Day 1103: Just In Time

It feels like just yesterday that I finished the Band Trip video for Walt Disney World, which easily stands as one of the things I'm most proud of in my life. That video took over three years of work if you include all the footage that went into it from various trips, and it began long, long before we even knew for sure whether or not we'd be heading to Florida. I loved working on that video, and I honestly believe it's part of the reason that I'm still editing videos for a YouTube channel today.

You can imagine, then, my excitement when I was invited on yet another band trip, not as a student but as the official videographer. For four days I traveled with the band this past summer to the Twin Cities, capturing video and pictures the whole while, and over the past week I spent the majority of my time working those pieces into a complete video, which came out much longer than I even intended at 42 minutes (the Disney video was 58). I won't lie...it took a lot of effort to get it done, especially when it meant sitting in front of my computer for hours at end. Somewhere around Thursday I got really restless and had to get up every few minutes or else I would have gone insane, but I did get it done, and just in time too!

I can't wait for the band to see this newest production in a couple of weeks, because just as I was with the Disney video, I'm extremely proud of what I accomplished with this. And now, thankfully, I can take some time off and head to Florida. Even my band director told me when I handed in the video that I should go to Disney and take a break.

I think I'll listen to him.

Have a magical day!

Day 906: Best Day of My Life

It's been a year and I still don't think I believe that I marched down Main Street U.S.A.

June 25 will always be an important day for me, probably right up there with other important days of the year like my birthday or Christmas, because on June 25, 2014, I fulfilled my dream of marching in the Magic Kingdom, and even now, a year later, it still hits home. I can honestly say that not a day has gone by that I haven't thought about that parade. I think about it all the time. Whenever I'm feeling a bit let down about how much work it takes to upkeep a daily blog or weekly YouTube videos. I thought of it every second of the way through editing the band trip video for our trip to Walt Disney World. I think of it when I'm happy and when I'm sad and when the powers that work against me almost succeed, but June 25 is an important day, and I still can't thank the powers that be enough for making this possible.

I went back and read my blog post that corresponds with that day a year ago, which you can read HERE, and it's in that post that I talk about how, by some strange twist of fate, it was my dream that came true. I'm not sure if I've ever really talked about this in depth, but this seems like a great time for it.

Wishes.

I faintly remember the show previous to Wishes, and as a kid in awe of Illuminations, I really didn't think much of it. But when we learned we were going to audition for Disney Performing Arts, I would stand almost nightly by my window and listen to Wishes. Or if I was driving home from school late one night, maybe after a football or basketball game, I would turn on the soundtrack and sing along, wishing with all my heart that maybe, just maybe, it would be my dream that comes true.

People in our world are negative. I've said it time and time again. So many don't believe in wishes. We're raised to believe that the only thing that gets us anywhere is hard work. And I'm not saying that's not true. I worked incredibly hard in my years with the High School Band, and I continue to work hard on a daily basis. But hard work means nothing without a dream behind it to help push us forward.

There's a moment near the end of Wishes, right after the Blue Fairy appears, where she says "Remember, we must always believe in our wishes. For they are the magic in the world. Now, let's all put our hearts together and make a wish come true." When I stood in the Magic Kingdom that night, only hours after the parade, others were merely concerned about the fireworks. I know there were some simply happy from the thrill rides and experiences with their friends. Even my fellow drum major, as I went around asking everyone their favorite part of the day, commented that her favorite part was leading the band in the parade.

But I never actually answered my own question, and for those of you in the SHS Band, go check out the video. Of everyone in the band, I never give an answer, because to be honest I don't think I could do it without tears appearing again, much like they are now. But I'll tell you now. My favorite part of the day was the moment when everyone DID put their hearts together and made a wish come true.

For those of you out there wishing tonight, keep wishing. My heart's in it for you now.

Have a magical day!

Day 895: Back in Time

It's been almost a year since I traveled to Walt Disney World with my high school band for what I thought would be my last band trip. Of course, I was extremely mistaken, not that I'm complaining. And then for a solid 10 months you listened to me as I talked again and again about the band trip and the band trip video that you never actually got to see. But never fear, I've slowly been posting a few portions of it on my YouTube channel, including this Epcot section:

Aside from the credits, which took me almost an entire day, this section required the most time. It's under three minutes long and took me over 8 hours to edit to what you see now. Technical difficulties were all over the place with this section, especially once I attempted to throw in the surprise song at the end...which needed to be changed keys digitally to fit with the previous song. It was an adventure. 

