tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24108296691984948502024-03-12T22:02:33.473-07:00Disney Fan RamblingsThoughts and musings about anything related to Disney - including but not limited to Walt himself, Disney films, books about Disney, the parks and resorts, and other Disney journals and blogs. And perhaps the occasional entry about something entirely off topic...Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409785011989904117noreply@blogger.comBlogger334125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410829669198494850.post-62482395022457970842021-08-26T14:27:00.001-07:002021-08-26T14:27:17.479-07:00Doing Disney?<p> If you scan the posts on this blog, you might see the ones saying that I wrote a book called Doing Disney, which tried to be a guide for people who "do Disney" in the same way that we do -- a week at a time, every year or two. Who might want to make the most of their time in Disney World, and maybe take advantage of a few little hacks, nothing too extraordinary or secret, that might allow them to get a little more out of that week.</p><p>I updated the book (before it was published by Theme Park Press) a few years ago, shortly after FP+, Memory Maker and My Disney Experience became things. And we recently visited again, in early August of 2021 (this year), and I thought, a lot has changed with the pandemic and the lack of FastPasses, the reduced window for dining reservations, the requirement of park reservations, and the virtual queuing system for the Star Wars land's flagship ride, Rise of the Resistance.</p><p>So I launched into writing a revised Doing Disney edition taking these changes into account. And as I was revising, Disney announced Genie! And Genie Plus! These things will replace the My Disney Experience app, as near as I can tell, and they will introduce paid FastPass, known as "Lightning Lane." So now you get to pay something around fifteen dollars a day per guest in addition to your already-expensive ticket in order to get on the rides.</p><p>And not only that, but "premium" rides will have another charge associated with them. Does that not sound great? As far as I could tell, these rides will include Seven Dwarves Mine Train (?), Frozen (?), Rise of the Resistance, and Flight of Passage, at least. (The reason for the question marks by the first two is because those rides are good, but they're hardly even the best rides in their respective parks so why do they get labeled as "premium" or whatever they're labeling them?)</p><p>Do the math. A family of four, spending six days in the parks, will now pay an extra sixty dollars a day, $360.00 total, to get Lightning Lane access. Not unlimited access either, as far as I can tell (though I could be misinterpreting this). You still have to reserve your FastPasses. You can buy Genie Plus starting at midnight the day before your park visit. You can reserve your rides starting at seven am the day of your visit. </p><p>When are we supposed to sleep?</p><p>Why not just raise the price of the ticket $15.00? Is this for all those park visitors who are paying a hundred bucks for a day for the privilege of walking around the parks, spending money on food and merchandise, and getting to see parades and fireworks? </p><p>Honestly, this is ridiculous. If this is what Bob Chapek is all about, please get rid of him sooner than later. Because in my somewhat informed opinion, these cash grabs are a recipe for disaster. </p><p>Shame on you, Disney. Shame.</p>Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409785011989904117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410829669198494850.post-25254557041387508222020-06-22T11:04:00.000-07:002020-06-22T11:04:05.763-07:00New book!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPi_8mAJTQoskp2p3znisc6hIbQC_Uze8dqMg99l2ZCFhtW1k8rEstOBj8C205HHCN0R9U1WuUdXGLiN0AtA7613uWxecX6L9GgnhSlVwjoGVGRHriZdovPQS2TeaDd1LySrDheAGk_UJ/s1600/Theme+Park+Design.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="732" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPi_8mAJTQoskp2p3znisc6hIbQC_Uze8dqMg99l2ZCFhtW1k8rEstOBj8C205HHCN0R9U1WuUdXGLiN0AtA7613uWxecX6L9GgnhSlVwjoGVGRHriZdovPQS2TeaDd1LySrDheAGk_UJ/s320/Theme+Park+Design.jpg" width="244" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Who has this book to read?<br />
<br />
I have this book to read! <br />
<br />
Looking forward to it.<br />
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#</div>
Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409785011989904117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410829669198494850.post-9400853097647428092020-06-15T09:02:00.002-07:002020-06-15T09:02:25.246-07:00Bad Disney!I find something to like about almost everything Disney does. I even liked <i>The Sorcerer's Apprentice </i>and <i>Prince of Persia </i>and <i>John Carter. </i>I thought they told okay stories, looked good, were relatively well-acted, and fun in their own shallow way. <br />
<br />
But <i>Artemis Fowl... </i>This was just bad! <br />
<br />
Okay, the fairy city looked nice. Some of the sets were cool. But it removed everything that made the book a fun read, and turned it into something that...sucked.<br />
<br />
The performances did nothing for me. Josh Gad's giant dwarf was okay, I guess, but felt forced. The kid who played the lead was wooden. Hayden Christiansen bad? Worse, I think. (I didn't think Christiansen was that bad.) Dame Judi Dench even seemed bad. <br />
<br />
The script was bad. It generally made no sense. The way the characters were written, their relationships were glossed over. They jumped from point A to point Z with nothing in between. I didn't care about any of them. The plot had no logic to it at all. <br />
<br />
I rarely pan anything so thoroughly, but here we are. Disney, you failed on this one. I don't know whose fault it is. The director's? He's generally well-respected, and it's hard to believe that this pile of -- whatever it is -- came from his hand. <i>Thor </i>was much better, and that's generally not one of the highest rated Marvel movies.<br />
<br />
The end sets up a sequel in some sense, but I doubt that will be getting made. <br />
<br />
And good thing, if it was to be anything like this.<br />
<br />
# Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409785011989904117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410829669198494850.post-19778398983063441332019-10-29T11:53:00.004-07:002019-10-29T11:53:37.881-07:00Doing Disney taken by Theme Park Press!Quite a while ago, my "guidebook" DOING DISNEY was accepted by Theme Park Press for publication. <br />
