Day 1421: Cars 3

I still remember the first time I saw Cars in theaters, when my family loved it so much that we just had to see it again...and then one more time before it even left cinemas. I don't particularly remember seeing Cars 2, but I know that we did at some point, and I have more than a few memories of watching both films in my own home. If you've been reading Everyday Disney for a while, you'll also know just how much I love and adore Carsland out at Disney California Adventure. If I could live anywhere in the world, aside from inside Spaceship Earth, it'd be Carsland. Actually, I think I ate at Flo's three times in the five days we were in the parks. Or was it four times? 

Either way, Cars quickly rose to, and has stayed at, the top of my favorite Disney-Pixar movies list. I can't quite pinpoint why, but there's just something about this story that hit me and has stuck with me unlike any of the others. Maybe it's the fact that I love driving, and I really loved my road trip this past summer, which, for a while, took us on Route 66. Perhaps it's that dream I have of driving the Route all together, or it might be the beautiful animation and story that should have won it an Oscar. I'm still a bit salty about that one. 

I think, ultimately, the thing I loved most about Cars was that it's a movie without a central villain. Yes, Chick Hicks is there throughout the film, but he's not really...evil, at least not in the same way as Captain Hook or Cruella de Vil terrorize their own films. Cars was, and is, a personal journey for Lightning, and he becomes his own villain. I think that was a really important lesson for me back in the day - that sometimes we want to blame others when the fault really lies with us. We want to blame Doc and Mater and Sally and Mac and yes, even good old Bessie, for our problems, but we can be the villains of our own story too. Lightning is so focused on his racing career and coming out on top that he neglects those around him, getting caught up in his own ambitions without ever realizing the toll they'll take on others. And when he gets stuck in Radiator Springs, it wasn't truly the fault of Mac - it was Lightning, and as he begins to slow down and truly open his eyes, he realizes that there's more to life than ambition. 

As someone who regularly gets caught up in her own ambition and needs to consciously remind herself to slow down and enjoy life a bit more, Cars made all the difference for me. I know I felt that Cars 2 was lacking that same theme, and a physical villain appeared, so while it's still a spectacular movie, I think it lost some of the same charm for me. Which is why I'm actually thrilled by this first teaser trailer for Cars 3. Like with Toy Story, it seems that we'll be coming full circle with Lightning's story. He was, at one point, the young hotshot who had so much to learn, and it was Doc that taught him new tricks. Now, Lightning's a permanent fixture in the racing world, but as we learned in the original film, fame and good luck doesn't last forever. Lightning was once his own villain, and I'm really hoping that we'll see that again in a new way! 

Let me know what your thoughts on the new trailer are in the comments below! 

Have a magical day!

Day 1207: Disney Parks A to Z

I once did a post on Once Upon A Time A to Z, and figured that maybe it'd be fun to do the same thing with the Disney Parks! After all, with so much to explore, there's got to be something for every letter, right? 

A is for Adventureland, B is for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and C is for Carousel of Progress

D is for the Dumbo, E is for Epcot, and F is for Figment

G is for the Grand Floridian, H is for the Haunted Mansion, and I is for Indiana Jones Adventure

J is for Jungle Cruise, and K is for Kilimanjaro Safaris

L is for the Living Seas, M is for the Matterhorn, and N is for New Orleans Square

O is for One Man's Dream, P is for Paradise Pier, and Q is for Queen of Hearts

R is for River Country, S is for Spaceship Earth, and T is for Tom Sawyer Island

U is for Universe of Energy, V is for Voyage of the Little Mermaid, and W is for the Walt Disney World Railroad

X is for X-Wing, Y is for Ye Olde Christmas Shop, and finally, Z is for Zurg

Not gonna lie, X was really difficult...

Have a magical day!

Day 1186: Last Cup of T

Every good thing, apparently, must come to an end. I'm not entirely sure that a year ago I even knew what the Mad T Party was, but now, as I watch some of the videos from the final evening of wonderful music and Disney magic, I can't help but feel so connected to this show.

For those of you that might not know, the Mad T Party was a presentation of live music at Disney California Adventure inspired by Alice in Wonderland, and last night was the final performance before Mad T, once again, disappears from the park. It's gone before, and come back thanks to the wonderful fanbase that I've been so fortunate to be a part of, even if I've only really seen the show once (or twice, but not the entire thing). I hadn't anticipated how much I'd end up really enjoying every second of screaming at the top of my lungs and loosing all ability to hear after a four hours of sitting by the stage, but it's always been connected with my friend Laura, and it's definitely one of my favorite parts of my Disneyland trip last August. Even now, when one of the songs comes on the radio, I jam out a bit more than I do to any other song.

