Dreaming Disney - Homemade Mint Juleps

A Treat from the Mint Julep Bar

I did not know.  I did not realize.  I did not even consider that there would be a Disney snack that I would enjoy almost as much as Dole Whip.  It just seemed improbable.

Then I ate at Blue Bayou and had my first mint julep.  And I was thrilled that the Blue Bayou’s serving included refills because it was awesome in a cup! 

So we left the Disneyland Resort and I thought I would have to wait until we returned to Disneyland before I could enjoy this beverage again, I had never had it before so how could I expect to stumble on it in Betweenland?  I was wrong!   At my next birthday I came home to find a pitcher in the fridge.  It has become a birthday tradition over the last few years as the Between Wife mixes up this recipe from www.food.com:

Ingredients

• 1 lb granulated sugar
• 6 cups water
• 1 1/4 ounces lime juice concentrate
• 8 1/2 ounces lemonade concentrate
• 3/4 cup creme de menthe ( syrup available at liquor stores. Do not confuse it with creme de menthe liqueur)

Garnishes

• mint leaves
• lime slices
• maraschino cherries

Directions

1. Combine the sugar and water in a 3 quart saucepan. Stir the contents until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Stir in lime and lemonade concentrate next. Continue stirring and bring to boil just below the boiling point (210 degrees.) DO NOT BOIL!
3. Remove pan from heat and chill. Once chilled, add a ratio of 1 part syrup to 5 parts chilled water.
4. Transfer beverage to pitcher and enjoy!
5. Garnish each serving with mint leaves, lime slice and a maraschino cherry.
6. Sorry, the yield is estimated.

This recipe and others you will find online help you enjoy a little piece of Disneyland in Betweenland.  It is truly fantastic to come home from a long day of work, throw on a Disney travel video and let the stress of the day roll away.  The Between Family will warn you to follow the directions carefully.  The first time we accidentally doubled the lime juice in our first attempt, which lead to experimentation as we dialed in the correct flavor.  And be advised the crème de menthe is likely in your grocery store’s ice cream toppings area. 

Fear not true believers, Disneyland in a cup can be yours to be enjoyed!  What is your favorite park treat that you reproduce at home?

Between Books - The Imagineering Way

We can all agree that the artists of Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) create magic.  But how does an idea move from idea to concept to final attraction?  The book The Imagineering Way by The Imagineers gathers the collected creative wisdom of WDI and attempts to show how non-Imagineers can use the same principles in their everyday work and creative lives.

The Imagineering Way consists of small essays written by a number of WDI staff.  These include well known Imagineers including Tony Baxter, Marty Sklar, John Hench and honorary Imagineer Richard Sherman.  But being in the public eye is not a key to selection of inclusion in the book as a number of lesser known Imagineers contribute to the book.  Contributors range across a number of WDI disciplines including story, lighting, artists, and engineers.  The essays range from a page in length to no more than five pages.  Some of the essays are not even really essays but doodles, quotes and poems.  The essays are grouped into five main topics including brainstorming, building a culture, creativity, and multi-tasking. 

I have wanted to read this book for several years, ever since I saw it lying on a shelf in a Downtown Disney store in Orlando.  I have contemplated picking it up several times and have pushed it off until my most recent vacation.  I probably built too much anticipation over the years as I found myself slightly disappointed.  I do not think the book falsely advertised what it was, but I do not believe I truly understood what it was.  I was expecting a cohesive creative manual for non-Imagineers.  Instead the book is a series of quick hits which are only loosely held together.  Once one understands the style of the book it is possible to mine nuggets of wisdom from the WDI team which can be used in your non-Imagineering life.  In fact, I believe this book is highly quotable, and I could see stealing quotes from this text in the future especially as tweets.  Additionally, readers should not expect this book to include detailed concept art or discussions of WDI disciplines.  The book focuses on the philosophy of creativity not the artistic skills needed to develop a final WDI project. 

The Imagineering Way attempts to connect the philosophy of Imagineering to the non-Imagineering community.  It offers the common man the ideas that help guide Imagineers and makes suggestions on how these principles can be used beyond the walls of WDI.

Goofy Gadgets - Temple Run: Brave

My niece asked for my iPad.  She’s adorable and I find it difficult to say no to her.  Then I discovered that this youngster knew how to download apps onto it and I now had a copy of Temple Run, which was luckily free for me to enjoy.  I asked her what she knew about it after she started to play.  All she knew for sure was all the kids were playing it at school so it had to be good.

