Day 1246: An American Flag

One of the best parts about being an Alumni of a High School Band is the opportunity you're given to continue to help serve the community on important days like today: Memorial Day. For the past two years I helped by carrying the banner, and while that was my intent today as well, unfortunately a bad ankle kept me from marching. Instead I helped out by filming the entire event, per usual, and attended the ceremony complete in my red marching polo to match the group. 

However, as I stood across the room from hundreds in my town, I couldn't help but feel sort of bothered. The stands weren't full, not by a long shot, and certainly not like at basketball games. Many of those there were parents of band members or those who are family members to those that have served or are serving.

I know for a fact that my town is much large enough to fill that entire room, and then some, but where was everyone? Here I was, supporting the band, which was supporting our country in the best way I know how, and the large majority of my town was skipping out on the day, sleeping in or heading up North or, in all honesty, just doing nothing. 

So I ask of you, my blog readers, what did you do this Memorial Day? 

Have a magical day! 

Day 1068: Bringing It Back

Go on, hit play on the above video so you can have some theme music for this blog post! 

A couple of years ago I blogged about playing Sleigh Ride with my high school band and wind ensemble, especially how it always reminds me of the Disney Parks because the song continuously plays throughout them at the holidays. Because I tend to visit Walt Disney World during the holiday season, I always end up hearing Sleigh Ride. 

Well, Sleigh Ride is back. 

For the second year at St. Norbert College since I've attended, we played Sleigh Ride. Honestly we all kind of expected it to happen for some reason, and when I noticed Sleigh Ride on the pile of music for me to copy for the group, I couldn't help but laugh. It's only been two years, and actually, you can read about the last time HERE. 

Long story short, I felt the need to bring back Sleigh Ride for another celebration this Christmas around...even if it does make me miss home even more! On the bright side, our Festival of Christmas concert went really well this year! So that's good! 

Have a magical day! 

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

Day 885: Change of Tempo

It seems that just about every year we all come up with these grand ideas to add exercise into our lives. Whether it be at the beginning of the year as a New Year's Resolution or in the middle of the year like me, more as a summer project, it always ends the same way.

We do it for about three days and then give up or forget about it.

But for once, I've actually somewhat kept up with one of my goals: direct through a few pep band songs every night. It's probably good to keep my arms moving anyway, and since conducting in high school made me probably the most fit I've ever been, it seemed like a natural way to keep up with things. So that's what I've been doing: directing pep band songs that my brother has saved to his computer. And for the most part, it's been working.

Every night I have him pick a few different songs, surprising me with whatever it is he's decided to have me conduct that particular day, but there's one song in particular I generally have him play before I finish for the night: Illuminations.

That's right, there's a pep band arrangement of the song, but apparently, as I just now discovered, it even goes beyond just Reflections of Earth! I just came across the full show and to say that it's a life goal to conduct these doesn't even describe it. You can listen to the recording here:

Yeah, I'm pretty much in love with this piece. I have a need. 

We'll see if I blog about any other of the Disney Pep Band pieces in the future, but there's a ton of them! 

Have a magical day!

Day 875: So Inspiring

I don't think I truly understood the importance of Memorial Day until two years ago, during my senior year of high school. The blog post I wrote that day was short, and you can read it HERE, but it's still absolutely true. On this Memorial Day I happened to think back to that day, which is probably one of the most memorable days of my life. I even wrote about it in my memoir at the end of my senior year, talking about how it would be pictured as a scene in a movie, simply because that was the only way to describe how it felt.

Our High School Band has a long tradition of performing in both the Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony in our little city, something I participated in for 7 years, both as a Middle Schooler and High Schooler, and now for the last two years as an alumni volunteer. Why am I always there, helping with uniforms and carrying a banner and filming the band? Well, for one, my Mom is in charge or the uniforms so it kind of comes with living in this house, and secondly I am a music major, so it definitely makes sense. But beyond that, helping on Memorial Day is important to me because of that realization I had two years ago, and it's certainly a realization and appreciation that has come with a little help from Disney.