Originally I was going to use this blog post to write a trip report, but it seemed rather pointless with all the other blog posts, vlogs and pictures I've already been sharing, so I think we'll save the trip report idea for Disneyland later this year when there will be so much for me to talk about it just won't fit. So for now enjoy the band trip video! And if you haven't already seen it, my personal favorite portion of the band trip video, the Hollywood Studios Section, is avaliable for you to watch as well!

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on June 24 due to travel).

Day 787: The Red Carpet

Well, it's over.

I guess I'm now technically allowed to post this, considering the fact that the band trip video premiere has come and gone. It means I can finally talk a little bit more about the video itself, and while I cannot share the entirety of the 57 minute feature, I CAN share one segment with you:

While only one of many, many segments, the Hollywood Studios portion just happens to be my favorite. It took around 5-6 hours to edit, features footage from 4 different trips, all perfectly blended together with pictures and the music from the Finale of Fantasmic to create the masterpiece that you can watch above. 

Overall, I'm very very proud of what I accomplished with the Band Trip Video, and I'm excited that I am able to share at least a little bit of it with you. So many people made this 57 minute feature possible, and the fact that I was, indeed, able to attend the premiere gave me quite a bit of joy. I don't really get anything in return for the over 150 hours I spent on this thing, aside from the knowledge that it, hopefully, made a lot of people in the group happy. I am, however, very glad it's all over. This video ruled my life for a very long time, so to have it completely premiered and out of my hands is a huge relief. 

On the other hand, I'm kind of lost with what to do now. Aside from my schoolwork, I generally need other projects to keep myself busy. However, I do have several vlogs to edit from January yet, the first of which is already finished and will hopefully go up soon. Although I do suppose this gives me more time to work on Everyday Disney. After all, there are some new features I've been working on since the beginning of the year which have to go up eventually.

But I will say that my favorite moment of the premiere was when, during the credits, everyone just continued to clap and I sat there like "What in the world do I do?" I understand you Oscar winners. I understand you. Especially since I really had like no words to say and then they clapped again and I was just like "I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO" (said in the voice of the wonderful Colin O'Donoghue). Hopefully I'll be able to share a few more segments of the Band Trip Video (affectionately named One Band's Dream), in the future, but for now, I hope you enjoy the Hollywood Studios segment as much as I enjoyed making it.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on February 27 due to a late return from the video premiere).

Day 547: A Wild Showcase

Our final day at Walt Disney World this June is probably going to live on in my memory as one of the most spectacular, amazing days of my entire life. In fact, as much as I LOVED the parade at Magic Kingdom, I think this last day was actually my favorite day of the trip, despite the fact that Megan and I spent most of it soaking wet. I mean, for some strange reason, everything worked out perfectly. Absolutely perfectly. In fact, by the end of the day, it was getting creepy how it all worked out so well. Because it was just ridiculous.

The day began, however, at Animal Kingdom. We got there just before park opening and headed directly over to Everest, which many of us questioned multiple times why we were even on it in the first place. But we all loved and enjoyed it all the same (and Ashley continuously asks if we get to go on it again in January). Then, since we had a few minutes and the wait wasn't very long, we hit Kali as well, using the 2 hour locker rental to hold our stuff while we journeyed on. Now, before this trip I had never actually been on Kali River Rapids, so it was a new adventure for all of us! Well, other than my brother. He's been on it before. We got wet. Really wet. And spent the rest of the day being wet because of it. Megan's shirt took a beating, but aside from that we all survived.

Then we met up with my mom and godfather for Kilimanjaro Safaris, which we waited a while for, but we got on none the less...and in the front seat too! I've never really been up there! Plus our driver was great and there were plenty of animals out to see us! I mean for us to see. We followed our safari adventure with Yak & Yeti. Normally we like to get reservations, but Y&Y is one of those places where if you walk up at 11, right when it opens, you can usually get a table without waiting too long, and this trip was no different. Even with six of us, we managed to get a table and enjoy a delicious lunch...which Ashley and Megan enjoyed tons. Especially the Cherry Limeade I'm always texting them pictures of.

After lunch it was off for a special surprise for Ashley: meeting Russel & Dug, but they were on break and wouldn't be back until 1:30. Needing something to do, I noticed the line for Tough to Be A Bug was only 15 minutes, and with the time included in the attraction, that would put us back in the line for Russel and Dug right about when they were scheduled to return. And it did! So we met Russel and Dug and then headed off to meet up with our group so we could catch a ride via Disney transportation to Epcot.

