DO NOT BUY A DJI SPARK! How I Lost My $500 Drone & Why DJI Support Sucks The Dark Side of Disney 2017-11-03 | While in Europe, my DJI Spark drone became completely unresponsive and fell into a canal. Luckily, I had DJI Care Refresh insurance! Oh, wait, nevermind. The insurance requires you to send the drone back to them in order to get a replacement. How often are people actually able to retrieve a non-responsive drone? Maybe 50% of the time, at best? Even after DJI examined the full flight logs and final video retrieved from the iPad controller and admitted that it went into "opti" mode and became non-responsive, they wouldn't replace the drone.I firmly believe that the DJI Spark should NOT be marketed as a consumer-level drone, as seen in the promotional shots I've included in this video. The lack of functional safeguards make it unsuitable for untrained pilots, and I'm surprised more people haven't reported injury or property destruction from Spark crashes. I also firmly believe that DJI Care Refresh is a total scam, or at the very least is false advertising.As a result, I absolutely cannot recommend that anyone buy a drone from DJI, especially the Spark.Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at:facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3twitter.com/DarkSideDisneyhttp://www.leonardkinsey.comFor offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
Leonard and Pentakis Visit Paris (2013 unreleased video) The Dark Side of Disney 2024-05-03 | Leonard and Pentakis took a day trip to Paris, and didn't particularly enjoy themselves. Horrible traffic, all of the tourist destinations had huge lines, there were no easily accessible public restrooms, and... everything was in French. The hi-speed train was cool, though!For offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.comKeep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news on Facebook and Twitter at:facebook.com/DarkSideofDisneyfacebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3twitter.com/DarkSideDisney
All-Inclusive Live Aqua Punta Cana Tour & Review! Room, Grounds, Pools, Entertainment & Restaurants! The Dark Side of Disney 2024-02-02 | Here's an in-depth overview, tour, and review of the all-inclusive adults-only resort Live Aqua, located in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. I stayed in a Viento Suite for 4 nights/5 days in January 2024 and I think in that time I got a pretty good feel for the resort.00:00 Intro00:17 Property Tour03:08 Arrival and Check-In04:16 Viento Suite Room Tour11:47 Grounds19:03 Food and Drink26:31 Entertainment29:23 Pros and ConsMood music by Rossco SoleTrain: http://youtube.com/rosscosoletrain2 Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at: facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3 twitter.com/DarkSideDisney http://www.kinseysworld.com For offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
Whats New (To Me) In The Netherlands! Amsterdam, Rotterdam, & Haarlem - 2023 Edition The Dark Side of Disney 2023-04-16 | What's New (To Me) In The Netherlands! Amsterdam, Rotterdam, & Haarlem.Amsterdam AirBnB:airbnb.com/rooms/592389868426747777Wine and Cheese Canal Cruise:getyourguide.com/rembrandtplein-l3018/amsterdam-90-minute-boat-cruise-with-drinks-and-snacks-t313498
Carbon Fiber Hammock Bathtub Review! Presidential Suite @ Boutiquehotel Staats Haarlem, Netherlands The Dark Side of Disney 2023-03-27 | Review of the ultra-modern futuristic carbon fiber hammock bathtub in the Presidential Suite at Boutiquehotel Staats in Haarlem, Netherlands. This hotel is about 30 minutes from Amsterdam and is absolutely amazing. Very luxurious, and this suite is super sexy. As far as I know, this is the only place in the world that has this tub, and I tried it out for you!https://www.hotelstaats.nl/en/rooms Mood music by Rossco SoleTrain: http://youtube.com/rosscosoletrain2 Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at: facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3 twitter.com/DarkSideDisney http://www.leonardkinsey.com For offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
Whats New (To Me) In Iceland - 2023 Edition The Dark Side of Disney 2023-02-23 | Emily and I started our Europe trip with a 3-day stopover in Iceland, which IcelandAir lets you do for free. We used DCAcar to drive us to Dulles for our flight on IcelandAir - flying Saga Class gave us access to the lovely AirFrance lounge. Once we landed used Destination Blue Lagoon to bring us to the Blue Lagoon, and then to the Canopy by Hilton. In Reykjavik we visited the Lebowski Bar, a "Big Lebowski"-themed restaurant with a bowling lane on one of the walls. The next day we did a Viator Golden Circle tour that also included stops at Friðheimar Greenhouse and Fontana Spa. Finally, we used Gray Line Iceland to hire a private car to drive us to the airport since we had a super early flight to Schiphol.00:00 Dulles Airport/Air France Lounge01:27 IcelandAir Saga Class Experience03:03 Keflavik Airport03:58 Blue Lagoon07:19 Canopy by Hilton Room Tour08:05 Lebowski Bar08:56 Friðheimar Greenhouse10:25 Geysir Hot Spring Area13:18 Gullfoss Waterfall13:44 Fontana Spa19:50 Þingvellir National Park20:27 Keflavik Airport/Saga Lounge/Recap22:45 In Loving Memory of Emily Patricia Myers
Tour and Review of the Laaf/Laven Suite at Efteling Hotel - Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands - 5/2022 The Dark Side of Disney 2023-02-02 | This is a tour and review of the Laaf Suite at the Efteling Hotel! I know people find them kind of creepy, but I love the Laaf characters and their land in Efteling and have quite a few of them in my house. So I couldn't wait to stay in their suite at the Efteling Hotel!Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at: facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3 twitter.com/DarkSideDisney http://www.leonardkinsey.com For offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
Whats New (To Me) at Efteling Theme Park - 2022 Edition - Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands The Dark Side of Disney 2023-01-23 | Emily and I visited Efteling in May 2022 and catalogued all of the new things since my previous visit in 2018. I love how the park continues to improve and expand.Efteling is a theme park located in Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands.In loving memory of Emily Patricia Myers. 3/29/1997 - 7/25/2022.
Hotel Xcaret Arte Room Service Menu - Only Available Via the Rooms TV The Dark Side of Disney 2022-02-26 | Haven't seen this posted anywhere - this is the room service menu at Hotel Xcaret Arte, an all-inclusive resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico (about 40 miles from Cancun Airport). The menu is only available via the television in the room. Supposedly you can actually order straight from the TV, but we were never able to get that to work. Instead we had to decide what we wanted and then call it in. The late night menu is much smaller, and oftentimes what was listed there wasn't available. You can also call in drink orders along with food, but you can't do that via the TV. Obviously all of this is included in the cost of the room, and you can order as often as you want.Mood music by Rossco SoleTrain: http://youtube.com/rosscosoletrain2 Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at: facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3 twitter.com/DarkSideDisney http://www.kinseysworld.com For offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
All-Inclusive Hotel Xcaret Arte Tour & Review! Arrival, Room, Grounds, Pools, Parks & Restaurants! The Dark Side of Disney 2022-02-16 | Here's an in-depth overview and review of the all-inclusive, adults-only resort Hotel Xcaret Arte, located in Playa del Carmen Mexico, approximately 40 miles from Cancun Airport. We were there for 5 nights/6 days and I think in that time we got a pretty good feel for the resort, although I wish we could have stayed longer.00:00 Intro01:08 Arrival & Check-In03:20 Room Tour05:51 Resort Grounds08:55 Pools, Rivers, & Beaches16:09 Restaurants & Bars38:19 Parks & Excursions48:09 Final ThoughtsMany thanks to Emily for joining me and helping me shoot and host the video!Mood music by Rossco SoleTrain: http://youtube.com/rosscosoletrain2 Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at: facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3 twitter.com/DarkSideDisney http://www.kinseysworld.com For offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
Taste-Testing Post Meridiem Canned Cocktails! The Dark Side of Disney 2021-08-01 | Craving an authentic Trader Vic’s Mai Tai while sitting on the beach, tubing down a river, or eating crabs at a family gathering, but don’t feel like lugging around the multiple bottles of rum, orange curacao, limes, and orgeat that it takes to make one? Well, Post Meridiem Spirts just started distributing their canned cocktails in Maryland, and they have you covered!The Atlanta-based company sent me the full lineup of their canned cocktails, which can now be found at liquor stores all over Maryland. All of the cocktails feature fresh, high-quality ingredients that are similar to what you’d get at an upscale cocktail lounge. The five cocktails they offer are:• The Real Lime Juice Margarita, made with silver tequila, orange curacao, and lime juice• The Double Old Fashioned, made with bourbon, three different bitters, demerara syrup, and orange zest oil• The Lemongrass Vodka Gimlet, made with vodka, lime juice, simple syrup, and lemongrass oil• The 1944 Mai Tai, made with rum, lime juice, orange curacao, and orgeat• And The No. Four Daiquiri, made with rum, maraschino liqueur, lime juice, and simple syrupOne cool thing about these cocktails is that they tell you the exact ingredients on the cans, so there’s no mystery about what you’re drinking, unlike other canned cocktails that are actually made from completely unrelated ingredients and chemicals. According to Post Meridiem, their cocktails feature 100% real lime juice and no artificial ingredients. And this honestly came through in my tastes tests. Over and over, my notes were “fresh”, “real lime taste”, and “well-blended, but can taste each ingredient”.For those taste tests, I wanted to test their portability and emulate the experience of packing these in a cooler with a bag of ice, so I didn’t use crushed ice, which is what would traditionally be used for something like a Mai Tai. So I dumped regular ice into a glass, shook the cans, and poured them straight over the ice. That’s it: no other prep needed. Those of you who know me or who have followed my YouTube channel know I’m a pretty big tiki cocktail connoisseur, and have had Mai Tais at Trader Vic’s locations around the world. So I was particularly excited