The Universal Question

Our latest trip to Universal Orlando

When I first started to go to Walt Disney World for my vacations I was the person that would only step foot in "the other park" for only one day, while looking down on them for their none Disney ways. But as our travels increased, and I started to research more about what the Universal Parks and Resorts had to offer, my curiosity started to get the best of me.

First trip to Hogsmeade and I didn’t even get
a picture of both of us. 

Let me start at the beginning a little more. In 2011, the only reason we wanted to go to Universal was like everyone else, for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It had just opened in 2010 and I had to see what it was about. Once we had rode Forbidden Journey, eaten at 3 Broomsticks, explored the shops, and had our butter beer we left Islands of Adventure. We had spent maybe 4 hours in the park, and most of that was waiting in line  for Forbidden Journey. The rest of the day was walking around Universal Studios, and only riding ET. We walked out around 4 to grab dinner at Hard Rock Cafe and got a ride back to our resort by 7 pm. 

The next trip was pretty much a carbon copy. The only difference was they were announcing the new Transormer’s ride, so naturally we stayed to see the announcement but skipped out of the press event after when Optimus and Bumblebee came out. We had made it back to the hotel before the late news. 

It was this trip that brought a question to me and my fiancé at the time. Before their nighttime show (it was water screens and horrible), a family from Alabama was standing next to us. They stated that they did universal for a week but would take one day to do all the Disney parks. We were appalled, how could you spend just one day in one of the most immersive theme parks in the world? 

We started to get antsy to get back when they announced that Diagon Alley was going to be coming in 2014.  I made one trip in 2013 just to beat a non theme park fan to ride Transformers, but nothing else in between 2012 and 2014. So our one day trip in 2014 was booked for our honeymoon. 

Diagon Alley

It was walking into Diagon Alley that I learned the detail of which Universal was taking great care of, and going above and beyond for theming. The Disney community was still waiting for Pandora to open (announced in 2011 and opened in 2017) while Diagon Alley has been announced in 2011 and opened in half the time. 

Universal had started to step the game up on theming and listening to the consumer. Since Diagon Alley opened, we have had at least 1 major attraction open each year,  3 hotels (2 more on the way), and a well themed water park open. Not to mention the Nintendo land announcement, and the land bought to build another park. 

Volcano Bay

When Volcano Bay opened in 2017, I decided to book my first exclusive Universal Trip. This is what changed my mind. We stayed in the fabulously themed Cabana Bay resort towers with a view of the water park. While we didn’t go in to the main dry parks, experiencing the “bubble” of Universal was a delight. The modes of transportation, the walkability of the resort, and once again the details of the parks fully brought me in. 

It was obvious that this wasn’t a Disney resort or Park. But it was it’s own competitive beast. Pushing Disney to up what they were offering. The Universal resort was much more older family friendly, with the thrill seeking and laid back ways. The offerings of seasonal events were much different and a welcome sight to me. 

For the first time ever, in 2017 I made another trek to Universal, but this time for Halloween Horror Nights.  I had heard so many things about this after hours event that were positive, but because I had my Disney blinders on, it would have never lived up to my experience that I wanted. But boy was I wrong. Walking through the park and getting scared, laughing at others getting scared, or seeing the Teammebers having a good time with their job just made the atmosphere even better. 

Last year became the year of Disney and Universal. I ended up at Universal 3-4 times. Mardi Gras, TA Training, HHN, And a random trip. I’m no longer planning on when to go to just Walt Disney world, but when to go to Universal and stay in the new resort or ride the new ride. 



With that long timeline to say this: Universal is not the park of the past. While they know where they come from, they are pushing to the future. If the Wizarding World hadn’t of been as detailed as it is, we wouldn’t have gotten Pandora or Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge in a way that they are coming. The increase of thrill rides at Universal is pushing Disney to put more attractions in their parks. Who knows with the idea of a 3rd dry park coming to Universal, Disney May consider a 5th park at the Walt Disney World resort. 

