Day 942: Must Do Disney

Another Friday means another edition of my Disney Side Summer Project, and this time I take you to Walt Disney World for my own list of Must Do Disney!

If you're a Disney World regular, I'm sure you know about Stacey and her program that runs on Disney TVs, Must Do Disney. It's pretty much a tradition to take some time to stop and watch the show, regardless of how many times you've seen it. For me, the programs like "Must Do Disney" have changed over the years, but they've definitely inspired one of my dreams, to host one of these sorts of shows, whether it's a Disney Vacation Planning DVD, the Magical Express program or the actual Must Do Disney show from the Walt Disney World Resort.

But I'm not Stacey, and I'm definitely not employed by Disney for a Vacation Planning Video, so I made a list (and a video) of my own:

To be honest, picking only five things throughout the Walt Disney World Resort was pretty hard, as is probably obvious by the fact that in the last segement I included four things instead of just one. Oops. 

But I'm curious. What would be on your Must Do Disney list? Let me know in the comments below! 

Day 941: Snig and Oopla

Because of a really slow internet speed at home, I spent a good portion of my time in my car, driving back to my college campus to use the faster internet and keep up to date on all the projects I'm working on. If you've ever been with me in the car, especially if I'm driving (which I usually am), you'll know that I love to have music on, or at least some sort of noise. What kind of music changes depending on who I'm with, but most of the time, when I'm by myself, I'll just throw on the radio and call it good.

Well this morning on my drive in to college, I happened to be listening to the radio and one of the morning shows when what comes on? The intro music from the Hyperspace Hoopla at Disney's Hollywood Studios and Star Wars Weekends. 

If you don't remember the show, it was a dance off sort of show featuring the characters of Star Wars that was canceled a couple of years ago, much to my own dismay. I loved watching Snig and Oopla and their Hyperspace Hoopla, and when the some came on this morning I figured it was just some other song that Disney used to start off their own version that was also now on the radio, but nope. The beginning of the song happened and then it went into the very real Star Wars theme that goes directly with the Hoopla. Don't know what I'm talking about? Check out the video from Inside the Magic below: 

Yep, that's what came on the radio this morning and it led to me being very confused for quite some time. I did a bit of research and eventually found that the song is actually by Meco and is called Star Wars Galactic Funk. The simple fact that this exists and was on my radio here in Wisconsin this morning pretty much made my day. Listen to the whole song below: 

Have a magical day!

Day 940: Research

With a trip to Disneyland only weeks away, it seems perfectly logical that I'm doing just a bit of research to learn the ins and outs of the Disneyland resort, especially since unlike Walt Disney World, I've only been to Disneyland once. That means that it's completely new ground for me, or almost new ground. Luckily, however, I do have some great friends and contacts out on the West Coast just waiting for my arrival, and I'm thrilled to meet up with as many of them as possible!

However, back here in Wisconsin, like I said, I'm planning ahead, and one of the greatest ways to do that is to take a break to catch a video from Maxwell Glick. This week he was the special guest on another of my favorite Disney YouTube channels, Thingamavlogs, and he reminded me just how much I need to take a trip to Toontown:

Since Toontown left Walt Disney World a number of years ago, I've found myself missing the chance to take a trip to visit Mickey and Minnie at home, so I'm pretty excited to go visit Toontown, not to mention the other wonderful lands of Disneyland Park and California Adventure! 

Do you have any suggestions for what I should check out when I head to Disneyland in a couple of weeks? Let me know in the comments below or by social media! 

Have a magical day!

Day 939: Descendants

If you're anything like me, you've probably been hearing all about the new Disney Channel Original Movie, Disney Descendants. To be honest, all I really knew about this movie previous to watching the six minute preview clip I've included below was that it's a film focusing on the children of Disney characters and stars Keegan Connor Tracey as Belle, who you might also recognize as The Blue Fairy on Once Upon A Time. And that's it.

But considering the buzz that's been surrounding this movie, I figured I'd better watch it when it premiere this Friday July 31 at 8/7c on Disney Channel. If you're as lost as I am, watch the first six minutes right here:

To be fair, I love fairy tales, and this movie looks seriously interesting. So, if you're with me, be sure to watch the premiere this weekend!!! 

Have a magical day!

