My First Thanksgiving in Orlando

My family came down to visit this week to celebrate Thanksgiving and to see how I was getting on. To say I was glad to see them was an understatement, even after staying with them this summer and it only being a couple months since the move.

Prior to their trip, we checked into TG buffets and dinners around the area, as well as some fun things to go do. While the latter was a plethora of options (and yes I do know what a plethora is and have seen that movie too), the former was a little tricky. We'd thought of TG at a Disney resort restaurant, but all I could find was an event at either the Swan or Dolphin hotel...and, it was booked solid. The rest of the resorts seemed to run standard menus and nothing special for the holiday. This wasn't a bad thing, but it was surprising.

After a couple conversations upon their arrival, we opted for The Black Angus on Apopka Vineland. It was close to the folk's hotel, had traditional holiday food, and had a varied regular menu. (While I am a picky eater and have expanded the palette in the past few years, there's this perception I don't like traditional TG food. For the record, turkey, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and even stuffing are all winners.) This ended up being a low crowd, good service, relaxed meal. The folks enjoyed their traditional dinners and I, my crab legs (smirk).

To avoid food coma, we toured the artist formerly known as Downtown Disney and poked around in the shops for a while. With the sunny day, the crowds were in the parks. The folks got to see the Vinylmations at D Street, decaying undead pirates at World of Disney, taste free peppermint bark at Ghirardelli, ooh and ahh over the Christmas store. We notably skipped Pin Traders. Why? For me, it's like waving a donut in front of a dieter. Too much temptation. ;)

Next up was seeing the minimalist/mid-century mod/beach-condo-in-training, aka my studio apartment that looked like a camping display at Bass Pro. (No really. REI would be proud here.) Amazingly, my parents had fit the remainder of my worldly possessions in the SUV for the trip and I was able to take majority the first night they were in town. And now they saw the fruits of 2 am quick decorating. Yes friends, they beheld the wonder of LED rope lighting, thrilled to the compact awesome of my George Foreman grill, and witnessed the pure creative bed making, known lovingly as, '"The Cannoli". Dad also laughed during his experience in "The Micro Cabana".

To cap the day, we had a late dinner at CiCi's near Apopka Vineland. Yes friends, now they too know the power of the buffet and buffalo chicken pizza. I even got a Spanish lesson from a lady who works there (I'm a bit of a regular).

This Thanksgiving was definitely a good one, fitting in well with many good times had during travels. I'm glad the parents could come down and see the reasons Orlando, as a city, brings me so much joy. They had a good time and said they'd be back at Christmas...for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Oh, and golf too. Yep, they're hooked (snicker). ;)

I hope all of you had good Thanksgivings with family, friends, or loved ones. And, as always, thank you for reading. Cheers!

Blogging Buffet & Nerdly News_November 2010

Life has been both interesting and adaptive the past couple months, with more than a few changes. Like many others, I'm going back to basics on many things, picking what's really important to focus on, and, just doing more with less.

