Tom's Magical non-traditional Disneyland tips

I love Disneyland.  If you have talked to me on more then one occasion you know this about me.  My history with Disneyland began when I was very young.  I think my first trip there was when I was around six years old.  I have traveled there on average almost every year since then.  I made up for some years I didn't go as a child by going up to three times in one year.  On a regular basis people tell me that Disneyland is for kids.  It's not, it's for all people: families, kids and adults.  That was Walt's dream. To make a place all could go and feel like a kid again and be together.  It definitely worked on me.  Going to Disneyland feels more like the feeling of returning home then actually being in my home town.  It's a place I feel comfortable and happy and knowledgeable. It's something I get instantly excited about. 

I read Disneyland blogs almost every day and try to stay up to date on what is going on there even though I am no where near the park. I am sure over the years I will write many posts in relation to Disneyland, but now I call your attention to some "Non-traditional Disneyland tips".  These are things you might not read about in a guide book these are from my personal recent experiences.

Tom's Magical non-traditional Disneyland tips

Close your mouth on water rides.
This is no joke. For example: on the Ride "The Pirates of the Caribbean" you will end up with a mouth of dirty pirate water if your mouth is open at the wrong time. Yes, there are dips on the ride but I have gotten drips from the ceiling just going through the ride.  Really, any ride involving water be conscious of your mouth and try to keep it closed, unless of course you are talking.

Keep moving.
Nothing annoys me more then the large party that decides to stop and discuss the plans they have for the day right in front of the entrance to a ride.  This seems like it happens to me every time I have attempted to go on "Thunder Mountain railroad".  Move to an area not in a central walk way!  I get it if you are watching a parade or some cool spectacle that is happening, but that's it.  This is not the place to decide where to go next or catch up with that neighbor you just ran into. Move somewhere out of the way!

Eat at the park
The old school tip everyone used to always say was something like "don't eat in the park, the food is too expensive and not that great". The food has evolved with the times, it is much better now! Growing up the food seemed comparable to the airplane food I ate when flying in.  It was also obscenely expensive.  Well it is still really spendy but now the food in most cases is worth it.

Matterhorn Sundae from the Carnation Cafe.  It's not actually on the Menu, it's a popular secret item!

When the food network hit its stride and foodie became a household term I started noticing the food upgrades throughout the park.  Now everything seems that it is of a higher quality.  Do some research before you go, so you can look up different places to try or you can also email me and I can tell you a bunch of different places.  We actually budget in money when we go just to make sure we can eat at the park.  I definitely recommend this if you are going without kids. If you are going with kids you might not want to eat the big dinners but you can always get the snacks.  They have amazing corn dogs, churros and what kid won't be happy when you hand them a Mickey Mouse shaped pretzel!


Mickey is now deaf in one ear!

Free Coffee refills are gone
They used to have this wonderful place you could go and get free refills on coffee as long as you had your receipt.  It was awesome, you could walk into the park grab your coffee and then on your way out grab one too.  My last glass of free refillable coffee unfortunately was in January 2013. I just read recently within the last few months that they are remodeling that building and re-opening it as a Starbucks.  In California Adventure (The other Disney park across from Disneyland considered to be part of the Disneyland Resort) a new Starbucks opened when they remodeled and have had great success with it. Disneyland decided to follow suit. Which I guess is okay if you like Starbucks, it just means no more free refills all day on a basic cup of coffee.

Beer
You like Beer? Of course you do! California Adventure is the only park (Downtown Disney does too but it's technically not a park) that serves alcohol.  They serve beer from a local brewery in a few locations in the park. I usually head over to the Pacific Wharf and grab one off of a truck they have set up.  It is outrageously expensive (I believe around 7 dollars) but comparable to the prices of a popular dance club or a casino in any major city. They also have a winery on site which serves a variety of wines.  Right outside the park in Downtown Disney there are also several high end and themed restaurants that also serve alcohol.  Don't think because you are not in a park that the drinks are any cheaper, the prices are all very similar. These are more places to relax and have a drink or two to help escape the heat, not party until you puke places...unless of course you are rich.