Even in the food offerings, Universal started to push what theme park food is, or what people will stop and eat on the way out of the park. Butterbeer’s popularity gave Disney an idea to make a lesser Lefou’s Brew, Toothsome’s Chocolate Emporium’s extravagant shakes were cloned at Planet Hollywood and Beaches and cream. Volcano Bay brought tacos, pizza, artisan burgers and much more to a water park. 

On the hotel side of things, Universal has become a lot more competitive with pricing and offerings. Every hotel that they have built is within walking distance of the theme park area, including the two new resorts (just a bit more of a hike). Speaking of new resorts both Dock Side and Beach scheduled to open this year and next year)side will be some of the cheapest resorts on either Disney or Universal properties, starting at $79 a night for a standard or $111 for a family suite! Amenities are catering to the younger generation, Aventura has an iPad in each room that controls lighting, a/c, tv, lets you log into streaming services, and even text the front desk. These small accommodations are things that Universal are looking to up their guest experience. While Disney is taking away the uniqueness of each resort with remodels, Universal is staying creative. 

Without this healthy competition in Orlando, Disney or Universal might just sit stale and let you live on  nostalgia for a few years while introducing small attractions here and there. 

If there’s only one thing I want to get across in this post, it’s that you don’t need to underestimate the competitors of Disney. Whether SeaWorld, Legolas’s, Universal, FunSpot, or Busch Gardens each one has their unique attractions that can bring more to your vacations. So if you only do Walt Disney World each trip I beg you to just look down the street and see the amazing things that Universal has to offer!

DisEnvy 100: The Reboot!

 

Boy, has it been a while since I have posted anything, almost three years. In fact the last thing I posted was the interview with Traci Hines.  A lot of things happened in those three years. Main Street Electrical Parade left Magic Kingdom and went to Disneyland...and retired. Pandora: The Valley of Moara FINALLY opened. Ellen's Energy Adventure, Great Movie Ride, Rafiki's Planet Watch, Pizza Planet, and a few other place have closed. Monorails are breaking down, and rumors are swirling that the cancelation of the Main Street Theater construction is for new monorails. New hotels have been built, announced, and started construction on. 

As for my family, we have been to Walt Disney World...a lot, I have found a new love for Universal Studios Orlando, made a trip to SeaWorld, and a couple of trips out west to Disneyland. I have also become a Disney and Universal Travel Agent. Through all these trips, I have loved to learn more about the history of the attractions, parks, and the people behind the making of them. 

Looking forward to what you can expect from the blog in general is just that. I will still bring you some trip reports and news from the theme parks, but I would like to focus on what to expect when you make your trip to one of these parks, and help with some trip planning details.  Eventually, I would like to stretch my legs and jump into the YouTube game, and try my hand at vlogging or maybe a weekly news update.  One thing that will change is our contributors, I will be bringing some friends in to write some posts about theme park topics that they think will be beneficial to you.

Like I said before, I have discovered a new found love for the Universal Resorts and you will be starting to hear a lot more about these parks and what they have to offer on this blog. In fact, the next post I plan on writing will be a Universal and Walt Disney World difference post. 

Thank you so much for sticking with us as we start this transition. I look forward to this reboot of the blog, and what can be offered. 

DisEnvy Interview: Traci Hines

Traci Hines has made a name for herself over the past few years. With videos going back 7 years on YouTube,  Traci started small and worked her way to the prominent figure in the Disney fanbase, with her own take on the classic Disney songs. Watching her videos, you see that Traci has even taken the looks of the characters to become her own, so much so, that she created her own clothing line that you see many young girls wearing in the parks. We were lucky to have Traci answer a few questions for us. Please go and support this wonderful and talented artist!


What is your history with Disney and makes you so passionate about the Disney Culture?

I've been a Disney fan ever since I can remember. I think Snow White was the first movie my mom ever took me to see in theaters. My parents tell me I made them play Cinderella on repeat. As a toddler my favorite song to sing was "I've Got No Strings" from Pinocchio. But it wasn't until I saw The Little Mermaid (in theaters!) when I was about 4 years old that I remember actually feeling that Disney magic. I saw something in Ariel that went beyond make believe. I knew someone had to give that beautiful animated mermaid her voice, and I decided that was what I wanted to do one day...sing and give my voice to cartoons! I became inspired and very driven from a young age towards music and voice acting. And even though I was already "designing" Disney princess gowns (with crayons and coloring book pages) for my grandmother to sew for me back then, I had no idea that I would still be wearing them today! 

