Day 517: IT'S HAPPENED!

It's funny, because this is one of those things where I knew about it, but I couldn't really tell you guys until I knew for sure and it actually went through, but now that everything's done with, I can finally share some super exciting news with you!

If you follow me on Instagram, this might already be old news (in fact it should be), or if you're friends with me on facebook, where I released the news a number of weeks ago when I first found out. But for those of you in neither category, it's time for me to share something really awesome!

One of my instagram photos was chosen to be features on the official Walt Disney World Instagram and as you well know, this is a pretty big deal for me. I LOVE Instagram. In fact, it's probably my favorite form of social media, and I LOVE Disney, obviously, so putting the two together is just about my favorite thing ever. But to be featured on the official instagram? That's crazy, even for me. It's like one of those things where you really really wish it would happen, but you know the chances of it going down are super small so you just kind of push it to the back of your mind and then all of a sudden it happens and surprises you like no other.

The story behind how it all went down is pretty funny though. I actually took the picture while half walking. It was on my March trip, and my brother and I like to walk the back route between Tomorrowland and Storybook Circus. You know, the pathway that goes beyond Space Mountain's Gift Shop, past the speedway and the train, as well as the little dog park that sits over there, leading right up to the Barnstormer (Oops, Great Goofini), and the Train Station? That pathway. Along there, you can find the target that's in the picture, and we were about to walk by it when I told my brother to hold up for a minute while I snapped a quick picture with my phone. That tends to be how things work out. I'll have the video camera in one hand and my phone in the other, both of them on and taking pictures. It gets pretty crazy to tell the truth. So I catch a picture and I don't think anything else of it. Then, a while later (I believe it was actually after I got home), I posted the picture on Instagram and again, didn't think much of it. I post Disney pictures all the time, so why should this one be any different?

Fast forward like a week or so. I'm sitting at my desk in my dorm room working on homework (I think it was sociology, but I could be wrong), and my phone is sitting there in case someone texts me and so on and so forth. Out of the corner of my eye, I happen to see a notification pop up on the screen, since I get Instagram notifications only when people follow me, comment, or tag me (doing it for every favorite would just be ridiculous at this point). All I read was "@WaltDisneyWorld commented on your phone:" and I was like OH MY GOSH. So I'm sitting there at my desk and I'm freaking out and my roommate is like "What's going on?" because I was literally flailing around and jumping off the walls and the only time I ever get like that is when a member of the Once Cast tweets me or something, but I think I was more excited than when that happens (Although, having now experienced it, the tweet from Colin O'Donoghue on July 15 takes the cake in the freak out mode). I tell her, continue freaking out, reply yes to the official instagram and patiently wait for my picture to be used.

It must have been about a month later when it finally went through and was featured, during, of all times, my High School's 2014 Graduation. I'm sitting up in the bleachers of our Field House freaking out because my Instagram notifications are going absolutely insane and, in the end, I was just really happy.

I mean, let's be real here, it's not every day the official Instagram likes your photo so much that they're going to feature it. Let's just check "Be Featured by Walt Disney World" off the bucket list and move onto the next one: "Be Featured by Disneyland!"

Have a magical day!

(This blog post was posted on July 17, 2014). 

Day 256: They've Got Character

One thing I really really regret not having the ability to do is have a so called "Princess Phase." Granted, when I was a kid there really wasn't much of a Princess thing going on. Growing up I had Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Belle and Ariel. That was pretty much it. I guess Pocahontas and Mulan were there too, but it wasn't as big of a deal as it is now. I didn't have either of my favorite Princesses (I ADORE Rapunzel and Tiana...Belle is a close third and then Ariel), and while there were some of the little dresses, it's not like I remember it being a huge thing. I just wasn't a kid that constantly wanted to meet characters. I have autograph books, and I'm sure my parents remember me wanting to meet characters much more than I do, but it's just something that my family in general never really did a lot of.

That's me...and Goofy, obviously. It's actually one of my favorite pictures from my childhood!

But now I'm going to Walt Disney World with some of my best friends, two of which, if they both go, have never EVER been to Disney. I know that our time there is short and that our real trip won't be for many years, since we really want to plan another one when the last of us turn either 18 or 21, but still, I want to make this trip as magical as possible, and for me, one of those things is making sure they get to meet some of their favorite characters.

I was going through the common character list tonight to send it to one of my friends and honestly, I had no idea that there were so many characters in the Disney Parks. Like the list is much longer than I initially expected. So that leaves the question, who are the must see characters, who do I want to meet and who should they meet?

For starters, I know my best friend Megan, if she goes, absolutely HAS to meet Marie. Her favorite Disney movie is the Aristocats, so that would have to happen. My other friend, Ashely, loves the Pixar movies Up and Finding Nemo. Of course Nemo is a bit hard to meet, but I fully plan on spending time in the Seas with Nemo and Friends and trying to take her to meet Dug, Mr. Fredrickson and Russell. Those are more specific to them I guess. I think my list includes the Princesses because I honestly have never met my favorite one (RAPUNZEL!) and I really can't wait to see Princess Fairytale Hall! And Gaston is probably on that list too because well...it's Gaston.

