Day 1308: Frozen Ever After

I don't know about you, but I definitely remember the day all hell broke loose when Disney announced that our beloved Maelstrom would be replaced with "Frozen Ever After," yet another piece of the hit film Frozen in a world where many could do without it. At the time, I was just as angry as the next person. Why in the world would they think this would be a good idea? It's not as though Maelstrom was a popular ride, because in every aspect, it wasn't, but replacing it with Anna and Elsa to bring in yet more money seemed like a sellout. And to make matters worse, we've all complained about how franchise films don't belong in Epcot. That, however, is a different discussion. 

After months and months of construction walls and wondering about what was really happening behind them, Norway is open, and quite frankly, it's looking good. Norway, like Canada, needed a bit of work. A good portion of the guest population had no idea Maelstrom was there, and while it was great to never have a line for School Bread, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't nice to see a pavilion come back to life...even if it took Frozen to get it there. 

Perhaps the best parts about the refurbishment are the addition of the Anna and Elsa Meet and Greet and the adorable vikings that now call the pavilion home. The Meet and Greet actually fits in rather well, and the entire structure is stunningly beautiful. It's obvious they put a lot of time and thought into the creation of the area, and while it's certainly brighter than the rest of the pavilion, it fits. It didn't feel too much as though a franchise took everything over, and if we're talking about the characters themselves, I don't see a problem with them being there now that they have a proper area to meet guests. After all, Aladdin, Jasmine, Mulan, Belle, and Snow White, among others, also call Epcot home. 

The attraction itself, which I have very few pictures of since I was filming (so you'll see it in a future vlog), was much, much better than I expected. What they did with the original Maelstrom track is clever, and even if you've had enough of "Let It Go," that scene alone is sort of worth the entire attraction. The audio-anamatronics weren't as impressive to me in person, but I think it's because I'm just not a huge fan of the digitally animated faces. I prefer the real faces of those such as Lincoln in Hall of Presidents. That's my personal preference though, and I must say that otherwise, everything is amazing. Olaf seems completely real, as does Sven, and while the entire thing could be longer, you also really can't compare Maelstrom and Frozen Ever After at this point. They're completely different attractions and they're both great in their own unique way. 

So I guess what I'm saying is give Frozen Ever After a chance. It's one of the few attractions that didn't disappoint me in any way, and that's saying something. I literally couldn't find anything I disliked about this attraction, aside from my personal preferences about the anamatroncis and the fact that it replaced Maelstrom. And if for nothing else, it gave Epcot another much-needed E-Ticket attraction and brought life back to the Norway Pavilion. 

Now...if someone could just ship me some school bread? 

Have a magical day!

Day 1165: No More Snow

[Luckily], I took this picture earlier in the semester, but it certainly is still winter, and I feel like I blog about it every couple of days. However, as we reach the end of the snow, it seems, I thought we might remember some of our favorite snow-capped moments from Disney movies! 

The one that always stands out to me is from 101 Dalmatians, when little Lucky is so darn cold that everything has froze, including his tail, nose, ears, and toes! I can relate, because it's basically my experience going to class every morning. 

And here we have the most accurate representation of me ice skating (or walking in winter in general) that there ever has been or will be. On the left you see expectations for what it'll be like walking over ice...and on the right is the hard reality. 

Next up we have the expression of everyone the entire winter through. The only time it changes is for the occasional really beautiful snowfall or the first snowfall of the year. Then we just get salty. 

Seriously though, we usually don't look like this 

And now, because of course there couldn't be a post about winter in Disney movies without a little Frozen, have some Elsa, whom I've asked multiple times to help me stop the winter and she refuses to do so. 

Oh well, I guess instead I'll just have to continue trying to figure out how to make this work in my backyard: 

Have a magical day! 

Day 1153: Anna, Elsa, Tiana

The world's latest obsession is definitely adult coloring books, and I couldn't be more excited. As an artsy person in general, I've always loved coloring, and now that's apparently socially acceptable for adults to color too, I'm even more excited. Even Disney is getting in on the action, creating adult coloring books that are by far some of the most intricate I've seen out there. My mom gifted me the first two in the set - Disney Princess and Frozen - to test out, and Megan and I put them to use while watching Newsies recently. Because why wouldn't you want to watch a Disney movie and color in a Disney coloring book?

