New Video Posted: Secrets Junior Suite Overview

A new video has been posted to YouTube.  It's a video overview of an average Junior Suite that can be found at the Secrets St. James resort found in Montego Bay Jamaica.

Overall it's a decent room but it has some...odd features.  Some of the features would be total deal breakers for some people. 

You can see the video here.

New Video Posted: What Jamaica Sounds Like At Night

I've posted a  new YouTube video.  To really enjoy this video turn up your volume and close your eyes.  This video captures what Jamaica sounds like at night.  What you are hearing is a combo of frogs, bugs, and music.

I did not doctor this video in any way.  I did not turn up or enhance the volume.  What you hear is exactly what my camera captured.

You can view the video here.

CMDTA On Vacation: Secrets Jamaica Day Five and Six

One thing Secrets has a lot of is cats.  There are cats everywhere.  While it might drive the gardeners nuts to have them around it does keep most of the pests under control.  With these guys around you don't have to worry about rodents and the lizard population is kept in check. If you are allergic that would be a bummer which is why I am mentioning them.  No where in any of it's advertisements will you find out that there are a flock of feral cats at Secrets.

Day five put us at the El Patio restaurant.  That is secrets Mexican restaurant.  It wasn't bad but I wouldn't rave about it.  The food at San Angel Inn is better.  The food here was rather cookie cutter.  The service was decent.  The atmosphere was one of the best parts.  It wasn't in your face.  Some Mexican restaurants go bananas when it comes to decorating.  They pack every last stereotypical thing into their dining rooms.  Not El Patio.  It has a nice Spanish feel to it without being busy.  The colors are warm and relaxing.  The brickwork (well fake brickwork) ceiling was a nice touch. 

When you are at Secrets you have a lot of choices when it comes to food.  I've covered most of the dining options.  I'll be doing a separate write up of their romantic dinner for two in a later post.

There are a few things I should mention when it comes to the food.  First, the Jerk Chicken Cart. This is the best thing (food wise) at Secrets.  The only I can compare this to are the turkey leg carts at the Magic Kingdom.  You smell the cart from fifty feet away and it draws you in.  I don't know what they put in their sauce but it was incridible.

One of the overlooked places is the Barefoot Grill.  The food isn't great but it's good.  Vegetable fritters, meat pies, homemade potato chips, hot dogs, hamburgers, and nachos.  The best part is almost all of those are self serve.  Just walk on over and grab what you want.  Oh and I am forgetting the best part.   Self serve beer and soda.  Yes you grab a cup and pour away.  Red Stripe on tap with no one in the middle.

We finally got another sunset. Most of the days it was partly cloudy and all of the clouds seemed to show up just in time to block the sunset.  It was starting to get annoying.  Figures that on our last day we'd get a sunset though.  The sunsets at Secrets are not the amazing drop into the ocean sunsets you get on a cruise or from some island locations.  The sun drops below a hill but continues to light up the clouds.  It makes for some very nice shots. 

Another thing about this shot is what is in the foreground.  It's a wedding.  There were a lot of weddings over the week we were at Secrets.  I don't know how much it costs but it's a nice little location.  The only issue I could see for some people is the lack of privacy.  The main walkway is only a few feet from where they have the weddings.  If that doesn't bother you then this could be a great choice.

For the people who want to go to the next level from a junior suite there are the swim out suites.  Here is a photo of the area you get to swim in.  Honestly this just isn't worth it.  It's a tiny area that doesn't lead anywhere great.  It just doesn't seem like it's worth the money.  It's something that sounds better than it is.

CMDTA On Vacation: Secrets Day Three and Four

Sorry but I didn't get a video of the Tepan Edo style dining location.  I didn't even get pictures.  Long story.  Anyways it's a shame I didn't because it blew Tepan Edo out of the water.  It was more exciting and more entertaining. The food was about the same and you still sat with a lot of people you don't know.

We also hit the French restaurant.  The service was very good. Some of the best yet.  The food was good but a couple things were odd.  The onion soup was off.  I don't know what was wrong with it.  I think maybe the cheese wasn't right but I couldn't quite tell.  It was still tasty though.  

