Day 1271: The First Time

No, the above picture is not from my first trip to Walt Disney World, but really, at this point, I don't have a lot of pictures from that trip. I do have some video, which I'm hoping to transfer, but beyond that I don't even have any memories of my own. I mean, I was 15 months old, so I don't know how I would remember any of that, but still. 

The truth is, things were pretty different at Walt Disney World during my first trip. The first time I saw Cinderella Castle, and I love to tell this story, it wasn't blue. It was pink. For the 25th anniversary they decorated the castle as a giant pink birthday cake, and the outcome was sort of...odd. When I find the pictures of it I'll be sure to share, but in the meantime you can definitely find some on Google. Just search "Cinderella Castle 25th Anniversary." Actually, the first two trips I took, that's how the castle looked. Can you imagine if I had been older? I probably would have thought that it was supposed to look like that. 

Horizons was still there, as was the Skyway and Dreamflight. Food Rocks was the highlight of The Land, and Dreamfinder was even still hanging with Figment. World of Motion would have just closed for it's transformation into Test Track, and, at the time, a giant Toy Story Parade graced the streets of the then MGM-Studios. In the Backlot, things were drastically different, with an extended tour and residential street still intact. Oh, and Animal Kingdom didn't even exist. 

As I go through that old video I'll be sure to share some of the differences I find with you, and hopefully I'll have pictures and video clips to back myself up! But I do think that looking back to our first trips is sort of an important and fun thing to do. After all, Disney World changes quickly, and sometimes we don't realize just how quickly until we take a look back. 

Have a magical day!

Day 1267: Castles

Just a quick blog post today to share that the world has finally been graced with a graphic that helps describe the size of the Disney Castles throughout the world! 

While we were talking about Shanghai the other day, I was trying to describe the size of the castle to my roommate and couldn't figure out a good way to describe it. Obviously, the Shanghai castle is the largest ever, but how does it actually stack up against Walt Disney World and Disneyland? 

While I'm honestly unsure where the above graphic originated, it does a great job of showcasing how the castles compare! I actually find it really interesting that the three castles defined as Sleeping Beauty Castle are smaller than both of the Cinderella Castles. And then you just have Enchanted Storybook Castle over there, bigger than all of them. I do suppose it makes me feel a bit better knowing that Shanghai is only a few feet taller than the one I see all the time at Magic Kingdom, but you know, seeing it for myself wouldn't be all that bad either! 

Have a magical day!

Day 1227: Disney Accessories We Wish We Owned

You can't deny that there aren't a whole slew of Disney accessories that you might wish to own yourself. I know I spend more than my fair share time dreaming about all the things I could own if only I had the money to actually purchase them. And the great thing about accessories is many of them are perfect for both at home and in the parks, for Disneybounding and regular outfits! These are just a few of those accessories: 

Lately I've been obsessing over the various Minnie Ears you can now find on Etsy, like these Rose Gold ones from TheBowMama. There are tons of Etsy shops out there selling all sorts of different designs, so be sure to check out a bunch of them before you make your final decisions! 

And then there's these shirts, which you have to admit, are some of the best shirts in the world. They're also sold on Etsy, but by AllThingsCuteDecals and to be completely honest, this is up at the top of my list of things to buy soon! 

MagicBands are almost becoming the ultimate Disney World accessory, and The Disney Store sells all kinds of them! Personally I'm in love with this one featuring Cinderella Castle, but really I'm just waiting for the day we get a Spaceship Earth design.

One of my friends here at college has the most adorable castle necklace from The Disney Store that she wears all the time, and while this isn't the exact same one, it would be a perfect addition to the closet of any Disney fan! 

But if we're being honest, don't you think a real pair of glass slippers would be the absolute perfect Disney accessory? If you figure out where to buy some...and how to make them more comfortable, let me know because I'll buy them straight away! 

What are some of your favorite Disney Accessories? 

Have a magical day!

Day 1033: GIF World

Since I've been so into using GIFs lately, it occurred to me that while I have some really priceless Colin O'Donoghue and Harrison Ford GIFs, as well as a few reactions from other things, but nothing that's just plain Disney in regards to, say, the parks. So I went looking for Disney World GIFs, not because I wanted to use them for anything specific, but because I thought it might be fun and calming.

I don't know what it is about watching this GIF of Splash Mountain over and over again, but it makes everything else in life seem unimportant. 

