MacManX.comLast time, Sarah and I went to the big island of Hawaii during the late December holiday season. We wanted to avoid touristy things this time around, so we opted for mid-January. It turns out, that’s still peak tourism season, but there were less cruise ship arrivals this time, and we were avoiding tourist things anyway, so it all worked out.
Overall, it was great to see Mom and her friends again, and to hang around the Kona district again. Here are some of my favorite photos:
Yesterday, Sarah and I visited Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge again after first visiting a few months ago. This time, we were able to visit Oga’s Cantina a few times, and finally sample most of the drinks. It’s only been a few months sure, but it doesn’t look worn down at all, in fact it looks no different, probably due to the clever choice of basing it on an already worn down location.
If you stop by Oga’s Cantina, you’re going to want to try the Jet Juice and Dagobah Slug Slinger for sure. Earlier, I mentioned that Galaxy’s Edge has some of the best food in Disneyland, by far, but I forgot to leave some recommendations. Make sure that you stop by Ronto Roasters for a Ronto Wrap, and Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo for a Roasted Endorian Tip-Yip Salad.
Here are some photos from our return trip:
A quick note, some of these were touched up in Pixelmator Pro, which is on sale half-off until October 29!
For more photos and recommendations, see my first post on Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
I just got back from our annual Automattic Grand Meetup in Orlando, Florida. We had over 800 employees from across the globe, suddenly filling 1 hotel for the week. I love building things in person with people I usually only communicate with via text (and the occasional GIF). It can be a bit overwhelming, but I always walk away with a few new friends.
Speaking of that, this was my first time working closely with my new team. I used to only support Jetpack, but now I participate in public support for Jetpack, WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Akismet, VaultPress, Gravatar, WordAds, Crowdsignal, and Simplenote! Our team is almost evenly spread across timezones, so we don’t often get a chance to be online together, much less in the same room for a week. 🙂
We built and learned quite a bit, and though we have no specific announcements yet, please watch the blogs of the above products for exciting news. Oh, and did you know we acquired Tumblr? So, the Tumblr Blog too! As for myself, I have a few photos to share:
In case you’re wondering, that last photo is of our very talented band of Automatticians.
For more photos, stop by the a8cgm tag on WordPress.com and on Instagram too.
If any of this looks interesting to you, we’re always hiring!
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is the newest themed land inside Disneyland Park. Sarah and I visited a few days ago with a few friends, and for a Star Wars fan, the experience is simply breathtaking. Imagineers have truly outdone themselves here, as Galaxy’s Edge has a look that does not match any other land in the park, it’s hard to describe, but it doesn’t look fake. It really feels like you’re walking through Black Spire Outpost.
The first things you’ll probably notice as you enter Galaxy’s Edge are that the buildings are suitably weathered and most are unmarked (you’ll need the Disneyland Mobile App to get around, or just try every automatic door), most products in the outdoor market area have a very handmade look to them (like they were built by the folks who run the shops), ships are docked throughout, Stormtroopers are often patrolling the area, and the official playlist really ties it all together.
In particular, the Stormtroopers actually interact and improvise with the crowd, which is not something I’ve seen in any other part of Disneyland, outside of scheduled (and mostly scripted) events. This video isn’t mine, but it’s adorable:
If you’re planning to visit Galaxy’s Edge soon, here are my recommendations:
Photos don’t do Galaxy’s Edge justice, especially mine, but here’s a small gallery:
If you live in California, or you’re planning to visit soon, visit Disneyland and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. You won’t be disappointed!
Update: For more photos and recommendations, see our return trip to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
This is the first year that Mom has lived on the big island of Hawaii, so Sarah and I decided it would be good to spend some of the winter break down there this year, mostly around the Kona district. We had a great time, and you know I love to take photos, so here are some of my favorites.
