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Monday, April 30, 2012

Twisted Disney: The John Carter of Books

It's official - "Twisted Disney" is a total bust!

It's truly ironic that "Twisted Disney" and John Carter both came out in the same month because they were both total failures.  Granted Twisted Disney only cost time while John Carter cost mad money. Still when a book makes a total of about $20 it's a failure.

I said that if "Twisted Disney" made $100 that I would write "CMDTA's Guide to Disney Dining" followed by "CMDTA's Pictorial Guide to Disney World."   Well don't worry that's not going to happen.  At this pace it would take about two years to make $100.

If you have been unfortunate to read "Twisted Disney" and for some reason liked it.  Please leave a review on Amazon.

If you want to be one of the people who has the misfortune or reading "Twisted Disney" just click the link below.  On plus side if you are a Amazon Prime member you can borrow if for free.

Twisted Disney

600 Posts - Tranforming

It took a lot longer to get to get through the last one hundred posts.  The main reason for this was that my Disney flame burned out.  For me Disney changed from the best vacation on Earth into an expensive, overpriced tourist trap.  I've gone into details in previous posts so I won't go into here.

You can see the results as you go through these topics.  They go from almost exclusively Disney to a few Disney and a lot of regular travel posts.

Here is the last 100.

Post #501
The Hoop Dee Doo Review: Which Category Should You Pick?
I breakdown the different categories at the Hoop Dee Doo Review in this post.

Post #502
Photo of the Week - Big Thunder Mountain Sepia
A nice photo of BTM.

Post #503
Photo of the Week - Upside Down Waterfall at Night
A nice night photo of the Imagination Pavilion.

Post #504
Jiko – Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Hidden Gem
My review of one of the best restaurants in Disney World.

Post #505
Discovery Island Today
An overview of Discovery Island and some recent photos of it.

Post #506
Two New Videos Posted
I post a couple of new videos to YouTube.

Post #507
CMDTA's Disney Year End Review
My overview of 2011

Post #508
Why WDW Today Is Ending After 1000 Episodes
A funny post about WDW Today ending.

Post #509
Photo of the Week: The Imagination Pavilion at Night
A nice, slightly over exposed, nighttime photo of the Imagination Pavilion

Post #510
New Videos - The Haunted Mansion in 1080p
Two new videos of the Haunted Mansion.

Post #511
Dining Review: Princess Storybook Dining
A nice review of a popular dining location.

Post #512
Photos of the Week: I See You!
Some fun photos from Animal Kingdom.

Post #513
New Video Posted: Good Skipper on the Jungle Cruise
A video of a good skipper on the Jungle Cruise.

Post #514
New Video Posted - Main Street Philharmonic
A fun video of an overlooked gem in the Magic Kingdom.

Post #515
New Video Posted: Malestrom
A video of the old school boat dark ride in the Norway pavilion.

Post #516
Photos of the Week: Where Did I Put My Blanket?
A funny photo of a gorilla and his blanket.

Post #517
New Video Posted: Spaceship Earth in 1080p
A video of a classic ride.

Post #518
A Final Ride on Snow White
A Good bye to snow white.

Post #519
Dining Review: Teppan Edo
My review of the Epcot dining location.

Post #520
Dining Review: Hugo's Cellar
I do a review of a classic Las Vegas restaurant.

Post #521
Photo of the Week: Cat Nap
A nice photo of a tiger at Animal Kingdom.

Post #522
Photo of the Week - Festival of the Lion King
A cool photo of the Animal Kingdom stage show.

Post #523
Dining Review: Les Chefs de France
A detailed overview of the Epcot dining location.

Post #524
Disney Changes Security Policies After Pepper Spray Incident
A fake news story about security at the Disney theme parks.

Post #525
Photo of the Week - Star Burst
A nice fireworks photo.

Post #526
Dining Review: Le Cellier
A review of the popular dining location.

Post #527
Photo of the Week - Illuminations
A cool photo of fireworks.

Post #528
New Disney Book Available - Twisted Disney: Satire and Shenanigans
The official announcement of my first book.