Day 938: Just Like TV

I've never really thought about it before, but with binge watching Friends, I've been thinking a lot about the titles of episodes. I famously know the titles to basically every episode of Once Upon A Time, going through and basically memorizing them as they're released...although that has more to do with figuring out DisneyBounds than it does being a crazy fangirl. Each title definitely tells us something about what could be happening in that episode. One of the more frequent questions I get with those OUAT DisneyBounds is how I always know which character to do for an episode, and I'm telling you right now that about half of it has to do with the title of the episode. Here are some examples:

For Episode 3x17, the title was "The Jolly Roger," signaling to me right away that the episode probably had something to do with my favorite pirate. But because I had already done a DisneyBound as Hook earlier in the season, I brought back his Naval uniform for a Killian Jones DisneyBound. Not directly related to what was happening in the episode, as the uniform was from 3x05 (Good Form), but definitely still related to Hook on so many levels. It also happens to be one of my favorites that I've done!

Another quick example is definitely 4x14: "Enter the Dragon," of course, we all knew it was going to have something to do with Maleficent, but I wanted to save that DisneyBound for later on in the season (and it worked out well as I used Maleficent for 4x20, "Mother"), so instead I went back to Maleficent's routes and DisneyBounded as Aurora! Perfect timing for it too as this is one of the last times we've seen the Princess on the show! 

Anyway, back to the point of the blog post. If you guys know Friends, then you'll know that every title is something like "The One With..." and then includes various elements relating to that specific episode. It's great because when there's an episode where Monica decides to make Jam, it's called "The One with the Jam," and everyone automatically knows what you're talking about. But what occurred to me this morning is the idea that, on TV shows, every episode has a different title. It never repeats, and it's always telling you something about what's to come. And do you know what that sounded like to me? 

This blog. 

Even here on Day 938, every single blog post has a different title. Some of them are definitely similar, but it never officially repeats. Not even posts about things such as the Everyday Disney Challenge have the same title. At most, every so often you'll have a collection of series, in which there will be a Volume Number that comes before the title, but other than that, everything is different, and over the past two and a have years there's definitely been some weird titles...

Day 1: The Beginning...Of Your Future

Day 45: The "Harrison Ford Sit"

Day 61: Music, Music & Pigs? 

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

Day 121: Indy & Diet Coke

Day 136: Indiana Jones...the Fourth One

Day 235: A Room in a Dorm

Day 246: Once Upon a Really Long Wait

Day 253: #SaveTheBooks

Day 290: Midterms, Coffee and Awesomeness

Day 362: I am Emma Swan

Day 368: It's Super Cold

Day 428: Frozen is an Open Door

Day 458: This Isn't Disney Food!

Day 476: What Happened in April? 

Day 562: Wait...what? 

Day 633: The Great Pocahontas Debate

Day 650: Getting Spookyish

Day 685: Lizzie Watches Her Vlogs

Day 727: #LiquifiedLaptop

Day 775: The Copy Room

Day 799: In the Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Tiki Room

Day 806: Sláinte

Day 932: Day One

Now, you're more than welcome to go back and find some of those blog posts to see what they're actually about, but I have to say that even just going through them and picking out a few to include here really reminded me of 1. How many blog posts I have and 2. The variety of topics I've included in the two and a hafl years of Everyday Disney. Then again, we're almost to Day 1000, which seems half impossible. I still remember day 100, and now it's been almost 900 days since then. Crazy.

Have a magical day!

Day 937: Breakfast Food

Moving into a larger dorm this fall also means that, for the first time, we have a kitchen to use as our own. Honestly, you wouldn't even think about how much it takes to put together a kitchen until you actually have to figure out what all goes in one...and then where it's all going to be stored, but we're making due. Regardless, it's sort of come to my attention that I may have a bit more cooking experience than some of my roommates, an odd feeling for me, especially since I don't even find myself to be THAT good of a cook. I mean, I can definitely make things and know the processes, but unless it's a batch of cupcakes, I just pray nothing burns and the pasta isn't like glue.

Doesn't mean that my roommates won't look at me like a chicken with its head chopped off when I pull out a spice rack and a lemon juicer.