Megan picked the Disney Princess book, eager to find her favorite Disney Princess: Tiana. I watched as she colored the page, and I got really excited when I saw her color choice for the intricate heart outline. I really thought the dark blue brought some real contrast to the picture and made it different from what one might usually expect! 

Meanwhile, I dove into Frozen, specifically intent on finding a picture of both Anna and Elsa. I found this one, and quite honestly had to look up a picture of them from the movie to make sure I got the color combinations correct. I think it turned out rather well though! 

I think it's pretty obvious at this point that I'm going to be spending more time with my nose in a coloring book than I may have before, but with all the pictures I now have available to color, I don't think that's going to be a problem.

Have a magical day! 

Day 983: Frozen Carpet Ride

I'm certainly not the first to discuss the recent news out of Disney California Adventure and I'm sure I won't be the last. I have to say, first off, that I'm not a fan of Aladdin in general, but the musical that's called DCA home for the last how many years almost convinced me otherwise. I remember my first trip into the Hyperion in 2011, laughing my head off at Genie's jokes about Twilight (ironically enough, I was laughing at similar jokes just today), and I will be sad to see it go just as many of the Disneyland Locals that have signed the petition to stop it from leaving.

If you haven't caught up on the news yet, Disney is closing the Aladdin show at Disney California Adventure and replacing it with a Frozen Musical Show sometime in 2016, and people aren't exactly happy about it. I've always thought of Aladdin fitting so perfectly there, but as much as I'm with those trying to save it, I also wonder if Disney's making the right move. Not to say Frozen is the answer, but there was an observation I had while out at Disneyland that I felt is kind of important, and odd, considering the controversy surrounding Frozen in the parks.

There's been a lot of complaints about Anna and Elsa taking over pretty much everything, and for the most part, I wholeheartedly agree. Maelstrom, for instance, should never have been closed. Updated, yes, but closed, no. Frozen is not the answer for Epcot, and while I do believe it will be an extremely popular attraction (maybe wait times for Test Track will finally go down), there were probably better answers, and the same can be said for Aladdin and DCA. But before we really start trash talking Frozen as it becomes more integrated into the parks, perhaps we should look at a different film...The Little Mermaid.

I've never been quiet about my dissapointment of the Ariel attraction that now graces both DCA and Magic Kingdom. It just didn't impress me, and quite frankly, I didn't see the need for another Little Mermaid attraction. And then, while at Disneyland, it finally clicked. If you think Frozen is in a lot of places...think about Ariel for a moment. At Walt Disney World, there's reference after reference to the film, including the following: Voyage of The Little Mermaid (Hollywood Studios), Ariel's Undersea Adventure (Magic Kingdom), Fantasmic (Hollywood Studios), Festival of Fantasy (Magic Kingdom), Wishes (Magic Kingdom), and she has her own meet and greet. At Disneyland, however, things are a bit more shocking: Fantasmic, Disneyland Forever, Mickey and the Magical Map, King Triton's Carousel (DCA), Ariel's Undersea Adventure, Soundsational Parade, Paint the Night, AND Ariel's Grotto. Compare that to Frozen: Maelstrom Location (Epcot), Meet and Greet (Magic Kingdom - Moving to Epcot), World of Color Celebrate!, Disneyland Forever, Paint the Night, Sing-A-Long locations on both coasts, a Frozen Summer Fun Event, and Festival of Fantasy. There are a few seasonal events not listed, but do you see a problem here?

I'm not about to say that The Little Mermaid is a bad film, because it certainly isn't, and there's a lot of attractions and events that involve Ariel that I do love in the parks, but what makes The Little Mermaid so much better than Frozen? What makes it possible for one film to take over and receive backlash while another does it secretly in the background? Is it because Ariel, with her mermaid tail and upbeat songs, is easy to include in shows? Or is there another reason in the background?

Personally, I think we need to see more Princess and the Frog and Tangled stuff, if we're adding anything, and maybe a bit more Pocahontas too, but that could be beside the point. If you're interested in signing the petition to keep Aladdin at Disney California Adventure, you can do so HERE, like many of us Disney Fans that have already done so. And let me know your thoughts on either the Aladdin show leaving or everything I mentioned above in the comments below!

