Day 743: Lizzy

This morning, after spending an extended amount of time in bed with my cat because I didn't go to sleep last night until around 2 in the morning (thanks very much 11 hours of work yesterday), I finally made it to my kitchen, where I am now, and to my laptop to begin today's 11 hours of work. Don't ask me how this all equals out, because if I work 11 hours today I'll be up until like 3 in the morning, but band trip videos just don't edit themselves you know.

Anyway, as I scrolled through my list of blogs I follow, the second suggestion was one directly from Disney, specifically Oh My Disney. You all know how this is probably my favorite blog on the internet, but that's besides the point. The article, this time, was about "Life Before Becoming a Disney Fan vs. Life After," and it just so happens to fit in perfectly with something I did this morning as well as something I talked about a few weeks ago.

Personally, I don't really have a life before becoming a Disney fan. I've always been a Disney fan, as I explained to a friend on Facebook this morning who happened to ask me why I'm at Disney so much. The answer is simple, or at least more simple that you might think. It's other people that make it complicated. My family loves Disney, and while we all love different parts of Disney, there's still that central love, and it's been our vacation destination since before I was even born. So as we grew up with Disney, it became ridiculous to even think about traveling somewhere else. That other vacation costs just as much and means less time at Disney, so no thank you.

This isn't to say that I don't want to travel to other places in the world. After all, thanks to one Colin O'Donoghue, I have the extreme wish to visit Ireland, and I certainly couldn't mind seeing France or Italy or pretty much anywhere in Europe. Oh, and don't even get me started on my want to visit Steveston, in Canada, where they film OUAT. But all of these things still mean less time at Disney, and ultimately, when it boils down to it, I always choose Disney, even when that means not visiting WDW and instead opting for Disneyland (you have no idea how excited I am).

So I haven't had a life without Disney, but that doesn't mean I can't relate to this article, which you can read HERE. The difference is, I don't see these things as stuff before and after Disney Fandom as much as I see them as things in and out of the Disney fandom. These are universal Disney truths we're discussing here, and the rest of the world just obviously doesn't understand.

However, one of them really stood out to me, and that's "Lizzie McGuire." As Oh My Disney narrates, "BBDF: That show that was on Disney Channel, maybe? It was a while ago...ABDF: Potentially the most important television program of our era."

For those that didn't live in the Lizzie McGuire age, I feel sorry for you. Back in the day (gosh I feel like I'm old now), we watched shows like Phil of the Future, That's So Raven and even The Suite Life of Zach and Cody, but it was really Lizzie McGuire that hit it all off, at least for my generation. This show isn't even arguably the most important...it just IS the most important. And for me, even more so.

My full name is Elizabeth, although it may or may not be spelled incorrectly on my birth certificate. Either way, I'm one of those lucky people faced with a life of nicknames. The most common, obviously, is Lizzie, and that's what I eventually picked, but there's also Beth and Liz and Eliza and who knows what else.

But the biggest problem in my life? Lizzy. Who in the world spells Lizzie with a Y? I mean, no offense if you do, but why? My brother pointed out last week that it'd be like spelling Jonny with an "IE" (Jonnie), and that looks ridiculous, but I still don't quite get it. If you haven't caught on already, the point here is that Lizzie McGuire was more than just a show for me...it was the show that inspired my nickname. I've said for years that the reason I spell my name with an "IE" is because that's how they spelled it on the show, and that's 100% true. I was awesome for me to be able to identify with a character on television who had the same name as me, and I certainly wish that Lizzie McGuire was still around for this new generation to experience. How these kids live without Miranda and Gordo I'm not even sure.

Plus, have you even seen the Lizzie McGuire movie? Those songs get stuck in your head for AGES.

Have a magical day!

Day 456: Addicted to Disney

Today (or yesterday rather), I had a discussion with my High School Band Director about stuff for the upcoming Disney trip, which you've heard more than enough about at this point. Either way, we discussed fastpass and dining reservations and such for a while, and then at the end of the conversation we talked about some of the drama that's been going on in the band.

In a nutshell, there are some people in the band that are very unappreciative of all the work I have put in over the past few months especially when it comes to this trip, and on my end it feels like they are just trying to make my life as difficult as possible. But my band director had a great point: I do all this work out of the good of my heart because I'm passionate and "addicted" to Disney.

Yes, he said addicted. Which to some people might be like "what?" but to me it sounds totally normal. Because it's 100% true. Now the funniest part of this whole thing is just the other day I heard about how he said this to band council, about how I'm "Addicted" to Disney, and just later that day one of my friends posted this on Instagram:

Now, I may have posted this before, but I just thought about how funny it was that it all came up at once so randomly. But it's so correct in saying that some people do drugs while we go to Disney. It's like "Yeah, I'm addicted, but is that bad? It could be a lot worse." I mean seriously! 

