Disney Magic Kingdoms: 3 Traps and Pitfalls of an Addictive Endeavor

I hadn’t been suckered into a phone game since Nemo’s Reef. 
My Step daughter had tricked me into that one so that would could visit each other’s reefs.   This lead to to an OCD person’s worst nightmare.  Logging into this cute little game to collect fish and build an underwater mega reef.    Luckily at some point my phone broke –which gave me relief from the Reef. 

 I definitely wasn’t going to start over and now –I had hours of my life back.  I went about a good year without playing any obsessive compulsive phone games.   Then Disney Kingdom’s came out.

1. The Hook    If I became addicted to building a make believe underwater reef for a cartoon fish---I didn’t have a chance when Disney Magic Kingdoms came out.      There goes all my free time again.  I was a big fan of Roller Coaster Tycoon back in the day. This sucks you a theme park fan in with a similar concept.   
   It is basically a Disney addicts dream –or is it a Disney addict’s nightmare?   You basically get to play around in the Disney parks with Mickey and Friends.  Building rides and opening up new characters.
2.    The Tease   When you start the game only a small portion of the parks is available to you….  But you can see several enticing sections of the park that you will be able to unlock.   And then there are sections you can’t even see yet that are just off screen.   For an OCD Disney addict ---this tease will keep you playing for a long time
3.  The Trap   The trap of the game (which is where all the money is) is that you need Gems (a lot of gems) in order to unlock certain characters and attractions.    The problem is Gems are extremely hard to come by and are super easy to accidentally use (when you didn’t intend to).   While clicking on the attractions and concessions in order to earn credits –all it takes is one accidental push of a button and 20 Gems will accidentally be used.   It will take days to earn these back …. Unless you of course Buy Some……. T hat is the catch –but it seems like a cheat.   If I can just buy them –then it isn’t much of a game.    It is more of a money pit.       Like many other Free phone games.    I personally don’t believe in paying money to for credits or points in a game.   I’m more than willing to buy actual souvenirs or collectibles in the actual parks.   But paying money to buy a digital Pluto in a game is beyond me.     But I’m sure many people without patience fall into the trap.     Disney may as well just open up a Casino in Vegas---because I really don’t see the difference.
   The Game itself isn’t super exciting ---it takes way too long to accomplish the little tasks in the game (Disney is banking on this to encourage you to purchase your way to a quicker goal).   I’m addicted to the game,  because I desperately want to see the areas that haven’t been unlocked yet.    It just may take me forever to get there. 

Currently Level 21 and just achieved  Buzz Lightyear's Spin

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A Disney Restaurant Review: Zootopia Corn Bananas at Award Wieners

Some things you just have to try and you end up regretting afterwards.

An example of this is Chocolate Covered Bacon.

I remember trying it at a Chocolate Festival.   
I figured “I like Chocolate” and “I like Bacon”

“I’ll probably like Chocolate Covered Bacon Right ?”.  

I was wrong of course.   The first bite tasted okay –but then aftertaste kicked in.

So when I saw this limited time treat for Zootopia was going to be at Award Wieners at DCA ---I was interested –but uncertain.

I saw the picture for it on the Disney Parks Blog. 
It looked interesting.  

It was basically 2 bananas dipped in corn and honey batter (Sounds Good) Topped with Powdered sugar (Good right).   It came with a pair of dipping sauces.  Chocolate and Raspberry (Yum).     

Well I had been out to the park a couple of times and curious though I was, I kept thinking “Chocolate Covered Bacon”.   
I passed up on getting this both trips.  The thought of Chocolate Covered Bacon running through my brain.

My 3^rd trip to the Disney Parks I knew it wasn’t going to be around much longer so I just had to try it.

Just like Chocolate Covered Bacon the first bite tasted pretty good.       

Again my logic was flawed.

“I Love Corn Dogs” and “I like Bananas”, but just like Chocolate Covered Bacon --apparently not together.   A couple bites in my original positive impression had faded.    Bananas on their own are good.  Frozen Bananas covered in Chocolate are great.  A banana Split is one of the best things ever. 
A mushy warm banana in Corn Dog batter....."NOT SO MUCH"
I’ll give them some props for trying it –but I would not order this item again if they brought it back.

