Atlantic City Day 1 January 4 2026

 A Tiny Dinosaur Encounter

 

A Sport I Actually Participated In- Shocking I Know

Villanova had some effects on Anabelle above and beyond the normal transitions college usually leads to. 

In high school I referred to her as the only person on earth who had less interest in sports than I did. 

Atlantic City 2026 Index and Intro such as it is

A Tiny Restful Trip
 

It had been over two years since we had visited the one “restful vacation” destination my family has, Atlantic City. This was the first time Anabelle was old enough to try gambling.
 

Supergirl- Some Variety in Super Hero Tales

People complain about "superhero fatigue" because they claim all those films are the same.

Then one with a different take comes out, and they attack it. 

ugh.

Disney World 2025 Day 8 – Sunday, May 25

I'm Going To Go Back There Someday... (Plot Twist!)

Ending the way we started this adventure- we got up at the real Stupid O’clock in the morning.

Disney World 2025 Day 7 – Saturday, May 24

A Salute To The Flower And Garden Festival, But Mostly The Booths

By this point in the vacation, boot or no boot, the “plant fishiness” of my feet was becoming an issue. Fortunately, I had a flash of wisdom right after getting the boot and figured a way to install an insert into it. 

Disney World 2025 Day 6 – Friday, May 23

 A Salute To The Tusker House, But Mostly The Bread Pudding

As promised (and also as prepared for by our version of “sleeping in”) we awoke at Stupid O’clock in the morning. (That’s Disney Standard Time- which is later than airport standard time, but still quite stupid.) Our target was the 7:30AM Animal Kingdom Extra Magic Hour Half Hour Rope Drop.

Disney World 2025 Day 5 – Thursday, May 22

A Salute To All Princesses, But Mostly Merida

When The Grid lists a repeating pattern of which Parks we go to, it makes me happy. The reason is…
(No, not a return of, “What color of the spectrum is that?”)  
The reason is, instead of thinking “The trip is half over.” I can think, “We have completed our first Disney World vacation, and now it is time for the second one.” YAAY!

Disney World 2025 Day 4 – Wednesday, May 21

A Salute To All StarWarsLand, But Mostly Ronto Wraps

Due to everyone’s conditions, we TRULY slept in this day. This is opposed to previous trips where we “slept in” by arising earlier than this, (also earlier than we awaken at home) and followed that up by spending twelve hours running around a Park. 

Disney World 2025 Day 3 – Tuesday, May 20

 A Salute To All Future World, But Mostly Imagination

Putting on The Robocop led to a giant fight with my shoe. While contrary to the instructions, I realized perhaps I should try putting the hiking boot on first, then the brace over it.
(Foreshadowing- A combination of the methods worked. Yay!)
 

Disney World 2025 Day 2 – Monday, May 19

A Salute To All Animal Kingdom, But Mostly The Lion King Show

Disney World 2025 Day 1- Sunday, May 18

A Salute To All Of Our Return, But Mostly The Functional App

Disney World May 2025 Introduction and Index

It’s a Real Trip After All

Or

The Most Magiclomp Place on Earth!

 

Disney World 2025 Planning Part 15

Disney World 2025 Planning Part 14

May 11, 2025
H minus 7 Days
Checking our flight number each day is more stressful now that it’s later. Because with the earlier flight they cancelled, the plane was already well on its way by the time I woke up.
 

Disney World 2025 Planning Part 13

Disney World 2025 Planning Part 12

Disney World 2025 Planning Part 11

Disney World 2025 Planning Part 10

Good Omens Final Season Was Tiny, But Somehow Felt Right

Disney World 2025 Planning Part 9

April 15, 2025

H minus 33 Days
Last night we watched Raya and the Last Dragon, another in the pile of underrated, awesomely done, gorgeously animated Disney films that only my family seems to like. Get with it people. 

(Foreshadowing- Great moments ahead for Raya Enthusiasts.)

Little Green Guy on the Big Screen

The Mandalorian television series was clearly laid out as an "adventure of the week" western. The movie, while maintaining the high levels of quality the show established, almost felt more like a James Bond film. 

Disney World 2025 Menu Interlude Part 3

Counter Service Continued

Click here for Table Service

Click here for Magic Kingdom and EPCOT Counter Service

Maul- Still Awesome After All These Years

The Mandalorian and Grogu was awesome. It had elements from multiple Star Wars sources, but stood just fine on its own. Finally, it seems everyone involved remembered- Star Wars can be enjoyed by everyone but is primarily for kids. It also had a weird narrative structure, therefore I need more time to think about it before fully commenting.

Fortunately, there was additional excellent new Star Wars content out there. it was a bit less for kids, and more for those who were kids during the prequel era, but I had a good time too-

Disney World 2025 Menu Interlude Part 2

COUNTER SERVICE (and when we’ll need it)

Click here for table service

Dardevil Born Again Season 2 Through a Kid's Eyes: Eerily Timely Review

Hello! I know you have all been dying for my Daredevil review. Well… actually you haven’t because I always do it ridiculously late and it only finished this month. But! I knew that I would need to catch up on this for all the MCU business going on and if I didn’t watch it now it would be in 2027 as predicted in my last review. 

 
This is where the problem begins. 

Disney World 2025 Menu Interlude Part 1

My obsessive love of Disney Food is a great way to mark post number 1600!!!

It is MENU TIME!!! Get your highlighters ready!!! [Later Edit- Anabelle yelled at me, but then did, in fact have a highlighter ready.] 

Daredevil, Born Over and Over Again

Starting with the good stuff, Daredevil is my favorite Marvel character, and I'm glad his show is still going. I have enjoyed the ride a great deal. 