<br />
Now it's available in soft-cover and in ebook formats. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://themeparkpress.com/books/doing-disney.htm" target="_blank">DOING DISNEY!</a><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://themeparkpress.com/books/doing-disney.htm" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="340" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYAj0fiw-yoQGTX52UYGcP5yVVM2cH93nI57QHOQ60yxoyg0pS6jq0lfTi1fSvtJD90zFLVT76QyhxkZMFnFid1FcBZX2N6R4e6Du94R7aUMlufmQ23e0wDf0kXtcDPsrMEsRT7XZqxW2/s400/doingDisney.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="DOING DISNEY" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://themeparkpress.com/books/doing-disney.htm" target="_blank">Theme Park Press Edition </a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409785011989904117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410829669198494850.post-14031821792628981192019-10-14T09:47:00.002-07:002019-10-14T09:47:38.424-07:00New book by Nick PoburskyThere's another book from the author of WDW-themed HOLLOW WORLD:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Spectre-Thirteen-Charlie-Walker-Novel-ebook/dp/B07YVK7DZM" target="_blank">SPECTRE THIRTEEN</a><br />
<br />
Here's the description: <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 14px; padding: 0px;">
<b>Head of Security. Husband. Father. Hero.<br />Charlie Walker is back in Nick Pobursky’s electrifying sequel to his bestselling <i>Hollow World</i>!</b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-top: -4px; padding: 0px;">
It’s been three years since Charlie thwarted a terrorist attack on Space Mountain and kicked evil mastermind Spencer Holloway off the top floor of Bay Lake Tower. And aside from occasional annoyances from his frenemy Habst, things have been relatively quiet for the ex-detective. That is until one of his staff is found brutally murdered, a crime for which Charlie is wrongly accused. With the help of his friends in the CIA’s X-ray Team, Charlie must clear his name and fight his way through a gorgeous and sadistic villain’s cat-and-mouse game; a game that will test every ounce of his physical, emotional, and mental strength. But this time, if Charlie fails, it’s not just one ride that’s in danger, it’s the entire Walt Disney World resort….</div>
</blockquote>
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Enjoy it!Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409785011989904117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410829669198494850.post-88826639287948700612015-06-29T12:47:00.000-07:002015-06-29T12:47:37.747-07:00TOMORROWLAND - The Movie...My thoughts<div class="entry-content">
Hello! Been a while since I posted anything here, let alone something related to Disney. Here are my thoughts on the recent film TOMORROWLAND... <br />
<br />
***** <br />
<br />
Having read quite a bit about Walt Disney, I may be seeing this
recent Disney film with tinted glasses. I remember being inspired by
the stories that Disney put on film and on TV in a myriad of ways back
in the 1960’s, when I was inspired by the stories and the music to write
my own stories and to learn to play the songs. I didn’t take my
inspiration for my love of science from Disney (directly); it was the
space program that grabbed me and made me want to learn. Yeah, I was
one of those kids who wanted to be an astronaut. I dreamed about
traveling to the Moon or to Mars, or to even more distant places. My
interest was fed by writers like Asimov and Heinlein and Clarke (the
so-called Big Three) and by Charlton Heston movies like THE OMEGA MAN
and PLANET OF THE APES.<br />
<br />
It wasn’t till I started to study Disney that I realized how
interested he was in the space program himself — and in scientific
advancement! He made promotional films for NASA to help generate
popular support for the project to put a man on the Moon, and in his
parks was this area he called “Tomorrowland.” Tomorrowland celebrated
the future by promoting the achievements of corporations in that
direction. It had exhibits like “The House of Tomorrow”, a
futuristic “People Mover” and its retrospective tribute to technology,
“Carousel of Progress.” I didn’t know about these things till
relatively recently because I didn’t go to Disney World until 1975, and
then as a member of my high school band who was less concerned with
appreciating what I was seeing than with the existence of high school
girls from other band programs in other parts of the country.<br />
<br />
So what’s all that have to do with TOMORROWLAND, the movie? I
believe there is something of Walt Disney’s persona in this film. And
that something is “Optimism.” Walt Disney was a futurist, according to
Ray Bradbury. A forward-thinking man who had his eyes on solving the
problems of the world with technology, through corporations.<br />
<br />
The movie isn’t as focused on corporations as agents for positive
change, but it has the same optimism about the future that Walt had. If
I understood correctly, the story is that scientists figured out how to
access an alternate dimension of reality and then proceeded to create a
world where science was king — where just about anything was possible.
(Sort of goes with Walt’s old “If you can dream it, you can do it”
mentality.) In fact, the film starts with a boy inventor traveling to
the World’s Fair that Disney used as a testing ground for so many things
that found themselves into his parks, including the aforementioned
Carousel of Progress and the “it’s a small world” attraction. (At that
fair, for the Illinois exhibit, Walt and company built an
audio-animatronic Lincoln that people reported rose and stepped into the
audience, shaking people’s hands – of course it did no such thing but,
well, that’s how imagination works I guess.) He makes his way to
Tomorrowland with the help of a pretty young girl and a pin that she
gives him.<br />
<br />
Cut to the future – our future – where our space program is
being dismantled and where pessimism reigns. What’s the best an
intelligent young man or woman can hope for in this world? It certainly
isn’t the Moon, or Mars.<br />
<br />
In the film’s case, the intelligent young person is a high school
girl who becomes intrigued by a pin she finds among her belongings after
she is released from jail — she was arrested for sabotaging the
machines that are destroying the launch platforms at Cape Canaveral.
