Day 512: Beat the Heat

Day 20 of the Disney Photo Challenge: A picture of the best way to beat the heat at Disney. 

Blast from the Past: 

Well, I'll be a bit more creative than my other answers of "Find a Store, eat somewhere, Head to "The American Adventure or Hall of Presidents, Go on Spaceship Earth." 

Nope, I'm going to say something that's really fun. Disney sells these little spray fans and these are pretty popular, and aren't just sold at Disney. 

I guess the reason I'm saying this because remember how I went to Disney with Gordon in Summer 2011? Well, he got one of these spray fans, and everyday we were down there he would ask me if I wanted to be sprayed. I would take off my glasses, kneel down and he'd spray the cool water all over my face. It was so adorable...and I did the same thing when I got my first spray fan...although no one ever wanted me to spray them. 

It's a great way to keep cool when you aren't near a store, restaurant or attraction with AC, and it's fun for everyone. Plus, it's a piece of the parks that you can take home with you. 

Back to the Future: 

Since I know that two years ago I had never actually experienced extreme heat at Walt Disney World, and I have now, it's obvious that my answer is going to be pretty different. The way I do Disney is different too, so that certainly changes things as well, since in the past few trips I have been very adamant about carrying as little as humanly possible to the parks with me.

Meaning that goodness no, I don't have room to carry a water bottle sprayer with me.

But I do have some experience with heat in the parks now. In fact, my last three trips were insanely weird for me, since I generally am NOT there when it's above 80 degrees. I go in the winter, for the most part, when you want to wear a jacket and then add another because even though I'm from Wisconsin, you get COLD. Granted, I did go in Summer of 2011, but that was a strange trip as well, and honestly I don't remember how I dealt with it back then.

I think my number one way to beat the heat is water though. Just LOTS and LOTS of water. When I'm down there in the summer, in order to make sure I keep drinking, I buy my water instead of bringing my own water bottle. Yeah, that cost adds up, but it's only like one or two actually bought a day, since I have some in our room (or try to), which I drink in the morning and at night, then I get one at lunch, buy one in the afternoon and have only water at dinner (or whatever meal is the sit-down meal versus the counter service). That way I can keep track of exactly how much water I've had, and know that "Hey, I didn't buy a water this afternoon" that I probably should.

Other than that, I just try to go about things as usual. My time at Disney is a very precious thing, so I try not to let heat or rain slow me down. I wear appropriate clothing, spend as much time as possible inside air conditioned buildings and drink ALL THE WATER.

After all, the heat never bothered me anyway...

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on August 21).

Day 511: Remember That Time?

Do you guys remember that one time when I said that I was going to watch all the Disney movies in order and I didn't really get past Snow White? And then I decided I would try again and made it to like Alice in Wonderland, or somewhere around there. All I remember is that I didn't get to Peter Pan, so there's that. Well, I'm going to try again. The way I figured it, I have a while until I go back to school, and the movies can always play while I work on other stuff, just like this blog, so it's like a double win!

I think it's more because I actually intended to watch the movies that paired with fairy tales while I was taking the class, but with so little time during college, I didn't really get around to it until now, and I might as well just start at the beginning.The funny thing is, if I remember correctly, the last time I watched Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, I didn't like it very much. I don't really know why, but I just didn't. However, now that I'm watching it after loving OUAT and reading the fairy tale and just getting back from Disney and everything, I can't help but think about how I forgot just how adorable it is. I mean, this is a really cute movie with the dwarfs and everything. Plus, you've got the beautiful music and you're reminded just how much of a major accomplishment this must have been for Walt Disney and his team. A full length animated picture! It's so different from the movies we see today, but in my opinion it's just as good. Alright, so maybe there's a bit less action, but seriously the Evil Queen is pretty creepy, even if all I can think about when she's on screen is Lana.

I have no clue how often I'll actually blog about the movie that I happen to be watching, because I can't really just blog about movies for like 50 some days straight. Well, maybe I could. I mean, I have enough days to finish making up from before my hiatus, and I still have a ton of time left before I go back to school and the wonderful internet that I'll have there every day.