Post #529
Get "Twisted Disney" for Free Starting Tomorrow
A promotion where you could obtain a copy of Twisted Disney for free.

Post #530
Twisted Disney Breaks the Top Ten!
 Giving away the book worked better than I thought.

Post #531
Dining Review: Momma Melrose's
A dining review of Disney Hollywood Studios hidden gem.

Post #532
Photo of the Week: Fireworks Meets the Electric Water Pageant at the Polynesian
A great photo of the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the Polynesian.

Post #533
Dining Review: Breakfast at the Kona Cafe
My review of the Kona Cafe at the Polynesian.

Post #534
New Video Posted: The Tiki Room in 1080p
A decent video of the Tiki Room.

Post #535
New Video Posted: 2011 Disney World Montage!
A great video of a bunch of Disney World clips all mashed together to some fun music.

Post #536
Disney Announces New Photo Pass System!
My first mostly fake news story in a long time.

Post #537
Photo of the Week: France During Food and Wine
A cool HDR photo that shows how crowded it can be during Food and Wine.

Post #538
Dining Review: Ohana Character Breakfast
My review of a decent character breakfast.

Post #539
Photo of the Week: Run Indy Run!
A cool photo from the Indian Jones Stunt Show.

Post #540
Photo of the Week: Blow Up the Red Cross
A photo from the Indiana Jones Stunt show.

Post #541
Fantasmic: A Review
My review of the much beloved nighttime show.

Post #542
Videos From 1990
I found and share some videos from the 1990s.

Post # 543
Twisted Disney: The John Carter of Books
Yes it's true. Twisted Disney is a total failure.

Post #544
Photo of the Week: Where Am I?
A picture of a statue that you might need to think about to figure out where in Disney World it's located.

Post #545
Free Copies of Twisted Disney Available
Most likely the last post I'll do about the failure known as Twisted Disney.

Post #546
Movie Review: The Avengers
My review of the mega hit movie.

Post #547
Photo of the Week: Sunset Over Baylake
A sunset shot of the Grand Floridian.

Post #548
Photo of the Week: The Haunted Mansion
A black and white photo of the Haunted Mansion.

Post #549
Country Bear Jamboree to be Overhauled
A fake news story about an insane overhaul.

Post #550
Walking to the Theme Park
An overview of the resorts that are withing walking distance of the theme parks.

Post #551
New Splash Mountain Ride Experience Coming!
A funny story about a Splash Mountain overhaul.

Post #552
Photo of the Week - Stinking Holiday Decorations!
A photo from Main Street USA.

Post #553
Photo of the Week - Indiana Jones Stunt
A fun photo from the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular.

Post #554
Disney's 5.6 Billion Dollar Gamble
I react to ESPN's announcement that they extended their contract with MLB.

Post #555
The Importance of Food and Drink
Some helpful tips for your next Disney Vacation.

Post #556
Photo of the Week - View From the Top
A view of Cinderella's Castle from the top of the Contemporary.

Post #557
Booze To Be Served In the Magic Kingdom!
Not a joke post.  Some real Disney news this time.

Post #558
Why "Twisted Disney" Isn't On iTunes
Amazon = Free.  Apple = $125

Post #559
The Avengers Blu-Ray Review
My review of the new Blu-Ray release.

Post #560
New Video Posted: How to Shear a Sheep Cira 1700
A new YouTube video of how to shear a sheep with blades instead of clippers.

Post #561
Strawberry Banke's Fallfest
An overview of a great take on the classic New England fair.

Post #562
CMDTA on Vacation - Secrets St. James - Day One
An overview of day one of my vacation.

Post #563
CMDTA on Vacation - Secrets Jamaica Day Two
Day two of an all inclusive vacation.

Post #564
CMDTA On Vacation: Secrets Day Three and Four
Sting Rays and Lion Fish...Oh My!

Post #565
CMDTA On Vacation: Secrets Jamaica Day Five and Six
Cats, Jerk Chicken, and Mexican Food

Post #566
New Video Posted: What Jamaica Sounds Like At Night
A cool video of the sounds of Jamaica at night.