The pin shows her a shining land of science and technology that is
beyond her wildest dreams, and she must find it.<br />
<br />
The straightforward adventure story that follows is competently
written and it plays out in an entertaining manner. But it was the
concept behind that adventure — the idea that you can make a difference,
that your brain is more powerful than anything else, and that amazing
things can be accomplished if our best and brightest put their minds to
it — that intrigued me.<br />
<br />
And it wasn’t just me. My kids were intrigued by the ideas, by the
inspiration that they were able to take from the story. I have smart
kids, and we’ve always talked about accomplishing big things through
intellect (not in those words, obviously), and they saw in this film
something more than an unrealistic adventure story. It’s the same sort
of feeling we have when we leave EPCOT or Tomorrowland at the Magic
Kingdom. There’s an enthusiasm after those visits, a feeling that
anything IS possible, in fact.<br />
<br />
I found<a href="http://futureprobe.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-lost-story-of-tomorrowland.html" target="_blank" title="The Lost Story of Tomorrowland"> a review</a> on a sometimes-Disney site called <a href="http://futureprobe.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" title="FutureProbe">FutureProbe</a> and I’m going to just quote the end of it:<br />
<blockquote>
The lesson our characters should have learned is that
Tomorrowland isn’t a place you escape to, it’s something you make
wherever you happen to be. The movie shouldn’t have ended with a bunch
of robot children setting out to bring people to Tomorrowland, but with
them setting out to bring Tomorrowland to the people.</blockquote>
I agree with the sentiment, but I think it’s being nit-picky about
the final message. So what if the robots are setting out to bring the
best and brightest to Tomorrowland instead of rejoining the real world?
In a sense, they are metaphorically doing exactly that – inspiring the
young people to create the future instead of accepting it and “gaming
the system” for their own benefit. Maybe “Tomorrowland” is MIT or
Harvard or University of Illinois for some particular teenager, and
maybe it’s going to work for an environmentally aware company. Maybe
it’s just getting the best out of yourself instead of coasting.<br />
<br />
In any case, I found a lot to like about this movie. I’m not going
to argue that it’s the greatest piece of filmmaking ever, but it’s more
than an entertaining story, or at least it can be.<br />
<br />
*****<br />
<i>(This is cross-posted from my <a href="http://scottdyson.com/" target="_blank">"Scott Dyson" blog</a> which is where I talk about my writing and my books. Stop by if you want to see what I've been up to with my self-publishing efforts.</i> <br />
*****
</div>
Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409785011989904117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410829669198494850.post-38207606129163457052015-01-29T08:03:00.000-08:002015-01-29T08:03:38.771-08:00Two stories on KDP Select promotion! Please go grab them!I am running a promotion of two of my short story packages on Amazon for Kindle. The promo runs from today till Monday, February 2, 2015. Over those five days, both titles (which contain SIX short stories!!) will be completely free! Please download them! Even if you don't want to read them, download them! Thanks. Links are below.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F76YQ0C" target="_blank">THE GATEWAY (and AMERICA'S PASTIME and HOT SPOT) </a></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F7417X8" target="_blank"> JACK'O'LANTERN (and THE MOMENT and SARAH'S PUPPY)</a><br />
<br />
Thanks for looking/downloading them! Hopefully you will enjoy them and maybe even leave a review! <br />
<br />
*****Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409785011989904117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410829669198494850.post-25017966349068613312015-01-28T11:59:00.000-08:002015-01-28T11:59:25.605-08:00Preview for upcoming Disney film...We went to see THE HOBBIT: BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES a week ago, and one of the previews that looked interesting to me was for an upcoming Disney flick. I'll describe a bit of it, so it plays out at least a little bit like I experienced it.<br />
<br />
A girl is getting out of prison. I'm thinking BLUES BROTHERS where Jake goes up to the window to get his belongings from Frank Oz at the very beginning, because that's exactly what this girl was doing. She starts sliding her stuff into her hand, and there's a pin there, can't see it real clearly. The girl calls back in, says to the guard, "This pin isn't mine." <br />
<br />
Then she touches it. <br />
<br />
She flashes to a golden meadow, something that looks like wheat all around her. She lets go of the pin, and she's back in the jail. The pin is on the floor. She stares at it, reaches for it, grabs it, and she's back in the field. She looks around, and sees off in the distance...<br />
<br />
A city.<br />
<br />
Tomorrowland. <br />
<br />
What it's about, I don't know. I just thought it looked pretty cool in the preview, and the way the preview was set up, I <i>want </i>to know what it's about. <br />
<br />
So...coming to a theater near you...TOMORROWLAND from Disney Studios.<br />
<br />
*****Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409785011989904117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410829669198494850.post-2733016360194522872014-12-10T14:44:00.003-08:002014-12-10T14:44:39.268-08:00Free non-Disney ebooks (for Kindle and Kindle App users)Just in case anyone is looking in here...<br />
<br />
Two of my ebooks are currently free today until Sunday (12/10/14 to 12/14/14) under the Kindle Select promotion:<br />
<br />
First is SOLE OCCUPANT, a 2400 word short story that also contains the bonus 700 word short THE ONLY SOLUTION. Next is my 7800 word vampire/detective short story, DEAD OR ALIVE, which is the first story in a three-short-story series. <br />
<br />
QUANTUM ZOO, the anthology that features my story PLAYING MAN, is also free until Friday, 12/12/14.<br />
<br />
Here's the links: <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F1OPK0A" target="_blank">SOLE OCCUPANT</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IBR26NS" target="_blank">DEAD OR ALIVE</a><br />
<br />
And for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Zoo-Bridget-McKenna-ebook/dp/B00L0MZFVQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418251202&sr=8-1&keywords=quantum+zoo" target="_blank">QUANTUM ZOO</a><br />
<br />
Feel free to download them and give them a read, and hopefully give them a review as well! Thanks!<br />
<br />
