tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12796324644679660242025-10-26T05:57:56.829-07:00The Cousin Mickey Doesn't Talk AboutThe travel blog for the rest of us.The Cousin Mickey Doesn't Talk Abouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388401816642528700noreply@blogger.comBlogger655125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1279632464467966024.post-65196967973348631432021-08-26T09:44:00.006-07:002021-08-26T09:44:46.562-07:00Lightning Lane Is Not a Cash Grab I don't often defend Disney, but this time I will. People have been moaning and complaining about Fastpass going away and Lightning Lane replacing it. I look at that move and applaud Disney for finally doing it. It is the right thing to do. How can I say that?The answer is simple. People will pay it and people will keep going to the parks. This The Cousin Mickey Doesn't Talk Abouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388401816642528700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1279632464467966024.post-9708395303795846632021-08-19T09:58:00.001-07:002021-08-19T09:58:27.213-07:00It's Your Fault You Now Need to Pay For FastpassEvery year, Disney raised the prices of tickets and annual passes. Every year you complained.Every year, Disney slowly gutted the dining plan. Every year you complained.Every year, Disney slowly cut in park entertainment and amenities. Every year you complained.Now Disney has killed Fastpass and replaced it with a paid version. I know your going to complain, and guess whatThe Cousin Mickey Doesn't Talk Abouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388401816642528700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1279632464467966024.post-45352502450374166392019-11-22T14:56:00.000-07:002019-11-22T14:56:17.042-07:00Disney and HBO Do One Thing RightWhen has the term "binge" ever been a good thing?
People will point to "Binge Watching" as being a positive "Binge".
For older shows, I agree. It can be fun to watch ten episodes of the Simpsons on a day off. It's mindless and lets you relax.
What about new shows?
Binge watching new shows is awful. I mean awful. Remember all the shows you loved as a kid? The ones whereThe Cousin Mickey Doesn't Talk Abouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388401816642528700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1279632464467966024.post-17800293266196831562019-11-17T10:41:00.000-07:002019-11-17T10:41:48.140-07:00Disney Plus - The Good, The Bad, and The UglyLike ten million other Disney fans, I signed up for Disney +. If you are still wondering if you should too, hopefully this breakdown will help you to make a decision.
The Good
- Massive catalog of all things Disney, and more. There is only one thing missing and I'll get into that later.
- Overall decent quality. Pretty surprising for a new service. When compared The Cousin Mickey Doesn't Talk Abouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388401816642528700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1279632464467966024.post-18436679189896053982019-09-24T07:43:00.002-07:002019-11-17T10:42:54.156-07:00The Last of His KindI've done posts regarding Orange Band before. He was the last Dusky Seaside Sparrow who died at the now defunct Discovery Island in Disney World.
That bird was wiped out by man's impact on the environment. By the time we realized what we had done, it was too late.
I was recently reminded of this story in a powerful and disturbing way.
I was recently asked to review a book from National The Cousin Mickey Doesn't Talk Abouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388401816642528700noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1279632464467966024.post-87355556245769320332017-12-16T15:37:00.000-07:002017-12-16T15:37:12.451-07:00Where Does The Last Jedi Rank - Ranking the Star Wars MoviesNo fluff this time. Just a the rankings. If you want to see why The Last Jedi falls where it does, check out my overview of it.
1 - The Empire Strikes Back
2 - A New Hope
3 - Rogue One
4 - The Force Awakens
5 - Revenge of the Sith
6 - Return of the Jedi
7 - The Last Jedi
8 - Attack of the Clones
9 - The Phantom MenaceThe Cousin Mickey Doesn't Talk Abouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388401816642528700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1279632464467966024.post-42825617206492553772017-12-16T15:15:00.000-07:002017-12-16T15:15:55.671-07:00Why I Didn't Like The Last JediI know a lot of people loved The Last Jedi. I am not one of them. Let me explain why before you rip me apart.
WARNING - SPOILERS!!!!
1 - The Fin story is hot garbage.
Fin is a great character. Rose is a great character. Put together they are even better. So what should you do with two great characters? Send them off on a stupid plot point, so you can harvest some The Cousin Mickey Doesn't Talk Abouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388401816642528700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1279632464467966024.post-85987800744149320902017-07-07T03:33:00.001-07:002017-07-07T03:33:19.610-07:00Where Did the Covers Come From?
World Killer
I took that photo. What you are
seeing is a basic straight razor you can buy on Amazon, a typical latex glove,
and black ink. The ink didn’t cover like I wanted it too, but some heavy
processing in Lightroom took care of that.