The thing was, we were scheduled to be leaving Animal Kingdom at 3, but being the smart Disney person I am, I encouraged our group and room to leave at 2:30 instead, putting us ahead of the rest of the group and catching an earlier bus. Needless to say, it worked, and instead of just leaving Animal Kingdom at 3, we were walking on Imagination at 3. Yep, another thing done. And then we hit Finding Nemo as well before finding the last member of our usual group, who's room had insisted on leaving Animal Kingdom at 3 like the schedule said. A stop at Club Cool was then in order, with our director trying Beverly, which was unbelievably entertaining.

To follow that, we walked around to American Adventure, getting there just in time to catch the Voices of Liberty before seeing the show itself. With a walk back around to the front of the park to use our first fastpass of the day, we made it all the way around World Showcase. Megan and Ashley I'm sure are both excited about the fact that in January though, we get to spend a whole day there, instead of just hurrying past each pavilion!

Our fastpasses were scheduled that day so they were all right in a row, a decision that I made in hopes that we could get things to work out the way we needed them to. Since we hadn't met too many characters, a visit to Mickey and Friends at the character spot was our stop, where Mickey commented on my Magic Ribbon I was wearing that day, and we did a dance with Goofy before hanging out with Minnie. Seriously great. And since we hadn't gotten to do it yet, we made a trip to Mouse Gear for Mouse Ears as well! It took a while to get everyone their ears, but it fit into the schedule perfectly, since we then set out to use our next fastpass: Test Track.

I set it up so we would go through at the same time as my parents, but the dark clouds rolling in had us a bit afraid. The attraction had closed down because of the weather previously, but was open on and off. With our fastpasses, we missed the line, although if we didn't get on, the rest of the night was pretty much shot because we'd be stuck there.

BUT WE DIDN'T! In fact, we got through, went on Test Track and as we walked off into the post-show area, THAT'S when they announced that the attraction was shut down again because of the storm. LITERALLY THE BEST MOMENT OF MY LIFE. With that accomplished, we headed to Spaceship Earth, which we hit as it was raining. And then it was off to Soarin', our last fastpass and attraction.

BUT WAIT! The night wasn't over yet! We grabbed some dinner from Seasons and headed off to our meeting spot in Mexico. It started raining as we made our way over there, so we ended up eating on the floor just inside the Mexico Pavilion, but we loved it anyway, especially since Megan's first Disney dining experience started on the ground as well.

Then we hit a problem. Rain. It just rained and rained and rained. We were set to watch Illuminations from the bridge by Mexico when they started at nine, but when it hit 9:45 and they said that there would be a half hour until Illuminations, I got a bit concerned. Then they made an announcement a few minutes later saying it was postponed. But it wasn't CANCELED, just DELAYED. Illuminations was like the Number One thing Ashley was excited about, so we started using the force to make the rain go away and it WORKED.

Illuminations started, and we finished our trip with it. Because like I said, some force out there in the universe made our last day work absolutely perfect.

Total things accomplished: Expedition Everest, Kali River Rapids, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Lunch at Yak&Yeti, Tough to Be A Bug, Met Russel & Dug, Imagination, The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Club Cool, Saw the Voices of Liberty, The American Adventure, Walked World Showcase, Met Mickey, Goofy & Minnie, Got Mouse Ears, Test Track (RIGHT BEFORE IT RAINED!), Spaceship Earth, Soarin', Dinner from Sunshine Seasons, and saw Illuminations!!!!: 19 Things AND we transferred parks!

I don't know how we did it. But we did. Although I'm very excited about spending more time with my friends at my favorite park. Like infinitely amounts excited.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on August 1). 

Day 543: The Final Trip

In the five years I've been involved with the Seymour Community High School Band, I've been to a lot of places, and I've had the chance to share my passion for music with a lot of really amazing people.

Four years ago I traveled with 15 fellow Seymour Students and a pile of Pulaski kids to Colorado and South Dakota. That was my first band trip. In fact, it was the first band trip for the SHS Band in years, and the first on the scale of everyone in the group was able to go. Most didn't, and I almost opted out of the trip as well, but I'm certainly glad I decided to go. That trip helped inspire my real love of travel, and I do hope to go back someday, maybe on a cross country trip that starts at Disney World and ends at Disneyland? Yeah, something like that.

Then we went to Chicago, which, as much of a pointless trip it was, taught us a lot of things about how we had to go about planning a trip itself. It led to another spectacular trip the following summer to Boston and New York, two places I most certainly want to go back to some day. I'll never forget going to the Disney Store or dancing on the top of a boat in New York Harbor next to the Statue of Liberty in the pouring rain. And as long as that four mile parade in Boston was, it's one of my absolute favorite moments in my entire life.