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*****Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409785011989904117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410829669198494850.post-72024380876277846852014-11-21T09:39:00.000-08:002014-11-21T09:39:13.407-08:00DOING DISNEY ebook!Think I'll just put this one up here. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjAIxBKdnDvRE0W0uyCof_5xF-RLUmUGW23kFUP9r9wrHeNXRpKghJaD1ylbw210PAMLREMym3cc2RTiJm9fGk65JJIe8ee8SiqYmpsGMO1yc-ldXiJY_MzL8FB9zhk2dtWEJNH2WJIImL/s1600/Doing+Disney+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjAIxBKdnDvRE0W0uyCof_5xF-RLUmUGW23kFUP9r9wrHeNXRpKghJaD1ylbw210PAMLREMym3cc2RTiJm9fGk65JJIe8ee8SiqYmpsGMO1yc-ldXiJY_MzL8FB9zhk2dtWEJNH2WJIImL/s1600/Doing+Disney+Cover.jpg" height="320" width="201" /></a></div>
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This is the book I wrote about our family's travels to Walt Disney World in Florida.<br />
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It's not supposed to be a comprehensive, tell-all travel guide. I describe it as a template for a week (give or take a couple days) long visit to that Florida resort. It discusses the resorts we like the most, the restaurants we like the most, the way we structure our days in the parks, how and why we rent a car, why we recommend Disney's Magical Express for getting to one's on-property hotel, a little bit (actually a <i>very</i> little bit) about the surrounding area, and how and why we decide which options to put on our theme park tickets. I talk about our experience with Disney Vacation Club, the Disney Dining Plans, and a little about the California resort. I talk about FastPasses (which are almost obsolete now, I guess) and about the extras at the resort that we've never experienced. Finally, I provide a bit of a bibliography for books about Disney that I've found either useful, entertaining, or both. <br />
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Christmas is coming, so consider purchasing a copy. It's only $2.99 for 101 pages of reading enjoyment. I try to write it in an entertaining style, like I do my fiction. So maybe even if you don't find it useful, you might find my anecdotes entertaining. Or not. Sample at will, if you'd like, to get an idea about my style of writing. <br />
<br />
Here's the link: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HJD4QD8" target="_blank">DOING DISNEY: HOW TO SPEND A WEEK AT DISNEY'S FLORIDA RESORT</a>
One caveat: It's only for Kindle and the Kindle app! Hope that will work for you! Thanks for looking at it.<br />
<br />
***** Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409785011989904117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410829669198494850.post-46472344402413403712014-11-08T09:29:00.001-08:002014-11-08T09:29:29.983-08:00Just an extra comment:I just wanted to point out something.<br />
<br />
On the left side of my blog, I have a widget thingie called "My Blog List." It lists all of the other Disney blogs I follow regularly. It's sort of like my own little notification system, telling me when the last post on each blog was and what the title of it was. <br />
<br />
Check out the blogs there, if you haven't. They're all worth reading.<br />
<br />
That is all. :-)<br />
<br />
*****Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409785011989904117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410829669198494850.post-89039611881882905392014-11-08T09:22:00.000-08:002014-11-08T09:22:35.149-08:00Our Disney-driven life...Okay, it's not really Disney-driven, not anymore. There was a time when we loved everything about Disney. We loved going to their parks. We loved staying at their hotels. We loved California and we loved Florida. We especially loved Epcot, with its World Showcase and its <b><i>Soarin'</i></b> ride. We loved the films. We liked their restaurants and their shops. <br />
<br />
It's not that we soured on it, exactly. It's more that we just drifted away. There are so many things to see in the world, and limiting ourselves to a vacation every year to Florida seems to be less-than-optimal for our family at this point. So we've used our points (yes, we're DVC members) to go to San Francisco, to Hawaii, and maybe this summer we'll use more points to stay at one of the Disneyland Paris hotels when we visit there. <br />
<br />
We'll likely visit the parks there, at least for one day. But we're planning a European vacation, not a Disney vacation and if staying at the Disney hotels makes it more affordable, then that is how we'll use our points. <br />
<br />
We still love Disney visits, for the most part. It's just that there's too much <i>Earth</i> to experience to limit ourselves. (Besides, it's not like they're free...visiting theme parks for us costs nearly a grand for that week.) <br />
<br />
So we haven't been "Doing Disney" ourselves lately. Sometimes soon we'll go back and get the scoop on the MyMagic stuff and the new Fantasyland and any other additions, and then I'll be back reporting on that sort of thing. In the meantime, I'll try to continue to drop tidbits here in the blog about Disney, as well as other endeavors (especially my publishing endeavors). <br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
If you want to read a book about one family's strategies when
vacationing for a week at Disney World, feel free to check out my title
, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Doing-Disney-Disneys-Florida-Resort-ebook/dp/B00HJD4QD8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1398989524&sr=1-1&keywords=Scott+Beallis" target="_blank">Doing Disney: How To Spend A Week At Disney's Florida Resort </a>
It's available on Amazon for $2.99. I tried to write it for families
who get to spend a week in the World every year or two and want to
maximize their time in the parks and in the area. It doesn't try to be
comprehensive, but I think you might find a few helpful tidbits within
its electronic pages...<br />
<br />
Thanks!<br />
<br />
***** Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409785011989904117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410829669198494850.post-53401411016035226502014-08-26T14:54:00.000-07:002014-08-26T14:54:05.533-07:00What would the world have been like if Walt had lived longer?Now there's an interesting question, don't you think? <br />
<br />
Perhaps your first inclination is to say that it would be pretty much what it is today, except with a better Walt Disney World in Florida. And that might be the exact right answer. <br />
<br />
But we all know that Walt wasn't one to rest on his laurels. He was always moving forward. Any reason to think that wouldn't have continued? His passion at the time of his death was his reimagined city concept which may or may not have been a success. <br />
<br />
I know I've written in this blog that what we got may in fact be preferable to what Walt wanted. But I wrote that as a Disney fan. I would never try to argue that what we got was "progress" in any sort of really important way. Whether his ideas proved to be workable or to be a complete failure, the world would have gained something - knowledge about what might or might not work. <br />