I know for a fact that the Mad T Party was a family, and in the months since I saw Mad T Party for myself I've seen time and time again the absolute hospitality and love that that family is made up of. It's refreshing to see - a group of people who are so supportive of these musicians and musicians that encourage and inspire the fans time and time again. Mad T Party was a very real positive in a far too often negative world, and that's just one of the reasons I know that this show will be so very missed by so many people, myself included.

If you need me, I'll just be here rewatching video from August that has more of my terrible singing in the background than the musicians themselves.

Have a magical day!

Day 1076: Six Reasons

As we approach the end of 2015, we have to start thinking ahead to next year, especially in regards to when we'll find ourselves at the Disney Parks. Being the Disney blogger I am, I follow pretty much every form of social media the company has to offer, and recently, as with every year, I've come across the articles titled things like "Six Reasons to Visit Disneyland in 2016." And those articles give lots of great reasons as to why this next year is going to be the greatest time to visit the parks. Read one of them HERE at the Disney Parks blog, which honestly makes me want to head back to Disneyland more than ever.

Still, it occurred to me while reading yet another of these posts that there are certainly some reasons why we should visit the Disney Parks every year, not just 2015 or 2016! So, since we are headed to 2016, here's six reasons why you should visit the Disney Parks!

1. From One to One Hundred

The Disney Parks are for absolutely everyone. Young or Old, Thrill Seekers and Calm Creatures alike, the Disney Parks across the world offer a wide range of experiences that are sure to satisfy everyone! In other words, if you're looking to meet the Disney Princesses, you can do that! But if you'd rather take a turn in the Twilight Zone, you can do that too!

2. Classic Attractions!

There's nothing quite like a tour on the Haunted Mansion or a battle with some buccaneers on Pirates of the Caribbean, and with the classic attractions that have become staples in the parks and the theme park world, there's never a better time to experience them first hand than right now!

3. The Smell of Fresh Paint

Well, hopefully you won't be smelling the Fresh Paint itself (unless Goofy spilled some again), but the newest additions to the Disney Parks come all year round, and regardless of when you visit, there's sure to be a new and exciting experience awaiting. In 2015 Disneyland brought World of Color: Celebrate! and Disneyland Forever, as well as Paint the Night, and Season of the Force took over on both coasts! In 2016, Soarin' Around the World will premiere at both Disney California Adventure and Epcot, and new experiences at Disney's Animal Kingdom will begin to thrill guests of all ages. But in the future, there's still Star Wars Land, Pandora: The World of Avatar, Disneyland Shanghai, and plenty of other brand new attractions to come!

4. Unlike Anything Else

Disney Parks have always offered unique experiences, from high-quality dining to some of the greatest resorts in the world. Regardless of where you call home at the Disney Parks and Resorts, you can bet that the quality, service, and expertise will have you coming back sooner rather than later. You could probably even call it your home away from home!

5. Family and Friends

One of my personal favorite parts about heading to the Disney Parks is the chance I have to spend time with my family and friends. My love of Disney began through family vacations to Walt Disney World, and now I've had the spectacular opportunity to share my home with some of my closest friends. You can do that too, and take it from me, the memories you make with your family at the Disney Parks will be ones that last a lifetime.

6. Magical Moments

More than anything else, the Disney Parks are absolutely filled with magic. From a child meeting their favorite character for the first time, to a magical moment you couldn't have seen coming, you never quite know when a bit of pixie dust will appear in your vacation!

And those are my top six reasons that you should visit the Disney Parks, regardless of when it is! Although, just between you and me, I rather think 2016 is a great time. Why? Because it's much sooner than later!

What are your top 6 reasons to visit the Disney Parks?

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on December 23).

Day 1037: End of the Land

My trip to Disneyland had a ton of really awesome experiences built right in. So many in fact, that I couldn't even fit them in by day! Instead, I had to do the vlogs in "Parts" rather than days, and that, along with over 11 hours of video, led to video after video for me to share with you!

Day one brought us to California, a dinner at Downtown Disney's Jazz Kitchen, and a great view for World of Color from the Grand Californian Hotel! The next morning, however, we're off to the parks for a wild adventure at DCA...including my first trip on California Screamin'!