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on September 25 due to a tight schedule).

Day 954: Character Mania

If there was one thing I loved about Disneyland more than pretty much anything else, it was the characters. Alright, so that's a half-truth, because you just can't beat World of Color and Paint the Night (among other things), but the character selection in California is VERY different from the ones we have back at Walt Disney World. So of course I set out to meet as many of them as possible in my short time there, and the results were definitely rewarding.

It took me all of about two hours to spot my first character of the trip, the one and only Queen. When I noticed her meeting in the shadow of the Matterhorn, my inner Evil Regal kicked in and I just had to stop. To be completely honest, between the chilling sounds of the Matterhorn behind us and her rather...cold...attitude, I got a bit of shiver on my spine. I wouldn't call her evil though...just misunderstood. Once a Oncer, always a Oncer. 

Then it was off with my friend Laura to meet a couple of the greates heroes our world has ever known, Thor and Captain America! Thor was a bit put off by the fact that I had my Cap shirt on and wasn't wearing a shirt that had him on it, but I managed to convince him that it was alright and that he should come to visit Florida sometime. After all, it's closer to New York, right? 

Then, over by Cap, I was completely heart eyes. Think Captain America is charming in the movies? You should meet him in person. Greatest three minutes of my life...well...until I met my next character. 

I personally think it's ridiculous that this guy doesn't meet in Florida, so when I saw him after getting off the Carrousel Laura was like "Go, Live your Dream" and I ran over to meet him. Having him sign my autograph book was basically the highlight of my afternoon, especially since because he only has one hand you have to like hold the book for him while he signs. It was a Hooker's dream. 

Now, I'm still not caught up on all the Tinkerbell movies, but heading to Pixie Hollow was pretty amazing. In Florida we can obviously still meet Tink, but the expansion of Fantasyland took away her fairy friends! Rosetta was the cutest little honey-bunch and I just wanted to take her home to be honest.

Of all the characters in California, Oswald was the one I knew I just had to meet. This guy is a huge historical figure when it comes to the Disney company, and the fact that he's finally in the parks and back in our lives is absolutely wonderful. He was SOOOO Cute, especially in relation to the vlog and the camera. Which brings me to my next question...when can we get him in Florida? 

And last but certainly not least, I headed on a 45 minute mission to meet our favorite snowman, Olaf! One of my best friends is a huge Olaf fan, so because she can't meet him in Florida, I figured the least I could do was go and get his autograph for her! He actually doesn't sign regular autographs yet, and instead does a little self-portrait, and Olaf was kind enough to sign one for me and one for my friend! Plus look at how happy we were! Warm Hugs indeed! 

Not bad for five days in the parks though, right? I wanted to see if I could catch Cruella and the Fairy Godmother as well but time just wasn't on my side, so I'll have to save them for the next time! And who knows, by then ALL the Avengers might be there! 

Which character would you most want to meet at Disneyland? Let me know in the comments below!

Have a magical day!

(This blog post was written on September 2 due to the Disney Trip and College Move-In).

Day 795: The Love Triangle Theory: Volume 2

Let me tell you flat out: this post has been a long time in coming.

If you've been around since the beginning, or near beginning, of Everyday Disney, you might remember a blog post I did on Day 98, titled Love Triangles. If you haven't read that post, you can go back and find it HERE. Basically, I have this theory, which I, obviously, call the Love Triangle Theory. It states that in any love triangle, regardless of the situation or film or previous relations (*cough* Luke & Leia *cough*), the second two portions of the love triangle will automatically end up together. Of course, there's probably some real science behind all of this, like the fact that, yes, of course the second two in like a RomCom will end up together because otherwise there wouldn't be a love triangle and so on and so forth...but I have new couples to prove my point here.

Hmmm...but what order to put them in? I call this volume the Once Upon A Time edition soo.....

