Day 1650: Spider-Man Homecoming

I can still recall the day I watched my first Spider-Man movie. For some reason, we had one of the 2000 movies in our house but had never actually watched it, so I didn't really complain or disagree when our babysitter (yes, I was still fairly young) convinced us that the miscellaneous Spider-Man movie was the perfect choice for that evening. 

I remember almost nothing about the film itself, other than I thought it was a ridiculous film because obviously the Marvel Superhero bug hadn't bitten me yet, and I went about my life up until yesterday honestly believing that Spider-Man was one of the strangest and worst superheroes out there. 

Well...I was wrong. 

In the tradition of catching the latest Disney film during opening weekend, Megan and I headed to the theater last night, settled into our recliners, and waited to watch Spider-Man Homecoming. We realized after the film that both of us had considered skipping this film, figuring that perhaps this one wasn't quite up our alley. In fact, I had completely forgotten about this new addition to the Marvel universe until I went to the theater a few weeks ago to see Wonder Woman and saw the giant Spider-Man Homecoming advertisement display, and even then I wasn't sure about the film. 

First of all, I'm absolutely behind in my Spider-Man Universe knowledge. I had completely forgotten that he was a teenager, hence the Homecoming title that made no sense to me until I saw the film (although it does still feel like a sort of strange title). But like all the Marvel characters and films, I'm still learning, and it seems that with each new film I find a new favorite character. Spider-Man was no exception. 

We've had a lot of great Marvel films in the past number of years, and a lot of wonderful television shows to back them up. Look at Captain America: Civil War, which came out last week and was absolutely a rollercoaster of emotions from start to finish. It wasn't just a welcome and worthwhile addition to the Marvel Universe, but was a spectacular stand-alone film. Spider-Man Homecoming, in my opinion, ranks in the same [ferry] boat. It'll make much more sense if you've seen a previous Spider-Man movie, and the pieces will fit together better if you've seen, specifically, Captain America: Civil War, but that's not to say that it can't be watched on its own. 

That being said, things I wasn't as thrilled about with the new Spider-Man movie (and don't worry, there are no spoilers here): as always with Marvel, it is a bit of a problem that you might not understand all the references and key plot points unless you've seen a prior film. Since Spider-Man was reintroduced in the last Captain America movie, there are multiple references to it in the film, and while, like I said, it makes sense without having seen the other films, it makes more sense when you have seen the films. Just something to note. I also felt the pacing was a bit strange throughout the movie, since the climax of the film seems delayed due to a prior climactic moment (or three). 

On the opposite side, however, with things I loved about the film, I can't express to you how much I laughed during this movie. Where with Civil War I cried more than during any other Marvel film, this time I laughed more, and it was consistent and well placed, which is extremely important in action films like this. In particular, the post-credits scene had me in tears, and is well worth the wait, if you're patient enough. The characters all felt developed and included at just the right moment, especially in regards to the reveals of the film (of which there are several). 

But most importantly, the message of the film is consistent and clear: If you're nothing without the suit, then you shouldn't have it. This film about a coming-of-age teenager who just happened to fall into a world of superheroes proves a very important point about living up to the person you want to be, and following through with your actions. We may not all be Iron Man or Captain America or even your everyday neighborhood Spider-Man, but behind the suits, they're people who care and strive to do what's best, even if they are in the midst of a Civil War. They don't just put on the suit whenever they feel like doing good, but rather are able to do good whether they're wearing it or not, and that's important to remember. 

I won't lie, I think Spider-Man may just be my new favorite superhero, a spot that has, up until now, really only been held by Captain America (and, perhaps, a bit of Ant-Man). There was just something about the geeky Peter Parker donning his specalized suit and trying to live up and prove himself to his superiors, an idea that certainly resonates with those in my age group just starting to head out into the real world, where we too will have to prove that we are just as worthy without the suit as we are in it. 

If you haven't had a chance to see Spider-Man Homecoming yet, head to the theater as soon as you can to catch a showing, because the spoilers in this film are already everywhere and it's only been out a couple of days! Do yourself a favor and see it before you see the spoilers, because it'll be worth it! 

Have a magical day!

Day 1133: United We Fall

If we're being honest, it only really takes a few seconds of a new movie to get us all excited, and the new Captain America film is no exception. While I'm not a lifelong Marvel fan like some of my friends, I'm definitely a part of the fandom now, and my reactions to the new Civil War trailer certainly showcase that fact. 