• Over a year later and I'm finally starting to feel comfortable with the technical universe that is Java. Finally got R4 (my laptop/virtual Star Wars Astromech) loaded with Eclipse and Netbeans. Getting familiar with those environments along with reading up on how to create basic projects and code. If you can get past the short ton of...well...everything, it's easy to see why the language is powerful.
• Met a fellow Twitter person and coder at Barnes & Noble last week who suggested some local user groups to check out. Sounds like good learning opportunities for this student. Thanks @scifisamurai!
• Job hunt? (laughs hysterically...)
• Recently started working with Vista's built in speech recognition (something I totally missed when I bought the laptop last year). Having used Apple's version on their multi-media Macs circa 1994 and Acer's Aspire computers in 95-97, I was happy to test and train. Verdict? It works best as an accessory, verses being a primary control. Background noise, even with a headset, still confuses the system. Even so, I was impressed with the accuracy and the help section. You'll have to adjust your web bookmarks and naming conventions some, once you figure out it's way of doing things, but it's worth it. Being able to tell the computer to wake up from screen saver or shut down, is quite fun. Web surfing is also very intuitive. Speech recognition is a tough, tough technology to refine, even with the best training and silent rooms, but Microsoft really has done a good job here.
• After the recent high speed rail event, the simulator side kicked in. I have an itch to try out Microsoft Train Simulator for the TGV, Velaro, Acela, and similar passenger trains. As the magazine Fruits says: Latest Obsession - High Speed Trains
• Been training martial arts and writing Haiku more in the spare time. These are things I've wanted to improve, but have always been so easily distracted from. Might even take up Ikebana (Japanese flower arranging) again when I need more decor.
• The quest for minimalism continues. While the studio apartment may look like a camping display, it's simplicity and clean feel are great. When the folks bring down more of my things this week, it will be time for another round of sort 'n' toss.
• I started spinning glow sticks again for some additional exercise. Another small, fun, and low cost skill I'll keep up with. Have also been smacked in the melon more times than I can count. Need more practice, especially for the con raves (well, what few I get to anyway). ;)
• In the early part of November I left Facebook after they randomly made the font small and hard to read. To keep things clean here, that was the last straw in many things I just didn't care for. Like any sensible carbon life form, when you don't like a product or service, you stop using the company and take your business elsewhere. Granted, this is a two edge sword. You lose contact with a lot of people, including business ins, etc, but you also gain a lot of time and feel freer. Don't worry, alternate contact info for the FB folks will be gotten. My departure is not a middle finger to anyone I've come to know through the site either. Far from it. Curiously, there was a person whole veiledly insulted me earlier this year by saying "If someone spends that much time on Facebook, they don't have much of a life." Solely in my case, this person was right. Why? Because I was living vicariously and not living. Well, as you can see, that has changed. :)
• Still can't wrap my head around warm Florida weather. Seems like it should get freezing cold by now, but it's 70's-80's during the day, and 50's-60's at night. Oh, I'm not complaining in the slightest. Trust me. :)
• With Internet being spotty and limited, I've gone back to some of the Star Wars PC games, like Battlefront and Knights of the Old Republic. Been enjoying those much. FPS+Star Wars = win. In better times, I'd like to get another computer and network it for Battlefront 1&2, Jedi Outcast, Jedi Academy, and Republic Commando. On a related note, myself and a few others would LOVE to see an updated X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter flight sim or something there of. HINT HINT...

I've tried to be more positive of late and reflect that in my media posts. Also tried to appreciate the simpler things more. While life has been tough, half the humbling lesson is finding joy in the midst of chaos. I'm finding that little by little, which leads to tranquility within. This in turn ripples outward and becomes a more natural habit and state. Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) once said "Find balance, Daniel san." He was right.

Hope all of you are doing well and my thanks for reading. :)

Goodbye Pleasure Island, Hello Hyperion Wharf

Effective immediately, Pleasure Island is changing over to a new wharf motif in order to revitalize by 2013. The full Orlando Sentinel story is here.

Just a few thoughts on this:

• I'd wondered why the big round planter in front Fulton's Crab House had been just ripped out and replaced with more lights and a flat cement pad. It just seemed random.
• On my last trip to PI, I noticed the bridge near Fulton's was widened quite a bit, and more lights/light pylons were installed. Some of those new lights the bridge decorative style were noticeably different from their surroundings.
• There have been plenty of rumors flying about BET Soundstage and The Adventurers Club getting demolished in favor of a new club or something of the sort.
• I'd remarked to a friend that night on the phone that this could be a quiet and un-official start to the redo. Seems my Spidey-sense was right on this one. Well, you get lucky on these guesses now and then. ;)

Overall, I'm glad to see the start of change and better times for the area. The Pleasure Island corridor definitely needs it. I'll miss the original clubs and Mr. Dancing Party Moon Guy, but the improvements will be worth it.

