Photo Pass Pics - July 2011

Photo Pass - July 2011, a set on Flickr.

Some of my Disney Photo Pass pics from my July 2011 trip...Enjoy!!!

Another Accident at Disney...

So this past Sunday, there was an accident at the Aladdin show at Disney California Adventure. During the 'flying carpet' scene, the carpet flipped over while 'Aladdin & Jasmine' were still on it. Luckily, the actors were harnessed, so when the carpet flipped over, they were stuck hanging up-side down. The show was quickly stopped, the audience had to leave the theater, and the actors were rescued from the broken carpet. No one was seriously injured, but just shaken up a bit.

Over the years, there have been numerous accidents at the Disney Parks. Some serious, some not, and some fatal. While I have not seen any major accidents while visiting a Disney Park, I did personally witness a Disney character take a trip and fall.  I was getting ready to get an autograph from Mike Wazowski, from the Pixar film Monster's Inc. I have attached video of that incident. I feel so bad about what happened to 'Mike'. I hope this video does not upset or anger anyone. I'm just sharing an experience I had.

Mike Wazowski Takes a Fall 2008

Madonna Music Monday - 09/26/2011

So I saw two great 80's bands in concert this weekend. I saw the Tom Tom Club, whose band includes two members of the Talking Heads and the Psychedelic Furs. So I was thinking how I'm seeing all these bands years after their prime. And of all the shows I did see in the 80's. One act that I didn't get see on their debut tour was Madonna. It wasn't until her second tour, Who's That Girl in 1987, did I finally see Madonna in concert. But back in 1985, when I was a sophomore in high school, a classmate asked if I wanted to go see Madonna in concert. I asked my parents, but because I was too young, they said no. So I missed seeing Madonna then. But however, over the years I have more than made up for that. So for today's video, I would like to go back to 1985. I often imagine what it would have been like to see Madonna on her Like A Virgin Tour. So here is Madonna performing Lucky Star on her 1985 tour. Enjoy!


"Lucky Star" Live at 1985 Virgin Tour



John

I Love The 80's...!!!

So I have been in an '80's mood' for the past few weeks. I'm sure it has to do with the concerts I've seen lately. Last week I saw ERASURE, one of my favorite bands from the 80's. Standing in the crowd, it took me back to a time when life was so easy. And fun. Boy, do I miss those days. Tomorrow I have another 80's concert to attend. But for now I would like to share a video from last week' concert. Here is Erasure singing my all-time favorite song, Love To Hate You. Enjoy!!!






John

Club Cool - Epcot - July 2011

One of my favorite places to visit is Club Cool in Epcot. This is a tasting center for various Coca-Cola products from around the world. One of the most unique drinks available at Club Cool is a drink called Beverly. It is a drink sold by the Coca-Cola company only in Italy. It does have a very distinct flavor. But the fun thing about this drink is trying to get people to taste it who have no idea what it tastes like. So of course, I tricked my nephew into tasting this drink. See what happens in the following video. Enjoy!





John

Madonna Music Monday - 09/19/2011

Well today is a special day. Today marks the 11th anniversary of the release of Madonna's 8th studio album, MUSIC. Released in 2000, this album contains elements of Electronica, Dance, Rock, Country and Folk music. It's one of Madonna's most diverse albums. The title track of the album has become a concert favorite. MUSIC has become the new encore song performed in recent Madonna concerts. While the song is a great dance number, its lyrics are quite impressive. The song has become an anthem. Simply put:

Music makes the people come together...

Music makes the bourgeoisie and the rebel...

So for today, I present a live performance of the song. The performance is from Madonna's 2001 Drowned World Tour. It was the tour to promote the Ray of Light and Music albums. As you can tell from the video, Madonna really puts on a great performance of this song. From the 5-time Grammy nominated album, here is Madonna singing MUSIC, live in concert. Enjoy!

John

Trip Report - Walt Disney World - 07/19/2011 - Part Two

In my last trip report, it was time for a mid-day break. The heat was really getting to us and we needed to cool down quick. So back to Pop Century for a nice long swim. We go swimming for about two hours. Oh yeah, I forget to apply some sun tan lotion. Again. And I will pay for this soon. Dearly. Its also at this time that I start feeling a bit sick. Is it a sore throat? Is it a cough? Am I getting sick? At Disney World? In 95 degree heat? Yes to all the above. More on that later.

So after our swim and rest, it was time to head back to the Hollywood Studios for dinner and more. We had 6pm reservations for 50's Prime Time Cafe. Its been a long time since I ate there. I remember how fun and 'retro' the restaurant used to be. So I'm hoping it's still a good place to eat at. We get to Prime Time and check-in. After waiting about 10 minutes, our table is ready.

Well the place still looks like it did when I first ate there years ago. Now that I am older, I can appreciate the 'kitschy' vibe of Prime Time. The 50's decor, the old fashion furniture, the black & white TV programs. I really love the retro bar and 'living room' waiting area.

