Tuesday, July 8 - Hollywood Studios

On Tuesday, we spent the last day of our Disney World vacation at Hollywood Studios! Disney has done a great job of spreading the "really cool" stuff around to the different parks. Once you're inside, you can't help but see the huge magician's hat!

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One of the main reasons I wanted to go to Hollywood Studios was to see Mater and McQueen! There was a long line for pictures, so I just stood off to the side and snapped a few shots. We also saw Buzz Lightyear and Woody, too. :-) We took the "Backlot Tour" which was worth the price of admission alone! Getting to see how things work 'behind-the-scenes' in a movie and from different sets added to the movie magic!

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After the tour, we looked through the movie props they had on display. Tyler got to pose with one of his all-time favorites! Later, Tyler, Mimi and I went on "Star Tours" which put us in the seat of a very cool Star Wars flight simulation!!

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Of course, our last day at Disney was the only day that the rain was any kind of factor.. And, it was a HUGE factor. They ended up cancelling the Phantasmic shows, which disappointed Shan because she had seen the show when she was here two weeks ago and knew we would all love it. If we get to come again sometime, maybe we will get to see it then! I'm just glad that she was able to see it when she came down before. Shan is a HUGE Mickey fan, and the look in her eyes when she talks about how cool the show was says it all...

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We did grab a bite to eat during a break in the rainfall! They have "Fry Stands" where you can buy McDonald's fries - that's what Shan and the kids had. I got in a LONG line for a burger. The girl at the register commented on my Indians shirt and showed her my recently-SKINIT'ed phone with the Indians jersey on it. She said, "How bad is it that I can't wait to leave Orlando so I can go home and watch the Tribe play!?" LOL!

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Tyler was faced with the choice to go with me to ride Aerosmith's Rockin Roller Coaster or watch "Beauty and the Beast." He chose the coaster. We got in the singles line and before long, we were aboard - on different coasters. This coaster goes from 0-60 in about .5 seconds! As soon as my coaster took off, all I could think about was how mad Tyler was going to be at me for this! In the end, he enjoyed the ride, but said he kept his eyes closed tight for the whole trip. He had no idea who Aerosmith was. I, on the other hand, thought it was one of the best coasters I have been on in a long time! Loved the music, the smooth ride, the speed, the corkscrews, you name it!! Awesome!

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The rain stopped long enough for the "High School Musical 2" performance. Emily would not get out in front of the crowd and dance, but she enjoyed herself big time! By the time the last couple songs came up, we were all dancing and singing along! Great fun!!

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Shan thought she was getting OUT of this picture... Little did she know I was taking the picture OF HER to begin with!! :-)

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One of the best rides ever is the Toy Story Mania ride! This is a 3-d spinning arcade ride that features the characters from Toy Story!! We had so much fun pulling the string to launch virtual darts, toss rings, and even throw virtual confetti! I managed to snap a photo of Kay and Emily as they were coming to the end of the ride!

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Even though the rain/storm closed down the outdoor shows we wanted to see, we still did a lot at Hollywood Studios. We saw several indoor shows, rode Pirates of the Caribbean and other rides, and did a lot of window-shopping (and, yes bought some stuff, too). I did not go on the Tower of Terror mainly because the wait time was longer than I cared to stand in the rain. :-) The whole vacation was AWESOME!!

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I won!! My essay won!!

A little while ago, I wrote an essay for a contest contest regarding a new segment potential for Baseball Tonight. Well, my essay won!! It turns out, the folks at SportsCardFun couldn't decide between two essays, so I am sharing the win with another writer, which is perfectly fine by me!!

For my prize, I get a HOBBY box of 2008 Bowman baseball cards! Now, that is sssssmokin!!


Here are my thoughts, and my winning essay:

Here's my plan for the new baseball card segment on ESPN's Baseball Tonight

Initially, the program would air once or twice per week, repeating. That is, the same episode would show a couple times a week to give viewers the opportunity to catch it if they missed it.