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More Disney fun to come as we head to the DCA Food and Wine Festival later this week.

  

Cinderella 2015 6 out of 10 (Disney Family Film #4)

Cinderella  2015  6 out of 10

I finally got around to seeing the new Disney version of Cinderella.  It was a good quality remake of the animated film.  I personally think that the classic Cinderella story just isn't that interesting or exciting to me.   I can't find a flaw in the film making itself.   

The acting was solid and the visuals were stunning.   My favorite segment was the Fairy godmother transformation sequence, which I had seen previously in a sneak peek at the Disney parks.  So I guess my only issues with both this live action remake and the original animated feature are the simplicity of the story.   Everyone knows the story.   Cinderella is under the thumb of her evil step mom and her two horrible daughters.  They basically treat her like a servant.  Every women in the kingdom is invited to a big dance at the castle.  Cinderella helps her sisters get ready -but isn't allowed to go.  Then her fairy godmother helps to transform her for the dance with the help of some magic.  She shows up to the ball and falls in love -until she is forced to run away at midnight when the fairies spell is broken.   The end of the movie --is all about finding the girl that fits the glass slipper that was left behind.    

Girls love this fairy tale about a simple girl finding her prince.  It is a classic love story, but nothing exciting really happens in either the animated film or this remake.   She simply falls in love and then the prince searches for the girl that fits the shoe. 

Like I said everything about the movie itself was well done and stayed true to the classic tale.  I just don't think the story of Cinderella is too dull.    

It is definitely worth a rental as a family film if just for the transformation scene, but not one of my favorites among the recent Disney Films and if I had seen it in the theaters I wouldn't have bought it on DVD.

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DCA Food And wine Preview

I was out in DCA a couple of weekends ago and the Food and Wine Festival was already in full swing.  I was there with my step daughter so we had a different agenda for the day... But I snapped a couple of Pictures as a preview to when me and my wife go out there April 24th.

Here is a look at one of the stages for the free Culinary seminars that is setup in the section of the Mad T Party area in DCA.   We will be heading back out to the park on April 24th for one of the Wine Seminars and to dine at Carthay Circle.  Maybe we can squeeze in a culinary seminar as well.

 Here was the signage for the Beverage Seminars for the day.  It looks like they did a really good job of organizing things for this event.  Super excited for our Food and Wine day.

They also have other events called Lifestyle seminars that cover a range of other things.  This day they had an air brush artist doing a Haunted Mansion painting on the stage where the Mad T Party band performs.

Looks cool

The Festival Merchandise is located where Wandering Oaken's Trading post is in front of the old Muppet 4-D Theater.

Here are a couple samples of what they have.

If you signed up for one of the Celebrity Kitchen events that will be located in the old Who Wants to be a Million Sound Stage --used most recently as the home for Olaf during the winter.

 

Along the area that leads from Buena Vista street to the Wine Terrace and all the way down to where you can see Paradise Pier,  they have these cool little Food Stations featuring limited time only food items created just for the event.

We can't wait to check out the By the Bay station.

They had me at White Cheddar Ale & Bacon Soup in a Boudin Bread Bowl.

Hope you enjoyed this sneak peek. 
Expect a lot more pictures once we go to the Festival.

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Rollickin' Roadsters: A DCA Ride Review

 

The Replacement for Luigi’s barely moving  Flying Tires has arrived at DCA.  I took my step daughter out to the park the other week to check it out.  



When Carsland was built one of the 3 attractions was the ill-advisedly  attempt to bring back the Flying UFO ride from Tomorrowland in the form of Flying Tires.   (Seen below)

The ride was slow and difficult to maneuver and pretty much a flat tire of a ride.   

It’s replacement is  called Rollickin Roadsters which is a cute little Family Friendly ride.  
  

Don’t expect big thrills here…It is a pretty tame ride.  A step below Mater’s JunkYard Jamboree.   The ride uses a track less ride system that has many different routes programmed into it…..so you can get a slightly different experience each time you ride it.

The ride is aimed at little kids and as such it is a perfect little addition to Carsland.   I often see people commenting or complaining on blogs or podcasts about rides that weren’t really aimed at them.  Everything isn’t going to be Radiator Springs folks.    There is a place for the Heimlick’s Chew Chew Train type rides as well.    This ride is a kids ride and achieves its purpose. 