The Super Bowl TV Spot for Civil War was only 30 seconds long, but it had a lot of emotions at play already, and while some of us may have already been counting down to the premiere, I think a lot of us are definitely counting down to the premiere now. Of course, we're now all expected to pick a side, either #TeamCap or #TeamIronMan, and I, for one, have no idea which side I'm supposed to pick. It's really a problem when your two favorite Avengers are the ones going against each other. Then again, I suspect that that's the case for a lot of us.

Short blog post today, but a long and exciting weekend filled with Newsies and FBLA left me drastically behind on homework and life, so we'll wrap things up here. However, let me know in the comments which team you're on and why! Help me pick a side! 

Have a magical day! 

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 435: Who Are You?

If you're up to beat with all the trends on social media, you'll know already that one thing that's seriously "In" right now is the "Who are you" quizzes. There's stuff for "What kind of cupcake are you?" to "What should your real superpower be?" to plenty of Disney quizzes all over the place. I figured that it might be fun to go and do a couple of these. I mean, it seems like a good idea, right? I tend to take most of them, since my friends will send me interesting ones, or I'll just happen to come across one here and there. Either way, there are tons of quizzes out there to take, so here's seven Disney themed ones from Zimbio. To take the quiz, just click the title! It's a link and will take you to the quiz so you can take it right along with me.

Which TV town should you live in? 

Obviously I only included this because of Storybrooke, but I have to laugh. When it comes to Disney or Once or Star Wars, it's pretty easy for me to rig the quiz to give me the result I want. When I answered a few of the first questions on this one, I knew for sure that Storybrooke had to be an option, so I was like "Country, Witch, I offer him a ride, Protect the realm, Superhero, ABC, My Family, A spontaneous adventure, By Car, Purple Fog (ok, isn't that a bit obvious?), Pongo (Ok...the dalmatian), The train tracks and finally, Magic (because that's not apparent at all)." Of course, it gave me Storybrooke. All of those answers easily say Storybrooke. I laughed and was like YES!

But here's where it got funny. I retook the quiz with my real answers, changing a few of them here and there. The funny part? I STILL GOT STORYBROOKE! Seems I know where I need to live.

Which Disney Prince is Your True Love? 

I took a similar quiz on Buzzfeed a while ago, and it gave me Aladdin. It was wrong. Very wrong. That's ok though, because Zimbio obviously knows what's going on. It gave me my REAL Disney Prince True Love, Flynn Rider. Obviously...he is my favorite, and I did run across half of Epcot to meet him. You know, priorities.

Which Muppet Are You? 

Now, I'm not sure what it gave me the first time, although I'm pretty sure it gave me Kermit. That's the funny thing. If you take a quiz now, and then retake it months from now, it's quite possible that your results will change. Interesting how we, as people, change over time, huh? Either way, it now tells me I'm Scooter, and I guess that's pretty accurate...although I don't know if I'm a natural born second-in-command. I think I tend to be the leader...but then again the rest of it is pretty true, considering I do tend to overthink things.

Which Avengers Character Are You? 

Now, the first time I took this I specifically remember getting Fury. But just like the Muppets quiz, I took it a long time ago and my answers are probably a little bit different. So this time I got Hulk. Certainly not my favorite of The Avengers (Iron Man all the way), but I'll take it. I mean, having a bit of a dark side while still being a hero sounds pretty awesome. And I do like wide open spaces.

Which Disney Sidekick Are You?

Of course I'd get Tinker Bell. Does that really surprise you? Ok, so maybe this quiz has nothing to do with the fact that Captain Hook has skyrocketed in my list of favorite Disney characters, bringing the film Peter Pan right along with it, but still. I think being Tink (hehehe) is pretty brilliant. Plus, it seems to fit since people always say I've got some mischief up my sleeve at all times...and I guess I'm pretty stubborn a lot of the time. Oh...and if I'm Tink that means I get wings...so that's pretty awesome too.

Which Disney Villain Are You? 

Sooo I didn't get Hook...but that's ok. This isn't a Once Upon A Time quiz. No, this is a Villains quiz, and I guess that if I had to pick one to be, it would be this one. Maleficent is just pretty darn awesome, so why wouldn't you want to be her? Ok...so maybe her plan wasn't super well thought out...she did get slayed as a dragon, but at least she got to be one! How cool is that? Being a dragon! And bonus: the Maleficent float in Festival of Fantasy is AMAZING!