The bird's eye view of the program: MLB players, card execs, club managers, and/or prominent bloggers on the subject would appear in a 90-120 second segment (may be produced, but would probably work better "live") in which they discuss the hobby as they see it. Initially, guests would be selected based on their positive experiences, thoughts, and love for collecting. Players and managers could discuss their favorite cards, or even their own cards! Bring in Hall-of-Famers to talk about collecting as kids (and as adults, if they still do).

The segment could be sponsored by card manufacturers, but they would have no input on the content (unless they happen to be the featured guest of the day). In fact, ideally, specific manufacturers wouldn't be discussed so much as the state of the hobby and broad ideas regarding the types and styles of cards (for example, discussion on throwbacks, game-used, autographs, etc).

If the current hosts of Baseball Tonight collect, then they can serve as the moderator/interviewer. If they don't, however, then an 'expert' card collector/hobbyist should be brought in as the host of the segment.

Card collecting basically has two schools of thought - nostalgia and profitering, and they are not always mutually exclusive. The first three or four episodes should focus on nostaglia. In fact, if you could get the owner of "THE" Honus Wagner to come on, or the owner of some other rare card to be the pilot offering, that would set the tone of the program.

The program should get personal. WHY do they collect? HOW LONG have they been collecting? WHO/WHAT are some of the guests favorite players/items to collect? The audience will enjoy hearing that their favorite player(s) collect the same player(s) or items. WHAT do the guests think about the current state of card collecting? WHY SHOULD KIDS (or anyone) COLLECT? The program should SHOW CARDS.

Keep the basic format the same until the program grows. Ask the same questions (or types of questions) to each guest, so the viewers know what to expect. Tease the viewers with upcoming guests and as the program matures, with new program features.

Episode 1 should feature Tony Gwynn, Cal Ripken Jr, a HOFer, or Ben Henry (blogger). Seriously. Ben Henry has been following baseball cards pretty in-depth and has one of (if not THE) most successful card blogs out there. Ask the guest the questions posed above. Have the guest either bring a few cards from his/her collection or have your folks find images they can use.

Episode 2 should feature another prominent person (a HOFer) or feature a collector that has a unique spin on the hobby (someone who collects only a certain team, certain player, etc). A great example would be the winner of your most recent essay contest. Patricia and her daughters are amazing people who collect cards based on smiles, mid-air antics caught on cards, players using old technology, etc. That shows viewers that not everyone is out there for the money in it, and not everyone uses the same approach to collecting.

Episode 3 can use either ideas/people not used in the previous two episodes, or bring in a current player that Baseball Tonight is already going to be interviewing. This will save on costs to the network, anyway.

In fact, that might not be a bad tie-in as the majority of the segments. Start each program off with the person being interviewed talking about card collecting for 90-120 seconds, do the rest of the show as usual, then when the time comes, bring the player/guest in for their program segment.

Future segments could feature certain cards, certain players, etc. As the segment grows in popularity (and possibly length, though no more than 4-5 minutes), it could actually be divided into a "Waxing Nostalgia" (play on words!) and a "Hottest Cards" sub-segment, covering both the feeling most collectors get from collecting and the profiting aspect many sellers wish for.

The program possibilities are limitless once the program gets rolling and becomes an established part of the Baseball Tonight family.

How do we make it a reality?

First, take all the entries and compile a list of everything GOOD you see. Everyone will have different ideas and no one will cover everything, so make an "everything" list.

Second, take all the ideas that are marginal or would flat-out not work. Compile those as well. Those can be used to keep the program on track and help you see what might be pitfalls in the future.

Third, write a letter to the programming execs at ESPN. Don't mess around here. Give them enough information to whet their whistle, and then request an in-person meeting to further discuss the program.

Fourth, get the MLB involved, if only for the legal matters (whatever they might be). Find out who at the MLB would need to be in on the program discussions (not on-air, I mean production, legal, etc).