I'm not exactly sure why Disney specifically became the fandom that I gravitated most to, both as a kid and still to this day, but I think it's because the classic Disney films, at least my favorites, always took me away to fantasy worlds. In Disney movies anything can happen. There is also so much nostalgia wrapped up in Disney for me. Especially with the movies Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland. The notion of never growing up, exploring new worlds, storytelling through music and finding true love and happy endings are all things that speak to me deeply. I'm a dreamer and an optimist, and I love the ideals that Disney instilled in me and countless others like me who've grown up with it: Anything is possible.  It might sound cliche, but I love getting lost in a fairytale, and I love the feeling that I get when I explore these films and characters. I find bits of myself in so many of them, and find so much inspiration in their stories.

What got you into cosplaying and what was your response when you started getting recognized as a prominent role in the community?

I always say that I've been cosplaying my whole life, because my obsession with dressing up in a costume began when I was a little girl...only thing was, I never grew out of it. But for me, costuming has always been attached to performing. I often refrain from calling myself a cosplayer because I'm honestly not quite sure that I am one. (Shocker! I know! haha). It depends on your definition of cosplay I suppose. Most of my costuming now is created for music videos, and I design all my own Disney inspired costumes, but I'm not skilled at sewing by any means, so I usually collaborate with other designers that I love to create the garment. (I have made some of my own costumes in the past, but I'm never fully happy with the quality of my work when I'm the one at the sewing machine!) So for those that consider true cosplayers to be the folks that make absolutely everything themselves, and do it primarily for convention appearances or photo shoots, I wouldn't exactly qualify. But if you're like me, and you consider cosplay to have a broader umbrella and use the term for anyone who dresses up in a costume to celebrate a fandom they love (in any way they choose, and anywhere) then perhaps I am one after all. I usually just refer to myself as a singer (and designer, when I'm asked about my costuming and clothing line, AdorkableApparel.com). 

I feel like I found the cosplay community for the first time with my first visit to Anime Expo years ago. I had already been a huge Sailor Moon & Pokemon fan and had been dressing up in Sailor Scout costumes for Halloween for years, but I had recently begun branching out and exploring other anime, and I started attending AX every year, usually in an anime costume of some sort. (Some that I made myself, some that I made with friends, and some that I purchased). When I decided I wanted to cosplay Ariel (my lifelong favorite character bar none) I worked for months with my Aunt to make my very first walking mermaid tail. My dad helped me rig together a mermaid top made of real seashells (that I painted and blinged out to smithereens) and off I went! The response I got that year was mindblowing. I had never experienced anything like that. And that was also the same year I made it as a finalist for AX Idol, the singing competition they used to hold there, and immediately I felt a shift happen in my life. I had already started my youtube channel at that time, so I had a small following for my covers on there, but I think the combo of that first Ariel costume and my exposure in the anime community from being an AX Idol finalist really started it all. I thought it was so funny and wonderful that once I paid homage to my favorite character, (something I did just for me, not because I thought it would be a successful costume). I somehow fell into my niche! Back then, cosplaying as Disney characters at anime conventions wasn't the norm like it is now. In fact, some people who did that were even bullied or made fun of because "Disney isn't anime," but because Ariel was in Kingdom Hearts, I felt justified haha. I did even get some rude comments and some flack for cosplaying Disney at AX that year, but those few negatives were drowned out by all the others who were so vocal about how much they loved Disney, just like me. 
And as for my response to it all, I mostly just felt shocked at how well it was received. That was also around the time that I started making character inspired videos on youtube covering my favorite Disney songs. Those videos, along with a few other pop covers, seemed to do the best, and it was becoming more and more evident to me that I had found my niche. I feel pretty lucky that I fell into such an amazing career. I always knew I would pursue music -and voice acting too if the opportunity came along- but it's really awesome that I am able to integrate even more fantasy elements into my projects with costuming and cosplay. 

