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.