to try Post Meridiem’s version, as the “1944” (the year Vic Bergeron invented the Mai Tai) in the name pegged it as the authentic Trader Vic’s recipe. And to my shock, it was actually pretty spot-on! I have no idea what rum combo they’re using, but it tasted like a legit Mai Tai! Considering it was coming out of a can that took me two seconds to pour (as opposed to the five or so minutes it takes me to make one from scratch), I absolutely would not hesitate to serve this at a busy party. If I had to be nit-picky, I’d say that it could use an extra .5oz of rum – it was slightly less stiff than I prefer. The other four cocktails were no less impressive. The Double Old Fashioned was stiff (in a good way, since whatever bourbon they’re using is high-quality), and the orange zest was front and center in both the nose and the taste, but not overpowering. The Hemingway Daiquiri was sweet, with a strong but well-blended rum flavor that I’m sure would have pleased its namesake. The Lemongrass Vodka Gimlet was tart and lime-forward with a subtle vodka taste, which would make it perfect for a refreshing summer outdoors drink. And finally, the Real Lime Juice Margarita was also lime-forward, with slight hints of tequila and orange curacao in the aftertaste. It was a hit with my tasting partner, who declared it “Yum!” and said it was her favorite of the bunch.All in all, these are a welcome addition to the increasingly popular canned cocktail phenomena. You’re getting top-shelf quality cocktails in a portable package, and at a reasonable price (around $4/can direct from their website), especially compared to what you would pay for something of this quality at a bar. I’ll probably also keep a few of each in stock at my home bar for nights when I have company and don’t feel like going through the trouble of making the actual cocktail. I’ll spruce them up with crushed ice and some garnish, but being able to serve an impressively tasty cocktail in less than thirty seconds to a thirsty guest is a convenience that is well worth the cost.Find them at postmeridiemspirits.com
Six Flags America Harley Quinn Spinsanity Solo Ride! The Dark Side of Disney 2021-05-14 | I’m always rooting for our local coaster park, Six Flags America, and lately they’ve been doing a great job of adding new attractions to the park to keep people coming back every season. Unfortunately that didn’t happen last year – Covid lockdowns kept the Italian ride manufacturer Zamperla from completing 2020’s big new ride, Harley Quinn Spinsanity. Work had to stop until travel restrictions were lifted, and by that point it was too late in the season to debut the ride, so it just sat there, unused… until now! Yesterday I attended the press event for the opening of Harley Quinn Spinsanity, and I think it was definitely worth the wait, because this ride is going to be a huge crowd-pleaser.The day started out on a positive note, as I was directed to the employee entrance and was then driven through the park to the Gotham City section, where the ride is located. It’s always interesting to see the behind-the-scenes sections of an amusement park that guests don’t usually get to see, and driving through a park that you’re so used to walking around can be a bit of a surreal experience. Once at Gotham City I was checked in and given a swag bag that contained some well-themed merch that I assume will be sold in the park: a Harley Quinn cape, Harley Quinn sunglasses, Harley Quinn socks, a Harley Quinn mask (which I wore on the ride), and a Six Flags America coozie that will definitely be getting a lot of use (or at least more use than the cape). And then it was time to ride Harley Quinn Spinsanity. I honestly didn’t know what to expect – I knew that it swung and spun, so I was thinking it was going to be a mix of a Pirate Ship swinger and a Gravitron, and was legitimately concerned that combo would make me vomit. But it turns out the spinning is relatively slow, and is mainly there to ensure that everyone gets a different view on every swing. As a result there really isn’t a bad seat in the house. Normally the ride can seat 40 people, but I had the whole thing to myself, which was quite a luxury. I’d been told that it reaches speeds of up to 70mph, but I don’t think you can quite fathom what that actually means until you’re swinging down from 15 stories in the air at 70mph, the wind screaming through your hair and gravity pulling at your body. It’s a wild mix of massive speed from the top to the bottom combined with weightlessness when you hit the apex. Combine that with a gorgeous view of the park and the whole thing is a rush that is over too soon and pretty much demands a re-ride. I felt zero ill effects and came off of it invigorated, so I think this really could be something that the whole family can ride, and I think it’s going to be a big hit for the park. Before leaving, Joanna White, Food and Beverage Director, showed me some of the new food that’s being served at the park this year, including a cheesesteak-topped pretzel twist (which can be made vegetarian by just topping it with peppers and onions), a fish po-boy, a gourmet footlong hotdog, and chocolate-covered cannolis. I got to try one of the cannolis, and it was absolutely decadent. Not sure I’d be able to eat more than one, but these would be great for a family to split on the car ride home. Joanna also showed me a wild new drink called “Fly Girl” that contains vodka, sangria, and margarita mix, garnished with gummy bears and rock candy! This is served at the new Steelworks Pub directly across from the ride, and I can tell you from experience that they pour a stiff drink there. It’s definitely my new go-to spot in the park for an adult beverage.Harley Quinn Spinsanity opened to the public on 5/14/2021 and I highly recommend taking a trip to Six Flags America to experience it firsthand. And if history is any indication, they usually have a killer Memorial Day sale on Season Passes and Memberships, so be sure to keep an eye on their website for that in a few weeks. I’ll be using mine to return on a Friday or Saturday night to experience Spinsanity in the dark, since it looks like it has an extensive lighting package which I’m sure will make riding it after sundown a totally different experience!Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at: facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3 twitter.com/DarkSideDisney http://www.leonardkinsey.com For offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
Riding Amtrak During COVID-19 - Baltimore, MD to Williamsburg, VA - 9/2020 The Dark Side of Disney 2020-10-16 | Overview of what's changed on Amtrak since COVID hit, including restrictions, service cuts, and ridership levels. Round trip from Penn Station in Baltimore, MD to Williamsburg, VA.I’d previously done a comparison between Amtrak’s Business and Coach classes and decided to not even bother with Business for this trip, which was the right choice since the trains are running at about 1/6 of the ridership that they were pre-COVID. According to the employee at the café car, where they used to see 400 riders on the Northeast Regional, they’re now seeing 60-70. And on the pricier Acela it’s even worse: where there used to be 400 riders there are now 7-10! Unfortunately this means that furloughs are likely in the near future.Amtrak wasn’t much different during COVID. You’re supposed to wear your mask when you’re not eating and drinking (and the Conductors were good about enforcing this). There were so many empty seats that social distancing wasn’t an issue - I think there were three other people in our car. And now that they have to ensure proper air circulation, the AC actually worked great, which had been a huge problem in the past on the NE Regional line, so that’s actually a big improvement!Those who want to be super cautious would likely drive rather than taking Amtrak, but we felt very safe due to the extremely reduced ridership, and the convenience and relaxing experience make for a positive risk/reward ratio.Mood music by Rossco SoleTrain: http://youtube.com/rosscosoletrain2 Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at: facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3 twitter.com/DarkSideDisney http://www.leonardkinsey.com For offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
Tour & Review of Marriotts Manor Club at Fords Colony - Williamsburg, Virginia - 9/2020 The Dark Side of Disney 2020-10-08 | We stayed three nights at Marriott's Manor Club at Ford's Colony in Williamsburg, Virginia in 9/2020. All in all it was a nice resort - very nicely landscaped with large, affordable rooms. However, a lot was closed (and not just because of COVID) including the indoor heated pool, and there were a lack of amenities such as a lounge/bar, breakfast, and decent toiletries. It's also confusing to get to, especially at night - the website gives the wrong address for GPS, so you're much better off just following the signs instead (if you can see them). All in all it's a pleasant place to stay if you want to be away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Williamsburg, but you'll definitely want to bring your own toiletries and entertainment.marriott.com/hotels/travel/phfvi-marriotts-manor-club-at-fords-colonyMood music by Rossco SoleTrain: http://youtube.com/rosscosoletrain2 Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at: facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3 twitter.com/DarkSideDisney http://www.leonardkinsey.com For offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
Tour & Review of Taste of Busch Gardens Williamsburg - Reservation-Only Limited-Time Event - 9/2020 The Dark Side of Disney 2020-10-02 | Jess and I spent the evening at Busch Gardens Williamsburg for their 4-hour reservation-only limited-time event, "Taste of Busch Gardens Williamsburg". About half of the park was closed and only four coasters were open, but it was still nice to stroll around and eat and drink and ride some rides with little to no wait times. At a cost of $45 (food/drink not included) I'm not sure it was a great deal, but since the park is still closed to the public because of COVID, this (and future reservation-only events) is the only way to visit right now.Mood music by Rossco SoleTrain: http://youtube.com/rosscosoletrain2 Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at: facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3 twitter.com/DarkSideDisney http://www.leonardkinsey.com For offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
Drinking Around the World @ EPCOT Circa 2012 The Dark Side of Disney 2020-07-26 | Well, this happened a while ago.... This was pre-unmasking and I guess I just never got around to blurring my face. Doesn't matter now!