What goes into deciding on who you will cosplay next, and how you will make that character your own?

Typically my musical projects dictate what costumes I'm making next. Once in a while I get a costume together for fun or for an event, like a convention or live performance, but most of my costumes now come about because I was inspired or hired to cover a song, or sometimes they're original songs that I write myself, and I want to do more than just record it. I want to create a fantasy video to pair with the music. Since I get so much joy out of escaping to other fantasy worlds when I watch movies like Disney films, Star Wars, Harry Potter, etc., I want to interpret the music into my own telling or retelling of that story. I love translating Disney cartoons into real life, and I love taking inspiration from the fairytales that have shaped my childhood, and using them to fuel my projects now. My goal is also never to create something that is exactly like the original, be it music, the singing performance or the costuming. I want that nostalgia and fairytale feel to translate, but I also want to create my own version of whatever character it is and add a bit of myself into it. I'm not interested in making a costume that "looks exactly like so and so." I would much rather take inspiration from a character's iconic elements and then give it textures and details and richness that it can't show in 2D (or sometimes even 3D) animation. I've realized that my style is much more historical and period, and I like to imagine what a princess's gown would look like in real life....corsets, silks, trims, precious stones...and I often will even make changes to the shape or pattern if it's a better decision for my own figure (ie since I'm short, shortening the corset so the skirt looks longer, thus making me look taller, etc.) or even make changes just because I like another idea or silhouette better. If I can't get creative with a costume and give it a personal touch, I'm not even interested! I love these projects too much to do anything halfway...which is why my projects also tend to take a really long time due to cost and the level of detail my team and I put in.  

You're not only famous for your cosplay, but for your covers of multiple Disney classic songs, what came first, your cosplay or singing career, and how do they impact each other?

So sorry, I think I accidentally already answered this Q above! (-; But reiterating it a bit, they kind of came hand in hand, at least publicly. I've always pursued music and even began voice acting (singing for and playing a character on a kids radio show) when I was in elementary school, so technically I think the music came first, but I didn't really become known in the community until I began my youtube channel and started posting videos in costumes and wearing them to events. Now it's hard to even consider covering a Disney song without at least considering making it a costumed video! It's truly a blessing that I get to be so creative on a regular basis, and I'm so grateful that my audience seems to enjoy these videos. My YouTube exposure even helped open the door for me to get more work as a recording artist and voice actress. Now I'm in the studio pretty regularly recording for kids commercials, radio, apps and video games (though not as many people know about that side of my work) Getting to perform in either capacity is so much fun, and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world because I'm truly living my dream. I'm proof that even if doors slam in your face, (and believe me, they sure did for me back when I tried out acting / VO / music the "traditional" way) if you don't give up and are willing to be flexible and work hard, anything is possible! ...Just like those Disney movies we love so much!

What was it like working with Disney for the show's music in the Tokyo Disneyland, and are there hopes to work with Disney for music in the American parks? 

I had a phenomenal experience working with Tokyo Disneyland last summer for their summer water show. Tokyo Disney is the Disney theme park I want to visit the most-I've always dreamed of traveling to Japan, and now at least my voice has! My producer, Adam Gubman, composes, writes songs and arranges for TDL, and I had actually been recording demos for them with him for years before I was brought in to do the actual session. On this last one I was brought in for the first time as a choral/group singer, but they had me try out a solo line, and ended up liking my voice for the song so much they had me do the vocals for the lead English voice on it! It was an amazing experience and everyone there was so wonderful to work with. I definitely hope I get to continue to work with them. I think we may have something else coming up soon, we'll see! As for singing for Disneyland in CA, that would be a dream come true. As of now there is nothing on the horizon that I know of for working on music for my home park, but I would love the chance to sing for them too if the opportunity ever came up!


Thank you so much Traci for your time. You are a great influence for all the young people aspiring to do what they love. Keep up the great work!