Around the World
This is one is a generic fingerprint
illustration that I edited after the fact and added some more details. I
had The Cousin Mickey Doesn't Talk Abouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388401816642528700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1279632464467966024.post-72083496975038954692017-03-05T13:36:00.000-07:002017-03-05T13:36:08.071-07:00Jewel Paradise Cove - Concierge Room ReviewFirst, here is the video review from YouTube. After that. I'll give a quick pros and cons breakdown.
Pros:
It has some nice features like a walk in closet, jacuzzi tub, and vaulted ceilings.
It has a nice really nice view of the ocean.
You can raid the mini-bar all you want.
You have access to a concierge to book things for you.
Cons:
There is a lot of wasted space in this room.
The Cousin Mickey Doesn't Talk Abouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388401816642528700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1279632464467966024.post-88404914194190742532017-01-31T11:46:00.000-07:002017-01-31T11:46:03.635-07:00Where Are the Books?Fair Weather, Beast, and Camden Lock were announced over a year ago, so where are they?
Well, Fair Weather is about 30% done. It's been 30% for almost a year. Does that mean I've got a killer case of writers block?
It depends on how you define it. Most of the time writers block means someone wants to write, but can't. They are stuck and don't know how to go forward. &The Cousin Mickey Doesn't Talk Abouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388401816642528700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1279632464467966024.post-36695601882100211252016-09-08T14:36:00.001-07:002016-09-08T14:36:38.007-07:00Free Book Today OnlyAround The World is free today on Amazon. Only the eBook is free. You can nab it here.
CLICK HEREThe Cousin Mickey Doesn't Talk Abouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388401816642528700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1279632464467966024.post-57755678970019615282016-03-02T10:05:00.001-07:002016-03-02T10:05:17.205-07:00Disney Does It AgainIt’s been a while since I did an old fashion Disney post.  Recent events have made it a prime time to do so. 
As you may have figured out, I’m not a Disney defender.  From 1985 till 2010, I was a HUGE Disney defender, but Disney managed to drive me away.
The biggest reason I turned my back on Disney wasn’t the cost, it was the value.  The value dropped off The Cousin Mickey Doesn't Talk Abouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388401816642528700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1279632464467966024.post-71630474338111170902016-03-01T13:39:00.000-07:002016-03-01T13:39:31.478-07:00An Open Letter to AMResortsFive days ago, while still on vacation, I took the time to email AMResorts. They are the parent company of Secrets. I wasn't expecting anything to come from it, but I should have at least gotten a token response.
It's been five days and I've have not received a response,
The following email was sent to info@amresorts.com :
Why do I get the feeling that as soon as you saw theThe Cousin Mickey Doesn't Talk Abouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388401816642528700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1279632464467966024.post-19560155587626474922016-03-01T08:40:00.001-07:002016-03-01T08:40:24.204-07:00Room Overview - Logan Airport HiltonThis is a review for a very nice hotel that can really come in handy if you are traveling. It's ideally located at Logan International Airport.
The Cousin Mickey Doesn't Talk Abouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388401816642528700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1279632464467966024.post-71736703580593414182016-03-01T08:13:00.002-07:002016-03-01T08:13:56.422-07:00Secrets Playa Bonita - Standard Room ReviewFirst watch the video, and then I'll fill in some blanks.
So what else is there? In the bathroom, I mention the gaps where mold can grow. One of these is caused by the wall moving. I'm serious. If you push on the wall, it moves. It's as if it is floating and not bolted to anything.
You'll notice that the sheets are messy in this video. That's because the The Cousin Mickey Doesn't Talk Abouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388401816642528700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1279632464467966024.post-76215822408520583032016-03-01T08:04:00.000-07:002016-03-01T08:04:25.536-07:00Secrets Playa Bonita: Final CommentsPlaya Bonita was, in a word, disappointing. It did not live up to the Secrets name. In fact, it dragged the Secrets name into the mud. At this point, I cannot imagine I will ever return to a Secrets resort.
The food service dramatically improved after they fired the food and beverage manager and replaced him with an actual Secrets employee. There were still some glaring The Cousin Mickey Doesn't Talk Abouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388401816642528700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1279632464467966024.post-36207116484839937362016-02-28T12:39:00.000-07:002016-02-28T12:39:09.685-07:00Secrets Playa Bonita Panama: Day Eight - You Might Die.Last night we hit the Caribbean Night. It was almost the same as Panama Night, but with different food. If you want to eat outside, this is the way to go. Usually at night the temp drops to around 80 with a nice breeze. This makes it very comfortable.