Currently, I'm just think about how silly it is for the old hag to bring a whole basket full of apples, all different colors. I guess the only one that's red is the poisoned one, but in reality, what would have happened if she had lost track and ate that apple herself? I mean, it couldn't be that far off, right? Then she would have never woken up! That is, unless we're talking OUAT. Regina has plenty of true loves that could come and save her.

Gosh, I could never animate an entire movie. I'm just no good at that. Maybe I'm able to draw the dwarfs, but that's about as far as I can go. I think I'll stick to writing, thank you very much!

Have a magical day, and feel free to join me in watching all the films! I'll post on Instagram when I do!

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

Day 510: Look Over Here!

Day 19 of the Disney Photo Challenge: A picture of something in the park that deserves more attention. 

Blast from the Past: 

My goodness...who came up with these? 

Actually, this one might be a bit easier. I think something people really need to pay attention to is the cast members. Their job isn't just to help you. It's to make your stay as magical as possible. Now, I often see people blow them off, but the large majority of cast members would LOVE to talk to you, to tell you about their experiences, and in Epcot, the cast members in World Showcase are literally from all over the world...each in their respective country. Ask them about their culture, their home, how they like the states, whatever. 

The cast members are amazing people, literally, they are. They have so many stories, they're there to help you, and they are there to make your day. Cast members often aren't paid a ton, but many stay on for a large majority of their lives just because it's worth it. To make a person's day when they meet Mickey for the first time, or to bring a special birthday desert to your table, or even just to meet someone and be able to help them...it's why the cast members are there, and it's why being a part of the Disney company is such a magical experience. 

The man in the photo is named Stan, and you can learn more about him HERE!

Back to the Future: 

This is difficult.

I certainly agree with my past self. I think the Cast Members that spend their days in the parks DO deserve more attention, simply because I know for a fact that they are an awesome bunch of people, and I literally CANNOT wait to become a part of that.

But as much as I would totally give the same answer, I've actually got a different one too!

It's the music of the parks! Gosh, there are SOOOO many wonderful music groups throughout Walt Disney World and Disneyland and I honestly feel like people need to stop and listen to them more often. I mean, I guess you see a crowd for some of them, but really, stop and listen to these spectacular groups, and then go chat with them afterwards! It's well worth it!

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on August 21).

Day 509: The Next 29 Days

Writing a blog can get interesting, especially when trying to make up the days you missed from the last month. I mean, there's just so much to make up, and while generally it isn't terrible to come up with topics for each day, sitting at a computer and talking about Disney kind of starts to get in your head. Not that it's a bad thing, but once Disney is in my mind, weird stuff tends to happen.

Let's think about this for a moment, I have 29 days until I leave on the band trip, and that means that I have 30 days until I step foot on Disney property again. Now, I have this theory. I went to Disney in March, and normally after a Disney trip I just go into this depression. The strange thing is, I didn't go into this same depression in March, and I'm pretty sure the reason I didn't was because I focused on Once and how it was on every Sunday. It took my mind off the fact that I wasn't at Disney. There's just one small problem. Once is done...and in just over a month, my Disney trip will be too. And then my life just sounds like a horror movie.

No Once. No Disney. No Internet. No SNC.

Yep. Basically, in just over a month I will go totally insane. And then what? Hundreds of days until my next Disney trip and over a hundred days until Once returns to my TV screen. Even a couple of months until I get to go back to school with all my college friends.

But I guess there's a bright side. I'll have lots of video to edit, and I do enjoy that, and then I have the rest of the summer to spend time with my friends from high school as well. So that's nice. And then there's Lilly, who's currently debating whether to try and knock my phone or my coffee mug onto the floor. I vote neither.

For now, I'm just going to count down the days with the rest of the band, work hard like always, and then get ready to play hard on what will be my final band trip with the Seymour High School Band. It'll be sad, I know, and I may collapse into Disney Depression afterwards, but until then I'll just be excited. Really, REALLY excited.

Have a magical day!

