Mascot Down

We had to put Roscoe down a few hours ago.  He's been the mascot of this blog since is started.

July 3rd, 2002 to August 30th, 2015.

Photo of the Week - No Sitting...Unless You Are a Cat

One of the most famous tourist locations in Key West is the Ernest Hemingway house.  You can take a tour of the house for a nominal fee.  One of the highlights of the tour, is the cats.  Hemingway loved cats.  He had a slew of the.  Down to this day, the ancestors of Hemingway's cats live at the house.  You can find them all over the place.

If you ever end up down in Key West, make sure to check out the Hemingway House.

Disney Book Update

A lot has gone down since I last did a book update.  Here is the current status of all my books and what's in the cooker.

1 - Twisted Disney - A book for the hardcore Deek only.  This book of satire is borderline insane.  It's available in ebook and paperback,

2 - CMDTA's Pictorial Guide to Disney World - The alternative Disney guide book.  This book was designed to compliment most other guidebooks.  It's available in ebook and paperback

3 - "World" Killer - The first book in the DW Mysteries.  In many ways this is the darkest book in the serious.  It lays the foundation for the next two books and The Advocates.  It's available in ebook and paperback.

4 - Around the "World" - Book two of the DW Mysteries.  This book is bigger, better, and more exciting that the first book in the series.  It's available in ebook and paperback.  It has the best editing out of the four books available in paperback, it has the best editing.

5 - Imagineered Death - The unpredictable end to the DW Mysteries.  Out of the three books in the DW Mysteries, this one is the most dynamic.  It's currently available in draft form and is being edited by my editor.  Right now, it's ebook only.

6 - Nemesis - Book one of The Advocates.  After the shocking end to Imagineered Death, Nemesis hits the ground running and doesn't stop until part of Disney World explodes (literally).  It's currently in draft form.  Right now, it's ebook only.

7 - The Shoals - Book two of The Advocates is less a mystery and more a thriller / adventure.   This is my personal favorite.  It has a major twist at the end.  It's currently in draft form.  Right now, it's ebook only.

8 - Sojourn - Book three of The Advocates and the final book in the main story line.  It's currently in draft form.  Right now, it's ebook only.

9 - Titan One - I take on sci-fi in this book.  It's the first book in The Unity series.   As a warning, if you have not read my other books, you will not understand the abrupt ending to this book.  It's currently in draft form.  Right now, it's ebook only.

10 - The Harvesters - Book two in The Unity series.  This book takes the massive universe "Titan One" created and takes it to the next level.  The first draft is about 50% complete.

11 - Yukon Rush - A spin off of the DW Mysteries - This book revolves around a vacation Fidel Hernandez and Tina Black take.  That vacation spins into chaos when they stumble onto what appears to be a random killing.  This might get written someday.

12 - Beast - A spin off of The Advocates (Nemesis to be exact) - This book focuses on a string of strange killings near Green Bay, Wisconsin.  Hawk and Justin Yensid try to figure out if a strange monster is on the loose, or if something more sinister is going on.  If I ever write Yukon Rush, I might write this book.

That's all of them for now.   You can find all of the available ones here.

The Special Edition of "World" Killer is Now Available!

A special edition of "World" killer has been released.   This version of the book includes over sixty photos, video links, and research material that help the book come to life.

Beyond the new features, sections of the book have been rewritten to align the writing style with the other books in the series.  During the re-write a number of small typos were corrected as well.

If you are a Amazon Prime member, you can borrow the book for free.  If you are are a member of Kindle Unlimited you can get all my books for free, without having to deal with the one book a month limit.

The Special Edition is available here.

Imagineered Death Is Out!

Imagineered Death has been released.  Kinda...

Since I am an independant author, I rely on editors who are willing to work for credit.  I managed to find two editors.  One of them just bought a business and has no time.  The other bought a house and has no time.  That means I had two options.  I could wait years to release the books or I could release them in a draft state with the promise that they will one day be fully edited.

That being said...more than Imagineered Death is now available.  The following books have all been released in a draft state.

