The Miscellaneous Thought Thread

[Phroobar]

More good news for Disneyland's decades-old trees and landscaping with established root systems!

Another huge chunk of California was lifted out of drought status today, a change made as of Tuesday before these next two Pineapple Expresses "Atmospheric Rivers!" come ashore late this week and through Monday.

View attachment 703035

Or for a more dramatic change, what the drought looked like just four months ago compared to March 7th...

From worst-case Exceptional Drought to Zero Drought in just 120 days! How come my diets don't work like this???

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Current Map | U.S. Drought Monitor

droughtmonitor.unl.edu

Bring on the mudslides!!

Pineapple Express Storm Brings Flooding, Rockslides To California | Weather.com

An atmospheric river called the Pineapple Express is fueling the latest storm to hit the state. - Articles from The Weather Channel | weather.com

weather.com

 

[BasiltheBatLord]

Talk about being Anti-Science! My God.

I have cancelled my 2020 Japan trip several times now, but am waiting to rebook until they get a handle on reality over there.

This is probably the best you're going to get for a long time. Basically all COVID restrictions will be gone or optional by May 8 (except for required vaccine/test on int'l arrivals, no word on if that's changing yet)

I think Japanese are going to continue to mask ubiquitously for years to come. I hope I'm wrong but I don't see much changing on that front.

 

[TP2000]

This is probably the best you're going to get for a long time. Basically all COVID restrictions will be gone or optional by May 8 (except for required vaccine/test on int'l arrivals, no word on if that's changing yet)

I think Japanese are going to continue to mask ubiquitously for years to come. I hope I'm wrong but I don't see much changing on that front.

I fear you are right.

They are such a beautiful and gracious people and culture; to see them mask their humanity away for no apparent reason is just sad.

For now, I'm focusing my overseas travel plans on Nordic countries in '23. But I will return to Japan and Tokyo Disneyland someday.

 

[mlayton144]

I fear you are right.

They are such a beautiful and gracious people and culture; to see them mask their humanity away for no apparent reason is just sad.

For now, I'm focusing my overseas travel plans on Nordic countries in '23. But I will return to Japan and Tokyo Disneyland someday.

This may not be your gig, but Disney has an august cruise to Norway from UK in august - Amsterdam, njordfjorded, Skjolden, and stavangar - amazing fjord landscapes and a mix of quaint little villages and smaller city. I changed our Alaska cruise to this - got absolutely murdered on airfare though. What’s your itinerary?

 

[TP2000]

This may not be your gig, but Disney has an august cruise to Norway from UK in august - Amsterdam, njordfjorded, Skjolden, and stavangar - amazing fjord landscapes and a mix of quaint little villages and smaller city. I changed our Alaska cruise to this - got absolutely murdered on airfare though. What’s your itinerary?

I've only done one Disney Cruise, and while the service was fantastic and the Disney Cruise Line CM's were far more polished and professional and pleasant than what the Parks CM's have devolved into, Disney Cruise Line is just not my gig. Too many kids and young families, a demographic I don't have much in common with after the first 10 minutes of chatty pleasantries.

But I have found great social and demographic success with Viking Cruises! "The Thinking Person's Cruise"... Viking doesn't let anyone under 18 on board, it's extremely popular with West Coasters, and half the ship's passengers always seem to be from Orange County. And Viking's constant onboard Smart Casual dress code is exactly how I live my life anyway, and Viking doesn't do tuxedo "formal nights" or wacky theme dinners.

Your Norway itinerary sounds fantastic! I did a similar fjord itinerary with Viking pre-Covid, and it was stunning. I stayed two extra nights in Bergen and fell in love (with the town and a few Norwegians! ) Early this fall I'm doing a Viking Cruise of the Baltic Sea, their 12 day "Scenic Scandinavia" itinerary from Stockholm to Copenhagen. There's also a port stop in Gdansk, Poland that I'm intrigued about. I'm pairing it by starting the adventure in Helsinki for a few days, to see the city and Marimekko flagship store and do a day trip to see Laplanders and find out if reindeer really are as smelly as they say.

I'm flying Finnair over and SAS back. Technically flying Delta from Harry Reid to/from LAX, but I always stay the night before any LAX departure at the Hotel June (formerly Custom Hotel) near LAX. Even when I lived in OC, if I was flying out of LAX overseas I always drove up there the night before and stayed at the June. It just makes things as calm and worry-free as possible when you're dealing with LAX.

 

[TP2000]

Checking the ski forecast for some family heading to Mammoth next week, and it looks like the entire Sierra snowpack will officially surpass 200% of its April 1st average by this Monday's snowpack update.

That's double the amount of snow the entire 450 mile long Sierra range in California gets in an average year! And there's still a few weeks of snow to go before they release the official tally for the year on April 1st.

For you Easterners used to skiing in New England on two feet of ice pack, Mammoth Mountain in the southern Sierras has received 586 inches at its Main Lodge and 710 inches at the top of its lifts this winter. Their main runs at Mammoth currently have 210 inches of packed powder with 18 inches of fresh powder from last night's snowfall. Current afternoon temp is 27 with light snow, heavier snow moving in tonight.