We get seated near a corner, under a old fashioned TV. The TV is showing clips of various 50's programs. One of the clips shown is that of Walt Disney presenting the dedication of Disneyland from 1955. Then I remember that the day we arrived at Walt Disney World, Sunday, was the 56th birthday of Disneyland. This year is the 40th anniversary of Walt Disney World. Really amazing isn't!

Now time for business: what to eat? Our server, Richard, recommends the fired chicken. So I order that. My nephew will have the grilled chicken strips with macaroni topped with marina sauce and mozzarella cheese. Before my meal, I had the blue claw crab cake served in succotash with chili sauce and crispy onions. Yummy!!!

Here's my nephew's meal...

And here's my meal...

Since we are on the dining plan, we also get dessert with our meals. Here's my nephew's dessert...

And here's my dessert...I love cheese cake...!!!

After dinner, its time for more rides. We walk over to Star Tours to see how long the wait is. Its about 20 minutes. As we near the main entrance, we are stopped by a Cast Member. Why? Because Darth Vader needs to take his space shuttle back to his Death Star! OMG! I tried getting a pic, but as you can see below, I was a bit late.

As you can tell, we now LOVE Star Tours. I still can't help but love all the new enhancements to this attraction. We end up riding two more times.

After Star Tours, we see what we can ride next. We walk towards Toy Story Mania. We see that the line is way too long at 180 minutes. Then we head towards Walt Disney: One Man's Dream. I have not seen this in awhile and I think it would be a great history lesson for my nephew. This new, younger generation needs to be properly educated about Disney and his films.

We have about 15 minutes before the next film, so that gives us time to view some of the displays that cover Disney's life and history. I especially love the model displays of the various Disney Parks around the world. Here are some of the displays...

Now its time to see the attraction film. Its a great film. My nephew loves that fact that Disney was born in Chicago. I'm always fascinated by Disney's history. Every move he made lead to the Disney legacy we know today. After we see the film, we head back out to the park. Its now getting dark. So it must be time for Tower of Terror!!!

I love this attraction. I love the mix of The Twilight Zone and Disney. If you ever get a chance to ride this attraction, I highly suggest you ride at night time. The darkness outside makes things even scarier inside. I decide to film our reactions on this ride with my video camera using night-vision. Here is video of our ride:

As you can see, we had a 'scary' time on Tower of Terror. Now there is one last thing to do. Catch the second showing of Fantasmic!

I have to admit. With the summer crowds and the visiting Brazilians, I thought we might not get a chance to see this show. When we walked over by the entrance to Fantasmic!, the line was so long. I have never seen the line stretch all the way down Sunset Boulevard! We jumped in line and waited to see what happens. Slowly, the line began moving into the amphitheater. At one point, the crowd stopped moving. So here we are, in the midst of a huge crowd, on the pathway in complete darkness, wondering what is happening up ahead. Is the show sold out? Are they letting in people slowly? Did the show get cancelled for some reason? It turns out they were slowly letting people in. We finally get our seats in the second to last section on the right hand side of the stadium. There's plenty of seats, so I wonder why all the extra pre-cautions. But as it gets closer to 10:30pm, the stadium is packed with people. I don't I've ever seen it this packed. At around 10:35pm, the lights go out and the show begins. I really enjoy Fantasmic! I've seen both Disneyland and Disney World versions of this show. While I enjoy both versions of the show, I really appreciate that about 10,000 people can actually sit on a bench and watch this show comfortably at the Hollywood Studios.

Well after Fantasmic!, its safe to say we are very tired. Time to head back to the resort for a snack and then bedtime. The next day should be a more relaxed day. We are scheduled to visit the Magic Kingdom for the second time on this trip. Until the next trip report, have a Magical Day!

John

Madonna Music Monday - 09/12/2011

Yesterday was the tenth anniversary of the September 11th attacks. Much discussion and commentary has been made about that day and its effects afterwards. One of those commentaries was made by Madonna with her AMERICAN LIFE video. While I won't play the role of 'devil's advovate', I will present Madonna's video viewpoint. When the video was original made, Madonna did plan on releasing the video for people to see. But after some reflection, the video was not 'officially' released. The video I am showcasing is NOT the original video, but a remixed & re-edited version of the video set to a dance version of the song. So even in this version, Madonna's original concept has been drastically changed. After viewing this video, you can interpret Madonna's message however you want. I think that's the power behind great Pop songs. They are meant to be reflected upon and 'made our own' in what ever way you want. The song may mean one thing to one person and yet completely another thing to another person. So here is the Paul Oakenfold's Downtempo Remix of Madonna's American Life, taken from the album of the same name.




John

WDW Pics - July 2011

WDW - July 2011, a set on Flickr.

A few pics from my July 2011 Walt Disney World Trip...Enjoy!