But interestingly enough, I think I appreciated Walt Disney World more on this trip and how they operate there business and how many challenges they have. Are they the best resort? No, of course not! I always will prefer the Disneyland Resort to all the others around the world. Call it pride or what have you, but it is the one that I grew up with and the one I currently work at trying to bring special memories to all who visit. Of course it's not easy, but we do what we can. I think I am beyond "ranking" the resorts for which is the best and which is the worst. Tokyo, Paris, and Hong Kong all have special places in my heart. I have had the privilege to visit them all and go "backstage" and realize that they are all great in their own ways and do the best they can with whatever challenges they are faced with year in and year out.

It had been 5 years since I visited Florida, and I must say that I really enjoyed all the plussed up items. The Magic Kingdom's Stitch Encounter was certainly better than people made it out to be and honestly, I enjoyed it better than Alien Encounter. The Monster's Inc Laugh Factory surprised me - perhaps I didn't really know what to expect. Interesting that they chose basically a super-sized Turtle Talk concept, but they pull it off well. I have never been a fan of play areas in a Disney Park, but at least the new Winnie the Pooh play area is well themed. The new Haunted Mansion sounds better than ever! One of my complaints about WDW the last time I went is that you could not hear anything on the attractions. Certain ones are still plagued by it, but at least the Mansion is loud and clear.

Over at EPCOT, they have done a ton of work. The new Spaceship Earth is very nice, though I will always miss Walter Cronkite's narration. The Seas with Nemo and friends is cute and it is nice to see the differences between that and our Subs. Granted, ahem, our FNSV is quite simply better in almost every way, but I love omnimovers so I give them props for that. Also, the Nemo fish swimming with real fish is a cool effect and I am glad they have something that no one else has. Soarin' was an interesting addition to the Land Pavilion and I like how they themed it to an airport. I really hope they have multiple movies playing and that one day someone invents a digital IMAX projector!

I love the new Three Caballeros version of the Grand Fiesta Tour (it's the boat ride in the Mexico Pavilion). I love the fact they incorporated some of the old footage, especially the cliff diver scene, though I do miss the hot tub/bar scene which granted was probably hard to include Donald. The renewed American Adventure finale and the O' Canada refresh were well done and in the spirit of their originals. I think that is my favorite update - something that keeps it fresh while not completely ignoring the originals.

At Disney's Hollywood Studios it was neat to see how they created Pixar Place and their version of Toy Story Midway Mania. I do like how you load on the opposite side of the station in Florida better than the DCA version, but overall, I like the themeing of actually being on the Midway in DCA better than the toy box of Florida, but then again both are executed well. I did not go see Lights, Moters, Action since I just saw the same show in Paris. It was fun to see them claim "Direct from Walt Disney Studios Paris".

Finally, I love the new Expedition Everest section at Animal Kingdom. It seamlessly fits with the the park and would never know that whole section was an addition to the original park - quite probably one of the best new expansion additions to any park I have seen. The attraction itself was lots of fun and I really enjoyed it.

One last note about Walt Disney World. I am not sure if it is due to hurricanes, drought, or my ever-keen skills of observation, but I certainly noticed that the trees on property were pretty thinned out. I could see backstage areas like never before at all the parks and I could see into parks backstage from roads. Part of it is the ever expanding growth of the resort and the areas around it as a whole, but I do miss the Walt Disney World of 1992 where everything seemed in its own isolated world surrounded by massive amounts of trees. I hope that it never becomes so overdeveloped that it seems like a Disney Metropolis instead of a Disney World.

Pictures soon! (although I took a ton - most were just bits here and there and just playing around with the camera and of course my side trip to Kennedy Space Center.)

EPCOT
Originally uploaded by Club Josh.

Epcot is so much better looking without the wand. I also like the new
show in Spaceship Earth, but I still miss Walter Cronkite. At least he
is there in one scene narrating the Moon Landing.

