Day 1064: One Month To Go

You know, now that we're almost to the end of the #EverydayDisneyChallenge on Instagram, I kind of feel like I'm going to miss it. After all, it's really kept my Instagram active and such. But at the same time, it'll be nice to post whatever I want whenever I want. Either way, this was another wild month for the challenge, with pictures from both Walt Disney World AND Disneyland, and oddly enough, several of them came from the Video Camera footage rather than one of the digital cameras!

December will bring us a whole new challenge though: holidays. I wanted to make sure we represented all of the holidays, but because I've only been there during the Christmas Season (and one Fourth of July), things got interesting trying to find pictures for them all! 

Have a magical day! 

(Note: This blog post was written on December 25).

Day 1063: We Put Him In the Corner

As I'm sure you're aware, we love Cardboard Colin dearly. He's a great roommate actually, always quiet and he never moves. In fact, the most he does is scare you a little bit if you forget that he's there! But when his alter ego Captain Hook on Once Upon A Time does something that he probably shouldn't have done, we have no choice but to put our wonderful roommate in the corner.

Actually, Cardboard Colin has all sorts of adventures with us at college, and you can keep up with him on his own personal twitter, @CardboardColin! Since the episode of OUAT that forced us to put him in a time out, he's turned back around and has become a part of our everyday lives again, but that could change at any time! To find out if he behaves, give him a follow on Twitter! 

Have a magical day! 

(Note: This blog post was written on December 25).

Day 1062: Awkward Disney Thanksgivings

Thanksgiving is always an awkward time regardless of what family you're a part of. In fact, it's probably one of the most awkward days of the year for a lot of people. But can you imagine what would happen if Disney characters had Thanksgiving dinners of their own?

So, in the Thanksgiving spirit, I threw together a quick video about which of those Disney Thanksgivings I thought would be the most awkward!

Which leaves us with the question: which Disney Thanksgiving do you think would be the most awkward? Let me know in the comments below! 

Have a magical day! 

(Note: This blog post was written on December 25).

Day 1061: Black Friday

Fun facts about Lizzie include the fact that, up until this year, she'd never been Black Friday shopping, or at least for real. There was one time a few years ago when I went with Frank to the Shopko Hometown, but that doesn't really count.

This year, however, I headed out with two of my friends from college for a real Black Friday shopping experience, and while I didn't buy much, I had a very good reason for doing so. Honestly, I'm pretty sure many of us should just have a direct deposit to Disney at this rate, myself included, because I cannot wait to get my hands on some of the merchandise that's making it's way through the Disney parks! 

First and foremost, I need to get my hands on one of the adorable little BB-8 Drink Cups, and honesty, any BB-8 merchandise will do. In fact, Star Wars stuff in general is going to take up so much of my cash: 

THEY ACTUALLY CREATED THE FORCE GUYS! 

Aside from that, I'll have to get my hands on the last of the mugs in the Disney Starbucks You Are Here Collection, which is Animal Kingdom. The shop literally opened only days after I ended my last trip, so my collection will finally be complete this January! There will also be a few 2016 merchandise items...

Those Haunted Mansion Tsum Tsums are coming home, and who doesn't want Pirates of the Caribbean Battleship? And those Trash Can Ornaments? I'll have to order those online later in the year!

I guess I should just say goodbye to much of the money I earned this semester, shouldn't I? 

Have a magical day! 

(Note: This blog post was written on December 25).

Day 1060: Thankful, Thankful, Thankful

Per usual, it's time to relate what I'm thankful for this year, and like last year, I'm writing it late, so you're going to get a bit of an altered list from what it probably would have been on Thanksgiving Day. Regardless, if you want to go back to 2013 and 2014, you can do so to see what's changed on my list and what's remained constant! It's sure to be interesting! 

And so, here's my 2015 list: 

My Friends & Family

Of course, this one kind of goes without saying! 

Walt Disney World (And Disneyland!) 

I've been lucky enough to head on not one, not two, but three Disney trips this year, with two to WDW and one to Disneyland. I absolutely love both coasts for different reasons, and while I'm thrilled to be heading back to WDW in a few weeks, I do know that a part of me will miss Disneyland too. 

Starbucks

And coffee in general really. It's gotten me through this semester. 

LillyBelle

Because she is my cat and I love her to death. 

Star Wars

It's not every year that a new Star Wars film premieres, and it's not every time I get to go see it on opening night right alongside many of my fellow Star Wars fans. Looking back, surprisingly enough, Star Wars isn't on either of the previous lists...but I'm definitely thankful for it this year. 