Post #567
New Video Posted: Secrets Junior Suite Overview
If you are thinking about booking a Junior Suite at Secrets make sure you check out this video.

Post #568
Secrets Private Seaside Dining Review
A review of Secrets private dining package.

Post #569
MyMagic+ : What to Expect
A few facts and guesses about the long term impact of MyMagic+

Post #570
Photo of the Week: Flower and Graden Photo Tips
Some tips for the upcoming Flower and Garden Festival.

Post #571
More Executive Changes
A list of insane executive changes.

Post #572
Disney Cruise Line vs. Royal Caribbean
How different could they be?

Post #573
Taking My Ears Off
Why I haven't been back to the World.

Post #574
Disney Legend Annette Funicello Has Died
Sad news about a Disney superstar.

Post #575
For Boston
No overview needed.

Post #576
Tourist Dies During the Flower and Garden Festival
Yes it's a fake news story.

Post #577
A New Kind of Disney Guide Book
The official announcement for my upcoming guide book.

Post #578
What To Do When Your Child Is Afraid of a Ride
I also cover what not to do.

Post #579
When Is CMDTA's Pictorial Guide to Disney World Being Released?
An overview of upcoming books.

Post #580
Book Review:  From Dreamer to Dreamfinder
A book review of book by Ron Schneider

Post #581
New Video: A Brief History of Herbs
My first new YouTube video in a long time.

Post #582
"World" Killer Now Available on Kindle
Book one of the DW Mysteries is now out.

Post #583
Upcoming Topics
A list of some of the things that are coming soon.

Post #584
New Video Posted: Royal Caribbean Grandeur Grand Suite in 1080p
Another room review. These tend to be very popular videos.

Post #585
New Video Posted: Baltimore Departure
A nice video of the cruise ship departure from Baltimore.

Post #586
First Reviews for "World" Killer Are In: Four Five Star Reviews
An overview of the first four "World" Killer reviews.

Post #587
Top Ten Videos
The most viewed videos that I have posted to YouTube.

Post #588
Tablet Buying Guide
I do an overview of all the major tablets, give pros and cons, and recommend who should buy them.

Post #589
Royal Caribbean Grandeur Grand Suite Review
A written review of a grand suite.

Post #590
Movie Review: Frozen
I see the newest Disney Animation release.

Post #591
CMDTA's Pictorial Guide to Disney World Now Available On Kindle
I finally finish off the guide book.

Post #592
Review of Royal Caribbean's Grandeur of the Seas
A detailed review of the Grandeur of the Seas.

Post #593
The Official CMDTA Store Is Now Open
I setup a store with all sorts of swag on it.

Post #594
Free Books!
A freebie promotion on Amazon.

Post #595
1st Draft of Around the "World" Is Complete
Info about the sequel to World Killer.

Post #596
Slacking
I give a blog update.

Post #597
The Crystal Caves of Bermuda
An overview of a unique attraction.

Post #598
Dining Review: Aureole - Mandalay Bay - Las Vegas
I compare Aureole to Narcoossee's and Hugo's Cellar.

Post #599
Review: Suncoast Casio - Las Vegas
A review of a cheap option in Vegas.

Post #600
Calling All Deeks!  Old School Disney World Videos!
A bunch of old school Disney World Videos

Videos From 1990

Until now every video I have linked in this blog have been my own.  This post is different.

My parents took me to Disney for the first time in the mid to late 1980's.  Some of the best memories from my childhood were of Disney from 1987 to 1996.

Today I found someone on YouTube who uploaded a ton of videos from his vacation in 1990.  He has a ton of these videos and I have to admit that they were like a walk down memory lane.

He has a lot of what seem to be random videos but in face they are some of the rare things that have been stripped out of Disney over the years.

If you went to Disney in the early 90's then you will find something you will love in these videos.

You can see them all HERE.

Fantasmic: A Review

Over the years Disney had done everything you could think of to make seeing Fantasmic very difficult for me. Between the days with single shows to the huge lines for it to the day restrictions I had never seen this show.