Part 2 continues our second day in California and features a really small castle, an opening ceremony (that may or may not have made me cry), our first adventure on the Matterhorn, one handed driving, catching up with my friend Laura, who took me to meet some of the awesome characters that appear only at Disneyland and my first experience at Mad T Party at Disney California Adventure! 

Part 3 starts on a fresh new day at DCA! I beat Jonny at Toy Story Midway Mania (again), I cry on Radiator Springs Racers because I love it so much, we catch some of the performing groups in the parks, keep some promises with Genie and Aladdin, play Mickey's Fun Wheel Challenge, and I give you a monologue about filming at the Disney Parks.

Part 4 concludes another day in the parks with a bit of Paint the Night at Disneyland Park. I also got a bit lost in the dark and had to find my way by following screams until I found my way to Big Thunder Mountain, which was recently redone and was pretty darn spectacular. And then, there's all of the adventures that came in between the D23 Expo, which had two separate videos because there was just too much to fit into one vlog! Oh, and you may also see more than a few familiar faces. 

Part 5 brings us right back to the parks for an early start and features a little bit of a piratey Tower of Terror, lots of Mater (which is still most certainly my favorite attraction at DCA), more Carsland, some Tiki Room, and much much more! 

Just because Part 5 got too long doesn't mean the day is over, as Part 6 picks up where we left off on Monday! Check out more of Disneyland's classic attractions, such as Primeval World, and some awesome nighttime shows! We had great seats for Fantasmic thanks to a dinner package, so I was sure to film the whole thing (even if it did leave me with a back that hurt like no other). 

Part 7 picks up in the middle of yet another day at Disneyland and takes us to meet President Lincoln, the Disneyland Band, Mickey and Friends at Mickey and the Magical Map before finishing off with a bit of Star Wars in World of Color Celebrate from a new view, our hotel room at Paradise Pier Hotel!

Head with us back to Mater's Junkyard in Part 8, and then onward to other new and old adventures alike! Try some food in cones in Carsland, Go Green with the Toy Soldiers, meet our favorite Snowman, a classic Rabbit, and hear Zorro come alive with, again, the Disneyland band!

As we open the last vlog of the Disneyland trip, Jonny is trying to figure out the plotline of Once Upon A Time. Later on we head off to see another showing of World of Color Celebrate, go on a few last attractions, and ultimately, say goodbye to Disneyland once again. 

And that, my friends, rounds out my trip to Disneyland. In case you're wondering, the vlogs are made up of about 1.75 hours of footage from my trip out to the West Coast, although I had to go through over 11 hours to get it narrowed down. I'd count how many attractions are stuck in there too, but I certainly don't have almost two hours to watch every minute of these right now...so I'll leave that up to you! 

Be sure to keep an eye out for more vlogs in the future as I head to Walt Disney World in January of 2016! 

Have a magical day! 

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

Day 983: Frozen Carpet Ride

I'm certainly not the first to discuss the recent news out of Disney California Adventure and I'm sure I won't be the last. I have to say, first off, that I'm not a fan of Aladdin in general, but the musical that's called DCA home for the last how many years almost convinced me otherwise. I remember my first trip into the Hyperion in 2011, laughing my head off at Genie's jokes about Twilight (ironically enough, I was laughing at similar jokes just today), and I will be sad to see it go just as many of the Disneyland Locals that have signed the petition to stop it from leaving.

If you haven't caught up on the news yet, Disney is closing the Aladdin show at Disney California Adventure and replacing it with a Frozen Musical Show sometime in 2016, and people aren't exactly happy about it. I've always thought of Aladdin fitting so perfectly there, but as much as I'm with those trying to save it, I also wonder if Disney's making the right move. Not to say Frozen is the answer, but there was an observation I had while out at Disneyland that I felt is kind of important, and odd, considering the controversy surrounding Frozen in the parks.

There's been a lot of complaints about Anna and Elsa taking over pretty much everything, and for the most part, I wholeheartedly agree. Maelstrom, for instance, should never have been closed. Updated, yes, but closed, no. Frozen is not the answer for Epcot, and while I do believe it will be an extremely popular attraction (maybe wait times for Test Track will finally go down), there were probably better answers, and the same can be said for Aladdin and DCA. But before we really start trash talking Frozen as it becomes more integrated into the parks, perhaps we should look at a different film...The Little Mermaid.