Last year we went to Mackinaw Island, which told me a lot about how I want to travel and where I want to travel. I wasn't impressed with the island at all, but going with my friends made it worth it, and there are certainly plenty of crazy memories from those couple of days, Ohio Guy included. But all through that last trip, there was this constant sense of dread in the fact that it could be my last. It wasn't, obviously, as I just spent the last how long blogging about the band trip to Walt Disney World. But the idea is still the same. There's that sense of dread, knowing that soon enough, it will be all over. And that's something that stuck with the Disney trip too.

One of my college professors joked last week about how I'm too young to write a memoir (and he is too!), but I feel like I could. The SHS Band Trip to Walt Disney World was certainly one of the most difficult experiences I've ever had, from the first day our director brought it up until the last day I will work on the band trip video. It's been a long process unlike any other, and it's taught me a hell of a lot about people, and life and work and dreaming and commitment and hundreds of other things. A good portion of me thinks and wants, honestly, to write forever about it, about every last detail that I can remember before I forget about it, because sometimes even a daily blog isn't enough to keep it all straight.

But as difficult as it all was, this trip was also one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had. As I mentioned in a former post, it's not everyday your dream you've had for 18 years can come true. Life just doesn't work that way. I'm so glad it did work though, and I'm very excited about the fact that Megan and Ashley both loved my home so much that they're joining us on our NEXT trip! What a way to make a Disney Geek happy, right!?!

This trip started for me a long, long time ago, and the ending is quite bittersweet. That's for sure. It's not done, as of right now, since I'm still working on the video, and the memories will certainly last a lifetime, and the drama that surrounds the experience continues to be difficult, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Because as Walt Disney once said, "All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them," and I can attest to the fact that this is very much the truth.

There are a couple of other blog posts that will be right after these that still have to do with the trip, since we did SO MUCH in those six days that it's sort of difficult to write about absolutely all of it in just a few posts, but these are my final thoughts on the trip, I suppose, or at least as they stand now.



- Dreams are hard to achieve, no matter what they are, but never give up on them.
- People show their true colors when you least expect them to.
- Be thankful for what you have.
- Make the most of your time. There's so little of it in the first place. Don't waste it.
- Keep Calm and Be Understanding, but stick up for what you believe.
- Accept help when it is offered, especially when it's an offer on something you know nothing about.
- Take lots of pictures. And video. Document your moments, because they're gone faster than they came.
- Do what is right, even if it's not what you want.
- Take risks. Try new things. Be adventurous.
- Never lose hope. It's more important than anything else in the world.

Have a magical day.

(Note: This blog post was written on August 1).

Day 542: Breaking the Rules

As I said in one of the previous band trip blog posts, I don't really like to spend my Disney time outside of Disney, and that means I rarely venture off Disney property. And if I do, it has to be at a Lizzie approved location.

What's not approved you ask? Well, Universal for one. But there's a story here, I swear to you there is.

I've actually been to Universal...once. I was three. I don't remember it. I don't really care. It was for an AGCO convention that was in Orlando that year, and my parents and I made the trip down for it. I can't recall much about the trip aside from being sick, stubbing my toe and staying at the Grand Floridian (oh yes, my brother is jealous that I have stayed there and he has not). But I did go to Universal that trip, and that's just about all I need.

The rest of this story, however, doesn't really have to do with any experiences in the park, but for some reason I have an extreme grudge against the place. A number of years ago, there was this commercial on TV though, and it was for Universal of course. Why we get such commercials here in Wisconsin (on our local channels that weren't like ABC or FOX) I really don't know, but we did for some reason, and boy it didn't sit well with me.

I don't remember much about the commercial except for two things. One, there was this girl that I distinctly remember saying something like "If I see another Princess I think I'm going to puke" and two, it was 100% against Disney. I just spent a few minutes on YouTube trying to find it, but came up with nothing. Either way, I remember it, and I remember not liking it.

It's one of my pet peeves in life honestly, to make yourself look better by downgrading someone else. We're all at different levels, and yeah I complain about people too, but I'm not going to like walk into my audition for Wind Ensemble and brag about how many scales I have done compared to my peers. And if I do run a business someday I'm not going to gain business through that negative sort of advertising. The point is this, I didn't like the commercial because it was downgrading on Disney, and that's something that, as far as I can remember, Disney has been very good about with their own advertisements. Granted, we all know they're the best to begin with so it's not like they can do anything else, but they don't complain about the competition, right? No commercials talking about how we're never going to ride a broomstick again or something.