Ok my brother and sister historical (and hysterical) archivists, that's our cue. Let's start documenting! ;)

CoCo Key Water Resort

For the record, I am a water park fan. Naturally, when I heard yet another water park was coming to Orlando this year, I was a happy clam. Enter Coco Key Water Resort and it's first surprising move: Remodeling an existing hotel vs. starting from scratch. As I found out this past week, this was not the only surprise in store at the resort. (Photo courtesy of CoCo Key Orlando)

Richard Jackson, Director of Sales and Marketing, was kind enough to take me on a guided tour of the property, showcasing it's amenities. While the main event is the water park (geared toward younger children), there are perks for tweens, teens, and adults as well. We'll start with the lobbies. Yes, plural.

The main lobby opens into contemporary modular sofas and seating in bright colors, with a flat screen TV on the center divider wall. On the opposite side is hand painted treasure map mural showing CoCo Key's proximity to Orlando area attractions, major roads, etc. In the afternoon, fresh cookies are baked and available to hotel guests as they watch another TV in a nearby room, check Facebook on one of the business center computers, or buy theme park tickets at the convenient ticket counter. There are also shuttles to Universal, Disney, and SeaWorld (Universal and Sea World are free while Disney there is a fee). Meanwhile, the side lobby, designed for large groups, offers staging and storage along with flat screen entertainment to keep folks occupied during check in. It also doubles as a meeting area and has a Driver's Lounge with wi-fi for bus drivers.

Walking out to the pool area, guests are greeted with a notably mouse ear shaped pool surrounded by traditional deck lounge chairs and circular, more contemporary outdoor seating. The latter is in the molded wicker style that's all the rage, and sits quite comfortably. To the right, before the pool, is a long narrow contemporary fire pit for evenings. Rooms facing this area are color coded for easy reference by child or adult. Mr. Jackson mentioned this was more a quiet area for adults.

Next up was the fitness room with tread mills, exercise bikes, free weights, and plenty of flat screens to plug into for keeping one motivated. If the screens didn't do it, the morning sun and pleasant view of the lush greenery just might. And no, this is not the typical cramped closet of a fitness room. It's really quite open and spacious. Not far away were for meeting rooms that could be rented for business functions.

On the way to the water park we passed the Gator Grab & Go convenience store as well as a party room. All manner of travel necessities and snacks are available, along with park souvenirs. Need a bag, towel, or something cold to drink? It's right here, and with tables just outside, it's easy to have a quick snack or breakfast. The party room, as Mr. Jackson mentioned, is also a great place for birthday packages CoCo Key offers. Remember Chuck E. Cheese or Showbiz Pizza parties? Similar idea, but with water park time instead of robot music show, and pizza time with CoCo, the red parrot mascot. Oh yes, definitely arcade time in there as well.

As we moved into the water park area, Mr. Jackson made me aware of yet another perk for Florida residents. During the off-season (essentially right now), day passes to the water park can be bought, without the need to stay at the hotel. While prices may vary, this week it was $9.95. Yes, you read that right. Conversely, I know family entertainment centers that have four water slides and two pools, that charge $15.00, not offering nearly as much. In short, that's a good deal for locals.

Speaking of the rooms, get ready for a tropical meets contempo styling. Serta Perfect Sleepers and flat screen TVs are standard fair, along with the usual features one would expect. The Family suites rooms were designed to use a joined bathroom as the pass through, giving kids one room, and tired parents another. Combine with sleek tansu style cabinetry and tubular light fixtures, and this is not your average hotel. Yes, free wi-fi as well.

And now we come to the water park, split into two areas: the canopy covered section with pool, and small slides, and the outdoor section featuring Parrot Perch water fortress, and an additional slide tower. Grand total is 54,000 square feet, 14 water slides of varying sizes, zero depth entry toddler pool, teen pool and interactive play area. There is indeed a tipping bucket that drenches guests regularly. Again, while the park is mainly geared for young ones, tweens and teens can have fun on the taller slides like Boomerango, a half-pipe style slide. Meanwhile, parents can keep a careful eye from the ample viewing areas around the pools and fortress. There are also several life guards about to keep everyone safe.

Naturally, there are lockers for valuables, showers, and changing areas available. CoCo Key also has a wrist band system that can be loaded up like a gift card or linked to a checking account or credit card. The wrist band can be used all over the resort and spending can be limited if parents so choose. You just scan your wrist band to purchase an item and that's it. No need to carry a wallet.

