Joe's Crab Shack

One of my great joys in this life is talking about fun touristy places and eateries. It's also kick to see the deer-in-the-headlights looks when I drop the bomb about doing a food review. It's even more comical seeing the wave of relief that comes over the manager after the explanation.

I decided to stop in to Joe's Crab Shack on Apopka/Vineland in Orlando Florida for a snow crab treat. Figured I'd wind up my time here in Orlando with a bang. Joe's delivered with some unexpected twists. If you like layed back, beach shack meets hippie humor with some spice (aka innuendo), this place is for you.

First off, every 45 minutes, ALL the servers in the restaurant stop what they're doing and Hustle to Stayin' Alive with patrons encouraged to join in. Next, you're given a complimentary souvenir crab tool (pictured above, far right) and encouraged to steal it. (And I thought crab crackers painted red and shaped like crab claws were novel.) Next, if you order the restaurant's signature drink, the Shark Bite, it comes with a plastic toy shark to pour in the red grenadine. Since the drink is blue, it's blood in the water and several servers yell "Shark!" when they bring it out. Beats the daylights out of the canned Happy Birthday clap song at other restaurants, eh?

Service was definitely friendly, attentive, and I was well taken care of by Jes and company behind the bar (being a single rider/sitting at the bar has it's benefits). Wait time, during a packed restaurant was not bad at all. Not even the drunk and irritable patrons could phase these energetic and fun folks who handled them very well. Good show!

My basic steamed snow crab with drawn butter, red potatoes and corn on the cob, was perfect. Seriously. Tender, juicy, flavorful, perfect. I'd highly recommend the Old Bay boils or other seasonings on the menu if you love peel and eat shrimp and crab. The metal bucket the meal was served in was also a fun touch. Cost was about $25, but given the quality and attention to detail here, you get your money's worth.

The gift shop offered hats, shot glasses, and t-shirts with the coveted tie dye shirts being the most expensive. Got a chuckle out of a hoody that read "Joe's Crab Shack. Hot Legs & Great Tail. and the seafood's pretty good too!" Another of their classic lines on the menu read "Eat. Drink. Get crabs." You'll definitely appreciate all if you have a rye sense of humor.

Bottom line, the folks at Joe's Crab Shack do a lot of things right and I had a terrific time there. Big thanks to them for the hospitality!

For anyone else who wants to get crabby and hammered (ok I borrowed the second part from Jes's t-shirt), skitter on over to http://www.joescrabshack.com.

CityWalk Fusion Bistro Sushi and Coco Key Resort

Last night during my roam round the resorts and a spin through CityWalk, I checked out the Fusion Bistro Sushi counter service restaurant that opened earlier this year.

My Volcano Rolls (essentially California Rolls with more avocado and spicy mayonaise on top, mixed with crab) were quite tasty. They also became a new favorite behind I Love Sushi's (Huntsville, Alabama) Viagra Rolls.

Service was pleasent and quick and while it was a different take on a typical outdoor stand, it was relaxing to watch CityWalk's main drag during the evening exodus. Meal was around $11 including 8 rolls and bottle of green tea. Food quality was fresh and on par with most Japanese Steakhouses. Definitely above buffet or supermarket spec (not that there's anything wrong with either of those). All in all, I enjoyed the meal and would go back. Could be a new favorite haunt during future CityWalk nights. Thanks folks! :)

Meanwhile, construction continues at Coco Key Resort on International Drive. From I-4, one can see yet more silver supports and slide parts staged. Looks like plumbing and cement pad are in place for the water fortress and there is an artist's rendering outside the front of the hotel. Always glad to see a new waterpark, expecially indoor, and hope this one does well.

Until next time...

RIDE MAKERZ Opens at Downtown Disney

Once again, a seemingly ordinary day turned into an adventure. That, and I always meet such interesting people.

