Club 33 + other pay for privileges.

Here's some information about Club 33 at Disney World.
From one of my favorite Fb sites about Disney... "Ziggy knows disney".  Interesting to say the least. As well as some other sources and my personal take on things.

It's a concept that is being expanded on in numerous ways filtering down to the general public... or at least those that are able to pay for extra benefits at Disney. 

Over the years,  information about an exclusive club in Disneyland has circulated without revealing too to the general public. I'd have to conclude that the less the general public knew about V.I.P. benefits at Disney, the better they'd feel about the illusion that all things are equal in the land of magic. And this seemed to be pretty much the standard until recently.  One, because of social media being the intimate in readily available information about almost anything, including special VIP clubs at Disney, which had special benefits and privileges not open to the General Public.
And two, now that Disney,  like any company,  is vigorously chasing the almighty dollar, the once played down, low keyed privileges available only to the wealthy is becoming more common knowledge. 
In fact it seems that in varying degrees that general admission to the parks is being diluted by more and more special Privileges and benefits that are available for extra money 💰.  So the lofty concept of the Club 33 privileges has other smaller short term, pay as you want them privileges for the general public in the manner of special tours, guided tours, and the purchase of extra fast passes for attractions & special viewing areas... so long as you are able to pay for these extra benefits. So what was once kinda secretive and low-keyed, is now right your face. The notion of a level playing field for guests at disney has, at least for me, exploded. If I was wealthy, this would be a welcome advantage over the general public.  General admission to the parks is somewhat now a third class less than enjoyable vacation. Because if you can't pay for extra privileges & benefits, then your experience is gonna be filled with long waits in lines... all the lines. And you will be standing in mass crowds waiting sometimes hours for a good spot to see a parade or fireworks, while those that can afford extra privileges will walk up at the last minute to enjoy preferred viewing areas to enjoy the show. There are also special seatings for shows,  where a meal with privileged seating,  will get you front row seating without any waiting.
All things are not equal in the land of magic. Extra money buys more and more privileges & benefits. And families on a budget will experience much less, and wait much more to see half of what they would have even ten years ago.
Of course, the older you are, the more you've seen change, and you realize how the magic of Disney although still wonderful...but now for general admission,  you get less and less of an experience for your money. General admission, especially during peak seasons,  is a third class experience. 
But that's just the way I see it. Money buys more magic. Advance to the head of the lines (no waiting), preferred seating (no waiting),  special preferred viewing areas and much more.
I guess if all these special privileges that money can buy didn't affect the general admission guest, it wouldn't be an issue... but more and more... money buys more magic and greater experiences... leaving most guests with a lesser experience. 
Club 33 was a good concept that didn't really affect the general public. It was and is very expensive & limited... all be its expansion in to all Disney parks.  The flood of numerous pay for privileges options available to all makes bigger dollars for Disney, and lessons the experience for those who can't afford to pay. I use to say that on peak seasons or holidays, you'd see half as much in twice the time... That's becoming the norm all the time now... unless you can buy more magic. Yep... all magic comes with a price ... the more you can pay... the more magic you get.

Country parking

(questioning look on my face) ... (thinking)...
Okay,  I got it ... Reserved for the first ones here!
Because ... cows & cars don't mix too well. Neither do those brown piles and my shoes.
Been there before... that ain't no mud on those tires.
Country life... go figure.
And that's why you get there early.

Campsite cooling

Camping is always wonderful outdoors experience.  Cool nights are great for a campfire. Hot days are another story.  So how to cool off outside. Traditionally a fan in the shade helps a lot. Want a cooler breeze? A container or cooler modified with two holes for a fan and exhaust... add ice... instant cool breeze. Here's some ideas that really work.

Birds of springtime

Spring is getting closer. I know... March 20th... but the weather is still mostly in winter mode. Despite this, the birds are returning. Yesterday was a very nice bright sunny day with no wind. Completely still. Looking out the bedroom window I got to see a variety springtime birds. What first got my attention was the cardinal chirping. I believe this is the first time I've even seen a female woodpecker. Was nice to sit here reading and looking out the window. If the forecast holds... Tuesday will begin  string (hopefully ongoing) of nights above freezing.

DNA deja vu

DNA deja vu... or perhaps knowledge & understanding... or inherited behavior & personality?  Perhaps all of this and even more. As science understands more and more about human DNA,  yet still only understanding less than 5%, incredible amounts of information is believed to be encoded in our DNA.  Understandably true, entirely possible and probable.
- deja vu of a place where ancestors had life experiences.
- incites to greater understanding
- encoded behavior contrary to social influences.
- knowledge without education influences
And what about the unconscious dreams at night that create ideas and concepts that are vividly revealed with greater clarity when you awake. Sometimes little what if ideas as well as holy shit wow ideas. Encoded in DNA that has been passed down for generations.
Yesterday's theories... today's concepts... Tomorrow's scientific facts.
What will we learn in the future as the vast wealth of information contained in our DNA reveals monumental insight to all things human.
Couple this with enhanced brain function (we only use a small percentage of the human brain) and the possibilities could be endless.
Certainly something to think about.

History bound

History bound this year...
Gearing up to see some civil war battlefields, monuments,  and museums this season. Looking at some old civil war photos. Not only interesting but amazed at the clarity of 1860s photography (or at least some of the photos ).