Since Internet is expensive, I will be limited to quick iPhone blogs or a photo here and there until I return. Also no trip diaries, but some observations for sure!

Yes, it's back to Walt Disney World! I am excited since it has been 5 years since I last went with Tiffany and Daniel. A lot has changed since then at the resort and I am excited to see some of the new stuff they have including the new American Experience Move, the new Spaceship Earth, and their version of Nemo to name a few. I recently just looked at my old 2003 photos and realized that a) I never finished captioning the Animal Kingdom photos, and b) For that matter, I never finished my Hong Kong or Tokyo photos either! Sad Times.

I doubt I will take too many photos since I have hundreds already, but since I have a new camera since then, I will probably take some photos. I am also planning on taking the video camera which I last used in Australia (even though I lugged it throughout Europe last year and never used it!). Since I have my iMac all set up for video editing, I should be able to have some fun with whatever I shoot.

Believe it or not, Internet access at WDW is still archaic at best. They have in-room networking that they charge per day. They really do need to get with the times and give people free wireless in their rooms!! (I know I keep mentioning my passion for it, sorry!) I will have the iPhone with me so I will be able to post quickie updates, but right now I am leaning towards no official Trip Diary - but rather just a fun, get away from it all vacation! Ya never know though, so keep checking the site while I am gone to see if there are anything - no promises!

IMG_0870
Originally uploaded by Club Josh.

Here is the aforementioned outfit!

David also had a former Beach Blanket Babylon Mariachi costume for me with a hand made mask and cape to go with it. How could I refuse??

I made it up to David's right on time and got dressed. Sadly for me I had to squeeze into my costume which just furthers the point that I could use to drop a few pounds here and there. I had no idea, but some of David's friends went as well dressed in fishnet, capes and masks and not much else!!

The premise was that we were at a party in Charo's backyard which meant that David and I along with everyone else that was there had to dance around to Charo's Espana Cani CD and hold drinks and snacks while the shoot was happening. There was a bit of a delay, but finally we were on TV. I had a clear view of the monitor and got some good air time - so much so that I wish that I had been able to TiVo the program (sadly Time Warner in OC did not have the program). Hopefully David was able to get it on his DVR.

We had a great time and even got to meet Manolo the Bull from the Espana Cani video. Everyone was super nice as always and I even had a chance to talk shop with Kjell. I really wanted to get a pose of me in costume with Charo, but she was super busy!

Immediately after downloading iMovie HD, I begin doing what I was trying to do with Dome to Dome. Surprisingly, the video tape is in good condition so it was able to transfer with only some minor hiccups here and there. I have dived into creating the opening credits for the movie, and then after that I will start going through the editing process. Ten minutes of driving around Grand Forks AFB with a kid in the backseat crying about going to bowling? Yeah, there is a lot of work to do. At least there is a great interview with my friends Trevor and Claudia when I went to visit them in Madison to see if I could be a Badger.

My goals are to create some good YouTube episodes (maybe a Club Josh Travels channel? or perhaps a Dome to Dome Channel?) as well as a nice formal DVD to go alongside Dome to Dome Twice and Covina Chaos!

First up, I found out near the end of work on Sunday, that I was going to be heading back to the Main Entrance for another three month assignment. This was quite the pleasant surprise! So on my actual birthday, I found myself back where I was over the summer - just focusing on a slightly different area. Since it was my birthday, I was wearing a Birthday Button and the whole cast working the Main Entrance sang Happy Birthday to me. This really helped make my birthday special.

Later that evening, I went over to Daniel's and he and Tara had made me dinner and baked a cake! Completely unexpected, but it is nice to know you are appreciated. One of the best presents I got was a new analog-digital video converter for my Mac, so I can now start working on the original Dome to Dome - only 15 years later! There is a bit of awkwardness though, as some of the people in the video are no longer in the family. I haven't watched it in at least 10 years, so it should be interesting to say the least.