I feel like watching this Space Mountain one for too long would cause some medical issues though...

What's more beautiful than a GIF of World of Color? Other than THIS: 

And, of course, did you really expect this to go on without anything Spaceship Earth related? 

I could watch these for hours...and just because we all need a laugh every once and a while, here's a bonus featuring our favorite Sith: 

Now I feel like I want to make GIFs of every Disney attraction. Maybe that'll have to be a New Years Resolution or something: learn how to make GIFs and then GIF every Disney World attraction. I act as though I have way too much time on my hands haha. 

Have a magical day! 

(Note: This blog post was written on December 31).

Day 1030: In the Air

On the old "A Day at Magic Kingdom" VHS that I have, there's this part where they showcase a couple of old hot air balloons, and honestly, I didn't know much about them aside from the fact that I really, really wanted to go on one. In our world today, you can certainly book a trip on the Characters in Flight Hot Air Balloon that calls Disney Springs home, but the balloons in the video that I grew up with are a bit more unique. 

I happened to see the following picture on Tumblr, which got me thinking about the balloons, and now I can't really stop thinking about them.

While I have to admit that the giant Mickey and Donald heads as balloons weirds me out just a little bit, they are still pretty awesome, and way cooler than any hot air balloon I've ever seen in real life. Of course, there's also these two: 

I have no idea how such balloons can be made, but I sure like them, especially the Spaceship Earth one. Obviously it had to have flown in my lifetime because the Epcot portion of the decor wasn't put on until after 2000, and I remember very well when that 2000 was put on, and when it was changed to the Epcot that stayed until a number of years ago. The castle is pretty awesome too though, don't you think? 

I'd certainly be interested in hearing more about these balloons, so if you have any information I'd be happy to hear about it, but otherwise let me know in the comments below what kind of Disney hot air balloon you would want to fly in. Would it be a Spaceship Earth balloon like me or something entirely different? 

Have a magical day! 

(Note: This blog post was written on December 31).

Day 919: On the Table

It seems to me that since booking my next trip to Walt Disney World, I've definitely been stuck in a very Disney state of mind, which in my terms is 100% acceptable. It's probably not as nice for my friends, family and roommates, but as far as I go, I'm happy. Regardless, sometimes Disney is just there...on the table...in our kitchen.

Every year my family enters projects at the county fair, which just happens to be held a whole five minutes from our house. Granted, I don't enter anymore, but my mom does, and so does my brother. However, photography tends to be a whole family affair, as we're all taking so many pictures all the time that we sort of loose track of who took what...meaning that once mom has the pictures edited and printed, we all sit down in the kitchen and pick out which ones should actually be entered into the fair. As you can see, the amount of Disney that's generally entered is pretty high...and this was just the vacation category...

Each year the categories Mom enters in vary a little bit, but pictures from Disney are definitely a huge part of our lives because we're all so into photography (although lately I've definitely taken up the video end of the spectrum). This isn't all we use the pictures for though, as most of these will end up in one of many photo albums. Our basement is filled with them, and I actually went through a few of them a while back and scanned some more pictures that I'm sure will end up on the blog here sooner rather than later. When Mom does finally go through and put them into the albums she does so by park, however, and that means that sometimes things get a bit hard to identify. I continuously impress people with my ability to look at a picture of the ground or a plant and correctly identify it's location at Walt Disney World. It's a game...and it's definitely one I love to play. 

Have a magical day!

Day 866: Who Didn't Know?

It's hard to stump a "Die-Hard" Disney fan. It really, really is. My roommates try to do it sometimes and it just doesn't work. I don't know everything, oh no, not by a long shot, but as a Disney fan I have a good amount of base knowledge, and what may seem like the most little detail is actually the stuff I thrive on.

And that's why THIS article from PopSugar made my brother and I laugh.

Not to say it's not a good article, because I'm sure there are Disney fans out there who won't know at least a few of these, but 39 Disney World facts that even a die-hard fan wouldn't know? Good Luck! There were a few that surprised me, on the other hand, but only a few, and here's what they were:

Each Day, an average of 210 pairs of sunglasses are turned into Disney's Lost and Found. 

Alright, so I didn't know this one, but I don't know every statistic. There's one that comes up later, about Hamburgers I believe, that I actually did know though, a fact I'm quite proud of!

There are 4,000 acres of gardens and maintained park landscapes. (3,000 football fields). 