Imagineered Death
Nemesis
The Shoals
Sojourn

Within the next couple weeks Titan One will also be released.

You can get all of the books here.

Twisted Disney Is Back!

Twisted Disney is back up.  It's in both Kindle and paperback formats.  The paperback is a 6x9, black and white print.

The cover has been swapped out with a more fitting picture.  The description has been updated to stress that it is a collection of short stories.  For some reason, a number of people thought it was something different and complained.

The grammar has been overhauled and it should have very few mistakes now.

You can see a preview or but either version here.

The Official CMDTA Store Is Now Open

The CMDTA store is now up and running!

I put a selection of different stuff on there.  There are the normal T-Shirts but there are also some harder to find stuff.  For example you get can a CMDTA watch or an approved CMTDA messenger bag which is perfect for your day in the parks.

Most of the t-shirts are themed around being a Deek.  Everything from "Think Deek" to "Deek In Training" (for kids).

All items can be customized.  You can make it any size or color.  You can also adjust  the color of the font.

You can see the store here.

CMDTA's Pictorial Guide to Disney World Now Available On Kindle

I finally cracked down and finished off the Pictorial Guide to Disney World.  It comes in  around 136 pages.  

So yo might ask why write another Walt Disney World guide book?

There are a few reasons. The first one is simple. No one has written a pictorial guide book that prepares you for Disney World. Most guide books give tell you about rides, hotels, and dining locations. A few guide books have a picture or two. None of them really drive it home. My goal with this guide book is to make you relive your vacation or be prepared for what you will face.
The reason I want to prepare people is so they will enjoy their vacations. Nothing is worse than showing up somewhere just to find out it’s not what you expected. I’ve seen that first hand in the parks over the years. I’ve seen a lot of people who spent a lot of money and ended up miserable.


You can get the guide book here.

Upcoming Topics

Here is a list of what is coming up. There should be a lot of activity over the next few weeks.

A video overview of a Grand Suite on the Grandeur of the Seas

A detailed written review of a Grand Suite on Royal Caribbean and what comes with it.

A few reports on Bermuda and things you can see there.

A fun joke video of a windy day in Bermuda.

A comparison of Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and NCL.

There will be more too but that's just the short list.

A New Kind of Disney Guide Book

After being on the fence for quite a while I've decided to start book number two.  I did not want to do another book of satire.  One thing I've always thought was missing was a Walt Disney World guide book that really showed you what it was like to go to WDW and a book that showed you tips instead of just told you about them.

A lot of people have a hard time grasping concepts based on text alone.  That's why I am wrtting a guide book that brings you through the parks and WDW through pictures.  This is almost a reversed guide book.  Most guide books describe something and then, if you are lucky, they give you a professional photo that looks nothing like the photos you take.  This guide book will display a photo and then tell you what to look for in the photo.  The photos used are going to be raw but they will also allow for a more realistic sense of the parks.

My goal is not write a guide book that rivals the Unofficial Guide and other guide books.  My goal is to write a supplement to those books that will enhance the readers experience when they go to Disney World.

I've started the writting process but right now I am not sure how long it is going to take.  I will make an announcement once it is completed.

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.

 

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.

Twisted Disney Breaks the Top Ten!

Earlier this morning "Twisted Disney" broke into the top ten books in the travel category on Amazon.com. It also broke into the top 40 in the humor category.

You can get a FREE copy of "Twisted Disney" until Monday night. Grab yours while you can!

Get "Twisted Disney" for Free Starting 3/23!

Starting Firday March 23rd, you can get a copy of Twisted Disney on your Kindle or any device that can use Amazon's kindle application!

Grab a copy before it the price goes back up to $2.99.  You have until Sunday night to download "Twisted Disney" without paying for it.

You can get twisted Disney here.

500 Posts: How Did This Happen?!?

How does this happen?  How does a blog this bad make it to 500 posts? I’m just stupefied.  I can’t believe I came up with this much stuff.