Dinner & Show

Dinner &  Show.
Worth seeing? Yes! ... worth the price? Questionable.
Disney World... Fort Wilderness Campground...
Pioneer Hall... The Hoop-dee-doo revue dinner show.
Western show full of action, dancing, singing, & fun... very entertaining.
Dinner.... Fried chicken, BBQ ribs, beans, corn, corn bread, and mashed potatoes plus dessert. Food is a solid 7 of 10... good, but nothing special. Fried chicken is the best but obviously precooked in advance and kept warm.
I would have expected the usual Disney fanfare about the menu that you see in most table service Disney restaurants.
Old fashion country fried chicken, slow smoked bar-b-que western ribs, classic smashed potatoes,  kettle cooked baked beans, select sweet corn, baked corn bread, and special culinary dessert. Interesting they don't do that here.
Still... All in all a great show and a good dinner.  
Pricing... wow... telling my age... I remember paying $24.99 for this.
Today's price for good seating is $72 per person. So if it's the parents with two kids  over 10... it will cost you $288 + tax + tip. Your could walk away spending upwards of $350 for one nights dinner. That could buy a lot if fried chicken, ribs, and sides.
But you'd have a memorable experience that's not to be missed.
I glad my experience was less costly. But, its vacation.

History

As the weather changes, and winter looses its grip,  springtime lends itself to more and more outside activities. Nature, historical sites, and being in Virginia,  civil war battlefields.  And no doubt the protests and violence associated with the clash between protestors will begin once again. As if protesting civil war history is a viable way to change their life today. They protest anything confederate because of the connection to southern slavery. Dishonoring the soldiers that fought and died , simply to make themselves feel better certainly seems to be misplaced. Especially since the vast majority of soldiers on both sides did not fight to either save slavery or free slaves. Slavery has origins to the beginning of this country. The founding fathers of the country and the revolution owned slaves... And for over a hundred years of slavery, up to the civil war, holds no interest for the protesters... only the civil war years holds their misplaced contempt. The concept over slavery was certainly valid, but protesting those that fought and died is certainly not justified by any logical mentality. History is just that... History. Protesting events of 155 years ago is not going to improve their life today, nor is it justified to simply make them feel better about themselves, and their personal failings to improve their own lives. 

Italy

Fond memories of one of our favorite places. The architecture, the food, the dancers,  the entire atmosphere... Enchanting.

Before the melt

Before the melt... the beauty of snow.

Country life

Country life. A big part of country life is living near small towns in Virginia.  In our case the town of Culpeper Virginia.  Settled in the mid 1700s, there are many buildings still here in the historic district.  It's just a shame that many of the homes that are certainly 150-200 years old are not signed to indicate the date they were built. Nevertheless,  they are all interesting in construction and character.  The boyhood home of A.P.Hill (confederate general) is a good example of preservation and continuous use of a prominent building. It's like living a bit in history.  The best part is, it still maintains that friendly country charm. Ya may not know everyone,  and don't know their name, but everyone acts friendly.  Certainly refreshing!

Disney crowds

Disney crowds.  I have posed about crowds at Disney before. There are also online charts for peak times of attendance.  Despite the abundance of information,  its obvious that many families are locked into vacations during peak times at Disney. Summer time when schools are out are extremely crowded & extremely hot. Christmas holidays... again extremely crowded but milder weather with less daylight.
Easter vacations... Experience proves that this is the most crowded time at Disney. The week before, the week of, and the week after Easter are all extremely crowded. I use to say that it would take twice as long to see & do half as much. It is much worse now. Popular attractions could eat up 2-3 hours of waiting. Some as high as 4-5 hours for a single ride or attraction. Then there's the need to deal with huge crowds to simply get around and get food, drinks, or shop.
All in all... not what I'd call a pleasant family experience. I would not want to deal with crowds like this. Premium expenses to have a less than optimal experience.  So if there's a choice of when to take your vacation, opt for off peak times. Your family experience will be much better and enjoyable. 

Abandoned

Another big difference living in the country... Abandoned houses can be seen everywhere.  Generally farm houses & especially barns, and regular family houses. They are all in varying stages of decay ranging from several years to decades. Structures frozen in time slowly being reclaimed by nature. Wood structures will take 200 years to fall to the ground and  succumb to termites in undergrowth. So they are all going to be around for quite some time. Remnants from stone structures will last centuries... stone factories & millworks, stone walls, and stone bridges.
Why? I guess there's so much open land here that there's little need to tear down the old to build the new. But the underlying question is why some one simply walked away from houses, never to be lived in again, left to decay. They died? They moved away? And why didn't it sell to others? Perhaps these houses were lived in, and after years and decades of neglected maintenance, it simply became so run down that it couldn't be saved. So I guess I somewhat understand why this could happen.
What I can't imagine is the homes... the massive estates that are historically majestic simply abandoned! No one would want them? No one would sell them?
Seems so strange.

Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Happy St. Patrick's Day.
Top of the mornin' to ya.
Fifty shades of green from Ireland.
Favorite meal of the day.
And, Disney Know (favorite Fb site) about the Irish Pub at Disney Springs.
Have a green day.

Healthy snack...

Healthy snacks... yes... Probably both.
Tasty & enjoyable to eat... only one.
Truth in advertising... only one...
The one with the see through package.
Life Choice... looks great, tastes wonderful. The other brand... not so much!