Temple Run is pretty simple.  You are a treasure hunter running through a temple attempting to escape a hoard of apes trying to capture you.  As you run you have to jump over obstacles like tree stumps and gaps in the ground.  You pick up coins as you run which you can use to pay for strengthened power ups which could boost you ahead or earn you more coins.  You can also use coins to buy new treasure hunters to run with.  The game gets more difficult as you run.  And you always will be caught or fall.

So, I was finding Temple Run a minor distraction, which I picked it up several times.  But then one day the Between Tween, with mom’s permission, paid the 99 cents to download Temple Run: Brave, inspired by the Disney Pixar movie Brave.  And then my time spent on this game concept escalated!

Screenshot from Temple Run: Brave

In Temple Run: Brave you are Merida running away from the bear Mordu through an ancient ruin.  The game play is basically the same though they have added an archery challenge.  Occasionally a number of targets will come up with hitting with an arrow will get the player more coins!  All one has to do to hit the target is tap the side of the screen the target is on before you pass it.  And as you earn coins you can buy additional outfits for Merida.

Temple Run: Brave now with archery!

I find the game play very easy.  In fact I find it easier than the original.  Merida moves to the right and left of the path fairly easily, where in Temple Run it feels harder to move the runner on the path. 

The only issue I have found is Merida when you switch costumes is sometimes pointed the wrong way.  So she might be running straight but facing in another direction.  And this looks really really odd. 

Overall, I really enjoy Temple Run: Brave and I have played it for weeks.  If anything I have moved to Temple Run more and more because the Disney version has made it easier for me to play.  But I still come back because I enjoy the archery element.  I highly recommend you download Temple Run: Brave for your iPad or iPod. 

Goofy Gadgets - Thor: Son of Asgard

I love The Avengers!

This summer I saw the movie three times, including twice in the first 24 hours. 

There have been a number of iTunes applications that have been released to promote and support the movie.  But to date I have not downloaded any of them because I generally do not pay for Apps (I am the only one in the Between Family with this philosophy).

Recently Marvel made one of those Avengers applications free for download for a limited time.  The application is designed for iPad and iPod devices.  Thor: Son of Asgard is typically, and will likely be again soon, sold for $2.99.  But with a window of time in which it is free I grabbed it.

In Thor: Son of Asgard, Thor’s brother and the main villain from Thor and The Avengers is again up to no good!  He has attacked and invaded Thor’s home of Asgard and Thor must overthrow his brother and his allies to reclaim his home.

The game play is a fighting adventure where Thor uses his hammer to defeat Ice Giants, Elves and more.  Thor walks (or runs) through levels fighting opponents.  The game provides hints on how to defeat new opponents and how to launch new moves.  But mostly it’s a lot of Thor Smash, to steal another hero’s line.

Screenshot from Thor: Son of Asgard

I usually don’t play games like this.  I found that I could get through the first three levels in around six to seven minutes a piece.  I did get defeated in the fourth level the first time I played it, mostly because I was distracted.

Visually the game has the right look and feel, it feels like a comic book game.  Each segment generally is introduced by a short video.  The scenes show wide-open landscapes, but the game will stop Thor from walking in some areas to keep you from wandering away from the game play.

Overall, I probably would not have downloaded this without it being free at the time I purchased it.  I am anticipating that I will more game play out of it that I did Fix-It Felix Jr. primarily because the scene does change.  But I personally do not tend to play games for the long-term so I anticipate that I will play it off and on for a few weeks but eventually replace it with something else, hopefully another free Avengers app!  And honestly it is The Avengers link that grabbed me as I await its home video release.   

Oswald Opines - DCA 2012

I have to come out of hiding and scream it.  BEFORE 2012 I LOVED DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE!  Please do not judge me.  My ego will not hold up against your judging eyes.  Disney California Adventure (DCA) before this summer had a number of my favorite rides such as Toy Story Midway Mania, Soarin’ Over California, and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror which would have required me to visit two separate parks at the Walt Disney World Resort.  And there were new favorites that I discovered on my first visit a few years ago such as Monsters Inc. Mike and Sully to the Rescue, California Screamin and World of Color that helped me make this park a full day park for the Between Family with multiple visits. 