Jealous, Sugarbush?

The area where Walt Disney wanted to build Mineral King Ski Resort in the Sierras has received over 600 inches of snow this winter. They are expecting three feet of additional snow tonight into Sunday morning at Mineral King, so it would be a great evening to stay in the lodge and watch that singing bear band show that Walt wanted to do as the lodge's entertainment!

Walt Disney's Mineral King Ski Resort - Imagineering Conceptual Sketch 1965.

 

[mlayton144]

I've only done one Disney Cruise, and while the service was fantastic and the Disney Cruise Line CM's were far more polished and professional and pleasant than what the Parks CM's have devolved into, Disney Cruise Line is just not my gig. Too many kids and young families, a demographic I don't have much in common with after the first 10 minutes of chatty pleasantries.

But I have found great social and demographic success with Viking Cruises! "The Thinking Person's Cruise"... Viking doesn't let anyone under 18 on board, it's extremely popular with West Coasters, and half the ship's passengers always seem to be from Orange County. And Viking's constant onboard Smart Casual dress code is exactly how I live my life anyway, and Viking doesn't do tuxedo "formal nights" or wacky theme dinners.

Your Norway itinerary sounds fantastic! I did a similar fjord itinerary with Viking pre-Covid, and it was stunning. I stayed two extra nights in Bergen and fell in love (with the town and a few Norwegians! ) Early this fall I'm doing a Viking Cruise of the Baltic Sea, their 12 day "Scenic Scandinavia" itinerary from Stockholm to Copenhagen. There's also a port stop in Gdansk, Poland that I'm intrigued about. I'm pairing it by starting the adventure in Helsinki for a few days, to see the city and Marimekko flagship store and do a day trip to see Laplanders and find out if reindeer really are as smelly as they say.

I'm flying Finnair over and SAS back. Technically flying Delta from Harry Reid to/from LAX, but I always stay the night before any LAX departure at the Hotel June (formerly Custom Hotel) near LAX. Even when I lived in OC, if I was flying out of LAX overseas I always drove up there the night before and stayed at the June. It just makes things as calm and worry-free as possible when you're dealing with LAX.

That sounds fantastic , it’s a shame that an itinerary like that (I would think) would normally include 2 days in St Petersburg but for obvious reasons just not in the cards for at least the rest of this decade. Watched a Great Ships episode recently where Viking was the ship featured , went to the very top of Norway - very cool episode (I think on Discovery channel)

 

[mlayton144]

Checking the ski forecast for some family heading to Mammoth next week, and it looks like the entire Sierra snowpack will officially surpass 200% of its April 1st average by this Monday's snowpack update.

That's double the amount of snow the entire 450 mile long Sierra range in California gets in an average year! And there's still a few weeks of snow to go before they release the official tally for the year on April 1st.

For you Easterners used to skiing in New England on two feet of ice pack, Mammoth Mountain in the southern Sierras has received 586 inches at its Main Lodge and 710 inches at the top of its lifts this winter. Their main runs at Mammoth currently have 210 inches of packed powder with 18 inches of fresh powder from last night's snowfall. Current afternoon temp is 27 with light snow, heavier snow moving in tonight.

Jealous, Sugarbush?

The area where Walt Disney wanted to build Mineral King Ski Resort in the Sierras has received over 600 inches of snow this winter. They are expecting three feet of additional snow tonight into Sunday morning at Mineral King, so it would be a great evening to stay in the lodge and watch that singing bear band show that Walt wanted to do as the lodge's entertainment!

Walt Disney's Mineral King Ski Resort - Imagineering Conceptual Sketch 1965.

The waterfalls will be absolutely gushing this summer in Yosemite LOL

 

[TP2000]

That sounds fantastic , it’s a shame that an itinerary like that (I would think) would normally include 2 days in St Petersburg but for obvious reasons just not in the cards for at least the rest of this decade. Watched a Great Ships episode recently where Viking was the ship featured , went to the very top of Norway - very cool episode (I think on Discovery channel)

Yeah, Viking used to do days in St. Petersburg on those itineraries. I imagine that's why they're now stopping at Gdnask, which is fine with me.

I remember looking at those Baltic Sea itineraries a few years ago and pausing because of the St. Petersburg days; as someone who remembers the 20th century and all the human misery and murder that Communism brought to the world, I just couldn't stomach it no matter how many pictures of glittery Faberge' eggs they put in the brochures.

Viking now has a few ships especially designed for the Artic and Antarctic, with ice-breaking hulls and a marina shuttle bay in the bow that slides small explorer boats into the ocean for up close exploration of icebergs and glaciers. Truly amazing stuff!!!

 

[D.Silentu]

The area where Walt Disney wanted to build Mineral King Ski Resort in the Sierras has received over 600 inches of snow this winter.

I feel for the people who live out there, the road to Mineral King is one of the most harrowing I've ever driven. Residents have supplies brought in every winter via snowmobile, so I can't fathom what they're experiencing this season. Certainly a great deal more difficulty than those at Big Bear or Arrowhead. I must add that I will forever be grateful that Walt's Ski resort never broke ground. I've camped and hiked in the area and it is a genuine gateway to what's left of the true wilderness.