After a restaurant review that didn't quite pan out for lunch (hey, you win some, you lose some), I took a spin through Pleasure Island and West Side. Surprisingly, RIDE MAKERZ, the new build-yer-own car store (think Build a Bear for the grease monkey and car enthusaist set) was open in the former Virgin Mega Store. Associate/Cast Member Michael S. filled me on on what the store was about and all the combos avialable to the different kinds of car buffs. Beit Tuner, DUB, Muscle Car, or whatever, you can customize several different car models down to the rims and vinyls. You can also add radio control to your creation. There's also some fun custom builds to drool over, most notably a couple Corvettes and a wicked Mini Cooper (Hi MiniJay!). What makes it so wicked? How about a custom radio control speaker box that goes 80 miles an hour on it's own and sits in the back of the Mini? I shift you not my friends. ;)

The surprise of the day came when I bumped into car designer Fireball Tim. Admittedly, I've never heard of him, however, any guy who wears bright metallic red bowling shoes with a flame bowling shirt is my kind of character. Oh, and he was the one who built the above mentioned Mini Cooper. Had a good time talking with Fireball Tim about the build and he taught me a couple things too. BOTH cars have nos systems. In Tuner speak, that means speed boost and brings back great memories of Need for Speed Underground. ;) Nice!

A quick bit of other DTD news. Construction walls are down near T-REX and the result is...wider walkways sans the old planters. Guard shack by the bridge is also gone. Curiously, there were folks out taking marketing surveys, particularly where people were going and how much they were spending. Hmmm...wonder how this figures in to future plans. Time will tell there.

As you can see, an eventful and fun day. Thanks to Michael S. at RIDE MAKERZ for the info and hospitality. Special thanks to Fireball Tim and his group (including the nice lady who took our picture). Great to meet you all and my best to you! Rock on!

For more info and artistry, check out http://www.fireballtim.com/.

Until next time...

Downtown Disney Update

While taking my customary stroll around Downtown Disney and Pleasure Island last night I noticed a couple things worth mentioning.

Some of the waterside construction walls have been expanded closer to T-REX Cafe, causing a bit of a bottle neck near the entrance. With rumors swirling about a night-time water show like the forthcoming DCA World of Color, coming to DTD, I'd believe it. Heard jack hammers and saw an excvator on a previous visit.

Art of Disney is now carrying the Epcot Flower and Garden Vinylmations, complete with collector tin. They're about $15 and a must if you're a VM fan. There's also a handful of Epcot Christmas Tree VM's still around if you missed them. On a side note, the few Gingerbread Man VM's over at Contemporary are all gone as of Monday night. Additionally, Holiday Series 1 is still in good supply most places, but once the new series hit soon, those and Park Series 3 might go poof. And yes, there's plenty of Muppets Series 1 still floating around.

Lastly, the big white Vinylmation display at Art of Disney has been replaced by a black figure with a white question mark. Lead up to VM store opening and/or next round of series due out? Your guess is as good as mine here.

The pirate dudes behind the bars over at World of Disney say hi as I close out this little update. Cheers mateys!

Blog Updates A Go-Go

In the last few months, I've really wanted to take the blog in a more mobile direction. Let's face it, sometimes you can't always get to your laptop for uploads and updates. I've also wanted to do/post as much as possible from my Blackberry. Case in point, here's the latest round of changes:

• Added Twitpic for some additional random graphics and photo archiving. This will replace the mobile uploads feature I used to use on Facebook.
• The Adventures and Announcements header is done. Blog announcements will go out through the Twitter feed along with the usual random banter. Just look for the "RBA" prefix on tweets.
• The Travel Magnet Collection will return as a periodic photo update to Twitpic in the future. Same for pin collection and Vinylmation.
• The RapidsNerd History section is done. The blog IS a history (i.e. Web Log) and I'll gladly answer questions regarding it's origin.
• Sadly, the HD camcorder (aka FailCam) died earlier this year, so the article pic/desktop wallpaper idea sank. Sorry folks.
• Added a Google Analytics tracker to measure blog traffic, etc. and learn how that all works.

This all boils down to more fun size neat stuff to see and read during my adventures. It's also easier to maintain by remote. Hope you all enjoy, and, as always, I'll do my best to point out the good things and keep it fun. Thanks for reading...and not throwing rotten veges.

Tronorail

Rode the Tronorail and took the loop around Epcot from the TTC. Cool train!

Ice Cream at Disney's Yacht and Beach

Had a chance to meet up with Natalie Visage of Natatomic once again for something we'd talked about (and outright craved, humorously on exactly the same day), Beaches N Cream. BNC is a very popular ice cream shop over at Disney's Yacht and Beach Resort. It's also home to a monster sundae known as The Kitchen Sink. Just like Kooky Cannuck's Avalanche, it's a grab your friends and dive in affair with all the toppings. And it really is served in a metal sink.

