Kelly, Author at On the Go in MCO

R.I.P.D., Rest In Peace Department

While I know the movie hasn’t gotten the best of reviews, I’m going to just go ahead and say that I enjoyed R.I.P.D. I have never read any of the comics or heck, I didn’t even know what this movie was about when we went into the theater. But guess what, I kind of want to see it again.

Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds headline the 3D supernatural action-adventure R.I.P.D. as two cops dispatched by the otherworldly Rest In Peace Department to protect and serve the living from an increasingly destructive array of souls who refuse to move peacefully to the other side.

Veteran sheriff Roy Pulsifer (Bridges) has spent his career with the legendary police force known as R.I.P.D. tracking monstrous spirits who are cleverly disguised as ordinary people. His mission? To arrest and bring to justice a special brand of criminals trying to escape final judgment by hiding among the unsuspecting on Earth.

Once the wise-cracking Roy is assigned former rising-star detective Nick Walker (Reynolds) as his junior officer, the new partners have to turn grudging respect into top-notch teamwork. When they uncover a plot that could end life as we know it, two of R.I.P.D.’s finest must miraculously restore the cosmic balance…or watch the tunnel to the afterlife begin sending angry souls the very wrong way.

I get pretty anxious when it comes to movie theaters and normally I can’t zone out when I hear other people stirring in their seats or eating their candy or popcorn, but this is one of the few movies that I’ve seen in theaters lately where I feel like I completely zoned out.

The combination of Jeff Bridges and Ryan Reynolds kept the movie having it’s little funny, quirky parts and I don’t know whether it was the actors just ad libbing during filming or if the writers get all the credit, but the side comments and funny things that the characters said back and forth to each other made me (and others) laugh quite a bit during the movie.

I loved seeing Mary Louise Parker in her role as Proctor to keep the boys in line.

Like I said, I didn’t know anything about this movie and had I known it had supernatural elements to it I’m not sure I would have wanted to see it, but I’m so glad I did. All of the special effects looked really good and worked well in the movie.

Oh and you can’t forget about Kevin Bacon…and I’ll leave it at just that when it comes to him.

R.I.P.D. had a very ‘Dead Like Me‘ feel to it. If you haven’t seen that show, you should. And if you like that show and want to see a twist put into it, this is definitely that. I really enjoyed Roy (Jeff Bridges) and how he was from the old west time period and it kept throughout the entire movie.

If you’re looking to get out of the heat (or rain!) and watch a movie that you can just kick back and enjoy, this could be the one for you.

You can find R.I.P.D on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr for even more fun!

Biking Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort

Over the past month we’ve taken many laps biking around Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness Resort.

If you’re staying at or visiting either Wilderness Lodge or Ft. Wilderness, you are able to rent bikes on property ($18/day). Since we live so close and now have our own bikes (yay!), we load them up on the car and go explore for a hour or so.

We’ve started each ride from the Wilderness Lodge parking lot (but you can start from either) and we take one of two trails that connect between the lodge and the campground.

If you leave the parking lot and go toward the right (near the bus loop), you can take the paved trail all the way to the campground.

But, if you’re up for even more adventure, head toward the left of the parking lot (by the lake) and you will find the bike rental area and an unpaved trail.

This unpaved trail leads to one of my favorite spots on Disney property.

What a view!

The unpaved trail comes to a fork. Head towards the right where you will meet up with the paved trail.

If you see this sign…you’re going the wrong way…

Both of these paths are great and I forget I’m even on Disney property.

Well, that is until I see the Contemporary or Disney busses passing us 🙂

You enter the campground area going by Tri-Circle-D Farm and you can visit with the ponies, head towards the hall where Hoop Dee Doo Review is held, grab lunch at a quick service restaurant, view the lake or not stop at all and make a couple of laps around the campground.

Don’t worry about getting lost. It’s quite a big area, but we’ve always found our way back to Tri-Circle-D Farm area. While the campground can be kind of busy depending what time of year you visit, there is always plenty of room to bike.

If you have kids with you, there are a couple of playgrounds along the route that they can play on while you catch your breath!

Once you feel like you’ve had enough, you can take one of the two trails back to the lodge.

Oh and you never know what you’re gonna see! We’ve seen so many bunnies along the path and even a deer once!

Please be sure to stay hydrated when you’re biking around the resort. I’ve seen a water fountain at the trading post, but I’d almost bet that there would be some around the comfort stations as well.