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on April 2 due to a crazy week!)

Day 218: Shark Week

I'm going to be honest here. I never saw the greatness in Shark Week. I mean, it's just a week of TV shows about Sharks. Maybe it's funny, and I guess I've heard some stories about these shows that are just hilarious to watch during said week, but at the same time, it seems ridiculous to me that a person who just want to watch a bunch of shows about Sharks for an entire week. Maybe sharks are to the rest of the world what Disney is to me? 

Either way, this blog is not about Sharks, nor will it ever be, but this post does have something to do with them...and it has to do with Disney too. No, I'm not even going with the obvious "It's Shark Week, and there are sharks in the Seas with Nemo and Friends!" That isn't where I'm going at all. In fact, I didn't even have to try very hard to get this blog post. Disney did half the work for me on this one!

There aren't any shows on Disney Channel about sharks, nor would they get rid of all the other shows to make shows about Sharks, especially for a week. There aren't a ton of sharks in the parks (LOL that rhymed!), but you know what? That isn't slowing Disney down either...literally. I mean, look at this! This awesomeness!

And if that's not good enough for you, here's another one: 

That's right. Disney, doing Shark Week right!

Here's today's Disney History: 1999: As of this day, Disneyland's Monorail Cafe, part of the Disneyland Hotel, closes. Open since 1986, it will be removed to make room for areas of the new Downtown Disney, which is part of the large Disneyland Resort Expansion Project. 

Have a magical day!

Day 192: My Kind of People

Now, I noticed this throughout the entire trip, but this just happens to be the day I'm talking about it. You know how at the end of every single post on this blog, I end with "Have a magical day?" Well, it's one of my common phrases. I've had a phone for a year and a half now, but if I do ever get around to making a message for my voicemail, I'm sure it will end with that as well. I say to people once and a while, but not all the time. Mostly just with people that I don't see like everyday.

But that's somewhat beside the point. The basic idea is, I use the phrase, and none of my friends do. It's like foreign to them. At Disney, it seems to me that cast members use the phrase all the time. In fact, most people who go to Disney a lot do. We're just a "Type" I guess you could say.

I remember how on the Band Trip to Mackinaw Island, the owner of the Grand Hotel exclaimed to us that she was excited for our visit because we were a "different breed" of students compared to those that come for field trips and stays during the school year. Now, honestly, to this day, I can admit that I wouldn't call us a "different breed" as much as I would call us just hard working, dedicated people. Of course, we love to have our fun too, but we're going to be respectful and so on and so forth. So I suppose she was right.

The same can be applied to those of us who are huge Disney fans. We are simply a "different breed" of people. The pins on Pinterest surely showcase that fact. I mean, we, as Disney fans, will give anything for another trip to Disney, we don't throw away our napkins from ten years ago because they're "Disney Napkins," we become irrationally excited about a Disney Movie Marathon, sing Disney songs in inappropriate places and at inappropriate times, know that just because we wear mouse ears, ride in elephants, fly on magic carpets and cry when we see fireworks doesn't make us weird, but makes everyone else seem boring, and, my personal favorite, some people do drugs, we go to Disney. You see? These "truths," such as those I have featured on my "Disney Truths" board on Pinterest are universal facts to us, but completely confusing to the rest of the world.

I suppose you could argue that Disney is just like any other hobby, but I disagree there too. We truly are different, and we're better because of it. Just look at the world around you. Are you more positive because of Disney? Do you greet people with a smile on your face? When you're pointing to something do you use two fingers? Are you kind and considerate, or at least try to be? Do you dream up impossible things that will eventually become reality?

I can't say that I represent all of these facts myself, but when I was at Disney this past trip, I noticed that more than ever I felt like a member of the family. I was in my element there. It's my home, and I can't wait for the day that I become a Disney Cast Member so everyone there WILL be my family. Granted, I'm certainly not going to know every Cast Member, but the point still stands.

Oh, and if you're wondering, when I do become a Cast Member, I will always wish you a magical day!

For the complete adventures of my third day of Disney, you can watch below!

Here's today's Disney History: 1984: Nearly 400 cast members stand before Sleeping Beauty Castle to celebrate Disneyland's 30th Anniversary - a year early. The Cast Members have volunteered their time on this day to be photographed as part of a marketing campaign to publicize the milestone anniversary. 

Have a magical day!

Note: This blog post was written on July 26, after my actual trip was completed, due to editing and time restrictions.