Natalie opted for a Mud Slide sundae while I went for a Milky Way sundae. We both quickly found out that even those were big. She finished. I barely got passed the first third and I swear the thing grew back after every bite. Definitely tasty, but bring your appetite or someone to share with.

The comedy of the night came when our petite server came over. Natalie was done and I was struggling. Server pointed at me and laughed. Then Natalie told her, more or less to feed me out of pity. So our server put her arm around me, smiled sweetly, picked up the spoon, and attempted to feed me. I was a bit embarrassed, but it was really funny. When it was time to go, I gave the lady a well deserved hug and we both put in a good word at the hotel desk for excellent service. How could you not after that?

We walked off dessert by checking out the nearby Epcot entrance and boardwalk. Still a bit breezy and cool in the evenings, but definitely a fun time.

Thanks to Natalie for fun evening out!

Make sure you check out her blog at http://natatomic.blogspot.com.

Until next time, Cheers!

Job Hunt Update

Wanted to pass along the latest in my ongoing quest for gainful employment and stability.

Today's double interview went well. Though not quite what I'd hoped for, there are possibilities for good hours and steady consistent work, which would allow me to stay in Orlando for at least the short term.

Up until Tuesday's call, I had planned on leaving for Huntsville Friday (tomorrow) morning and spend the weekend in Birmingham with some dear friends. Right now I'm in a holding pattern for results on today's interview.

Sincere appologies for the back and forth here, but thus is the nature and random timing of the search. Hopefully things will settle down soon with more continuity.

I really want to thank everybody on Facebook, Twitter, etc for the moral support and encouragement. Can't tell you all just how much that means, especially during all the ups and down's. You all really are the best! :)

Keep your fingers crossed we all have something to cheer about in the near future.

RAD Hat Visits Contemporary Resort

Happy St. Patrick's Day everybody! Had a terrific day yesterday touring the Disney resorts on the Monorail loop with a delightful new friend (thanks Jan!). Had a few firsts during this leisurely time out. Had lunch for the first time over at the Polynesian (yes I did make good on that promise to have salad after Monday's "All Stick" meal at Burger King). Rode the water taxi over to Wilderness Lodge and Magic Kingdom for the first time. Also hit four resorts (Contemporary, Poly, Grand Flo, and Wilderness) plus Downtown Disney all in a single day (another first!). Saw my first real hidden Mickey over at Wilderness Lodge too. Once again, my Dansko clogs easily tackled a ton of walking. (I'm so buying another pair later!)

So how does an already great day get even better? By getting a call on a job interview too. Will keep you all posted after Thursday's meet. With any luck I'll be starting my alternate cullinary career by week's end and will celebrate with a Chef Mickey pin if all goes well. If not, it's back to Huntsville, Alabama to regroup per the original plan this week.

All in all, I just could not have asked for a better day.

Special thanks to Matt "The Transporter" Grass for some great Disney insider tips and tricks that truly made the day fun.

RAD Hat Visits Fort Wilderness Resort

Had gorgeous weather for another day of resort hopping. FWR is a tranquil setting with some really pretty views of Bay Lake and it's right next to the Contemporary resort. Definitely a good day hanging out with Matt Grass of Coaster Crew. Also raced Monorail Black on the way over.

***Notice of Account Will Closure*** WoW Phishing Scam

Just a friendly heads up to my brother and sister World of Warcraft players. There's a new email phishing scam circulating that basically says "we're shutting down your account for cheating and verify your info at these links...". Here are the bogus parts to look for:

• Odd line breaks in mid sentence
• The email originated from Yahoo, NOT the Blizzard address given
• It asks you to click on a link and verify your info

As we all know, any worthy company has your info and will ask you to call them regarding accounts. Translation, this one is a very convincing fake if you're not paying attention. I've forwarded the email I recieved on to Blizzard's Accounts department and am waiting on verification.

Such a shame. The creativity, talent, and energy wasted on this trickery could've gone to building or improving something worthwhile for the good of humanity.

The WoW Report: Playing Both Sides

While there's a lot of good-natured (and not so good-natured) competition between Alliance and Horde in World of Warcraft, what many players may not realize is that there are advantages to knowing thy enemy. There are even more to being thy enemy.