Six Flags America Opening Day 2020 - New COVID-19 Safety Procedures The Dark Side of Disney 2020-07-02 | I attended the Passholder Preview Opening Day for Six Flags America in Bowie Maryland on 7/1/2020, and was given a tour of their new COVID-19/Coronavirus safety procedures. The highlights include the new thermal temperature check, hands-free security scanners, advanced mobile food ordering via their app, sanitation stations all over the park, multiple mask-free zones, social distancing markers in queues, and social distancing seating on the rides.The best part was that there were hardly any lines for any of the rides, so I got to ride a bunch of coasters with no wait!Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at: facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3 twitter.com/DarkSideDisney http://www.leonardkinsey.com For offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
Universal Orlando After Hours VIP Event - Hosted by Undercover Tourist - 3/6/2020 The Dark Side of Disney 2020-04-12 | Julie (aka EPCOT Thot) and I attended Undercover Tourist's first after-hours VIP event at Universal Orlando - The VIP Fun Fest! On Friday, March 6th the park closed to the public at 8PM, after which it was open only to event attendees until 1AM. In addition to the 2-park private access, the event included a t-shirt, a cool flashing wristband, all-you-can-eat food from dozens of restaurants and carts, and all-you-can-drink non-alcoholic beverages, including Butter Beer. We had an incredible time - the event was extremely well-organized and we feel like we got a lot of bang for our buck. Obviously the best part was being able to walk on all of the rides (aside from Hagrid's) with zero wait, but it was also cool to try food that I wouldn't normally try or was curious about, such as the lavender earl grey ice cream in Diagon Alley.In all, I'd highly recommend this event and would absolutely attend another one!undercovertourist.com/event-signupKeep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at: facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3 twitter.com/DarkSideDisney http://www.leonardkinsey.com For offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
HARD SELTZER BLIND TASTE TEST - Lime flavors of White Claw, Truly, Bud Light, and Corona The Dark Side of Disney 2020-04-05 | Julie (aka EPCOT Thot) and I decided to spend some of our quarantine time deciding which lime-flavored hard seltzer we liked the best. So we did a blind taste test of White Claw, Truly, Bud Light, and Corona. The results were definitely not what either of us expected!Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at: facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3 twitter.com/DarkSideDisney http://www.leonardkinsey.com For offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
Sexy 80s Champagne Tower Whirlpool Suite! - Pocono Palace Resort - East Stroudsburg, PA The Dark Side of Disney 2020-02-14 | It had been years since I'd taken my ill-fated plunge off of Paradise Stream Resort's Champagne Tower whirlpool (youtu.be/LLaiAg7ZSUI), and the lack of hot water in the tub always left me feeling that I hadn't fully experienced the true magic of a plexiglass champagne glass-shaped hot tub. It didn't take much for Julie (aka The Epcot Thot) to talk me into a do-over, so we loaded up the car with a cooler full of booze and headed to Pocono Palace Resort in East Stroudsburg Pennsylvania, where we stayed in their super-premium Roman Tower Suite! covepoconoresorts.com/suites/pocono-palace-suites/roman-tower-suite Mood music by Rossco SoleTrain: http://youtube.com/rosscosoletrain2 Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at: facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3 twitter.com/DarkSideDisney http://www.leonardkinsey.com For offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
7 Day Norwegian Joy Alaska Cruise (with my family): Part Three - 8/2019 The Dark Side of Disney 2019-12-29 | Part Three of my 7-day Alaska cruise on the Norwegian Joy with my mother, brother, sister, niece and nephew. This segment includes a whale sighting, traveling to the Dawes Glacier through Endicott Arm, the tourist trap Icy Strait Point, the rustic town of Hoonah, Norwegian's much-hyped "glow party", and the incredibly beautiful city of Victoria, British Columbia.Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at:facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3 twitter.com/DarkSideDisney http://www.leonardkinsey.com For offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
7 Day Norwegian Joy Alaska Cruise (with my family): Part Two - 8/2019 The Dark Side of Disney 2019-12-29 | Part Two of my 7-day Alaska cruise on the Norwegian Joy with my mother, brother, sister, niece and nephew. This segment includes an "Eagles, Totem Poles, and Lighthouse" excursion in Ketchikan, visits to the Mendenhall Glacier and The Red Dog Saloon in Juneau, and various activities on the ship.Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at:facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3 twitter.com/DarkSideDisney http://www.leonardkinsey.com For offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
7 Day Norwegian Joy Alaska Cruise (with my family): Part One - 8/2019 The Dark Side of Disney 2019-12-29 | Part One of my 7-day Alaska cruise on the Norwegian Joy with my mother, brother, sister, niece and nephew. This segment includes the trip to the port at Seattle, boarding the ship, departing Seattle, a tour of two different staterooms, and the welcome party.Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at:facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3 twitter.com/DarkSideDisney http://www.leonardkinsey.com For offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
Famous Eats, Drinks, and Sights in New Orleans, Louisiana! June 2019 The Dark Side of Disney 2019-08-07 | Here's a list of all of the locations shown in the video, and their accompanying food/drink:Beachbum Berry's Latitude 29 - Navy Grog, Latitude 29Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop - Voodoo Daiquiri/Purple DrankThe Dungeon - Witches Brew, Abita Andy GatorRiverside StreetcarCafe Du Monde - beignets and chicory coffeeFrenchmen StreetThe Spotted Cat Dat Dog - Vegan Werewolf dogPat O'Brien's - HurricaneTiki Tolteca - Test Pilot, Mai TaiFerry to AlgiersTavolino Pizza and LoungeTropical Isle - Hand GrenadeArnaud's French 75 - French 75Sazerac Bar in The Roosevelt Hotel - Sazerac, Ramos Gin FizzSt Charles StreetcarGarden DistrictFitzgerald House at 2900 PrytaniaLafayette CemeteryCentral Grocery and Deli - MuffulettaAlberto's Cheese and Wine Bistro - Vegetarian MuffulettaCarousel Bar in Hotel Monteleone - French 007, Fleur Des Lis, Vieux CarreNew Orleans Aerial Tours and Flight Training Sunset TourKeep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at:facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3 twitter.com/DarkSideDisney http://www.leonardkinsey.com For offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
Six Flags America Media Event - Backstage, New Firebird Coaster, and Food/Booze - Bowie, MD 5/16/19 The Dark Side of Disney 2019-05-19 | One of the bigger regrets I’ve had as a YouTuber was turning down an invitation to cover the 2012 grand opening of Six Flags America’s standing coaster, Apocalypse, due to a day job with an inflexible schedule. I was so jealous later that day when I saw all of the local news anchors riding the coaster and having a blast. “Stupid day job,” I said. “Never again!” So, when I learned last year that Apocalypse was shutting down and being replaced with a new Bolliger & Mabillard floorless coaster named Firebird, my first thought was, “I gotta hit up Tony at the Baltimore Post-Examiner and try to get invited to the grand opening media event for Firebird!” Well, thankfully Tony and Six Flags America came through, and on the morning of May 16, 2019 Hannah and I arrived at my neighborhood park, ready to ride Firebird. The event started kicking ass as soon as we arrived on property, where we were directed to the Employee entrance and told to park in front of the Human Resources building. I’ve been to Six Flags America many times and had never been backstage, so this was a real “dark side” treat. Even better, once we got backstage we hopped in a car and were driven through the park, right up to the front of Firebird! Driving through a nearly-empty amusement park is definitely a unique experience, and I honestly could have gone home at that point and felt like the event had been totally worthwhile. But the best was still in store, as Denise Stokes, the park’s Communication Manager, told us it was our turn to head up to Firebird, which had been rigged with a camera and microphones, ready to document our inaugural trip on the new coaster. I think the video speaks for itself – we obviously had a blast! Firebird is sooooo much more comfortable to ride than Apocalypse, which being a standup coaster with a floating between-leg restraint could leave you walking like a cowboy for the rest of the day. Firebird, on the other hand, is much smoother and just as thrilling, especially in the curve featuring the large pyro blast, which is a nice “plus” to the theming. Up next was a culinary demonstration by Eric Poppe, the park’s Culinary Services Manager. As a Season Pass holder, the park occasionally sends me satisfaction surveys, and one of the main suggestions I’ve always had was that they offer more vegetarian options. Well, it looks like they finally listened, because the new Macho Nacho restaurant has multiple non-meat options, including nachos, burritos, and a cilantro-lime rice bowl. Eric cooked up one of the rice bowls for me, and I can easily say that it was the best thing I’ve ever tasted in the park – the quality and taste rival Chipotle, it’s a ton of food, and it’s relatively affordable, especially for amusement park food. Even better, right next to Macho Nacho is the new bar, La Cantina, which offers beer and frozen cocktails. Six Flags America used to only have one bar in the Mardi Gras section, so this new location is much welcomed by someone like me who enjoys imbibing cool libations while riding coasters and walking around on a hot summer day.Finally, we were allowed to show ourselves out of the park via the back entrance. Walking through an empty park was a bit surreal, and getting to explore more backstage areas at our leisure was a real treat.If you’re a Maryland or DC amusement park fan and haven’t been to Six Flags America yet, you’re missing out on some world-class coasters, a hopping water park, and high-quality food and booze. And if you’re still on the fence, they’re currently offering an insane Memorial Day sale on the Gold Season Pass and the Platinum membership, where you can basically get a full year’s worth of admission and parking for the price of a single day’s ticket! If I wasn’t already a loyal pass holder, I’d jump on this deal in a second.sixflags.com/america/store/season-passesKeep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at:facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3 twitter.com/DarkSideDisney http://www.leonardkinsey.com For offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