So since then, whenever that actually was, my #1 rule in life has been this: never step foot on Universal Property. That's the basic rule, and there are a few exceptions, since I AM actually a Harry Potter fan and wouldn't mind heading to the Wizarding World sometime. But other than that I have no real desire to go there. I'll stick with my Disney, thank you.

But sometimes, and especially when you're on band trips, you don't have a choice in where you want to go, and for me, that meant I had to break that number one rule and head to Universal City Walk for lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe. Now, I also happened to have a terrible experience at a HRC in New York, so I wasn't really thrilled about going back to the restaurant, even if it was in a different city, but I tried to make the best of it. Generally some of the stuff there is pretty awesome, like Elvis' Pink car, or a guitar from Pearl Jam (Colin's Favorite band) and sometimes a Les Paul guitar or two. Granted, we found no Les Paul this time, but we did get to go into the one special room where all the famous people go. The cast of Harry Potter was there once...the John Lennon room...and I remember reading the article about how they were there and we got to sit on those same couches. Plus, our waiter at Hard Rock this time was a guy named Jeff and he was just spectacular.

All in all, the experience at the Hard Rock Orlando was much better than the one in New York, and, for the most part, helped regain my trust in the chain. Not that I want to go eat there again. Once was more than enough for me, and the walk through Universal was enough to last me for a number of years. Maybe, once I'm down there for the college program (hopefully), I'll take a trip over there, since I'll be spending so much time at Disney that I'll feel I can afford a day or two to somewhere else, but until then I'll be happy in Epcot and Magic Kingdom. There's plenty to see there.

But just for the record Mr. Alban...this is not saying I LOVED my experience. I enjoyed it. Not loved it. Those are two different things.

Also thanks to Megan for that picture of Lizzie in her (almost) natural habitat. No Disney, not natural. But still a great picture.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on August 1).

Day 541: A Dream Come True

The ability to have a dream actually come true is, sadly, often far from reality. Things like fairy tales may tell of happy endings, but those don't always happen either. What's important though is that we keep hope, and we never stop chasing after those dreams, despite the fact that they seem as far away as the moon (and often further).

But every once and a while, a dream does come true. I like to think that maybe some weird, mysterious force of the universe decided that after all the hard work I had put in that maybe my dream should come true. I probably don't deserve it. I mean, there are tons of people out there much more worthy of something like their lifelong dream becoming a reality, and I'm sure there are people with better dreams out there too, like curing cancer or world peace. But fate chose me, and I couldn't be more thankful.

It's kind of difficult trying to figure out how to word this blog post because just how do you take 18 years of your life and stick it into a few words? How do you describe something that you spent your whole life dreaming of and make it understandable how much it means to you when you actually get to a point where you can do it? It's really, truly difficult. So I'll start with a story, since I'm writing this long after even the actual event happened.

I'm currently in the process of just beginning the actual editing of the band trip video, and that means going through a lot of files on my computer to find everything I need. Yesterday it just so happened that I stumbled across a video I made almost a year ago, back on the night we found out we were accepted to Disney Performing Arts for a workshop and marching experience in one of the Walt Disney World theme parks. I don't really remember much about that night, other than I cried a lot. And there are most certainly some pictures out there that I hope hide for eternity because I look absolutely awful in them. Granted, you can imagine my emotional state when they were taken.

Anyways, in this video, I talk a bit about how proud I am of the band for achieving something like this before I launch into a story about my own life, and how spectacular this is simply for me. It's funny though, because what I said in that video is almost exactly what our cast member, Nick, said backstage after our parade.

When I was a little girl, visiting Walt Disney World with my family, I spent a good amount of time listening to the music in the parks too. The music of the Millennium Celebration at Epcot will forever be my inspiration for my own music, but there's more to it than that. When we would be at the Magic Kingdom, I would watch the parades go by, often times with marching bands, and I said to myself "I want to do that." I wanted to march down Main Street U.S.A. with a band, and as many of you well know, just about the only way to do that is through Disney Performing Arts. So when I entered my senior year, not expecting to be able to return on another trip of the size and scale that Disney would be, my dreams were pretty much dead. I had tried for years to get our director to go, and then something clicked. And we were accepted.

And on June 25, 2014, I got to march down Main Street U.S.A. at the Magic Kingdom, just like I always dreamed of. And better yet? I had the incredible honor of standing as a second drum major, leading the band past thousands of people. This is one of those times when I'm kind of just speechless. I don't know what else to say.

I do know that, somehow, I managed to keep myself from crying through the parade, a smile on my face the whole way through, although I honestly don't remember ever even hearing the band play a note. I was so off in my own little world for those ten minutes that I just don't remember anything else.