Truth be told, I'm actually a weird type of OCD when it comes to food. I rarely measure things precisely. Well, I use measuring cups and stuff, but if it's not EXACTLY on the line, I don't worry too much about it, and things like olive oil or vanilla are rarely measured in my world. Whether that's due to me being lazy or what, I'm not sure, but the one thing I do find myself worrying about is definitely the processes and quality of the food. For instance, if I'm making some chicken, I'm not just going to throw that chicken into the pan. No, I'll probably end up marinating it some first and then baking it in the oven. Becuase I have so many allergies, I can't just eat freezer food or an apple and a slice of cheese. So generally, when I'm cooking something, I'm cooking something. From scratch, every process included.

And apparently I'm going to teach my roommates about some of these processes.

Now, once, over a year ago, I talked a little bit about My Disney Kitchen, the game I played as a child continuously. Why I found this cooking game so interesting I don't really know, but it definitely taught me how to make breakfast. Since blogging about it the last time, I found some video evidence of what I'm actually talking about...so here you go:

Of course, subconsciously, when Megan and I decided to make dinner last night and wanted breakfast food, we ended up making pancakes, bacon, and eggs. Funny how life works out that way. And you know what, our dinner looked a lot like the one served to Mickey and Minnie. 

Looking back at the game, however, I do find it a bit funny that Mickey and Minnie take turns eating. Also, I sort of wonder if that game is the reason I never like to do dishes. They just disappear from the table! 

Did you play the My Disney Kitchen game as a kid? Let me know in the comments below! 

Have a magical day!

Day 936: An Awfully Big Adventure

Some of you may remember when I introduced a new piece of artwork to my dorm room last fall, in the shape of some canvas art with one of my all time favorite quotes on it:

Well, as much as we loved our little room 309 in VMC, all dorm room stunts must come to an end, and this fall we'll all be moving into a new townhouse for our Junior Year. Of course, a new, bigger home means there's more decorating to be done, and since I have a busy schedule this fall, I'm trying to get ahead of the game by finishing as much of the decorating as possible before I actually head back to SNC, and there's no better place to start than the bedroom I share with Megan.

You'll see more of how Disney made it's way into this new dorm room later in August, but you had better believe that I made a brand new quote canvas just for us, and this time, it's Hook themed...see? 

Actually, I'm not joking. It really is Hook themed, or Peter Pan themed rather. Well..sort of. It's a combination of some of the versions of Peter Pan out there. Below I've included the original mock ups of the canvas as well, just so you can sort of see what went into creating it. 

Which leads us to the finished product...

I'm absolutely in love with this new one, but then again, I also am in love with the first quote canvas I did. It'll make the perfect centerpiece on the big wall in our dorm room, and I can't wait to hang it alongside the other decorations we have. Oh...and of course, it'll go perfectly with Cardboard Colin! 

Have a magical day!

Day 935: Disney Inspired Hairstyles

This week has been a busy one. I think I've spent more time working this week than anything else, and it's just been one thing after another. That doesn't mean I found a little bit of time to throw together a YouTube video for today. After some interesting hair issues over the past few weeks, I've gotten the all clear and decided it might be fun to do some Disney inspired hair styles to celebrate!

Well...I mean...they are Disney inspired...

To be fair, I think the Jungle Cruise hair was definitely my favorite. As for the rest of the video, it was like the ice bucket challenge all over again...minus the ice. Regardless, I'm sure the internet enjoys watching people dump buckets of water on my head. 

Check back into my YouTube on Tuesday for a new trip vlog from June! 

Have a magical day!

Day 934: Fairy Tale Superheroes

It seems that with each week there's another reason Everyday Disney gets a bit behind, whether it be technical difficulties or just a complete lack of time due to the number of projects I'm working on over the summer, but this week's excuse comes in the form of a presentation on fairy tales.

Every summer my local library has a themed reading program, and this year's theme happens to be superheroes. After a converstaion a while back, I somehow ended up giving a presentation on fairy tales for this program, and despite the fact that it's fair week in our little town, there were actually a few people who showed up to hear me talk about Rumpelstiltskin, Captain America and Once Upon A Time.