In the last 100 posts I did an in depth overview of my most recent (and possibly last) Carnival cruise vacation.  I explained the connection between the Beatles and Disney World.  I teased Len Testa and Lou Mongello again (like that shocked anyone). I caught Len Testa in his natural environment.  I started Park Wrecks.  I explained the connection between Disney World and resignation of Richard Nixion. I posted a bunch of videos photos. I also added some new dining reviews.

If you want me to stop too bad :P.  I've already had people complain.  I've also had people leave complaints about me emailing WDW Today too much.  I just want to clear something up.  I've only submitted one email in the last three months to WDW Today.  The problem is they are so backed up they are just catching up to emails I sent a year ago.

Ok so here they are - they last 100 posts:

Post #401

CMDTA on Vacation – Carnival VIP Check In

An overview of the VIP check in process on most Carnival ships

Post #402

CMDTA on Vacation – Carnival Miracle

My deck by deck overview of the Carnival Spirit

Post #403

Epic Mickey – Epic Fail

My review of the most disappointing game in recent history

Post #404

CMDTA on Vacation - Carnival Spirit Class Vista Suites

An overview of the Vista Suites on Carnival’s Spirit class ship.

Post #405

The Beatles and Disney World

I explain why the Beatles and Disney World will always be connected.

Post #406

CMDTA on Vacation – Carnival: The Food

An overview of the food on a Carnival Cruise.

Post #407

Photo of the Week – Universe of Energy

A nice photo of the Universe of Energy sign.

Post #408

Outsourcing – Disney’s Dark Side

A serious article about Disney’s biggest mistake.

Post #409

CMDTA on Vacation – Nick and Nora’s Steakhouse

An overview of the steakhouse on the Carnival Miracle.

Post #410

Disney Year in Review

My overview of 2010 Disney news.

Post #411

CMDTA on Vacation – St. Maarten – St. Martin

An overview of St. Maarten for poor people.

Post #412

CMDTA’s 1^st Annual Disney Podcast Awards

The most ridiculous awards in the last two weeks!

Post #413

New Video Posted

I finally get around to uploading a new video to YouTube. This is my first HD YouTube video. It’s a nice overview of the White Mountains in the fall.

Post #414

CMDTA on Vacation: St. Kitts

I give an overview of the St. Kitts port area.  Beware the monkey people.

Post #415

CMDTA on Vacation: St. Lucia

An overview of the port area in St. Lucia.

Post #416

Photo of the Week: Walkway to the Magic Kingdom

A nice photo of the Monorail passing overhead.

Post #417

What Would You Do?

When booking early backfires.

Post #418

Photo of the Week – Epcot at Night

A cool photo of Spaceship Earth at night.

Post #419

CMDTA on Vacation – Carnival’s Entertainment

My overview of the entertainment Carnival provides on their cruises.

Post #420

CMDTA on Vacation – Carnival – To Do or Not to Do?

I finally answer the biggest question about Carnival.

Post #421

Mickey’s Toontown Fair is Officially Gone

I saw goodbye to toontown and explain why people get upset about ride closures.

Post #422

New Video Posted – Carnival Vista Suite Overview

An in-depth video of a Carnival Vista Suite.

Post #423

Snow White Bites the Apple

My overview of Snow White closing.

Post #424

New Video Posted – Sunset Over Ft. Lauderdale

A stylized video of a sunset over Fr. Lauderdale.

Post #425

Photo of the Week – Old School Flower and Garden Festival.

A photo taken at the Flower and Garden Festival in the late 90’s

Post #426

Why Can’t You Swim in the Lakes?

I explain why Disney doesn’t want you swimming in the lakes in this post.

Post #427
Mickey Arrested After Shocking Find in Demolished House
A fake news story about a discovery in the remains of Mickey's demolished house in Toontown Fair

Post #428
Renewing Your Passport Just Got a Tiny Bit Easier
I review a photo service I used when I renewed my passport.

Post #429
Photo of the Week - Old School Castle
A photo of Cinderella's Castle from the 1980's.

Post #430
Disney Announces First Ever Bad Bus Driver Challenge
A fake news story about bad bus drivers.

