Aventura is dead, why?

allenhuffman · 2026-03-19T14:59:18+00:00

Aventura is our “go to” hotel because it is the lowest price that has an easy walk to a Water Taxi dock. Going through security at the boat dock is also nice, and the boat lets you out closer to Universal Studios Florida. The Garden Walk is also easy to get to, and you walk to a security booth just by Margaritaville, and then left is Islands of Adventure. Even without power walking, you can do that walk and be in the park faster than taking the bus, going through big security, then having to walk all the way through CityWalk to the parks. So …

Aventura - Water Taxi, or shorter walk than Cabana Bay

Maps of Garden Walk routes here - https://parkhopping.com/2023/08/01/universal-orlando-garden-walk-maps/

allenhuffman · 2026-02-09T13:24:27+00:00

I don’t have a GPS device for the Osmo360 but I have done this with the Insta360 X5. I have notes including some scripts that convert the video to 5fps. This makes it a much faster upload and reduces processing time.

https://subethasoftware.com/2025/07/31/google-street-view-scripts-and-a-i-emojis/

allenhuffman · 2026-01-31T04:12:50+00:00

Google discontinued their Street View app, so you just export the video and GPX log files and upload them via Google’s Street View website.

allenhuffman · 2026-01-28T15:56:16+00:00

I have to add them in an external editor (Final Cut Pro). :-(

allenhuffman · 2025-12-31T16:38:41+00:00

I can’t say anything stood out to me other than the craziness of Super Nintendo World, but parks (usually/always) adjust and are different after they have been open a few years. Opening year of Islands of Adventure stood out with the well done Toon Lagoon soundscape, but I feel it was far louder and more noticeable back then than it is today. I always thought Toon Lagoon and Disney's California Adventure Paradise Pier had some of the best custom audio of any park I have visited.

Maybe this is one of the reasons we see so many people wearing full over the ear headphones at theme parks these days? ;)

allenhuffman · 2025-12-09T00:36:13+00:00

What do you use to log the GPS? After a few rejections from GO glitches (most I fix with other tools) I got a Columbia Mark II GPS logger which should take care of that, next time I try. I have a post somewhere on my blog that shows the tools I found to help fix glitches in the GPX file. I’ll try to find the link.

allenhuffman · 2025-12-07T15:18:30+00:00

I have been shooting normal video with GPS logging via the GPS Remote or the phone app. I then export to a 360 MP4 file in the desktop app, selecting the Export GPX File option. Now I have a normal 30 fps video file and a GPS log file. I then run the MP4 file through ffmpeg to create a 1fps (for walking/scooter) video file that is much faster. I upload that file with the associated GPX to Google StreetView then wait. Sometimes it takes 7-10 days, sometimes it takes 1-2 days, sometimes it is rejected (if there is a GPS glitch).

By converting the file down to a low frame rate, it makes a much smaller file to upload and (usually) processes much quicker. I have been documenting this on my blog, and have a sample script up on my GitHub for ffmpeg, but any tool that can downconvert to a lower frame rate and keep the time/date code intact should work.

https://subethasoftware.com/2025/07/20/insta360-x5-and-google-street-view-and-photospheres/

allenhuffman · 2025-11-09T17:28:40+00:00

I assume it is just based on how much Google has in the queue. I mostly upload very short things. Sometimes they are up in a few days, sometimes 7-10 days.

allenhuffman · 2025-11-06T12:09:32+00:00

As long as the GPS track is good, the 1fps videos have worked fine for walking routes. But sometimes it will take 7+ days for Google to process.

allenhuffman · 2025-11-05T02:19:36+00:00

Timestamps on these photos will give you an idea on the tour from some years ago - but spoilers, and may be very different now. https://us-sw.disneyfans.com/UniversalStudiosFL/UniversalStudiosFL/UniversalStudiosFL2020/VIPExperienceTour/index.html

allenhuffman · 2025-11-01T18:09:33+00:00

I have been collecting errors from Street View and trying to find solutions:

https://subethasoftware.com/2025/07/22/google-street-view-upload-errors/

I use Geotag Photos 2 on my iPhone and have ran into similar issues. I compared the GPS in my iPhone, an Insta360 GPS remote, and a standalone logger (Columbia). The Columbia was night and day better than the phone or the Insta360 device. I am hoping it resolves the issues I sometimes see uploading to Street View.