Now, I admit my love of this park, making it my third favorite Disney park I have visited after the Magic Kingdoms, came after the days of its opening.  I did not experience DCA’s awkward years.  I had time for the park to mature.  I never for example lived through Superstar Limo!  And I am really glad that I did not. 

So now we arrive at the summer 2012 and I finally walk around a DCA that I had never experienced, a DCA without construction walls.  Here are some of my initial thoughts as I reflect on my recent trip to DCA.

·         Cars Land:  Cars Land is a delight.  It is immersive, fun and colorful.  I really love this addition to DCA and often visited even if I was not riding Radiator Springs Racers.  You just cannot help but smile when walking down the main drag.  Radiator Springs Racers is a hit and one of the best dark rides I have ever seen.  That being said I still would not wait 2 plus hours in line to ride it, especially with a small child.  If you do not have a Fastpass, I recommend you jump into the much shorter Single Rider line.  I only rode Luigi’s Flying Tires once and it was not with anyone I knew on other tires.  We did not have problems moving the tire around and it was enjoyable.  But since I did not have anyone I knew to bump I think it was not as fun as it could have been.  Who wants to bump strangers?  Some in my party rode later with multiple tires in play and they seemed to have more fun.  And Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree is really fun and a Between Kid pleaser.  Dining wise I would recommend that Chili Cone Carne, but I found Flo’s V8 Café satisfied a hungry tummy.  If any food item was a surprise it was Ramone’s Pear of Dice Soda.  In the end Cars Land is really fantastic addition to the park, even if it is just three rides, some dining and some shopping. 



The view of Ornament Valley

·        Buena Vista Street:  Buena Vista Street really is basically another shopping and dining addition.  But it does set atmosphere!  We did not eat at Carthay Circle, mostly because the Between Kids would not have enjoyed the menu in our opinion.  I really love the new Storyteller’s statue and the period piece dressed characters.  I told young Mickey a few times that he was going to make it big.  Buena Vista Street does an excellent job of setting the mood as you walk into DCA.  The entertainment options also helped set the mood by providing live background music even if you were not focusing on the acts. 

·        Glow with the Show:  The Between Family was pretty pumped about the Glow with the Show Mickey hats before we arrived.  I had heard accounts on podcasts about these ear hats and the interactivity they had with World of Color.  But as our trip passed, we kept pushing our viewing of World of Color back and just kept passing the shelves with the ears by.  By the time we actually saw World of Color buying the ears was no longer a priority, especially since for the whole Between Family to have ears it would cost us $100.  So we did not buy the ears and we did not regret it.  Though recently Disney has stated that a few hundred people are wearing the hats per show, I only saw a few scattered Glow with the Show hats at the presentations I went to, and many of them were worn by cast members.  If we had bought them, since we could not see the hat on our heads we would have entertained others instead of ourselves.  

Merida joins the World of Color

I am still excited about these ear hats and the technology.  But I think two things are going to need to happen.  First, the price has to drop or they need to package them in such a way that it attractive to buy them.  And there needs to be greater opportunity to use them.  Now, I know they glow in Cars Land.  But whenever we walked through Cars Land at night I never felt like we would have enjoyed our experience more if we were glowing.  Maybe if there was an advantage to be glowing there I would have considered buying them.  For example, and not my original idea, if there was priority seating in a special area for World of Color I believe we would feel motivated to both buy and wear the ears!  I am hopeful that now they are moving Fantasmic to interact with Glow with the Show that the ears will be more prominent.  Because honestly if my family could feel like we are part of the experience by wearing the ears, I think we would go for it.  And honestly their just needs to be more ears out there in the audience before we will feel like the ears are must haves, especially since we live in Betweenland. 

