robbalvey

OK, looks like I need to hop on that ban-wagon and start removing some people from this forum if this crap doesn't fix itself really quick...

We all are almost always at these events together.

There's no appropriate response to that. Again, I'd just reiterate KBrylczyk's warning to anyone who clicks the Daily Star link posted above that it does show people being injured as well as the usual stuff you'll see on that website. Is there a reason you’re being a complete ass? Because it’s really not a good look for you.

We recently got to check out the new Gran Destino Tower as part of the Coronado Resort at Walt Disney World. First of all, I just have to say this new addition is absoultely BEAUTIFUL! Everything about it from the exterior of the resort, the interior lobby areas, the rooms, the views, etc... It's just FANTASTIC! And best of all? It's still considered a "Moderate" in terms of pricing when it comes to Disney World resorts. I was honestly blown away by the level of quality and when you walk in, the place feels more like a "Four Seasons" which speaks volumes for the expectations raised in a moderate resort. This resort also kicks off some new expansions when it comes to hotel properties at Walt Disney World. Not only do we have this tower opening, but also the DVC tower coming soon to Caribbean Beach, and then of course the new "Star Wars" Hotel which is currently in development. Coronado Springs has always been one of the "convention" resorts at Disney World so not only does it focus on family vacations to the parks, but also the businesses that hold their meetings and events on property. This new tower and the newer facilities that have been upgraded and added most certainly fit both types of travelers to Walt Disney World. Anyway, enough text.... let's get onto some photos & video! Here's a video showing off a look at the rooms and some of the new features of the hotel: [fbvideonew] [/fbvideonew] And of course... PHOTOS! So many families and business travelers will start their vacation at Walt Disney World right here! And I can't think of a better place to be! The new Gran Destino Tower is beautiful! I love the design of the tower.... ...and WOW! The lobby ares are just amazing! This is considered a "moderate" resort, but it looks like a high-end place to me! It is of course, Disney, so they never forget one thing.... Seriously, though, this lobby and lounge area is awesome! This is the "Barcelona Lounge" (and yes, in case you didn't know, Coronado Springs has a Spanish theme and vibe to it!) Menu, please? I love the idea of building your own drink! The new smart elevator system has made its way to Walt Disney World! When you arrive at the elevators, instead of pressing an "up or down" button, you press what floor you need to go to. The screen directs you to what elevator will take you to your destination. You head to that elevator and off you go! There are no buttons inside so you just have to trust Willy Wonka to take you to the floor of your dreams! Here's a look at one of the King rooms. I love the modern, slightly more "classy" look of the place. There's plenty of desk space in case you need to "work" during your vacation... or if you just have lots of bags of Minnie Ears and you need a place to put them! Speaking of storage space, one of the nice things about these rooms has taken a page from the Disney Cruise Line staterooms... ...elevated beds so you can unpack, and the store your empty luggage under the bed! We do this all the time on the Cruise Ships, and it's a great idea for the resort hotels also! Especially when you're staying on property a week or longer! Oh yeah, lots of USB and traditional power outlets in the rooms as well! Here's a look at one of the living room areas of the larger suites. Love the decor in here! It would not be a Disney resort without some "Hidden Mickey's." Do you see it? Need some help finding him? THERE he is!!! Oh, don't forget about the amazing views! No matter what side of the tower you are on, you either have an amazing view of the lagoon or the theme parks! And you can see in the center of the lagoon is the new "Three Bridges Bar & Grill" which opened earlier this year. This new area is wonderful! I love the seating right on the water. It's open air and even in the warmer summer nights it is cooled by larger fans and is just a great place to "hang out" at the hotel. The food and drinks are fantastic here as well! Plenty of "snacks" and "small plates" while you hang out. These Chicken Sliders were fantastic! And these churros actually had a bit of a "kick" to them! The new bar is a great place to down several pitchers of Sangria and raise a glass to the new Gran Destino Tower! Speaking of back at the tower, here's a look at the Concierge Lounge. And while I didn't get too many photos in here, let me direct you to the most important item.... ...Mickey Mouse shaped sugar cubes for your coffee!!!! (what can I say, I'm EASILY amused!) Speaking of more "Mickey's" even the hallways include some subtle little touches... See him? Fun Fact! The Grand Destino is actually based on an animated short film from Walt Disney and Salvador Dalí! It's kind of weird, but most certainly worth checking out! The meeting and event spaces were also VERY impressive! This is not your typical "business meeting!" Leave it to Disney to make meetings and conventions FUN and relaxing! The top floor of the tower features quite possibly the most exciting feature about it! Two dining venues are on the top floor, the first being the Dahlia Lounge. This is a fantastic bar to come hang out in and unwind after a day at the parks! The park views from up here are also FANTASTIC! Great area to view fireworks from! And then the star attraction of the top floor is the Toledo Restaurant! Again, just like the rest of the hotel, it looks AMAZING!!! And the food? OMG! That right there is different ages of Montego Cheese on one plate! 3, 6, 9, and 12 months! If you like steak...they have it! And it was delicious! Scallops? You bet! This might be a little too much Squidward for me, but I know some people who would LOVE this! The desserts here were also just fantastic! That is a brownie where every bite is a different flavor! Cheesecake, Dark Chocolate, Raspberry, and more! CRAZY! I love the smashed bottle plates that the tapas comes on! Just a great idea! Of course the hotel also looks just GORGEOUS at night! And finally... it wouldn't be a grand opening without Mickey Mouse doing the honors! I had a fantastic time staying the new Gran Destino hotel! Was fun hanging out with friends. And a HUGE THANK YOU to Walt Disney World for inviting us out and hosting us during our stay! THANK YOU!

