Author: Thomas Valley

Gin Blossoms Rock Flower and Garden

Let me take you back to a time when Friends was still producing new episodes. This was a time when Grunge was more than just the gunk under your fingernails, and flannel shirts played a major role in your weekly “shirt rotation.” A band with a decent following in Tempe, Arizona hit the radio waves with catchy tunes like “Hey, Jealousy”, and “Found Out About You.” No, I’m not talking about the Goo Goo Dolls, or Lit, or Toad the Wet Sprocket.

I’m talking about the Gin Blossoms.

They had a rocky start to their career, and a road filled with few hits after that blast in the early 90s, but they’re still putting butts in seats for their concert. Take, for example, the three nights they just completed at EPCOT’s America Pavilion. The Gin Blossoms were the first in a long series of concerts that will accompany the 2015 International Flower and Garden Festival at EPCOT this year.

I can tell you that nearly every person in that audience tonight knew all the words to all the songs. Playing the hits mentioned above, they also dipped into “Allison Road” and “Follow You Down”. On more than one occasion, Robin Wilson felt comfortable enough with the audience that he wandered out into our midst, to lead us on and let us sing into the microphone.

Robin, and his belly button, leading the audience in a round of clapping. Jesse Valenzuela on guitar and Scott Hessel on the drums, in the background.

This wasn’t the Gin Blossom’s first visit to EPCOT. They were here back in 2012 for both Food & Wine as well as 2013’s Flower & Garden. But, it’s been a while for the band, so we’re happy to have them back. According to Robin, at the outset of the show, they’re in talks for returning again next year.

Robin with the ever-present tambourine. Lead Singer Robin Wilson, Bill Leen on bass, Scotty Johnson on guitar, and Scott Hessel on drums.

Starbucks at Hollywood Studios – Now This is How You Coffee

Starbucks has been making inroads at Walt Disney World for the past year: First at Magic Kingdom and then at EPCOT. Well, downtown Hollywood Studios just got a new addition, and (I’ll understand ifyou’re not surprised): It’s a Starbucks!

But, wait, stay – where are you going? This Starbucks is a different sort of animal. Both the Magic Kingdom and the EPCOT locations are regular Starbucks-décor: Your typical Seattle coffee house with brown and green color schemes. Outside of the hustle and bustle of always being busy, there is nothing to separate them from the Starbucks you can find on the street corner in your own downtown, or the one on your block, or the one opening next month in your guest bedroom.

The Starbucks at Hollywood Studios is decorated to represent a Trolley Station in old Los Angeles:

trolley_cafe

Isn’t that lovely? Above the serving area is a balcony of machinery that looks to be either actual decommissioned and refurbished machinery from the time, or ingenious replicas. Strategic lighting at the balcony level makes it appear as if it’s a working station, with desk lamps and indicator lights flickering occasionally. All of the doors in and out of the serving area are large double doors, where one might have expected a few well-placed rails to deliver a derelict trolley car in for repairs.

If you decide to grab yourself a warm cup on a chilly night, or a frosty Frappuccino to keep you cool on a hot day, make sure to pick the right-hand side cash registers as you walk through the front door. The reason here is that the waiting area for your drinks includes a wall-mounted switch board for the Los Angeles area:

wife_board

You only get the switch board. In order to get my wife included with the switch board, you need to be as cute as I am.

Once again, either the attention to detail here is flawless, or someone has wiped the cobwebs off of an actual switchboard used at a trolley station from the time. Unfortunately, Disney Magic doesn’t seem to have extended toward the operation of the switch board, as pushing the buttons and flipping the switches doesn’t light anything up, or make the trains run in any particular direction. Who knows, however, as I may have inadvertently caused the infamous trolley crash of 1923, while I sipped quietly on my Chai and flipped a bunch of switches at random.