 

[CaptinEO]

Nearing the end of my trip to Dollywood. What a fantastic park.

The focus is on customer service. They really make the experience feel special. Every staff member goes out of their way. The parks are so clean and well maintained.

The theming is great, and the location is beautiful. The park is gorgeous. Being able to see Mrs Parton parade down the street of her own park and wiping tears from her eyes (being overwhelmed by the support of all the parkgoers cheering) is something I'll never forget.

Apparently Dolly Parton comes down regularly to do the seasonal or ride openings. She doesn't have to, and could have ran her investment from the sidelines, but chooses to. What a fantastic person being the face of her own parks and showing up for her supporters.

I never experienced upselling or being nickel and dimed, all reservations are done in person, no mobile order, no app needed. All our time was spent on just enjoying a great themepark with low waits and great customer service.

I'll do a full write up later and appreciate the advice of @PiratesMansion .

 

[TP2000]

Nearing the end of my trip to Dollywood. What a fantastic park.

The focus is on costumer service. They really make the experience feel special. Every staff member goes out of their way. The parks are so clean and well maintained.

The theming is great, and the location is beautiful. The park is gorgeous. Being able to see Mrs Parton parade down the street of her own park and wiping tears from her eyes (being overwhelmed by the support of all the parkgoers cheering) is something I'll never forget.

Apparently Dolly Parton comes down regularly to do the seasonal or ride openings. She doesn't have to, and could have ran her investment from the sidelines, but chooses to. What a fantastic person being the face of her own parks and showing up for her supporters.

I never experienced upselling or being nickel and dimed, all reservations are done in person, no mobile order, no app needed. All our time was spent on just enjoying a great themepark with low waits and great customer service.

I'll do a full write up later and appreciate the advice of @PiratesMansion .

As you can tell from my signature line, I have long thought that Dolly Parton was a national treasure.

I'm not a Country music fan in the least. But I am a fan of genuinely classy and truly elegant people, and Ms. Parton is one of the best!

It's unsurprising that her theme park is run so well, and that she takes an active interest in making sure of that.

 

[TP2000]

I just got back from an Oscars party. Everything Everywhere All At Once?

None of us at the party had seen that movie. And yet it won Best Picture. Very odd how that awards machine works nowadays.

 

[Disney Analyst]

I just got back from an Oscars party. Everything Everywhere All At Once?

None of us at the party had seen that movie. And yet it won Best Picture. Very odd how that awards machine works nowadays.

You haven’t seen EEAAO? One of the best films of the year.

 

[TP2000]

You haven’t seen EEAAO? One of the best films of the year.

Apparently it is, because it won Best Picture.

But very, very few people in North America saw it. If it was such a great movie, how come no one went to see it?

 

[Sharon&Susan]

Do y'all think that people 80 years ago were complaining that instead of a high grossing Bing Crosby movie winning Best Picture that it went to some movie that "no one" saw in theaters called Casablanca?

 

[D.Silentu]

If it was such a great movie, how come no one went to see it?

Respectfully, I saw it in theaters as did several of my friends. This evening I was just remarking that it was nice to see a movie I actually enjoyed win. I’m curious, what was the party’s prediction for best picture?

 

[CaptinEO]

As you can tell from my signature line, I have long thought that Dolly Parton was a national treasure.

I'm not a Country music fan in the least. But I am a fan of genuinely classy and truly elegant people, and Ms. Parton is one of the best!

It's unsurprising that her theme park is run so well, and that she takes an active interest in making sure of that.

Your statement reminds me of many others who I told about this trip. They don't like country music but all mentioned how they love Dolly as a person.

How rare is it to have a drama free celebrity that people have nothing but great things to say about?

The themepark was ran so well it made me re-evaluate priorities in a park. As cool as it can be to have top of the line technology and surprises on rides like Universal and Disney does, I feel my overall Dollywood experience may be the most I've enjoyed a themepark since I was a kid.

Maybe I'm just getting older but hospitality, simplicity, entertainment, and scenery I like more than the latest and greatest rides technology has to offer.

 

[Communicora]

I just got back from an Oscars party. Everything Everywhere All At Once?

None of us at the party had seen that movie. And yet it won Best Picture. Very odd how that awards machine works nowadays.

Hmm. I can't decide if I think you would love it or loathe it. You'd probably hate it, but there are campy elements you'd appreciate.

Spoiler

There's even a bizzarro world Pixar reference.

As for me, I really enjoyed it, but it would have benefited from some judicious pruning.

 

[waltography]

I just got back from an Oscars party. Everything Everywhere All At Once?

None of us at the party had seen that movie. And yet it won Best Picture. Very odd how that awards machine works nowadays.

It's the fourth highest grossing movie on the list, behind Avatar, Top Gun: Maverick, and Elvis. Fantastic movie that was very much the frontrunner leading into last night after sweeping the awards circuit.