All in all a great birthday!

It started on Saturday as we attempted to go to Miceli's for the third year in a row. I waited until the last minute to get reservations, but managed to score one at 6:30 in Studio City and 7:15 in Hollywood as a backup. The plan was to meet the relatives up at Dad's and then carpool into town. Due to illnesses and whatnot, our group was whittled down to just four of us and after much debate, it was decided that I would drive into LA. We almost made it down to the freeway when Amanda called to say that she was on her way to meet us in Hollywood. I told her to head for Studio City since we were going to try there first. Dad did not want her driving the delivery truck into LA, so we decided to meet her at her apartment and then have her squeeze into the CR-V.

As we headed to backtrack to Amanda's, we noticed the freeway was stopped dead. It turns out it was a good thing that we didn't just get onto the freeway as we would have been stuck in traffic for who knows how long. Taking the back roads, we passed by Dad's old house - the first of 3 nostalgic drive-bys. We had good timing as Amanda showed up shortly after we arrived at her place and we were back on the road. By then, it was already 6pm, and we decided to make Hollywood since it had the later reservation. Despite the endless din from the backseat about going local and waiting another week to go to the restaurant, we headed into LA.

We made it as far as the bottom of Kellogg Hill before we hit traffic again. It cleared up as we passed Forest Lawn, but once we headed down into the Covinas, we saw the endless miles of breaklights as the 10 was also bumper to bumper. Jerri had the great idea of trying the Brazilian BBQ place. Although not what I had originally envisioned as a birthday dinner, I was intrigued to try it since it had been mentioned a few times previously. Boy did we make the wrong call!

Brazilian BBQ is an interesting concept. Think Hometown Buffet without the Ice Cream and the selection. It has a plussed up Salad and side dish bar, and then 14 different varieties of beef that is brought to your table on skewers. We tried all sorts of different beefs, some good like the Beef Kabobs, and some not so good like the brisket or duck. In addition, it was very overpriced! But at the end of the dinner, I decided to get a piece of Chocolate Cake, and after Jerri spilled the beans that it was my birthday, they all sang something in Portuguese, which I assumed was some sort of birthday chant.

We departed the restaurant and quickly crossed it off the repeat list, but at the same time I was glad that we attempted it. Oh, and I should note that at one point after the salad, I was cutting a piece of meat and it flew off my plate and onto my shirt, making a big mess and sending everyone into fits of laughter. On our way back to Dad's, we cruised by the Shamwood House and the Aldenville House to see how they looked, years after family members lived there.

The nightcap at Dad's included the traditional gift exchange and cake. The highlight was the disposable underwear that Jerri got, which marks two years in a row I got an underwear themed present!

More soon!

I recorded Saturday Night Live in HD to test it out and it actually looks great. I haven't checked the size requirements to see how much room it takes up, but since I will be TiVo'ing less shows now, hopefully it will not run out of room.

Still not happy with the guide interface (I never was before with TiVo - preferring to use the cable company's guide and information), but I am sure with time I will get used to it.

After picking up my TiVo at Best Buy, I went to Time Warner the next day to get a Cable Card. This was my second trip to a TW location in as many days since the previous night's venture to the Bella Terra store resulted in the lady telling me they didn't have any (in a "why do you even want that thing" sort of snarky voice) and for me to go to another store the next day. So thinking that I needed two cards, I picked them up and headed home.

As I was installing the TiVo (and getting hit in the head with items falling off of my stereo rack and a Wii Sensor Bar), I fired it up and discovered the Cable Cards were actually Multi cards, meaning that I really only needed one. Bonus for me! After the agonizing race to get the data into the TiVo, it all started to work beautifully in time for Survivor: Gabon.