The last souvenirs you’re going to want to take away from Disney World are bug bites, take some big spray with you!

So, go explore!

The Container Store Orlando is Now Open!

Anyone else crazy about having their home organized?

Anyone else not sure where to start when you realize your house is out of control?

Both of those situations are me 100%, which is why I was (and still am!) SUPER excited about Orlando’s newest addition – The Container Store!!

As soon as I walked in I was overwhelmed (in the best way possible!)

As hard as it is to believe, this is the 60th location and this is the first one I have ever been in. While I have been super tempted to drive to Miami just to see it and even more so when one opened in Tampa a few months ago, I wanted to wait and see the Orlando store first.

There were so many products that I saw while doing the tour that I knew I needed and MANY more items that I saw and then realized that I had to have…who knew there were so many options and awesome ways to store items?!

Some examples, The Container Store has…

…80 styles of hangers.

…350 travel products.

…45 laundry hampers.

…120 ways to store food.

…700 office products.

…and a BUNCH of different trash and recycling options.

As you can tell, there are standard color options and also bright and fun colors as well.

The amazing part about The Container Store company itself is that it’s an employee first company. Every full time employee gets more than 263 hours of training in the first year of working. The crazier part is that the average for retail employees is just 7 to 10 hours! So yes, these guys and gals know what they are talking about. They aren’t commission based, so they really are there to help you out and to help better your home – closet, garage, office, bathroom, kitchen – you name it!

Think this place can’t get any better? They offer additional options besides strictly just shopping in-store and online…
Click & Pickup – Order online and pick it up in-store
Call & Pickup – Order over the phone and pick it up in-store
Bonus bonus: Curbside pickup!

The Container Store is located near Millenia Mall at
4088 Millenia Blvd
Orlando, FL 32839

Store hours are
Monday – Saturday 9am-9pm
Sunday 11am-6pm

Jurassic Park 3D In Theaters Now

Today is the day – Jurassic Park 3D is in theaters!

And guess what…when I got a chance to see Jurassic Park 3D a couple of weeks in advance of the release, it was my FIRST time ever seeing Jurassic Park!

I was terrified and jumped around in my seat more times than I care to EVER admit. Seeing the t-rex torture those poor kids in that car made me freak out. Omg, I’m getting panicky just thinking about it…moving on…

Jurassic Park is definitely one of the biggest movies that has ever been released and as hard as it is to believe, it’s celebrating it’s 20th anniversary this year.

Another first for me was this was the first movie I’ve seen that’s been made into 3D. And it worked!

Steven Spielberg and his team did a great job remastering Jurassic Park into a 3D IMAX movie.

Universal Pictures will release Steven Spielberg’s groundbreaking classic JURASSIC PARK in 3D on April 5, 2013. With his remastering of the epic into a state-of-the-art 3D format, Spielberg introduces the three-time Academy Award^®-winning blockbuster to a new generation of moviegoers and allows longtime fans to experience the world he envisioned in a way that was unimaginable during the film’s original release.

Starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Samuel L. Jackson and Richard Attenborough, the film based on the novel by Michael Crichton is produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Gerald R. Molen.

(The story from the Jurassic Park website)

Make sure to follow the movie’s Twitter stream to see fans reactions and join the 3+ million fans on Facebook!

Oh, want some wallpapers, Twitter backgrounds or Twitter icons? Go here.

Are you excited for this re-release? I bet it’s truly amazing in IMAX…though those t-rex scenes would probably make run out of the theater screaming!

Disney’s Grand Floridian Easter Eggs

The second annual decorative Easter Eggs at Disney’s Grand Floridian hotel are up! But only for a few more days – through Sunday, March 31.

If you walk in the front door of the lobby, you will immediately see these gorgeous eggs. I didn’t get a chance to see them last year, so this was a huge treat for me to stumble upon.

The amount of work and detail put into each of these eggs is amazing. The fact that the Wall-E egg has lights kind of blew my mind. If you’re able to stop by the Grand Floridian before the eggs are egg-stict (sorry, I had to), be sure to do so!

Disney’s Grand Floridian Easter Eggs

LEGOLAND Florida – Summer 2013 Park Expansion

In the 18 months that LEGOLAND has been open in Florida, they have kept busy with numerous additions…

But yesterday LEGOLAND FLORIDA announced a major park expansion that promises to be epic.

We’re talking a whole new natural resource here…CHI! We will be the first to get this new resource straight from The World of Chima!