All-Inclusive Adults-Only Fun at the Breathless Riviera Cancun Resort and Spa! Xhale Swim-Out Suite. The Dark Side of Disney 2019-05-14 | After a long winter, a tropical vacation started sounding mighty nice. Normally I’d head to Orlando to get my fix of sun and palm trees, but my dad had been raving about an all-inclusive resort in Jamaica he’d visited over Christmas. I’d never been to an all-inclusive, but was intrigued by his tales of unlimited booze and food, so I started doing some research. I ended up booking a vacation package through Southwest Vacations that included airfare, airport transfers, and four nights at the adults-only Breathless Riviera Cancun Resort and Spa. What really appealed to me about Breathless was that for about the same price as a regular room in similar resorts, I could upgrade to the Xhale Club, which offers VIP perks such as priority check-in, upgraded bath amenities, upgraded minibar and room service menu, daily access to the spa’s hydrotherapy circuit, and exclusive access to a private pool, an Xhale-only restaurant, and a private lounge. Breathless also seemed to be a good middle-ground between the 24/7 party resorts and the more family-friendly resorts.It was a relatively quick 3.5 hour flight from BWI to CUN, and we passed through Customs with no issues. We booked our transfer in advance with Amstar, and once we found them it took about 5 minutes before we were off to the resort in our own private air-conditioned shuttle, and from there it was about 15 minutes to the resort.The Xhale priority check-in was a breeze, and was made extra special with a refreshing scented towel and a cool glass of sparkling wine. After check-in, we headed straight for the room to drop off our bags. I’m happy to report that our Xhale Club Junior Suite Swim-Out did not disappoint. The swim-out rooms at Breathless are all connected by a lazy river, and while the water was a bit cooler than the big pools, it was so nice to be able to escape to the room for a private swim. The room featured everything you would expect from a luxury resort, and more: a big comfortable bed with adjustable headboard lighting, a stocked minibar, robes and slippers, a safe, a tablet for room service orders and resort information, and a high-end toiletry kit that included stuff you don’t often find in a toiletry kit, such as a razor, a toothbrush and toothpaste, a nail file, a mending kit, and a shoe-shiner. Fancy!As for the rest of the resort, it looked exactly like it did in Breathless’ press photos. It’s relatively new, having opened in 2016, and it shows – no chipping paint or crumbling concrete here. It also doesn’t hurt that the grounds are meticulously cared for at a level I’ve only seen at Walt Disney World, with staff cleaning and landscaping pretty much nonstop. The sprawling resort is divided up into three sections: Xhale, Energy, and Xcelerate, each with its own separate set of rooms, pools, and bars.Finally, an all-inclusive wouldn’t be an all-inclusive without lots of food and booze options. Breathless definitely delivers on both, with eight bars, seven table-service restaurants, a 24/7 buffet, multiple quick-stop food options, and 24/7 room service. The quality of the food ranged from good to excellent, with Silk City (Asian cuisine) being on the low end, and Picante (Mexican) and Kibbeh (Middle Eastern) being on the excellent end. And most impressively, every restaurant had an extensive vegetarian menu that consisted of a lot more than the typical salad and pasta bone-throws that you get as a vegetarian option at most restaurants. I was also impressed with the alcohol selection at the bars – the house wines (including sparkling) were excellent, and the “well” liquors were actually mid-to-high level brands like Bacardi, Absolut, and Johnny Walker Red, while the Xhale Lounge featured top-shelf stuff like Bulldog and Grey Goose. Corona and Modelo were the most common beer offerings, and of course all sorts of tropical drinks were available. Bottom line: for the price I paid, I felt like I got a tremendous deal, and I really have nothing but positive things to say about Breathless. I fully intended to visit downtown Cancun and also planned to go on an excursion to see some cenotes, but I was having such a great time at the resort that I never ended up leaving. For someone like me who rarely relaxes and is always in “go go go” mode, that’s saying something!http://www.breathlessresorts.com/en_us/resorts/mexico/riviera-cancun.htmlamstardmc.com/airport-transfers/cancun Ambient music by Rossco SoleTrain: http://youtube.com/rosscosoletrain2Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at:facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3twitter.com/DarkSideDisneyhttp://www.leonardkinsey.comFor offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
Leonard & Lew Drink Their Way Through Universal Orlando - October 2018 The Dark Side of Disney 2018-12-26 | Lew Spector shows Leonard some of his favorite drinking spots in the Universal Orlando parks, and Leonard visits Diagon Alley for the first time! Leonard also accidentally goes backstage at Poseidon's Fury....Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at:facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3twitter.com/DarkSideDisneyhttp://www.leonardkinsey.comFor offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
LEONARDS ORLANDO HOME AWAY FROM HOME - Parc Corniche Resort - Orlando, Florida The Dark Side of Disney 2018-11-28 | Take a tour of a luxury 2-story villa and peruse the grounds of my favorite place to stay when I'm in Orlando: Parc Corniche Resort! http://www.parccorniche.comAmbient music by Rossco SoleTrain: http://youtube.com/rosscosoletrain2Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at:facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3twitter.com/DarkSideDisneyhttp://www.leonardkinsey.comFor offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
GAMING THE MEAL PLAN AT BUSCH GARDENS WILLIAMSBURG - June 2018 The Dark Side of Disney 2018-08-10 | Janet and I tried Busch Gardens Williamsburg's "All Day Dining Deal + Drinks", where you can get a full meal (main, side, and drink) every 90 minutes for $40. In true "dark side" fashion, we decided to see how much value we could squeeze out of it. Safe to say that we were extremely full by the end of the day!Note that BGW is pretty explicit about sharing being prohibited. But the meals are really too big for one (normal) person, so if you don't share there's going to be a lot of wasted food, even if you only get two or three meals. As a result, I can't see them cracking down on this policy.More information at:buschgardens.com/williamsburg/upgrades/diningKeep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at:facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3twitter.com/DarkSideDisneyhttp://www.leonardkinsey.comFor offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
AMTRAK BUSINESS VS. COACH on NORTHEAST REGIONAL to WILLIAMSBURG - 6/2018 The Dark Side of Disney 2018-07-13 | I love visiting Busch Gardens Williamsburg – it’s one of my favorite theme parks in the world. But the drive to Williamsburg from Baltimore is miserable. What should take three hours almost always takes at least five due to DC traffic. As a result, I hadn’t been back to the park in a few years. Fortunately, I recently had the bright idea to search Amtrak’s routes, and it turns out not only do they have two trains each day going from Baltimore to Williamsburg and back, but the tickets are surprisingly affordable! When purchased a little less than two months in advance, Coach was $44.00 each way, and Business Class was $74. Since I’d never ridden Business Class on Amtrak, I decided to spend the extra $30 for one of the legs in order to see what the difference was, and if was worth the extra cost.Turns out… not so much. At least not on the Northeast Regional line. While the entire journey was extremely pleasant and much more enjoyable than flying or driving, I couldn’t really see any major differences between Coach and Business. There were plenty of available seats in both classes, and the seats seemed to be the same size. Both classes had power plugs available for each seat, and neither class had armrests between the seats (which was surprisingly awkward). The only differences I could find were that Business Class seats had footrests (which presumably meant they also had slightly more leg room), and with a Business ticket you received complimentary non-alcoholic beverages in the café car, neither of which justifies spending an extra $30.So, while I cannot recommend spending extra for Amtrak’s Business Class on the Northeast Regional line (might be totally different on the Acela or other lines), I absolutely unequivocally recommend Amtrak as the preferred method of transportation over driving or flying. It’s so nice to not have to go through security, to be able to bring on your own food and booze, to not be crammed like sardines into your seats, and to be able to sit there and read a book and not have to deal with awful traffic. A perfectly relaxing way to start or end any vacation!Ambient music by Rossco SoleTrain: http://youtube.com/rosscosoletrain2Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at:facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3twitter.com/DarkSideDisneyhttp://www.leonardkinsey.comFor offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
ROOFTOP SKYBAR PRESS EVENT - Lord Baltimore Hotel - Baltimore, MD The Dark Side of Disney 2018-04-30 | I was invited to attend the pre-opening press event for the Lord Baltimore Hotel’s LB Skybar, which opened to the public the following day, on April 27th. After the dragged-out winter we experienced here in Maryland, the thought of sitting on a rooftop in the sun with a beer in one hand and some good food in the other sounded like my idea of heaven. So Brenda (last seen in my video about The Feather Nest Inn’s crazy sci-fi space suite: youtu.be/YdLQZy1Sza4) and I rolled into the luxurious Lord Baltimore Hotel around 5PM and made a beeline for the 19th floor.When the elevator doors opened we were greeted with multiple rooms of tastefully presented food and drink options, most of which are on the Skybar’s menu, which has been revamped and expanded this year. They had plenty of vegetarian selections, and everything I tasted was excellent, especially the white gazpacho soup shooter. Brenda pretty much only ate the desserts, and was particularly taken with the beignets, served with a chocolate cayenne ganache. I tried one, and found it to be flavorful without being overly sweet. The drink selection also seemed varied enough for any tastes, with an emphasis on local craft beers and spirts, which is cool. Plus, Dylan, the bartender who made me my first ever Old Fashioned at the LB Speakeasy (youtu.be/p74SyjAt7zw) will be manning the bar, so you’re guaranteed to get some first class cocktails.As far as the space itself goes, it’s comfortable, with a relaxed vibe and some nice views of the city. And in case the weather doesn’t cooperate, as it is apt to do in Baltimore, you can wait out the rain in their new indoor area, which can accommodate an additional 75 guests. I also appreciated that the music wasn’t overly loud, and that there were a variety of seating configurations. Put it all together, and I’d say this is a perfect place to bring a date before or after dinner or a show downtown.Other information of note is that they’ll have a happy hour from 4-7PM Wednesday through Friday, and will feature a variety of live music certain nights (for example, a mariachi band will be playing on May 5th for a Cinco de Mayo celebration). Finally, operating hours are Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4PM to midnight, Fridays from 4PM-1AM, Saturdays from 11AM-1AM, and Sundays from 11AM-10PM. http://lordbaltimorehotel.comAmbient music by Rossco SoleTrain: http://youtube.com/rosscosoletrain2Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at:facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3twitter.com/DarkSideDisneyhttp://www.leonardkinsey.comFor offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