<br />
Would having that knowledge have improved the world? Well, it certainly would not have hurt the world. Think of the mess our cities are today. Not technologically, but socially. I live near Chicago where we can't seem to stop the kids in gangs from killing each other and often (far, far too often) catching innocent bystanders in the crossfire. <br />
<br />
I'm not sure that Walt's social experiment with urban planning would have helped these people. But who knows? <br />
<br />
But more to the point, Walt was, in my opinion, his generation's Steve Jobs. Yes, he focused on entertainment most of the time, but in a way, so did Steve Jobs and Apple. What has Apple really changed? They've changed the way we consume our entertainment, with our tablets and our iPods and iTouches and our smartphones. Cool toys, all of them. I'm pretty sure they all have applications beyond entertainment. (For example, you can download my DOING DISNEY ebook and read it on the Kindle app on an iPad...shameless self-promotion...and not really to the point since reading is entertainment.) <br />
<br />
What if Walt had taken the next step in his audio-animatronics and created actual AI robotics? What shape might such things have taken? What if Walt had put his mind to space? His contributions to our space program were mostly PR-related, but would it not have been cool if he would have had any sort of input, through the megaphone of the Disney media giant, into the direction our space explorations might have taken? Can you imagine Walt's excitement if he had actually lived to see Neil Armstrong step onto the moon? Disney might have more than a few satellites in orbit (I'm assuming that, as a media company, they have at least a couple of those things flying above our heads)...they might have actually had a presence in space, if Walt could have envisioned it - and I'm pretty sure that if anyone could have, Walt could have. <br />
<br />
I'd love to assume I have someone reading this, and if that is the case, I'd then love to hear what changes, if any, Walt might have involved himself in beyond the urban planning exercise he was devoted to in Florida. The comments are available if you have anything to add to what is, to me, a fascinating thought experiment. <br />
<br />
(As an aside, read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Habst-Disney-Saboteurs-Leonard-Kinsey-ebook/dp/B00JYJVQSS/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1399129484&sr=1-3&keywords=leonard+kinsey" target="_blank"> HABST AND THE DISNEY SABOTEURS</a> if you want to take a look at Leonard Kinsey's thought about what might have been if Walt's mind had been allowed to continue working on problems in the world...)<br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
If you want to read a book about one family's strategies when
vacationing for a week at Disney World, feel free to check out my title
, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Doing-Disney-Disneys-Florida-Resort-ebook/dp/B00HJD4QD8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1398989524&sr=1-1&keywords=Scott+Beallis" target="_blank">Doing Disney: How To Spend A Week At Disney's Florida Resort </a>
It's available on Amazon for $2.99. I tried to write it for families
who get to spend a week in the World every year or two and want to
maximize their time in the parks and in the area. It doesn't try to be
comprehensive, but I think you might find a few helpful tidbits within
its electronic pages...<br />
<br />
Thanks!<br />
<br />
***** Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409785011989904117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410829669198494850.post-55727695625356700712014-08-13T13:51:00.000-07:002014-08-13T13:51:06.542-07:00Film Review: DESPICABLE ME 2We finally got around to watching this Dreamworks film a couple nights ago. It was a fun film. I wasn't terribly impressed with the animation, but as seems to be the case with Dreamworks films, it had plenty of funny jokes, some of which went over my kids' heads but were all the funnier to me because of it. Can I cite a specific example? No, I can't. I just remember a few laugh-out-loud moments where my kids asked what I found funny. <br />
<br />
I thought the story was a little thin. It had its moments, but in general there wasn't much there. Gru is now a "dad" and has to think about his girls. So his evil scientist goes to work for someone else, and Gru finds himself recruited by an organization dedicated to stopping supercriminals (like Gru was) from destroying the world. There's a plot afoot, and it centers on the mall where Gru has a bakery called "Bake My Day". Gru is asked to look for the formula in the mall, and to find out who is the bad guy. <br />
<br />
Of course, things don't go well. If I spill more of the plot, it will spoil it, I think. So I'll stop there, and say that while it wrapped up neatly and there were times that it was exciting, overall, I didn't like it as much as the first DESPICABLE ME movie. <br />
<br />
My review: Not bad, maybe worth seeing, but far from Dreamworks' best effort...<br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />If you want to read a book about one family's strategies when vacationing for a week at Disney World, feel free to check out my title , <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Doing-Disney-Disneys-Florida-Resort-ebook/dp/B00HJD4QD8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1398989524&sr=1-1&keywords=Scott+Beallis" target="_blank">Doing Disney: How To Spend A Week At Disney's Florida Resort </a> It's available on Amazon for $2.99. I tried to write it for families who get to spend a week in the World every year or two and want to maximize their time in the parks and in the area. It doesn't try to be comprehensive, but I think you might find a few helpful tidbits within its electronic pages...<br />
<br />
Thanks!Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409785011989904117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410829669198494850.post-88861661656911516672014-07-22T12:39:00.000-07:002014-07-22T12:39:08.356-07:00New short fiction from Scott Dyson!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LZ0ZNWY" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LZ0ZNWY" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9QAXe8JqsL67V1by28VFYwV23Zftb2pkEkwFrDWTDhAuDQQ-6s2nxzS7vgIzwie74avGdAqwUC42vcU4tVy-8A25hYkCbQ9L4m-WjtUdrfFTZ3U_S9HLR5ckTbNOTeZ7Wnd7XfPijnwN/s1600/Die+6+Cover+Image.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Since I have nothing to say with respect to the actual topic that this blog is supposed to be dedicated to (ie, Disney), instead I will use this space to announce that I have released a 36,400 word collection of short fiction titled <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LZ0ZNWY" target="_blank">DIE 6 </a>on the Amazon Kindle Store for $2.99. Here are the titles:<br />
<ul>
<li>An Artificial Yearning</li>