I play two characters. One is a level 38 Night Elf Priest. The other is a level 26 Forsaken Warlock. Translation: Elf "good guy" and Undead "bad guy" for the non-WoW among us. Both are growing steadily and I'm having a good time exploring the vast world of Azeroth. I've also noticed, depending on what side of the fence you're on, "enemy" is a relative term. There's a gray area when it comes to each side's goals. Both want to expand and grow, and those who don't follow such goals or threaten peaceful existance become "the enemy". Throw in various storyline political intrigue and the Alliance isn't as pure and noble, nor is the Horde as brutal and sinister. As Sean Connery once said in Rising Sun, "Deep, isn't it?"

By playing both, sides, you know the other group's culture, it's resources, it's landscape, it's strengths, and it's weaknessess. For example, my Priest recently put an Elven toe into the Barrens for the first time the other day. Since I'd spent much time questing in that area with my Forsaken Warlock, I knew where to go and what to avoid and accomplished my quest faster. On the flip side, when I started the Warlock, because I was familiar with how Stormwind (major Alliance city) was set up, it help me learn Ogrimmar (major Horde city) much faster. It also helped me set up and level faster through the lessons learned and mistakes made with the Priest. Be careful, however. It's very easy to stroll into the opposite faction's village out of habit and suddenly remember you're playing the wrong character. Oops.

There's also no end of awkward comedy that results from seeing players from the other major faction. Chances are, you're both thinking the same thing, "Oh crap! Are they about to give me the beat down?" Thankfully, most of the time it's no. In fact, one time while I was playing a Night Elf Druid (Alliance) in Cat Form, I wound up on a ship with a mounted and highly experienced Troll Warrior (Horde)...who reached down and petted me on the head. We both had a good laugh of it, but I didn't doddle getting off the ship either. On another occasion in the Barrens, my low-level Forsaken Warlock (Horde) was sitting, recovering from a fight. Off to the right appeared a high level Human Warrior (Alliance) who timidly waved, stood still for a moment, then went on his way. He was gone before I could wave back.

Another advantage to duality is that it's a break and different perspective from your main character. If you're stuck on a quest or just tired of an area, switching to the other side for a night can be refreshing, whether you accomplish anything or not. It also gives you a chance to quest and raid with a different set of brother and sister players. Yep, see the world, meet new people, rip some Trolls a new one.

Suffice to say, playing a character on each side of World of Warcraft can have great advantages and help one further appreciate the game. If you play, explore this option. I think you'll agree.

Sunday of Awesome Part 2

Just to recap from the last article, I had a delightful breakast with the good folks of Shoney's, found my way to the Contemporary Resort, and signed a little boy's autograph book on the monorail. Next up, MORE joy in the day.

The Polynesian Resort was the next stop on a casual and liesurely Sunday of resort hopping. This was a chance to poke around gift shops, take pictures, get asked to take pictures of random tourist families, you know, the usual. It was also a sunny clear day outside, and warming up after the recent Florida cold snaps. Perfect time to see the outside portion of Poly.

Got some fun pictures walking around the boat docks while listening to Hawaiian music. Pretty soothing to make your way out to the water and pass the beaches with their hammocks. Ahhh bliss. Just watch out for the bird poop. (Yep, killed that perfectly good moment didn't I?)

On a side note, Joel aka FrikiTiki over at Coaster Crew, you were thought of. Cheers my friend!

Monorailed back over to Contemporary and explored it's pool area. Where the new Bay Lake Tower is, there used to be a smaller building like the one on the opposite side of the property. This is where our family stayed during out 1992 trip. Since then, BLT (now there's a great acronym!) waterslide, and mod water play area were new. All nicely done too.

I sat down on a nearby planter to call the folks. Was your typical what's new, how you been, yes I have on clean underwear, conversation (that last one is a family joke). What made my day (again!) was that they read my blog now and enjoy it. Wow! And now I really have to watch the language...;) Indeed, it was a good chat and it really made me feel good to know they're behind me on so many things in life, and now the blog. That's just awesome.

Time for lunch and recharge the Blackberry. Ice Cream was in order. What? I'm at Disney and 35. It's one of the perks of adulthood. It was also time to txt a friend and sister Disney fan who was working. Sent her some pics from the morning that she AND her friends at work enjoyed. Got a nice txt back from them and got called a big brother. Nice! See what the magic of ice cream for lunch can do?