The truth be told I almost didn’t see Fantasmic on my last trip either. Like usual it seemed like everything went wrong. After a horrible (and I mean horrible as in worst ever) dining experience at the Hollywood Brown Derby that ran about an hour longer than it should have, a wife who got sick, and a niece who didn’t care if she saw it or not I figured it would be at least another two years before I saw Fantasmic.

In the end my wife told me to go. By that point I figured it would be a bust because it was the second showing and people were already seated.

When I got over to the venue it was still ten minutes to the show but I had to sit in almost the last section to the left. Needless to say it was not a good seat but I figured it would still be good after all the majority of the deeks out there rave about Fantasmic.

If you do the dining package or are late this is the kind of seat you will end up with.

I have to say that Fantasmic is one of the most overrated shows I’ve ever seen. Yes it is a good show but I would take Wishes or Illuminations over it any day of the week. Considering what you have to go through to see Fantasmic I’m not sure I’ll ever see it again.

There are some high and low points to the show. From where I was sitting the scene where they set the lagoon on fire was impressive. You really feel the heat pouring off of the water.



There is a limited use of fireworks but it’s a little disappointing. Then again the main focuses of the show are the characters and the story. In regards to that your experience will vary greatly depending on where you are sitting. If you are on the side you will miss most of what is going on.

The use of the lagoon for multiple boats and other aspects is really fun and allows everyone to get a good view of that part of the show.



Fantasmic suffers a low point much like Illuminations low point. It’s a scene where a lot of movie clips are displayed on water screens. It’s a nice technology and it’s fun at first but it just goes on for too long. You start to get bored with it.



The music in Fantasmic is okay. It’s just okay. The music for Wishes is better and the music for Illuminations is drastically better. Fanasmic has about twenty seconds of good music and then a lot of generic bland music.

Overall Fantasmic suffers from its popularity and its venue. The venue is so limited that you really do have to get in line at least an hour early to really see the show. If you try to just show up or get in line too late you will end up with a poor seat. While you will technically see Fantasmic you will miss a lot of detail that other people will get to see. It’s this aspect that hurts Fantasmic so badly. A lot of planning and time is needed to really enjoy Fantasmic. It’s really hard to justify that kind of planning just to see a show.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Photo of the Week: Blow Up the Red Cross


For a second you'd think this was an actual movie shoot except for one thing... 

Back in the day Indiana Jones used to fight the Nazi's.  Did you know he switched to the Red Cross?  I know this isn't really the Red Cross emblem but it's much closer to that than the swastika that use to be on the plane they blew up.  

Was it really a bad thing to blow up a plane with a swastika on it?  I think that would be the opposite of offensive...unless you are a Nazi...and if you are no one cares if you're offended.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Photo of the Week: Run Indy Run!


Some people complain that the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular is outdated.  To that I say :)~.

Indiana Jones has become a classic. 

This is a decent photo from the beginning of the show.  The key to capturing this photo is turning your shutter speed down to 250 or lower.  If it's higher you won't get the blurring effect.  Most of the time you want to avoid blur at all costs.  In this case you want the blur.

Why would you want blur? In this case it actually adds a dynamic to the photo.  The blur reflects the motion.  Without the blur this photo would just be another still shot.  With the blur it's an action shot.

Dining Review: Ohana Character Breakfast

Stitch didn't molest her but will you be so lucky?


Disney has a number of character dining locations. Some, like Chef Mickey’s, have almost become a rite of passage. Overall character meals are one of the best ways to interact with the characters.


Most people might not think of Ohana when they are looking for a character meal. In some ways I can understand that. If you have the choice between Chef Mickey’s and the seeing the fab five or going to Ohana and seeing Stitch and friends most people would lean towards Chef Mickey’s.

Here is why you should lean towards Ohana.

The Food: The food is typical Disney breakfast food. You are not going to find anything amazing but you will get decent breakfast food. So why would Ohana get a leg up here? While they offer fewer options when compared to Chef Mickey’s, you don’t have to deal with a buffet. The food here is delivered to your table. It’s in a family style format.

