Going to Alaska Aboard the New Discovery Princess
Full disclosure: My wife and I have only been on one cruise before and it was a disaster. We booked the cheapest cabin we could find aboard a “party ship” for a three-day cruise. If the Bachelor or Love Island TV series make you nauseous, then you have a pretty good idea of what we experienced. But that was 30 years ago and we thought it was high time to try out the cruise life once again. Luckily for us, our second experience went a lot better aboard Princess Cruise’s newest ship, the Discovery Princess.
Only in operation since March of this year, the ship known as the Discovery Princess, is huge spreading out 1,083 feet wide and standing tall at 217 feet (and 6.25 inches to be exact!). It contains 1,830 guest cabins, most of which are balcony cabins assuring fantastic views. It can hold up to 3,660 guests and 1,346 crew members. That’s a lot of people, but even on our trip which was near capacity, it never really felt crowded. Read More >>>
Discovering Canada’s Wine Country
Although you’re probably smarter than me and already know these things, but as it turns out, the southern Okanagan region of British Columbia is actually desert land – the only desert in the country – and it makes an excellent location to grow grapes, as long as there is a good water source. Although farmers in the Okanagan region have been growing orchards full of different fruits, it wasn’t until fairly recently that they discovered that they could grow grapes equally well. And so, in even more recent years, many orchard farms have been converted into vineyards making the number of local wineries to skyrocket. Read More >>>
All About the Norwegian Bliss
Cruising has become a big deal in Seattle, and it doesn’t get much bigger than the Norwegian Bliss, the largest Norwegian Cruise Line ship that can hold up to 4,004 guests and 1,716 crew members (which comes to about 1 crew member for every 2 and 1/3 people on the ship). During the 7-day summer cruises, the ship begins and ends at the Seattle port with stops at Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan and Victoria, B.C. They started our two-hour tour literally at the top in what they call Haven. It is considered a luxury enclave where high-rolling guests board early ahead of the regular guests. Read More >>>
Walt Disney World
TRON Lightcycle Opens in April
The Magic Kingdom has announced that the long awaited attraction, TRON Lightcycle will officially open on April 4, 2023. Based on the two TRON movies, this unique roller coaster races against the “Grid’s” most menacing programs. You’ll surge past your opponents as you attempt to cross through eight “Energy Gates” and secure your team’s victory. A virtual queue will be in place when the ride first opens as a standby queue will not be available at this time. Guests may also purchase a individual Lightning Lane entry.
Disneyland
Mickey’s Toontown Gets a Redo
Inspired by the “Toontown” featured in the movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Mickey’s Toontown in Disneyland is getting a redo just in time for the Disney100 anniversary celebration. The “new” Toontown is said to be a reimaging with more activities, attractions and even grassy spaces to just sit down and chill which is practically unheard of at a theme park. The main residents here (Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Daisy) have new or remodeled homes for everyone to explore to see how the other half lives. Read More >>>
Silverwood
Silverwood Ups Its Game with New Shows
While the big roller coasters may be the initial draw, some of the best memories at Silverwood theme park can be found during their live shows. This year, the famous train ride has received a makeover taking guests through the properties’ back forest. The 30-minute train ride will take riders back in time to the early 1900’s on a mission to save Sasquatch from poachers. Things get hairy when a couple of bandits rob the train! The new show is livelier than years’ past with a new, likeable and talented cast. If you like dad jokes, this is your show!
Over at the High Moon Saloon you’ll meet the park’s newest character, Marvin the Moose with no Caboose, a wall-mounted moose head who talks to kids. I got a chance to interview Marvin who suprisingly, had a lot to say! Read More >>>
Universal Studios
Jump into the World of Super Nintendo
It looks like 2023 will be the year for the Super Mario Bros. with a new animated movie coming out on April 7 and Super Nintendo World having just opened at Universal Studios Hollywood. The latter had its grand opening on February 17 and it is proving to be pretty popular among gaming fans. So popular in fact that it is just the second of four proposed themed areas for other Universal theme parks (the first opened at Universal Studios Japan and the next two will open at Universal Studios Singapore and Universal’s Epic Universe at the Universal Orlando Resort).
Unlike the Singapore location, Hollywood’s version of Super Nintendo World is quite a bit smaller. Although the theme park did what they could to give guests the best experience possible which involved demolishing some of the Lower Lot’s soundstages to make room for the new residents. The new area of the park also intensifies Universal’s desire to grab families’ attention. Read More >>>
Writer of Pop Culture 