Want to keep up with Traci? Here are some links. 
Social Media:
Twitter
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
SnapChat: tracihines

Support her YouTube Content by becoming a part of the MerCrew
Patreon 

Support her art and passions:
iTunes
Prints
Clothing Line
Booking
Mermaid Me App (Apple Store)


Snail Mail:
Traci Hines c/o Adorkable Apparel1679 E Orangethorpe Ave. #131Atwood, CA 92811-1202

The Wine and Dine Half Half Marathon

It looks like there is a curse on the past two Wine and Dine races. Last year was renamed to the Splash and Dash due to the amount of rain, and this year the race had 6 miles cut off due to strong weather around us. But more on that later.

The Tower of Terror 10 miler has been my race of choice of the past 2 years, and I was looking forward to running it again, until they announced that it wasn't going to happen in 2015. I like the night races, so far the 5 Disney races I have ran have been at night, so I set my goals toward the Wine and Dine half. Really what's 3 more miles? Last year I trained from the day I registered until the day before I went to Disney. I haven't ran but a hand ful of times since my last run in May with my sister. So saying I was unprepared is an understatement. 

I left Thursday morning for the lonely drive down. My wife would join me with some friends on Friday night due to work conflicts. We stayed in Art of Animation in the Finding Nemo suites. There were no host resorts available and this was in walking distance to Pop Century, who was a host resort. 

I was able to make it Orlando and check in by about 3pm, and I wasn't sure that my room was ready as I had gotten a text earlier that it in fact wasn't ready. As I pulled up to security, I got the text stating my room number and that I was good to go. After settling down for a few minutes, I got ready to go into the parks. My only concern that night was seeing Osborne Lights. 

I made to Hollywood Studios and renewed my Annual Pass first thing. Walking into the park, I saw what I had been waiting to see all year, an unobstructed view of the Chinese Theater. Every other time I had been down, either a stage, or plants were placed in front of the view. I was able to just take it in for only a few minutes. I walked back to the Streets of America, where I strolled down to the intersection and just watched. Looking over I noticed Mike from the BOG podcast and walked over and talked for a few minutes before walking around a little more. A couple of things that I enjoyed were the tribute to Jenning Osborne and how much they put into the lights this year. You could tell that they wanted the last year to be big. I bought a pass holder shirt for the Osborne lights and was out of there. 

After seeing the bus line for Magic Kingdom, I decided to go to Epcot and hop on the monorail to see Wishes. I arrived at the park just minutes before the show started. The only place I could find to stand, without going to far down Main Street was the top of the train station. And I couldn't see a thing. But the advantage to this is that I got to people watch and see the reactions of the small kids and older couples. Something I had never done before. It really gives you a better appreciation for what Disney tries to do nightly. 

I made my way to the Hub to take in the completed expansion and I have to say it looks great. I love the additional turrets they put up. It makes you feel like you are more involved with the castle itself. The outer ring helps with getting around the crowds that have gathered for whatever parade or show that happens to be going on in the hub at the time. My favorite Disney World parade, Main Street Electrical, happened while I was in the hub, so I obviously got my spot and watched. It was only after the parade when I noticed that the shirt I had bought for the final year of Osborne had fallen out of my pocket or taken out of my pocket. Either way someone got a free Disney shirt.  I didn't do any attractions that night in Magic Kingdom but loved walking around and taking everything in. 

Friday was a busy day for me. Animal Kingdom had extra magic hours so I took advantage of it, I went to ride Everest, my usual morning rollercoaster. Upon getting to the attraction, the line seemed unusually long for it to be open. A castmember let us know that some of the crew didn't make it in on time so they were still running tests and they would be open in twenty minutes. Unlike some around me, I waited patiently, better be slow to open and safe than quick to open and have harm come to someone. 

I had a couple of fastpasses in Epcot, mainly Soarin, made my way over to the park and took my ride and a stroll through the park. We are collecting the "You Are Here" mugs from Starbucks, so I picked up the Epcot version and headed to Beach club for a ride over to the expo. 

Having gone to 5 or 6 expos before, I didn't think anything of this one. However I made it to ESPN only minutes after the expo officially opened. This was a new experince, long lines everywhere. I waited about 30 minutes for my bib and around an hour for my merchandise purchases. But that's all I wanted and got out and back to the parks pretty fast. 