Post #431
Photo of the Week: Mini and Mickey
A photo from the Flower and Garden Festival

Post #432
Lumberjacks Protest New Le Cellier Dinner Menu
A fake news story about a bunch of smelly lumberjacks holding a protest in the Canada Pavilion

Post #433
Disney's First Online ADR System
I do an overview of the Disney first public ADR system.

Post #434
Photo of the Week - Funny Sign In Norway
A very ironic sign located in the Norway Pavilion

Post #435
Walt Disney and Salvador Dali: Oddest Couple Ever?
I do a review of Destino.

Post #436
Movies You Didn't See: The Sorcerer's Apprentice
My review of the Sorcerer's Apprentice.

Post #437
Song of the South Review
I review Song of the South on DVD

Post #438
Disney Announces New Theme Parks
A fake news story about Disney announcing some new theme park locations

Post #439
Movies You Didn't See: Secretariat
My review of Secretariat

Post #440
There's No Booze at Disneyland...Oh Wait Yes There Is...
I explain where you can get booze in Disneyland in this post.

Post #441
CMDTA's Cruise Tips
Some funny and fun cruise tips.

Post #442
Brazil Coming to World Showcase?
I explain why you shouldn't get excited about World Showcase rumors.

Post #443
Movies You Didn't See - Prince of Persia
My review of an awful movie.

Post #444
Disney Announces New "Gold Rooms" At the Grand Floridian
A fake news story about new rooms int he Grand Floridian

Post #445
Photo of the Week - Tower of Terror
A photo of the Tower of Terror in the morning.

Post #446
The Most Famous Line Ever Uttered at Disney World
Who said what?

Post #447
Upcoming Disney Reviews
A list of reviews that will start in October

Post #448
Disney Announces Seal Team Six Video Game
A fake news story about what Disney is going to do with the Seal Team Six name

Post #449
Photo of the Week - CMDTA on Vacation - Sunset at Sea
A nice photo of a sunset at sea

Post #450
Disney to Dam Up Rivers of America
A fake news story about damming up the Rivers of America

Post #451
Photo of the Week - Original Magic Kingdom Entrance
A photo of the Magic Kingdom entrance before the crowds ruined it.

Post #452
Vegas Releases Odds For Next Unofficial Guide Cover
A fake news story making fun of the cover of the Unofficial Guide.

Post #453
Ticket Price Increases - The Lazy Way of Generating Income
I explain how Disney could make a lot more by not raising ticket prices.

Post #454
Movie Review: Waking Sleeping Beauty
My overview of a very good Disney Documentary.

Post #455
Photo of the Week: Gone But Not Forgotten
A nice photo of the old Droid Room in the original Star Tours.

Post #456
Disney to Add Surcharge for "Husky" People
A fake news story about Disney's greed.

Post #457
Photo of the Week - The Poly
A nice photo from the Poly.

Post #458
CMDTA's Travel Tidbits: The Isles of the Shoals
A review of a tourist spot in Portsmouth, NH

Post #459
Disney Announces Brazilian Tour Group Day
A fake news story about an annoying issue.

Post #460
Photo of the Week - The Contemporary?!?
A surprising view from the Contemporary.

Post #461
Photo of the Week: The Contemporary Magic Kingdom View
The view you get of the Magic Kingdom from the Contemporary.

Post #462
If You Can't Afford to See the Help
A challenge.  Can you beat this challenge (you won't want to)?

Post #463
CMDTA's Guide to Disney Dining
A centralized list of Disney Dining reviews.

Post #464
Where are the Discounts?
An explanation as to why we don't see many discounts being offered.

Post #465
Disney On A Dime - Where to Stay
A review of one of the best values in Disney World.

Post #466
Review: The Dark Side of Disney
I do a review of the Disney travel book for people who don't like Disney.

Post #467
The Annual CMDTA Disney Podcast Awards
I do my annual podcast awards.