This expansion will be one of the centerpieces of the new LEGO Chima brand, which already includes a major LEGO product line, a stunningly animated television series to air on Cartoon Network and multiple interactive video games and apps. LEGOLAND Florida is the only place in the world that LEGO fans can go to unleash the power and be fully immersed in The World of Chima, providing an experience like no other.

LEGOLAND Florida’s newest expansion is the first time a theme park has put so much into a brand new product line. While Legends of Chima maybe one of the newest brands of LEGO, it has taken off to a whole new level.

“This is the first time a theme park has invested in a major expansion concurrently with the rollout of a new brand and product line, and it was an easy decision based on how well LEGO Legends of Chima has been received by children and those who are young at heart around the world,” said LEGOLAND Florida General Manager Adrian Jones. “This is also a reflection of the overall success of the park, which has already enabled us to open a new Water Park and build multiple new attractions during the past 18 months.”

Now is the time that I should probably tell you what this “CHI” is, right? (Hang on while I do some research…)

CHI is a water-like substance. All of the animal tribes (lion, eagle, croc, raven & wolf) of Chima can use it when it turns into blue orbs. The tribes need it to power vehicles and machines. Bonus! It can also give them speed, stamina and strength. (Do you get it now? You should ask your child, they can probably explain it better.)

This land, set to open Summer 2013, is focused around a water ride called, The Quest for CHI.

The Quest for CHI will be the centerpiece of the new World of Chima at LEGOLAND Florida and will be an interactive, family-friendly water ride,. Guests will enter The World of Chima through a fantastical stone and moss covered entrance which leads to the Lion Temple at the base of the majestic 45-foot tall floating Mount Cavora. There, guests will explore a diverse landscape setting and join the Lion Tribe in an epic battle to recover the stolen CHI orbs. Guests will board a watercraft which will take them on an interactive experience using water cannons to help their hero, Laval the Lion Prince, defeat Cragger the Crocodile King as he attempts to steal the precious supply of CHI. The journey will take them through the land of Chima where they will meet some of the highly advanced animal tribal habitats, including the Rhino Quarry, Raven’s Roost, Eagle’s Nest, Wolves Encampment, Gorilla Forest and Crocodile Swamp among other imaginative settings.

There will also be a 4D movie that will put you right into The World of Chima.

Also there will be a Speedorz Arena, where guests can build ripcord powered vehicle models out of LEGO bricks and compete against each other.

And the kids will also get the chance to meet their hero Laval the Lion Prince and Cragger the Crocodile King at daily character meet and greet sessions in the World of Chima expansion.

Another cool aspect of this new expansion is the partnership with Cartoon Network and the show that is airing on the station.

“This is a great opportunity to continue the successful relationship that Cartoon Network has had with LEGO Group,” said Cartoon Network Chief Marketing Officer Brenda Piper. “We are always looking to expand the Cartoon Network brand to reach children outside the world of television and what better way to do that than by bringing the Legends of Chima to life at a theme park.”

As the presenting partner, Cartoon Network will have a major presence in the park during the summer months, and beyond. In addition, Cartoon Network will have screens placed around the park that will consist of other content from the network including the hit original series, Adventure Time.

It’s crazy to me that the construction site looks like this now and in just a few short months we’ll all be back to see this awesome new place and get immersed in The World of Chima.

Being the huge LEGO fan that I am, I know that I’m ready for it! I can’t wait to check it out and see all that The World of Chima has to offer!!

Oz The Great and Powerful Review

I thought that I should begin my Oz the Great and Powerful review with some disclaimers:

I love the original Wizard of Oz!
I was super excited for a week straight when I found out I was going to an early viewing to see “Oz The Great and Powerful”, no lie.
I’m not sure how appropriate this movie is for kids. I’m not a parent, but some of the things said were kind of grown-uppish and those dang monkeys are way scarier than before!
While I’m going to do my best to not talk about any spoilers, this is the warning, just in case you feel as though there is a spoiler in the mix, but I don’t think there is.

Like I said, I am definitely apart of the group that LOVES Wizard of Oz. I grew up watching it and I couldn’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve seen it over the years.

As soon as I found out that a ‘new’ Oz movie was being made I freaked out and then promptly forgot about it because I didn’t want to watch any trailers before seeing the movie. I did, however, make sure that it wasn’t going to be a remake. And that it is not, thankfully.

But before we get to that, I feel I need to mention how great it was to see the Monsters University trailer on the big screen! Oh and we also saw the Iron Man 3 trailer.