The Service: The service is a little better than Chef Mickey’s. Your server interacts with you more and it seems like they have fewer tables they have to deal with.

The Characters: The description says “Lilo and Stitch” but that’s a little deceptive. Lilo and Stitch will be there but they will be joined by Mickey, Minnie, and some other characters. You will see Lilo and Stitch and some other characters but the others could be mixed. One thing I will warn you about – Stitch tends to molest women. If you are just a couple and Stitch comes up he will try to kiss the girl. I don’t mean kiss her hand. I mean full on grab her and try to make out with her. I wish I had caught this on video because it seemed a little extreme.

The Atmosphere: The atmosphere at Chef Mickey’s can be hit or miss it really depends on where they stick you. The atmosphere at Ohana is very nice. The south seas feel is great and you get some nice views out the large windows. Overall Ohana beats Chef Mickey’s in this area.

Cost: At the time of this publication Chef Mickey’s cost $4 more than Ohana. You get a better selection of food at Chef Mickey’s but nothing else is better than what you get at Ohana. That being said take a chance on Ohana. You’ll save money and have a great character experience.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Photo of the Week: France During Food and Wine


1. This photo was created by HDR processing.  What HDR does well is it makes the light in a picture pop.  In a case like this it almost gives the photo a Thomas Kinkade picture. 

2. Look at the crowd here.  This was taken in October - a slow time of year.  However, it was taken during the Food and Wine Festival on a weekend.  That is a brutal mix.  The result is a 9 out of 10 on the Touring Plans crowd calendar.  This is what a that kind of crowd looks like.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Disney Announces New Photo Pass System!

Disney announced this week that they are expanding their photo pass system to include ride photos and other photos that were kept separate before.


While this seemed harmless on the surface something didn’t seem right so I looked into it.

It turns out that the Photo Pass system is being enhanced in ways no one anticipated. Disney’s goal is to truly capture the Disney Vacation like never before. Disney wants you to be able to relive your memories through the photos you purchase.

How is Disney going to do this?

Disney has installed hidden cameras everywhere so ensure that there is nothing you can do on your vacation that they cannot capture. Cameras have been hidden in:

- The toll booths, parking lots, and traffic lights to capture all of your happy road rage memories.

- The ticket booths to capture you jaw drop when you find out how much it costs for your family of four to see Mickey.

- The bill folds they deliver your bill in at the table service locations. The look on your face when you see how much a Disney buffet cost is priceless.

- In the restrooms so you’ll remember where all that great food you ate on the dining plan ended up.

- In all of the stores so you can remember when you child threw a temper tantrum when you would not buy them insanely overpriced merchandise.

- In the showers so you can remember when you belted out for favorite tune to that bottle of Mickey Mouse shampoo.

- In the Mickey Ice Creams so you can see the inside of your mouth and chart it’s path through your body.

- In the pools so you can see the spot where you kid peed instead of going to the bathroom.

- In the Dole Whips so they can capture you mixing in that vodka nip you snuck past security.

- In the Hall of Presidents so you can remember when you took a nap.

As a bonus a cast member will sneak into your room after you fall asleep so you can have some nice photos of you after spending 12 hours in a theme park with over tired children, a spouse whose feet blistered after a few hours, and after you forgot the sun screen and got a raging sun burn.

With the updates to the system all Disney World vacationers will finally have the opportunity to relive every moment of their trips through the photos.

For everyone who does not purchase the Photo Pass Disney is setting up a new website where their most embarrassing moments will be shared with everyone.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

New Video Posted: 2011 Disney World Montage!

A decent montage of different clips from Disney World has been posted to YouTube.  This montage has some of the typical ride footage but it also has some fun out of the way clips from the entertainment you run into in Disney World.

The whole thing is in 1080p HD.

You can see the video HERE.

New Video Posted: The Tiki Room in 1080p

A video of the Tiki Room has been posted to YouTube.  It's in 1080p so you can see all of the colors really pop if you take the time to download that version.

There is something about the old Tiki Room that puts a smile on your face.  Seeing this really brought me back to the first few times I ever went to Disney World.

You can see the video HERE.