Disney and the iPhone

Disney is doing apps. Disney Droid Apps. Disney iPhone Apps. I know this because Disney just bought Tapulous a maker of iPhone and iPad games. They clearly recognize this is a big deal. I'll be anxious to see if they make quality apps or just more thin marketing junk. Why buy a company that's good at it if you're just going to have them make garbage?

2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival

Now that we're into the dog days of summer, I can start thinking about Disney World again. Unlike most people I won't come within a mile of Disney during the summer. I hate crowds, so I skip the whole summer. The 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival marks the start of Vitaly's Disney World year. Epcot rules, food rules, wine rules. It's a win-win-win. That link is for the Disney Food Blog's coverage, which is by far the most comprehensive anywhere, including Disney itself. This includes something I'm quite excited about: The New Booths

I can imagine what wonderful new foods will await me there. Until then I continue to wait for the summer vacationers to get out of my homeland!

Animal Kingdom Lodge Primer

I was researching the Animal Kingdom Lodge today and I thought I'd share some resources I found, or have always liked. Obviously the first thing you need to know about is the Animal Kingdom Lodge Unofficial Fansite. This is a great place to get a broad understanding of what the Lodge is like. Personally one of my favorite characteristics about the Lodge is that it's VERY impressive, but not terribly expensive. While the rooms are fairly small, the amenities, lobby, etc are fantastic. It has many of the advantages of the Wilderness Lodge, but is even better in my opinion. The Wilderness Lodge does however have easy access to the Magic Kingdom, which is a consideration. For more information check out this thread on Animal Kingdom Lodge vs. Wilderness Lodge.

The next question is whether you want to stay in Kidani Village or Jambo House. While Kidani Village is the DVC members area, you can still stay there if you want. Here's a good Kidani Village Review to help you figure out if you want to venture over there. Personally I'm always going to pick Jambo House, because I love both the Boma and Jiko restaurants.

Another interesting consideration from staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge is the Safaris. There are several of them including the Wanyama Safari and the Sunrise Safari. They have differing constraints on who can do them though so be sure to do your research.

Overall I think AKL has the best combination of price, amenities and style. It's biggest negative is that it's a bit out of the way and it's second biggest problem is that the rooms are small. Fortunately neither of these are huge on my priority list, so it's the perfect resort for me.

Got too much money?

If you're trying to get rid of some you could eat here. There are plenty of good places to eat in WDW, so I've never managed to work up the nerve or financial responsibility to eat there.

Cupcakes

You like cupcakes? I got some cupcakes for you!