Day 1000: One Thousand

It's sort of strange to think that it's been exactly 1001 days since December 31, 2012. Back then I was still in high school, although I'd just mailed in my acceptence to attend St. Norbert College in the fall. I was a proud member of the Seymour High School Band, and while I'm not a member anymore, so much of this blog has been founded on the experiences of that group, and now I regularly volunteer for the group as a proud Alumni. I wasn't so insanely crazy about Once Upon A Time, and definitely not Colin O'Donoghue. Oh no, those were the hardcore Harrison Ford days, although I'd still gladly watch a Harrison Ford movie whenever, provided that I have the time. I didn't make YouTube videos yet, at least not on the scale that I do now. The very first vlogs were up already back in 2013, and since then I've gone to Walt Disney World four times and Disneyland once...and I didn't even think, on December 31, 2012, that I would go in 2013 at all. I hadn't met my freshman roommate yet, nor any of the college friends I now associate with as family, I still had yet to meet my spectacular Once Upon A Time friends, and Twitter was just a far off idea of social media.
.
But most importantly, on December 31, 2012, I had no idea just where Everyday Disney would take me, and I certainly didn't think I would be here 1001 days later, still blogging about Disney. It's been a wonderful ride, filled with Spaceship Earth, CaptainSwan, Jungle Cruise Jokes, Mad T Parties, DisneyBounds, Vlogs, Fangirl Moments, Millennium Falcon references, and so much more, but the reality of 1000 days is really setting in. There are a lot of blog posts that weren't written on the day they're marked down as, as I get behind almost as frequently as I post on time. Internet problems, computer issues, and a few really bad schedules pretty much rule my entire life, so it's sometimes a struggle, but throughout all of it, I've somehow stuck it out. The other night when I was blogging like a mad woman trying to catch everything up before today (I went for about five and a half hours straight), I realized that, no matter how far behind I get, I would never think about stopping. Not now, and hopefully not for a very long time, if ever.

I have a lot of people that surround me every day, and some are more supportive than others. For me, even with 23 credits, two jobs, three clubs, volunteering, AND personal projects, Everyday Disney is a serious part of the routine. It's a part of my life, and taking it away would be like ripping out my heart. It stands for something, whether it be my persistence, my learning, or my will to do whatever it takes to follow my dream of working with Disney for the rest of my life. It is all of those things, for sure. After all, when my high school band talked about going to Disney, I pushed them harder than they had ever been pushed up to that point, and I've definitely learned more than one or two things about life and blogging in the past two and a half years. But I think it stands for something more than even that; it stands for the love all of us have for Disney.

Everyday Disney is fueled on that love, and the connections so many of us can make through it. Disney can be experienced alone, quietly in our own homes with a fuzzy blanket and a cup of tea while watching a Disney movie, or joyfully striding through one of the parks with no one other than a pair of Mickey ears and a dole whip. But Disney is also about community. It's about loving one another, having fun together, and making memories that will last a lifetime. That's what Disney's all about, and how lucky am I that, for the past 1000 days, I've gotten to share my love with all of you? I honestly hope that you, as a reader, have gotten something out of this blog, whatever it may be, because as much as I write this blog for myself, I write it for all of you too. When times are tough and all I want to do is ride Spaceship Earth, you guys are there to listen (even if I do sometimes feel like I'm talking to a brick wall), and when there's some sort of exciting news to share, we get to experience that together too. I can't express enough how absolutely thankful I am for everything Everyday Disney has brought me over the past 1000 days, and I'm certainly excited to see where the next 1000 go too.

Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for reading Everyday Disney.

Have a magical day!

Day 200: Wow.

Now, originally I was going to talk about Saving Mr. Banks today, but I guess that can wait until tomorrow because today is a milestone...again.

200 days of Dinsey blogging. That's crazy, but I do know that I can't wait for the final post of 2013. I know already that this blog has really changed me, and very much for the better. I can't wait to see what's ahead of me, now that I'm certain that I want to head on a path that leads me directly to Disney. Things are going to be hard, I do know that, but I'll always have Disney movies to watch when I get down, and if Walt Disney taught me one thing, it's that you can't give up on your dreams.