Day 508: Proud Alumni

I am very proud of where my High School Band has come from, and excited to see where they're going. But one of the things I'm most proud of is the fact that I've been able to be a part of all of that. I watched the band go from disoriented to going to Disney World, and to be completely honest, that is something I never thought I would see. But this group continues to surprise me, and this time, it gets a blog post, which means that it really makes me proud.

Two years ago we weren't gearing up for Disney, but instead for our trip to the East Coast, Boston and New York. We were all very excited, and back in those days I was the Vice President of the band, meaning that I, at the time, ran the band facebook page that still continues to this day. Before that Band trip, I decided that we needed a fun way to count down each day, and since that was not long after the addition of cover photos to the facebook pages, I decided that a great way to do that would be through those cover photos!

I'm no stranger to graphics, so it wasn't all that difficult to do. Just a little bit of editing and some fun fonts and I was done with the countdown. I handed over the band page this last year to the current band council, surrendering total ownership of the page I had started, but I'm very happy with those running it now. Since I don't run the page anymore, and I only update my own cover photo and profile picture when I head to Disney (it's a thing I've been doing haha), it never even crossed my mind that there might be a similar countdown for this trip, especially since we didn't do one last year. 

But like I said, they keep surprising me! 

Yep, they're doing a similar countdown for the Disney trip. Can I just say PROUD ALUMNI!?! 

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on May 24 due to finals).

Day 507: The Middle

I love it when TV shows go to Disney World. I mean, Full House went, and that's my favorite episode. Modern Family has gone, as has Rosanne. Actually, a lot of shows go at one point or another (although I honestly hope Once never does...that would just be weird...then again...I'll come back to this...), and it just makes me really happy. Well last night was the season finale of The Middle, and of course, they went to Walt Disney World. I recorded it so I'd be able to watch it (and this way my family can watch it tonight. I'll force them to, especially since I know my Dad likes the show).

But since I'm sitting at my kitchen counter working on catching up on blog posts, I figured I would watch it as I work (Although when Disney is on the screen that generally means more watching than working). The first half of the hour finale isn't actually really at Disney, but rather them trying to get there without dying, and eventually they get there. If you haven't seen the episode yet and wish to, I won't tell you everything that happens, but let's talk for a second about how much I love these things.

1. Disney Lingo

Seriously, I'm starting to think that there should simply be a language called "Disney." Really, there's so many words that the rest of the world just doesn't understand. Here's a few we could add: Fastpass, Magic Band, Parkhopping, The Double Finger Point and who knows what else. Because really, let's be real here, we all have this certain way of referring to things. It's actually funny because when we were returning our lofts at college, I was walking through the line and heard someone mention fastpass and I just instantly was like "Woah what!?" My friends made me keep walking, but the person had a good point...we all could have used a fastpass for returning our lofts.

2. I STOOD THERE

You know those times when you travel to a place, say Italy, and go to a library because it's historic, and freak out because you are standing exactly where Harrison Ford stood? Or how if I ever went to Steveston and went into the diner there I would just be like COLIN STOOD RIGHT HERE AND I'M NEVER LEAVING BECAUSE HE'LL BE BACK. Those kinds of things? Well it's fun to watch these TV shows because, and especially in this case, you watch and they stand places and instead of you standing where they did, they are standing where YOU STOOD. And where you'll hopefully go and stand again. If you're like me, you know every inch of the Disney parks, and it just makes it super special to watch and be like "Yep, I've stood there."

3. Cranes

One thing I do worry about when it comes to the band trip this summer is what the hub will look like. We all know that it's under some major renovation at the moment, and while it honestly won't faze me, I worry about everyone else. We all kind of want to step onto Main Street and have our first glimpse of the Castle and everything, but to be honest, a good 75% of the time, something is wrong. It's called a crane. For at least 2 months out of the year, there's at least one crane sitting around the castle, and while they do go down for fireworks and such, for the most part it's just there. Eventually you get pretty used to it. I am, that's for sure. I couldn't care less (although maybe ONE picture of the castle during the day WITHOUT a crane would be brilliant). We just call it the Crane Castle. It works. But what I found hilarious? The Middle filmed only a couple of days after I visited Walt Disney World, and there wasn't a Crane in sight. Either they edited them out or they put them down for filming, but either way it provided endless entertainment for me.