GARFIELDS NIGHTMARE DARK RIDE 1080p HD - Kennywood - West Mifflin, PA The Dark Side of Disney 2018-04-13 | Garfield's Nightmare at Kennywood is easily one of the strangest, creepiest, cheapest dark rides I've ever been on. Apparently the Old Mill ride that it replaced was built in 1901 and was widely beloved. This version, on the other hand... well, it's unique, at least!Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at:facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3twitter.com/DarkSideDisneyhttp://www.leonardkinsey.comFor offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
A DAY AT KENNYWOOD AMUSEMENT PARK - West Mifflin, PA - June, 2016 The Dark Side of Disney 2018-04-09 | Took a trip to Kennywood back in June 2016 and just now got around to finishing the video! Historic amusement park that's highly recommended if you're near Pittsburgh.Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at:facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3twitter.com/DarkSideDisneyhttp://www.leonardkinsey.comFor offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
LOCKED IN EFTELING THEME PARK AT NIGHT AFTER CLOSING! Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands - LDE S2 E12 The Dark Side of Disney 2018-04-04 | Efteling is home to a really cool medieval-themed restaurant called Het Wapen van Reveleijn. For 29.95 Euro (about $36), you get all you can eat food and all you can drink soda, beer, and wine. This is a great deal, since the food is excellent (they prepared a vegetarian Dutch cheese and mushroom dish for us), and the wine and beer aren't total swill.One of the more unique things about Het Wapen van Reveleijn is that they don't start serving dinner until after the theme park closes. Not sure why this is, but we took our time eating and drinking, so when we left the restaurant it was after 8PM, which was two hours after park closing time. Our hotel was at the other end of the park, and between the long walk and our meandering pace, we probably didn't get to the park exit until 9PM. At which point all of the staff had gone home... and locked us in! We actually had to shimmy under the security gate to get out, and I'm positive that if either of us had been a few pounds heavier, we wouldn't have made it out and would have been stuck there all night. For more information about Efteling, check out their official site at:efteling.com/enThere's also a ton of great information about the park at the UK fan site:eftelinguk.comSubscribe so you can keep up with the rest of my trip!Intro music ("Heavy Metal Polka") by Leonard Kinsey.Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at:facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3twitter.com/DarkSideDisneyhttp://www.leonardkinsey.comFor offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
WHATS NEW (TO ME) AT EFTELING THEME PARK - 2018 EDITION - Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands - LDE S2 E11 The Dark Side of Disney 2018-03-27 | It was Monika's first time at the amazing Efteling theme park in Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands, so everything was new and exciting to her. But this video mostly focuses on the things that were new since my last visit in 2015, including the highly-anticipated trackless dark ride Symbolica (with stunning animatronics from Garner Holt Productions, who also create Disney's animatronics), and the immersive, incredibly detailed Pinocchio area of the Fairytale Forest. And there were still some things that had been there since my first visit in 2012, but were “new to me”: savory pancakes at Polle’s Keuken, deep fried potato spirals on a stick from the De Eigenheymer stand across from Droomvlucht, and finally, after being broken down during each of my previous three visits, a bird’s eye view of the park from a fully-functional Pagode!For more information about Efteling, check out their official site at:efteling.com/enThere's also a ton of great information about the park at the UK fan site:eftelinguk.comSubscribe so you can keep up with the rest of my trip!Intro music ("Heavy Metal Polka") by Leonard Kinsey.Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at:facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3twitter.com/DarkSideDisneyhttp://www.leonardkinsey.comFor offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
(W)UNDER WATER SUITE - EFTELING HOTEL - Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands - Leonard Does Europe S2 E10 The Dark Side of Disney 2018-03-16 | During my previous trip to Efteling theme park in Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands, I stayed in a “regular” room at the Efteling Hotel, and absolutely loved it (see my review at youtu.be/CYEjzgXJkXY). The whimsical and slightly weird theming, the attention to detail, the cleanliness, the helpful and cheery staff, and the relatively low price made it one of my favorite hotel experiences ever. It totally blew away Disneyland Paris’s horrible Hotel Santa Fe, and I’d say it’s easily on par with any of the Deluxe Walt Disney World resort hotels.So it was basically a no-brainer that I’d stay there again on this trip. However, this time I wanted to splurge a bit and see what it was like to stay in one of their twenty ultra-themed suites. It was tough choosing which one to book, since they all look incredible, but ultimately the (W)under Water Suite’s whirpool bath swung the vote.The suite cost $440 a night, which included two days of theme park admission for two (normally $47 a day per person) and a breakfast buffet for two. Compared to similar packages at other theme parks, this is a great deal, and it’s also extremely convenient: the park is an easy five minute walk from the hotel, and guests are granted early admission through a special back entrance.The room ended up being just as cool in person as it looked in the photos on their website. A bunch of complimentary candy was artfully arranged on the beds prior to our arrival, which was a fun surprise. And sitting in the whirlpool tub, drinking a glass of wine from the reasonably priced minibar was glorious after a long day of walking around the park. The only two downsides were the lack of a shower (there was a shower head, but it was at stomach-height), and the unfortunate placement of the toilet, which was attached to the master bedroom and lacked any form of ventilation. That said, I can’t wait to go back and stay in one of the other suites – I’m thinking I’ll try the awesomely creepy Laaf Suite next time!efteling.com/en/hotel/theme-suites/underwater-suiteSubscribe so you can keep up with the rest of my trip!Intro music ("Heavy Metal Polka") by Leonard Kinsey.Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at:facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3twitter.com/DarkSideDisneyhttp://www.leonardkinsey.comFor offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
TORTURE MUSEUM and MEDIEVAL TOILETS - Gravensteen Castle - Ghent, Belgium - LDE S2 E9 The Dark Side of Disney 2018-03-08 | Gravensteen (Dutch for “Castle of the Count”) is a massive stone castle smack dab in the middle of a historic square in downtown Ghent. Rounding a bustling corner and seeing a full medieval castle with a moat and turrets towering over quaint Belgian cafes is one of the more random and stunning sights I’ve experienced in my European travels. Gravensteen in its current form was built in 1180 by Count Philip of Alsace, and over the centuries was used as the seat of the Counts of Flanders, a courthouse, a prison, and a factory. It eventually fell into disrepair, its walls crumbling and its stone used to build other structures, but the city of Ghent saved it from demolition by buying the property and renovating it beginning in 1865.Aside from a tour of the extensive grounds, halls, and towers, your admission (10 Euro) grants you access to multiple exhibits featuring medieval armor and weapons. The most popular exhibit is the torture museum, which showcases the methods used to extract information from prisoners detained in the castle’s subterranean dungeons while awaiting trial. Pretty gruesome stuff, for sure.https://gravensteen.stad.gent/en/ Subscribe so you can keep up with the rest of my trip!Intro music ("Heavy Metal Polka") by Leonard Kinsey.Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at:facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3twitter.com/DarkSideDisneyhttp://www.leonardkinsey.comFor offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
