Unlike many of my Disneyland Blogs, this is NOT one of them . BUT, read on and find out what I have been pondering….
So, I was searching the Internet reading Disney Blogs, Disneyland Twitter, looking for TRON exclusive updates and playing with my boyfriend’s new Daft Punk inspired Android App when I came across something interesting. A website proclaiming it can track and monitor your child’s internet use including screen caps of their web pages, content filters, keystroke loggers records of IM conversations and even live viewing of their current business on the Internet. This website sounds pretty user friendly and parent kind. So I begin to think to myself, ” Self,” I ask ” What would keep a spouse from using the software for purposes of catching a cheater in the relationship?” And this is when I visited the website.
I’d like to start by adding a disclaimer: I have not experienced this web program which proclaims the services to be top notch and have viewed only the content on the website for the product.
Upon clicking the link to the site, I noticed that it proposes many uses other than the advertised version I previously explained. In fact, it seems more like a “spying” software program which is being marketed to government agencies to record and log information from workers, at Schools to record information about teachers and student’s use of the Internet, and low and behold ” Catch a Cheating Spouse” software. Now, I am sure all of these uses are part of the same program, but how funny was it that I thought of this after looking into the program that was being marketed to parents to spy on their kids? HA!
So, the reason I chose to write this blog was simple. I , like many in my close inner circle of Geeks and Freaks, have a moral dilemma on my hands. IF I had children, which “technically” I do not, and IF they were using the Internet would I choose to monitor them digitally without their knowledge using this program? Likewise, IF you thought you had a cheating significant other, would you do the same? I don’t think I would. So I leave you with this to ponder and respond as you have free will. Maybe someone is watching you? Makes you wonder doesn’t it?
IF you want to check out the site or test the software out for yourself the Program is called Web Watcher and it’s located at
It’s 8:00 pm on a Friday night and there’s nothing to do. You hop onto your light cycle, turn the 90 degree corner, and start maneuvering your way through rush hour traffic on the 15 freeway. Suddenly, IT hits you… Anaheim or bust! You arrive at Mickey and Friends Parking structure, kindly flash you “identity badge” and cruise up to Donald 4G. Parking your light cycle carefully on the grid you descend a set of moving stairways and enter the newly renovated Disneyland Tram. You quickly exit, on the driver’s right hand side and right hand side only, and you walk directly to the entrance of California Adventure theme park. Again, the CM’s ask to see your identity badge and you are quickly transported into a scene of a lifetime.
Welcome to Disney’s California Adventure: ElecTRONica Dance Party
TRON inside Flynn's Arcade
As you enter, you look above you where glimpses of the grid surround you on huge building screens and blue neon envelopes you at every turn. Your ears are greeted by pleasant sounds from the film with Electronic Sounds from groups like Daft Punk and Paul Oakenfold being mixed on the fly. You make your way past a few small “programs” attempting to toss their identity disks into a large basket as they practice for upcoming battles on hopes of winning a delightful prize.
Directly beyond this practice space, there are several booths offering drinks, snacks and merchandise related to TRON Legacy. We purchased 2 Identity disks that light up and make sounds when you depress the buttons- $25.00 each plus 20% off merchandise with your annual pass.
DCA ElecTRONica Dance Party
You walk further and further into the grid and suddenly you are met by a huge Recognizer that scans your entire body and identifies you as “rectified” or “games.”
As you pass the huge replica, you step into the club atmosphere where a DJ stands high atop a circular booth complete with flashing neon lights and surrounded by pods of TRON clad dancers. They are really decked to the hilt! And of course dawning their identity disks on their backs. If I do say so myself, the ladies are very pleasing to the eyes and the men are more than physically fit. Complete with a dance floor and tons of programs dancing the night away like it were 1982, you quickly shoot across the grid to the “End of Line Club”.
At the “End of Line Club” you can purchase refreshments, snacks like nachos and other goodies to reenergize yourself, and alcoholic beverages in neon plastic cups. Now, if we could only convince Daft Punk to play there, that would be an awesome sight!
Next to the club, you can see an exclusive 3-D clip of TRON: Legacy. This is a great experience as it is held in the theater where Muppet Vision 3-D is continuously being shown. The movie comes alive as the Recognizer comes to land and surrounding you are lights that flash around the grid as well as huge fans that blow behind you in the theater. The movie, to put it lightly, looks SUPER FANTASTICALLY AMAZING! This is definitely a must see!
Flynn's Arcde
Continuing on along the path of awesome, you run into the best and brightest sign imaginable. I about cried when I saw it from afar and close up, was to die for. The sign, beaming from afar read “Flynn’s.” YES! As in Flynn’s Arcade of 1982! At the entrance to the Arcade there are several stations where you can test your skills on the Wii by playing demo versions of the new TRON game. As this didn’t interest me as much, we quickly bypassed the gamers and entered the Holy realm of gaming legacy. To my right, Buck Rogers: Planet of Zoom, Galaga, Space Invaders, Ms. Pac Man, and Contra. To my left, Missile Command, Gauntlet (Wizard needs food badly) and the ultimate in gaming along the back wall in all it’s glory, TRON. Above this most perfect game, was a neon sign announcing “Home of TRON.” Could this be a more perfect Arcade Throwback? Umm yes!