Robin & Regina: 

Affectionately called OutlawQueen by us Oncers, this couple definitely showcases the Love Triangle Theory, especially as we continue forward in the season. I will not, however, give away any spoilers, so let's take a step back and examine one of the favorite couples on the show. Robin Hood is married to Maid Marian, who is dead and then not dead (that sentence, oddly enough, sums up the whole show...dead and then not dead. Wow), and meanwhile Robin Hood falls in love with Regina, who's former true love, Daniel, died when her mother ripped out and crushed his heart. Regardless, that means that we have Marian, Robin and Regina as the three points on the love triangle. Now yes, I know what you're thinking, "But Lizzie, Robin Hood went to New York with Marian and picked her!" But you see, it's not over yet, and I, like many others, do indeed believe that OutlawQueen will come back as endgame. After all, he did say, when Marian was frozen, by the way, that he loves Regina, and we all know that True Love's kiss didn't work...so there...point proven.

Anna & Kristoff:

Just because this is the OUAT Edition doesn't mean these Frozen characters can't make an appearance too! After all, they WERE on OUAT! By this point, we all know the story of Anna and Kristoff, and of course, the second I saw Frozen over a year ago I was like "LOVE TRIANGLE THEORY!" because these two, plus Hans, are literally a 100% perfect example. So we have Princess Anna, who meets Hans and wants to marry him within a song and five minutes. Part one of the love triangle. She THEN meets Kristoff, second, and they go on the giant adventure and she still thinks Hans in her true love even though he isn't and then she ends up with Kristoff. Easy enough, right? Obviously, on OUAT we know they get married (after an extremely long other adventure that also involves Hans and pirates and a curse and yeah). Point Proven...again.

Charming & Snow: 

I'm not really sure how much this one counts, but I think it does because back in Season 1 there was the whole Kathryn thing, so let's think this through. Snow and Charming didn't meet until after he was already engaged to Abigail (Kathryn), therefore making them the second halves of the love triangle, even in Storybrooke. So the whole time you just KNOW that they're going to end up together...although I guess we kind of knew that even without the whole Love Triangle Theory thing but STILL...POINT PROVEN!

Emma & Hook: 

Of course the daughter of a successful love triangle would also be part of a love triangle...and of course I'd save the best for last. Granted, Hook and Emma are actually really screwed up when it comes to love triangles. I mean, after all, there was the whole memory loss thing, and a character death (And then un-death...and then re-death), and then the time travel and snow monster and really this is just getting tiring...but they are one of the greatest examples of the love triangle, and the reason that it's taken me two years to post Volume 2 of the theory. I've been waiting for my OTP to become cannon enough to make this post for so long, and I refused to make Volume two without them, so lucky for me, the love triangle theory continues. Basically, we had this situation:

Emma meets Neal, falls in love with Neal, has Henry with Neal, but Neal abandoned her, so then she went to Storybrooke like 12 years later, where she eventually ends up going to the Enchanted Forest, where she meets Hook (second), then they all go back to Storybrooke, and Neal comes back, and then dies, but then he comes back (Again), and then there's a really awkward love triangle throughout Neverland and then Hook says he's gonna back off, but then Emma has to leave and Hook saves her and Neal dies (again) and then CaptainSwan becomes a thing after a really weird duel CaptainSwan moment in the past. Wow that's confusing. But it's also yet another example of the love triangle theory, and probably one of the more important ones when it comes down to it. 

Regardless, the point with all of these is this: the love triangle theory always works. As for Rumbelle, it works for them too, except for right now because who knows what's gonna go down with this whole Will Scarlet thing. I just hope that whatever happens, they don't mess up the theory. It would put a real downer on this whole idea. 

Have a magical day!

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

Day 771: Thinking Warm Thoughts

Here in Wisconsin, it is cold.

And I mean it's COLD.

Down in Florida this past week, I know several people who were complaining about how their hands were cold and they couldn't feel their fingers and COLD and I'm up here like...dude, I can't feel any part of my body. While it may have been around 50 down in Florida (it's now closer to 80), back up here it's currently 7 degrees out, but don't be mistaken. It actually feels like -8 out, and our low tonight, without wind chill, is scheduled to be that same temperature, meaning it'll probably feel more like -28 by the time we get to the coldest part of the day.