Wound up my resort jount by meeting fellow Coaster Crew forum member and enthusaist James Kegler. Had a good time talking coasters and Haunted Mansion while having cokes over at Disney Transporation Center. It really was great to meet another person behind an internet profile. Since parks, etc, are a people business, face to face meetings are essential for good relations. You just don't get as much from texting, emails, or forum posts, despite their convenience.

James, there's a waterpark or two with our names on them this summer. :)

So how do you wind up a wiz bang Sunday with more good vibes than a Haight Ashbury street festival? By going out with friends to House of Blues over at Downtown Disney. Once again, Legend, Matt Grass, and I headed out for night of drinks, good music, and dancing. As expected, House of Blues was packed with mostly 20-somethings and majority cast members relaxing. And wow can some of them dance! There were regular break dance battles going on, head spins, flips, and all. Yes, break-dance. Like 80's Hip Hop break dance, but without the parachute pants or fingerless gloves. It was like watching Breakin' or Beat Street all over again. Yep, feeling kinda old at this point.

Well, old or not, it was time to hit the packed dance floor once the house and techno music flared up. We were drowned in a sea of bodies, high heels, and blinding LED arrays. This is where I had the pleasure of dancing with a gal who backed into me...and decided to stay there. The rest of the evening was some close dancing, a few one-liners, and really just light-hearted fun, even with my rusty moves. Regardless, Jan, it was fun to keep up and a pleasure to meet you. Thank you. :)

Truly, a Sunday of Awesome.

Sunday of Awesome Part 1

You ever have just a really good day where a bunch of little stuff adds up to surprisingly fun time? Well did I ever yesterday!

The plan was to get out early...and eat. Other than that, I had no clue. So off I went for breakfast, getting a particular vibe while passing Shoney's. Though craving Steak n Shake and then Dunkin Donuts (I believe in healthy eating by the way) the fates brought me back Shoney's. The real treat here was not the tasty buffet, nor the Seafood Grits (which I'll get to in a moment), but the friendly and lighthearted staff. We're talking smiling, friendly, Southern Hospitality, like you just went over to someone's Mom's house and they're genuinely glad you're there. Even a lady a couple tables over from Virginia remarked about the good spirit.

Among the usual breakfast items was something I had to try: Seafood Grits! Typical grits with seasoned(?) shrimp and immitation crab meat (bet real Alaskin or King would be out of this world). Having lived in the South a good chunk of my life, grits are a dish I do enjoy now and again, and I enjoyed these too. Also chuckled while meeting a humerous minister at the buffet who said "Nike is Hebrew for just do it." Either he or his wife was wearing a Nike hoodie, hence the spiritual and motivational quip.

Truly, great job to the folks at Vineland/Apopka Shoney's and way to set a standard!

With stomach full and tourist coupon books and maps aquired, I set off to find Disney's Contemporary Resort...solo...sans GPS. You laugh, but this was a big step for a guy still learning his way around Orlando. In 10 short minutes, I was standing in awe of monorail goodness and Bay Lake Tower. And, no matter how many times you see them, the monorails trigger a giddyness and excitement that just won't let you sit still or quit smiling. Yes friends, it was time to ride. Yeeeeehaaaww!

On the way over to the Polynesian Resort, a little boy walked right up to me and said "Hi! What's your name?" He had a character autograph book in his hand and a shiney new Disney birthday button. His Mom smiled and said "He wants you to sign his autograph book." According to Mom, Mr. Haydon was hard core for his autographs. I grinned, talked with Mom, Dad, and birthday boy, and signed away. Hey, it was my first autograph as a theme park person, so it's tough to tell who was more thrilled, me or Haydon. Regardless, it made my day and he seemed happy too.

To Haydon's family, who will be reading this, it was a pleasure to meet you all. Aaaaaannnnddd...Happy Birthday Haydon! Hope everybody had a wonderful time and my best to you all. :)

More Sunday of Awesome to come!

The Growing Vinylmation Collection

Since I've been talking a lot about these little guys, here's a pic of my collection to date...in a conga line...on a railing...with stucko. Yes, we're stretching the bounds of creativity and humor for the sake of mild entertainment here folks. Yay art?