But first let me tell you a story. It's not a terribly interesting story, but I do believe it helps get the point across here. Back when I was in Middle School, I honestly didn't like marching in the Memorial Day Parade. It took a lot of effort, keeping people in line and everything that came along with it. It meant getting up early on my day off to go and march down the street with my instrument. Everyone else got to sleep in or have the entire day off of school but no, my friends and I had to be downtown at 8 in the morning, ready for the parade. When I reached High School, it meant getting into our terrible uniforms and marching in the heat. Still on our day off, only now it was also now unbearably hot. Wonderful. I lived that way until my senior year, when I stood at the top of my ladder as drum major and looked around to see how many people it was really impacting. Sure, I had to pay attention to directing, but as members of the service stood during our performance of Armed Forces Salute, including the five main service themes, I couldn't help but glance at the crowd. We were making so many happy, just by being there and taking part in the service. Of course, at that point I'd already decided to pursue music in college, so I have a greater appreciation for music in elements like this already, but something still clicked in my head.

And that's why I still go back and volunteer for the band, even if it means getting up at 7 in the morning to be on time. The band has provided me with countless opportunities that I'll forever be grateful for, and Memorial Day is one of the moments the band has a chance to give back to the community that supports them. And if I learned anything in my time as Drum Major and President of that band, it's that a marching band is nothing without support from the community.

There was one other thing that came to mind as I sat in this year's Memorial Day Ceremony, however: a quote from John Steinbeck. "We now face the danger, which in the past has been the most destructive to the humans: success, plenty, comfort and ever-increasing leisure. No dynamic people has ever survives these dangers."

I like to remember that quote, which you may recognize from The American Adventure at Epcot, when I feel like I'm pretty successful in whatever I'm doing. Yes, I may find success, but with that comes the danger that I will forget where I come from and push the important things aside. I could have a leisurely day at home instead of running around leading a drum line through a high school hallway, resulting in some hearing loss, but what would the fun in that be? And more importantly, is that really the right way to honor those who have served our country and made my success possible?

Oh, and just for old times sake, here's an old picture of me from my senior year in band. As you can see, I was really photogenic.

Have a magical day!

Day 752: One Big Project

Originally I was going to share some top secret information about the band trip video on this particular blog post, but I've decided against it. After all, there's plenty yet to be released in relation to the giant project I've been working on over the past how many weeks, and I'm really looking forward to the prospect of having a premiere for the whole thing. Megan even said I could go get a nice new dress for it. So maybe I'll actually get to "walk the red carpet" for a night. Just kidding, we won't have a red carpet. Unless we use the band room carpet thing we have. I suppose I could walk along that.

Regardless, if you haven't figured it out by the completely crazy schedule of blog posts over the past month or two, or by the constant tweeting about it on my Twitter, I spent pretty much my entire winter break at my laptop, editing video. Now, I'm insanely proud of the product that is the Seymour Community High School Band Trip 2014 Video, which I really should stop calling a video because it's actually more of a movie, but I've been calling it the band trip video for the last two years, so I figure that will be a difficult habit to break.

But despite the fact that I'm trying to save at least a little bit of the surprise for the actual possible premiere, I can share a little bit about what I've been doing for the past two months, even if I can't really share any videos or pictures. So here's some facts about the band trip video:

• Off the top of my head, I can think of at least 9 easter eggs that I have hidden in the video, although I'm sure there's more than that. I had a jolly good time trying to throw little things into the sequence, from the nearly constant references to Captain Hook or Colin O'Donoghue to references to my roommates and beyond. 
• There's a total of 23 songs in the video, which, speaking of Easter Eggs, could be an accidental one in its own right. 
• The final product is 57 minutes long, which was just under my set maximum of an hour. I knew while editing that I had more than enough to get it past that, but for time and entertainment sake, I wanted to keep it to that 60 minute mark. 
• Those 57 minutes are selected from over 30 hours of video and over 3,000 pictures. Yes, I watched every minute and looked at every single photo. It took me an eternity. 
• The video component of the video (that was a strange way to say something) was shot between, I believe, 5 different trips: July 2013, January 2014, March 2014, June 2014 and January 2015. You probably will find a few differences here and there, but for the most part, you can't tell what was shot when. I paid a lot of attention to consistency. The pictures included, however, were all taken on the trip in June. 
• Every person on the trip appears at least once in the video as a whole. I tried really hard to make sure everyone was there, but if you edit videos like this, you already know how difficult this is to achieve. 
• Also in an attempt to make sure everyone felt included in the video is the reasoning for pulling footage from 5 trips, despite the fact that everything included could NOT have been achieved in our one day at each park (or in the case of Animal Kingdom and Epcot, less than day). I went through a checked to see how many attractions I included and there's under 15 from the entirety of Walt Disney World that didn't make it into the final product. My thought process was this: I could have easily gone on Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin in June, but I didn't make it to that attraction. However, while interviewing members of the band at the end of our Magic Kingdom day, I found that one of the members LOVED that attraction. Therefore, thanks to some film magic, I have that attraction included. It's all about making it apply to the most people, and when I only have one video camera that's in my hands (or the hands of a trusted friend) at all times, things get tricky. 