GROOVY GETAWAY to GLORIOUS GHENT - Belgium - Leonard Does Europe S2 E8 The Dark Side of Disney 2018-02-27 | Another day, another day trip, this time from Bruges to Ghent! It was a toss-up between Ghent and Antwerp, but with Ghent being described as smaller (it’s a city of 250,000), I figured it would be a nice contrast to our Brussels day trip.The train was 7.80 EUR round-trip, but this fare only applies on the weekends. Otherwise it’s 13.60 EUR. The trip takes about 30min, followed by a 30min walk to the center of town. We could have also disembarked at the St. Pieters station and taken a tram to the city center, but it was a beautiful day, so we decided to walk instead.Ghent has nearly 100 public toilets, along with a map of where they’re all located! Great for someone like me who drinks a lot and has a small bladder, so it was pretty much a moral obligation to try one out.https://stad.gent/over-gent-en-het-stadsbestuur/over-gent/kaarten-cijfers-en-data/gent-kaart/publiek-sanitairThe most beautiful part of town consists of Graslei and Korenlei , the two banks on either side of the Leie River. Like Bruges and Amsterdam, you can take a canal tour down the Leie, but we didn’t have too much time and had just done a canal tour of Bruges, so we decided to skip it and get our bearings by wandering aimlessly for a while, soaking in the sights:--Gravensteen, a massive castle smack dab in the middle of town! A full walk-thru video of the castle, including its torture museum, is the subject of my next video/article.--Het Groot Vleeshuis (The Great Butchers’ Hall), which was built in the 15th century to house a meat hall and indoor market. Those are still there, but now there’s a restaurant situated under the giant hams hanging from the ceiling of the meat hall. The menu looked good, but as a vegetarian, there was no way I was going to be able to eat there without losing my appetite.grootvleeshuis.be/en/2136-2 -- Werregarenstraat, a two-block alleyway linking Hoogpoort and Onderstraat that is completely covered with graffiti. It was setup as part of the Ghent Festivities festival in 1995 and is one of the few locations where the city officially allows graffiti. Anyone can paint over anything so it’s constantly changing, but the code is to respect work that’s finer than your own.After seeing the sights, we figured it was time to get down to the important stuff: eating and boozing. First up was the food, which we found at the small and off-the-beaten path restaurant Soup’r, specializing in… soup. This place was jam-packed and is obviously a local favorite, and one taste of the soup explained why: Best. Soup. Ever! Lots of hearty vegetarian, vegan, and meat-filled soups and sandwiches made the three of us very happy after many miles of walking. Included with the soup were a few weird large violet jelly bean things called cuberdons that were also being sold from carts all over town. None of us liked them – must be a Flemish acquired taste. Be aware that Soup’r only takes Belgian debit cards, so make sure you bring some Euros. facebook.com/SOUPR-177261612333422 I was actually a bit surprised by our first booze stop, which was ‘t Dreupelkot, a legit jenever bar serving over 200 varieties of this tasty grandfather of gin. I’d only had jenever in The Netherlands and assumed it was local to that area, but it didn’t occur to me that it would also be popular in with Dutch population of Ghent. Turns out that by decree of the EU, only liquor made in Belgium, the Netherlands, and four French and German regions can legally be called jenever. Regardless, the korenwijn (a malty style) I had was lovely.http://www.dreupelkot.be/dreupelkot-historiek/?L=3 Finally, we ended our drinking at Waterhuis ann de bierkant (Waterhouse on the beerside) a scenic and historic canal-side bar which serves 165 beers, including 3 house beers that you can only find on draft here. I had a glass of the house Gandavum, a dry-hopped 8% Belgian Ale, which I found refreshingly crisp and dangerously drinkable considering the high alcohol content.http://www.waterhuisaandebierkant.be/waterhuis-prijslijst/?L=3 While doing my research for the trip, there seemed to be a lot of “Ghent vs Bruges” discussions, and after visiting them both, I’d say that they’re very different, but that both are definitely worth a visit. Bruges is smaller and prettier and quainter and more “magical”, but also very crowded and touristy on the weekends. Ghent, on the other hand, was lively on the weekend we visited, but didn’t feel too crowded. It has plenty of large open spaces, and apparently when the weather is nice there are musicians performing on every corner, from buskers all the way to large brass bands. And, since they’re only 30 minutes from each other, there’s really no good reason not to visit both!Ambient music by Rossco SoleTrain: http://youtube.com/rosscosoletrain2Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at:facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3twitter.com/DarkSideDisneyhttp://www.leonardkinsey.com
ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION: THE DEATH OF WALT DISNEY - Single Carrot Theater - Baltimore, Maryland The Dark Side of Disney 2018-02-14 | Round table discussion with the cast and crew of Lucas Hnath's controversial play "The Death of Walt Disney", at Single Carrot Theater in Baltimore, Maryland. From left to right: Matthew Shea, Meghan Stanton, Abigail Caddy, Eric Poch, Paul Diem, Leonard Kinsey.Intro trailer by Brian Gilbert.Thanks to Meghan Stanton at Single Carrot for getting this organized!http://singlecarrot.comMy review of the play is at youtu.be/YjvadCZCbZ0Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at:facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3twitter.com/DarkSideDisneyhttp://www.leonardkinsey.comFor offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
THE DEATH OF WALT DISNEY - Single Carrot Theater - Baltimore, MD The Dark Side of Disney 2018-02-14 | On Sunday 2/11, Shelley Vavoom and I attended a matinee of Lucas Hnath's controversial play "The Death of Walt Disney" at Single Carrot Theater in Baltimore, Maryland.Check out the video for an overview of the play as well as my review. Also, be sure to watch the round table discussion with the cast and crew at youtu.be/uEzWXoU0JfIhttp://singlecarrot.comKeep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at:facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3twitter.com/DarkSideDisneyhttp://www.leonardkinsey.comFor offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
PEEING STATUES and SCI-FI SPECTACLES - Brussels, Belgium - Leonard Does Europe S2 E7 The Dark Side of Disney 2018-02-12 | While our home base was in Bruges, and we did spend a lot of time exploring that city, we also planned some day trips to other Belgian cities, using their awesome train and metro systems to get around. The first of these day trips was to Brussels, where we had a packed agenda.When you go to Brussels as a tourist, it’s pretty much mandatory to visit Belgium’s unofficial mascot: Manneken Pis, which translates to “Little man Pee”. Yep, it’s a tiny little statue of a boy urinating into a fountain. The people of Brussels love him so much that they dress him up in costumes that change several times a week, and every single shop in town sells miniature versions of him (I bought one that’s a wine bottle pourer – guess where the wine comes out of?!). Honestly, the statue is underwhelming in person, but it’s only a short walk from both Brussels Central and the Grand Place, so there’s no good reason not to take a quick look and then move on.Other stops in the city included a stroll through the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, a fancy shopping arcade filled with boutique chocolatiers, pleasant cafes, and luxury clothing stores selling stuff I neither wanted nor could afford. Next up was a jaunt down the Rue des Bouchers, Brussels’ Restaurant Row. I was advised not to eat at any of the restaurants there because they’re supposedly all overpriced tourist traps, and the cajoling, begging, carnival barker-esque greeters standing outside of each restaurant seemed to confirm this. Finally, we took a quick look at the Grand Place, which is the largest city square in Belgium and is home to a Hard Rock Café. Of course. In all seriousness, while it is very touristy, most of its buildings are lavishly adorned with gold and the whole thing is quite impressive. After all of that, I was ready for a beer or four, and luckily there’s no shortage of amazing beer bars and breweries in Brussels. Since we were in a bit of a time crunch, we only hit two, starting with Delirium Café, a three-story dive bar that holds the Guinness World Record for World’s Biggest Beer Selection (3,162 different beers as of February 2018). And right across the entrance from Delirium is none other than Jeanneke Pis, Manneken’s less famous (but in my opinion, more charming) peeing sister! From there it was over to Moeder Lambic, which specializes in obscure Belgian sours, lambics, and other funky brews, 40 of which are on draft. My mom had an ultra-sour beer that she didn’t enjoy at all, and for some reason Monika was turned off by the delicious crunchy roasted malt they serve as a snack. But I found the place utterly charming, and was impressed with the knowledgeable staff and well-curated draft list.However, the biggest draw of Brussels for me was the site of the 1958 World’s Fair and its massive triumph of futuristic architecture: The Atomium. It’s a 335-foot tall structure in the shape of an atomic iron crystal, magnified 165 billion times! The “atoms” contain a permanent exhibition showing the history of the fair, as well as some temporary exhibitions which are navigated via a tubular system of stairs, escalators, and an elevator.Getting there is easy: from the Central Station it’s about a 20 minute metro ride to Heysel/Heizel station, and then a quick walk past Bruparck, home of the Oceade water park and the Mini-Europe miniature theme park. Admission to the Atomium is 15 Euro, which isn’t bad at all. However, they kind of corral you into a line for the elevator that goes to the very top of the structure. Depending on the wait time for this (it was about 45 minutes for us), you might want to skip it. While it does offer some impressive vistas and access to the (expensive) restaurant and bar, there are equally impressive lookout points throughout the exhibition tour.I very much enjoyed the Atomium, and would recommend a visit to anyone interested in World’s Fairs, futurism, architecture, themed environments, or science and technology. And in my opinion, the sci-fi light show during the final escalator ride down to the gift shop is worth the price of admission alone!Delirium Caféhttp://www.deliriumcafe.be Moeder Lambicmoederlambic.com Atomium:http://atomium.be/?lang=enBruparckhttp://www.bruparck.com Subscribe so you can keep up with the rest of my trip!Ambient music by Rossco SoleTrain: http://youtube.com/rosscosoletrain2Intro music ("Heavy Metal Polka") by Leonard Kinsey.Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at:facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3twitter.com/DarkSideDisneyhttp://www.leonardkinsey.comFor offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