I headed back to Epcot for just a few minutes and walked around the world showcase. I didn't spend much time in Epcot due to the official lighting of Osborne Lights that I wanted to attend. The weather started to look like it could be bad, so I stopped in ABC for a quick bite and then head to Streets of America once the weather lightened up. It was only an hour before the official lighting, so I walked around for a little bit and got a spot front and center for the presentation.  I had never seen the offical lighting before, and was glad I got to experience it for its last year. The show included a lucky family, Mickey, and Santa Goofy all with some jokes and magic. I really wish I hadn't waited till now to see it. I only stayed for a couple of songs before heading out.

My wife and friends were suppose to come in pretty late that night, so I decided to spend some time in the movie theater so I would stat awake. So going over to AMC at Disney Springs and see Spectre. Seeing the latest show possible, I figured that I would be fine to get out of the movie and walk around a little bit before heading to the resort. As I was casually walking back to the bus to go to the resort, I got the text saying they were mere minutes from the resort. So naturally nothing works for me, a crowd comes from no where, the bus I needed left as I was walking up to the bus stop, and traffic was horrible when I actually got on a bus. Once I was at the resort, I was surprised to see that they hadn't made it. I ran in to grab something, and came back out to see them at the lobby.  After making our way to the room, we all collapsed and got some sleep before our big adventure on Saturday.

Savannah and I had been planning Saturday for over a month. She and her boyfriend hadn't been to Disney in a very long time, so she wanted to make the day the most it could be. There was extra magic hours in Hollywood Studios, so thats where we started. Amazingly we were able to get on Rockin Rollercoaster, Tower of Terror, and Star Tours all under an hour. Our original plans were then to go to Magic Kingdom, but with the extra time we had just gotten, we headed to Animal Kingdom to ride Expedition Everest. The wait was a little longer than posted, so once we got off, it was to close to our lunch reservations at Sannaa, so we stayed and met Mickey and Minnie, and then watched It's Tough to Be A Bug and rode Dinosaur.

We made it to Sanaa just in time for our lunch reservations. This was our first experience at the restaurant. As I have stated in the past, I am a picky eater, so it goes by no surprise that this was a hard restaurant for me to eat. The first thing we did was order the bread service. After the countless podcasts and blogs I have listened to/read this was the reason I wanted to go. While I didn't try all the sauces, I did try all the bread and we were all loved what we had. Beth had a chicken sandwich, Savannah had a burger, Brice (Savannah's boyfriend) had the salad sampler, and I had a steak. The service was great and the food and experience even better.

It was the time that Savannah and Brice (mainly Savannah) had been looking forward to, the Magic Kingdom. I was about to get ready to go back to the resort for a quick nap and then get ready for the race, but as we walked on to main street, the Festival of Fantasy parade was about to start. We were lucky enough to find a good spot, and watched it. Walking around the park for a few minutes, we rode Haunted Mansion, and then I had to go. I told Beth to meet me at the finish line and to just have fun. This would be the first race that she was with me, and she didn't follow me for support. They went on to ride a good bit of rides, and watch the fireworks from Beast Castle and then the Electrical Parade before coming over to meet me after the race.

As I walked to Pop Century to get on the bus to go to the start line of Wine and Dine, I realized that I was not ready for this race. I hadn't prepared at all. I hadn't run but maybe 10 miles all year, and here I am about to run 13.1 in one night. The one thing I had going for me was that I had been placed in a higher corral than usual. I grabbed a couple of bananas and a power aid to get something on my stomach. After some stretching, I heard the dreaded announcement, please go to the corral area. While all the runners were getting ready to head to the corrals, the wind started to pick up. The group started to move, the ones toward the back (myself and many others) thought we were headed to our respective corrals, however runDisney had decided to delay the race, and was moving the runners inside the World of Sports to take cover from potential bad weather that was heading our way. I stopped near Champion Stadium and waited for the lines to die out.

