Day 1052: Keep on Spinning

Boy, it's been a while.

I just figured I should throw in a post and let you all know that I am indeed still in the land of the living, despite the fact that I'm downridden with homework and preparations for a recital this Friday. However, I'm also happy about the fact that I have three main priorities for over Thanksgiving Break next week, and one of those goals is to catch up around here.

So what's happened in the past month that I've let Everyday Disney sit in the dark? If you haven't been following me on Instagram or Twitter, here's a few updates:

1. I talked to Colin O'Donoghue on the phone a while back, which will have it's own blog posts (yes posts) on days 1027 and 1028 (October 24 and 25, respectively). It's a VERY long story, but if you want more information RIGHT NOW, you can check out my video on the topic:

2. School has been INSANE. Literally, so much has gone on with my recital that it's put me pretty far behind in many areas beyond Everyday Disney. So don't feel too bad that there's been a lack of blog posts, because my English Blog for class feels the exact same way.

3. I've had a lot of coffee. No idea why this was worth noting, but it's true. 

4. There's a bunch of videos on my YouTube channel. Yes, even if I've been slacking here, I've somehow managed to keep up with my weekly videos on YouTube. In addition to the video above there's one on pumpkin carving, another on being youself, and several vlogs that are all just waiting to be watched! 

Other than that, there isn't really much else to say. I spend most of my days working, whether that be in class, for one of my two jobs, practicing for my recital, volunteering for something, or simply trying to get some small amount of sleep (ok, I've been binge-watching Psych too), and as much as it frustrates me, when life gets really busy, Everyday Disney gets the short stick. 

That'll hopefully be over soon though, as from here on out I'm hoping to continue forward so I don't get any further behind than I already am. So as I make up the missing posts from the last month, I'll also continue forward day by day as usual. Is that a good idea with how long I'm currently spending on work at the moment? Probably not, but let me tell you...it's good to be back.

Have a magical day everyone! 

Day 1051: Hospitality

Do you ever have those phrases or words that just automatically bring you back to Disney? Like if someone says pineapple maybe you think of a dole whip, Aerosmith takes you to Rock'n Roller Coaster, and discussions about The Twilight Zone end in Tower of Terror. For me, there's any number of these kinds of things, but a few in particular are worse than others.

In one of my classes this semester we talked a lot about hospitality, and after a while I realized that every time I came across that word, whether it was in a reading assignment, test, or class discussion, I ended up adding "house" to the end of it, so instead it would be "hospitality house." For those that don't know Disney (and even those who don't know Old Key West), this probably makes no sense, but for a girl who considers OKW her home, Hospitality House is the only thing that comes across. In fact, all of OKW is about hospitality (as are most Disney resorts), and that's one of the things I love most about it.

There's something about the atmosphere at Old Key West that's just calming, and you can frequently find me there even when I stay at a different resort. In fact, there's not a trip I can remember that I didn't return to OKW at some point, even if it was just to transfer to a different park or Disney Springs (because sometimes taking the first bus you see can help a lot).

And so, somehow, any time someone says "hospitality," I think of Old Key West and suddenly get a bit calmer. Kind of like when someone mentions the printing press and I start thinking about Spaceship Earth. I wonder how many other "trigger words" I have for thinking about Disney?

Do you have any? Let me know in the comments below!

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on December 26).

Day 1050: For the (New) Record

Almost two years ago my family pulled out some old records and started listening to them, and now, while going through boxes from my Grandma's house, we came across a few others. You can head back and read about the original records HERE, but it's always fun finding new (or old really) records to listen to!

Now, I didn't really take pictures of all the records I found, but I did find several Disney ones that I'm thrilled to listen to as soon as possible, including this Alice in Wonderland record! I know that there was something with Mary Poppins and a few other childrens records stuck in there that were associated with Disney, but it got me thinking!

The way we listen to music today is so different from the way things used to be. Now all we have to do is turn on our computer (or our iPhone, iPad, Car Radio, even watch sometimes) and we have music right at our fingertips. I can head over to spotify and listen to the same music right now if I want to, but that's part of the fun of a record like this! This is a real historical artifact. Yes, I could go and find the same music, but with this I'd literally be listening to a piece of history, kind of like how when we visit the Disney parks and head on a classic attraction we're doing pretty much the same thing! After all, if you've never walked the streets of Disneyland while thinking about Walt Disney, you have yet to live! It's one of the most amazing feelings, knowing that you're walking historical ground, and the same ground that Walt once walked many years ago. It's something to cherish for sure!

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on December 26).

Day 1049: Fandom Life

As a member of the internet and social media, I'm always seeing posts that note "what a time to be alive," and it's occurred to me recently that now, right now, is a wonderful time to be alive, at least in regards to the live of being a fan. Suddenly it's become kind of "cool" to be a part of a fandom, whether it be Star Wars, Disney, a television show, or something else entirely. In fact, it's gotten to the point where I think most of us wonder what people without a fandom do with their freetime.

