Orlando

Coffee at Disney World and Universal Studios

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Hello Coffee Lovers,

It’s no secret that I love coffee. So when I go on vacation I look for good coffee. It’s a weird obsession that my wife, thankfully, tolerates.

When I first went to Disney World and Universal at 28, I expected that they would either have their own coffee company or have Starbucks everywhere. I was half right. The coffee at the parks and resorts can be split into three categories: Terrible, Starbucks, and Gourmet.

Coffee at the Parks and Resorts

Terrible

I’m pretty tolerant of bad coffee, but the stuff they sell in Disney World and Universal Studios is terrible. It varies from booth to restaurant from being weak to sludge and everything in between.

If you’re at any Disney Park, except Magic Kingdom, skip the coffee at the restaurant and get some Joffrey’s.

If you’re at Universal Studios or Magic Kingdom, get Starbucks.

Universal offers coffee in their rooms and it’s passable, but you’re better off waiting for Starbucks.

Starbucks

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Both Disney World and Universal have Starbucks in their parks. Disney World has a location in Epcot and a location in Magic Kingdom. Universal has a Starbucks in each of their resorts.

Both have them in their shopping districts (Universal Citywalk and Disney Springs.)

Gourmet

Starbucks is, unfortunately, the best you’ll get at Universal.

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Disney World has an arrangement with Joffrey’s coffee. They are a gourmet roaster from Tampa Bay. They supply coffee to Disneyland, Disney World, and Disney’s Hawaiian resort Aulani. The coffee is good. It’s not revolutionary but it’s definitely worth looking for around the parks.

Joffrey’s also supplies the resorts and the rooms with coffee. Staying at a resort that has good coffee is always a treat. They have kiosks in Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Disney Springs, and Hollywood Studios that sell good coffee.

They are also the coffee used for the better sit down restaurants, including Belle’s Castle. Some of the sit down restaurants have pour over or French press that is to die for and certain resorts have unique blends.

A notable mention for coffee is the Moroccan Pavilion at Epcot that sell a Moroccan coffee that is both yummy and packs a punch.

Bringing Home Coffee

If you enjoyed Joffrey’s coffee, they have a store in Disney Springs that sells both Tea and Coffee. The selection is limited here though. If you try a coffee from a kiosk or your resort and love it you can normally buy a bag from them. (I regret not buying some Kenyan coffee from Animal Kingdom.) They also have an impressive selection on their website with decent shipping costs to Canada.

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Disney itself sells Mickey’s Really Swell Diner Coffee. The regular roast comes in large cans and the flavoured ones come in packs of eight small cans. You can also get a small can with a Disney Coffee Press. The coffee itself is exactly as it says. It’s good diner coffee (I’m drinking some now). Some of the flavours are better than others, but overall the flavoured coffee is good.

You can also bring Starbucks beans home with you, but they’re what you’d buy almost anywhere, with the exception of the light roast beans that vary from country to country.

 

Overall the coffee at the parks is worth drinking and definitely worth experimenting with.

Enjoy your Coffee,

Éric

Blush: Respect

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Last week, I received this anonymous question in Blush’s inbox:

Screen grab from Blush's email account blushcardgame@gmail.com
Screen grab from Blush’s email account blushcardgame@gmail.com

While this could have been funny if it was from a friend, the fact that it remains anonymous sets off a seriously creepy vibe. I also feel disrespected and upset.
One of the reasons I created the game Blush is to open the conversation about sex. Make it less taboo to talk about, and to normalize conversations about topics that may seem, to some people, awkward and uncomfortable. Topics like LGBT and transgender issues will be less mysterious.

“The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown”
― H.P. Lovecraft, Supernatural Horror in Literature

Sex, gender, and all the other topics that are covered in Blush should not be unknown! Maybe I’m extrapolating, but I feel like if people understood and respected one another a little bit better, we won’t have to live through another massacre like that in Orlando on June 12, 2016.

“[…]We lived through times when hate and fear seemed stronger;
We rise and fall and light from dying embers
Remembrances that hope and love last longer
And love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love cannot be killed or swept aside. […]”
― Lin-Manuel Miranda at the 2016 Tony Awards

June 12 was our anniversary (seven years this year!), and I spent a lot of time on that day thinking about how privileged we are; to live in Canada, to be in a “socially accepted relationship”, to be alive, to be allowed to love. And yet, I receive messages like the one above. Granted, that message is TAME. I feel fortunate that whoever it was only went that far. But would they have said that over the phone? If I knew who they were? The internet allows a certain level of anonymity that makes people feel as though they can say whatever they want with no repercussions. Sure, this person won’t know how uncomfortable they made me feel (unless they read this), but that doesn’t mean that someone didn’t get hurt.

I hope that people treat each other with more respect soon. I hope that I’m bringing our daughter into a world that respects and loves and cares about all human life, no matter who they love, what they look like, or where they come from.

As for what I’m wearing right now? Clothing.

P.S. If one of my friends did send me that message as a joke, please let me know so that I can stop worrying about it! I won’t be mad at you.

Being Hateful

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Hello My Imaginary Friends,

Sometimes I forget my rule of not commenting on mean comments.

Someone commented on an ad for the Goat Story Mug on facebook and posted a video about how it was hipster crap.

I was mildly offended seeing as I’m really enjoying my mug. Yes, it’s a little hipster but it also really useful for a klutz like me. I’ve dropped more than my share of coffee cups with disastrous effects. I’ve dropped the Goat Mug several times now and it hasn’t even leaked. That’s pretty damn good for something that cost $25.

So of course the original poster’s reaction was to attack me and then his friend joined in. I think overall they called me fat, stupid, and compared me to a tv character I don’t know. It still hurt, despite being pretty lame. I was tempted to go all Cyrano on them but decided it was a bad idea.

If you really want to read it, it’s here. (Please don’t comment to defend me. They’re not worth it.)

Trolls
It’s brought two things to mind. I wish Facebook had a way to declare that someone stole a photo. But more importantly it reminded me that it’s easy to hate.

Hate is easy

I’m just as guilty as anyone else of making a comment about Nickleback or something else that’s easy to hate.

It’s fun to pick on something and feel superior. It’s an easy joke and an easy boost to our self-worth. It’s also hurtful and mean.

It’s a great way to cover insecurities or fear.

Orlando

I don’t think I can talk about hate or fear this week without mentioning the Orlando Massacre.

It happened because of hate and hatefulness. Some say it’s a hate crime against the LGBTQ community and others say it’s a Terrorist attack against the US. It’s both. It’s also the act of a deeply deranged person who was filled with hate.

See, here’s the problem with hate, it eats at you and makes you the worst version of yourself. You hate and that makes you angry. The anger makes you hateful which makes those around you angry with or against you; either way it fuels the anger.

It’s easy to be angry and hateful. Much easier than trying to understand the loss, hurt, or pain. It’s easier to be consumed by hate than to be destroyed by sorrow.

Events like this are an opportunity for us to go towards hate or towards understanding. The true antithesis of hate is knowledge. When you can understand someone, you can at the very least feel some compassion.

When someone is being hateful and mean, it’s important to understand that it has more to do with them then it does you. That means that a lot of the hate you need to ignore. Get a hug from a friend or talk it out with someone who cares about you. 90% of the hate you won’t be able to change.

If it’s something you feel is important, however, then you need to talk about it. Know who you’re talking to and remember that not everyone is worth your time. Sometimes it’s better to cut the hate out of your life.

 

Take care,

Éric