And since you're all wondering, I'm sure, it took me approximately 150 hours to simply EDIT the video. That's not counting the time it took to find the songs, tag the pictures, actually film the video, brainstorm, animate the beginning and end (because it IS animated) or a variety of other things. Yep, it took me a really, really long time. Oh, that's also not including the extra hours I had to put on when my bloopers section corrupted. 

So this video means a lot to me. I'm going to try and figure out a way to upload some clips so those of you who aren't in our band but would like to see can get an eye on what I've been working on, but that won't happen until after the "premiere," sadly. But new vlogs will hopefully be coming soon! 

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on January 26 due to a busy schedule).

Day 699: The Grass Is Greener...

This is one of those blog posts where the title is really longer than I can fit in the actual title line, so here's the full one:

The Grass Is Greener...On The Marching Field

Tumblr is one of those great places where you can find lots of things. It's a place filled with humor and angst and the people that are parts of fandoms that casually tend to remind you that, of course, your favorite ship actually has this super tragic backstory that they decide to tell you through GIFs and then you just end up crying. (Not that this happens to me...often). 

But Tumblr's also a really inspiring place, and by far one of the most inspiring stories didn't originate on Tumblr at all, but rather with Jennifer Morrison. I've talked about this wonderful role model more than a few times on my blog, but this is one of those times where I just had to share. I have this really weird list of reasons as to why JMo and I are alike, and it's getting weirdly long, but this article she wrote, "The Legacy of Positivity" is something that just got me. 

You can read the full article HERE, and I really do suggest you read it before the rest of this post. If you don't want to read the whole thing, the important parts I'm hitting will be summarized in my spiel about it and so on and so forth.

Jennifer's parents, as I already knew before this article, are music teachers, meaning that music has had an important influence on her life, just as it has mine. The article goes one to talk about the things that she learned from her parents. I, of course, am not an alum of the Prospect Marching Knights, and I've never met the Morrisons, but I do know exactly what she's talking about, and I agree with every single word. 

We live in world so filled with negativity that I'm all for every chance we have to make things more positive. It's one the biggest reasons I'd love to just sit down and have coffee with Jennifer Morrison. Not to talk about Once Upon A Time or anything else, but simply talk about how she keeps things positive. As my own social media presence increases, it has occurred to me time and time again that I have to do the same thing she does, and keep things positive. Arguments don't help anyone, and negativity only works against us. But as JMo points out, it's all about your mindset. 

Over the past few days I've actually been debating this whole thing. The idea of happiness and positivity. For the last several nights, just as I'm about to go to bed, I find that I can't. Not because I'm not tired, and not because I don't have to go to bed yet or because I'm in the middle of a super angsty episode on Gilmore Girls, but rather because I'm happy. I'm excited about life. Sometimes it's excitement about things that will happen in the new future, such as my trip to Disney World that's coming up faster than any of us could possibly imagine. Once and a while I'll think about my Disneyland trip in August, and the fact that on that trip I'll have the incredible chance to meet some of the friends I've made through Disney and Once Upon A Time. And then there are the moments when I'm excited about things that are so far in the future I don't even know when they'll happen, like the simple fact that someday, somehow, I'll meet Colin O'Donoghue and yes, Jennifer Morrison. These are the things that make me excited, and you know what? I can't remember a time in the last two years when I've been so completely, truly happy. 

These past two years have been a trial for me. Tests have come in every shape and size and around every single bend, but somehow I've made it through all of it, and if there's one thing I would remind my past self if I had to do it all over again, it would be to stay positive. It's a mindset, and now that I'm in that mindset, I no longer am angry constantly, I'm not disappointed in the work I've done or the moments I've missed out on. I've grown, and my positivity has grown with it. 

After all, as Jennifer Morrison mentioned: "...'The grass isn't greener on the other side. The grass is greener where you water it.' And it's also green where you march, my mom and dad would say. So put one foot in front of the other, even if they're baby steps and let's all walk towards the light, lean into it, and grow green together." 