This means that we have to get pretty creative in our mission to remain frostbite free. The number one way is to just not go outside at all, something that's literally impossible when you go to college, or school, or work...or live in general. So instead you just limit how many times you have to go outside. For instance, I remain in the music building from around 2 until 7 tonight, and tomorrow I'll spend 11-6 here, even though I only have classes at 4 and 5. Why? Because that means I don't have to venture outside into the cold.

But when you MUST venture out, you tend to bundle up. Personally, I've even pulled out my bigger, thicker peacoat, and that means it's REALLY cold, because I LOVE my red one. So for me to replace that red with grey, that's saying something. On top of that, I end up generally wrapping my giant winter knit infinity scarf (referred to as "The Colin" scarf, via Christina Perri's "The Words" - it looks like the one he wears kind of), around my head and neck and then sort of tucking it in a little bit and literally I won't go anywhere without it now. If I'm wearing a different scarf during the day, the big knit one still goes on top. Head protection can go a long way in keeping warm. Of course, my leather gloves are necessary, and leather jackets that double as layers are also a common way for me to go.

Sometimes though, you just are still cold. You can be wearing six layers and go outside and still not feel your arms or legs or, let's be honest here, face, so you need other ways to warm up. Sometime last year, I started this thing to try and keep myself warm on the long walks back to my dorm (my walk this year is about half the distance it used to be). I call it "The Warm Circle of Hugging," because apparently using Olaf's theory of thinking of all things hot does sort of warm you up...if only for a few seconds.

So when I'm really cold you'll see me close my eyes while continuing to walk (probably not my greatest idea, but that's beside the point), and then I'll say the following words, trying to convince myself they're real: "Han Solo is hugging me. Chewbacca is also hugging me. Captain Hook is hugging me as well. It is a warm circle of hugging." And then I bunch my shoulders up and for a few seconds, it works. I do feel warmer. And then the realization that none of the above characters are really there and there certainly aren't any Taun Tauns around to keep me warm either (then again, could any of us really bear that smell?), so the cold seeps back into my bones.

But at least it works for that short while. Because really, you haven't felt pain until you've felt negative temperature wind chills on your bare skin.

Have a magical (and hopefully warmer) day!

(Note: This blog post was written on February 23).

Day 767: Olaf

Well, I finally remembered to take a picture of our door decorations during the day, and it's probably good that I'm finally getting around to blogging about this because I currently have a note on my desk that tells me to start thinking about the new ones that I'll be putting up soon (around St. Patrick's Day...so we have a little bit of time yet, but still).

As you might remember, I had these done when I returned to SNC in January, but for some strange reason, one of them went missing and I had to turn back and make a new sunflower for Megan. And then, because I'm rarely at my dorm when the sun is shining, I kept forgetting to take a picture of the whole thing, until now.

So I present to you, our newest door dec theme, All Things Hot:

Our newest problem is a missing L in "All," but I'll deal with that eventually (probably tomorrow actually). I wish I had thought to take closer pictures of the door decs themselves, but it's just too darn dark and cold out now to do that (and I'm on a blogging spree, so there's no going back now). As you can pretty much see though, each of my roommates and I represent a different "hot" thing. So, for instances, I have a coconut drink, Ashley has a little campfire with a roasting marshmallow, Hannah is the mug of hot cocoa, Megan has a sunflower and our honorary roommate Katie is an adorable little bumble bee. 

Of course, Olaf is around to tie the entire thing together, and I think that, as much as I loved our Halloween Monsters Inc. door decs, these have to be my favorites so far. As for what's next, all I can say is that there's definitely more Disney up my sleeve, and I can't wait to share it all with you! 

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on February 19, 2015). 

Day 724: A Very Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone (even if this post is a few days late, technically!)

Christmas is one of my favorite times of year. No, scratch that, it is my favorite time of year. Christmas is just brilliant, and I love every second of it. Except for when I have so much work to do that I'm more worried about that than anything else, but that's not in the spirit of the season! So let's hear about the good things that happened this Christmas:

It's always a great Christmas present when one of the Once Cast favorite your tweet to them! On Christmas Eve I happened to wear the dress I have deemed my "Marian Dress," since it's the one I wore for my Marian Disneybound, and I tweeted that fact to Christie Laing, only to get a favorite in return! Definitely a great Christmas Eve surprise! 