Use photo pass for up to 30 days
People randomly come up and take pictures of you all over the park. They also do it at any of the character spots, like seeing Mickey, Princesses, etc,.  After the first picture is taken they will hand you a photo pass.  You can then hand it to all of the other photographers to have all of your photos on this one pass.  The cool thing about it is those pictures will be stored for up to 30 days.  So if you are strapped for cash the day of the picture you could download it and get it later when you are back from your trip.  You can even ask for a 15 day extension if you want more time then 30 days.  I can't tell you how many times I have regretted not buying pictures a few days later after I got home. This eliminates the possibility of that regret.


The Lady at Autopia demanded I take this picture since I was wearing a Ravens shirt.
She thought it was an amazing coincidence that I got a purple car three days before the Super Bowl.
I didn't really want to take it.

Ride placement
Many people don't realize that you can ask to go to the front of a ride.  If you want to sit in the very front car on say "Space Mountain" all you have to do is ask. You might have to wait a few minutes longer but in many cases it is worth the wait.  I have also never had to wait longer then ten minutes and that was only on "Splash Mountain" most rides it adds about five minutes.  Nothing beats being in the front car of "Space Mountain" It is like a wild Journey through space with just you and the person next to you.  It also makes it easier if you plan on buying a picture at the end.  Sometimes in the back you can't always see the person as well in the picture, especially if someone in front of you raises their arms when the photo is snapped.

Cover your crotch
You probably think this is a joke right? Wrong. It's more for the gentleman, but think about it: You are out numbered by children who are shorter and love to swing their arms and new sword like toys they get.  Strollers also have things attached to them that are at an inconvenient height.  I am not asking you to walk around with your hand covering yourself but be very aware of your surroundings especially in crowds. All it takes is one swing and you being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Down time
The best place to sit down and chill out in a climate controlled environment is by far Inoventions.  Some people overlook Inoventions because it almost looks like scenery and was an empty building for many, many years. It is located in Tomorrowland next to Space Mountain. If you have kids and just want to go somewhere to keep them entertained and you want take a load off, this is the place to go. My wife hates it.  She thinks it is boring, and it kind of is, its more for kids.  Think Omsi (The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) with video games.  However I did hear they just upgraded the inside with A Iron Man theme, where you can look at the different types of armor.  Even so, its a nice place get a way from the heat if you go in the summer.

Try and go during the holidays
It doesn't have to be every trip you take (even though as an adult it is my favorite) but there are definitely upsides to it.  If you go the week before Christmas the park is virtually dead.  Every time I have gone at this time of year I can do every major ride and other things in about four hours.  It is also not as hot and the lines are much quicker then going in the summer.  There are also attractions you can't get anytime of year like the Haunted Mansion invaded by Nightmare before Christmas, Small world Holiday, and other festivities throughout the park.  There is a fine line though, if you go the week of or on Christmas I have heard it is one of the busier times of the year. Overall I am not saying don't go in the summer there is a certain magic about being there in the summer but it is a different experience.  My wife however does not love the heat and it is not very hot in December compared to say July.  A couple things you also lose by going closer to the holidays is the park closes sooner.  It closes at ten as opposed to midnight.  But you make up that time in not waiting in as many lines. But I think in this case pictures speak better than words...



The castle this last year at night during the Holidays.  It was pretty amazing.

Small World at Night during the holidays

Jack in front of the Haunted Mansion Holiday.

Boom! That's all folks! Magic all over your face!



World War Z movie review: Z does not stand for Zebra

Like most reviews I would like to straighten out a few details before you read how I feel about this movie. This is so you know some details about my point of view.

1) I have not read the book World War Z so I have no idea the differences this movie has from the book. I also have no strong opinions on the author.

2) I have no opinion on running zombies VS walking zombies.

Every bad thing I read about this movie was from people who were commenting on the above two items.  I just watched this movie as it stood on its own and did not think about those two factors at all.

Now that you know that, lets get on with the show...here is my review of the film World War Z:

I made a joke about this on Facebook before I knew this existed...but I sure am glad it does!

So here comes a big budget zombie flick! It stars Brad Pitt and is based on a best selling book. Not only that, but it is coming out when the Walking Dead Television show is one of the most popular shows on. Needless to say this movie has big hype to live up to.