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on December 19 due to finals!)

Day 682: 76 Trombones

One of my favorite musicals of all time is, of course, The Music Man. I'm not totally sure how or when it became one of my favorite musicals, but I remember watching the TV movie version as a kid. I had it recorded on a VHS tape (except for the first couple of minutes...it started during the middle of the first song). Regardless, I watched it all the time, and I've introduced it to many of my friends since then.

When my roommate Ashley and I found out that our roommate Hannah hadn't seen The Music Man, we knew that we had work to do. We're constantly singing music from musicals, including this one, so it only makes sense for her to see the musical itself, right? Correct. 100% correct.

But whenever I hear 76 Trombones, a different thought comes to mind. Whenever you hear the song, I feel like a lot of people laugh because really, what band has 76 trombones performing? Not many, that's for sure. In my High School we were lucky to have 3 or 4, and here at college I think we probably have around 10. Granted, these were both smaller schools, so I suppose it's entirely possible to have 76 trombones, but I've never seen it...except for one time.

One of my favorite moments of the opening of Disneyland, which took place on July 17, 1955, was the parade, led by none other than 76 trombones!  And when Disney does something, he does it right. The actual composer of the musical, Meredith Willson, was present as a special guest of Walt himself. Art Linkletter, one of the hosts of the opening, asks Willson what he sees coming up Main Street, and there, to the joy of everyone, is 76 trombones playing the song itself. Willson went on during the special to actually conduct the group in a standstill performance as well.

Footage of the moment isn't on YouTube, but you can find video of it out there. I know I have it on a Disneyland DVD that's part of the Collector Series, so it does exist! But if you want some proof, here's a picture:

And since we've been talking about the song all day, you can listen to it here too!

We did finally get Hannah to watch The Music Man, and while Ashley and I watched it as kids, finding sympathy for The Music Man himself, Hannah didn't think so. Con Man forever. It was a debate we had throughout the movie, trying to figure out if we would feel the same way if we saw the film for the first time. Honestly, I still don't know how I would feel if I saw it for the first time today instead of as a kid. I guess we'll never know, will we?

Have a magical day!

Day 681: Two Years Ago

To be 100% honest, I almost didn't blog on time today, although I've spent the last five and a half hours or so working on my blog. See, I joined one of my friends in the library this evening and since we were sitting at the giant computer table in the basement, I figured that I would use it to write a blog post: this blog post as a matter of fact. Only, I noticed a bit of an issue when I started...the title for the latest day was 681, but the blog post count itself only showed 680. It meant that somewhere along the line there was still an issue, and I can't believe I didn't notice it over the past couple of weeks. 

So for the past five and a half hours I spent my life recording every single blog post in a giant spreadsheet that includes all the dates they're posted, Day numbers and titles. It. Took. Forever. Honestly though, it was probably a good idea. I found a couple of other errors, and now, and I swear this is the last time I'll say this, the blog appears to be all correct. The funny part? I found errors as far back as month 1, as in January of 2013. Yep, fixed those and am all up to date. 

In other words, at the beginning of this adventure I actually had an idea of what this blog post was going to be about, but at this point my brain is just kind of mush. I'm still sort of debating stopping this writing at the moment and picking it back up tomorrow because I don't even really know what I'm writing about. I have no clue how Disney has fit into my day, other than the fact that I've spent the last five hours looking back at all the old blog posts. 

I suppose, therefore, I'll talk about that. A long while ago, my friend asked me if it was weird looking back at the old posts. I mean, we're talking posts from over a year ago, and it is. I looked at just about every single post in the last year and a half. I didn't read them all, but I looked through them all, saw pictures of them all and added them all into the new master file I have. A part of it feels like "That was sooooo long ago," but the other part is like "That was THAT long ago?" It makes for an add combination. 