Also on Christmas Eve, I have to mention that my absolute favorite part of Christmas each year is singing Silent Night by Candlelight in Church. Earlier in the week we thought that the candles might have been ditched for battery operated versions and I just about had a panic attack. Thank goodness this turned out to be false and we got to sing by candlelight as usual! 

I didn't get many gifts this year, simply because I'm going to be getting a new alto saxophone sometime soon, but my parents did get me Idina Menzel's Holiday Wishes CD, which is pretty darn awesome. Not pictured is the Ninja Blender I got from my Aunt, Uncle and Cousins. I freaked out about that one. 

Christmas also gave me the perfect excuse to wear my Olaf sweater, which I'm super hyped to wear at Disney next week! Olaf is pretty cool, after all. Oh, and no pun intended there. Or maybe it was intended...who knows? 

It also seems that it can't quite be Christmas without Indiana Jones in our house. I checked my TimeHop later in the evening and noticed that in the past few years, we always seem to watch Indiana Jones on Christmas Day. I have no clue how this started or why we keep doing it, but I have no complaints! 

But as I posted on Instagram and Facebook, my favorite Christmas present came six months ago (almost to the day), when I fulfilled my dream of marching down Main Street U.S.A. in the Magic Kingdom. I couldn't have asked for a better gift! 

However, I really didn't enjoy this year's Christmas Day Parade, so let's just forever listen to the opening number from last year because Neil Patrick Harris is just the best: 

Have a magical day & Merry Christmas!

(Note: This blog post was written on December 29 due to Holidays and Computer Issues).

Day 720: That's On A Cake?

This is one of those short little posts where Disney just sort of popped up in a random place and I felt the need to blog about it!

This time it was at our local Dairy Queen. We don't have a ton of food joints here in little old Seymour, aside from a McDonalds, Subway, a Chinese Restaurant called China Garden and Dairy Queen. That's just about it. Of these, we frequent everything except McDonalds, and in the past (such as my senior year of High School), Dairy Queen was almost a daily figure in our lives. I personally love the Orange Julius smoothies so don't worry, I'm not eating ice cream every day of my life.

However, when we were there the other night, I happened to look at the catalog of ice cream cake designs, and there wasn't just one Disney cake, there was a whole Disney section. In fact, there might have been two.

To save space on my phone (since it was getting pretty full of pictures. I'd better delete some before Disney...) I only took a picture of one, a Frozen design, but you get the idea.

Now personally, aside from the fact that I really should never touch an Ice Cream cake again in my life due to my lactose intolerance, I don't think I'd get one of these things. They're cute and everything, but there are just better cakes out there. I mean, take a look at this:

HERE's the link to that cake, and check out some of the other fabulous designs on the site while you're there! This Snow White one is absolutely beautiful as well!

So let's be honest here. Those second two cakes are way more beautiful than the first, although I seriously also love some Dairy Queen ice cream cake (even if I shouldn't eat it). Something tells me I need to up my cupcake skills. Frozen inspired cupcakes sound like my next project. 

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on December 29 due to Holidays and Computer Issues).

Day 717: Frozen Swag

Who doesn't love Disney themed shirts? I mean, really. A while back I posted about the shirts I got from Hot Topic, and here's another one for you. But first, a backstory.

A few weeks ago, during my last week at SNC, I headed to Walmart with one of my friends and happened to see a Christmas Disney Shirt. It had Mickey Mouse and was basically patterned to be a Disney Christmas Sweater, and I loved it. Of course, in that moment I didn't buy it because did I really need it? No. So I left without that new shirt.

And I really wish I had bought it.

I went back three days later only to find that the shirt had sold out. So I went to another Walmart. Sold out there too. I looked online. SOLD OUT. Which left me with a serious dilemma. I had already planned a day in for this Christmas or sweater theme and I basically had no further options. That is, until I came up with a backup plan.

Hot Topic has had these Frozen things for a while, and besides my Frozen dress I got on my last trip to Hot Topic, I didn't have any other Frozen themed stuff. I fixed that:

You could say that I'm pretty prepared for Disney World with my new Frozen Swag, and yes, I'm very excited about it. 

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on December 29 due to Holidays and Computer Issues).