Day 798: J'adore Disney

French is definitely not my strong suit...not by a long shot. But on the other hand, it seems to be one of the best places to come up with blog post topics, and I finally figured out why. Teachers that love Disney are kind of hard to come by, and by love Disney I mean LOVE Disney. There's the usual, "Yeah I like Disney Movies" and the occasional "Disney is awful," (I've actually heard that more than once), but every so often you find one that will literally have an entire whispered conversation in the middle of class with you about how much you love the parks.

It all started the other day when we were discussing calling cards in French class. Our professor showed us his French calling card, which just so happens to have Mickey and Minnie on it because, apparently, Disneyland Paris is a pretty big thing, at least for the Disney fan that lives in France (I definitely hope to get there someday)! He said a little more about all the Disney parks and I helped out a bit by supplying the info on Shanghai, but he knew all the rest of the parks, and I left class that day mentioning to Megan how he had talked about Disney and that I had a suddenly good feeling about this. The next day (or maybe a day or two later, I can't remember), there was another discussion where Disney came up, and as our TA, Victor, led the class, my Prof pulled up his usual chair right next to me since I sit on the end of the row. Then, somewhere along the line when Disney was mentioned, we ended up having this whole conversation about Disney and how he's been to various parks and lived in Anaheim as a kid and loves Disney. 

Boy, did that put a smile on my face. 

I do believe that finding fellow fans is one of the greatest parts of being a part of a fandom, and yes, Disney definitely counts. Social media has certainly proven to me over the past year or so that there are plenty of people out there who identify with you on a crazy level. I've found friends in the Once Upon A Time fandom, and friends via Instagram, where we all post our Disney Parks Pictures. But finding someone who shares your passion in real life? That's even greater. Just a few weeks ago I actually realized that there has to be another crazy Disney fan who lives in my very dorm, since I saw a car pulling out of our parking lot with a license plate that said something along the lines of "Disney Fan." I'll probably never find that person, but I'm keeping it in mind if I see the car again.

And that's one of the things I love most about Disney...it brings people together. When a fandom unites, some serious magic is possible, such as the fact that CaptainSwan has pulled together and is now featured as one of the top two TV Couples on EOnline (you can go vote for the final two HERE through Thursday March 19), a feat that definitely wouldn't of happened if the fandom really worked together. It's just another example of how social media and fandom friends can make a difference. 

To be totally honest, I can't wait for August and the D23 Expo, where I'm certain I'll finally get to meet many of my Disney friends (and some of the leaders of our wonderful fandom). I'm counting down the days everyone, and of course, the blog gets to come with me, so get yourselves ready too!

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on March 16 due to Midterms).