IN BRUGES PART DEUX: BRUGES HARDER! Bruges, Belgium - Leonard Does Europe S2 E6 The Dark Side of Disney 2018-02-06 | Due to being advised that Disneyland Paris required five days to be fully appreciated, I was only able to allocate one full day in Bruges during my last European trip. After having a miserable time in Disneyland, and falling completely in love with Bruges, I vowed to rectify this huge planning mistake by making it my home base in Belgium for five full days on this trip.So, early on a Thursday morning, we headed to CPH for our $72 per-person Brussels Airlines flight to BRU, Belgium’s main airport. While waiting for the flight, we blew all of our remaining Danish Kroners on booze at the Duty Free shop, which was good, since the damn things aren’t used anywhere else in the world. After a short ninety minutes in the air, we landed in Brussels and boarded a train to Bruges Central. From there it was a loud luggage-clattering-on-cobblestones fifteen minute walk to the AirBnb.Prior to my previous European trip, people kept telling me that Bruges was a “mini-Amsterdam”, and my reaction was always: “Why would I want to go to a small version of Amsterdam? Why not just go Amsterdam?” It wasn’t until I actually visited the town that I realized it’s not just a smaller version of Amsterdam, it’s also much more quaint and charming and relaxing and cozy. This revelation was reinforced after having time to explore new places, as well as revisit others that I’d already been to, but which were new to my mother and Monika. While I certainly enjoyed revisiting the canal tour, ordering a strong beer sampler at 2be Bar (wrongly identified as the Beer Museum in my video), eating mustard-dipped aged gouda and downing a dangerously smooth 11% ABV Straffe Hendrik Quad at De Halve Maan brewery, and quaffing the world-famous heady Tripel at the nearly impossible to find alleyway bar De Garre, there were plenty of interesting new experiences, too, such as:-- The Old Chocolate House, which bills itself as home to the best hot chocolate in Bruges. It’s served in an interesting manner: they give you a bunch of chocolate chips in an edible chocolate cup, along with a mug full of steaming milk, into which you whisk the chocolate. I guess the idea is to let you carefully achieve your preferred milk-to-chocolate taste ratio, but my mom is a chocolate fiend, so she just dumped them all in straight away. I’m not a big sweets guy, but she absolutely loved it, and was also smitten with the Belgian waffle we ordered.--A weekend flea market along the Dijver canal, which was filled with old weird trinkets.--A visit to the Basilica of the Holy Blood, which houses a cloth supposedly used by Joseph of Arimathea to clean the blood off of Jesus after he died. Unfortunately, we weren’t aware that the cloth is only shown to the public every Friday (and every day from May 3rd to 17th), so we didn’t get to see it.--Beers at ‘t Brugs Beertje, a world-famous “brown bar” that carries three hundred different bottled Belgian beers, and five drafts. Every beer is served in its own unique and special glass; even if they only have one bottle of a particular beer, that beer will have a glass on the shelf just waiting to be used!--Dinner at La Dentelliere, a charming restaurant across from the swan-filled Minnewater Park. Like many restaurants in Bruges, they serve the local specialty: mussels in a variety of sauces, including cream, white wine, garlic, cream and curry, cream and white wine, and cream and beer. Being a vegetarian, I didn’t partake, but I did get cheese croquettes, which sound much fancier than what they are: fried cheese.--A long but pleasant walk to the St. Janshuis and Koelewei windmills, which are on the east side of town on the outer canal ring. St. Janshuis was built in 1770 and is actually a functional windmill that still grinds flour. Even losing my $500 DJI Spark drone in a canal (full story at youtu.be/ghOjZL14has) didn’t put a damper on what ended up being a lovely trip to what must be one of the loveliest cities in the world. 2be Beer Barhttp://www.2-be.biz/en/2be-bar/ The Old Chocolate Househttp://www.oldchocolatehouse.be/?lang=en De Halve Maanhalvemaan.be/en/homeT Brugs Beertjehttp://www.brugsbeertje.be/index_en.htmLa Dentelliere http://www.ladentelliere.beIntro music ("Heavy Metal Polka") by Leonard Kinsey.Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at:facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3twitter.com/DarkSideDisneyhttp://www.leonardkinsey.comFor offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
SEARCHING FOR SWEDISH FISH IN SWEDEN - Malmo, Sweden - Leonard Does Europe S2 E5 The Dark Side of Disney 2018-01-26 | Malmo, Sweden was one of the few destinations during our trip that I didn’t research extensively beforehand. I knew how to get there, and I knew they had a castle, and that was about it. Mainly I just wanted to set foot in yet another country, and I also wanted to see if they really did have Swedish Fish in Sweden!Getting there involves taking the Metro to Copenhagen Airport (CPH) and then taking another train over the Oresund Bridge. The bridge is nearly five miles long, and is a pretty incredible architectural achievement, with pylons that go up almost 700 feet and can be seen for miles. The train costs about $14 each way, and takes about 40 minutes. It was a relatively pleasant journey – you’re in a tunnel for about half of it, but the other half over the actual bridge is very scenic (so much so that I forgot to film it!).Malmo’s Central Station is clean and impressive, and even has an upscale food hall with a bunch of interesting vendors. But I skipped past those and made a beeline for the station’s grocery store, in search of my holy grail: Swedish Fish in Sweden. And after a quick perusal of the bulk candy aisle (man, the Swedes really love their candy!), we found them: Pastellfisk!!! Apparently in Sweden they come in a bunch of different colors and flavors, but the red ones we’re familiar with in the US are actually lingonberry flavored. Who knew?At this point I was kind of at a loss, since I hadn’t really planned on doing anything other than finding Swedish Fish. So we exited the station and aimlessly walked around for an hour, enjoying the waterfront and marveling at the Turning Torso, a unique twisting white skyscraper that also happens to be the tallest building in Scandinavia. Eventually we happened upon Lilla torg, which is Malmo’s smaller, more historic square, and had a nice lunch at one of the many restaurants lining the square. A few blocks down was the Gustav Adolf’s torg, which is a much larger historic square that is home to a weird fountain and an excellent public restroom that cost about $1 to use (you can also shower for $2).At that point I remembered that there was a castle in town, so I broke out the phone and navigated us through a crumbling cemetery and into Kungsparken, Malmo’s oldest park, which is known for its winding canals, exotic trees, and… a casino. Finally, we crossed a bridge and were met with the sight of Malmohus Slott, the oldest surviving Renaissance castle in the Nordic region. While the castle itself isn’t particularly impressive, the grassy moat surrounding it is quite scenic. Inside is an art museum, a history museum, and randomly, an aquarium, all of which we bypassed in favor of the castle’s quaint café, which served multiple types of beer, sandwiches, cakes, and a custardy soft-serve ice cream. If you’re going to be staying in Copenhagen for any length of time, I’d say Malmo is definitely worth a day trip. It’s not a must-do, but it’s a lovely city, and is just a short, inexpensive train ride away.Subscribe so you can keep up with the rest of my trip!Ambient music by Rossco SoleTrain: http://youtube.com/rosscosoletrain2Intro music ("Heavy Metal Polka") by Leonard Kinsey.Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at:facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3twitter.com/DarkSideDisneyhttp://www.leonardkinsey.comFor offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
TIVOLI GARDENS THEME PARK: WALTS INSPIRATION FOR DISNEYLAND - Copenhagen, Denmark - LDE S2 E4 The Dark Side of Disney 2018-01-22 | When planning my second big European trip, I just knew Copenhagen had to be on the itinerary. Not only is it ranked as one of the happiest cities to live, but it’s also home to something of a mecca for hardcore Disney fans: Tivoli Gardens. In fact, due to the seasonal nature of the park, I actually moved the entire trip forward two weeks once I learned it would be closed on my original travel dates!Tivoli Gardens was founded in 1843 by Georg Carstensen, who was able to get a charter for the park by telling King Christian VIII, “When the people are amusing themselves, they do not think about politics.” In attendance on its opening day was none other than Danish fairytale author Hans Christian Andersen, who Tivoli honored 150 years later with a dark ride based on his stories (Den Flyvende Kuffert, aka The Flying Trunk). Tivoli is the second oldest theme park in the world, followed only by Dryehavsbakken, which is also in Denmark. It takes up 20 acres smack dab in the heart of the city, and very much feels like an oasis of serenity in the midst of Copenhagen’s hustle and bustle, much like Disneyland does in Anaheim.Unlike most “Walt Disney visited this place and copied it for Disneyland” stories I’ve heard, Walt’s visit to Tivoli Gardens in 1951 was actually well-documented. It seems that Walt was incredibly impressed by how clean and organized the park was compared to the seedier carnival-style amusement parks he was used to back in the US. Walt’s good friend, famed radio and TV personality Art Linkletter, recalled him furiously scribbling notes the whole time, about everything from the gardens to the food to the chairs they were sitting in. When Linkletter asked Walt what he was doing, he said, “I’m just making notes about something that I’ve always dreamed of, a great, great playground for the children and families of America.” And when Disneyland opened four years later in 1955, it definitely bore a strong resemblance to Tivoli, from the perfectly manicured landscaping, to the extensive use of waterways and intricate lighting, to the well-themed “faraway land” environments. It even has a Matterhorn bobsled coaster that on the outside looks very much like Tivoli’s The Mountain, which opened in 1914 and is one of the world’s oldest roller coasters.Walt visited Tivoli again in 1958, and then in 1964 in the midst of the New York World’s Fair, when he was deciding which rides from the fair to bring back to Disneyland for a major overhaul of the park. It also seems like Walt took some of the philosophy of Disneyland from Georg Carstensen, who in 1844 said, “Tivoli will never, so to speak, be finished.” This mirrors one of Walt’s famous quotes from Disneyland’s opening day: “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world”. And it’s intriguing to see how Tivoli has actually managed to evolve and add things like thrill rides and weekly rock concerts to stay relevant, while still holding on to 175 years of tradition and maintaining its original charm. I’m not sure you could make that case quite as convincingly for the current state of Disneyland….http://www.tivoligardens.comSubscribe so you can keep up with the rest of my trip!Ambient music by Rossco SoleTrain: http://youtube.com/rosscosoletrain2Intro music ("Heavy Metal Polka") by Leonard Kinsey.Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at:facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3twitter.com/DarkSideDisneyhttp://www.leonardkinsey.comFor offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