Honestly, picking a fandom to be a part of isn't even that hard, unless you're trying to stay away from all negativity. There's plenty of that on the internet wherever you go, and while some fandoms are worse than others, every one of them has a few rotten eggs. But seriously, all you have to do to become a part of a fandom is like something, and usually that means becoming absolutely obsessed with something.

It starts out relatively simple, like when I began watching Star Wars. You watch the movie with the smallest amount of interest and enjoyment, and then suddenly something clicks. For me, it was the moment a certain space scoundrel came on screen and I realized that it was indeed Indiana Jones. Boy, I'd been missing out on an entire childhood of Harrison Ford and I had no idea.

And so, you begin to watch (and rewatch) the movie over and over again. With a TV show you end up buying a season pass on iTunes so you can watch the film immediately the next day and every day after that until another episode appears. Maybe you start DisneyBounding your favorite characters, and tweeting the cast and crew. You join internet groups, maybe you create a fan page (or a giant blog dedicated to your fandom), and eventually things just start to get a bit out of control. 

You attend a fan convention, maybe something as big as Comic Con or D23 Expo, or something smaller that simply embodies your fandom. And when you can't go to the conventions because you spent too much money on fan merchandise, you stalk the internet waiting for any possible news. And speaking of fan merchandise, things just sort of start to pop up in your room, especially after people figure out that a gift featuring your favorite character would work perfectly for an occasion. 

And before you know what happened, you're a part of a fandom. You've made friends and learned everything you possibly can about the show or movie: all the head-cannons and real plotlines and accepted truths. You spend the majority of your day thinking about the fandom, and drawings in the columns of your notebooks relate your love of the scoundrel that stole your heart.  

Previously, at this point you'd try to hide your love of the fandom. Kept it completely under wraps for fear of someone finding out you actually have a shrine to a character in your bedroom. But that's a world that exists no more. Now you can be proud of your fandom and the happiness it brings you! 

What fandoms are you a part of!?! Let me know in the comments! 

Have a magical day! 

(Note: This blog post was written on December 30).

Day 1048: Spotify

I listen to music day and night. Literally, it's hard to come up with a time when music isn't involved other than when I'm actually sitting in class, and even then things seem to play more than a few notes (although I suppose that's just a part of the music major life). Working on homework usually means music is playing, as does working on the blog or editing a video. If I'm sitting in the music lobby, the music library, or the caf, there's usually music playing somewhere, and even walking to class, you'll find me with earbuds in more often than not. On the plane when I'm traveling, and in the Disney Parks. It's everywhere. 

As you can imagine, I'm always looking for new ways to listen to this music, and recently I discovered the magic that is Spotify. People have been raving about it for ages, but I never really realized how amazing it is until recently. Plus, there's a student rate so having premium isn't even terrible. The best part is that, with premium, you can listen to anything off line by downloading it to your phone. In other words, I've been listening to the soundtrack for The Force Awakens for weeks, and when you throw a little bit of this and that in there too, you end up listening to all kinds of things. 

The question now is what I'll listen to next. I usually pick a soundtrack to listen to on repeat while I'm traveling. In January it was 1989 by Taylor Swift, and Disneyland brought me back to Owl City. I could just do Star Wars, but I'm already listening to that on repeat, so I'll need something new. Maybe something Disney related, or maybe the Beatles? Granted, it's certainly even easy to relate the Beatles to Disney...have you seen the shop in the UK Pavilion at Epcot? 

Leave your suggestions for what I should listen to next in the comments below and then head over to spotify and find something new yourself! 

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on December 30).

Day 1047: Little Hook, Little Emma

My Once Upon A Time collection continues to grow, and this time, I actually made the addition myself! So much of my OUAT Merchandise has been gifted to me, but when I saw the Once Upon A Time Funko Pops, I knew I had to have the Little Hook, and when there's Little Hook there has to be Little Emma!

Actually, there are a lot of really great Funko Pops out there, and in a short span of time, I've gathered a few of my own. In addition to Little Hook, I also now have the Little Killian Jones special order Funko, which looks exactly the same aside from a hand instead of a hook. I also have the little BB-8 Funko, which I love to death, and I've gifted a few this holiday season as well! 

But can we just talk for a minute about how adorable these two are? Definitely a great reward for getting through a couple of hard weeks at college, and now I have them to keep me company over J-Term! 

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on December 30).

Day 1046: Oh Yeah Disney

As a Disney YouTuber, I'm always looking out for awesome videos on the internet, and I came across one just recently that I'm absolutely in love with. This video is so well done and well, just watch:

Wasn't that just awesome? What I wouldn't give to have some B-Roll like that. If you want to check out another of the videos from OhYeahDisney, you can do so on their YouTube channel or their website! 

Short blog post, I know, but I'm just so in awe of the video haha! I've got nothing else to say! 

Have a magical day! 

(Note: This blog post was written on December 30).