Once Upon A Time

Star Wars may have been my first real fandom other than Disney, but OUAT has still brought me so many wonderful things, especially this year. Cardboard Colin came into my life, and I've met even more wonderful fellow Oncers...oh, and one more thing...

The Dust Storm

I can't help but put this one on the list. After all, the premiere of the film (and the film itself!) was wonderful, and it allowed me the once in a lifetime opportunity to talk to Colin O'Donoghue on the phone! Definitely something I'll remember for the rest of my life...and then probably a few lives after that. 

New Friends

Over the past year I've grown much closer to a real bunch of random people in my life, and I'm so thankful for that. Whether it's someone I know from college or someone I met through Twitter, there are absolutely amazing people in my world that keep me going through the good times and the bad. 

YouTube

One of the biggest blessings this year was my ability to work on my YouTube channel, and I'm absolutely thankful to those who follow my videos. I've certainly learned that it's not about how many views, but about making the videos because I love to make videos. And honestly, I've got a lot of video editing ahead of me, but I'm super excited about some of the stuff coming after my January trip to WDW. 

Everyday Disney

As always, I'm so thankful for the success of this blog, even if I'm really far behind at the moment and am fighting valiantly to catch up. It's always a lot of work, but I love this blog and every second of the work that it takes to make it a reality. I don't think 2012 Lizzie could have ever imagined any of this. 

And honestly, that's about all that I can think of off the top of my head, but I'm certain that there's about a million other things that I'm thankful for. Just take a look at my Instagram and I'm sure you'll see most of them at some point or another! 

Let me know what you're most thankful for in the comments below! 

Have a magical day! 

(Note: This blog post was written on December 25).

Day 1059: The Good Dinosaur

I've been on a roll this year with seeing Disney films on opening day. Earlier I saw Tomorrowland and Inside Out on opening day, and when I had a chance to see The Good Dinosaur, it felt like the right option!

Overall, I thought The Good Dinosaur was a pretty good (haha) movie, although it's certainly not my favorite of the Pixar films. In fact, without giving away any spoilers, I kind of felt like it was the same movie as Inside Out, just for a different group of people. After all, so many of the same themes were present and it just felt like Inside Out...with Dinosaurs.

Either way, I thought the animation was brilliant, and the characters were definitely unique. That's actually one of the things I love most about Pixar - their ability to take characters we think we know and flip them on their heads. That certainly happens multiple times in this film, whether it be with Spot or a T Rex.

Honestly, I don't want to give too much of the film away if you haven't seen it yet, so let's just finish with the trailer for the movie!

I'm also in love with the music in this trailer, which is pretty usual for me haha! Disney does a spectacular job with soundtracks, especially in their trailers! 

If you haven't had a chance to see The Good Dinosaur yet, go as soon as you can and see the magic for yourself! 

Have a magical day! 

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

Day 1058: A Little Bit of SSE

Twitter is probably the most dangerous place for a Disney fan. After all, when your fellow Disney fans get new Disney things, all you want to do is get them too...especially when they're absolutely necessary for your collection. I mean, it's not everyday you find a travel mug that happens to resemble your favorite Disney attraction:

I happened to see this new Starbucks Tumbler on Twitter and knew I had to find one of my own. So, later that day, I set out on a mission to find it. Luckily, I didn't have to search long before locating my own Spaceship Earth Tumbler (even if it's not technically Spaceship Earth). Either way, it's a pretty amazing little tumbler and, in fact, I'm using it today! 

And so, yet again, Disney appears in the world in the most random of ways...and I got a new addition to my Spaceship Earth collection!

Have a magical day!

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

Day 1057: Zootopia

I haven't been this excited about a Disney movie in a long while, but there's just something about Zootopia that has me eagerly awaiting the release (although I'l have to break my streak of opening day films since I'll be out of town that week). Maybe it's the fact that Ginnifer Goodwin is voicing a main character, or maybe it's the sloth, but Zootopia is certainly on my must see list:

The funny part is that, as Disney fans, we almost treat these films the same way other people treat Harry Potter, Twilight, or the Hunger Games. We can't wait for them to come out every single time. And the best part? They just keep coming! There's always a new Disney film on the horizon, and because they're all unique, you never quite know what to expect next. 

Ok, and also I need a GIF of the smile the sloth gives...hey look! I found one! 

Are you excited to see Zootopia? Let me know in the comments! 