For desert we ordered the creme brulee.  It tasted okay but it was warm. That's a little off putting.  You'd expect the custard to be cool like normal creme brulee.

So after days of sitting around and doing next to nothing what do you do?  You go snorkeling! There was a nice spot just off the beach.  normally you don't see much just off of the beach but that's not the case here.  

First of all I'll explain that I do not have a water kit for my DSLR.  I own a little Fuji Film XP camera which is water, drop, dust, and freeze proof.  The photo quality isn't top notch but for what it does I can't complain.

First of all it's school time!  What I am talking about?  Think of Finding Nemo.  Yes we have a sting ray in the house.  Now I don't know if the teacher in Fining Nemo is a sting ray or a manta ray but I know he was a friendly fellow...not to mention big.  This fellow on the right is big.  The picture doesn't do it justice.  I was at least 15 feet above him when I took this.  His wing span is about eight to ten feet. He's huge! If you look closely at his tail you'll notice a brown stripe.  That is his stinger.  It's big, it's barbed and you don't want to get hit with it.  Thankfully sting rays are gentle giants and almost never sting people unless the person is annoying, attacks, steps on, or a similar act.  Sting rays just want nothing to do with people unless you are feeding them.  I do not recommending feeding a wild sting ray.  That has bad news written all over it.  However if you go to Grand Cayman you can feed them at sting ray city.

Next behold the amazing lion fish.  This is one fish you do not want to mess with.  The pack a wallop. those barbs hold a toxin that can rock your world.  If you are allergic to that toxin there is a good chance you will be dead before they can get you to shore.  

Amazingly the lion fish is not native to the Caribbean.  It somehow made there from the Red Sea.  Most likely someone dumped a former pet.

CMDTA on Vacation - Secrets Jamaica Day Two

Day two at Secrets is now over.  It was a decent day.  Mostly the same as day one.  For some people that is the biggest problem with an all inclusive vacation.  It ends up being the same thing day after day.  It's not like Disney where everyday is dramatically different.  It's not even like a cruise which can be very different day to day.  

I mentioned the pools earlier.  Most of them are endless (see the picture above) and most of them are split.  By split I mean half heated and half cooled.  You get to pick what you want.  Some of the pools have swim up bars.  I like the idea of a swim up bar but something bothers me about them.  You see people at the swim up bar all day.  I mean ALL DAY.  They never get out of the pool.  Either their bladder can hold a couple gallons or...

Now the pools have lots of lights in them which is nice.  Even more so at night.  The heated pool is very warm.  If I had to guess I'd say it hovers around 90 degrees.  The cool pool is very cool.  I mean it's colder than the ocean.  I'd place it at 70 degrees.  It's nice to have both because then you can shift gears as the sun goes in and out. When the sun it out you jump in the cool pool to stay cool.  When it's in and the wind is blowing you can jump in the warm one.  The only problem is at night they turn the heat off.  It's mainly to save energy but still it's it's kind of a bummer when you get use to the nice hot water to get into lukewarm water. 

For dinner tonight we hit Portofino which is the Italian dining location.  It was good.  The atmosphere was a little more profound than the Blue Mountain.  They had some nice fake stone work to make it seem more Italian inside.  At least they tried.  Still it was no where near what you find at Disney.  The food was good.  Overall it was very good.  The only problem was the desert.  Their tiramisu was not good. My wife liked it but I honestly thought it was one of the worst tiramisus I have ever had.   It was way too sweet and didn't seem to have any lady fingers.  BLAH.

Tomorrow we are hitting their Tepan Edo style dining location.  I'll grab a video to share with everyone.  Then you can compare it to Tepan Edo in Epcot.

 

CMDTA on Vacation - Secrets St. James - Day One

Who wouldn't want to be here?

I've never been to an all in inclusive resort but my wife (the anti-Disney spouse) wanted to go.  We ended up booking Secrets in Montego Bay Jamaica.  I didn't do much research I mainly just booked it in Montego Bay because there was a non-stop flight from Boston. 