Post #468
Donald Duck Involved in Terrible Misunderstanding
A fake news story about Donald Duck and an "incident" at Conservation Station

Post #469
CMDTA Travel Tidbits: Vintange and Vine
An overview of an amazing event that takes place in Portsmouth NH

Post #470
Avatar Is Coming to the Animal Kingdom
An actual news story.

Post #471
Why Disney Needs Avatar
I explain why Disney hooked up with James Cameron

Post #472
Forty Years of Magic
My comments on the Magic Kingdom turning forty

Post #473
CMDTA Travel Tidbits - Champney Falls
An overview of a great waterfall.

Post #474
CMDTA's Photo Tips for the Average Joe: How Your Flash Works
An overview of most built in flashes and how they work

Post #475
CMDTA's Travel Tidbits - The Sandwich Fair
An overview of a country fair.  Includes pictures and a video.

Post #476
What To Do Three Days Before You Travel
Some good tips to follow when getting ready for a trip.

Post #477
Photo of the Week - Bay Lake at Sunset
An HDR photo of a sunset on Bay Lake.

Post #478
Len Testa is Real
A fake nature story about an elusive animal.

Post #479
Dining Review: The Brown Derby for Dinner (Worst Dining Experience to Date)
A shockingly bad experience at the Brown Derby.

Post #480
New Video Posted: Moroccan Belly Dancer
A decent video of the belly dancer in Morocco.

Post #481
New Video: Mariachi Cobre Part One
A nice video of the Mariachi band in Mexico.

Post #482
Photo of the Week - The Haunted Mansion at Night
A cool photo of the Haunted Mansion.

Post #483
Review of the Polynesian
An review of the Poly complete with photos and a video.

Post #484
October Snowfall Predicted 13 Months in Advance
A very freaky but true overview of my weather predictions.

Post #485
New Video Posted: Citizens of Hollywood - Chef Pulls Table Cloths
A decent video of a performance by the Citizens of Hollywood

Post #486
New Video Posted: Fountain of Nations at Night
A nice video of the Fountain of Nations.

Post #487
Photo of the Week: Big Thunder Mountain
A nice black and white photo of Big Thunder Mountain.

Post #488
New Video Posted: Glass Working at the Mexico Pavilion
A cool video of someone making a glass rose in the Mexico Pavilion.

Post #489
Dining Review: LIberty Tree Tavern
A review of the lunch offered at the Liberty Tree Tavern.

Post #490
New Video Posted: Illuminations Globe Up Close
A cool video of how the Illuminations globe makes it into the lake.

Post #491
Review of Star Tours the Adventure Continues
My thoughts on the new Star Tours.

Post #492
Dining Review: Biergarten
A detailed review of Biergarten with multiple pictures and two videos.

Post #493
New Video Posted - The Seas Lockout Tank
A cool video of from the Seas Pavilion.

Post #494
Dining Review: Yak and Yeti
I hit Yak and Yeti again.  Will it be as bad as last time?

Post #495
New Video: The Ziti Sisters in 1080p
A funny video of the Ziti Sisters.

Post #496
Video Posted: Broke Splash Mountain in 1080p HD
A HD video of Splash Mountain in a sorry state.

Post #497
Introducing - Park Wrecks!
A funny new website dedicated to the worst dressed people in Disney World.

Post #498
Photo of the Week: The Haunted Mansion
A nice black and white photo of the Haunted Mansion.

Post #499
Photo of the Week: Big Thunder Mountain Sepia
A nice shot of Big Thunder Mountain in a sepia tone.

New Video Posted - The Seas Lockout Tank

From another overlooked corner of the "World" comes the lockout tank at the Seas pavilion.  I would love to try this sometime but I get the feeling that really isn't going to happen.

This reminds me of the good old days before Nemo stuck his tail into the seas.  Back then the theming at the seas was top notch.  They really tried to convince you that you were going far below the ocean surface.

You can see the video here.

October Snow Storm Predicted 13 Months in Advance

When I predicted the 2010 ice storm three months before it happened I thought it was dumb luck. After all, the worst ice storm in history hit NH when I went to Disney in 2008. So I figured something would happen when I went in 2010…and it did.