With so much to do, it's a given you'll work up an appetite. Expecting a weak snack bar right? Think again. CoCo Key offers Tradewinds, a full service restaurant with buffets and karaoke from time to time. There's also Callaloo Grill and a Pizza Hut Express along with typical (and very reasonably priced) burgers, etc. There are also healthy options like fruit cups, water, milk, and more.

Next door is the arcade with everything from pool, to air hockey, to bowling. When bad weather looms, the water park is closed down for safety and guests are moved into a large nearby room, just down the hall from the arcade, for various activities and games.

Don't worry parents, you haven't been forgotten. The Wet Rooster bar has drinks to unwind with and there are plenty of places to sit and relax.

All that said, I was pleasantly surprised by how much more CoCo Key Water Resort offers than just water park.

For more information on Coco Key Orlando (or any of the other resorts), please see http://www.cocokeywaterresort.com/?gclid=CLniicSNpKUCFYNl7AodEW_YGg

Their Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/cckorlando)

Or Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/CoCo_Key_Orl)

Special thanks to Richard Jackson for taking time to meet with me and show me around the property. Definitely a fun time and good learning experience. My best wishes and continued success to you all!

SIEMENS High Speed Rail Event

Yesterday I took my first trip down to Orlando's Orange County Convention Center for Siemens High Speed Rail event. Yes, the very same venue that hosted Stars Wars Celebration V earlier this year. While there weren't any AT-AT's in the front hall this time, there was a transport of a different sort in a hall not far away. While the sleek Velaro train mock-up would easily blend into the cityscape of Coruscant, however, it's starting with the city of Orlando.

After check in, I was given my info folder and casually wandered through the display rooms. One gave a general history of railroad, complete with memorabilia, like a conductor hat in a central glass case. Another room presented different areas around the globe where Velaro trains served, along with their routes, and videos on flat screens to watch. This was the lead up to the main event: the full size Velaro front car mock-up.

The silver and blue Velaro dominated the large room, ripping the eye away from the other three walls, Espresso bar, and even the finger food. Thankfully, about 2000 people had visited the day before, so there was much more time and room for pictures and wiping drool off one's chin. Yes, with a big grin and fond memories of my childhood model railroad, I walked up the ramp to enter.

After a short wait, our group of 2 or 3 walked in. To the right was the conference room, directly behind the pilot's chair. To the left was a small European styled lavatory with stainless steel and light wood. Beyond it was the first class area with high back and well padded leather chairs. The first rows had light wood tables that butterflied out for meetings, meals, etc. These double rows were on the right side of the cabin as you entered. The single row equivalent was on the left. Also on the left were fact placards where the windows would be. We all sat down and took about a 2 minute virtual train ride via the right side windows used as screens. Thought this was a clever way to present things. With no questions to follow, we were turned loose for a bit to take pictures.

Upon exiting the presentation, I was fortunate enough to speak with Siemens Keith Turner about the project. Mr. Turner was glad to answer questions from this novice blogger/journalist, which I really appreciated. He also yielded a rather interesting fact: the high-tech, ultra modern Velaro on display...was 10 years old. That's right, the already full featured could offer EVEN MORE if and when it comes into Florida service around 2015. Keep in mind, this is a train already offering contempo styling, green powering alternatives, wi-fi, power outlets for work, lavatories, on-ride entertainment via drop down ceiling LCDs, and a couple different levels of food service...at roughly 200 miles per hour.

The rest of the main display area consisted of more facts, tech break-downs, and comparisons along the wall opposite the mock-up. I grinned at the speed comparison chart that mentioned "The World's Fastest Roller Coaster" at 128 miles per hour (which has probably changed with Ferrari World's recent opening). There was also an HO scale full Velaro train model in a tube near the proposed stops along the future Orlando to Tampa route. That route goes from Orlando International Airport, to Orange County Convention Center, to Walt Disney World, to Lakeland, and on to Tampa. The trains would travel the majority of the way in Interstate 4's median, with some modifications to a portion of the highway and some of the bridges and over passes. Mr. Turner noted that some of Florida's highways were built with high speed rail in mind, making implementation that much easier and cost effective.

