New York and the American Waterfront at Tokyo DisneySea

(April, 2019)  The onward adventures of Tokyo DisneySea, or, in other words, why Tokyo DisneySea is my favorite Disney park of all time.  The American Waterfront is where you can find New York and New England depicted in wonderful, detailed glory.  There's three shows: Big Band Beat, New York, and the Duffy Bear shows.  There's also Tower of Terror, their version involving an antiquities collector ending up with a cursed statue.  Also a replication of an old ocean liner, SS Columbia, which has an amazingly delicious restaurant.

If you've ever visited Disneyland in California, while exploring Main Street USA you can hear recordings of people talking and whatnot in the upper buildings, bringing the atmosphere to life.  The same thing can be found in New York.  I was waiting for family, listening to the music, and up above I heard the track of a tap dance class.  It made me so happy.

This post is picture heavy, but that's the thing about this park, there's so many things to get caught up in, and I haven't even gotten into the Steampunk section, Mermaid Lagoon, or the Arabian Coast.  Oh, and that fortress is amazing, too.

When my brother Steven was talking to friends about visiting Tokyo and how much time we spent at the Disney Parks instead of the city, his friends were like, "Why?!!"  And Steven was like, "You have no idea!"

Photos by Sarah, Robin, Steven, and Ty

Knives Out, movie review

Rating: B

Growing up Clue was one of my favorite board games.  It was a race between family and friends on who can solve the murder mystery in as few rounds as possible.  Later in high school I was introduced to the Clue movie in all its kookiness.  Knives Out is a murder mystery full of suspense and subtle humor.  A Clue for modern audiences with Agatha Christie style fun.

The patriarch of the family Harlan Thrombey, played by Christopher Plummer, is found dead, the holder of a great fortune.  His family gather like vultures, eager to pick out leftovers, hoping to benefit from a great inheritance.  When it is discovered that Marta, Harlan's nurse, played by Ana de Armas, who isn't a member of the family, is the sole recipient of the inheritance, mayhem and chaos ensues within the family.  It is up to detective Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig, to sort everything out.

Knives out is written and directed by Rian Johnson, who also wrote Star Wars: The Last Jedi.  Don't really want to get into it as I've already blogged about my Star Wars grievances, but I almost boycotted Knives Out over the fact, still upset over what happened with Luke Skywalker.  The thought kept going through my mind while watching this new murder mystery, trying to separate Johnson's previous work with this new film.  Hold it towards its own merits.  Honestly, I ended up liking Knives Out.

The less I say the better, as the plot is wrapped up in guessing, and the more I reveal the less fun you'll have watching this movie.  Usually I'm pretty good at guessing where such movie mysteries will end up, there's still some fun twists and turns throughout this movie filled with quirky characters.

When it comes down to it I did have fun.  My brother Steven and Dad were talking a few days ago, going over their favorite parts and excited that Knives Out is soon coming to DVD/Blu-ray. 

And honestly I've just ran out of things to say, because I hate spoiling things, and I just don't feel like being flowery with words.  If you haven't seen it yet and love mysteries, you'll enjoy it.  Johnson put out a good movie, so I'll give him kudos.  Credit where credit is due.  And with that I bid adieu.

MPAA: Rated PG-13 for thematic elements including brief violence, some strong language, sexual references, and drug material.

Italy in Tokyo DisneySea

(April, 2019)  There are so many things to love about Tokyo DisneySea.  It's definitely one of the best, if not the best Disney Park in the World.  The attention to detail.  This parks ability to fully immerse the visitor in different Worlds.  DisneySea is pure magic.  It really is.  So many hidden things to discover and love.

Tokyo DisneySea is built around different harbors/ports.  Mediterranean Harbor is where Italy is found, and it's the first part of the park you see when you enter.  Around the corner on the left is Venice where you can ride gondolas and buildings are modeled after real Venice architecture.  The detail.  It's just beautiful.  To the right of the entrance is another part of Italy, but I never quite figured out what region is depicted, but it's still gorgeous and a nice walk through.

This is just one aspect to what makes Tokyo DisneySea amazing.

Photos by Sarah, Robin, Steven, and Ty