It wasn't a competition. I know that's a REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY hard concept for a Californian to grasp. Trust me, I grew up there and this kind of obnoxious "I'm better than you" attitude is one of the reasons I couldn't stand to live there anymore, so please don't go telling me that "your quake was better my quake" because, you weren't at both and neither was I, and... again, I know this is a REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY hard concept for most Californians to grasp but IT REALLY DOES NOT MATTER.

Cassy & Travis are out at the media event for Steel Curtain today! Here's the POV video and their rider cam! Enjoy!

OMG. Twice? TWICE?!?!?! You've been through TWO WHOLE EARTHQUAKES!!!!! WOW!!!!!!!! I simply CANNOT BELIEVE THAT!!!! That is just CRA-CRA-CRAZY!!!!! I grew up in Southern California. I spent 30+ years there. I have also spent on average about 2 weeks a year in Japan since 2004. I have probably been in no less than 30 moderate to major earthquakes in my life.... Man, what a p**sy you must be!!! Ok, I just have to address this because it might be the stupidest thing I'm going to read all year. Maybe even the last 2-5 years. And I'm assuming based on how insanely stupid this is, that anything I might tell you may not sink in because, anyone who would write something that insanely stupid could not possibly comprehend something intelligent, but DAMMIT, I'm going to give it a try.... First of all, I don't think you quite even understand "hurricanes" because it's not like hurricanes are hitting the east coast every five minutes. We may get a half a dozen a year at best, and it's not like every one that rolls through is a Cat. 5 Hurricane. Just like not every earthquake you get in California is a 7.1 hitting right under a major metropolitan area doing significant damage where thousands of people die. Sure, we get thunder and lightning storms every day (here in Orlando) that would probably bring most Californian's to tears. This is a "realitime" lightning map from the other day... [twitter] [/twitter] And when a somewhat significant hurricane DOES roll through, like Irma in 2017, that's pretty much your house shaking and making weird noises for a few hours as the hundred+ MPH winds and rain storms are hitting your home. Now we were "safe" throughout that, but I will tell you, having lived in SoCal, it was kind of like being in an earthquake that lasted several hours. And yes, in our neighborhood we had trees down, concrete areas destroyed, canopies on buildings blown away, signage down, and if I wanted to focus on all that minor damage and create a video that make it LOOK like the end of the world hit our town, I probably could have. But I wouldn't, because as scary as it was *at that time* it really wasn't that big of a deal, and you immediately move on with your life without having to draw attention to yourself. "Earthquakes are a special kind of terrifying." But so are hurricanes, tornados, tropical storms, tsunamis, lightning storms, and driving on I-405, so what makes you think you are so special? I mean, sure, earthquakes are terrifying, I guess if you think you are ACTUALLY GOING TO DIE or something. But if you're not smart enough to realize that the "odds are in your favor" and if you look at even some of the WORST recorded earthquakes in California, take the largest in recent history, Northridge quake that happened TWENTY YEARS AGO (and yes, I was there, it was bad but way waaaaay over dramatized), where the death toll was a staggering 57 people compared to Hurricane Katrina where nearly 2,000 people lost their lives. (And note that of the 57 who died in the Northridge Quake, many of them were noted to have died of indirect causes like heart attacks.) In comparison, I can