I've never been quiet about my dissapointment of the Ariel attraction that now graces both DCA and Magic Kingdom. It just didn't impress me, and quite frankly, I didn't see the need for another Little Mermaid attraction. And then, while at Disneyland, it finally clicked. If you think Frozen is in a lot of places...think about Ariel for a moment. At Walt Disney World, there's reference after reference to the film, including the following: Voyage of The Little Mermaid (Hollywood Studios), Ariel's Undersea Adventure (Magic Kingdom), Fantasmic (Hollywood Studios), Festival of Fantasy (Magic Kingdom), Wishes (Magic Kingdom), and she has her own meet and greet. At Disneyland, however, things are a bit more shocking: Fantasmic, Disneyland Forever, Mickey and the Magical Map, King Triton's Carousel (DCA), Ariel's Undersea Adventure, Soundsational Parade, Paint the Night, AND Ariel's Grotto. Compare that to Frozen: Maelstrom Location (Epcot), Meet and Greet (Magic Kingdom - Moving to Epcot), World of Color Celebrate!, Disneyland Forever, Paint the Night, Sing-A-Long locations on both coasts, a Frozen Summer Fun Event, and Festival of Fantasy. There are a few seasonal events not listed, but do you see a problem here?

I'm not about to say that The Little Mermaid is a bad film, because it certainly isn't, and there's a lot of attractions and events that involve Ariel that I do love in the parks, but what makes The Little Mermaid so much better than Frozen? What makes it possible for one film to take over and receive backlash while another does it secretly in the background? Is it because Ariel, with her mermaid tail and upbeat songs, is easy to include in shows? Or is there another reason in the background?

Personally, I think we need to see more Princess and the Frog and Tangled stuff, if we're adding anything, and maybe a bit more Pocahontas too, but that could be beside the point. If you're interested in signing the petition to keep Aladdin at Disney California Adventure, you can do so HERE, like many of us Disney Fans that have already done so. And let me know your thoughts on either the Aladdin show leaving or everything I mentioned above in the comments below!

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on September 25 due to a tight schedule).

Day 963: Photographic

It's that time again. No, not for the Everyday Disney Challenge, but time for me to share just a few of my favorite pictures from my trip to Disneyland! I ususally don't do full on trip reports here, as I already do the vlogs, and by the time those are all edited and everything it just gets a bit redundant, but I DO love sharing these pictures with you, and this time there's a lot of them! I just double checked and this trip we had 4,622 between three people, and there's still a few I don't have on my computer. This is, of course, in addition to what I estimate to be 21 hours of video, so let's just say I'm going to be spending quite a bit of time at my computer in the next month or two.

As one of the first official pictures of the trip, the one Dad took of the candy apples (left) is definitely one of my favorites. I can't quite put my finger on why I love it so much, but it definitely just stands out to me! And on the right is the ever classic FunWheel picture. 

As two of the most well known thrill rides at Disneyland, California Screamin' and The Matterhorn both somehow got their own interesting pictures in this collection!

There's actually an interesting story about the Monkey on the left, or so my father tells me. This Monkey can be found on a chandallier in the Pirates of the Caribbean store just outside the exit of the attraction and was actually the inspiration for Jack in the film adaptations. In fact, without this little Monkey at Disneyland, Monkey Jack wouldn't even exist! And on the right we've got a great picture of the outside entrance to it's a small world, something I definitely miss when I'm back at Disney World!

Much to the dismay of my mom and brother, we stood and took pictures of Big Thunder from this spot for quite a while. But to be fair, I have to take video AND pictures!

Soundsational does hold a special place in my heart, despite the fact that Festival of Fantasy beats it on my favorites list every day of the week. However, Soundsational does have a drumline and a Princess and the Frog section and a Mary Poppins float as well, all things we definitely don't have in Festival of Fantasy. Plus, look at how adorable Minnie is! 

Darkness sometimes helps bring out the real light throughout Disneyland, just like it does in Paint the Night! The entire parade, as I mentioned in an earlier blog post, is wonderful, and I would definitely watch it every day of my life ever. But one of my absolute favorite things about Disneyland is the fact that it was Walt's park, and nothing signifies that more than the light that burns on in his apartment window. 

Oddly enough, many of the questions I've gotten since returning from Disneyland are all about the FunWheel. There's just something about a giant ferris wheel with Mickey's head on it that interests people I guess. This picture that Dad took one morning is super helpful in explaining how everything works!

As if you're not already sick of me talking about Carsland, here's some more! Flo's was filled with little references, both to the films and to Cars and the real Route 66, which made it perfect for a wealth of pictures, even if I only shared the one. Meanwhile, both Flo's and the Cozy Cone have some of the best food I've had in a long while. Also, will anyone bring me a Chili Cone Queso? Please?