<li>Blood Ties</li>
<li>The Fun House</li>
<li>The Tooth Fairy</li>
<li>Time Heals All Wounds</li>
<li>The Ghost Train</li>
</ul>
Two science fiction tales, three horror/ghost stories, and one that I suppose is mostly fantasy (The Tooth Fairy). <br />
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You can<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LZ0ZNWY" target="_blank"> buy it here</a> at the Kindle Store! Please! Feel free to check it out, download a sample, see if it's the kind of thing you might enjoy reading! <br />
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***** <br />
<br />
Thank you very much! Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409785011989904117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410829669198494850.post-78054522507172759842014-06-21T10:15:00.000-07:002014-06-21T10:15:42.210-07:00QUANTUM ZOO is published!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvTxf2spVPOs8nI49XfW5J9YCGCcveq9p6yVvSuxh5frG0lTEocn1VNoQpe1Ggw8JIz3vgv-E0VmgT8vSXPn71bQkXCzWEhbzmbA4yXY_KpTzjtVTUQZtzsgWRi-S1NI2_S3RDsGcajDWD/s1600/Zoo+ebook+feature+cov.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></div>
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<br />
<br />
<br />
QUANTUM ZOO is available for purchase on the Amazon Kindle store for $0.99. In it you will find 12 SF/Fantasy short stories, all derived from the writing prompt "Zoo." My story, "Playing Man," is right smack dab in the middle of everything, and the stories run the gamut from relatively hard SF to historical fantasy with some alien/human sex tossed in for good measure. One of the stories deals with a "zoo" for ghosts; another with a "zoo" for serial killers. <br />
<br />
Pretty cool stuff. <br />
<br />
Here's the link to find it: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Zoo-Bridget-McKenna-ebook/dp/B00L0MZFVQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1403370709&sr=1-1&keywords=Quantum+Zoo" target="_blank">QUANTUM ZOO for Amazon Kindle</a><br />
<br />
Please tale a look at it. It won't be $0.99 forever, though, so now's the time to buy...<br />
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*****<br />
<br />
If SF/Fantasy isn't your thing (this IS supposedly a Disney blog, after all), feel free to check out my title , <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Doing-Disney-Disneys-Florida-Resort-ebook/dp/B00HJD4QD8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1398989524&sr=1-1&keywords=Scott+Beallis" target="_blank">Doing Disney: How To Spend A Week At Disney's Florida Resort </a> It's available on Amazon for $2.99.<br />
<br />
Thanks!<br />
<br />
***** <br />
Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409785011989904117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410829669198494850.post-27355544259780353902014-06-05T08:49:00.000-07:002014-06-05T08:49:01.160-07:00QUANTUM ZOO release date and website!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvTxf2spVPOs8nI49XfW5J9YCGCcveq9p6yVvSuxh5frG0lTEocn1VNoQpe1Ggw8JIz3vgv-E0VmgT8vSXPn71bQkXCzWEhbzmbA4yXY_KpTzjtVTUQZtzsgWRi-S1NI2_S3RDsGcajDWD/s1600/Zoo+ebook+feature+cov.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvTxf2spVPOs8nI49XfW5J9YCGCcveq9p6yVvSuxh5frG0lTEocn1VNoQpe1Ggw8JIz3vgv-E0VmgT8vSXPn71bQkXCzWEhbzmbA4yXY_KpTzjtVTUQZtzsgWRi-S1NI2_S3RDsGcajDWD/s1600/Zoo+ebook+feature+cov.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The anthology QUANTUM ZOO, which will contain my short story "Playing Man" among eleven other excellent offerings, will be released on June 17th, 2014!<br />
<br />
The website can be found here: <a href="http://quantumzoo.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">QUANTUM ZOO</a><br />
<br />
The website has information on the authors and short excerpts of each story! Please check it out!<br />
<br />
*****<br />
<br />
In the meantime, feel free to check out my title , <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Doing-Disney-Disneys-Florida-Resort-ebook/dp/B00HJD4QD8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1398989524&sr=1-1&keywords=Scott+Beallis" target="_blank">Doing Disney: How To Spend A Week At Disney's Florida Resort </a> It's available on Amazon for $2.99.<br />
<br />
Thanks!<br />
<br />
***** <br />
<br />
<br />Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409785011989904117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410829669198494850.post-15075379818483623722014-05-22T09:10:00.000-07:002014-05-22T09:11:23.789-07:00Cover Art for QUANTUM ZOO!Here is the cover of the short story anthology QUANTUM ZOO, which will be released in early June. It will contain my story "Playing Man" along with eleven other tales.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRNhfnyxd5V3fen3oljb0xowbNrlT7HtCRno32WCrXzyK_VEGThRKDD6TmXon6oXe61uukmQadakPgdYQPIsj2YxuCdf90lWl7HINwRM00GOXunzaDeTicBALzmxwVlToscCD0PTFty-cl/s1600/Zoo+ebook+feature+cov.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRNhfnyxd5V3fen3oljb0xowbNrlT7HtCRno32WCrXzyK_VEGThRKDD6TmXon6oXe61uukmQadakPgdYQPIsj2YxuCdf90lWl7HINwRM00GOXunzaDeTicBALzmxwVlToscCD0PTFty-cl/s1600/Zoo+ebook+feature+cov.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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Watch for release information!<br />
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*****<br />
<br />
In the meantime, feel free to check out my title , <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Doing-Disney-Disneys-Florida-Resort-ebook/dp/B00HJD4QD8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1398989524&sr=1-1&keywords=Scott+Beallis" target="_blank">Doing Disney: How To Spend A Week At Disney's Florida Resort </a> It's available on Amazon for $2.99.<br />
<br />
Thanks!<br />
<br />
***** <br />
Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409785011989904117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410829669198494850.post-15059097283409044812014-05-21T12:11:00.000-07:002014-05-21T12:11:45.997-07:00QUANTUM ZOO!I just wanted to post a quick note (off-topic as usual) that my short story, "Playing Man", was accepted for publication in an anthology titled QUANTUM ZOO. <br />
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Other authors in the collection include J.M. Ney-Grimm, D.J. Gelnar, Bridget McKenna, A.C. Smyth, R.S. McCoy and John Hindmarsh, to name just some of them. <br />
<br />
The stories were to start with the writing prompt, "Zoo". I had a story that I had started probably 18-20 years ago, but had written probably just a bit over a page. Then I lost direction on it. I'd looked at it a time or two over the years, and when I read about this call for submissions, I immediately thought of that story. <br />
<br />
So I went and finished it, and ran it by first reader Steven M. Moore, an accomplished SF/thriller writer himself. Then I submitted it, and it made the cut! <br />