What Star Wars Character Are You? 

OF COURSE I'M HAN SOLO! DUH! No seriously...this should be really obvious. And while I can cheat it out to give me Han, I don't have to. I can answer truthfully and it will still give me him! Woohoo! Scoundrels all around! Then again...I do own the Millennium Falcon, and my brother is my co-pilot Chewbacca...and my cat is Princess LeiaBelle, so is this really off? No. I don't think so.

BONUS: What Once Upon A Time Character Are You?

Every time I take a Once Upon A Time Character quiz it gives me Charming. I guess it's pretty right, I probably am kind of like Charming...but I honestly know how to get it to give me Emma or Hook as well, and I can easily see bits of myself in both of them too. Plus Regina...that's who it gives me if I answer the first question as Evil. Because really that first one rules out half of the characters right away. In other words, does that make me everyone? No...I am most certainly not Snow or Belle or Rumple. That is just not me.

So for now I'll be cool with Charming. He's pretty awesome.

I'm pretty sure I could do another whole post on these quizzes...and I'm sure I will in the future. It's kind of fun to take them. Good times. So...if you took the quizzes along with me, what did you get?

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on March 27 due to Midterms and Travel).

Day 277: Agents of SHIELD

I know I talked briefly about this not too long ago, but I just figured I'd talk a bit more about it.

A few months ago I couldn't care less about the Marvel characters. I just wasn't a person who liked the superhero thing. I guess it's because of the whole gender stereotype thing, but either way, other than a bit of Batman, I was never into any of it (not that Batman has anything to do with this). And then I watched the Avengers. Now, all of my friends loved the movie, so I eventually got around to borrowing it and watched it, and you know what? I loved it! I absolutely adored the movie! My favorite Avenger? Iron Man, of course.

So when ABC decided to create Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. I knew I'd just have to watch! And now we're in the second week already (almost to the third) and it's spectacular. In fact, I think I loved the second episode even more than the first. The thing is, I can't even pinpoint what my favorite part about the entire thing is. It's funny and action packed and has the perfect cast!

The point here? If you haven't seen The Avengers, go see it! You can find it on DVD and Blu-Ray probably pretty much anywhere now. And then go to Hulu or ABC.com and watch the first few episodes of Agents of SHIELD. It's on every Tuesday night at 8/7c, and honestly you should watch it. Watch it, watch it, watch it!!!

Unless you really have a thing against Marvel...or superheroes or shows like this. Then I guess maybe you shouldn't watch it, but hey, give it a try! I didn't think I'd like it either and I love it and watch it every week (not quite like OUAT where I'm religious with it but close enough).

Here's today's Disney History: 2006: The Spangler family from Randolph, Ohio spends the morning at Disney World as the Magic Kingdom's only guests. The family of four are the first big winners of Disney's "Year of a Million Dreams" celebration.

Have a magical day!

Day 90: TRONorail, Avengerail, Iron Man 3-orail?

Today's blog post is inspired by today's Disney history, so we'll do that first for once...

Here's today's Disney History: 2012: A new monorail "wrap" debuts at Walt Disney World. As with the 16-month tenure of the "TRONorail" in 2010-11, the new wrap is advertising The Avengers, a major motion picture from Disney scheduled for a May release.

So, if you're at all like me and follow the Disney news, you'd already know that the 2013 wrap has appeared. This time it's not TRON or the Avengers, but Iron Man 3...which has been seen on the Magic Kingdom loops for a while now.

(Photo from At Disney Again)

While I love these wraps...in fact, I was more than excited to see the Avenerail back in November when I headed to Disney (I had been waiting all year!). I had seen the TRONorail multiple times before, so when a new one appeared I got excited, and then waited for three monorails before I could actually get on it while leaving the Magic Kingdom. 

But here's my question. What is this going to be called? I mean, as you can tell, the other two had names...TRONorail and Avengerail. But what is this going to be? Ironorail? Manorail 3? Ironmanorail 3? What will this be called!?! I honestly can't handle just calling it the Iron Man 3 Monorail. 

I guess some suggestions have been the Ironorail...but I'm still not sure. If you have any suggestions I'd love to hear them! I need to know what to call this thing before July!

Disney history is already finished...and if you missed it, well...I'm not sure how you could have missed it. 

Have a magical day!