From what I've been told there is a huge range of all inclusive resorts.  You have the real rat trap, bottom shelf resorts that serve the cheapest booze known to man and have downright scary rooms.  On the other end of the spectrum you have the ultra luxury resorts that cost more than a nice car to stay at.  About a third of the way down from the ultra resorts you get Secrets.

To give a quick standards breakdown I'll do my normal comparison.  The tried and true VS Disney test.

Food - about the same as a signature dining location.

Rooms - better than a Disney Suite at one of the deluxe resorts. 

Atmosphere - about the same as a moderate resort.

Service - amazingly better than Disney...by a good portion.

These are just first impressions but I should explain the "Service" item.  The service you get at Secrets is the service that Disney used to offer.  It's the service you expected when you went to Disney back in the mid to late 90s.

The location of Secrets in Montego Bay allows for some nice sunsets.  Montego Bay is on the north west side of the island. While you don't get to see the sun dip below the water you still get a great view.

There are a number of places you can watch the sunset.  The resort stretches in a long line down the beach.  Dotted along this line are pools, bars, and restaurants.  Not dining locations but actual restaurants.  They have a large offering from French to Jamaican.  You can go do a different one everyday if you want.

On day one we went to the Blue Mountain which was the Jamaican restaurant.  It was surprisingly good...for the most part.  The service was top notch.  The first round was excellent.  The main course was mixed.  The problem was I ordered the Jamaican Stew.  It was salty.  I mean saltier than beef jerky.  It was nuts.  It turned out just the beef was salty so if you mixed it with everything else it was bad. 


The atmosphere is broken up.   You have the St. James side which is more colonial and you have the wild orchid side which is more Asian. Don't let this fool you.  Both look almost the same.  There are only slight differences.  Don't expect one side to look like the Poly and the other side to look like the Yacht Club.  They don't go that crazy.  Both sides look like you are in your average upscale Caribbean resort.  The real star is what is around the resort.  Like this shot to the right.  You get a nice tropical, mountainous landscape.

The pools are nice.  Some of them include swim up bars.  Most are endless pools which means the dump into an overflow.  At night they all light up with LED lights that change colors every few seconds.

All around the resort there are a lot of trees and vegetation.  It's not quite what you find at the Poly but it's still very nice.

The bars a nice. The fact that you can get anything you want, including top shelf, for free helps.  Even considering that the service is very good.

As you can expect you can find some people who have no self control.  People who are do pie eyed that they have hardly stand up.  Maybe I'll snap a few of them and upload them to Park Wrecks.

I'm not sure if I'll do a post everyday but I will at least a few more times so keep checking back.

Strawberry Banke's Fallfest

In the northeast there are a lot of fairs and events that take place in the fall.  You have the Rochester Fair which is...well...a white trash festival.   You have the Deerfield fair which is an old school country fair.  You also have a bunch of fairs in Maine where are for the redneck in all of us.

Fallfest is the anti-fair.  It's not really a fair.  It's a combo of the normal Strawberry Banke experience, a chili festival, and farming  / craft demos.

Who wants to shear a sheep?

First up are the demos.  For anyone who didn't grow up on a farm these are enjoyable.  There are a number of different demos.  Fireplace cooking, sheep shearing, and basket making are just a few examples of what you get to see.

Looking to the right; would you want to cook using only what you see?  In the upper left is your oven.  It's just a hole.  You can put an iron pot over the fire  or use the dutch oven in the bottom left.  Now do this with a huge dress on.  Have fun!


Now here is another fun thing I bet you never thought about.  How did they make those baskets back before they had the tools we have today?

1. Fine a nice log.

2. Grab yourself a hammer.

3. Beat the log over and over until the wood starts to fluff off in strips.

I cannot imagine how much effort it takes to make a basket like this.   You can see on the ground that this lady has some strips but not enough to make the basket.  She's also been doing this for about thirty minutes.


Next comes the chili fest. This is the main draw of the festival.  Restaurants from all over the Portsmouth, NH area come out and offer up their best chili.  For a flat price you can eat as much chili as you can hold.  You also get to vote on which one was your favorite.  This is a great deal.  You can eat until you bust and even if you don't like chili you'll find something you'll like. That's because the chili ranges from what you think as chili to more like stewed beef.  There is also vegetarian chili, lamb chili,  and curry chili.