It's another statistic, and while I knew it was a lot, I didn't know it was quite that much. I mean, 3,000 football fields? That's crazy! But props to the Disney Horticulture Department for keeping it all looking beautiful! That's a lot of hard work!

Wait...that's only two things, and that's the truth. Of 39 items, there were only two that I honestly didn't know. Does this mean that I'm beyond a Die-Hard Disney fan? Maybe, but it could also mean that some of these facts aren't exactly unknown. After all, I'm pretty sure we can all figure out that EPCOT is 32 years old (33 this year) and stands for Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow. And I think the fact about the dream suite in Cinderella Castle can almost go without mention.

The point here is this: These articles make me feel like a real Disney expert, but they're also things that some of my friends could do simply because they spend time with me. Walt Disney World is an extremely complex place, and there's a lot more that goes on behind the scenes than the fact about Trader Sam being the headhunter on The Jungle Cruise (although, if you notice, the picture they use isn't from Walt Disney World at all). There are some really interesting facts out there, and if you love Disney like I do, I highly recommend going out and finding a Disney World Trivia book. It'll be well worth your while!

How many of the facts did you know? Let me know in the comments below!

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on May 24 due to computer issues).

Day 678: A Frozen Wish

I feel like with Frozen, you either love it or you don't. There is no in between, especially when it comes to Disney fans. As awesome as the film is, and it's great that it was so absolutely successful, there are a lot of hardcore Disney fans that are just sick of the entire thing. And then there are the people that are the exact opposite and wish for everything to be Frozen all the time. It's an odd, but delicate balance.

I, personally, I stuck in the middle...sort of. It depends on the day whether I love or hate Frozen, and even today I'm not sure where I stand. When I saw the film, I did fall in love. I loved the music and the plot and the characters and...we've already covered this multiple times over. And I loved Frozen for quite some time, and then I just kind of got sick of it. And then it was decided that they would be on Once and I groaned a little bit...and then I met the versions on OUAT and fell in love and then I was definitely back in that state. In fact, Georgina Haig, who plays Elsa on Once, posted the other day about how she's finished filming for the show and I just wanted it to be a lie because I want them to stay forever.

And then the Christmas stuff at Disney started.

Now, I can't really say that I ever attended the castle lighting ceremony at Magic Kingdom. Maybe once I did a really long time ago, but I certainly haven't seen it recently, and I did watch the Frozen version that's brand new this year. To be honest, it almost made me cry. The simple ease and smoothness between the actors, the projection, lights and fireworks makes the entire thing mesmerizing.

And then they decide that the Christmas Parade will be Frozen and everything else will be Frozen and FROZEN, FROZEN, FROZEN!

So I'm back to wondering if I like Frozen or not. It's a difficult decision to say the least, especially when your opinion seems to change with the day. For now though, let's all just watch the Frozen Castle Lighting Ceremony:

Have a magical day!

Day 608: On the iPhone

I was coming up with topics to fill the empty blog post spots and it occurred to me that I've never even blogged about this one, which is actually quite weird considering it's probably the most Disney thing in my everyday life. My iPhone itself is a constant reminder of Disney, in more ways than one really.

For starters, you have the case itself, which changes from time to time. My personal favorite so far has been my Donald Duck phone case, which is getting a bit worse for wear at the moment due to my constant dropping of my phone, but I love it all the same. It's the one phone case I knew I wanted before I even had an iPhone, and it was the first Disney case I got once I had one. In fact, I love this case so much I've bought it three times over, just because they wear out or break (after all that constant dropping) or you get a different model and the case no longer works. It's a struggle.

And then I have my lock screen, which has been the same since not long after my March trip. Of all the pictures from that trip, this has to be my favorite, and that probably goes for pictures of my brother and I too. It was one of those random pictures that we didn't really intend to take at all. I remember meeting back up with my brother that night in Magic Kingdom and walking super slowly thorough all the stores simply because we didn't want to leave (and we really wanted to see the Kiss Goodnight because that's how we roll). So as we walked down main street and saw a photopass photographer, I suggested that we get our picture taken, not really thinking much else of it. So we did, and now it's one of my all time favorite pictures. I have it framed on my desk too and just can't get myself to change it on my lock screen. It works perfectly. Actually, I said that when we go in January I'm going to change it, only this time there will be four of us instead of two.