I would also contact card companies about sponsorship, with details to be hammered out (making sure they have NO say-so in content).

Remember, the final question is ALWAYS, "What's in it for us?" ESPN benefits because they are adding programming that will reach a specific audience. They will also possibly bring in peripheral demographics because word will get out (more on that in a second) and collectors who do not watch Baseball Tonight will tune in to see the latest Baseball Cards Tonight segment.

Sponsors will benefit because they will have very little cost in making a 15-second commercial for their product. This will reach the folks that do not browse the aisles at Wal-Mart, or hit the card shows, or may have long forgotten there was a card shop in town.

Getting the word out - Do it all. TV spots on ESPN, Twitter, Bloggers, Online ads with MLB, ESPN.com, Podcasting, etc.

This is a VERY exciting prospect, and given the right people in charge with the right motivation, this CAN be a reality!

Monday, July 7 - Magic Kingdom

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On Monday, we went to Magic Kingdom - the mecca of most Disney World goers! One could easily spend two or three days at Magic Kingdom alone. There is so much to do and see in one park. Of course, one of the main reasons we were there was the Magic Castle so that Miss Emily could have her Princess Makeover!

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We decided to ride the Monorail from our drop-off at Epcot over to the Magic Kingdom. We did not realize that we would have to get off one Monorail and get onto another, however. If we were to do this over again, I think we would have just hopped a Disney bus. The line at the Monorail exchange was HUGE!


I took several pictures of the Monorail, but this one of my favorites...

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Of course, when we got there, I made Shan and Emily pose in front of the castle! We are actually just inside the park at this point, but the castle is so big, you cannot help but get a great "posed" shot!

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Tyler, Emily, and Mimi all look on as Mickey and Minnie perform in front of the castle. As we got there, they were just finishing up one of the many shows they put on. Before we got to this point, we had seen the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor, which was an interactive show!

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Tyler and my Mom rode in the car ahead of me at the Indy Raceway in Tomorrowland. The cars go VERY slowly. Emily did not want to ride them at first, but when she saw how slowly the cars drove, she and I went on it later. After we got out, one of the 'cast members' asked Emily if she had her license. She said no, and he pulled a special one out of his pocket for her! It was great!

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Emily's main choice of things to do at Magic Kingdom was to ride the TeaCups! Tyler and I got our own cup so that we could spin as fast as we could make thing go around. Honestly, I have no idea how we did not get off puking our guts up!


Shan took the one of Tyler and me. How she got us while we were spinning was awesome!

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Here is Emily after getting her Princess Makeover!! One thing I noticed was that after her makeover, EVERY cast member that talked to her afterward always referred to her as "Princess." It is amazing to me the detail and thought that Disney puts into making the experience personal and special for their guests! It's no wonder that people WANT to go to Disney World, and why they want to COME BACK again and again....

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I took over 300 pictures at Magic Kingdom, and I will eventually post them to my Picasa account with a slideshow (as well as the other pictures I took).

Sunday, July 6 - Animal Kingdom

On Sunday, we went to Animal Kingdom! It's like a zoo with rides and shows. Because of the way our hotel shuttle operated, we had to take the shuttle to Epcot before embarking onto any other destination. Once at Epcot, we boarded the Disney bus for Animal Kingdom!

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Once inside, we were greeted with the "Tree of Life," which is bigger than I ever imagined. The animals carved into it are very detailed, and picked out the animals was a lot of fun, too!

The first thing we did was take the Safari ride. It was already hot by late morning, and that made you feel like you really were in Africa! The line for the Safari was long, but the FastPass was during a time that was only about an hour later than when we were there, so we figured it was worth waiting in line. In retrospect, if we get to go back to Disney again someday, it seems like it is almost ALWAYS worth getting the FastPass, if only to go do a couple things that might help keep you out of the heat until it is time for your ride! :-)

We saw elephants, lions, hippos, giraffes, and all kinds of other animals during the journey. Shan said it was the "must do" ride at Animal Kingdom, and I agree completely! Yes, it's hot and humid, but having the animals come up to the vehicle (or be within just a few feet of it) is unlike anything I have ever done. The kids loved it!

