. Grigor played obvious homage to the Terminator. He was even called "Arnold Schwarzenegger" by Larry Kline when Hopper attacked him in his office. Perhaps the best tribute to Arnold was was in the final episode of the fourth season when Hopper picked up a random sword on the ground which just so happened to the The Atlantean sword from Conan the Barbarian.
Being a big Stranger Things fan myself, I decided to go to this all new, fully immersive Stranger Things Experience, which is set up in a few major cities. The experience is a rather cool surprise since the website doesn’t tell you or show you much and considering no cameras are allowed inside, Netflix is hoping this event is promoted mostly from word-of-mouth and social media buzz.
You first enter the building because you’re taking part in a sleep study at the Hawkins lab. While in the holding area, just before you enter the experience, Matthew Modine, who plays Papa, appears one the video presentation. In the next room for a second video, the child actors of Stranger Things tap into the video feed as they are trying to warn you of an important message. This video take-over will no doubt remind you all of the T2-3D attraction (once at Universal Studios) when John and Sarah Connor interrupted the video to warn the audience of impending danger.
Throughout this experience, you will encounter a Hawkins Lab employee who discovers that YOU have special powers. Over the next few rooms, you will be able to use your special talents to help the Stranger Things kids and freeze demogorgans in their tracks! The show concludes with the best segment; guests enter the realm of the upsidedown in an attempt to team up with Max and rescue Eleven. Wearing 3D glasses now, we experience some amazing depth-of-field from this new 3D technology as demogorgans are leaping at us off the screen. Netflix spared no expense getting the full Stranger Things cast of kids involved and creating this multi-million dollar traveling roadshow experience.
After guests save the day and exit the walk-through, we step into a world that’s a cross between Stranger Things and Pinnochio’s Pleasure Island. Here you can order an alcoholic beverage, order a Surfer Boy Pizza, pose in front of many cool backdrops from the show, play video games, get Scoops Ahoy ice cream, step into a fake VHS visa store (and yes, there are copies of The Terminator on the shelves) and buy merchandise! We fully enjoyed this show but I recommend avoiding that disgusting Stranger Things Surfer Boy Pizza! The price of the experience is very high so I don’t think the general public will be drawn to this attraction but for the extreme Stranger Things fan, this can not be missed.