And me and Marie a couple of years ago!

Aside from that, everyone needs to meet Mickey and Minnie and Goofy and Donald and Pluto and all those guys. Mickey and Minnie for sure. It just needs to happen. When I went to Disneyland Mickey and Minnie walked out and I was right there and I will forever regret not going by them right away. I could have met Mickey and Minnie AT DISNEYLAND, and I didn't. Sigh...regrets in life.

Also on my list? Indiana Jones and Marian! It's not necessarily a secret but if you stick around after the show you generally can meet the actors and I personally think it would be awesome to do that with a group of people from my HS Band, if not everyone! First we need to go to Hollywood Studios, but if we do I promise I will work my hardest for us to get to meet Indy!

Today's Frumpstagram was, surprisingly, easier than the past few days. The topic? Transportation. I couldn't find the Millennium Falcon so I guess a Speeder Bike will just have to do for now! It's kind of interesting though, and I think I'll make that tomorrow's post maybe, about how I used to hate Hollywood Studios and knew very little about it until Star Wars changed my life forever.

And here's today's Disney History: 1941: Walt Disney's father Elias passes away in Los Angeles, California at the age of 82. Walt is currently in South America in the middle of a 10-week trip.

Have a magical day!

Day 179: Baskets

It's our technical last full day of camp, although we don't leave until tomorrow morning. This morning was super exciting though, since we had an opportunity to do something that I've never done before, and I think it was really awesome.

We got to weave our own baskets! A lady named Kayla came in and taught us how and while it took a bit of patience, it was really a lot of fun. And I really have new respect for baskets because each and every one of them in this world is made by hand. It took time, but it wasn't necessarily hard, and I got it down pretty quickly. My basket isn't perfect, but really it wouldn't be ever because I'm not that talented. Plus, nothing is perfect (that seems to be my new motto recently. I'll have to do a blog post on why sometime after I go to Florida).

You start by getting the reeds wet and then you just start weaving basically. We got to choose which colors we wanted, and I went for the blue and green that I really liked. They are my favorite colors after all. In fact, everything for the week kind of matched too because I did everything kind of Goofy colored. It started with a friendship bracelet that I really still need to finish for myself before I go to Florida so I can wear it when I'm down there.

I honestly think that basket weaving was one of the best things I've ever done at camp because I really loved getting to do something brand new, which kind of goes back to the whole being adventurous thing that I continue to talk about that goes along with my Memoir. I'm pretty sure I won't be able to weave a basket again, because I probably won't have the resources, but that was seriously a ton of fun and I do HOPE that I will get to do it again someday.

Here's today's Disney History: 1988: The opening of Disney's Grand Floridian Beach Resort ushers in an era of accelerated hotel building at WDW, during which 10 new resort hotels have been added to date. The Grand Floridian is the third Magic Kingdom monorail resort located on the beaches of the Seven Seas Lagoon between the Polynesian Resort and the Magi Kingdom.

Have a magical day!

Day 176: Disney Everywhere

Another day of MADD camp, another adventure. It's actually kind of interesting trying to find the time and energy to write a blog post everyday here at camp, especially since i sometimes write halfway through the day at rest hour, a time when we go back to our cabins for some quiet time, and some days I wait until right before bed to do my writing. The other major difference is that I'm still writing everything by hand. It's something I do from time to time, but never with my blog and especially not for an entire week.

Either way, I've been keeping busy with tons of stuff that fits in with this blog perfectly. Our day today started off with a trip to arts and crafts. We had several activities, including henna, which is like a tattoo, but it only lasts for a few days. We could do any design we wanted, so I course, did something Disney. I have two volumes of the Disney songbook for piano, and on the front there's a treble clef symbol with a Mickey head at the bottom. This was my inspiration and I got something similar. It turned out pretty awesome, and I really hope it stays for the remainder of the week (it did!).

We also got a chance to make alcohol ink plates. Basically you take a white plate and drop alcohol ink on it to create cool patterns. We had like six colors to mix and match, but I went with the Disneybounder inside me and picked Goofy colors: green, blue and orange. Once again my Disney inspiration worked out and it looks pretty awesome.

But that wasn't all we did. We also had a cookie decorating contest after lunch. The rules were simple, you could enter one cookie to be judged by the kitchen staff, and you could do anything to that one cookie. We had five different colors of frosting and two kinds of sprinkles to decorate with. Now, I'm pretty proud of how my cookie turned out. I started with the white frosting and then used brown to make the Mickey shape. Or in this case, the Minnie shape. A little pink frosting made the bow and then I added the pink sprinkles around the outside and the little white ones to make polka-dots on her bow. Turns out the kitchen staff liked my design too because I won first place! That's the power of Disney magic for you!

I wonder if the Disney bakery would be proud?

Here's today's Disney History: 1967: A new version of the CircleVision 360 film America the Beautiful debuts at Disneyland. The film has been re-shot using the 9-camera CircleVision format (as opposed to the old 11 camera Circarama format).

Have a magical day!