You enter the ride through Luigi's Casa Della Tires

Making your way through the same memorabilia that was present for the Flying Tire ride.

The look of this ride is great.  The little cars each have their own look.   Here are some pictures from our ride on this cute little kids attraction.

The Cars basically dance around the area in random patterns to different songs.  The best part is when the cars do a little spin at the end of the song.

  

My Review would be: Adults --don't get to excited about this attraction....but your  little one will enjoy it.

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Quick Thoughts on Rogue One Trailer…..and Questions

Like every other hardcore Star Wars fan I got super excited when I heard yesterday that the first teaser for Rogue One would premiere today.  I got to work a few minutes earlier and logged onto Facebook and the barrage of links for the trailer were plastered all over Facebook.

Of course I watched it immediately several times. To be honest I wasn’t blown away with it. 

I wasn’t excited about the trailer which is unusal because I was super excited by the Force Awakens Trailer.  Don’t get me wrong I’m sure I will see the movie the first couple of days it is in the theater and I will listen to podcasts about every rumor concerning the film until it comes out.   But with the exception of the really cool scene with the walkers at the end it felt more like a TV show than a movie.   

It felt like a Battlestar Gallactica promo to me.  It was dumb of me to watch it for the first time on my phone instead of at home  (Like I could wait that long)

Star Wars fans got all excited to see Mon Mothma featured in the Rogue One Trailer…….

The average person –will be like …..”Who the hell is Mon Mothma and why I’m I supposed to be excited about her being in the movie?”

I guess it just didn’t show us enough for me.    I actually liked the teaser trailer from the Star Wars Convention for Rogue One better…..which was basically just a slow panning shot through a forest with the Death Star in the background.

What did you think of the trailer?  

What has you excited or not excited about this risky first non-Saga film?   

Will Mon Mothma and a bunch of other characters you have never heard of before –get the masses to the theaters?  

When will we see more of Vader?  (He better not just be in the last 30 seconds of the movie like Luke was)

What about Tarkin?

Time will tell…….I hope the next trailer gives us something more to be excited about.   Especially considering that we already know how this movie will end.  

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(Disney Animated Movie Review #13) The Good Dinosaur 2015 6 out of 10

The Good Dinosaur  2015  6 out of 10

It had to happened eventually.  Brave was my least favorite Pixar film before this movie came out.   Pixar has made it's first movie that wasn't a huge box office dominating success.   The Good Dinosaur limped into movie theaters in November and made the least amount of money of any previous Pixar film.  I questioned if this could be Pixar's first flop when I saw the sneak peek at DCA before the film came out.  The blog on that sneak peek is here...The sneak peek was good --but not amazing like most of the other sneak peeks.  In fact most of the other sneak peeks sent me to the theaters to see the movies ---The Good Dinosaur I waited for on DVD.

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The Good Dinosaur wasn't bad..... in fact the visuals were amazing. The movie featured stunning vistas showing the beautiful world that waslike something straight out of the Disney Nature film "Bears".  The movie just seemed to be missing something.  

I liked the characters.....

I liked the story of Arlo the Dinosaur and the friendship he forms with the little dog like human Spot.  

The action sequences were good especially some of the storm footage that sweeps Arlo away from his family.  

Everything about the film was good......but not great.  

Pixar films are generally Great and The Good Dinosaur just Good. Despite its top notch visuals the story just wasn't a high concept idea like Inside Out or Toy Story.  It seemed like the kind of story you would expect from one of the other animation studios.  

I also found myself comparing it to Disney's own Dinosaur from 2000 which also featured a Dinosaur separated from his family that makes a long journey.   Dinosaur was 15 years ago and also had photo realistic backgrounds and I personally thought Dinosaur was a much better film and I kind of want to revisit it now as a comparison.

I can't really put my finger on The Good Dinosaur's failing. I know that the film had many production issues and was reworked several times.  I guess they just couldn't get the tone of the film right. Maybe the failing was that the concept for the film just wasn't that strong to begin with.   My verdict:  It is worth a rental---but this one isn't a keeper.

Here is the Good Dinosaur Trailer

Here is the Dinosaur Trailer.

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