Leonard Kinsey's Blog, page 7

Exciting New Contest! Win Awesome Prizes and a VIP Party Invitation!

The Dark Side of Disney is proud to announce a completely kick-ass contest! Watch the video with cover model Draven Star, and then read below for more details!

It's simple: send me pictures at author@darksideofdisney.com of you or your friends doing crazy shit that fits the theme "The Dark Side of Disney". Sex, drugs, rock n' roll, cheap booze, free food, chains, whips, candlewax on the nipples… whatever you want as long as it has a Disney component to it. You can be wearing a princess...

Sneaking Into Stormalong Bay

Now that the weather is cooling down, I thought I'd reminisce about one of my recent Disney summer adventures. It was June, and the weather was extraordinarily hot, like over 100-degrees. My friend Hackett and I were reluctant to set foot in the parks during the daytime, because it was nearly unbearable being outside for any length of time.

"Let's go to a water park!" I suggested

"Nah, I don't want to pay all that money for a water park when we have a perfectly good pool at our community...

The Catcher in the Dark Side

I've been getting a lot of (mostly) positive comments about the cover of The Dark Side of Disney, and it even won an award! But there's one homage my designer and I snuck into the cover that still makes me giddy whenever I look at it.

Here's the cover:

The Dark Side of Disney Cover

If you click on the picture and look carefully, trying as hard as you can not to be distracted by the gorgeous and talented Draven Star, you'll notice that the cover is distressed, like someone has been carrying it...

Food and Wine Parking Restrictions? Good luck with that, Disney.

Per WDWInfo.com, aka Disboards.com, aka the place that permabanned me after one post:

Disney is putting a restriction on certain parking areas during the popular Food & Wine Festival at Epcot. Throughout the Festival (September 29 – November 13), guests wanting to park at the Boardwalk, Yacht Club or Beach Club will need to show their room keys to gain access to the parking lots. Guests with dining, recreation or spa reservations at one of these hotels or who are attending a convention event...

New Podcast with WDWFanboys.com Now Online!

A Podcast interview I recently recorded with Brett and Tim from WDWFanBoys.com is now online! It's a lengthy conversation, clocking in at around 1hr 23min, and there's actually a longer uncensored version that will be posted in October. We talk about all sorts of stuff, including free parking, ticket scams, and my adventures in The Utilidors. I'm proud to say that I was only moderately drunk by the end and only had to take one beer refill/pee break.

Check it out at...

Two New Videos Posted – Security Guards and Free Parking

Just posted TWO new videos on YouTube!

The first is a quick clip of some security guards standing around on a semi-hidden balcony on Main Street. I'm pretty sure this is above the location of Utilidor Stairway MO-5, which leads to the East Parking lot, and also to the 2nd floor security office, which is where these two guards are standing.

The second video is a longer compilation of me and McGeorge traveling to various resorts, trying to get free parking for the parks. We start at the Yacht...

Stalking The British Invasion

I'd finished writing The Dark Side of Disney, and my layout artist was just about done with the final proof when I found out that The British Invasion, the Beatles tribute band from the UK Pavilion, had ended their contract and would no longer be performing at Epcot. My first reaction was, "Fuck, now I have to revise the text and Index in the proof!" My second reaction was, "Dammit, I really liked those guys. This is more 'declining by degrees' bullshit!"  Of course, they were replaced...

DSoD Wins Best Non-Fiction e-Book Cover Design Award!

The Dark Side of Disney won TheBookDesigner.com's "Best NonFiction e-Book Cover Design" Award, saying, "the humor and shock value of this cover made it a clear winner". See the rest of the entries and winners here.

Many thanks to our beautiful model Draven Star, pro photographer Alan Partlow, and graphic designer Pentakis Dodecahedron for their contributions to the cover!

Two More Reviews – One Good, One Bad

A new review just came out from Simon Travels:

"This was an interesting read, and as a former WDW Cast Member and still-frequent visitor, I can say that Kinsey's tourist tips generally ring true and seem to be spot-on suggestions as to how to save

time, money and hassle on your Disney trip."

Read the rest of this great review here!

Also, DSoD just got its first 1-star review on Amazon – the review called the book "Hyperbolic Fluff",
which I guess is true…. But that's why it's so good! And in...

Two New Book Reviews!

Two book reviews appeared on my radar today, and they're both great. The first is from Kevin Yee, notable author of Mouse Trap and many other books, and longtime columnist for MiceAge.com. Here's a bit of what Kevin had to say in his insightful review.

"I found it to be an entertaining read, but it's definitely different from the usual books, even the tell-all books. Those who don't buy into the Disney "magic" may find it most interesting of all, though Cast Members will also recognize the...