On to the last couple display rooms. The next showcased some of the partner groups working to build, run, develop, etc, the Florida Rail Ventures project. Veolia Transportation would operate the rail line, Siemens would build the train, and FCC/GlobalVia and Skanska would build the infrastructure.

The last room was a Siemens showcase of green concepts, including a wind turbine model and and electric car charging station, that could become common place in the next several years. At the center was a "magic table" that changed colors and presentation info at the wave of a hand. There were also a couple kiosks that gave attendees a "Postcard from the Future". In short, the display allowed you to choose a background, take your picture, and email it to you. A neat idea, and amazingly, I hadn't aged a bit in 5 years. ;)

For more information about Florida Rail Ventures and Velaro, check out Siemens website at: http://www.usa.siemens.com/entry/en/index.htm?stc=27

All in all, this was a good learning opportunity for anyone interested in rail travel and future transportation technologies. I'd like to thank Siemens for an enjoyable time, along with Keith Turner for taking time to answer questions.

And Mr. Turner, you were right. The magic table room was the best. ;)

2010 Mickey's A Very Merry Christmas Party

Last night I was invited to see Mickey's A Very Merry Christmas by fellow park enthusiast James Kegler. This would be the first night of the Disney Christmas time event and barely a couple weeks after Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. We loaded cameras, dressed warm, and were awed by Disney magic once again.

• The Magic Kingdom transformation from Halloween to Christmas was just eerily fast. Plenty of garlands, toy soldiers, and mouse-ear shaped wreaths adorned Main Street along with snow falling against the white building lights later in the evening. Yes, snow.
• Just barely caught the castle lighting show after a wrong time and mad crowd dash. To see it transform from regular castle to gleaming icicle castle with magical waves was most impressive. Just awesome and a must see. Neither words nor even video do the spectacle justice.
• Right after the castle lighting, James and I dashed back to Main Street Emporium for the event pin releases. Both us got Very Merry Christmas Party pins to mark the occasion. Also noticed one of the holiday Vinylmations was out, namely the toy soldier (which also looks like a nut cracker or vice versa). No sign of Osbourne Lights Mickey or the caroling tree just yet. Also, the collector tins have been ditched this year in favor of a display stand in the bottom of the package.
• Free hot chocolate and sugar cookies are available during the event, and they definitely hit the spot on a cool night in the park. Be prepared for a busy crowd getting these items and be kind to the INSANELY hard working folks behind the counters. I enjoyed this treat during the evening.
• Got in a few rides during the night: It's s Small World (with new backwards que wackyness), Carousel of Progress, Mickey's Philharmagic, Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan, and Cinderella. All walk-ons.
• Got to see both showings of Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas Parade. While not a parade guy, I did enjoy this one. Lots of interesting performers between the floats, including ginger bread men, rollerblading ice dancers, dancing reindeer, and the way cool toy soldiers. The floats were fun, and notably, even had scents to go with them. Chip and Dale's snowball fight had pine, Goofy's candy contraption jetted peppermint, and a kitchen float wafted gingerbread. Oh yes, it'll make you hungry. And you thought Philhar-pie was something? Performers, etc did well and had fun with the crowd in various ways. They weren't just going through the motions or putting on false happiness or energy, they really seemed to enjoy themselves. That realness and heart I do applaud. :)
• After the parade, and a solid crowd clear out, it was back to the hub for the holiday version of wishes. Cool and festive variation on the regular Wishes fireworks show with another magical castle decorating in the finale. Traditional holiday music takes on a whole new meaning when coupled with fireworks. Exciting, entertaining, and definitely got you into the festive holiday mood.
• Over all, the big crowd was very cordial and respectful when slight bumps happened now and then. The most folks were on Main Street and around the hub near the castle. Side walkways and alternate routes are a good idea to circumvent some of the slowdown.
• Wristband check was in full force, sometimes happening as often 3 times in 5 seconds. In short, they mean it.
• While James was in a pin trading shop around Frontier Land, I sat outside and finished a welcome hot pretzel and warm cheese dip. One of the Country Bears came up and said hi, which gave me a smile. Immediately after, 3 teenage girls walked by. One of them said "Who's that?" Another said "That's one of the Country Bears...and he's drunk." I howled with laughter. (And for the record, no, Country Bear was not substituting moonshine for holiday cheer.) Meanwhile, another of the bears sat down in a rocker next to a sleeping toddler in a stroller for a very cute pic. Dad had a Cheshire grin a mile wide.
• James managed to find some leftover Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party pins in the afore mentioned store. Cha-ching!
• Didn't see anything new with the Fantasy Land construction. Night time will do that to you. ;)
• I have to say it again. The castle all lit up is just awesome to behold!