One thing that stands out about this event is the gardens.  In New England you normally think about the changing trees not gardens this time of year.  However the Gardens at Strawberry display a vast number of late season flowers that can be found in New England.

Just one example of the late seasons flowers you'll find at Strawberry Banke.

Overall Fallfest is a great event.  It's not on the level of Vintage and Vine but it is a better event for families.   While it's more expensive than a normal fair it doesn't have the negative elements of a normal fair.  On the downside the normal fair is days long while Fallfest is only one day.  Don't miss it!

New Video Posted: How to Shear a Sheep Cira 1700

I know I've been slacking big time getting you guys some content.  I've been crazy busy the last couple months.  I'll have a few new posts coming soon.

Here is a new video for you.  It was taken at Strawberry Banke Museum  in Portsmouth, NH.  It was during their Fall Fest which I'll be covering in depth in a future post.

This is how they use to shear sheep back in the day.  I mean way back before they have clippers. It's  in normal definition.   I could make it 1080p but I thought for a video like this that would have been excessive.

You can see the video here.

The Avengers Blu-Ray Review

I'm not going to do a review of the Avengers movie. If you want that there are about a thousand websites you can go to that say more than I ever could. This review is about the five combo blu-ray package.

Extras / Behind the scenes:

The extras in this package are decent. If you watch all of them they will keep you distracted for quite a while. The deleted scenes are fun but in the end you know why they ended up being deleted. There are a couple of exceptions.

DVD:

This is a nice to have but not a need to have. This is a nice addition if you have a friend you want to lend this movie too.

Blu-Ray:

The quality of this blu-ray is not notch. Sometimes you'll get a blu-ray that just doesn't seem right. The picture quality might be off or the sound isn't what you would expect. This one lives up to Disney Standards it's the best you can get.

Blu-Ray 3D:

I guess this is nice to have but i don't have 3D TV so I can't eally comment on it.

Digital Copy:

What can I say...AWESOME! I say this because Disney acctually gives you a digital copy! A real copy you can put into iTunes or your other media server. This is not that horrific piece of trash known as "Ultra Violet" that some other studios give you. Thank you Disney for not going that route.

Sound Track:

This is another thing Disney has been doing lately. The Muppets Blu-Ray also did this. You can download the sound track for free. In most cases these are not songs I would have bought but this is a nice touch. It really ends up adding value to the whole package.

Comic Book:

You get a free digital avengers comic book. That's not too shaby.

Poster:

You can also get an Avengers poster at no charge. It's not that nice but it's still a nice overall addition.

Packaging:

This is the only hit or miss part of this package. The hologram on the front is cool even if it makes your eyes hurt. The part that isn't cool is how the dics are found. Most of the time each dics has it's own snap in. In this package the DVD and digital copy are stacked on top of each other (on the same snap) and the Blu-Ray and 3D are stacked on top of each other. That just seems kind of cheap.

Price:

Right now you can get this for 19.99. WOW! If a family of four went to see this in the moives you paid a lot more than that. In many cases a family of two paid more than that if they saw the 3D version. This is a real bargin.

Why "Twisted Disney" Isn't On iTunes

If you are reading this blog there is a chance you have heard of or even read Twisted Disney.  If you have read it then you bought or downloaded it from Amazon. 

Currently Twisted Disney is only available in the .mobi format which is Amazon's Kindle format.  One of my friends said he wanted to download the book once it was available through iTunes.  He has been waiting six months and he'll be waiting a lot more.

Apple allows almost anyone to sign up and sell books.  They do not charge you any upfront fees to get started with them.  In fact I have an Apple account and it has been approved.  Everything is pretty much done.  So why isn't Twisted Disney on iTunes yet?

Apple requires all books on iTunes / iBooks to have an ISBN.  There is your problem.  Apple requires no upfront fees but to get an ISBN cost $125.  Considering Twisted Disney hasn't made that much in six months on Amazon it's safe to say it would never break even on iTunes. 