This is our last day. I think in some ways that we were forgotten. Many people received a coupon package when The Cousin Mickey Doesn't Talk Abouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388401816642528700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1279632464467966024.post-51775859960066082122016-02-27T13:50:00.001-07:002016-02-27T14:07:59.969-07:00Secrets Playa Bonita Panama: Day Seven - Hmmmmm.....Things on the service side have continued to improve. It's amazing the impact a good old firing can have. There are still some glaring issues. The Seaside Grill is much improved but remains the weak link in the bunch.
The other services issues remain. For example, I've been to the front desk five times. four of those were negative experiences. The only time itThe Cousin Mickey Doesn't Talk Abouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388401816642528700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1279632464467966024.post-86600312369499668082016-02-26T09:48:00.000-07:002016-02-26T14:26:00.502-07:00Secrets Play Bonita Panama: Day Six - The Man In the Green ShirtHe's a tall Mexican man with an athletic build. He carries himself with an air of confidence and people react to his presence. He's a man on a mission.
I have yet to speak with this man, but I know why he's here. I've heard from other guests about him. Secrets shifted gears, terminated the food and beverage manager, and sent in one of their own from Mexico.
I've never The Cousin Mickey Doesn't Talk Abouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388401816642528700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1279632464467966024.post-87119941938093117602016-02-25T12:55:00.000-07:002016-02-25T12:55:52.906-07:00Secrets Playa Bonita Panama: Day Five - Lowered ExpectationsThings continue to be laughably bad at times. The low point for today was trying to get a room service order card for breakfast. We hit the front desk, asked for one, and were told it would be delivered to our room. Two hours later we gave up and went to bed. This was also the second time we complained about our phone not working.
Indeed
For dinner we went back to The Cousin Mickey Doesn't Talk Abouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388401816642528700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1279632464467966024.post-54029293631097271152016-02-24T13:15:00.004-07:002016-02-24T13:15:58.300-07:00Secrets Playa Bonita: Day Four - MehThe inconsistencies and short comings continue to abound. I wanted to wash my bathing suit and then hang it to dry. I quickly found out that the clothesline in the shower is busted. It's simply amazing how many things in our room are broken. None of them are major, but they leave you shaking you head.
In some ways it's worse to find out that some of the rooms have far The Cousin Mickey Doesn't Talk Abouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388401816642528700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1279632464467966024.post-7637678387964780292016-02-23T13:48:00.002-07:002016-02-24T13:26:22.948-07:00Secrets Playa Bonita: Day Three - Grump Cat's DelightThe third day has to be better, right? Any place that calls itself "Secrets" can't maintain a level of service that low....or maybe they can.
The resort looks amazing. Just check out these photos.
Looks can be deceiving. The phone in our room, busted. One of our electrical outlets, busted. The minibar - doesn't close properly. On top of that, many small The Cousin Mickey Doesn't Talk Abouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388401816642528700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1279632464467966024.post-22541066841174742332016-02-22T13:18:00.000-07:002016-02-24T13:21:03.965-07:00Secrets Plays Bonita Panama: Day Two - Adapting to Mediocrity I left off yesterday after breakfast. Maybe our first full day would improve?
I wish. Granted it didn't get any worse...not that I think that could even be possible.
For lunch we hit the Seaside Grill. It was actually open this time and we could order off the full menu. We actually got the app that they said we couldn't have the day before. It wasn't really worth The Cousin Mickey Doesn't Talk Abouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388401816642528700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1279632464467966024.post-75821608656050016572016-02-21T14:01:00.004-07:002016-02-24T13:40:50.598-07:00Secrets Playa Bonita: Day One - Welcome to MiseryI've now been at Secrets: Playa Bonita Panama for roughly 24 hours. Those hours include our transfer to the resort, the check in process, our first night, and our first breakfast.
So how does it stack up?
First off let me say this: Secrets is a chain of resorts run by AMResorts. Secrets is the no kids, higher end, all inclusive resorts. Typically they are in the top The Cousin Mickey Doesn't Talk Abouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388401816642528700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1279632464467966024.post-83697147240588851322016-02-10T08:11:00.001-07:002016-02-10T08:11:24.873-07:00The Anthem of the Seas Storm: An InterviewAs you may have heard, Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas decided to leave port late last week, despite the fact that 30ft seas and gale force winds were predicted.  The results have been all over the news.
Now what you might not know – My in-laws were on that ship.  It was their wedding anniversary.  To put it mildly, they will not forget this anniversary.
Below are The Cousin Mickey Doesn't Talk Abouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08388401816642528700noreply@blogger.com0