Finally, there's the home screen. I think we all change this often enough, as I recently did to this picture I shared on Instagram not too long ago. It's kind of hard to see, but you can probably tell that it's Cinderella Castle. It was just a really colorful picture and I tested it and liked how it looked, so it stayed. While the home screen picture changes every so often, it's pretty much always Disney, except for that rare time when it's my cat...

And that's probably the #1 way Disney works it's way into my life. Anyone who finds my phone will obviously know that I love Disney, especially since you don't even have to turn it on to figure that out, but I get a lot of compliments on that case and I love it. Then again, if you really know me at all or follow me on any social media it shouldn't be a question of whether or not I love Disney because I obviously do.

I mean...I'm writing this for goodness sake.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on September 30).

Day 526: Only in my Dreams

Day 29 of the Disney Photo Challenge: A picture of something you dream about happening to you at a Disney park. 

Blast from the Past: 

DISNEY WORLD DREAM SUITE. 

Also known as the Cinderella Castle Suite, this thing is pretty much every WDW Fanatic's dream. I JUST WANT ONE NIGHT!!!!!!!!!~

That or randomly meeting Harrison Ford there. It'll never happen, but hey, I can dream, right? 

Back to the Future: 

Oh gosh. I agree with my former self, on many a level, but at the same time I feel like there are so many other things I'd love to do at WDW. I mean, June really changed my perspective on fulfilling my dreams at Disney, because ultimately the one thing I really wanted to do in my life, period, was march down Main Street U.S.A. You have to remember that when I did this challenge two years ago I had pretty much given up hope on that ever happening though, so that definitely plays a part here.

But today, I think I'd say I would want simply to be there. As I've said before, every single moment I spend in a Disney Park is a special moment that means something, because as time goes on I get less and less of it, while on the opposite end I appreciate it more and more. And in connection, I'd love to spend more time at Disneyland, since I've only had one trip there. I am SUPER excited for my trip next summer and intend to explore as much as possible in the short time I'm there!

Also...a trip into Club 33? That would be the best thing EVER.

Although, since I mentioned Harrison Ford before, I better mention that spending a day in the parks with Jennifer Morrison, Ginnifer Goodwin or Colin O'Donoghue would be pretty spectacular too. Or Harrison Ford. Any of the above people. Any of the above.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on August 22).

Day 513: Picturing the World

Day 21 of the Disney Photo Challenge: The best place to take a picture at Disney. 

Blast from the Past: 

This one really depends on the person, as there are so many great places. But if I had to pick JUST one, I'd say that you have to have a classic Castle Picture. 

Generally you take this picture either on Main Street or by the Partner's Statue in the middle of the "Hub." It's funny that I picked this one too, since I haven't actually taken a castle picture in many, many years (the last time was probably 2007 or so). But it is a picture that is a must have if you are going to Disney. 

Wow...this must be the shortest explanation yet.

Back to the Future: 

I agree, former self, the castle is a great one, but I'm going to have to change my answer when it comes to my current self and say not just the castle, but EVERYWHERE.

If there's one thing I've learned by being a Disney Instagrammer, it's that there can never be too many pictures. As I said in a former post, March was great for me because I really took the time to take more pictures, both of myself and my brother and what I was doing. That made the trip extra special for me, and probably made the June trip a little less exciting because I was always so busy that I wouldn't have time to take and post pictures on my Instagram like I usually do.

So I don't care who you are or where you are in the parks...take a picture!

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on August 21).

Day 273: The end of Frumpstagram 2013

That's right, just as tomorrow is the beginning of the month, today is the end of the month. And that means that it's the end of Frumpstagram 2013. It was a good run, and honestly it's the first time I've ever completed an entire photo-a-day challenge on Instagram! How awesome is that! Maybe it's because I had it on the blog or because it was Disney, but it worked! So let's take a look back at all the pictures from this month, and you'll see today's down at the bottom of the post like normal!

And finally we have today's Frumpstagram post, "Classic." I actually posted this a few minutes late due to some technical difficulties with my phone running out of battery (and I'm actually writing this on October 1st), but I think it still counts! I mean, after all, nothing is more classic than the Walt Disney World Train Station! Thanks for joining me with this Frumpstagram adventure all through this month! 

And here's today's Disney History: 2012: The second season of ABC-TV's Once Upon a Time premieres with the episode "Broken." (Of course, I haven't been freaking out about OUAT at all. Not one bit...)

Have a magical day!