The best place in the world to take a picture of Tower of Terror? The second floor of the Hyperion! As we headed out of a showing of Aladdin, Dad snapped this picture after I caught the same one going in. The result is an awesome picture of The Hollywood Tower Hotel. 

The FunWheel has all the colors, meaning that my favorite part of World of Color is when all the colors are there and it matches the FunWheel and everything in life is perfect. 

After seeing it at the D23 Expo in 2011 (or at least the Mock up), we finally got to see the new Walt and Mickey statue in it's Buena Vista home. While we're on the topic, Buena Vista street is 100% beautiful and completely different from the park we visited the last time we were there. It brings the entire park together and I'm totally happy with the changes they made!

While I didn't even find this shot until the very end of my trip, the back road into Radiator Springs gives you the absolute best view of Radiator Springs Racers, and you have to leave room on your camera roll for the classic parters and castle picture!

While showing these edited pictures to my Dad the other night he mentioned that the left picture of the Tower of Terror Lobby was just a passing moment. He half took the picture while walking, and we were both pretty happy with how it turned out! The picture on the right can be found at Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, and that one I had him stop and take a picture of simply because I thought my brother, who loves NASA, would find it funny. He didn't really.

There's nothing like taking some detail pictures of the Tractors at Mater's Junkyard Jamboree, especially when your family owns a farm equipment dealership, and the signs that lead into the town from A Bug's Land are just the cutest. 

When we finally got on Tower of Terror about halfway through our trip, the wait was 13 minutes, and now that I've been on both the Walt Disney World and Disneyland versions, I have to say that Disney World does it better. Not that I liked either or anything...nope. The right picture, on the other hand, would be perfect for a where in Disneyland contest, although I'll tell you flat out that you can find it on the red truck near the Hyperion theater in Hollywood Land. 

So maybe Dad took this picture as she told us to get her good side. I think every side is your good side Roz! Meanwhile, the Red Car Trolley offers a unique view of the Tower of Terror, which I almost didn't get a picture of, but somehow snapped it before we got too close! 

More Cars Land detail pictures are always a good idea. The left picture is definitely my new life motto. 

Funny story about the Jaguar from Tarzan's Treehouse. If you get too close or move the correct way or are just there are the right time, a giant puff of air blows at you as it roars. Scared the crap out of me, I'll admit, and then I slowly backed away until I could turn around and make my way back down the stairs. Also in Adventureland is the Tiki Room, which I love a lot more at Disneyland that at Walt Disney World, even if one of the only real changes is the fountain. I'm telling you, that fountain does the trick!

Another thing better at Disneyland? Definitely Fantasmic. Alright, so at WDW we have a real theater to sit in and we have the Pocahontas section and everything, but they have a real pirate ship and a Peter Pan section and everything is just so much closer! We were right along the water's edge, which made for a very awkward filming position for me, but for some great shots! As for Astro Orbitor, I'm not sure which is really better, mostly because I never go on either of them. I should probably get on that sometime though. 

You know how you never get to stop in the first room of the Star Tours Queue long enough to get a decent picture of C3P0 and R2-D2? Well I still haven't gotten a picture, but Dad did! In fact he got a couple of them, but this one happened to be my favorite. As for me, I seem to have an addiction to taking pictures of the name plate for Haunted Mansion, regardless of whether it's Disneyland or Walt Disney World. 

The 60th decor throughout the parks was definitely one of my favorite parts. I kind of wanted to just take it all home, and now I want to go back and just have another of those super delicious Cake Pops. I may have had two of them while I was there, one that was the 60th Anniversary Minnie one and the other the Diamond Celebration Mickey design. Both were fantastic. Cake pops. Go eat them. 

I feel like the stereotypical picture you have to take at Disney World is probably the castle or Spaceship Earth or something, but at Disneyland, the submarines with the Matterhorn in the background are definitely one of those pictures. There's just something about the bright blues and yellows that brings you straight back to 1959. More recently though, Mickey and the Magical Map continues to stun audiences, and the fact that Pocahontas was in it singing my favorite song from her movie definitely doesn't hurt! 

I'll tell you right now that narrowing down the pictures to use for this blog post was extremely difficult, but somehow I made it work, even if it was mostly just because I didn't have the time to edit more than like the 50 I've included here! Definitely expect more pictures in future posts though! As I mentioned previously, there's tons yet to be shared about the Happiest Place on Earth!

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was writen on September 13 due to a tight schedule).