Unless Twisted Disney suddenly blow up I doubt I'll have the money to get it onto iTunes anytime soon.

Booze To Be Served In the Magic Kingdom!

After 41 years of being try the Magic Kingdom is going to sell alcohol.  For the first time a dinging location in Magic Kingdom will allow it's patrons to order wine or beer. 

The Be Our Guest restaraunt will serve beer and wine when it opens.  The official excuse for this is that it is a French dining location and you can't eat French food without a glass of wine.

We all know the real reason is that all the parents need somewhere to take the edge off when they realize how much money they spent on a vacation only to see their kid melt down and cause a scene after being dragged out in the hot Florida sun for 12 hours.

Nothing says memories like a heat stroked kid and half buzzed parents.

Photo of the Week - View From the Top

Pictures of the castle are easy to find.  Almost everyone who has been to the Magic Kingdom has one.  The most common are from Main Street USA followed by the view from the path to Fantasy Land.  Some of the less common are taken from the bridge to Tomorrow Land or the rose garden.

A nice view that not many people take advantage of is the backside of the castle. There is some nice windows on that side that give it a very different look. 

This view can be captured from the very top of the Contemporary.  You need to get into the California Grill to get on this balcony.  There might also be a way by walking up the external stairs on the far side of the Contemporary but I've never tried that approach.

If you are ever at the California Grill take the time to check out this view of the Magic Kingdom.  It truly is unique. 

The Importance of Food and Drink

This post is not about dining in Disney World.  It's about getting the most out of your vacation.

A lot of people in the US only walk about a mile a day. The next largest segment walks about three.  Those two groups represent more people than all the other segments combined. 

The average person on a Disney World vacation will walk 10+ miles a day.  Another way to put it is the average person will take 20,000 steps a day while in Disney World when they only take 2000 - 6000 steps a day at home.

Why all the statistics?  Because more than your muscles need attention when you are at Disney World.  There are some vital things you need to do each day that you might over look.  Follow these simple tips can help you deal with the physical shock your body is going to face.

1. Take a 30min a day walk starting a month before your trip.

This is important because it will drastically reduce the painful side effects of a huge increase in physical activity.  A 30min will only help.  It will not eliminate the shock your body is going to go through.  30min is about a mile for most people but the benefits are huge.

2. Drink water in the morning.

If you need coffee than have a cup.  However, you need to drink water in the morning.  Even if it's not hot out your water needs increase dramatically when in Disney World.  When walking the average persons heart rate jumps.  For some people it can go as high as 120bpm.  This increases your breathing.  Every time you take a breath you expel some water out of your body. Drinking water in the morning (even when you are not thirsty) will prime your body and prevent issues later.

To explain how vital this is over the long term on your trip consider this:  I hike a lot.  I climb an 1100 foot mountain about three times a week.  At this point I can do a major hike (3000+ feet over 10 ten miles) without having sore muscles the next day.  Last week I woke up, didn't drink any water, and then climbed the 1100 foot mountain.  Doing this has not made my legs sore in months.  My legs were sore the next day.  Dehydration will MURDER your legs. This leads me to the next tip.

3.  Drink when you are not thirsty.

If you wait until you are thirsty it's normally too late.  You're already starting to dehydrate. You can get a cup of ice water at any counter service location in Disney World.  Do this often.  Nothing will help you more over the long term than proper hydration.  This will help to prevent headaches, cramping,  and helps your skin from drying out.

4. Eat small amounts often.

Eating 100 calories an hour isn't a bad idea when you are walking 10 miles a day.  This will prevent weakness, grumpiness, headaches, and has another important benefit.

You need salt.  This might sound odd but your body needs some salt.  When you are sweating more and taking more water in your body can actually run out of salt.  If this happens you will be in a world of hurt.  I've run into this before it's not fun.  If you run out of salt you will not feel good and anything you drink will go right through you.  This is very dangerous.  Eating small amounts will help to prevent this.

5.  Avoid massive meals.

Massive meals take a huge toll on your body.  There is a reason why you are tired after a big meal.  That's because you body is working overtime trying to breakdown all that food.  If you eat smaller meals you will feel better and can go longer. 