Here is the basic gist of the entire film:

Brad Pitt plays Gerry a retired UN employee who watches as his city is torn apart due to zombies.  He is able to escape to a Navy vessel where they convince him to help them solve the zombie problem. Convince is really the wrong word, in actuality they force him. They threatened that they would not allow his family to remain under military custody if he does not comply.  So he leaves his family and flies all over to various parts of the world in order to see how others were coping under the disaster. He also is trying to find the possibility of a cure. Insert lots of action and near death encounters.  Eventually Gerry ends up in a facility where they come up with a plan to help stop the invasion.

What I liked:

This is one of the most original takes on a zombie movie I have seen. You saw the main character travel to different locations and watch them deal with the crisis and how it started. Along with that, the entire movie was action packed. From about minute five on, there were explosions and people being attacked. The effects were fantastic with visuals that were incredible to watch.  There are many scenes where zombies are crawling over each other in order to overcome obstacles. It was an exciting movie and parts were definitely startling but it didn't feel like a horror movie. Which surprisingly I liked.  I also thought Brad Pitt did a great job, his role seemed different then ones you usually see him play.  He wasn't flashy, just subtle and effective.

The spoilers begin here stop reading if you care:

The film concluded with them finding a solution to the zombie problem. They found a way to be present among the zombies and not be attacked.  I thought this was genius, I have never seen this before I thought it was very original in a genre it is hard to be original in.

What I hated:

So Gerry and a soldier who was wounded during an attack end up on a plane.  The plane ends up crashing, and where does it crash? It ends up crashing right next to the WHO (World Health Organization).  I know its a movie but this seemed completely unreasonable and unrealistic.  

The movie was not very climactic, it just kind of ends. He finds the cure and the movie is basically over.  It just felt like the payoff wasn't there for such a great build up.  This could be because of the constant action all throughout the movie there was no way for it to top itself at the end.

Overall:

This is a fun watch.  Whether you like zombie type movies or not it is worth seeing. The visuals alone are worth going to see the movie. If you like brad Pitt or have no true opinion of him this is a good role for him.  He is not the typical Bad ass he usually plays.  He is smart, soft spoken and can still handle himself in tough situations.  Even though this is basically an action movie his character is not a typical action hero which is intriguing.

As I mentioned at the top of the page there are people who will not like this movie.  I have heard it is nothing like the book and goes against a lot of what the author thinks of zombies.  People get passionate about this sort of thing and I understand.  So if you have a strong loyal tie to the book or you hate running zombies then you probably won't like it.

Boom! That's all folks! Be calm and kiss zombies!

The Heat a movie review: The angle of the dangle is proportional to the heat...

When I hear the words, comedy, Sandra Bullock and Marlon Wayans I usually run for the door or at least a large bottle of alcohol. I am talking about the movie The Heat which was released on June 28th. The plot of this movie looked really generic and there are other movies I would rather see. With that said, my wife really wanted to see this movie and I enjoy Melissa McCarthy so we went and saw it.

If you search for "man dragged to movie" this is one of the pictures that comes up.

Here is the basic gist of the entire film:

The plot of every buddy cop comedy ever...except they are women.

You probably want a little more then that huh? Okay, well Sandra Bullock is an uptight FBI agent who gets paired with the trashy foul mouthed McCarthy. They dislike each other but slowly warm up to one another as they work a case to catch a bad guy. Wackiness ensues.

The Heat...get it?

Overall:

By my description of the plot above you probably think I hated it.  You would be wrong.  This movie was pretty funny, I laughed out loud several times.  Yes, the plot is weak and the story generic but as far as I can remember I have never seen a buddy cop movie done with women.  Which at times made it feel original but also familiar.  But the gem of the movie is by far Melissa McCarthy.  Her brand of humor is blunt, witty and fresh all at the same time.  For the first half of the movie I thought really anyone could have played Sandra Bullock's role and for the most part that could be true.  But you could really see the chemistry between the two grow and really click on screen.  The timing and banter between them really worked and made you want to see what they would do next. This is unlike the movie "Identity Theft" which also stars McCarthy. Even paired with the very funny Jason Bateman they could not save that movie from feeling tired.