COZY COPENHAGEN AIRBNB REVIEW - Copenhagen, Denmark - Leonard Does Europe S2 E3 The Dark Side of Disney 2018-01-17 | While in Copenhagen, we stayed in a lovely AirBnB in the Frederiksberg neighborhood. It's about a two minute walk to the nearest grocery store and metro station, and about eight minutes to Tivoli Gardens and the City Hall Square. It's also situated right next to a beautiful lake. The apartment has two full bedrooms, with another bed in the dining room. It has one large bathroom with a washing machine (no dryer - there are clotheslines outside and in the bathroom), a kitchen, and a comfortable living room. For Europe, this place is huge, and at $200/night, it costs less than most hotels in the area.The only negatives are that toiletries aren't included, which is rare for AirBnBs. But since the grocery store is so close, this wasn't a big deal. It's also pretty noisy in the bedroom next to the street, which wasn't a problem in October since we could keep the windows closed. But since there is no air conditioning, this would be a huge issue in the summer when you have to leave the windows open. Finally, Stig (the owner) is a little difficult to get in touch with. He always responded, but usually it took him 3-6 hours, which could be problematic if there were any major issues with the apartment.All in all, this place is a great deal, and I'd highly recommend staying here anytime the weather is nice.airbnb.com/rooms/18055588Subscribe so you can keep up with the rest of my trip!Ambient music by Rossco SoleTrain: http://youtube.com/rosscosoletrain2Intro music ("Heavy Metal Polka") by Leonard Kinsey.Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at:facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3twitter.com/DarkSideDisneyhttp://www.leonardkinsey.comFor offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
CRAZY COPENHAGEN SELF-GUIDED BIKE TOUR - Copenhagen, Denmark - Leonard Does Europe S2 E2 The Dark Side of Disney 2018-01-12 | According to all of the travel advice I found online, the best way to see Copenhagen is on a bike, which sounded like a lot of fun. But instead of waking up in time for a 10AM guided bike tour and spending a decent chunk of change, I had the bright idea to rent our own bikes and use Google Maps to navigate to all of the sites we wanted to visit! It was only about $12 per person to rent a bike from Forum Cykler Værksted (https://www.forumcykler.dk/) for an entire day. To put that in perspective, it would have cost $50 per person for a tour, so we saved nearly $120 by doing it ourselves, and we got to go at our own pace and linger at each site as long as we wanted.And while we did have an awesome time visiting The Round Tower, Nyhavn, The Little Mermaid, and all of the sites in-between, there were a few things that I didn’t consider when planning this tour:1. It’s nearly impossible to navigate with a phone on a bike unless you have a handlebar mount for it. I thought setting it in the basket would be sufficient, but every time we hit a bump or went over some cobblestones (which are pretty much everywhere in Copenhagen), the phone would shift out of sight. So I was constantly looking down into the basket and moving the phone around, which was pretty dangerous, especially considering the challenges of riding a “vintage” bike.2. Google Maps still isn’t 100% ready for prime time when it comes to bike navigation. It’s like it combines walking and driving directions, but not in a very intelligent manner. I also HATE it when it tells me “Go south towards blah blah blah.” I don’t know which way south is, and I don’t know where “blah blah blah” is. So then I’d stand there, turning around in circles like an idiot until I thought I was pointing in the direction it wanted me to go, only to hop on the bike and realize, nope, I’m totally going in the wrong direction.3. Turns out there’s a reason the guided tour starts at 10AM, doesn’t linger at every site, and finishes by 2PM: as a tourist, you do NOT want to be biking in Copenhagen anytime near rush hour! It was like the Tour de France, except with a bunch of tired, angry Danes. They were constantly yelling and cursing at us for not going fast enough or not using hand signals properly, and were millimeters away from ramming us whenever we tried to merge into a turn lane. White-knuckling it all the way back to the bike shop was not the best way to end the tour.Anyway, in the end we made it back safely and had some fun stories to tell about our adventures. But for the typical tourist, I would absolutely NOT recommend doing your own bike tour. Leave it to the professionals, such as Bike Mike Tours (http://bikecopenhagenwithmike.dk/).Subscribe so you can keep up with the rest of my trip!Ambient music by Rossco SoleTrain: http://youtube.com/rosscosoletrain2Intro music ("Heavy Metal Polka") by Leonard Kinsey.Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at:facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3twitter.com/DarkSideDisneyhttp://www.leonardkinsey.comFor offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
ICELANDAIR ECONOMY COMFORT vs SAGA CLASS - Leonard Does Europe S2 E1 The Dark Side of Disney 2018-01-10 | The first day of the new Leonard Does Europe trip consisted of driving to The Doubletree Hotel Dulles Airport-Sterling, where I'd prepaid to park for two weeks via book2park.com. Not a bad deal at around $6/day. A shuttle took us from the hotel to IAD, where we waited for our flights to Copenhagen in style in the Air France lounge (Air France shares the lounge with Icelandair and a few other airlines).For our outbound flights I'd booked Icelandair's Economy Comfort class, which offers a lot of the benefits of Saga Class, but at a lower cost. You still get priority check-in, priority security screening, access to the lounge, priority boarding, and all you can eat and drink on the flight. The main difference is that you're still in regular Coach/Economy seats, although you do have extra room due to them reserving the middle seat in the 3-seat middle rows, and the end seat in the 2-seat side rows.The other difference is that you don't get the same food or booze as in Saga Class (cheaper snack-type food instead of full hot meals, and no champagne), and they don't wait on you hand and foot. If you want something you have to get up and track someone down and ask for it. We ended up getting 2 beers at a time once we figured this out.I know this sounds snobby, but I think Saga Class is worth the price. I enjoy the pampering, especially on the first and last days of my vacation. Outbound, it eases me into relaxation mode, and on the way home it makes me feel better about spending the last day of my trip on a plane. Also, despite the extra room, the Economy Comfort seats weren't really any more comfortable than regular Economy, especially for 11 hours of flying. I'd only recommend Economy Comfort over Saga Class if you can hack the system like we did for the second leg of our trip: if you book early enough, and are on the right kind of plane, and if Saga Class hasn't sold out, you might get lucky and be able to book the large Saga Class seats at Economy Comfort prices. You won't receive the same service, food, or drinks as you do in Saga Class, but the bigger seats definitely make it worth the extra cost over Economy. Otherwise, I'd recommend splurging to upgrade to Saga Class.Subscribe so you can keep up with the rest of my trip!Ambient music by Rossco SoleTrain: http://youtube.com/rosscosoletrain2Intro music ("Heavy Metal Polka") by Leonard Kinsey.Keep up with Leonard's shenanigans and book news at:facebook.com/leonard.kinsey.3twitter.com/DarkSideDisneyhttp://www.leonardkinsey.comFor offbeat, alternative, and adult-oriented Disney-related books, posters, CDs, and other merch, visit http://www.bambooforestpublishing.com
AUTHENTIC SPEAKEASY at the LORD BALTIMORE HOTEL - Baltimore, Maryland The Dark Side of Disney 2018-01-07 | Shelley Vavoom and I were invited to visit the LB Speakeasy in the Lord Baltimore Hotel on New Years Eve for a tour and cocktail tasting. I was a tad apprehensive about going out on NYE, since I’m not a big fan of dealing with amateur twice-a-year drunks (I don’t go out on St. Patty’s Day, either), waiting forever for a drink, and paying Surge pricing Uber/Lyft rates. But… free drinks! So we compromised and went early in the evening, and then headed back home to watch the ball drop. I’m old. Get off my lawn!The LB Speakeasy distinguishes itself from any other modern speakeasy I’ve visited by actually having been a real speakeasy in the 1920s! So this isn’t just a themed bar; it’s authentic, and when you walk in you can just feel that old-timey vibe. Grab a drink from the French Kitchen’s bar next door, and then relax in the cozy, dark ambiance of the speakeasy lounge.Speaking of the bar, it has a completely different drink menu than the LB Tavern in the hotel lobby. Whereas that bar serves relatively modern cocktails (we sampled some wonderful drinks there, too), the French Kitchen’s bar menu only contains Prohibition-era cocktails. You’re not going to find many brightly colored, super sweet drinks here; instead, you’re presented with a menu of authentic 1920s cocktails, most of which were probably served right in that very room back in its heyday. The highlights are the build-your-own Old Fashioned and Manhattan, where you get to choose what kind of whiskey, bitters, and garnish you want. We were treated to an incredible Old Fashioned with Bullet Rye, Baltimore bitters (with Old Bay spices!), orange, and maraschino cherry. I’m not a huge whiskey guy, mostly preferring gin-based cocktails, but I was really surprised by how much I liked this. There were two shots of whiskey in there, but it was still smooth, with a sweetness that wasn’t overpowering. Honestly, you could make a whole night out of eating and bar-hopping at the Lord Baltimore Hotel, especially in the warmer months when their Skybar (a rooftop bar) is open. Grab a pre-dinner drink at the LB Tavern, amble across the lobby for a fancy dinner at The French Kitchen, sip another drink at the LB Skybar while watching the sun set from the 19th floor, and finish with dessert at the LB Bakery and a classic cocktail in the LB Speakeasy. All of that plus a reservation in one of their 440 luxury rooms would make for a pretty kickass staycation!http://lordbaltimorehotel.comMusic by Eubie Blake (a Baltimore native!)
DOES A $14 PORTABLE BREATHALYZER REALLY WORK?! Tested with multiple beers! The Dark Side of Disney 2017-11-27 | Emerywood was kind enough to send me one of their $14 portable breathalyzers to test. The breathalyzer can be found at: amazon.com/dp/B074MDMFTTI drank two beers for this review, and tested myself fifteen minutes after finishing each beer. It seems to blow accurately, or possibly a little high, which isn't the worst thing when you’re testing yourself for sobriety. However, next time I do a test I should eat more beforehand, since most responsible adults won’t go out drinking on an empty stomach. I also need to record my total drinking time, since in theory you’re supposed to be able to have two drinks in an hour without testing over the limit. I’m not sure how long it took me to down these two – maybe 35-40 minutes?Regardless, this gadget is pretty damn impressive for something so small and cheap!