If you are like me and are a food junkie than you can counter huge meals with proper planning.  After a huge lunch take a break and go back to your room for a nap.  Have your dinner as late as you can so you can go back and crash after.

6. Drink a glass of water before bed.

This will help your muscles to spring back after a long day.  You might need to get up to pee during the night but your muscles will thank you in the morning.

7.  If you can - take an over the counter pain killer each day after day one.

Most OTC painkillers thin your blood.  This can help your body by reducing swelling.  That alone will help you to keep going over the long haul.

Disney's 5.6 Billion Dollar Gamble

5.6 billion dollars.  It’s hard to wrap your head around a figure that large.  You could arguably build one major new theme park for that about of money but that isn’t what Disney is doing with it.

ESPN extended its contract for Major League Baseball through the 2021 season for 5.6 Billion Dollars.  That’s by no means a safe bet. 

Baseball isn’t what it was in the 90’s when ESPN first signed on to televise baseball.  Back then baseball was still arguably the most popular sport in the US.  Today many kids are looking to other sports.  That’s an important fact when you are making an investment that covers a vast majority of the next ten years.

Granted ESPN has been one of the most reliable of Disney’s holdings over the last ten years.  It’s consistently grown and has been a money maker.  You’d have to believe that they would have done their homework and have a decent idea as to how much of a draw baseball will have over the next few years.  Still it’s a massive investment that may or may not pan out.

Photo of the Week - Indiana Jones Stunt

The Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular has been around since DHS opened.  It's still one of the best shows in DHS.  There is something timeless about Indiana Jones that has kept it from getting stale over the years.  Granted if you went to DHS more than a couple times a year you might not see the show each time but once or twice a year is still fun.

Photo of the Week - Stinking Holiday Decorations!

Most people like the holidays.  I don't!  This would have been a great photo but the holiday decorations got in the way.  Granted most of the time the decorations don't get in the way.  However at the Magic Kingdom they certainly do.  If you want to avoid this you need to get really close to Cinderella's Castle or leave Main Street entirely. 

New Splash Mountain Ride Experience Coming!

Within the next few weeks Disney is going to start offering a new Splash Mountain experience.

Everyone knows that Splash Mountain is currently an utter mess (check out the YouTube video Broke Splash Mountain). Disney has decided that instead of fixing the ride it makes more sense to change the entire ride experience.  The new experience will consist of waiting in the standard queue but changes once you get to the boarding area.  Now guests will only be allowed to sit in the front row of the log.  Once seated the cast member operating the ride will push a button which will cause an overhead bucket of dirty water to tip over and drench both riders.  Next a cast member who was hiding in the second row of the log will pop up and punch each guest in the side of the head with a gloved hand.  At the moment of impact a ride photo will be taken and made available for purchase.

“Instead of figuratively punching people by offering a sub standard ride with numerous broken aspects we decided just to go ahead and punch them instead,” stated a Disney cast member assigned to Splash Mountain.

Many of the guests and cast members who have experienced the new version of the ride have hailed it as an improvement over the broken, run down version.

One guest stated, “I think it’s great!  You still get wet with the same old smelly gross water but now you save a lot of time and annoyance.  It’s more pleasant to get punched in the face than sit through the broken version of the ride.  Also the new ride photos are really funny.  The timing of the photo is perfect.  Everyone’s face is all mashed up and the water is flying off their head.  They are great!”

The new ride experience is expected to drastically cut the wait time of the ride.  The average wait time is expected to be under 15 minutes once the changes are in place.

Walking to the Theme Parks

Some (all of which are deluxe resorts) resorts at Walt Disney World are so close to some of the theme parks that you can walk to the theme parks from your room.  This sounds great but is it really that good?

Below I am going to list the hotel and what it is like to walk to the theme parks from the front door of the resort.

The Contemporary:

Resorts within walking distance: The Magic Kingdom

Details: This is the best walking experience of any resort.  First of all it's the shortest distance you will find in any of the resorts on this list.  The "official" time is about ten minutes.  The actual time is really under ten.  Not only that along the way you will see the Monorail run overhead and some nice topiaries that other people don't get to see.