But afterwards, once we were all out of uniform and standing around waiting for Nick to take us back into the park, he gave us this speech, and God it changed my life.

I wish I had that speech on video, I really do, although it was difficult to think about doing something like that when I was crying like no other. And while I don't really remember everything he said in that speech, I do remember one portion. He told us that, as inspiring as the parade had been for us, we have to remember that we, as honorary Disney cast members, were inspiring other people too. There could have been a little kid out on the parade route that watched us march by and suddenly thought to themselves "I want to do that. I want to play the flute, or the trumpet or be the drum major," and he pointed directly at me, standing clear in front of him balling my eyes out. But he's right. As much as I know there are people in the group angry that he pointed at me instead of the other drum major, I don't care. I WAS THAT KID. That was me, once upon a time, and if anyone has a problem with that parade, or me being in it or being drum major, I challenge them to find someone that parade meant more to than it did for me. I bet they wouldn't be able to find anyone.

In the end, the whole thing is still sort of a blur, and a good part of me still doesn't believe it happened. I have this feeling that I'll return in January and just stand at the end of Main Street and cry, but at least my friends will be there with me. Magic Kingdom will never be the same for me, because for just a few minutes, I was an honorary Disney cast member, and I hope to god that my journey, with all its trials and tribulations, inspired someone just like me to go out and reach for that goal too. Some little boy or girl that watched ME march by, deciding that they wanted to look ridiculous walking in front of a band waving their arms around in the middle of the ridiculous Florida summer sun and heat. Because there's nothing I've experienced in my life that's as rewarding as that parade was for me.

So thank you to everyone involved, especially the powers that be in Disney Performing Arts, and our spectacular cast member, Nick. I wish I could have thanked you before we left. And to the members of the SHS Band that helped me achieve my dream, especially the 2013-14 drum major, Gail, for letting me share her big parade. And to our director, Mr. Alban. Thanks for letting me come along, thanks for inspiring me, thanks for everything.

Now, having heard my story, I want to encourage each and every one of you to go after your own dream, whether it seems possible or not, because as difficult as it may sound, it could still happen. All you have to do is have a little faith, a little trust and maybe a little bit of pixie dust.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on August 1).

Day 540: Backstage Music

My High School Band may have gotten accepted to march in the Magic Kingdom, but that doesn't mean that's all we went to Florida for. Nope! We were also accepted to do a workshop with Disney Performing Arts, and it was certainly a wild adventure.

For those of you that don't know, there's a Performing Arts center backstage in Epcot, right between Italy and the American Adventure. I'd actually seen it before, since I've been backstage in that area, but I completely forgot (or didn't realize) that the DPA Center was there. It's a neat looking little place, and the inside area is beautiful as well. When you do a workshop there, your band goes into one of the recording studios and sight reads through music, recording as you go until you record a song or two from a movie, which is then paired with the film footage for your own custom recording of the music from that movie. It's honestly a wonderful experience.

For our workshop, I actually ended up playing Clarinet. You're probably all like, "but Lizzie, you don't play clarinet?" and you're right! I don't! Or at least I'm not very good at it. About a month before the trip I was discussing with my band director what I might end up playing. The problem? Four oboe players were going on the trip, and the alto row is so full that one of them actually already had left to go help out in percussion. Which mean that there wasn't really room to fit me in.

So we stuck me in the clarinet row instead, and within a month I picked up the instrument enough that, surprisingly, I could play most of the music we read at the workshop. It probably wasn't quite as rewarding for me then if I had been playing my alto, or even my oboe, but the experience was still great, and I was super proud of the fact that I could handle playing a first clarinet part with Megan. Also, a special shout out to Ashley, who taught me how to play that darn thing.

Within the two hours we spent there, we played through some great music, including the theme from Beauty and the Beast and music from Aladdin, which was the film that they backed the music to. Aladdin is honestly my least favorite Disney movie, but it was still fun. However, by the far the BEST song we played had to be Trashin' The Camp from Tarzan. Our band director was enlisted to do animal noises on the recording and I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my life.

Plus, we got to meet this wonderful cast member, Allen! (I hope I spelled that right. I'm not exactly sure). He was great! Hilarious, and most certainly a spectacular trumpet player (among other instruments). Plus we got these special pins for the workshop and it just makes me super happy. Actually, I should figure out where I put mine. I think I remember where it is...unless I already put it in my pin case. Gosh I need to sort out where I put all my Disney stuff from this trip.