It had been about 30 minutes, and they hadn't told us a thing. I decided to walk around some and see what was going on.  I ran into our friend BamaGirlRuns by the Johnston Center and talked with her for a while before we got the go ahead to return to the start line. She had gotten a phone call from her mom, a volunteer at the medical tent near Animal Kingdom (about mile 4) and was told that they were cutting that section of the course so that everyone would have time to finish the race. It was still hush hush through the majority of the runners until the announcers came out to officially announce the change. Kristin and I parted ways, and to my surprise she was in the last corral. I told to stop and say hey before she passed me.

The modified course was only 6-7 miles ( a half of a half marathon), I felt a little more confident in myself as I had ran about 4 miles the week before and did an ok pace. Boy was I wrong. I sent my normal intervals (1 min jog 1:30 walk), and when we got the go ahead fireworks, I started to jog. I usually jog for as long as I can so that the crowd can disperse a little bit. Once I stopped I listen to my intervals and was going to try and keep them. But when the next jog period happened, I landed wrong and it killed me to even walk. However, I pushed on, with a very slow pace. The course took us out of ESPN world of sports and then to Hollywood Studios where we would exit at the entrance and run the boardwalk to EPCOT for our finish. Kristin met back up with me just out side of the Boardwalk Inn, she actually passed me while on the phone. So I jogged back up and met her, and resumed the walking pace I had. She was gracious enough to walk with me till about a quarter mile left,  where we both jogged to the finish before she split to get a picture with Mickey at the finish.

Beth, Savannah, and Brice were all at the finish line, looking warn out, and tired. While it took us a few minutes to find each other, we eventually made our way to EPCOT to go ride some rides and have fun. The main draw to the Wine and Dine after party is the alcohol around the world showcase. This wasn't an interest to us, so we were happy to see that the lines for the E-ticket attractions were literally walk ons. The only rides we cared about were Soarin' and Test Track. So that is were we went, because everyone was more worried about the Food and Wine Festival activities that were open, the ride wait times were near walk on. We wanted to meet back up with Kristin before we left, so we walked back to the Germany Pavilion, where Savannah and Beth promptly put their head down and "rested". Kristin met us not to long after and we all walked out of the park, while talking about the race and event.

We made it back to the resort at about 4 am. A long day was had, my longest day in the parks since the 24 hour event that May.  The weekend ended with us heading to Disney Springs and then the drive home. Overall it was a great weekend with great friends.

I know last year wasn't a great year for us, on the blog side of things. We will be trying harder this year to put a post out a few times a month. Thanks for sticking with us and being supportive!

DisEnvy at the Movies: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Star Wars: The Force Awakens follows a new generation in the Star Wars universe. The original crew – Han, Leia, Chewbacca, Luke – all make their presence felt, but it’s the newcomers – Finn (John Boyega), Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac); joined by the villain Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) – that are key in this new adventure. The paths of old and new characters collide in their quest thanks mainly to BB-8, the droid who holds part of a map that leads to something very important. 

Watching Rey, Finn and Poe interact is a joy – these are amazing, lovable characters that you will root for from the beginning, and the movie is much stronger for it. Boyega, Ridley and Isaac fill each character with charm and nuance that it’s safe to say that the franchise is in good hands when it comes to the actors.

Driver himself manages to draw a sense of pathos in his depiction of Kylo Ren. While this new villain might not inspire the same awe as Star Wars’ legion of impressive bad guys, Driver summons up enough to make Kylo Ren something to look forward to as this new trilogy progresses.

If you're worrying this new cast hogs the spotlight from the returning cast, don't worry. JJ Abrams throws in all sorts of callbacks to the original trilogy that any longtime fan will identify. For example, Han Solo’s back in all his scoundrel-ly goodness, Leia in her no nonsense focus on the bigger picture of the fight against the First Order, and Chewie being Chewie.

From spacefights to gunbattles to high adventure, Star Wars: The Force Awakens has it in spades, and it’s a rollicking thrill ride from start to finish. Apart from a slight lull in the final third, Abrams shows great urgency in ushering us from point to point, while doing just enough to make sure we grasp what’s going on.

This is Star Wars: Entertaining lines, great characters, great plot, and strong characters. A place where both old and new meet, albeit a little uneasily. It only looks like the Force will continue to get stronger.