It's pretty aparent if you go back here on Everyday Disney just how much I've come to love fairy tales. Honestly, stories like these are another thing that I could have never imagined as a part of my life a few years ago, even back when Everyday Disney started. Gosh, even when I started watching Once Upon A Time I could never have imagined giving a presentation on them and how fairy tale characters can indeed be just as super as Batman or Captain America.

In the process of creating this presentation though, I decided that, of course, we were going to have to watch something from OUAT, and it ended up being the original series trailer that appeared on ABC back in 2011. Don't remember what I'm talking about? Here you go:

Watching this trailer brought several thoughts to mind for me: 

1. This is the trailer that got me to watch this show. Weird. 

2. We've come so far. Back when Emma was the hero and Regina was the villain and now we have Captain Hook trying to bring Emma back from the dark side. What even happened. 

3. 2011 was a long time ago. 

4. I want to watch Once Upon A Time. 

It's awesome that even after 4 years, this trailer still makes me want to go back and start from the beginning...which I generally do every summer but I've been so busy that I haven't had a chance to watch an episode in a while. Bad Lizzie. Bad. 

But now, waiting for another trailer for Season 5, I can't help but think about the way that OUAT has inspired me to keep hope in my own life, the same way stories like fairy tales and superheroes do for us every time we read a few lines, and that's really what I tried to get across through my presentation. "It's about hope," Eddy Kitsis once said, "and it's always been about hope. It's about the belief that no matter how bad things are, no matter how bad things seem, if you just keep that faith, and you keep that belief, someday they'll get better." 

After all, as my quote canvas says...

Have a magical day!

Day 933: The Good Dinosaur

As with every new Disney or Pixar movie, I seem to watch the trailer at least a day after it's out and then sit trying to figure out what the film is really going to be about. We went through this with Wreck-It Ralph and Inside Out and even as far back as Ratatouille, so it's no surprise that I'm sitting here watching the trailer for The Good Dinosaur trying to figure out how this is going to work.

If you haven't seen the trailer yet, you can watch it right here:

I think the concept of dinosaurs never going extinct is pretty clever, and while I'm not totally sure I'm a fan of how the dinosaurs all look, the film is beautifully animated, and I have the distinct feeling that I'll end up loving The Good Dinosaur just as much as I love Inside Out. Like every other film, I'm just gonna put my trust in Pixar and see what brilliance they've come up with this time. Plus...you never know what might be revealed at D23 that'll make me even more excited for another film this fall. 

What do you think of this first trailer for The Good Dinosaur? 

Have a magical day!

Day 932: Day One

I don't do a blog post on every one of the vlogs that go live on my YouTube, but with the beginning of a new trip, it felt right! That's right, we've finally concluded my January trip and have moved onto footage from June 2015, meaning all new adventures at Walt Disney World in the heat of summer. Of course, my June trip was considerably shorter, so we'll see how many videos actually come out of it (four at least), and then we'll head back for bloopers from January and June, or in other words, footage that didn't get into the vlogs because of limiting it time-wise.

So without further ado, here's the vlog to start out Walt Disney World June 2015:

Like I said, this is only the start of the June vlogs, and things are sure to get interesting from here! 

As for what's to come over on my YouTube, I still have new Friday Funday videos going up each week, with new vlogs appearing every Tuesday. Obviously, right now those vlogs are from WDW in June, but as soon as those wrap up and we get through that bloopers video it'll be onto DISNEYLAND! 

Have a magical day!

Day 931: Buffalo

On my drive over to college this morning to catch up on my work, I passed the buffalo farm that sits right ouside my hometown and realized that I've never done a blog post on it despite the fact that every single time I drive past I get some serious Epcot Living with the Land feels.

For those of you who might be a little confused as to why a regular old buffalo farm filled with...you guessed it...buffalo, reminds me of Disney, here's the quick explanation:

The Living with the Land attraction that sits in The Land at Epcot goes through several different ecosystems, one of which is a prairie that features a little family of buffalo (what even is the plural...buffalos?) just hanging around while a wildfire rages on in the background. Now apparently pictures of this scene are hard to find, but I eventually tracked one down from over on AllEars!

So, as you can imagine, whenever I see the buffalo I have a little flashback to one of my favorite Epcot attractions, and let me tell you, I think it's the baby buffalo that triggers it more than the adults. No idea why. Although once, about five years ago when I went out to Colorado and South Dakota with my high school band, I did get to see live wild buffalo, and that was an awesome experience despite the fact that I could go see buffalo any day of the week. There was just something about the fact that it was the land in real life that made it extra special.