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There IS a cover, and there IS a tentative release date. I'll post the cover soon here, and when the release date is firmed up, I will post it as well. Tentatively it's scheduled for early June as an e-book and soon after for trade paperback. I'm thrilled to be part of the book!<br />
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*****<br />
<br />
In the meantime, feel free to check out my title , <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Doing-Disney-Disneys-Florida-Resort-ebook/dp/B00HJD4QD8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1398989524&sr=1-1&keywords=Scott+Beallis" target="_blank">Doing Disney: How To Spend A Week At Disney's Florida Resort </a> It's available on Amazon for $2.99.<br />
<br />
Thanks!<br />
<br />
***** Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409785011989904117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410829669198494850.post-15056734219252625502014-05-03T08:05:00.003-07:002014-05-03T08:22:46.028-07:00Book Review: HABST AND THE DISNEY SABOTEURSLeonard Kinsey hit one out the (theme) park with HABST AND THE DISNEY SABOTEURS. His fictional follow-up to OUR KINGDOM OF DUST pulled me in almost immediately and he kept his foot on the gas pedal for the entire book, creating a funny and exciting novel about every Disney fan's dreams.<br />
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I don't want to spoil the book here, so I'll just mention that the story involves Reginald "Habst" Habstermeister and his backstage explorations of Disney's Florida theme parks. Habst uses his fake cast member credentials and more than a little cunning to gain access to the behind-the-scenes areas of several rather unpopular attractions and posts the videos to his YouTube channel in order to earn Google Ad revenue. When "Sat-Com" contacts him he begins uploading them to another location on the Darknet, and after he posts his videos, it seems something bad happens to said attraction. It doesn't take long for Habst and Disney Security Chief Charlie Walker (you might remember him from HOLLOW WORLD?) to link the two. What follows is an exciting adventure to find the culprits and find out what their intentions are.<br />
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I would recommend this book to most anyone, but especially to mature fans of the Disney parks. (By mature, I mean, this isn't for kids. Or for the easily offended. Or those who like their Disney sanitized and idealized.) Anyone can enjoy it, but my five-star rating (forthcoming on Amazon) is because I am that sort of Disney fan.<br />
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I hope Kinsey's work gets a wide audience because it's that good!<br />
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Here's the link to buy it for $3.99 in the Amazon Kindle Store: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Habst-Disney-Saboteurs-Leonard-Kinsey-ebook/dp/B00JYJVQSS/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1399129484&sr=1-3&keywords=leonard+kinsey" target="_blank"> HABST AND THE DISNEY SABOTEURS</a><br />
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******<br />
Meanwhile, feel free to check out my book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Doing-Disney-Disneys-Florida-Resort-ebook/dp/B00HJD4QD8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1398989524&sr=1-1&keywords=Scott+Beallis" target="_blank">Doing Disney: How To Spend A Week At Disney's Florida Resort </a> It's available on Amazon for $2.99.<br />
<br />
Thanks!<br />
<br />
***** Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409785011989904117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410829669198494850.post-47099059617058106862014-05-03T07:53:00.001-07:002014-05-03T07:53:43.783-07:00A-113?A friend on Facebook pointed out this article: <br />
<a href="http://www.viralnova.com/disney-a113-secret/" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="http://www.viralnova.com/disney-a113-secret/" target="_blank">DISNEY HAS BEEN HIDING A SECRET RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR FACES. IF YOU'VE NEVER NOTICED IT, HERE'S PROOF.</a><br />
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It's far more innocent than we might like it to be (especially if you've just read Leonard Kinsey's new book, which will be the subject of the next blog post...)<br />
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Take a look!<br />
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Disney Has Been Hiding A Secret Right In Front Of Our Faces. If You’ve Never Noticed It, Here’s Proof.<br /><span>Read more at <a href="http://www.viralnova.com/disney-a113-secret/#hK3k6YgY4FGd0EmF.99" style="color: #003399;">http://www.viralnova.com/disney-a113-secret/#hK3k6YgY4FGd0EmF.99</a></span><div id="r1PostCPBlock" style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; left: -99999px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
Disney Has Been Hiding A Secret Right In Front Of Our Faces. If You’ve Never Noticed It, Here’s Proof.<br /><span>Read more at <a href="http://www.viralnova.com/disney-a113-secret/#hK3k6YgY4FGd0EmF.99" style="color: #003399;">http://www.viralnova.com/disney-a113-secret/#hK3k6YgY4FGd0EmF.99</a></span></div>
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<div id="r1PostCPBlock" style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; left: -99999px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
Disney Has Been Hiding A Secret Right In Front Of Our Faces. If You’ve Never Noticed It, Here’s Proof.<br /><span>Read more at <a href="http://www.viralnova.com/disney-a113-secret/#hK3k6YgY4FGd0EmF.99" style="color: #003399;">http://www.viralnova.com/disney-a113-secret/#hK3k6YgY4FGd0EmF.99</a></span><div id="r1PostCPBlock" style="background-color: white; border: medium none; color: black; left: -99999px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
Disney Has Been Hiding A Secret Right In Front Of Our Faces. If You’ve Never Noticed It, Here’s Proof.<br /><span>Read more at <a href="http://www.viralnova.com/disney-a113-secret/#hK3k6YgY4FGd0EmF.99" style="color: #003399;">http://www.viralnova.com/disney-a113-secret/#hK3k6YgY4FGd0EmF.99</a></span></div>
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Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409785011989904117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410829669198494850.post-64202658009947402832014-05-01T17:13:00.002-07:002014-05-01T17:15:36.546-07:00New fiction from Leonard Kinsey - and it's got Disney in it!<h3 class="newaps">
<span class="lrg bold"> </span></h3>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Habst-Disney-Saboteurs-Leonard-Kinsey-ebook/dp/B00JYJVQSS/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1398989256&sr=1-3&keywords=leonard+kinsey"><span class="lrg bold">Habst and the Disney Saboteurs</span></a><span class="med reg"> </span></h3>
by Leonard Kinsey, author of <b>THE DARK SIDE OF DISNEY</b> and <b>OUR KINGDOM OF DUST</b> has been released by Bamboo Forest Publishing.