Based on history I joking said another massive storm would hit between 10/19 and 10/27. How was I to know that I was going to be just three days off on my prediction? The third most devastating storm in history of NH would hit on 10/30. Nearly 250,000 people left without power.

Yes this is no Joke. I predicted this event 13 months in advance. I tell you, when I go to Disney bad things happen. I’d make my next Disney trip in the summer but then a hurricane would hit.

Now if you think I am kidding check out the following:

2010 Storm Prediction:


http://thecousinmickeydoesnttalkabout.blogspot.com/2009/12/awful-weather-predicted-for-first-week.html

Confirmation of that storm:

http://thecousinmickeydoesnttalkabout.blogspot.com/2010/03/unofficially-banned-from-disney-world.html

October 2011 Storm Prediction

http://thecousinmickeydoesnttalkabout.blogspot.com/2010/09/state-of-new-hampshire-post-weather.html

CMDTA's Photo Tips for the Average Joe: How Your Flash Works

Some people have asked me why I tell people to shut off their automatic flash when taking photos. My answer is simple.  Most people do not know how their flash works and they end up ruining their photos with the flash. 

It might be good if I take a minute and go into some details about a camera’s flash system so people know why it can either enhance or ruin their photos.

Before I go into details let me explain that if you are taking photos of people (or a subject) who are less than twenty feet from you it is normally a good thing to leave your flash on.   If you are taking any other type of photo chances are your flash needs to be off.

Have you ever taken a picture of Cinderella’s castle in low light to find out that you have a great picture of people nearby but the castle is not so good?  This is a common flash mistake.  You see it a lot. Every single sporting event, every showing of Wishes or Illuminations, or any nighttime display is loaded with a myriad of flashes.  Almost none of these photos come out correctly.

When you enable your flash most cameras drop what is called the ISO level.  To put it in simple terms the higher the ISO the less light you need to capture a photo.  If the ISO didn’t drop with a flash everything captured would be insanely bright (that’s not a good thing). 

You might wonder why you would want a flash at all if a higher ISO can be used.  The higher the ISO level the higher the noise level.  Noise is that grittiness that makes your photos ugly.  So in theory you want the lowest ISO possible (the least noise is at 100). 

I hope I haven’t lost anyone yet.  When you kick on your flash your camera thinks your subject is close. That’s why it speeds up your ISO because it thinks the extra light from your flash is going to illuminate your subject.  If you are taking a picture of Cinderella’s castle your flash is not going to reach that far so you would need to shut off your flash.  When you shut it off your camera bases the settings it is going to use on the available light.  In this case the light coming off of the castle. Your picture will be of a higher quality as long as there is enough light coming off of the castle. 

How do you know if your subject is close enough to use a flash?  There is a term for this. Every flash has what is called a “Guide Number” or “GN.” I’m not going to go into detail because the GN is based on a lot of factors but in really rough (and I mean rough) terms the GN normally means how far your flash will go.  For example a GN of 25 typically means your flash will go up to 25 feet. If you bought your camera outside the states your GN might be measures in meters.  If that’s the case remember to multiply it by about three to find out how many feet it will go.  You can normally find out how far your flash will go in your user manual or online.

At this point I want to put a disclaimer in.  Do not go online and but a new flash for your camera because it has a high GN.  Like I said GN is based on a lot of factors.  If you buy a flash based solely on GN you might as well throw your money away.

The bottom line is if you want to use your flash keep in mind how far it will go.  If you subject is not in that range – turn it off!

Oh and as a side note – If you are on a dark ride or show your flash should NEVER be on.  Beyond being insanely rude your pictures are not going to come out.  You might wonder why.  If you promise to NEVER do it I’ll tell you.  The scenes in the Haunted Mansion, Pirates, or the Voyage of the little mermaid are perfectly lit.  If you go busting out your flash you will never get the photo you want.  You are going to get a crappy photo that you’ll most likely throw out later and you will annoy a bunch of people in the process.

CMDTA's Travel Tidbits: The Isles of the Shoals

I know this isn't a Disney related post.  I've strayed from Disney before with my series "CMDTA on Vacation." This is a going to be a new series.