One thing that this movie made real clear is that raunchy female comedies are critical and financial successes. Like Bridesmaids before it, this movie has many out there, gross out moments.  Which I think is one of the reasons it does feel new. One moment in particular was that the title of the film is a direct reference made about Bullock's vagina when wearing spanks. I wouldn't rush out and see 'The Heat" but I would definitely make it a point to check it out eventually.

Oh, I forgot to mention Tom Wilson is also in it...Butt head!

Boom! That's all folks! Melissa McCarthyism is spreading!

The Lone Ranger review: Batman and Robin of the West!

As always I want to point some things out so you understand my perspective before reading my review:

1) I have never seen, heard or read anything dealing with the character of the Lone Ranger that I can clearly recall.  I am aware of him and that he has a horse named Silver and a side kick who is Native-American named Tonto.  I also remember that his catch phrase was "High-ho silver Away!" I am not sure how, probably just through pop culture references on television and my parents.

2) I love Johnny Depp.  He is my favorite actor currently in main stream cinema even though he has put out some stinkers recently like: The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, Alice in Wonderland, The Rum Diary and Jack and Jill. Recently I also for the first time ever, consciously avoided his last remake movie that was released (Dark Shadows) because it looked absolutely terrible beyond belief. So I am excited to see him in a new movie that looks entertaining and fun.

With that said here is my simple review of the movie The Lone Ranger:

I could not decide if this picture was really stupid or hilarious...you decide.

If you have seen the previews to this movie you probably think this movie should be named Tonto.  It seems like Johnny Depp is the lead and the movie is mostly about him.  However much to my surprise this was not the case.  I thought they did a good job of balancing both characters, but having the Lone Ranger still be the general focus.

Here is the basic gist of the entire film:

A young boy (Mason Cook) meets Tonto (Johnny Depp) an elderly Comanche warrior, who gives the narration of the story of the film while telling the boy the story of Tonto and John Reid's (Armie Hammer) relationship. The movie then goes on to tell the story of how Reid and a group of Texas rangers were murdered.  Reid survives and is told by Tonto that he is a spirit walker.  A horse (who is later named Silver) has also appeared to help them on their journey.  The movie goes on to have a lot of action and explosives in order to tell the story of how Reid and Tonto become partners. The story also highlights how they go on to stop the bad guys who killed the rangers (one of them Reid's brother) and how they also stop them from getting a huge amount of silver that caused some problems in Tonto's past.

Overall:

I thought this was a decent fun action packed movie.  I mean it won't win any awards and it isn't very original, but it's entertaining. I was afraid the whole movie was going to be about Tonto as the previews suggested but as I mentioned above, that was not the case. They did a great job of eliminating the side kick aspect and making them more as partners who in the end choose to work together. Knowing nothing about the characters beforehand I mostly felt like I was watching The Batman and Robin of the west.  The character of the Lone Ranger essentially becomes a vigilante and makes his own rules in order to bring justice.

As for the two leads, Armie Hammer is fine as the Lone Ranger but the role doesn't really call for too much. Depp on the other hand does what he normally does. He is a little bit crazy, a littler unique and funny all at the same time.  What is so great about Depp is that he brings a classic sensibility to his roles.  He brings a lot of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin persona's to Tonto that works very well in most cases.  There is a Vaudeville feel to the humor when he is on screen and I think it gels nicely here. Depp obviously steals the show here and is probably what most people will talk about when positively discussing this movie.

The overall feeling of the film felt very modern even though it was a western.  Certain shots are slow motion action that you don't normally see in the western genre.  I am not quite sure why this movie has been critically panned.  It is a good watch and really injects the western genre with some adrenaline we haven't seen in a while.  Once again I am not Saying this is a mind Blowing movie but it is easily a 3 (possibly 4 depending on my mood) out of 5 stars. If you like westerns or Johnny Depp I would go check it out.

As I was writing this I saw another preview for the movie and got a little excited. It made me want to go see it again, this time focusing on Depp and the essence of the movie rather than the basic plot and the many action sequences and explosions.

Boom! That's all folks! West Siiiiiiiiiiiddddddeeeee!