I just barely started reading it. It seems that perhaps it owes a debt to those intrepid backstage explorers from the Mesa Verde Times site (you know, the guys who documented so much of the old Horizons ride). But I'm not far enough along to tell yet.
If you like Kinsey's stuff, well, here's another one!<br />
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Meanwhile, feel free to check out my book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Doing-Disney-Disneys-Florida-Resort-ebook/dp/B00HJD4QD8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1398989524&sr=1-1&keywords=Scott+Beallis" target="_blank">Doing Disney: How To Spend A Week At Disney's Florida Resort </a> It's available on Amazon for $2.99.<br />
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Thanks!<br />
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***** Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409785011989904117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410829669198494850.post-79312798414855359442014-04-30T12:12:00.000-07:002014-04-30T12:12:41.977-07:00Les Miserables in NYCWe saw a couple (well, actually four) Broadway productions. We tried to get NEWSIES, the Disney musical, but the best we could do was two seats at one end of a row and two at the other (so we picked MOTOWN, where we could all sit together instead). <br />
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Anyone who reads my blogs is going to know that I love Les Miserables. We had main floor center tickets months before we left for New York. One of our main reasons for going to see it was that the star, playing Jean Valjean, would be Ramin Karimloo, who has become one of our favorite singers. <br />
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The whole production was spectacular. I put it at the top of all four that we saw last week, a bit ahead of Phantom (which I admit I enjoyed more on my second viewing than on my first - maybe if I get to twelve, I will put it up there with Les Mis) and solidly ahead of Motown and Mamma Mia (which we were seeing for about the fourth time). <br />
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Ramin, in particular, was incredible. The man has such a powerful voice and presence onstage. His performance of BRING HIM HOME was especially wonderful. You can see him <a href="http://katiecouric.com/videos/les-miz-star-ramin-karimloo/" target="_blank">here on Katie Couric</a> . He sang the song on the show, but this clip doesn't include it. I'm sure it will be on YouTube soon. <br />
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He was also on CBS with Dana Tyler which <a href="http://newyork.cbslocal.com/video/10097455-west-end-actor-lands-role-in-broadway-production/" target="_blank">you can see here</a>.<br />
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The other cool thing was that as I reviewed the program, I found an actor playing some of the parts who I knew as a child and young man in my home town. His name is Arbender J. Robinson, and I can recall talking to him and asking him if he was playing sports (because he was a good sized kid and I think his dad played), and him telling me that no, he was doing theater. So it was with a lot of excitement and pride that I watched him performing a couple of decent roles in Les Mis. He was terrific. <br />
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Great shows, all of them, but Les Miserables was the tops.<br />
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*****Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409785011989904117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410829669198494850.post-41289401627013809082014-04-15T12:35:00.000-07:002014-04-30T12:17:52.990-07:00All off-topic, all the time...New short story released!My latest short story, the sequel to DEAD OR ALIVE (the last, NIGHT FAMILY, was the prequel) is now available to purchase for Kindle on Amazon for the low low price of $0.99. It's a 9200 word story that follows P.I. Rick Striker as he quits running and turns back to face his problems.<br />
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Here's the link to purchase it (or download a sample): <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JO2WLOI" target="_blank">RICK'S RULES</a><br />
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Thanks!<br />
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******Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409785011989904117noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2410829669198494850.post-30841842491466174322014-03-18T10:54:00.006-07:002014-03-18T10:56:18.437-07:00Yet another off-topic post - New Short Story Published - NIGHT FAMILY<br />
I published another new short story, this one called <b>NIGHT FAMILY</b>. It is a prequel to my last short story, <b>DEAD OR ALIVE</b>. It is available for Amazon Kindle through Amazon for $0.99.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcGGQXFCPW5-Le5024kLjpveok4BxdVJaQrEDpdy3NLCwn4WJc2onC0XCl16GD1TQ58QYmXFctYfY5FH52TjIQGRIQCSn8oPs0FXW4h7bOSLEyucwe-XBK8tYypqX2Aypv63Yc_XmMuF73/s1600/Night+Family+by+Scott+Dyson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcGGQXFCPW5-Le5024kLjpveok4BxdVJaQrEDpdy3NLCwn4WJc2onC0XCl16GD1TQ58QYmXFctYfY5FH52TjIQGRIQCSn8oPs0FXW4h7bOSLEyucwe-XBK8tYypqX2Aypv63Yc_XmMuF73/s1600/Night+Family+by+Scott+Dyson.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b>NIGHT FAMILY</b> is an 8400 word short story that chronicles the events surrounding spoiled rich girl Lisa Warwick, the missing person from <b>DEAD OR ALIVE</b>. When I expanded <b>DEAD OR ALIVE</b> from its original 2500 word length to its current length of 7800 words, I realized that there was even more story to tell, and so I wrote this story and another story that describes Rick Striker's actions after <b>DEAD OR ALIVE</b>. That story should be out in less than a month. It currently clocks in at about 9000 words.<br />
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You can buy this story here: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J0LY416"><b>NIGHT FAMILY</b></a>. Or download a sample and try it out before buying. Thanks!<br />
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Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12409785011989904117noreply@blogger.com0