But for sure, the workshop was GREAT! And we got to go into backstage Epcot, and there's nothing I enjoy more than going backstage past Test Track and the little Spaceship Earth thing. It probably has a name, and I should probably learn what it is...but I think I'll have to save that one for when I finally work there some day.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on August 1). 

Day 539: Blastoff

I've been to Disney World a ton of times, and each and every single time I go, someone always ends up asking me about other popular Orlando attractions that I just never seem to go to. Or Florida stuff in general. You know, like the beach or SeaWorld or Universal. I don't go to those places, in fact I sometimes have rules against it. If I'm going to travel all the way to Florida, I'm going to spend my time at home at Disney.

Which is one of the reasons I loved this trip. While I would have much rather spent all my time at Disney, at least the trip gave me excuse to head to some of the other locations that I normally don't visit without wasting a day of my regular vacation to go to them. Waste is sort of an awful word to use though.

Despite our traffic jam troubles that put us in Florida much later than originally intended, we DID make it to Kennedy Space Center, a detail my brother is surely thankful about. I'm not really into the whole NASA and space thing personally. The most I'm into it is the references in the Disney parks or the occasional night I spend looking at the stars. And there's the fact that the space race is one of the most interesting periods in our nation's history, if you ask me. But my brother? He LOVES everything to do with that kind of thing, and a trip to the Kennedy Space Center was a highlight of the trip for him.

He was a bit angry (ok, more than a bit) that we were only able to spend around an hour and a half there, obviously not enough time to see everything the center has to offer. I've actually been there once before, and while I don't remember much of it, I remember that like my favorite thing was seeing the Bald Eagle Nest while out on the tour. Yeah, obviously I'm not into NASA.

However, we did see a great IMAX 3D Film on the Hubble Telescope, which was super interesting and literally almost made me cry, if only because I was having some intense "I'm almost at Disney" feelings and for some reason the movie just reminded me of home or something like that. I can't really say now because it's a bit fuzzy, but I do remember sitting there watching and thinking about Space Mountain and Spaceship Earth, so that's something, right?

My brother, of course, wants to go back, and while I think I'd like to spend a bit more time at Kennedy, I couldn't see myself spending a whole previous day there. Too much for me. If anything, I'd like to take more pictures. As you'll hear in the final post about the band trip, I didn't have too much time to do my usual Instagraming, and I certainly missed it. Kennedy Space Center is a great place for taking pictures, with all the bright blue sky in the background.

Plus I suppose I wouldn't mind actually seeing a launch sometime. But don't tell my family that. Even though I know mom reads my blog and is sure to see it sooner or later. I'll stick with Disney for now, thanks very much. =)

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on August 1).

Day 538: On the Road Again

I'm not going to lie. It's a bit strange basically reviewing ever waking moment of the band trip that occurred over a month ago, but that's what I'm going to try and do in the next six blog posts. I figure it's a pretty good way to work on stuff, since I already have the topics planned out for these few days, and I'm not really sure what to talk about for the tons of other days I must make up before the school year begins in a few weeks.

But let's not focus on that right now. Let's focus on the band trip. It was six days in length, although two of those were spent on a bus and there's just not much that goes on there aside from a ridiculous amount of drama and high tempers. You'll hear more about my final thoughts at the end of the trip though, since that last post is reserved for that while this one, along with the other four, are for more specific topics.

Today's topic? The bus.

As I just mentioned, it's quite easy for tempers to run high, people to get angry and to become very, very bored while on a bus for 24 hours. And it would have been nice if we had been on a bus for 24.

The drive from Seymour, Wisconsin to Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, ideally, is about 21 hours. That's without stopping or traffic though, so you have to account for the fact that it'll probably be more around 24 hours to begin with. Our drive ended up being closer to 27 or 28 hours, due to some traffic jams. But that doesn't mean it wasn't an adventure!

To be honest, we watched WAY too many movies on our trip. In fact, I'm pretty sure we watched more films on this trip than we did on the three previous trips combined...or four. Or something like that. Either way, it was just a lot of movies. I was put in charge of such things, and then the back of the bus got angry when I told them we should take a break and put in another movie anyways...which of course no one watched. This isn't about me getting angry about that though, so let's talk about some of the better stuff that went on during our drive.

For one, in order to get from Wisconsin to Florida, you generally head through Nashville. What's awesome about this you ask? Well it just so happens that as we were driving through, a certain actor by the name of Colin O'Donoghue was just wrapping up filming on his new film, The Dust Storm! Of course we didn't actually see him, considering we were on the highway in a traffic jam because of construction and he was at the wrap party downtown, but hey! Being in the same city is good enough for me I should think. After all, that's about the closest I've ever come.

