Author Archives: Jill Adler

Official Disneyland App Is A Must For Your Summer Visit

If you’re like me- a Disney geek who’s constantly playing with her smartphone- you’ll appreciate the effort Disneyland is making to keep us all connected. There are a zillion third-party Disneyland apps but now there’s something from the horse’s mouth.

Pros

Find the fun faster with maps of attractions, restaurants and shops. Check attraction wait times, most Character appearance schedules and entertainment show times. My fave is that you can find the closest bathroom and drinking fountain with the Disneyland app. The wait times seem to be quite accurate so if you’d rather not aimlessly wander throughout the park you’ll be checking the app frequently for effective time management.

You can even purchase park tickets instantly from your phone or mobile device. Simply show the barcode at the gate for admission when you first arrive — no ticket booth lines to stand in or e-tickets to print out. but then you won’t have a cute Mickey ticket for a souvenir.

disneytix

Annual Passholders can also link their Annual Passports to the Disneyland App to check Blockout Dates and use the app’s virtual Pass feature to enter the parks (actual Annual Passport must be presented to obtain Disney FASTPASS tickets or to receive Passholder discounts).

 

CONS

The app isn’t without a few drawbacks. Maybe imagineers planned to put the FastPass on the backburner but users grumble about the lack of details in that department. As much as I’d like the convenience of being able to get a FP directly from the app, all of the passes would be gone in seconds if that was an option. There’s something to be said for legwork.

If you click a particular ride in the app it will say whether it offers a FP option but you have to hunt for the actual FP tab. It’s under the Guest Services tab and then the ‘list’ button on the right. That’s a lot of clicking. A dedicated FP tab could also give current return times, which machines are in service and for what attractions. That would be sweet. When I was at Disney Paris more than half of the FastPass machines were shuttered and you wouldn’t know until you jogged over to them. The CMs would tell you they’re out of order and check back. You would go back two or three times to see and they would still be down. Total waste of valuable ride time.

The Disney app is also missing dining wait times and the ability to make and modify reservations. When you click for reservations it takes you to the Disney website but that is obviously something that can be handled within the app.

But really the BIGGEST PROBLEM OF ALL doesn’t have to do with the app itself. Cell reception is spotty in most areas of the park. Management needs to boost the towers so the app is more effective or at least make it so that the app can be used offline. It works that way for the Disney Cruise app, why not for the Parks app?

All in all, however, if you’re planning a trip to Disneyland this summer it’s something you’ll want on the tips of your fingers every minute of your trip.

Download the official Disneyland App at disneyland.com/magic or from the App Store and on Google Play.

*Mobile app ticket sales are available for U.S. and Japan Residents only.

Free Skiing Next Season With Epic SchoolKids- Deadline May 30!

Photo by Marc Piscotty

Skiing and riding in Park City just got a little cheaper for families. The Epic SchoolKids program from Vail Resorts debuted last season at Canyons and Park City to give kids K through 5th five days of free skiing. Well, the deal is back again but the deadline to register is just days away.  You have until May 30 to sign up.

The Epic Schoolkids don’t know how to ski?

No worries if you have never-evers in your brood. Vail has thrown in a free full-day beginner lesson and equipment rentals. “Fostering a love for skiing and snowboarding in kids is a top priority for Vail Resorts,” said Kirsten Lynch, chief marketing officer of Vail Resorts. “It is incredibly important that we continue to find ways to connect kids and families in our local communities and around the state with the mountains and the many benefits of snow sports.”

Eligible Epic SchoolKids simply need to have mom or dad complete the ESK Registration Form and Pass Application (No digital signatures accepted on Pass Application), submit them to epicschoolkidsutah@vailresorts.com along with a digital copy of the student report card/transcript/school ID from a Utah school or birth certificate, a photo of the student (no sunglasses, hats or others in the photo) and a scanned copy of the parent’s Utah state driver’s license.

Once the required documentation is submitted via email, your child’s pass will be mailed to him/her upon processing.

To learn more about the program, visit EpicSchoolKids.com.

Oh, and when you send in your application, make sure you add a note that you read about it here on Ski. Play. Live! Would love to get myself on their radar.  🙂

BTW, I was not paid to write this post. I know a great deal when I see one and wanted to share.

 

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TopGolf Opens In Salt Lake

When is golf like bowling?

I’m not a golfer or a bowler for that matter but I do love knocking pins down once in a while. However, when people mention golf, or me joining them for golf, I’d rather stay home and wash dishes. TopGolf is a game changer. It’s like bowling for golfers. Imagine lanes, wait staff, beer, music, ball return machine, good food, and a computerized score keeper that turns a driving range session into a rowdy match amongst friends where you can play year round.


I was invited to a media sneakpeak of this new sports complex last night and I gotta say, with a price of $25-45/hr including clubs for up to six people it sure beats a night at Jupiter Bowl. Part driving range, part entertainment center, TopGolf is the 25th location for the Texas-based business. Two tiers of driving bays and hours from 9 a.m.- 11 p.m. (1 a.m. on the weekends) provide ample time for you to practice your skills or challenge your best buds.