It wasn't until later in the night that I realized that some channels - including the ever important 217 - the Travel Channel - were not showing up. In fact, all of my optional extra channels, TW calls them Variety and Choice Tier, were not there at all. After calling Time Warner's crack service department, they decide to send me a technician to solve the issue. Apparently the cards are not getting the autorization to decode the optional channels. Sadly, this means I will have to watch Most Haunted on the bedroom TV. My big hope is that I can get all this sorted out before next week's 7-hour Most Haunted Live.

It is a bit weird getting used to using the TiVo interface the whole time. For the past six years, I have used the TiVo through a cable box. The TiVo guide seems to be a bit slower, but I really enjoy the fact that I can watch whatever is on TV and not worry about it flipping to record CSI in the middle of watching Doctor Who or something like that.

I haven't tried to record a HD show yet, but I want to see how it will work. My TV is not an HD set, but as I have mentioned previously, it is HD ready and can process the signals. It is just a 4:3 set so everything is letterbox, but it looks way better than I think most HD TVs can put out. The only advantage a LCD or Plasma has is the thin form factor. Then again, my TV is almost 9 years old so I half expect it to die a painful death soon since all of my older electronics seem to be growing long in the tooth.

Hopefully my technician will solve the problems better than their last visit..

When the power came back on, the lights on the front illuminated solid yellow and orange and that was that. For all the cycling, my poor TiVo would not boot.

Checking online, I discovered the most likely cause is a failed power supply. It is possible to replace the power supply for around 70 bucks in the hopes of rescuing the programs on it, but I am not sure I want to even bother. I am sad to lose the two Most Haunted's on there as well as Charo's appearance on the Today Show from 1994, but replacing the power supply is not a sure fix, and it will take a week or so to get the part, and of course we are in the middle of the new Fall TV season.

So despite these losses, I have to now decide how to replace the TiVo in time to keep recording my favorite shows. I am torn between getting a DVR through Time Warner or getting a new HD TiVo in anticipation of the day I get an HD TV. Perhaps Apple will come to my rescue with an Apple TV DVR?

Pluses are also abounding - I now have a primarily days working schedule with Fridays and Saturdays off for most weeks. I am not sure how long this goodness will last, but I have to be sure to soak it up before I get back to closing weekends.

On travel news, the high price of airfares have really taken a hold of my plans and although I would love to follow Mom and Gary to their Mediterranean cruise, it looks like I will be heading to the Florida Project sometime in November. I haven't been back there since 2003 (amazing considering I have visited all of the other Disney theme parks in the world since then!), and I think once every 5 years is a good cycle for me to go there. 8 years (between 1992 and 2000) was too long and 3 years was too short (2000-2003), so I think now the time is right to go again.

One of the things I am going to do is only go for a week, and then spend another week just working around the apartment and perhaps something more - a distinct contrast to my vacation last year.

Hopefully by Christmas, things will solidify at work, and I will be able to do big things in 2009!

Next, I discovered that if I selected a YouTube video it would also play through the TV - talk about a bonus! I really want to purchase a video from iTunes to see how it compares to my videos. If it is good, then I can watch some of the Doctor Who episodes that are only on iTunes and not DVD.

The new iPhone 2.1 also seems to be better in many ways - the phone is more stable and I do get better 3G reception. Time will tell if it stays this way.

Once again, I have wanted to move out of my apartment for someplace nice. I even went out and looked at buying a condo or even just moving to a nice area like Irvine or some of the new places in Anaheim closer to work. I got really excited over a development in Colony Park in Anaheim, but when push came to shove it is just way too expensive per month.

So my sites turned to getting a new place but I discovered that the price point for an upgraded living space is an additional 300-400 a month. Considering that I am still unsure where I am going to end up at work in the next few months, I think staying put (with a minimal increase in rent) is the wisest course. Part of me thinks that I will just have to put in a 30 days notice in order to force myself to actually get a new place. To be honest, there are several things about my current apartment that I do not really care for - the downstairs neighbor smoking and the increase in graffiti in the neighborhood.

I do have until Friday to sign the new lease or bail, so maybe something will come my way in the nick of time!