Yes, there will be spoilers.

Disney World 2025 Planning Part 8

Additional Academy Assessment

I finished watching the first season of Starfleet Academy for the second time. Aside from being angry again that it got cancelled before season two aired, here's some short notes that crossed my mind, during, between episodes and after the run.

Disney World 2025 Planning Part 7

So... I Need to Talk About "The Pitt"

Yes, like everyone else, we heard great things about this show on HBO Max. 

However, I normally do not watch hospital shows for three reasons.

Disney World 2025 Planning Part 6

The Making of Jurassic Park- Mistakes!

 An Instagram post about an inaccuracy of how the Brachiosaurus ate in the original Jurassic Park led me to remember and comment about an event that happened shortly after I started my full time job for a medical device company. 

As I cant tell any story without a quick divergence to something similar: Years after that memory- my daughter's class had me come in to juggle and (because school should be educational) also give a talk about the heart and our device. Following the juggling, what I actually do for a living confused the children-  and I quote, "I thought your Dad was a clown."

However, years before that moment to get back on track, because I was still in contact with my fifth grade teacher,  (and my third grade teacher who was then principal and could approve this) she invited me to juggle for her class, and (because school should be educational) also give a talk. However, since I was THE dinosaur kid in their classes  (and likely the school), she asked me to give a talk about dinosaurs. Therefore (since it was 1994, the film was a huge hit and was available via home release and cable) I gave them a presentation based around things the original Jurassic Park got wrong. (Even in the 90's it was an extensive list. We have learned a huge amount more about dinosaurs since then.)

Disney World 2025 Planning Part 5

Long Form Xenomorphs

Well, "Terrifying Sheep" was not on my bingo card for this year in entertainment, yet here we are.

Disney World 2025 Planning Part 4

Strange New Worlds Season Three

A writers strike happened, therefore this season didn't reach the peaks of season two. However, it was still some excellent Star Trek without a stinker in the bunch.

Disney World 2025 Planning Part 3

Good Oscar Night for Horror, No?

Del Toro's  Frankenstein scored a bunch of recognition at awards night this year! Vampires in the form of Sinners did so to an even greater extent. That film also grabbed the public consciousness and I am so glad it did.

Disney World 2025 Planning Part 2

Starfleet Acadamy- A Real Next Generation

At the very opening of this show I worried it would fall into the Star Treks that I'm not a fan of, because it seemed it was showing the Federation in a bad light, and appearing to ignore the normal hopeful future message that is the core of Star Trek. That worry faded quickly, and my opinion changed to, "This is clearly not targeted at me, but it is truly Star Trek, and fantastic that it's goal is to bring in new, young fans, while still having the awesome teaching staff as an identification point for us old Trekkies."

It is kind of startling how quickly my thoughts while watching shifted to:

"IF ANYONE HURTS MY KIDS THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH ME!!!!"

Disney World 2025 Planning Part 1

[Bookend One- This is the first time in McGinley Disney Vacation History that an extended countdown file was initiated knowing the actual launch date.]
 

Transformers Rewatch- Closing Thoughts and a Confession

Well, that was one long and crazy "ROLL OUT!" I truly wish I had ANY control over where this writing addiction takes me and what my brain decides to focus on. 

Transformers Rewatch Beast Machines Season 2D

Endgame Pt. I: The Downward Spiral

Vehicon production kicks off again. Why can Megatron do than when the Maximals still live inside his Giant Floating Head?  
Megatron (trapped in the tiny drone) doesn’t have time to design a new body, so he’s picking out a template. Always fashionable that Megatron. "Yes, my queen."

Strange New Worlds Season Two

Much like the Original Series, this is where this version of Star Trek really hit it's stride. Season One was good, but these episodes raised the bar. It also had some wild and interesting (if emotionally damaging) shifts back and forth in tone from episode to episode. After the first couple of first season stories I was thinking the show was entertaining, but I likely wouldn't rewatch it much. Part way into this season I found myself hoping for a nice "Complete Series Box Set" when they're done.

Transformers Rewatch Beast Machines Season 2C

Sparkwar Pt. I: The Strike

The transformations are getting even more abstract and anime like.
Vehicon General Thrust (who has Waspinator's Spark, for those who can't keep up- or don't care enough) takes another loss in a fight. Poor little doofus

Silverbolt (recently recovered from being the other Vehicon General, for those same groups) is still being a jerk. That’s great.

Of Different Men The Same Woman and Modified Monsters

I was already late on this one, therefore I delayed even further in talking about Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein. (It got a tiny theatrical release in 2025 to meet Oscar requirements, but is mainly on Netflix.) This way it is now almost exactly fifteen years since one of my earliest posts concerning the differences between the original Mary Shelly written novel, and men's interpretations of that tale. I am not behind schedule, I am planning commemorations.

Transformers Rewatch Beast Machines Season 2B

Darkest Knight

Teen-Bat watched everyone on his planet die and was mostly fine. Now he is freaking out over losing Noble/ Savage the guy/ wolf/ dragon/ thing he knew for three days.

Strange New Worlds Season One

I always seem to find the Star Trek series I really like, late. The Original Series counts in this because I wasn't born in time. I'd blame my parents, but I am too busy thanking them for introducing me to it in the first round of syndication.

The only Trek series I enjoy that I saw "real time" was the Animated Series, in my little Spock pajamas and cardboard ears.

That changed this year when Anabelle got a student rate on Paramount for Starfleet Academy, and we've all been having fun with this show. It is clearly targeted at younger viewers, but with stuff for us old Trekkies too. (More on that when the season ends.)