Pictured here are:

• Park Series 3 - Herbie the Love Bug, Monorail Blue
• Urban Series 3 - Watermelon (Chaser)
• Cutester Series - Apple (My very first Vinylmation, picked up while hanging out with Natalie Visage of Natatomic.)

World's Largest McDonald's

Back in February I had a chance to play tourist for a day with Matt Grass (Coaster Crew) and Cassie B (That Theme Park Thespian). The mission was two-fold: Get out for the day and get my piddly butt familiar with International Drive's plethora of stuff to see and do. (And yes, I DO know what a plethora means, all you 3 Amigos fans.)

While going walkabout, we stopped into The World's Largest McDonald's for hot fudge sundaes. Yes, the very same restaurant that's been on networks like Travel Channel, etc.

Imagine, if the McDonald's we grew up with (not the new McCafe's) and Showbiz Pizza Place (remember those?) had a two-story McLovechild full of games, bowling, and very different food offerings. Oh, and throw in an aquarium and an animatronic for fun. Hold on to yer McLunch!

We'll start with the food offerings. All the usual McGoodness is there, but there are also some dishes you might not expect...like pizza. Yes! They really do serve pizza. There are also, turkey wraps, meatball sandwiches, pasta dishes, layer cakes, even Belgian waffles. Did I mention the taco salad or Bistro Gourmet Menu? No McKidding here!

Downstairs is where you order and get your food. There's several games along one wall and the main dining area is adorned with rope lights and Florida beach murals. In about the middle is an aquarium wall/bar (as in eating counter, not a place to get booze). Here you can sit and watch fishes or the nearby 42 inch tvs hanging from the ceiling. Toward the back of the dining room is a two lane mini bowling alley themed to Route 66, while off to the right is single animatronic moon man at a piano. Think Ray Charles meets the old Disney Pleasure Island mascot and you have Mac Tonight. Mac was an attempt to McOust Ronald for company mascot status years ago. While Mac was hip and cool in a Vegas Rat Pack sort of way, his 15 minutes of fame was up pretty fast. Even so, this animatronic is a neat and rare part of McDonald's history.

Upstairs is the main games area. It's mostly redemption games and simulators with some favorites like Skee Ball thrown in. There's also a Soft Play area with a tree house theme typical of most McDonald's restaurants. And when you've won a goodly amount of tickets from gaming, it's time to cash them in for McPrizes that are on par with places like Chuck E Cheese's, Incredible Pizza Company, and Tex Critter's Pizza Jamboree. Yep, from stuffed animals to sack packs, it's all there at Mickey D's Gift Shop.

Whether you're a big kid (like me) or a little kid, this place is definitely worth a stop during an Orlando trip. You might even meet Ronald, Grimace, or the rest of the McDonald's characters.

Where's Wally and the Brit Party Bus

I've seen a lot of crazy things in 35 years, many of which were in the DC club scene. Tonight, however, was a new level of comedy that if I hadn't seen it, I really wouldn't have believed it.

Matt and I went to Murphy's Arms Pub here in Orlando to visit our buddy Gareth. We then went across the street to Buffalo Wild Wings. After some obligatory medium boneless wings and coke (thanks Katie for the great service, by the way), we headed back over to Murphy's. That's when the insanity started.

The almost empty bar we had left an hour prior was now filled with a bus load of 20-something Brits, mostly ladies, and all dressed like Where's Waldo. That's red and white stripes, black glasses, and all. There had to be 30-50 of them. Then they started singing Dolly Parton songs like 9 to 5 and Jolene. One gal sauntered up to Matt and I, offered me some of her beer and then said how she liked American men...then wandered off to kiss some random guy with white hair and a resemblence to Billy Idol. Yes sports fans, the lady in the pigtails was hammered, but at least she was cordial. I skipped the lady's beer offer in the name of Designated Driver tonight.

Needless to say, Matt and I sat in awe as the guys of the group watched the Futball (Soccer for the unaware) match, and screamed obscenities. A gal named Sammie later explained that every so often, this was a theme event and a way to blow off steam after a days work in the park industry. Hey, points for creativity.

Bonkers indeed, but had a good time with those folks and hope to see them again. Also a great story worth sharing. Yep, you just can't make this stuff up folks. ;)