Other things that remind me of Living with the Land? Thunderstorms, Prairie Dogs, Farms, Dogs, Greenhouses and, oddly enough...blueberries?

Is there anything in your life that reminds you of Living with the Land?

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on July 24 due to time restraints).

Day 930: Bedtime Story

As I was rewatching The Astronaut Wives Club with Megan this week, we came across an AT&T Commercial that suddenly made me frantically search for the commercial on the internet and babble on about Spaceship Earth while Megan sat confused about what I could be going on about now. Before I explain exactly why this commerical quickly found it's way into a blog post, you should probably see which commerical I'm referring to:

Let me say first off that I searched long and hard for a picture or video to help explain why this commercial made me think of Disney, but I couldn't find one. However, I do find it humorous that this happens to be an AT&T ad, as they were the previous sponsor of Spaceship Earth, which just happened to be the sponsor at the time of the reference. For those of you who remember the previous version of my favorite attraction, narrated by Jeremy Irons, you'll probably flash back to some of the most recognizable music for Epcot fans. I grew up on this version of Spaceship Earth and was definitely sad when it changed to the version we have now (not that I'm not a fan of the current version...it's just different). 

Anyway, back in that version of Spaceship Earth, towards the end of the attraction, you might remember the futuristic city, which was preceeded by a series of smaller displays of technology that was, at that time, felt futuristic and like a symbol of what was yet to come. As we grow further and further away from that version of the attraction, my memory grows more fuzzy, but I do remember one of those little displays happened to be a mother reading her children a bedtime story via a skype-like system. There were other displays of the same nature, all of which disappeared when they updated the attraction in 2007. It might still be there, simply covered by a black curtain, and I honestly hope it is, but for now it'll just have to live on in our memory. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, the above commercial is a pretty decent representation of what I'm talking about. Just picture it on a smaller scale in Spaceship Earth. 

Have a magical day!

Day 929: Big and Little

Disney is full of happiness, no matter if you're a fan of the films, Disneyland or Disney World, and celebrating that happiness is one of the things I love to do here on Everyday Disney! So today I figured I would share some of the Big (and Little) things that make up Disney that can always bring a smile to my face!

A Trip to Walt Disney World: 

This one can almost go without saying, can't it? Regardless, there isn't much in this world that I love more than a trip to my one and true home, Walt Disney World. Sometimes it's with my family, sometimes with my friends, and occasionally I get a chance to explore the World all by myself. No matter how I travel to Walt Disney World (and this goes for Disneyland too), I'm extremely appreciative of the moments I'm able to spend there!

Mickey Waffles: 

Finding new ways to bring Disney into my home is always an adventure and a joy, but one that's been with me as long as I can remember is the classic Mickey waffle. As far as I'm concerned it's the only acceptable shape for a waffle, and try as my roommates might for normal waffles, waffle days are exclusively Mickey waffle days in my world. It's small, but a Mickey waffle every so often can always bring a smile to any Disney lover's face.

DisneyBounding: 

I couldn't decide if DisneyBounding is a big thing or a little thing, but it's definitely on the list! It's one of those little bits of Disney that can easily make an appearance in your everyday life, but since I DisneyBound for OUAT and Disney Trips mostly, it does take some planning. As for my personal favorite DisneyBound I've ever done? It HAS to be my Pinocchio DisneyBound!

Disney Mugs: 

What's the easiest way to make your morning magical? A Disney Mug! Regardless of whether you drink coffee or tea (I drink both!), a Disney mug is a sure way to brighten up your day, and let me tell you, there's tons of unique mug choices out there! You're bound to fnd one (or two...or 20) that suit your DisneySide perfectly, just like the Starbucks You Are Here mugs do for me!

Disney Collections: 

My Disney Collection continues to grow constantly. Whether it be by gifts from friends or things I pick up while visiting the Disney Parks (or even here at home), my Disney Collection fills both my bedroom at home and a good part of my Dorm Room at College, making it a big item on this list. But that's how us Disney fans work...we need to show off our love of Disney every chance we get...and that means Disney hats, shirts, pillows, mugs, posters and anything else we can get our hands on are absolutely important!