All in all, a very fun and festive time. Mickey, thanks for a great time and you have absolutely decked my halls. ;)

Downtown Disney Update

After several days of cabin fever, I had to get out, still coughing or not, for much needed fresh air and exercise. Got over to Downtown Disney yesterday, but wouldn't you know it, I wound up in the middle of the police circus regarding the nearby 7-11 robbery and deputy stabbing. A leisurely lunch at CiCi's Pizza was just the thing to wait out the heavy traffic, etc. Cheers for buffalo chicken pizza. :)

While at DTD I checked up on a few things and got in a good walk. Here's what all I saw:

• Remember the big round planter that USED to be in front of Fulton's Crab House? Exactly. It's been torn out and replaced with a flat concrete pad and 4 pole lights, with only a small portion still covered. I'm curious as to what will be displayed there other than the Viennese Trio who play revamped classical music. Thought the planter was a nice feature and will miss it.
• Yes, Vinylmation Park Series 5 is out, and yes it's $12.95 a pop. There's also a special Fantasia Mickey (with the removable hat, the big trend this year by the way) and blind box bundle for $24.95. From $9.95 to $12.95 is a pretty big jump considering the Epcot Flower and Garden Vinyls are now down to around $7.95 with tin. Also, there's a still a big supply of Nightmare Before Christmas, Holiday Series 1, and the Sport Series. The latter, while around $12-$15 does included a blind boxed Vinylmation Junior companion figure. Park 5 looks great, however, considering the random chance of getting the figure you really want, roughly $10 is a little easier to gamble than $13. As a result, I've gone to the "If I can't pick 'em, I don't get 'em" rule. It's also worth noting that Disney Pins DROPPED a couple bucks across the board in the last couple months. Will be interesting to see how this plays out.
• Speaking of Disney Pins, the limited edition 2010 Thanksgiving pins are out for $8.95. If you're an event/holiday/seasonal collector like me, go get 'em, because they go fast and will be long gone by event's end.
• Got some pictures of BET Soundstage and The Adventurers Club, since there are possibilities of both venues being demolished in the coming months for either a new club or some other project. Along that same line, there was talk at one time of an Aquarium restaurant coming to Downtown Disney. After enjoying the former Nashville location last year, this would be a fun add to the area and would fit right in with the other Landry's properties, namely Rainforest Cafe and T-Rex.
• I was reminded to enjoy the simple pleasures in life as I strolled about yesterday. The cool breeze, the smell of fresh popcorn, the heavenly aromas from the different restaurants, etc.
• The Christmas store was busy with early holiday shopping as well as selling a few leftover halloween decorations. TONS of Disney ornaments to choose from. Saw a Christmas Village style Cinderella's Castle for $85 that had some really nice detail and blue lighting. Also noticed a couple train packages and monorail packages ready to go for an under the Christmas tree display. Not this year, but that's something I'd really like to do in the next few years. Besides, monorail + Star Wars and Star Trek ornaments = just plain fun. :)
• There are still some Star Tours Starspeeder 3000 toys at the $10 Disney Store near Rainforest Cafe. In contrast, save a couple Storm Troopers, the Star Wars Kooky Kollectable pens were gone at Magnetron over on West Side. But don't worry, there are still PLENTY of fake (and VERY tasty looking) donut magnets still available. Anybody for Dunkin Donuts? ;)

That's all for now, but there are a some new adventures brewing next week. Stay tuned and cheers! :)