Menu

disney

DCL Tip: Disney Crazy Shirts

, , , , , , , ,

Of course while on a Disney Cruise Line tour, you expect to see Disney garbed passengers. After a short while, you see the same shirts and designs again and again and again. How do you show off your Disney fandom but also be just a little bit different? Wear Disney themed shirts from Crazy Shirts.

Crazy Shirts Disney Collection

The shirts themselves are high quality as all Crazy Shirts are, but the designs are more distinctive than stuff you see everywhere else. I rocked my Perry shirts, both in black and white during the cruise and people noticed. I had one crew member ask about the shirt and tell me about her (platonic) platypus love. Okay then.

But really, seeing the artistic Disney designs by Crazy Shirts is refreshing and breaks the monotony you’ll see on the ship.

DCL Tip: Don’t Eat the Food in Front

, , , , , , ,

This tip probably applies beyond the Disney Cruise Lines, but it’s worth saying. When eating in a buffet setup like at the Beach Blanket Buffet onboard the Disney Wonder, don’t take or eat the food that’s on the front edge of the serving trays.

I personally witnessed one too many kids poking, prodding, taking, and putting back food that’s in front. Yes, that food frontline could be abused (though of no fault to the cruise line), so grab the food in back. And parents, please remind your kids that if you touch it, you take it (and don’t put it back). In this case, I think wasting food is a better alternative than the potential spread of germs on ship.

Now, if you happen to be dining at Palo where no kids are allowed, then you don’t have to worry as much. But I did see a diner drop a dessert on the ground and wondered what she’d do with it. Luckily I already had my desserts. 😉

palo-dessert

Coffee While Cruising (Part 2)

, , , , , , , , ,

The first installment of Coffee While Cruising covered the early FAT leg of my vacation. Like I mentioned before, from FAT we headed to YVR in Vancouver, Canada. Before the trip, I learned of a Starbucks Clover location on Robson Street. Oh, and I managed to get a Groupon for Starbucks Canada. Bonus!

Clover location on Robson St., Vancouver
Clover location on Robson St., Vancouver

What did I see when entering a Canadian Starbucks? A scene not much different from that in America, but Starbucks CA is promoting their True North Blend. True North is a blonde roast that’s “named by Canadians for Canadians.”

Introducing True North Blend
Introducing True North Blend

While I’m not sure if True North is merely a Canadian-version of the regular Starbucks blonde roast, I had to pick up a bag just because. I also got a Canadian Starbucks card featuring the iconic maple leaf.

Canada SBUX card
Canada SBUX card

Not a bad introduction to Starbucks Canada, eh?

Clover brewed and a bag of True North
Clover brewed and a bag of True North
Clover brewed!
Clover brewed!

And although we stayed in Vancouver for less than three days, I managed to go back to the Robson location for yet another Clover brew. 🙂

But Starbucks definitely isn’t the only coffee game in town. There are independent cafes and coffee bars on each city block, and I came across many Blenz locations. While hiking back from Stanley Park to the hotel, I had to take a pitstop for an iced mocha. Damn good stuff I must say.

While in Canada...
While in Canada…

Simple but refreshing
Simple but refreshing
One morning we bused to the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park and stayed there for hours walking on the bridge, on the Cliff Walks, and the through the Treetops Adventure. Lunch was at the neighboring Bridge House Restaurant. Who knew a simple iced coffee could taste so good?! I’m sure the whipped cream helped a little. 😉

That’s it for Part 2. My Coffee While Cruising series will conclude in Part 3 as I stay caffeinated in Alaska and onboard the Disney wonder.

Coffee While Cruising (Part 1)

, , , , , , , , ,

While going on vacation typically means new experiences, it doesn’t necessarily mean old habits are forgotten, such as getting a healthy intake of coffee.

The only real way to start time off is with good coffee and good kicks. That means a cup of Kati Kati Blend from Starbucks while wearing (gasp!) New Balance MO673.

Starting vacation with coffee and kicks
Starting vacation with coffee and kicks

From HNL to SFO and stuck there for a bit due to continued delays from the Asiana Airlines accident, I partook of a Peet’s Iced Coconut Latte. I didn’t take a pic of this sweet (and airport-overpriced) concoction though. From SFO, we flew to FAT to spend a few days in the scorching heat.

I have my usual coffee sources in Fresno but changed it up just a bit, visiting Barnes and Noble (remember bookstores?) and its cafe.

Starbucks in a bookstore (remember those?)
Starbucks in a bookstore (remember those?)

From FAT, the next vacation leg was to YVR in Vancouver. Did I mention FAT now has two Starbucks locations? There’s the one in the forest check-in area and the newer location is inside of the security gate, making it easier to stay caffeinated while waiting for your flight.

Another FAT Starbucks location
Another FAT Starbucks location

This location still seems new with newbie employees. While the workers were courteous, asking each other to how assemble a sweetened iced coffee was a little disconcerting for me. But if you’re still looking for that limited edition wooden Starbucks cards, I found a cache for you!

Cache of wooden SBUX cards
Cache of wooden SBUX cards

Hmmm, I have more coffee pictures from my trip than I originally thought, so I’m gonna break this up into a series of posts. Part 2 will cover coffee in Canada, but here’s a peek of my pictures without all the backstory.

Racial Overtones?

, ,

While doing some research on the popular DisBoards, I came across a very detailed, entertaining, and well photographed trip report on an Alaskan cruise. The daily accounts are fantastic, there are so many pictures to help tell the story, but there’s a big detraction from this specific report – the racial overtones. Peppered amongst the details are references that could very well have been left out, and one board member questions these overtones.

disboard-overtones

I’d have to agree with this commenter. I don’t see the value added of pointing out ethnicities of fellow travelers. We’ve all been there contending with large groups and families that create an instant queue, but that’s just how it is. Race can’t impact the effects of too many people contending for limited resources.

Now, I don’t think the author intended racial malice, but I think if similar words were used at work, we’d all be attending sensitivity training soon enough.

starbucks-disney

Starbucks Opens at Disney

, , , ,

Today marks the opening of Starbucks in Disney’s California Adventure Park. Don’t you need a cup like this?

You’ll have to head to the Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Cafe to get your Starbucks fix.

Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Café is the first location ever inside a Disney theme park where you can enjoy refreshing Starbucks coffee and espresso drinks — including flavored lattes, iced coffees and Frappuccino® blended beverages. The café also serves some of your favorite signature Starbucks breakfast sandwiches and pastries.

sun-peeking

How’s Your Winter Going?

, , , ,

So how is your winter going?  The air is cooler here in Hawaii, but when the sun starts peeking out, it’s best to find some shade.

Just be sure not to use the rust-colored beach chairs at Ko Olina Lagoon #1. These belong to the new Disney Aulani resort and are for guest use only. It’s first come, first serve for the usage of the umbrellas, but these chairs are a different issue. And don’t ask the Aulani personnel manning the vacations booth. They know about the various vacation, travel, and lodging packages, but not about the use of the beach chairs. Be cordial to the Aulani worker whose job is to repossess Disney’s beach chairs, and the local boy might be cool enough to leave one for your use as a kamaaina.

Load More