There are probably a million other things that bring a smile to my face, and just to give you a glimpse into how this list expands, here's a quick look at some of the other Disney things that make me smile:

Have a magical day!

(Note: This Blog Post was Written on July 20 due to technical difficulties).

Day 928: 60 Years

Having just turned 20, it occurred to me that I'm a third the age of Disneyland, therefore making the park much older and wiser than I am at this point. That's a weird thought, but I have to be honest...I've always been a little sad that Disneyland and I are so close to sharing the same birthday but not quite. Regardless, I share my birthday with some pretty awesome people, so I'm perfectly happy, but it definitely means that I never forget the day Disneyland made its first public apperance to the world!

Now, 60 years later, I'm in the middle of gearing up for a nother trip to the Land, and the fact that it's during a celebration year makes it all the more wonderful! So in honor of my upcoming trip and Disneyland's 60th Anniversary, I figured I would take a look back at a blog post from 2013, when I listed many of my favorite things from the Disneyland Resort, as a quick Flashback Friday!

The following content is from Day 224, which you can find HERE!

Favorite Attractions: 

Disneyland Winner: 

Now, as much as I love the stunt show at WDW, having an entire ride just of Indiana Jones was AMAZING. I only got on it like twice because I didn't really realize how much I loved it until after I was gone. Like, I was always a fan of Indy as a kid but didn't rewatch it until AFTER I went to Disneyland. Still, I remember going on it the first time and just screaming "INDY!" like half of it because, I mean, why wouldn't you? It's one of the only times where it's totally appropriate to yell that! And I chose the poster for it because in the Poster Art of the Disney Parks Book I remember reading that the artist of this poster was working on it and realized that he just couldn't do it without Harrison Ford's likeness. So what does he do? Just casually calls Harrison Ford and asks him if he can use his likeness. Just CASUALLY CALLS HIM. How does one do that?!?

Disneyland Honorable Mention: Pirates of the Caribbean 

Disney California Adventure Winner: 

You know, as much as I feel that Aladdin is one of the most overrated Disney movies ever (sorry, I'm just not a fan), I REALLY loved this Musical version, and I can't wait to see it on Broadway sometime in the future. I actually saw it twice while at Disneyland, but I think I liked it more the first time. Genie was my favorite, of course, although The Carpet was pretty darn great too. And how Aladdin comes in on that Elephant!?! Amazing!

California Adventure Honorable Mention: Soarin' 

Favorite Nighttime Activity:

I think this is probably my absolute favorite thing I found at Disneyland. Like, I haven't loved something so much since Spaceship Earth and Illuminations. We were staying at Paradise Pier, and as you know if you read my other post, we were able to stay in a room with a Park View because of a Room Mix Up. So I got to watch World of Color every night, twice a night, even after our tickets were expired and we were just spending our time at D23. I'm pretty sure I cried watching it a bunch of times too. The entire show is just absolute Disney magic, and is for sure on my list of the most spectacular Disney attractions or shows ever created. 

Favorite Mode of Transportation: 

I feel like this must be kind of obvious because there's like...two modes of Transportation in all of Disneyland other than walking (God did my feet hurt after that week). But still, the monorail is still worth mentioning! It's not quite the same as the WDW Monorail, but you know what, I don't care! You can still sit in the front of this monorail, which is a luxury that we had to forgo at Disney World, so being able to do that is just really awesome! Plus, unlike Disney World with it's 12 monorail trains, there's only three at Disneyland. We only saw two of them though, the blue one above being one of them! Plus, I'll give it some credit for actually going in and out of the park! 

Favorite Restaurant: 

This one was such an easy choice...I think. Honestly we ate at so many places that I don't really remember them all so clearly. It was two years ago, after all! But I do remember that one of my absolute favorites was the Blue Bayou in New Orleans Square. It doesn't get much cooler than eating IN an attraction (and I'll talk more about that in a minute), but that's not all! It's literally right next door to Club 33, the exclusive dining area for Walt Disney and his guests, and how only Club 33 members (which always pay a really pretty penny to be a member...after sitting on a waiting list for a really long time). Not many get to eat in Club 33, even though it's the dream of all of us, but Blue Bayou certainly has amazing food, and hey, it's like the same kitchen, right? 