And since we're being sentimental today, I suppose I'll also mention that two years ago today (so a while before this blog even existed) was one of the most important days in my life. As far as I can tell from Timehop, two years ago today was the exact first day we decided to audition for Disney Performing Arts. We had a band council meeting and the entire thing was discussed and we set our minds to it. Now it's all over and done with (other than that band trip video which causes me pain and suffering constantly because it's just taking forever and I feel bad about that fact), and it's just a weird thing to look back at. In case you were wondering, I know this because of a Facebook Status I posted that day:

"Even though I've put so much of myself into this...I haven't asked for much in return...and if I have, it's for the opportunity to learn. now I've been blessed with even the possibility of not only a learning experience, but also for my greatest dream to come true...and I hope there is an understanding that this time, if I'm let down it will completely crush me. I've kept my hopes down for three years...and I thought that this would never come true...but due to the conditions...it's now a possibility...but if it falls through, it wouldn't be like before, it would be ripped from my hands. But I know I have a job to do...and no matter what I still have to do that job...and I will do everything I can to make my dream possibly for everyone else, even if I can't participate in it myself."

This status is incredibly important for me, since there was so much drama surrounding the band trip, with words put not only in my mouth, but the mouths of those around me. The situation, as you know, was not good in any shape or form. But throughout the whole thing, I constantly related back to this thought, and it's nice to know that the whole time, I was indeed telling the truth. This point has stuck with me since the first day the Disney trip came up in conversation, and it held true until long after the trip itself was finished. 

Right now though? I really need to go back to my dorm room and sleep. I need to sleep...so darn much. 

Have a magical day!

Day 550: Five Parades on the Fourth

If you thought that the band trip was the end of my high school band career, you'd be wrong!

Ok, not totally. You're actually really close, but I did come back for one last trip up to Northern Wisconsin because why not? I already knew all the music, and the steps, and I worked really hard to get there and our director said I could, so I did. The three alumni who went on the band trip actually all came back, so I wasn't alone either.

And as awesome as it was to march five parades in one day, it was also one of the most frustrating trips I have ever been on in my life, for reasons far beyond my control. But this all has a deeper meaning, because I realized something after that trip, and I'd like to share a little bit of that with you right now. What follows is actually part of an 8 page document that I wrote up, basically ranting and writing down my thoughts so I can come back to it when I want to write a book on this entire experience. It's good to get it out of your head right away so you don't start changing things.

"It's funny how people say that you can't fully understand something until it happens to you. Like if a loved one dies, you instantly can understand the pain your friend is in when one of their loved ones passes away. Or how, being a huge Disney Geek, I understand that you can only really feel the magic of Disney once you've actually visited Walt Disney World or Disneyland for yourself.

But while I've always been a huge supporter of the No Hate campaign, specifically when it comes to fandoms such as Once Upon A Time, I think I finally understand. Just about every single day, you see people sending hate to the actors or writers or creators of the wonderful show, and I've always wondered how they can do something like that. How can you just send hurtful messages and comments to people who are only trying to do their job?

Well I get it now. I understand what it's like. People are always talking about how they want to be famous. They want to make an impact on the world, or be on TV or record a hit pop song. Something like that. But to tell you the truth, you don't want to do that. With fame, no matter how big or small, comes a hell of a late of hate, and it 100% truthfully sucks."

I go on to talk a bit more about my background with the band, but you already know most of that, or at least you would if you've been reading for a while. To sum it up, I came in when the band director was pretty new. Things were certainly not working and the band was dropping numbers. I served on band council all four years of my high school career, first as representative, then treasurer, Vice President and finally President. In addition, I was the drum major my senior year, and all of the above inspired me to become a music major. There are certainly things I'm leaving out, but that's the basis. But what's really important is what I talk about at the end of the document, and while this is just a rough draft and there's a lot missing (because you don't want to read a book here), I'll just share this:

"I said at the beginning of all this that you can't really understand what a person is feeling when they go through a situation until you've been through it yourself. For the most part, none of us are famous. We don't hold the power of the President of the United States or appear on television every week like the actors of Once Upon A Time, but sometimes we hold little bits of power in our own right, whether we are handed that power or worked for years to get it. But what doesn't change in any case is the amount of hate that you are sent. I spent five years with the High School Band. Five years where I gave my all, was there when they needed me, and worked to do what was best not for me, but for the group. I guess you could say that in the eyes of those against me, all I ever did was care. I cared too much. I put in too much time, and I needed to stop. I help positions far higher than the little freshman walking into the band room for the first time could have ever imagined. I served four years on council, the leadership group of the band. I was the drum major, a position that some would call the highest honor. I came back as an alumni for a once in a lifetime experience. And for the most of it, I received hate. I still do. Those that run the band now may have flaws, but we all do. I had them, for sure. That's no reason to say that they can't lead the band just as well if not better than I did in my time there. But no matter what, it doesn't give them any right to send me hate because maybe I DID work harder. Maybe I DID put in more time. And maybe, just maybe, I DID earn more power from that work. The lesson here is that hate, no matter it's shape and form, hurts. It can be simple jealous of what another had, a facebook status that maybe you think no one will figure out, or it can be doing absolutely nothing. There's more to this story than I think I could ever tell, but I do get it. With great power comes great responsibility, and that's something I'll never forget. And with that great power and great responsibility comes great amounts of hate. You will never, ever, make everyone happy, but you have to always stick to what you believe is right, even if sometimes it's not what's right for you, but right for those around you.