Next year I'll end up missing him at Comic Con by like a week though. Life is rough.

Aside from all of that crazy, I spent a good portion of my time filming out of the window for the band trip video, which is going to take a lot more time than I suppose I initially intended it to. It'll be an adventure.

And despite the fact that we DID watch too many movies, we got to finally watch LEGO movie, which just made me super excited. I bought it just before the trip because everyone always talks about how spectacular it was, and I figured that it would be a good one to take on the trip. My favorite part was most certainly the Star Wars cameo. Can't beat Han Solo. He's pretty awesome. ;)

After all of that we slept...or at least tried to. Sleeping on a bus is one of the most difficult things ever, and in the end you just don't get much sleep at all. But you push through it and come out the next day ready to hit Disney World. Not that we did...much. The beach and Kennedy Space Center were calling us, and then FINALLY we got to Downtown Disney. But we didn't let the fact that we got there late ruin our day. What a great first day in Florida it was!

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on August 1). 

Day 323: Another Promo

The other day I found out that, if we get a second bus going, my best friend will be on the band trip to Walt Disney World. Honestly you have no idea how excited this makes me (ok, maybe she does, but you won't necessarily). But we have a number of people to get on the trip before that second bus ends up going...so I wanted to do my part in helping that happen.

You previously saw the promo video that I made for the band trip, and while I intended that to be it, when I found out that we still need like 25ish more people on the band trip before the second bus goes, I put my new plan into full action: I was going to make a second promo video. Shorter than the first but still to the point and still super exciting and high energy. I don't want anyone to miss out on this experience, even if I have my own personal doubts about my feelings toward the trip (but you already heard about that a few days ago).

So, without further ado, here's the new Promotional Video for my High School Band Trip:

It took a while to get this one done, but still no more than a few hours. I mean, plus, if I can stare at video of Disney World for like three hours I'm going to. It's work to get them done, but it's fun at the same time. My current frustration? I don't have all the different shots I want of things to make these videos. That's why it's good that I'm working on these now. It means that I have ideas in my head for the next band trip video (the Disney One), and then when I get around to making it, it will be Fantasmic (see what I did there?). 

 

It is time once again for Frumpstagram! Today's topic? Citizens of Main Street USA. Now, when I was working on finding a picture of this one I honestly got sad at how few pictures of these people I have, of any citizens of Main Street, not just the Dapper Dans. I'd go take more on my next trip but we all know how that's going to work out. Sigh...I'll just have to add it to my list of things to do on my next next trip. 

Here's today's Disney History: 1971: Walt Disney World's new Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground opens in Florida. 

Have a magical day!

Day 296: Promo Video!

I can share this on my blog now since everyone has pretty much officially seen it (at least my High School Band has all seen it as of now). I was waiting for the high school to see it before posting in on my blog. Plus now the video is finally up in 1080p. The other day when I first uploaded it, it wasn't in that HD quality yet because as fast as my internet is here at SNC, it's not that fast.

So here's what I'm talking about:

That's right, I made a promotional video for my high school band trip to Orlando and Walt Disney World. You could say I'm a bit excited. Actually, apparently I was the legitimately first person signed up to go, my brother is second. Probably because my mother went and brought in our payment before the High School even got their brochures, but you know. 

Anyway, there certainly are some favorite moments I have with this video. I mean, I love the entire thing, obviously, because I edited it all, but there are just a couple of moments that are my absolute favorite. For instance, I love the first time we see the band marching, because the steps all line up with the music. And when we're dancing in that opening section, our dance moves match the song too. Then I think it's safe to say that the next thing I adore is when we're going down Splash and it transfers into Big Thunder and such, and I love the ending with the Thrills and Classic Attractions. But my absolute favorite part is the end, when the projections on the castle match the music perfectly. Can't get much better than that if you ask me! Also, if you watch closely you may find hidden hints to Colin O'Donoghue and Harrison Ford! My two favorite actors!

Here's today's Disney History: 2011: ABC-TV premieres the fairy tale drama series Once Upon a Time. About a woman with a troubled past who is drawn into a small town in Maine where the magic and mystery of Fairy Tales parallels real life, the series stars Jennifer Morrison, Ginnifer Goodwin, Lana Parrilla, Josh Dallas and Jared Gilmore. Created by Lost and Tron: Legacy writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, Once Upon a Time is distributed by Disney-ABC Domestic Television. (MY FAVORITE SHOW!)

Have a magical day!