It's Better at Disneyland: 

Speaking of Pirates of the Caribbean and Blue Bayou, it also holds the record for my favorite comparison attraction to Walt Disney World. Honestly, the WDW version of this just doesn't have a chance against this one. Like, you're always disappointed when you go on the WDW version after you've been on this one a few times. You start in the restaurant, and then there's an extra drop and a whole number of extra scenes before you get to the stuff you already see at Disney World. Plus, there's no ghost. That's ALWAYS a plus. 

Overall Favorite Thing:

Now, I feel it's worth mentioning that one of my overall reasons I love Disneyland, and one of the places it beats Disney World, is in the small town atmosphere. Like, the characters can walk around without handlers, and everyone is just a lot more friendly. Disney World is made up of theme parks, although they are one of a kind in every way, but Disneyland is just more quaint. You can really take your time strolling and seeing the magic that Walt saw in it when he was alive. It's Walt's dream, and while Disney World was too, this was the one he saw to completion. This is where he walked and lived, and where I think he still lives today. It's almost like you can feel his watching eye over the entire thing, and I think he'd be pretty proud of it all. 

As for what I'm most excited for when it comes to my trip next month, Carsland is definitely at the top of the list, as is finally getting my turn on the Matterhorn and meeting up with many of my West Coast Disney Friends, but that sounds like a topic for another day! 

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on July 20 due to technical difficulties).

Day 927: 5 Year Plan

When you approach the end of High school and go through college and into job interviews, there seems to be one question that always pops up: "What's Your 5 Year Plan?"

To be completely honest, I've never had an official job interview...at least not yet. I actually have two jobs, both of which are on campus working with professors who approached me and gave me more of a surprise "Would you be interested in doing this?" sort of interview. No questions about 5 or 10 year plans, at least mostly. For my second job my professor did ask me what I intend to do once I finish my schooling here at St. Norbert, and for the most part, that's a question I seem to get almost daily. The answer comes in two parts, the first of which is always the same: "Work for Disney." The second half of the answer, on the other hand, changes every time I give it, because of course everyone asks me what I'm going to do once I get to Disney. My answer ranges from something in music to Imagineering to writing for the Disney Blog, and overall, I do believe I'd be happy anywhere in the company.

But when it comes to a 5 year plan in general, it's absolutely one of the hardest questions in the world, at least if you ask me. Five years previous to now I was sitting in between my Freshman and Sophomore years of High school. Everyday Disney wouldn't come along for another two and a half years, I hadn't been to Disneyland yet, Once Upon A Time would start over a year later, Star Wars wasn't even a thought for me, and in reality, the idea of working for Disney for the rest of my life was as far off as possible. Back then I always answered that I wasn't going to work for Disney, as it wasn't until halfway through my senior year that I really realized that Disney is the only place I'd be happy.

Never in a million years could I have predicted five years ago that I'd be where I am now, sitting at my college writing the 927th blog post about Disney, planning videos for later this summer, thinking about a SECOND trip to Disneyland, obsessing over Colin O'Donoghue, counting down to the premiere of Star Wars: Episode 7, and trying to figure out which coast I'll apply for on the Disney College Program in just under two years. So to think about where I could be in Five years seems impossible. I texted my friend just last week about how I don't know when this became my life, but I'm absolutely glad it did. I have so much to look forward to, in school, college, fandoms, Disney, and overall life, which, as I previously stated, I could have never imagined just a few years ago.

And in my opinion, sometimes it's good to take a moment to stop and remember where we've come from to remind us how we can Keep Moving Forward.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This Blog Post was written on July 20 due to technical difficulties). 

Day 926: Happy Birthday to Me!

My Birthday, at least over the past few years, has been nutoriously awesome. Two years ago I had the chance to spent my birthday at Walt Disney World, ending out the day by shutting out the Magic Kingdom as the last guests. What an amazing way to spent your 18th birthday, right? Then last year, I stayed home...not that it mattered to me because it brings one of the greatest flashbacks EVER!

