Newsletter Update - Summer Vacation 2025 Edition

July 2025 Update

On Vacation

This will be a brief update, as I’m making some announcements and explaining my absence. I went on a mini vacation this weekend to celebrate my daughter’s sixth birthday at Disney World. It was exciting because I hadn’t been to Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios in about a decade, and it was great to create memories for my daughter. As much as I enjoyed it, it did open my eyes to how things have gotten as someone who used to go a lot. These parks were always pricey, especially the food, but they’re even MORE expensive than the last time I went. I get it, with inflation and all, but it took my wife and me aback just how expensive they got. It’s as if Disney became the stereotype many made of them.

The attendance was lower than average, despite being the summer vacation season. I did read that theme park attendance has had issues in the post-COVID era, but we were able to walk into some pretty popular rides fairly easily. The real killer for us was the heat, not the lines, as it was so hot that I was a sweating machine. I enjoyed the rides I went on, and the food, although ridiculously expensive, was top-notch. The restaurant Tony’s at Magic Kingdom way surpassed my expectations. As for my daughter, we had her do a princess makeover they offer, and she chose to be dressed as Belle. I’m happy I could provide a big-time memory for her. As for future vacations or theme park visits? I’ve always been a massive fan of EPCOT because I call it the ultimate hangout destination, and I want to do that again. I also badly want to visit Epic Universe and return to Halloween Horror Nights. Either way, it's a solid vacation, considering how little I've been able to go out in recent times.

I got a Switch 2!

Yep, I caved. I received a raise from my job that included back pay, and I decided to go ahead and get the Switch 2 with it to get it over with—a few reasons why I caved after planning to wait til next year. First, my wife and I are going to tackle our credit card debt so that I will be more strict with my spending. With Switch 2 being the main way to play future Nintendo games, I wanted just to go ahead and get it now so I could focus on those other financial goals. Second, the Donkey Kong Bananza direct sold me so much on the game that it’s now my most anticipated game of the summer. Lastly, the tariffs and stupid trade wars have me worried Nintendo will raise the Switch 2’s price, and it’s already higher than normal for a Nintendo system. So I figured I'd rather get it now before the price goes up.

How do I feel about the system after a couple of days? I’m going to write an article sharing my impressions and publish it next week. My goal is to publish three articles next week, but it may end up being just two, as my wife got really sick after the vacation, and I’m starting to feel a bit under the weather as well. With us being in our mid-thirties, going on multi-day theme parks might be a bit of a workout now. I’ll say this, the system feels like both a new system and a Switch Pro, it is the Switch on steroids, and I mean that in a good way. Mario Kart World has been a blast and is only making me more hyped for the future titles we have yet to see.

Gaming Plans

Getting the Switch 2 has completely reshuffled my gaming plans for the summer. First, my primary focus this month is going to be Mario Kart World and Donkey Kong Bananza. What does this mean for Death Stranding 2? Well… I’m going to have to be patient and follow my advice not to feel pressured and wait until August. My summer plans essentially are to play and review Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, Death Stranding 2, and finish up my Kameo: Elements of Power session. I’m also going to give Wuchang: Fallen Feathers a try and see if it sticks with me. Until August, I’ll be doing my best to avoid spoilers for DS2 and focusing on my new Switch 2. The new Kojima masterpiece will have to wait a bit longer for me.

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Be Nice to All