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We took the train over to the petting zoo area. I was glad to know I had my own chair, ready and packed! (You may have to look closely at the photo of the top of the train). The "Affection Section" (as it is called) had goats, a cow, donkeys, and a few other animals the kids (or young at heart) could pet. Honestly, it was a lot like being at home, since we've got most of those same animals running around here! LOL!!


There was a robotic trash can that followed people around and talked to them. It was very cute, and it would thank people for putting items into the can, or just pester the heck of the passersby! It chased a couple kids around the area, and everyone had fun watching.


After we were done petting the animals, we had to wash up!

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We walked around, taking in the sights and sounds of Animal Kingdom. I decided I just had to go on the Everest roller coaster! That was awesome! The thing would go for a bit, stop, back up, then rocket you forward again on a different path. At one point, we were pulled backwards down a different path into a deep dark tunnel! While I rode, everyone else waited and took some pictures. Amazingly, when they took this picture:

They had no idea that I was actually on that same coaster!! We only discovered that after we got back to the hotel and I was zooming in, playing around (I'm in the grey shirt, next to the girl in blue and white with her arms up):


If you go to Animal Kingdom, you have GOT ride Everest!

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We watched several shows, including a stage show presentation of "Nemo." Tyler and I also rode "Dinosaur" which put you in a car-like ride and drove you 'back in time' through a dino-filled world. Many of the rides at Disney are not really coasters and not really 'ride-alongs' but some kind of mix between them. If the ride says "Do not ride if you get motion sickness," they are not kidding. Well, for the most part, anyway. A lot of the rides do have rockin and rollin motion, but I think everyone except for the very weakest of stomachs can handle the rides... Then again, I don't get motion sickness, so that's easy for me to say, right? :-)


We attempted to see "The Lion King," but part way into the show, they had a mechanical failure and had to cancel the show. When the announcer came on and said they were sorry, but the show would be cancelled, everyone just sat there for a minute (even the actors). We thought it was a joke, or part of the show, but soon the lights came up and we were escorted out. Evidently, characters were supposed to come out of a trap door in (or near) the giraffe float, and they couldn't get the door opened up. We were seriously bummed out...

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So, we went back to the hotel and went swimming instead!

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Good Intentions

My original plan was to post daily updates as tothe happenings in Orlando. Unfortunately, with the Internet connection such as it is here, that isn't happening. I did manage one other post, though. When we get back, I'll post our daily happenings as if I had done them for each day, plus I'll post a bunch of pics on my Picasa site for ya! :-)

As a quick update, though, we went to Epcot on Saturday (read about that in my other post), Animal Kingdom on Sunday, and today (Monday) we are heading to Magic Kingdom.

Animal Kingdom was okay, not our favorite by any stretch. In fact, if it weren't for Everest and Dinosausr rides, I'm not sure I would have enjoyed it as much. The African Safari jeep ride was very cool, though! Well worth getting a fast pass or seeing first thing when you get there! The shows were also good, but it was a lot like going to a very hot zoo (in my opinion). I think it was worth doing, and if you have never been before, I recommend checking it out. Nemo the musical was FANTASIC and gives you the on-stage equivalent of seeing the movie in about 30 minutes! We tried to see the Lion King, but they had technical difficulties and had to kick us out of the theater! Everyone thought it was a joke at first, but nope, we got 'escorted' out of the buuilding. Something about a trap door that didn't spring open as planned... Oh well!

We got back to the hotel after a $40 cab ride that we were told would be about $25... UGH! Everyone (except me) took a swim in the pool and then we went to eat!

Today is Magic Kingdom, and I cannot wait! Emily is having the princess makeover done, so we'll take lots of pictures!!