HBO shuts down Iron Throne access in Queens after fans bombard Fort Totten resulting in 7-hour waits to see it
https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/ny-hbo-shuts-down-iron-throne-queens-20190401-bnmzpxwkzjb75e2deg24ipxhgu-story.html?utm_source=kw&kwp_0=1184484&kwp_4=3788235&kwp_1=1581530&fbclid=IwAR3a8sesGAhxuw89SdIghrrRNXY8lcgTUaKw_vvGxce6apP9yR2TCl95QhcLike an army of Dothraki warriors, so many “Game of Thrones” fans descended on Fort Totten in Queens that HBO was forced to prematurely shut down access to the Iron Throne replica it placed there two days in a row.
The throne, one of six hidden around the world by the cable network to promote the upcoming eighth and last season of the hit fantasy series, was first discovered Thursday by a die-hard Queens fan. HBO vowed that the seat would stay there through Monday night at 7 p.m. so that other wannabe kings and queens could pose for shots there — but they didn’t anticipate the crowds and insane wait times.
The line was closed Monday at 1:30 p.m., more than five hours before it was supposed to, due to long waits. “They closed the line earlier today due to the overwhelming amount of people that showed up,” an HBO rep told the Daily News.
On Sunday, it was the same deal. “There was a 7-hour wait time yesterday and to ensure that everyone in line was able to make it to the throne, we shut down the line,” a different HBO rep said.
Furious fans who traveled long distances for a glimpse only to be turned away begged for more time.
“You guys should extend the event through next weekend,” Alexandra Eide tweeted at the official “Game of Thrones” account. “Went all the way to Fort Totten only to be turned away. Such a disappointment.”
Another fan tweeted Sunday, “My friends and I drove 6 HOURS leaving our house at 345 a.m. to get to see the throne and it’s shut down!...We got there at 945 a.m. to be turned away and watch other people get to leave and come back as long as they left I.D.”
HBO told The News that there are no plans to extend the throne’s stay in New York.
The replica was placed in the fort located in the Bay Terrace neighborhood of northern Queens as part of its Quest For The Throne promotion. The other five thrones were found in England, Sweden, Brazil, Spain and Canada as part of the global scavenger hunt.
Melanie Joaquin, 22, suspected the final throne would be hidden at the fort before HBO even posted its hint Thursday morning on the show’s Twitter account.
“If you just look at it, it looks like ‘Game of Thrones’ should be shot there,” Joaquin told the Daily News. “Movies and TV shows film there all the time. Once you see it, you don’t really forget it. I was just surprised that I got there first.”
Once HBO posted an image of the throne’s hiding spot in Fort Totten, Joaquin headed there as fast as she could and snuck through a fence to get to it before anyone else.
“I knew exactly where it was because every year the park has a haunted house and it’s in that battery,” Joaquin, a shared-office-space manager, said. “The battery is basically where all the cannons were held and it’s really creepy and it’s one of those places in New York City that you never forget. You can see spots in the wall that have cannonball dents.”
“Game of Thrones” returns April 14 for six final episodes. On the show, the person who sits on the Iron Throne rules over the Seven Kingdoms in the fictional continent of Westeros.