All in, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is up there with Empire and Jedi. Its 2:10 run time seems about right, although the fan boy in me thinks it should have 6 hours. There are so many questions I'm still ready to hear the answers to, but luckily there are only 18 months until we get the Rian Johnson directed Episode VIII. 

There has been an awakening. Have you felt it?

DisEnvy at the Movies: The Good Dinosaur

I believe I have stated it before, and as long as it's true, I'll continue to state it. I love the Pixar movies. While some aren't as good as others, the ideas that push them through are unique. Just is the case for The Good Dinosaur. This movie is set on the question of what happens if the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs missed earth all together. 

After being shown a couple of clips in August at the D23 Expo and the success of Inside Out, I had gotten pretty high hopes of this movie. While the hype was big, I don't think it's justice was done. 

We follow the young Apatosaurus, Arlo (voiced by Raymond Ochoa), on his journey to reunite with his family after being swept away by the river. On this journey he encounters many different dinosaurs and a small human boy, Spot (Voiced by Jack Bright). Arlo is forced to overcome his difficulties and trust Spot with his help. 

The graphics in this movie are beyond amazing. Probably the best thing about the movie to be honest. Landscapes look like the real thing, and while the cartoony looks of the characters makes a huge separation between the environment and the action, they still blend fairly well. The textures of the skins, and water running down the backs of the animals is just jaw dropping. 

As for the story, it could have used some work. The only characters the stay consistent are Arlo and Spot. We are introduced to other characters for a brief time and never see or hear from them again. Butch, the T-Rex voiced by Sam Elliot, was shown as a father like figure to help Arlo out on his journey, but we only have a few scenes with him and in those his lines are brief. There are still some tear jerking moments that really bring the story together, and make the lack of characters more understandable. But with an underlining theme of Family, I was looking for some more family moments. 

Overall I will give this movie a 7/10. It's very much an enjoyable movie, and still a great Pixar movie. But at the end of the day it can't live up to the other Pixar relsease for the year. 

What's all the fuss over Annual Passes?

We are about a week out of the Annual Pass restructuring and price increase. All I have seen over the past week is the disappointment in the price increase. I'm not going to go into the details of the price increase here, but I will try and post them soon. In most cases though, we saw black out dates added to some passes, and about $100 more for each of the major passes. Also included in some of them is the Photopass downloads. 

Here's my thoughts, not that anyone has asked. Over the past two years we have been seeing major construction happening over the resort. The DVC expansions will be paying for themselves with the new and returning DVC members, the park's expansions will be majority payed for by the park tickets and merchandise sold in the parks. What about all the work at and around  Disney Springs, and the recently announced fly over for the monorail resorts at Magic Kingdom, where does that come from?

I'm by no means saying that I am saying that this is completely correct, this is an amateur's look at this. Even though Disney is a huge company with money to spend anywhere, it does come down to how they budget the money. The production side of Disney isn't going to spend their money on hotel expansions at the parks. So Disney has to look at the number. With x amount of annual passes we can charge y amount more for each pass and have these expansions paid for in z years. 

Disney Springs is becoming a great, non ticketed, place to spend your first, middle or last day of your vacation. But when the expansions had started, tenants for the new area hadn't been completed, and with stores closing to make way for the expansion, they weren't really pulling in a lot of revenue like they had in the past. Add that they are building 2 pedestrian bridges, 2 huge parking garages, and expanding the roads around the area. Yes there are grants that can help with this, but Disney takes a risk on how the money is spent (Do you really want to have to almost shut down an area for 5 years to overhaul because of misjudgment again?). 

On top of the price increase, I am hearing a lot of grumble about the inclusion of Photopass now. Once again, this is personal but I believe others may share my opinion. Beth and I take full advantage of the Photopass photographers and the services they offer. We have bought at least one disc a year on the major trip for that year. While this is only the downloads, it's still a huge help for us. I do believe that even though they actually cost nothing for Disney to do, besides server space and cost of labor, it's a great incentive for your family pictures and the scrapbookers out there. 

What are your thoughts on the annual pass changes? Will it hinder you from getting or renewing your annual pass?