·        Mad T Party: The Between Tween loved Glowfest!  And the same Tween and I both found ElecTRONica amusing.  So I knew that the Mad T Party would be a homerun with the Between Tween who loves Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland.  Instead this was a huge miss!  Of the three night time parties held at DCA to date this is the one that the Between Tween wanted us to leave the quickest.  The Tween was happy we picked up a souvenir tea cup that contained a non-alcoholic orange slushy drink.  But the Mad Hatter Band and the depictions of the Alice in Wonderland characters was found slightly odd but the Tween, who spent most of the time trying to convince us to ride the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.  Fortunately the Between Kid was rocking out so we could stay awhile.  It seems the Mad T Party succeeds with more adult tastes than I expected.  Personally, I found the band entertaining and full of energy.  The Tween disliked the over the top costumes, and really did not appreciate the mix of music either.  The Tween was more happy with the DJ playing dance hits.  A big part of the Tween’s dislike of the event was the inability to reconcile sweet little Alice as a hard rocking diva!  Maybe the Tween wanted a more traditional Alice singing Disney standards.   

The Mad Hatter and Alice rock out on the Mad T Party Stage

You have my confession.  I have loved and continue to love Disney California Adventure!  Not everything was a hit for the Between Family, but a park that we have loved for years has only gotten better thanks to Cars Land and Buena Vista Street.

Before 2012 this may have been a secret shame for me to carry.  But now I welcome you to the bandwagon my friends.  I’ve been waiting for you!  

Lightening and Mater Welcome You to the Bandwagon!

Dreaming Disney - A Year Later

A year ago I posted the first real blog post on Between Disney.  I had reserved the old blogspot address months ahead of time and had considered blogging but I was uncommitted, waiting for the prefect time and content to start.  I really did not know a lot about web publishing, I still do not as I look as some of the color clashes in the older posts, and I felt that I had to be the perfect Disney enthusiast as far as knowledge and skill before I launched.

In August 2011, standing in the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail watching the Between Tween run through the obstacles I decided it was time to just start something.  Only by starting something would something happen, no matter how badly I articulated my point of view and no matter how bad the posts were I had to have action in order to say that I was “moving forward.”  All I knew for sure is I had some Disney stuff in my head and I wanted an avenue to at least share that stuff with myself.

When I made my first post, I preset metrics for evaluating what I would consider success.  After about 7 months my metrics for the year were absolutely crushed!  I have been shocked by the reaction and the friendliness of the Disney fan community and I thank you all.

Once again, thank you for the last year and here is to the next year of chronicling life in Betweenland!

Between Books - Mouse Trap

What is it like to be a Disneyland Resort cast member?  Kevin Yee describes his own experience as a cast member working primarily in New Orleans Square restaurants, especially Café Orleans, in Mouse Trap: Memoir of a Disneyland Cast Member.  Yee spent parts of a 15 year period as a cast member rising to the position of Lead at Café Orleans and later serving in the Entertainment Art department, which provided signs and decorations for special events within the park.

Yee’s text is very straight forward.  He describes how he was hired, onboarded, evaluated, worked and eventually left the Disneyland Resort.  He provides detail to the backstage areas of the Disneyland Park that guests never see, including wardrobe, break areas, business areas and other hidden support departments.  Yee also describes life as a cast member from special events, shopping, and the details of the scheduling and wardrobe processes during his days as a cast member.  He also gives a detailed examination of how some of these logistics have changed, to the best of his knowledge, after his 2002 departure from Disney employment.  He does additionally give some details about the social life of cast members such as dating and social activities.

Mouse Trap is heavy on logistics.  Yee is highly detailed about cast member functions such as wardrobe.  Actually, it is kind of fascinating to read his account of how wardrobe changes occurred in his tenure and why guests now see so many dressed cast members standing at the bus stops or walking off stage as they go home.  Yee provides a ton of information about how one worked as a cast member, and for me I found it very interesting.  He does address briefly and not in great detail the social aspects of being a cast member, including pranks.  However, he may not go into the depth that some readers may want.  If one is looking for a tell all memoir that names names and only reports the less ethical activities of cast members, this is not that book.  Instead Yee respects the privacy and names of those he worked with.  For a memoir in that vein readers may wish to pick up a book like Cast Member Confidential.  No Mouse Trap does not rip the cover off the seedy life of working for Disneyland, instead it provides a clear picture of how being an employee of the park functioned during Yee’s years.

Before I recently went on vacation, I really wanted to read a Disneyland Resort cast memoir.  When searching for a title I kept coming back again and again to Mouse Trap: Memoir of a Disneyland Cast Member.  Kevin Yee paints a picture of the reality of being a Disneyland cast member.  The book is highly detailed and clear.  Those who wish to understand the daily reality of working at the Disney parks will likely be pleased with Mouse Trap.