see the stats that in 2018, the state of California reported around 3,651 motor-vehicle deaths on their freeways, so if earthquakes are a "special kind of terrifying" where 57 people died twenty years ago, shouldn't just getting in your car and driving to work be exponentially MORE terrifying??? Using the logic of "a lamp is shaking" during an Earthquake shouldn't most Californians be posting on a daily basis "OH MY GOD!!! I JUST GOT IN MY CAR!!!! OMG OMG OMG!!! I MIGHT DIE!!!!!" (maybe I shouldn't be giving them any idea?) It just seems to me that most Californias LOOOOOOVE to draw attention to themselves whenever an earthquake, no matter how severe happens, and they make it out to me the most DISASTROUS thing that has ever happened. Seriously, if I had to sit through one more video of someone going "OH. MY. GOD... A LAMP IS SHAKING.... **A LAMP IS SHAKING!!!!!!!** Seriously, I'm not over exaggerating. Posts like that ACTUALLY EXIST!!! And I'm just sitting here going... FFS, your lamp is shaking but I just had a lightning strike in my backyard and it is NO BIG DEAL and no one here is freaking out about it or reporting it, or "marking themselves safe" in our "daily lightning storms." Another case in point, last summer we were in Osaka Station in Japan when that 6.1 earthquake HIT FREAKING OSAKA!!! The epicenter was 3.5 miles away from us. You have NO IDEA how hard we felt that one. The jolt knocked people to the ground where we were standing. And yes, it was on the news, and yes, some of the train lines were down most of the day, and yes, people were "concerned" but you know what? I will tell you that, an hour later, from Osaka station, we hopped on a train and went to another amusement park and most people just "went about their day" because they know that, as "terrifying" as it COULD be, they know that it's really nothing to make a huge deal out of. And by the next day everything was perfectly back to normal. But California, on the other hand.... OMG!!! STUFF JUST FELL OFF THE SHELF IN THIS ONE STORE IN THIS REMOTE AREA SO EVERYONE BRING YOUR CAMERAS AND SHOW THIS ONE STORE WITH WINE BOTTLES FALLING AND CRASHING AND PLAY THAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN TO THE REST OF THE WORLD TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE LOS ANGELES IS CRUMBLING TO THE GROUND!!!! And that is EXACTLY what it looks like to everyone else and that is EXACTLY how California wants it to look. They want as much "Hollywood" as they can squeeze out of pretty much anything to draw more attention and drama because that's just what they do. I would have a lot more respect for those people in SoCal when an earthquake hit if there were all "Oh, that happened, we're fine... let me go back to eating my sandwich now..." you know... like they do in Japan but instead, all I see is... Look, I get it... California DOESN'T have earthquakes every day so that's why it is "news." But you have to see how blown out of proportion it is being made. I mean, when you have this level of earthquake... Yes, THAT is big news. Yes, that would be more than acceptable to show the world because that is a REAL disaster! But lamps shaking and wine bottles crashing? C'mon guys. You're California. You have Hollywood and Beyonce... do you REALLY need to be that insecure? /end rant Clearly, you've never had to quickly huddle under a table in a restaurant you were eating at for an hour because a tornado popped up a couple of miles away destroying a neighboring town. Or had hotel security come down the hallway of the rooms shouting "GET OUT AS QUICKY AS YOU CAN. GET IN YOUR CARS AND HEAD SOUTH!!!!" You should give it a try sometime!

It was not in the main film, no. There are no new songs in the movie. There are some in the credits. Not sure which those were though.