So am I mad at those who have hurt me? Yes, I very much am. But am I going to let it stop me from moving forward and reaching out towards my new goals, whatever they end up being? No. I'll stand by my decisions in the past and the future, and I'll continue to do the work I've started. I'll continue to support and be there for those that remain in the group, and I will continue to do only what I believe is right. Because I'm the only one who can write my story, just as the writers of Once Upon A Time are the only people who can write their's."

Have a magical day & Happy Fourth of July!

(Note: This blog post was written on August 8, with additions from July 8).

Day 548: Disney Performing Arts

If you've read all my blog posts about my Disney trip with the Seymour High School Band, I'm sure you're getting tired of them right about now.This final post about it will make 11 posts on the topic all in a row, but you'll get why I'm talking about this in just a minute.

You see, for the last how many years (alright, more like year and a half), I've said that I want to work for Walt Disney Imagineering. I've answered countless questions about what that is and what they do and how I would do that and how in the world music and English work into that career path. It's a long winded discussion every single time. But since then I've had to do some...we'll call it soul searching.

This blog is actually one of the main reasons that I came across the idea and dream of working for Disney. For years, and if you've been reading for a long time you've probably heard this before, I always said that I never wanted to work for Disney. I want to keep the magic for me at Walt Disney World and pursue a career elsewhere. But life likes to make twists and turns on us, and sometimes our happy ending isn't always what we expect it to be.

Speaking of which, Once Upon A Time did change this a little bit too. It's because of the show that I realized that I would be more than happy to work ANYWHERE in the Disney company, not just in Imagineering. If for some reason my writing someday is good enough to land me a job writing for a show like Once, I'm certainly not going to complain. And Adam and Eddy certainly inspire me to continue pursuing and working on my own writing.

That's still not the point though. When Nick gave the speech at the end of our parade, something in my clicked. I previously talked about how I was the little girl on the side of Main Street that watched the Marching Bands go by, and that's what inspired me to go into music. All of this did, and it's been a long journey. But as I go through the music program here at SNC I've realized how much I'd miss music if I didn't go into a career there either, and it occurred to me that I would love to work with Disney Performing Arts. Essentially, I would love to be Nick, and work with the groups themselves, leading them down Main Street. Because I've lived every other step of that journey, and I know what it takes to get there.

So now my path has changed, once again. I am looking forward to working with music, and I certainly am excited for this coming school year when I can get a practice room back and play my alto whenever I really feel like it, right alongside my friends who are doing the same thing. And then, someday, maybe I'll take that final step with Disney Performing Arts and become a part of the team, so I can help inspire even more people just like me. Because that's what we all really want to do with life, isn't it? We want to inspire and be inspired.

Plus, a career that involves Disney AND Music sounds pretty great to me.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on August 8).

Day 541: A Dream Come True

The ability to have a dream actually come true is, sadly, often far from reality. Things like fairy tales may tell of happy endings, but those don't always happen either. What's important though is that we keep hope, and we never stop chasing after those dreams, despite the fact that they seem as far away as the moon (and often further).

But every once and a while, a dream does come true. I like to think that maybe some weird, mysterious force of the universe decided that after all the hard work I had put in that maybe my dream should come true. I probably don't deserve it. I mean, there are tons of people out there much more worthy of something like their lifelong dream becoming a reality, and I'm sure there are people with better dreams out there too, like curing cancer or world peace. But fate chose me, and I couldn't be more thankful.

It's kind of difficult trying to figure out how to word this blog post because just how do you take 18 years of your life and stick it into a few words? How do you describe something that you spent your whole life dreaming of and make it understandable how much it means to you when you actually get to a point where you can do it? It's really, truly difficult. So I'll start with a story, since I'm writing this long after even the actual event happened.