"Travel Tidbits" will mainly focus on day and partial day excursions and attractions.

The first subject is going to be the Isles of the Shoals.

The Isles of the Shoals are a small group of tiny islands found off of the coast of New Hampshire.  They have a long storied history that started in the 1600's.  Going to these islands is like stepping back in time.  For the most part they almost seem locked in the 1800's.  Visiting them isn't like visiting Williamsburg or similar attractions but they still have a unique charm you are not going to find anywhere else.

Out of the major islands there is only one that you can visit - Star Island.   The other islands are all privately owned or operated.  For example the largest island, Appledore, is maintained by UNH and Cornell Universities. They use the islands for research.

You might think since some of the islands are privately owned that they must be modernized but that is far from the case.  Other than Star and Appledore only three of the islands have houses on them and of them only one of those, Smuttynose, has multiple houses (two).  The other islands have one house each but one of those is a light house home.

Taking a trip out to the Shoals is a great way to spend a hot summer afternoon considering the temperature is normally about ten degrees lower than on the coast and there is almost always a nice sea breeze blowing.

To get to the Shoals you'll need to buy a ticket on the Thomas Leighton which is a small ship owned and operated by the Isles of the Shoals Steamship Company.

You'll board the ship near downtown Portsmouth.  Once you board and are settled you can kickback and enjoy the trip up the Piscataqua River.  During your voyage you'll hear about the history of Portsmouth and the other towns and cities on he river.  Once you leave the mouth of the river it's about a six mile journey out to the islands.  As you approach you'll hear some of the history of the islands including the brutal weather and even a brutal murder.

Once you reach the Shoals you can get off the ship and take a tour of Star Island.  It's well worth it and is on par with any historical tour I've taken.

You might wonder what kind you service you could expect when there is only one ship that goes to the islands.  After all when you have captive audience businesses tend rake people over the coals to squeeze every last cent out of them.  Does the Steamship Company do that?

The first thing that will stick out when you go to buy your tickets is the price.  To go out to the island, get a tour the whole time, get off the island and get a tour, and return is only a little over $30 for an adult.  It's less than ten dollars an hour.  For the non-Disney fans let me explain why that's such a good deal.

All of the Deeks (including myself) are used to paying at least twice that for a four hour tour. In fact many of us have paid that much for a one our tour (Behind the Seeds at the Land Pavilion).  To get four hours for this price is a steal!

Next thing to mention are the food options on the ship.  Here is where you'd expect to get mauled after all Disney charges a minimum of $8 per beer in the parks and there are no real cheap food options either.  If you budgeted Disney prices and got on the Thomas Leighton you'd be able to buy food and beer for half the ship.  I am not joking.  You can get three tall beers for what Disney charges for one.  Even the food is crazy cheap for an attraction like this.

So the price is good but does the service suffer because of the price?

The service you experience from the Steamship Company is good.  For example Captain Vanlandingham doesn't mail it it.  What I mean by that is he never sounded bored, annoyed, or put out.  You might think that's to be expected but he even took the safety announcements seriously and he took the time to expound on some of the reasons safety is more important than usual while on the Piscataqua River.

Another area where service stands out is in the tour guide / historian area.  While you are heading out to the islands you hear someone narrating what you are seeing as you go.  If you buy the "walkabout" package you'll meet this person.  Her name is Natalie.  She is friendly, soft spoken and knowledgeable.  At first you'd think someone who is soft spoken would not make a good tour guide but Natalie proves that is not the case.  Her laid back style made her seem less stuffy and more approachable.  I've run into some tour guides in the past that seem so formal and stuffy you feel dumb asking questions or even trying to enjoy yourself.  You will not have that problem on this tour. 

One thing I will mention about this tour.  It is not handicap accessible.  Wheelchairs or motorized scooters cannot handle the terrain.  Other than that almost everyone can handle the tour with little or not problem.

For more information or to buy tickets in advance check out the Isles of the Shoals Steamship Company's website. 

For more information check out this website.