The 240-yard outfield has dartboard-like targets in the ground the size of small ponds. The closer to the center or “bull’s-eye” you get and the farther out you hit your microchipped balls, the more points you receive. There are also pooltables, shuffleboard, full bar and flatscreens everywhere.The menu rivals any family friendly restaurant in the Valley and includes Dolewhips and house-made donut holes served with syringes of chocolate and Boston cream.


Suddenly, taking a golf swing is more than 20 minutes with a bucket of balls. You bet I’ll be back.

TopGolf officially opens May 20.

First Look: 2016 Bikes and Gear


If you visited Park City, Utah, last June you might think the whole town had gone hardcore. Bikers and tech everywhere. That’s because the annual Bike Press Camp rolled into town, making Deer Valley Resort and its world-class trail system ground zero for editors and writers to witness the latest and greatest in 2016 bikes and gear.

What stands out this year is the proliferation of eBikes. There are even ebike magazines on the stands and online now. Just two years ago, motorized-assisted pedaling was more of a novelty for the North American market. Electronic bikes for 2016, however, seem to be far from faddish and coming on strong. These ‘assisted’ bikes are meant to get former riders and occasional riders back in the saddle more regularly and it’s easy to see how that could happen.

The Jarifa Impulse 27R 3.0 by Focus (hardtail, $3899) will instantly blow you away. The pedal-assist bike (no throttle so it’s not considered ‘motorized’) makes a steep climb feel like a flat fire road. You can adjust the power to still get a workout and even without mad “hardcore” bike skills (i.e. no putting your feet down on steep descents) you can rock single track like a champ.


Even pro-cyclists who may have once thumbed their noses at riding a bike with a battery are doing a double take as the technology comes into its own and the price points begin to approach those of a high-end traditional mountain bike.

 

What To Wear

On the softgoods side, there are some cool new accessories coming out like Sombrio’s Luxe Liner ($90) with lowerback storage, waterproof cellphone pocket and female-specific Formula FX Chamois.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Camelbak’s Women’s Solstice pack from the Lowrider Series has super-comfy curved fleece-edged straps and a bladder that sits low to let your upper back breathe. They’ve integrated a cool little magnetic ‘tube trap’ that automatically secures the drinking tube with just a touch.


Camelbak's Backpacks for 2016 Bikers

Bike Gadgets

Knog (pronounced ‘nog’) introduces several new lighting products including the waterproof Qudos action video light that mounts on your GoPro, DSLR and a tripod. Record your night rides!


Impact dispersion was abuzz at Bike Camp whether it’s for your bum or your head. Take Fabric Technology’s Cell bike seat for example. It uses cones rather than gel to disperse the pressure; think how running shoes cushion your feet.


Kali Protectives‘ in-mold helmet designs put softer materials against your dome for comfort, while using Bumper Fit technology to reduce the impact (and rotational forces) on the brain whether it takes little hits (i.e. those at slower speeds) or big ones. Their top-end road helmet can actually reduce your impact by 25 percent. Even with all of these vents, the Maraka XC off-road helmet is reinforced for ultimate protection.

Smith, too, uses venting to the max. Fifty-four “holes” in the new Forefront mtb helmet, 40 in the Overtake (41 if you include the new “ponytail port”).

There was so much to see and feel at last summer’s Bike Press Camp but it was just a nibble of the delights that will rally you bikers this season. Maybe, just maybe I’ll grab one of those ebikes and pedal harder and faster than ever. Happy Trails!

National Trails Day is Coming


You might need to check the weather forecast but hopefully by June the torrential rains will subside in Utah so we can play on National Trails Day. The American Hiking Society has dubbed June 4, 2016, the day when hundreds of thousands of individuals all across the country will converge at parks, forests, and trails to experience the great outdoors.

Each year for the past 24 years, American Hiking Society, along with local outdoors clubs, businesses, conservation organizations, and parks have invited the public to attend special trail events on National Trails Day.
Activities include hikes, bike rides, trail runs, horseback rides, paddle trips, and kid-specific activities while other events offer stewardship projects including trail maintenance, habitat restoration, and park cleanups.

There will be a few locations in Utah participating on June 4 but these ones use National Trails Day as an opportunity for service projects. If you don’t mind giving back by weeding or placing trail signs then start your day in the Cottonwoods or Wasatch Mountain State Park in Midway, Utah. Click here for details.

The events are free, family-friendly, and provide excellent introductions to anyone looking to honor our American trail systems. You can also use June 4 as a time to find other adventure seekers in your hood.

Parks, clubs, and other organizations can still register their June 4 events for free at AmericanHiking.org for inclusion in a publicly searchable database.  “Registering an event makes it easy for the public to find nearby activities matching their specific interests,” according to American Hiking Society President Gregory Miller.

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