Considering the fact that I have that tweet framed on my desk probably goes to show that I'm not ready to forget my tweet from Colin O'Donoghue anytime soon. And while I didn't get another tweet from him this year, I can say that I had a wonderful birthday...one that was definitely still filled with Colin. To see what I got up to you can check out my birthday vlog!

Have a magical day and thank you to everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday!

(Note: This blog post was written on July 20 due to technical difficulties).

Day 925: A Month Till D23

It's been four years since my last adventure to California, and two years since the last D23 Expo, so to say I'm excited to return for the 2015 D23 Expo this August would be an understatement. I attended my first expo back in 2011, a happy coincidence based on when we were scheduling our first ever trip to Disneyland. Since then I've had an increased appreciation for Disney, and I honestly think that D23 and Disneyland played a large part in really bringing me into the extremely large Disney Fandom. After all, I think many of us have that awkward stage somewhere in Middle or High School where Disney doesn't seem as important anymore...mostly because our friends are all falling out of the Disney love and it no longer seems like the cool thing, so we play it down. But D23 brought it all back out for me, and that's why I'm THRILLED to be returning this year!

If you've never attended a D23 Expo, just know that it's HUGE. Think of pretty much everything Disney related all in one place. I'm talking Lucasfilm, The Disney Parks, Marvel, ABC, Disney Movies, Pixar and on and on. Everything. All together. For one weekend. It's Comic Con but for Disney, and this year I know what to expect going into it, and definitely have a few stops planned out already!

For those of you who might not know, I'm a HUGE fan of OUAT, although if you've read my blog for any amount of time that shouldn't be hard to figure out. That's why I've been waiting for MONTHS, actually more like over a year, for ABC to announce anything Once Upon A Time related, and let me tell you, they didn't let me down! I'm absolutely excited to announce that, for the first time ever, I'll be there for the Once Upon A Time panel at a convention, and I fully plan on waiting to get autographs from Lana Parrilla and Ginnifer Goodwin! I'm also hoping to attend the Muppets Panel on Friday morning, so be sure to keep an eye out for me at both events if you're attending the EXPO as well! For more information on these panels, you can find it HERE on the official D23 Website!

As for the rest of the EXPO, I'm saddened that due to conflicts with the OUAT Panel and Autographs I won't be able to attend the Disney Parks Presentation, which is the one big presentation I'm usually excited to attend. It seems that the chance to meet Lana, Ginny, Adam & Eddy won out this time. That's alright though, as my parents will still be at the presentation, so I'll get caught up on everything via them! I will, however, be hopefully attending the Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios Upcoming Films presentation on Friday in Hall D23, and I'll definitely be around the show floor and grounds the entirty of the three days! Keep an eye on my Twitter and Instagram for more information as we get closer to the event!

I do believe I get more excited for the D23 EXPO every single day, with chances to meet some of my favorite actors and actresses as well as get the inside scoop on everything Disney and meet many of my fellow Disney YouTubers and Bloggers!

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on July 20 due to technical difficulties).

Day 924: Why the Watch?

I got a new watch not that long ago and realized just the other day that I don't think I ever actually blogged about this particular topic...despite the fact that the watch on my wrist really should remind me of it every single day, and you'll see why in just a minute.

Sometime this last semester, not long after our January trip, I found myself with a watch on my wrist. Previously I wasn't really the watch type, instead just checking my phone or computer or clock on the wall to indicate the time. Did I really need a watch? No, not technically. But did the watch remind me a little bit of Disney? It definitely did.

You see, while at Walt Disney World, you spend your time with a Magicband on your wrist, and eventually you just get used to it being there, right up to the point where when you finally return home, your wrist just feels like it's missing something. The easiest solution because the rest of the world has yet to understand the power of Magicbands? A watch!

Does it give you the ability to access a Disney park? No. Does it allow you to pay for your Starbucks with a simple tap and a PIN? Also no. But can it be Disney themed and make you feel a little bit better about life? Absolutely! This new watch, which I just got the other day, is from Hot Topic and features the characters of Peter Pan, which as I previously blogged about, seems to be making more appearances in my life every single day. My favorite part about this one though? It says "Never Grow Up" along the outside edges, always reminding me of the magic in our everyday lives and that sometimes it's alright to leave the Adult life behind...if only for just a few minutes. 

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on July 20 due to technical difficulties).