The Boardwalk:

Resorts within walking distance: Epcot and Disney Hollywood Studios

Details:  The walk to Epcot is almost always the shortest way to get to the park.  The walk to DHS is hit or miss.

Epcot is about a ten minute walk but along the way you get some really great views.  You can take the boat but it's almost never a good idea unless it is raining. The great thing about staying a the Boardwalk, Beach Club or Yacht Club is the fact that you can walk off some of the food you ate at the Food and Wine Festival.

DHS is walkable if the boat just left or you'll have to wait a while to catch it.  The walk is about 20 minutes and it's nothing special.


The Beach Club:

Resorts within walking distance: Epcot and Disney Hollywood Studios

Details:  You might as well list this resort with the Boardwalk  All of the times listed are within two or three minutes of that resort.  It really depends on what kind of theming you want.

The Yacht Club:

Resorts withing walking distance: Epcot and Disney Hollywood Studios

Details:  Once again it's just about the same as the Boardwalk and Beach Club.  The only difference is it's on the same side of the lagoon as the Beach Club.  The Yacht Club and Beach Club are more of a direct walk from Epcot than the Boardwalk.

The Swan and Dolphin:

Resorts within walking distance: Epcot and Disney Hollywood Studios

Details:  When it comes to the Swan and Dolphin things become more hit or miss.  The Swan and Dolphin are really in the middle zone.  Whether or not you should walk depends on where the boats are.  If you just missed them then in both cases you should walk.

The Swan and Dolphin are the closest resorts to DHS but it's still a little bit of a walk to them.  If you are healthy its about a 15 minute walk.

Country Bear Jamboree to be Overhauled

In a shocking move Disney has decided to renovate and completely overhaul the Country Bear Jamboree.

In a press release Disney highlighted the following changes that will be made to the attraction:

-          All tracks to be replaced with some of the most popular death metal songs of all time.

-          The Baby Oscar will now wear a leather diaper.

-          Big Al will be overhauled with full Kiss makeup.

-          Liver Lips will be dressed in a spandex meat suit.

-          Buff, Max, and Melvin will be overhauled to have a Goth look.

-          Henry will be re-voiced by Lewis Black and he will just spew profanity at the audience between songs.

-          Wendell will be overhauled to look like a bear version of Marilyn Manson.

-          Teddi Barra will no longer sing but will instead scream and smash a guitar.

-          Ernest will no longer play the fiddle.  He will now play the drums.

-          Trixie will no longer be fat.  She will now be an emaciated strung out heroin addict groupie.

-          Gomer will now play the keyboard while wearing leather pants and a top hat.

-          Rufus will now make obscene shadow puppets in the lights.

The new show will be entitled “The Un-bear-able Death Metal Festival.”

When asked why Disney would so drastically change an attraction that has remained almost completely intact as one of the Magic Kingdoms opening day attractions, a Disney spokesman stated: “To be honest it was an oversight on our part.  We actually forgot this attraction still existed. It somehow remained under our radar all these years. It was until one of the cast members stumbled across it on YouTube that we even realized this attraction was in Disney World. Once we knew the attraction existed we knew we had to change it.  After all, no one could possibly like an attraction that is over thirty years old.”

If Disney has its way the bears will sing their last country song in a couple of months.

Once the news broke an organization called “Save Our Bears” also known as “S.O.B.” started an online petition to save the bears. 

An S.O.B. spokesperson stated that “S.O.B. will fight to the end to save the bears.  We are planning on chaining ourselves to the front of the building to block the bulldozers!”

When informed that the building is not being torn down the spokesperson stated “Oh…then we’ll chain ourselves to the stage!  You can’t have a true protest unless you chain yourself to something!”

Only time will tell if Disney or S.O.B. has its way.

Photo of the Week: The Haunted Mansion

The Haunted Mansion is creepy during the day.  At night it can become downright sinister.   The main reason for this is the lighting.

Did you ever notice that at night they light up the mansion to have eyes and a mouth?  Look close and you will see it. 