Oscar “Oz” Diggs is a magician in a small circus. He’s an egotistical ladies man who tries to impress pretty much any girl he meets. While part of me wanted to not like him, that just couldn’t happen.

Oz gets swept away from the circus he’s traveling with and makes it to the bright and beautiful Land of Oz where he meets an Oz local and he gets filled in on what the current status of Oz is.

After making his journey to Oz (have you lost count as to how many times I’ve said Oz yet?), he meets all three witches and we find out all three have very different personalities and all get along with Oz in very different ways – keep in mind, he’s being himself when it comes to how he talks to them.

After his trip through the Dark Forest, Oz realizes he has to work his magic…literally. And while you think Oz’s trickery can only get him so far, he truly is great and powerful.

There were some twist and turns that I honestly didn’t see coming. But getting introduced to some likable and even some unlikable (in a good way) characters makes for a great movie. When we meet the people of Oz I felt like I was back in my childhood home watching Wizard of Oz.

All in all, I loved this movie. I chuckled and laughed throughout the movie, one liners always tend to get me.

I loved that we get to see the beginning of Oz, the man and Oz, the land. There was even some little added tie-ins to Wizard of Oz –a lion shows up and scarecrows…does that mean I missed a tin man? Guess I need to see it again to be sure!

Oh and yes, there are a TON of computer-animated backgrounds, but that’s part of what kept me glued to the movie and feeling like I was actually in Land of Oz.

The 3D elements in this were great. Nothing overwhelming. Certain bits and pieces were perfect for 3D! This is the first movie in a while where I thought the 3D actually worked overall.

The cast was very well put together and I feel like everything worked amazingly. I will be seeing “Oz The Great and Powerful” again in theaters and it will be added into my “to watch over-and-over again” movie rotation as soon as it’s released on DVD.

Total number of times the “O” word was used: 22

httpv://youtu.be/708jhvxEQvg

SeaWorld Bands, Brews, And BBQ

So many choices. Where does one start? There’s a lot to do during SeaWorld Bands, Brew & BBQ for the next five weekends!

During SeaWorld Bands Brew, & BBQ, the park partners with favorite local restaurants to bring BBQ, beers normally not offered in the park together with each night of the event ending with an incredible concert from top artists in classic rock and country music.

As soon as you get out of the car there are BBQ smells in the air. So that’s probably where your stomach will lead you, at least that’s what happened to us. The area dedicated to the brews and BBQ opens at 11:30 AM and you’ll be happy you got there early because the closer to lunch time it got the more people were there trying to pick out what they wanted from the choices – SeaWorld’s signature BBQ dishes, Sonny’s Bar-B-Q, Tony Roma’s, and Cecil’s Texas Style Bar B-Q.

We quickly jumped in the line at the SeaWorld BBQ tent to pick out our food. Each of the meals ranges from $8 – $14, sides are included with most meals and you can also purchase sides on their own.

We grabbed our food and some beers (it’s in the name of the event..we HAD to!) There’s an option to purchase single beers (for about $8 each) and there’s a sampler that you can purchase as well, which seemed like quite the deal if you’re in it for the long haul – 10 samples (you pick from about 20 options) for $21.

There’s plenty of seating, even though it may not look like it right away. There’s a lot of tables and chairs near the Ports of Call.

There’s also animals sightings in the area as well.

After we ate and drank (just one, but it was a glorious Magic Hat) we wandered over to see some line dancing and ran into a couple of familiar faces!

Since admission to SeaWorld Bands, Brew & BBQ is included with park admission, we got to enjoy the rest of the park before the concert started.

The concerts begin at 4 PM on Saturdays and Sundays, and you may want to get there a little earlier if you want to try to get a good seat.

The day we were at SeaWorld Bands, Brews, And BBQ there we got a chance to see Jerrod Niemann and Chris Young.

There is still time to head over to SeaWorld for this awesome event. And there’s lots of other great artists performing over the next five weekends (through March 17): Hall & Oates, Third Eye Blind, Josh Turner, and Cheryl Crow to name a few!

If you’re looking for an upgraded experience, SeaWorld is offering VIP packages for $39, which is a steal because it includes a meal, a non-alcoholic beverage AND reserved seating for the concert, which is down on the floor RIGHT in front of the stage – you can’t get any closer to the action than that!

You can find out more information and a look at the complete SeaWorld Bands, Brews, and BBQ lineup here!