Have a magical day! 

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

Day 1056: Tickets Secured

When Star Wars tickets originally went on sale and the Fandango website crashed, I was indeed one of those unlucky people who wasn't able to score tickets. I did, however, happen to randomly check a few weeks later and happened to find opening night tickets...in 3D...in recliners. So yes, Star Wars tickets have been secured like the plans to the Death Star.

I do find it sort of humorous though, the fact that a midnight premiere doesn't really exist. A number of years back I wasn't a part of any fandom that I would consider sitting out in the cold for just to see the movie as soon as possible. I liked Harry Potter of course, but I was more of the person who'd go and see it weeks later, after the rest of the crowds calmed down. And yet here I am, with tickets for opening night of Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens.

And now tickets are easier to get than ever too. All you have to do is head online and, with the recliners at my local theater, you can even reserve specific seats. Then all you have to do is pick up your tickets from the box office and head in. No hassle required!

Does this mean that I'll probably end up seeing Star Wars more times than I can count over the next few months? Probably. But does it make me feel like Kermit in the following GIF? Absolutely.

I'M GOING TO SEE STAR WARS EVERYONE! LET'S AWAKEN THE FORCE!

Have a magical day!

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

Day 1055: The Pied Piper

For my Literary Theory and Writing class we worked on a New Historical Essay, which just happens to be my favorite theory to work with. I love history, and I've always loved history, so having the opportunity to go in depth with the history of a particular story is pretty amazing. This time around, I decided on the tale of The Pied Piper of Hameln, and I actually found a couple of really awesome Disney references!

First, let's head back to 1933, September 16 to be exact, when Walt Disney released "The Pied Piper" as a part of his Silly Symphonies. From 1929 to 1939, Walt Disney Productions created a series of animated short films. These 75 Silly Symphonies were used to experiment with different processes, techniques, and other technologies in the world of animation, which would eventually lead to the first feature length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which was released in 1937. You can watch Disney's 1933 version of "The Pied Piper" right here!

As you can probably tell, the story of the Pied Piper is the tale of a man who comes to the town of Hameln to rid the residents of rats. He does so, but the town refuses to give him the debt he is owed, so he takes their children instead. When I first came across this story, I actually made the connection to Once Upon A Time right away, and that's how I came to connect the story with fairy tales long before I realized the many other connections it has. In Season 3 of OUAT, the creators mix and matched two stories to created their own version of "The Pied Piper." Robbie Kay portrays the series' Peter Pan, who collects boys to bring with him back to Neverland by playing a tune on musical pipes. However, the twist is that only boys who feel unloved are able to to hear and are drawn to the sound. Of course, Pan never helps the town in the first place, only arriving to steal the children, but regardless, he is indeed The Pied Piper of Once Upon A Time. 

This story, of course, has many different versions as well, and I'm certain that there are several other references out there in pop culture and maybe even in the Disney universe. Plus, who knows if the story actually had an influence on J.M. Barrie and Peter Pan! 

Have a magical day! 

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

Day 1054: Done and Over

It can probably go without saying that music performance majors tend to perform a lot. In fact, I sort of get lost when trying to count the number of performances that somehow work their way into every semester, but there are a few that matter a bit more than others. A Junior Recital is one of those.

After months and months of preparing and more than just a few freakouts on the topic, my recital is, however, finally finished, and it feels like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Sort of like the feeling you have when you finally head to Disney. It's complete calm and relief.

Per usual, however, Disney did make its way into my recital in the form of the final piece, which I thought you guys might like to enjoy...so here's a video all about my recital!

When You Wish Upon A Star just fits here, don't you think? 

Have a magical day! 

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

Day 1053: A Different College Campus

I talk all the time about how Disney pops up in my own life, but really Everyday Disney is about how the magic is a part of all of our lives. November 19 is, of course, the birthday of our favorite mouse, and it seems that another college in my area is all about celebrating Mickey! I woke up to a bunch of texts from my friend Ashley about how her college was making Mickey's birthday a big thing, and I asked her if I could share some of it here on the blog!

As you can see, Mickey was definitely the theme of the day at Marian University, and I'm so glad that Ashley was able to share these pictures with me so I could share them with you! How awesome is it that her college did this!?!

If YOU have a special reference to Disney in your life that you think fits with the idea of Everyday Disney, let me know! I'm working on the idea of some guest posts in 2016, so I'd love to hear how Disney has infiltrated your everyday life too! 

Have a magical day! 

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