4. Things That Actually Happen

If you really think about what I just said about the cranes, it really DOES seem like they overplay how awesome Disney is. I mean, if the castle has cranes all around it half the year, showing it without the cranes can lead to some serious disappointment when you actually get there. But the thing that I loved about The Middle is that while some of the stuff that happens MIGHT seem a bit crazy (ok, the whole tickets thing...), but a lot of the stuff that goes on ACTUALLY happens. Like, the fact that they upgraded their room? It's happened to us. Maybe we didn't get the most expensive room on property, but we have been upgraded. For those who have never been there and experienced it, it might seem a little crazy, but for the most part it's not. Magical stuff really does happen.

5. The guy did the double finger point and I caught it and freaked out. 'Nuff Said.

Now, back to the whole Once thing. As much as I love to see TV shows go to Disney World, I really don't think Once should. I mean, can you imagine? Plus it's not a sitcom, so it's just not the right kind of show for such things. Having Emma joke about it would be priceless though. Can that please happen? Then again, if they DID go to Disney, I would totally find out when they were filming...and I would be there. Meeting my favorite people is one thing, but meeting them at my favorite place too? That's another. Can you imagine how magical that would be? Plus, there is this gem:

Not much can beat Regina in New Fantasyland, am I right? Plus, we have to remember that Ginny was there for the opening. So that's epic too. I guess that means that in a way, Once has been to Disney World already. Plus Josh and Ginny go to Disneyland all the time. Maybe someday when I work there I'll get to see them! It would be great! Ok, enough about Once.

Overall, I loved The Middle going to Disney. It kind of reminded me of my family when we go, never deciding on what we want to do, and there have certainly been days when we didn't get anywhere until 3 in the afternoon! But we've survived many family vacations, so as the Heck's pointed out, I guess we're doing alright!

Have a magical day!

Day 506: Well Then

As of today (And not including today's blog post), I have 30 posts to write in order to catch up. This is what finals do to me I guess. I don't know, this semester seemed to be especially crazy since while everything was pretty spaced out, that was the exact reason it was hard, everything was spaced out so I was just continuously working, and from the way things sound right about now, I'm going to continue that lifestyle for the next month.

BUT, I'm back and I'll be slowly making up all the days I missed (once I figure out what I'm going to write for each day. That can get complicated), among other things. I've got a new vlog going up on my YouTube Channel from my March trip later today, and tomorrow marks one month until the band trip, meaning that I'm going to go make a countdown later tonight so we can put it up in the band room tomorrow. I'm also working on another project that you'll find out about soon enough (it's a secret for a few more days!)

Other than that, I've finished my first year of college, moved (somewhat) back to my house, although I use those terms lightly since my dorm room is in boxes that are currently still sitting in my dining room, and it's only going to get worse since I want to clean out my entire room and put things away and so on and so forth. There's practicing marching and learning music for the band trip, oh and learning a new instrument. I guess I'm learning clarinet in the next month, which should be a real joy. But I do love a challenge, so I'm going to attack it and hope for the best. I mean, at the worst I just end up playing alto when we go down to Disney so there's that. Then there's catching up on the blog and finishing the editing for the final three vlogs from March, because I refuse to not have them done by June, because come then I'll have hours and hours of video editing to do. Plus, it's already been two months since my trip (Oh my gosh...it has...) and these videos need to be done.

So here's what you can expect:

1. A new vlog on my YouTube channel today.
2. Updates on the blog (I'm currently looking at about five posts a day to make up the lost time).
3. A special announcement/surprise on Monday.

Also, on my Instagram I'm doing another photo challenge to count down the days until my trip (it's about five days off but that's ok!), so feel free to check out the pictures there as well. Of course, as with every photo challenge, you'll see the full set on my blog once I'm finished!

And since she's here, miss Lillybelle says hello! Or meow, whichever you prefer.

Have a magical day, and thanks for sticking with me through finals!