Yes. It is basically a shot-for-shot remake of the original.

WOW! If The Lion King doesn't become the #1 highest grossing animated film of all time, I'll be shocked! Now *THIS* is how Disney should be doing all those re-makes. A perfect retelling of the original animated movie using current technology animation! While I haven't minded those "live action" films, I have to say that I haven't walked away from any of them feeling the need to see them again. But The Lion King? This is *PERFECTION!* And yes, I said "animated." I personally do not consider this film to be "live action" as there isn't anything "real" about it. Even director Jon Favreau himself is quoted saying: "There’s no real animals and there’s no real cameras and there’s not even any performance that’s being captured that’s underlying data that’s real. Everything is coming through the hands of artists." The film is most certainly "photo realistic" but it is not, in my opinion, "live action." And this is not a bad thing, either! In fact, I prefer it! I had always thought that instead of these live action re-makes, I would have rather Disney just take the original animated film, like Aladdin for example, and do a shot-for-shot remake using today's technology in animation. Imagine what the "Whole New World" sequence would look like if it was animated using the technology from Moana, for example. And that's kind of what Lion King exactly did! I appreciated that the new film, while not exactly a shot-for-shot remake, was close enough to the original movie that you knew every beat point, every song, every moment. So no spoilers here, if you saw the original animated movie, you know everything in this new film. And that's fine. The Lion King is a timeless classic on its own. There was was no need to add any new music or additional scenes to it. They didn't NEED to "improve" any of the storytelling in Lion King, but it was sure nice to see it be "updated." It is almost like what they are doing with retro video games coming out on updated consoles. A game like Final Fantasy VII doesn't NEED anything new added to it, but you'd love to play it on an updated console with current technology and art styles. Initially I had even though "why not just take the original voice acting and audio and re-make the animation based on that?" but the new cast works perfectly well, and of course having James Earl Jones as Mufasa was a very good choice. If you're going to keep one original actor from the first film, that's the keeper! (I probably would have liked to have seen Jeremy Irons return as well, but I was fine with the new voice acting for Scar.) I also was wondering if the "photo realistic" look of the movie would be a distraction, but it really wasn't at all. The fact that they didn't use "real animals" and lay voice overs on top of them worked so well. In the first five minutes of the film with that opening sequence that EVERYONE knows, you're drawn in and everything "just works." I'm really hoping this re-make blows all the rest of them out of the water at the box office and makes Disney realize "huh...maybe we don't need to be 're-making' these films as live action or telling a different version of the story, but instead just updating our already beloved classics to today's technology." It is almost like Jon Favreau and his team took Mufasa's advice... "Remember who you are... remember." The Lion King opens in theaters on July 19th and we strongly recommend you go see it!

Here's a new video showing off the current construction of Tron Lightcycle Power Run. Word on the street is that the walls should start going up pretty soon and we will no longer be able to see the track! So enjoy it while you can!

Map packs are all gone! Huge THANK YOU to everyone who supported our Coasting For Kids riders that benefit Give Kids The World! If you would still like to donate "out of kindness" please visit their pages: Bert: http://support.gktw.org/site/TR/CoastingForKids/General?px=1417173&pg=personal&fr_id=1887 Jake: http://support.gktw.org/site/TR/CoastingForKids/General?px=1021158&pg=personal&fr_id=1887

We only have TWO of the map packs above left! 21 maps in total, and yes there will be BONUS STUFF! Donate $25 to EITHER of these two participants to get one! BERT: http://support.gktw.org/site/TR/CoastingForKids/General?px=1417173&pg=personal&fr_id=1887 JAKE: http://support.gktw.org/site/TR/CoastingForKids/General?px=1021158&pg=personal&fr_id=1887

Doing another map pack giveaway for donations on our Twitter: FIVE of these are available! GO NOW!!!

Prize has been claimed! That went fast!!!

We are giving away a pretty amazing TPR "Bag-O-Crap" on our Twitter in exchange for donations to the upcoming Six Flags Fiesta Texas event! Trust me, you will NOT be disappointed with this collection in exchange for your donation! There will be a lot added that isn't even pictured! Note that it includes FIVE special Disney Maps that were "one day only" exclusives: Star Wars Galaxy's Edge, Disney's Hollywood Studios 30th, Epcot 35, Pandora, and Animal Kingdom's 20th.

