Day 357: My Disney Collection V7

It's kind of strange to write two of these Disney Collection posts on the same day, but that's what I'm currently doing. Because I got really really behind this month (between Finals and coming home and my being busy here at home it just got really interesting), it meant that I had two of these to finish up, but I guess it all works out at the same time because then I just took pictures for both at the same time and it all worked out.

But unlike the previous 6 volumes of this series, this one is holiday specific, hence the reason why this post is here at all! It seems that at Christmas time there is more Disney around my house than ever, probably because a bunch of our ornaments are Disney and then Mickey dressed as Santa Clause makes an appearance all over the house as well!

Speaking of Mickey Dressed as Santa Clause, here's one for you to start things off! On the top of our Christmas Tree in our living room, Mickey stands proudly. No angel or star here, just Mickey Mouse. He's been at the top as long as I can possibly remember, like since I was a little kid. And normally at the bottom of the tree is our monorail, but because everything was so busy this year, it never actually made it up (quite sad if you ask me). We've got a little Spaceship Earth, Grand Floridian, Contemporary and Poly for under the tree too, meaning that it's a pretty adorable little "train." 

And our tree, as I said, has a lot of Disney Ornaments. I could have put all four of these on here, but honestly I don't remember where the other two are and wasn't in the mood to try and find them when I was taking pictures. But these two are part of a set of four, meaning that there's one for each of the four Disney World Parks. I mean, I had to include the Spaceship Earth though. I just had to. 

This one isn't specifically Disney, but I named it Emma. Get it? Emma the Swan. Yep, you get it. 

And here's another one, although there are tons and tons of various Disney Ornaments all over the tree (but I have to save some for next year, don't I?). I think I have another one of these just like this for sure, but there are tons of little ornaments!

Of course, no Disney Christmas house would be right without a set of Mickey Mouse Christmas Lights...and yes, we have those too. These are on the garland in our living room though, not our actual Christmas tree. And I tell you, getting a picture of these was pretty interesting. 

A few years ago I saw these and just had to have them. I love these Mickey and Minnie Snowmen, because I mean, they're just seriously adorable, aren't they? They sit on our mantel above our fireplace and are just totally adorable all the time. Meaning that they just had to be on this blog post. 

And then we have this little collection of Christmas houses and such. They light up, and part of it we got as gifts, but they're all adorable. And Dad felt pretty proud when he put the picture of our Quarry behind the ice skaters so it looked like they were actually skating outside. I just love them cause these houses are cute. 

And finally, in our kitchen, we have this little Mickey Mouse...again in a Santa costume to round this volume of my Disney Collection out. I didn't plug it in and turn it on, but when it is all running, the lamp post lights up and Mickey's arms move. 

There's plenty of Disney all around my house, of course, especially at Christmas, but I figure that I'll end up showing you more next Christmas, so I'd have to save some for then, right? Plus, not everything was all out, so that means that there's some Disney Christmas still packed away in storage. Next time we'll look at something, although like I said last time, I honestly have no clue what that something is. We'll call it a surprise. =)

Here's today's Disney History: 1998: La Nouba, the Cirque du Soleil show, opens at Downtown Disney, Florida. With an international and diverse cast of 65 talented performers, the show features funambulists, dancers, tumblers, trapeze performers, a juggler, clowns, actors, acro-gymnasts, cyclists, musicians, vocalists, skippers and circus artists. La Nouba, which comes from the French phrases "faire la nouba," and means to live it up, has been created exclusively for Walt Disney World. 

Have a magical day!

Day 345: Christmas at Walt Disney World

I talk about it all the time, how I miss Walt Disney World and so on and so forth, but honestly I'm pretty sure there isn't a time that I miss it more than when I'm not there at Christmas. My family tends to travel to WDW at the same time of year, every year, occasionally alternating between the months of November and January (along with December every so often). So this means that I head to Disney during the Christmas season A LOT. Recently though, it's been less of a Christmas thing. I mean, this past summer I was there in June, and I'll be going in March (for the first time), and again in June...none of which are times for the Christmas trees to be up for for the special holiday tag on Illuminations to be playing.

Yeah, I missed the addition of Disney this Christmas. In fact, it hardly felt like a real Christmas WITHOUT being at Disney for at least Thanksgiving. But I tried to make the best of it. I guess it's just hard to get in the Christmas mood without my Disney Christmas. So here's a few things I did to get into the Christmas mood...Disney Style.

Watch Disney Christmas Movies

Well, there are plenty to choose from, after all. There's Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas, and the Twice Upon a Christmas. The Disney Christmas Carol, The Christmas Carol from a few years ago, The Muppet Christmas Carol, and of course, The Santa Clause movies. Plus there's all those TV shows that are Christmas Specials that feature Walt Disney World. I've got one saved on my satellite from like a year or two ago...not that I watched it this year, but still, it's there!

