Day 1294: Marceline

When you mention Disney, most think instantly of Walt Disney World or Disneyland, frequently mixing the two up if we're being honest. Beyond that, they may think of a favorite animated film, character, or song, maybe a priceless family memory, or launch instantly into a rant about how expensive everything is becoming or how terrible it is that Disney now owns Star Wars (because believe it or not...those people do still exist). Whatever they think of, I can almost guarantee that a little town in central Missouri is far from their first thought, if it occurs to them at all. 

For fans of the man behind the company, Marceline is a familiar name. It's a period of Walt's life that many disregard, when in reality a little town in Missouri provided us with so much more than we realize. From 1906 to 1911, a young Walter Elias Disney called Marceline, Missouri home, and he would return more than a few times to visit the closest thing he ever had to a childhood home. Born in 1901, Walt spent the first years of his life in the bustling city of Chicago, which his parents later decided was no place to raise a family. With relatives in the area, the Disney family, with all five children in tow, moved to Marceline, where they'd stay until moving to Kansas City five years later. 

Learning many of the lessons he would take with him throughout life, Walt loved the little town. He returned in 1946 to refresh his memory for an upcoming project, which we'd later realize to be Disneyland. Marceline also inspired the 1948 film So Dear to My Heart, featuring a barn drawn up by Walt from memories of the barn that was on the family farm in Marceline. In 1956, Walt and Roy, along with their wives, would return to Marceline again, this time to help dedicate the Walt Disney Swimming Pool and Park. It was during the same trip that they held the Midwest premiere of The Great Locomotive Chase at the Uptown Theatre in town, where Walt would individually greet every child through the door. Four years later, in 1960, Walt would return once more to dedicate the Walt Disney Elementary School and provide the town with a flag pole from the Squaw Valley Olympics and an artist to decorate the interior of the school. 

While Walt died in 1966 and never again returned to Missouri, he still relocated the Midget Autopia Ride from Disneyland to Marceline just months before his death, making it the only Disney Attraction to ever run outside of a Disney Park. Following his death, Marceline is chosen out of four cities to issue a commemorative stamp in honor of Walt, and the Santa Fe railroad brings the Disney family to Marceline for the celebration of his life. 

The history of this little town goes on from there, and for its size, you'd never realize just how much has happened there. A museum dedicated to Walt opened in 2001 as a memorial of his 100th Birthday, bringing 13 members of the Disney family on a special train right to the depot where the museum is located. In addition, a recreation of Walt's barn is built as a memorial near the old Cottonwood Tree Walt referred to as his "dreaming tree." The tree, sadly, died a number of years ago after being struck by lightning, but a direct descendant of the tree still sits in Marceline today, growing from the soil of Magic Kingdom and water of the Rivers of America. 

I could go on forever about this little town, but I'll try to keep the rest of this short. There's so much history in Marceline, and if you're a fan of Walt Disney, I can't stress enough how wonderful of a place it is to visit. The museum staff were amazing, especially our tour guide Inez, who hosted Walt in her home when he came to Missouri in 1956. The town, which we visited on a Sunday, is quiet and quaint, but the original Main Street U.S.A. really allows you a glimpse into Walt's life, and into what he envisioned in the Disney parks we know and love. The museum itself is stunning, especially for such a small town, and it took us more than a few hours to barely scratch the surface of Walt's legacy in the Midwest. Other than that, all I can say is that I can't believe it took me 21 years to visit Marceline, because I should have done this a long, long, time ago.

To learn more about Marceline and the Walt Disney Hometown Museum, take a look at the official website and have a magical day!

Day 553: A New Dream

In Tangled, there's a whole song about dreams. It's a great song, and I love singing it, especially since the entire theme of the film is really about dreaming. That's really important because dreaming is essential, and therefore it makes me think a little about my own dreams.