But today isn't the day to get all sentimental. As I just said, we still have almost half a year before we do that! It is only July, after all. The next few months especially are going to be some of the most interesting months of my life, with starting college and all, and I know that all I can hope for is that I'll still have the time and effort left for this blog. It does worry me a little bit sometimes, with a full schedule like I have and everything.

Even in the mix of all that though, I'm sure there will be plenty of Disney left to go around more than a few times. I would like to thank my readers for sticking with me, and I really am glad that I have gotten over the "how many views do I have phase," because this is something I love doing, and it's something I hope I get to do for much longer. Blogging has become a regular thing for me, and it's much easier with this new laptop too, I have to say.

For the full experience, you're welcome to follow my social networks on the side there, and as I said a couple of days ago, watch out for the possible additions of new pages!

Here's today's Disney History: 1919: Dal McKennon - the voice of Benjamin Franklin in Disney's American Adventure (located at Epcot) and the narrator of the now-retired Disneyland attraction Mine Train thru Nature's Wonderland - is born in Oregon. He is best known for the famous Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Safety Announcement.

Have a magical day!

Day 164: Meetings

Tonight was our meeting for this year's band trip. On Saturday I leave for our trip to Mackinaw Island for the Lilac Festival Grand Parade, and that means that tonight we had our final practice and then the parents meeting right after. This, of course, is a meeting I have been through four times now, and will go through once more next summer. But the thing is, it occurred to me in the middle of the meeting that come next summer, I might just be helping with the meeting itself. Why? Disney of course!

Granted, we haven't gotten anything back on if we will be going or not, mostly because we haven't sent in the audition video yet (you send it in a year ahead and that will be about next week or the week after). Still, there is a good possibility that we could be having this same meeting about Disney, and that was kind of an awesome thing to think about.

If and when my band goes to Disney World next summer, it will not only be a trip where I can fulfill my dream of marching down Main Street U.S.A. with the band, but it also marks a milestone for me. Just as Epcot turned 30 this past year, when I go in 2014, it will be my 25th visit to Walt Disney World. That's crazy because I'll only be 18, but it is still a huge milestone none the less. Yes, the trip will probably be more frustrating than I can handle, but at the same time I'm going to love every second of it. I can honestly not wait.

I wonder if I can get a button that says 25th visit...???

Here's today's Disney History: 2010: Toy Story 3 premieres in Hollywood at the El Capitan Theatre. The Pixar Film will be generally released on June 18.

Have a magical day!

Day 100: 100?

It's really been 100 days already since I started this!?!

Honestly, I'm finding it pretty crazy to think that I've been doing this for over three months now. This is the longest I've done any sort of blogging, and it's the first time one of my New Years Resolutions actually worked! Granted, I have some free time each morning that I use to write these posts, and over the summer I'll hopefully have plenty of Disney adventures to share, so it really isn't too difficult to keep going (other than the fact that I don't have a laptop currently and my home computer's sound card is broken!). And in college there's an hour each morning where I can go through and do all the Disney stuff...so I don't plan on stopping any time soon.

Of course, big milestones like this always make me wonder if I'm going to continue writing after the year is up, and as of right now, I have to say I hope so. I've already come so far, and I can't wait to keep going! Maybe someday I'll learn HTML and make it easier to actually modify my site (although I think it looks pretty good right now, don't you think?).

Either way, I have to say that I'm quite proud of having done 100 days...even if I had a few days to go back and make up every once and a while. It's still awesome in my mind!

Next project?

Once I have a computer again, I know I want to do some vlogging...like actually vlogging on my Youtube channel. It sounds like a fun and unique way to showcase how Disney really does impact my everyday life. Of course, my brother and I are always discussing and planning for our trip in July, and the vlogs that accompany that (we already have some great stuff planned!), so I'm sure there's going to be a lot when that comes around.

But for now, here's today's Disney History: 1988: Disneyland's America Sings closes in Tomorrowland at the end of this day. A 24-minute patriotic musical production that included over 100 characters (the biggest Audio Animatronics cast ever assembled for the Disneyland attraction at this time) has been in operation since June 1974. America Sings used the same Carousel Theater that its predecessor Carousel of Progress had. Many of the America Sings characters will later be placed in Critter Country and the Splash Mountain attraction. The Carousel Theater will be used as office space for the next ten years before finally being replaced by Innoventions, a version of the Epcot attraction.

Have a magical day!