 Disney Christmas Music

It may seem somewhat strange, but I actually have several various Christmas CD's specifically from Disney. Some of them are just like general Christmas music, sometimes with Characters singing and sometimes not. There's also the Candlelight Processional CD, which is always a good thing to listen to when you're missing Epcot at Christmas.

Other Christmas Music

Honestly it was kind of difficult to come up with a title for this one because the real title should be "Listen to the Christmas Music that they use around Walt Disney World, specifically at the Osborne Lights because it reminds you of Disney." Yeah, much too long of a title, but it's true. I find that my favorite Christmas songs are the ones that you hear constantly there. So, for example, Feliz Navidad, Carol of the Bells, Sleigh Ride and Christmas is starting now are all on my popular playlist for Christmas.

Watch Video

It seems this list is made up of music and video, but oh well. The last time I was at Disney for Christmas was actually only a year ago, and I have plenty of video from that trip, including a ton from the Osborne Lights and of the Illuminations Holiday Tag, along with Holiday Wishes of course. So I've got plenty of video I can watch whenever I need a but of a Disney Christmas Fix.

And that's what I did this holiday season to bring a little bit of the Magic of Disney World at Christmas Time into my everyday Christmas Life. Works well for me. Yay for Christmas!

Here's today's Disney History: 1992: Walt Disney Pictures releases The Muppet Christmas Carol - the fourth feature film to star The Muppets, the first distributed by Disney, and the first produced after the death of Muppets creator Jim Henson. The film is directed by Henson's son, Brian, and stars Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on December 29 due to finals week).

Day 341: The Muppets Go Christmas

After a long hard day of working on catching up this blog (and I mean day...it takes a long time, especially when you keep getting interrupted), there's nothing I like to do more than sit down and watch a movie...while blogging about it of course. I still have several blog posts to make up. Sadly the four posts I have left to write all require actual work, meaning more than just sitting on my computer and writing for a while until a blog post takes shape. But I'll survive.

So Megan texted me that she was going to watch the Muppets Christmas Carol, so I jumped up from my seat at the kitchen table and ran to my bedroom closet where my copy of the film sits. Only I have it on VHS, and when I opened the box. Well, you can guess what I found. I had to rewind it. And because half my stuff from college is still packed up, I had to use the old VHS Player...which rewinds super duper slow.

Finally now I'm watching it though, while I blog of course. Hopefully I'll still have time to fit in another Christmas movie tonight. Well, it's sort of a Christmas movie, sort of not. You'll see though (on the December 11 post to be exact).

I actually don't think that I've seen the Muppets Christmas Carol, or if I have, I haven't seen it in a really long time. I found the VHS copy of it a few months ago and couldn't wait to watch it. In fact, I forgot I had it until Megan mentioned that she was watching it. So here I am watching. And I love it. I mean, I love Christmas, and the Christmas Carol and the ADORE the Muppets...so it's just a perfect fit.

All in all, I think there are a lot of versions of the Christmas Carol, so that kind of makes it lose it's potency and specialness after a while. I mean, every Christmas we see at least one version of it probably, but that's ok, because I'm more than happy to watch the Disney versions. They're just all so wonderful!

Here's today's Disney History: 1999: Disney's Direct-to-video Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas is released, as is Inspector Gadget, The Jungle Book and The Little Mermaid.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was published on December 29 due to finals week).

Day 307: Christmas Time!

You know what one of my favorite things about the Disney Parks is? The fact that they can go from Halloween to Christmas in only three days. Yes, that's right: It's Christmastime at Disney World already. The first castle lighting ceremony will be in just two days, the Osbourne Lights will start soon, the Christmas Trees are up. Yes, it's all there.

To be honest, I'm really going to miss Disney at the Christmas season this year. I normally go when everything is up and awesome, but this year I won't be going anywhere near Christmas. In fact, I probably won't be there for Christmas for several years, unless I somehow figure out a way for my family to fit in a shorter trip here and there. That probably won't happen though (I can hope though, right?) If I could go to Disney all the time, I totally would, even if it meant like weekend trips every few months. I'd be cool with that.

Anyways, I found this video from a couple years ago about just how quickly Disney switches from the Spooky to the Jolly, and felt like it was worth sharing. As we get closer to Christmas you can expect a Youtube Video Post similar to the one I just did about Halloween, only for Christmas. And don't worry, there will be plenty of things all about Christmas in the future. It is one of my favorite times of year, after all. Probably because that's when I usually go to WDW, but still!

Frumpstagram! Ahh, for today's post we take a trip down Memory Lane, and that means that I just had to share a few of my favorite pictures of me and my younger brother at Disney. We're an interesting pair, that's for sure. I mean, he did take a picture with a trashcan that wasn't Push. But either way, Disney without him is pretty depressing, so I felt it was only fitting to have this as the post for today. =)

Here's today's Disney History: 2007: Disney's newest theatrical stage production The Little Mermaid begins preview performances at the Lunt-Fontanne Teatre in New York City. The official Braodway opening night is scheduled for December 6th.

Have a magical day!