So how do you and can you play these museum worthy hits of the 80s ad 90s? YES! Make your way to the coin changer machines that look exactly like the ones we used in the 1980’s and 90’s and insert a dollar. Out pops 4 coins each inscribed with “Flynn’s Arcade” on side one and “ElecTRONica” on the other. PERFECTION! Oh, one last thing, IF you can score an “I get next” play on one of the machines, it only costs a token to play… SCORE!
After taking in all of these beautiful sights of ElecTRONica you will leave there wanting to go back over and over again. How and when you ask? Good thing my identity disk was working overtime and recounted all of my adventure. Disney’s ElecTRONica runs through the Fall of 2010 awaiting the release of TRON: Legacy on December 17, 2010. This event takes place every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening from 8:00pm –close. You can also enjoy it every night the weeks of Thanksgiving and Christmas Holidays.
There is a special Meet-Up event scheduled for Thursday, October 28th a 4:00pm -Midnight, including exclusive sneak peeks of items used in the movie, autograph sessions and commemorative coins will be passed out. The event is free and as of Friday October 21, it was at capacity but I will be sure to blog about the event so you can live vicariously through my TRON adventures if you do not get to see this spectacle first hand. I will also be live tweeting the event with photos so follow me on twitter @Rayvencure if you are interested!
October is finally here at the Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World which can only mean one thing “Halloween Time!” This is the extra “spooktacular” time of year when Disney Magic transforms its parks with Pumpkins, Coffins and “Candy Corrrrn” (Insert Heimlich Voice) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCewwVvtpWg .
Beginning October 1st you can visit the park and enjoy an array of tricks and treats including one of my all time favorites: coffin-shaped, chocolate mousse deserts from the French Market complete with edible dirt (cookie crumbs) and worms, gummy of course.
Some of the fabulous rides have also been haunted like the popular Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy and the Haunted Mansion is themed for Tim Burrton’s Nightmare Before Christmas complete with an edible gingerbread house in the main ballroom. They are certainly worth the wait!
For your boys and ghouls Disneyland has moved its ever-so-popular “Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party” to the Disneyland Resort this year. Since 2005, Disneyland’s California Adventure has hosted the annual party but due to the popularity of their new attraction “World of Color” and extra construction around the park, Disney officials have moved the party across the esplanade. Yes, for an extra $54.00 admission price (on select dates in October, presale price) at 6p.m. or 7p.m. until 11p.m. or 12 a.m. (dates and times vary) you can have Disneyland all to yourself. Most rides will be open and there are special places for your little zombies to go trick-or-treating. There is even a costume parade and dance party in Tomorrow land Terrace.
Annual Passholders, like many of us local Disney-philes are, will not be allowed into Disneyland for the party without a ticket. Annual passholders can, however purchase discounted tickets on the Disney website for $44.00. We are waiting to see what the numbers are like and how popular this event becomes since its move to Disneyland. With the park closing hours before regular schedule for the Halloween Party and the economy, it will be interesting to see if they turn a profit. Last year, Halloween Time through Very Merry Christmas Times were seasonally packed with park hoppers and at times parking lots and parks were at capacity.
My advice for Halloween Time: Get to the park before 10am as parking lots get closed when they are half full. Disney park officials have been known to close lots to save spaces for attendees that come later in the day and force park goers to park several blocks away to eliminate lack of space in the Mickey and Friend’s Parking Structure.
Secondly, take plenty of water and snacks as lines will be extra long for food and attraction cues are generally double wait times. Fast passes are HIGHLY recommended.
Finally, enjoy your Disney Experience! It only comes once a year!
PS: Check out the two new Mickey Ears designs this year: Pumpkin Mickey and Franken Mickey
If you haven’t been to Disneyland, California or Walt Disney World, Florida in the last few months sadly, you missed the final Star Tours trip to Endor on the Star Speeder 3000.
Yes, Rex, the beloved robot who took riders on a journey reassuring them each and every time “Welcome aboard… if it’s your first flight, it’s mine too” has been retired. He has been replaced by a new Droid style robot AC-38 or “Ace” for short. Also, C-3PO has been removed and in his place, a W-7 Waitress Droid from Attack of the Clones has been inserted.
We hear she adds an element of comic relief while passengers eagerly wait in the long cue lines on their way to the boarding dock. There are several other Droids that have been strategically placed throughout the ride but we will have to wait until 2011 to see and experience the full potential of this remodeling of an old time classic.
Star Tours 3.5, as it has been named was scheduled to be remodeled as Star Tours 7 after the release of the Episode 1, on May 19, 1999. However, Disney Imagineers thought it best to wait and see what George Lucas had in store for us finishing up the Legacy. After Episode 3 was finally released, the project was continued and as of August 2010 has been under construction. From what we “Disneyphiles” have been hearing through internet rumors, and the new Official Disneyland Fan Club affectionately known as “D23,” the new Star Tours 3.5 will be an even better, more technologically advanced pod racer type ride.
It has been said on some of the more popular Disney blogs that they have even replicated a Star speeder 1000, an earlier version of the 3000, which is sure to entice Disney and Star Wars fans. Maybe this time they will “Use the Force” to take us on a galactic journey to one of the other popular locales; I myself have always wondered why we have never been able to explore Tattooine or journey to Naboo. In all, although the final tour to Endor has come and gone, Star Tours 3.5 will be bigger and better. Disney fans can’t wait to hear “Star Tours is Now Boarding.” Grab yourself a ticket in 2011, and perhaps you will be one of the first riders of Star Tours 3.5!
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