For a really, REALLY long time, my dream in life was to march down Main Street U.S.A. at the Magic Kingdom. I didn't think I'd get the chance to do that. In fact I was set on the fact that I was NEVER going to get to do that, but then my life kind of turned itself around and here I sit having accomplished that dream with a picture of it as proof on my shelf.

Which means I need a new dream.

I watched one of my YouTube videos with my roommates earlier, which was recorded back in July, and I say that I hadn't figured out my new dream yet. It's true, back during the summer I don't think I had figured out my new dream, because you really have to put a lot of time and thought into it. You can't just take something and label it your new dream. Plus, what in the world do you do when you fulfill your lifelong dream at age 18? There's so many years left to experience...so what do you do?

I did finally come up with a new dream though, and I feel like it's a pretty good one.

My new dream is to meet Colin O'Donoghue, or Jennifer Morrison, and I feel like this is a pretty fair new dream. With everything Once has done for me in the past year or so, I'd just love to meet some of the people behind it, and there isn't anyone from the cast I'd like to meet more than Colin. I talk about him daily (which probably annoys my roommates to no end...), but hey, we all need a new dream, right? Plus, doesn't this make me like a normal person or something? The simple fact that I want to meet my favorite famous person?

I know, I know. You're all currently saying: "But Lizzie! Harrison Ford!!!" And yes you're right! I'd LOVE to meet Harrison Ford, and technically he IS still my favorite actor (I've been wanting to rewatch Star Wars for AGES now), but sadly, the chances of me meeting him are pretty slim. I figure that if I say meeting Colin is my new dream, I have a pretty good chance of actually achieving that goal.

That's what goals are all about, after all. Fulfilling them, and how lucky am I to have fulfilled one at age 18?

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on October 29).

Day 22: Little Sleep

Last night I experienced something I generally only like to do at Disney...I stayed up pretty much all night.

Granted, this was to finish work, but it does remind me of some of my favorite times at Disney. It doesn't happen very often, and it will happen even less now because Extra Magic Hours is down to 2 hours at night, but once in a very great while Magic Kingdom is open until 3 in the morning. Luckily I had the chance to experience this my last trip in November.

Now, if you've never been to Magic Kingdom at 3 in the morning...it's interesting. Well, not interesting as much as amazing I suppose. There are crowds until about 1....and then it seems everyone leaves. There's no line for anything...NOTHING. I honestly swear we were the only ones in the "Storybook Circus" area that night other than cast members. My family rode Dumbo...alone. We got free samples of the AMAZING candy apples they sell (of which I couldn't eat much because I have a fruit allergy...but it was still really really good). I'm pretty sure my brother and I went on Space Mountain about 5 or 6 times...one of which times we were able to ride all by ourselves...that was great (also...going on as a pair is great...you almost always get the back two seats). And to finish it off...I probably got the high score on Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin about 3 times at least.

Aside from the no line part...there's really just no one around, so it's a great time for pictures too.Throughout this blog post are pictures from my late night stay at the magic Kingdom...and while I say that it was open until 3, I really mean we stayed until 4, just because that's how it works. No one's there, they aren't kicking you out yet...picture time! I'm especially proud of the panorama...which has not ONE person in it. Not everyday you can take a picture like that!

But at the same time, around 1 in the morning you are fighting exhaustion...so you ride It's a Small World, take a small nap and go on your way! By the time we left the park...well, it was so late we were on the last boat across the lagoon and on the last tram out to the parking lot (honestly it would have been the perfect time to ask if I could honk the horn...something I really really want to do). By the time we got out to the parking lot we were the only car left...literally. Actually, there were a bunch of people out there painting lines for the lot...they had to paint around our car. When we got there they proceeded to ask us why we were still there and what time the park closed (they, sadly, had incorrect information and had to work around a bunch of cars). On the way back to Old Key West we saw a total of four cars...on a how many lane road!

Oh yes...Disney at the latest hours of the night is fun. Staying up all night to finish projects on the other hand...is not.

Have a magical day!