Another cool effect happens under two settings. 1st - put your camera on a tripod (or a trash can) and set your exposure to at least one second.  This causes people to blur and look like ghosts.

The other setting you can use is a double exposure.  If your camera has this feature it will take two fast exposures and combine them on the same frame. This will create see through people.  It's a really fun effect.

The example above is a timed exposure.

The final fun fact about this photo is the fact it was taken in color.  When you take it in color you can convert it after the fact and normally use multiple filters.   Black and white photos actually have different color filters.  In the case above I used a red filter.  A red black and white filter often gives the photo a more sinister, darker look.

Photo of the Week: Sunset Over Bay Lake

If you want to snag this photo you have to go to the of the Contemporary.  Off of the California Grill there is a nice outdoor patio where you can capture this view.

There is one other key aspect to photo is exposure.  This is not a normal exposure.  In a normal exposure the Grand Floridian would be almost completely darkened out by the light coming from the sun.  This is actually an HDR shot.  This is a case where you can hardly tell this is an HDR shot. Most of the times HDR shots look unnatural but in this case it really helps to match what you would naturally see.

Movie Review: The Avengers

The Avengers hit this weekend and shattered the opening weekend record.  Last figure I saw had it making over 200 million in the US on the opened weekend.  With a figure like that some people would assume that it must be a good movie but is it?

I want to start by saying that I am not a comic book fan but I can enjoy the movies.

When it comes to any movie I judge how good it was by whether or not I’d buy the Blu-Ray / DVD when it came out.  Considering that the only comic book movie I really enjoyed recently was the Dark Knight.

The Avengers starts off in a decent manner.  It’s a fairly action packed beginning that sets the tone for the movie but I have to warn people.  If you have not seen Captain America and Thor you might be a little confused about what is going on.  The Avengers is actually part three of a three part story.

The next hour or so is decent but it can be boring at times.  The story just seems to stall out for a while.  It really made me wonder if some of the scenes could have been removed or shortened.

Once the end starts it goes non-stop.  It’s an action festival.  If you like fights, explosions, and utter chaos then you will love the end of this movie.

I have to say the best thing in the Avengers is the humor.  Throughout the entire film they placed some really funny moments that make you laugh.  Such things as seeing the Hulk sucker punch Thor give the movie some welcomed breaks from the intense scenes.

The characters as a whole are fun to watch. The casting for all of the characters is excellent.  Captain America is a great fit.  Robert Downey Jr. is to Iron Man what Johnny Depp is to Captain Jack Sparrow.  Thor is a little pretty for the character but he still does a good job.

It would be very hard to find a better fit for Black Widow than Scarlet Johanson but when it comes to her and Hawkeye I couldn't help but wonder what we were missing.  I think both of these characters would have their own movies if done correctly.

That brings us to the Hulk.  After a some really poor movies I really thought no one would be able to do a good movie with the Hulk in it.  However,  they pulled it off.  The Hulk is the real highlight of the movie.  He is just fun.

I’m not sure if I’d buy The Avengers on Blu-Ray or not.  The main draw of the movie was the action and it does that well.  However the story wasn’t compelling enough to really draw me in.

Overall The Avengers is a fun movie that is worth seeing at least once.

Free Copies of Twisted Disney Available

If you would like a free copy of Twisted Disney just email me at the link listed below.  All I ask in return is a review on Amazon no matter how good, bad, or short.

If you do not want a free copy and want to actually to pay a whopping $2.99 for it you can buy it HERE.

For everyone else who wants a free copy you can email me HERE.

Photo of the Week: Where Am I?

Do you know where this photo is from?

If you are a fan of the parks you can figure it out through a process of elimination.   I'll give you a few hints.

1 - You can see this attraction from two different parks.

2 - This statue can be found in the queue of the attraction.

3 - The color of the building is the same shade of red that you see directly behind the statue.

4 - This statue is found about half way through the queue.

5 - The attraction is in Disney Hollywood Studios.

6 - The attraction is at the end of Sunset Blvd.

If you haven't figured it out already this statue can be found in the queue of the Tower of Terror.  It's on the left hand side as you get close to the building.

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.

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.

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.

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.