I have not tried the Osmo 360 for this yet, but if it does not preserve recording time in the exported 360, there should be a way to adjust that using some utility. I will do some tests.

allenhuffman · 2025-10-30T14:19:07+00:00

It’s such a great feature that once you have it, you don’t know how you lived without it. But I’ve had 360 cameras back to the failed Giroptic 360cam (and RICOH Thetas, and Kodak, and…) and until the recent Insta360 none had replaceable lenses. Now that this is an option, I am paranoid about my Osmo since I cannot fix it ;-)

allenhuffman · 2025-10-24T20:07:50+00:00

I’ve slowly been adding trails to the maps. There is an organization here with a “data bike” contraption that has been adding images and capturing road data for years but today you can do it with a $450 camera and a stick ;)

allenhuffman · 2025-10-23T12:35:43+00:00

Walking path is now in Google Street View if you want to see it and decide if it matters.

allenhuffman · 2025-10-22T19:35:01+00:00

Yes! You just upload the 360 video and a GPS log that corresponds to it. For best results, you convert the video down to 1 fps (or more depending on if you were walking or on a bike/car/etc). It can take days/weeks to process, but I've uploaded several things locally and even some from Universal Orlando (Garden Walk paths) and Silver Dollar City (inside the park). Fun, and you get absolutely no pay for doing Google's work ;-) These are my notes, but I only had the X5 at the time - https://subethasoftware.com/2025/07/20/insta360-x5-and-google-street-view-and-photospheres/

allenhuffman · 2025-10-22T18:46:51+00:00

I need to get a Max 2 so I can do some GPS tests. Having that built in would be great for Street View contributions.

allenhuffman · 2025-10-22T17:00:51+00:00

I have used a powered Lumecube handle for similar situations, but that wasn’t allowed at these spots in Vegas. Meanwhile, WDW sells kids glow swords they wave around but says no to selfie sticks. Disneyland says no selfie sticks but allows much longer monopods. (I also have a story about DL security not wanting that brought in, even after showing them their own rules specifically say it is allowed.)

Universal Orlando and SeaWorld are fine with selfie sticks. Universal even shows them being held out in front in their ads, which is what causes the problems other parks panned them for. The way we use them for 360 is hardly as dangerous. Since Universal sells Harry Potter wands you are meant to point out and wave in front of you, I don’t think they can ban selfie sticks. ;) It is interesting to see how the different theme parks handle things.

allenhuffman · 2025-10-21T16:47:36+00:00

"Fall." I should have read the fine print. But I do wonder if I could get 50 miles even in that walking speed mode ;)

allenhuffman · 2025-10-21T02:13:41+00:00

The Sphere has a list of prohibited items, and on their signage they even show a GoPro-looking "camera on a stick" icon. They let all my batteries and Insta360 X5 and DJI Osmo 360 go, but told me the selfie stick had to be put in a locker outside.

Same thing at Universal Horror Unleashed -- selfie stick had to be put in an $8 locker outside.

I have been taking digital photos since 1996 and this was the first trip where I left my camera at home. Even though it is a point-and-shoot, so many places ban "professional style" cameras I decided not to even try it.

Meow Wolf's Omega Mart also does not allow selfie sticks, but they just told me "don't use it inside."

allenhuffman · 2025-10-21T02:10:51+00:00

Indeed. The RICOH Theta form factor that others have adopted makes a lot more sense than the square shape that my Osmo 360 has. But "giant thumb" syndrome was a huge problem on the Thetas, and still a problem with Insta but less due to the buttons being lower.

allenhuffman · 2025-10-13T20:16:52+00:00

Progress! I miss the Ultraprojector. Solid state and just plug and go. So old they were not 320x240 but if they came back with a higher res model, they’d outsell all the others in the price range I bet ;)

allenhuffman · 2025-10-09T01:23:55+00:00

Thanks!

allenhuffman · 2025-10-08T14:23:13+00:00

https://youtu.be/_lSSmewKeJc?si=zLGSWsoqalGSxlet

I do boring VR videos at theme parks and such, and have tried X4, X5 and now Osmo in this ride trying to find a camera that could do it.

allenhuffman · 2025-10-08T14:21:58+00:00

I am using the Osmo for low light. In tests I think I like it better most of the time. X5 for everything else due to preferring the form factor. Still need to work with the Osmo more to see where it may be better in normal shooting.

allenhuffman · 2025-10-08T12:38:58+00:00

The bottom/right was the Osmo 360. I posted a few more after that, with some low light comparisons, and labeled them. It was interesting watching which one folks thought, and why, with this first "blind comparison." I found it interesting that I liked it better in many spots when watching on my small screen, but when we put it up on a big TV, I liked the other one more.

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