No, it actually does. Trust me. I have seen EVERY TYPE of screen based attraction known to man. At parks, at IAAPA, honestly, I've been around the world and seen a lot of screen based attractions. Seriously, you cannot in any way convince me that these screens are BETTER than having a physical set, an iconic reveal and animatronics. Don't try to even go there. I get that there are going to be Universal apologists. But this is just not acceptable in any way, IMO. It's a shame they are probably going to ruin all the other Jurassic Park rides in the process. And seriously if one more person says "Oh, the screens are better because you can't see the parking lot anymore", I honestly will hop on a plane and punch the living shit out of that person. Because that is the STUPIDEST FUCKING excuse for apologizing why a bunch of TV screens replaced something that was actually impressive.

Those fall under the "that whole section is a complete mess" category!

Who pays the bills again?

Well, I that's possibly because their whole business is about putting things on screens. As silly as it sounds, that might factor into the logic of why so many of their attractions are overrun by screens See, it's funny that you say that. When Universal started getting more serious in the theme park business, their slogan was "Ride The Movies".... And while not all of their attractions were physical rides (Back to the Future, for example) they really did sell guests on "being put in the middle of movie scene" for example, Jaws, E.T., Kong, Earthquake, etc. And those were all supposed to be these "movies come to life" ... "It's the only place where everything that happens in the movies, happens to you." The prided themselves on those physical rides. Universal Studios was not a "passive" experience. It was "active" and you were put right in the middle of that action. The original Jurassic Park attraction fell right into the philosophy as it opened not that much longer after Universal Studios Orlando opened, and Universal in general was upping their game for creating real physical attractions. And then sometime after Men In Black and Mummy that all kind of changed. Not sure why. Expense maybe? And we started seeing tons of these screen-based "immersion" rides pop up. When it was something really innovative like Spider-Man, it was amazing (pun intended), but then when it just started becoming a copy/paste with different themes, it became "old and stupid." (Anyone remember that Universal throwback?) lol I've been more hopeful that we would start to see more attractions from Universal that were more like the original Jurassic Park, Men in Black or Mummy... and while Hagrid's is most certainly a much needed welcome over all the more recent screen rides, it didn't come close, in terms of story, as some of the other past attractions, like Mummy. I would love nothing more to see Universal go back to their "Ride the Movies" philosophy because IMO that's when they were at their best. That was the era where they were making rides that made you seriously question who was better at themed attractions.... Disney or Universal? And now? The answer is pretty obvious...

The media looks fine. It just shouldn't be there and it's not needed. And while I know you can never quite judge a ride by a video, I can 100% guarantee, based on all those screen rides I've been on all over the world, my reaction from actually riding it wouldn't be any different from watching that video...

Yep. I mean, that "Welcome to Jurassic Park" moment has been ranked in the "Top 100 Movie Moments of All-Time" by many different outlets... I just cannot even comprehend why Universal would want to change that. It should be an attractions designers #1 rule that you never EVER replace a real physical set that includes an iconic grand reveal and "larger than life" animatronics... with TV screens and water sprays. Shame on Universal...

The part before the final drop? It looks like they added a couple of new dinosaurs in there. They for sure added this one that pokes his head out at you... But let's be honest, he looks like he was picked up on the cheap at one of those Chinese dinosaur animatronic companies I keep getting spam emails from!

Did we watch the same video!??!? The indoor tank section is like a lesser immersive version than Orlando's Kong or Supercharged and those rides are already underwhelming. And the main indoor section was just a mess. No real story or anything and just random stuff everywhere with a bad looking new dinosaur animatronic at the end. I would honestly question anyone's "opinion" who would rather have a bunch of TV screens and water sprays than a practical set with real animatronics. "Awesome" or "incredible" are absoultely not words I would imagine many people using to describe this re-do....

Absoultely the "soul" of the ride is gone. I honestly just do not understand how this got approved or how anyone thought this was a good idea.