I'm currently in the process of just beginning the actual editing of the band trip video, and that means going through a lot of files on my computer to find everything I need. Yesterday it just so happened that I stumbled across a video I made almost a year ago, back on the night we found out we were accepted to Disney Performing Arts for a workshop and marching experience in one of the Walt Disney World theme parks. I don't really remember much about that night, other than I cried a lot. And there are most certainly some pictures out there that I hope hide for eternity because I look absolutely awful in them. Granted, you can imagine my emotional state when they were taken.

Anyways, in this video, I talk a bit about how proud I am of the band for achieving something like this before I launch into a story about my own life, and how spectacular this is simply for me. It's funny though, because what I said in that video is almost exactly what our cast member, Nick, said backstage after our parade.

When I was a little girl, visiting Walt Disney World with my family, I spent a good amount of time listening to the music in the parks too. The music of the Millennium Celebration at Epcot will forever be my inspiration for my own music, but there's more to it than that. When we would be at the Magic Kingdom, I would watch the parades go by, often times with marching bands, and I said to myself "I want to do that." I wanted to march down Main Street U.S.A. with a band, and as many of you well know, just about the only way to do that is through Disney Performing Arts. So when I entered my senior year, not expecting to be able to return on another trip of the size and scale that Disney would be, my dreams were pretty much dead. I had tried for years to get our director to go, and then something clicked. And we were accepted.

And on June 25, 2014, I got to march down Main Street U.S.A. at the Magic Kingdom, just like I always dreamed of. And better yet? I had the incredible honor of standing as a second drum major, leading the band past thousands of people. This is one of those times when I'm kind of just speechless. I don't know what else to say.

I do know that, somehow, I managed to keep myself from crying through the parade, a smile on my face the whole way through, although I honestly don't remember ever even hearing the band play a note. I was so off in my own little world for those ten minutes that I just don't remember anything else.

But afterwards, once we were all out of uniform and standing around waiting for Nick to take us back into the park, he gave us this speech, and God it changed my life.

I wish I had that speech on video, I really do, although it was difficult to think about doing something like that when I was crying like no other. And while I don't really remember everything he said in that speech, I do remember one portion. He told us that, as inspiring as the parade had been for us, we have to remember that we, as honorary Disney cast members, were inspiring other people too. There could have been a little kid out on the parade route that watched us march by and suddenly thought to themselves "I want to do that. I want to play the flute, or the trumpet or be the drum major," and he pointed directly at me, standing clear in front of him balling my eyes out. But he's right. As much as I know there are people in the group angry that he pointed at me instead of the other drum major, I don't care. I WAS THAT KID. That was me, once upon a time, and if anyone has a problem with that parade, or me being in it or being drum major, I challenge them to find someone that parade meant more to than it did for me. I bet they wouldn't be able to find anyone.

In the end, the whole thing is still sort of a blur, and a good part of me still doesn't believe it happened. I have this feeling that I'll return in January and just stand at the end of Main Street and cry, but at least my friends will be there with me. Magic Kingdom will never be the same for me, because for just a few minutes, I was an honorary Disney cast member, and I hope to god that my journey, with all its trials and tribulations, inspired someone just like me to go out and reach for that goal too. Some little boy or girl that watched ME march by, deciding that they wanted to look ridiculous walking in front of a band waving their arms around in the middle of the ridiculous Florida summer sun and heat. Because there's nothing I've experienced in my life that's as rewarding as that parade was for me.

So thank you to everyone involved, especially the powers that be in Disney Performing Arts, and our spectacular cast member, Nick. I wish I could have thanked you before we left. And to the members of the SHS Band that helped me achieve my dream, especially the 2013-14 drum major, Gail, for letting me share her big parade. And to our director, Mr. Alban. Thanks for letting me come along, thanks for inspiring me, thanks for everything.

Now, having heard my story, I want to encourage each and every one of you to go after your own dream, whether it seems possible or not, because as difficult as it may sound, it could still happen. All you have to do is have a little faith, a little trust and maybe a little bit of pixie dust.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on August 1).

Day 538: On the Road Again

I'm not going to lie. It's a bit strange basically reviewing ever waking moment of the band trip that occurred over a month ago, but that's what I'm going to try and do in the next six blog posts. I figure it's a pretty good way to work on stuff, since I already have the topics planned out for these few days, and I'm not really sure what to talk about for the tons of other days I must make up before the school year begins in a few weeks.

But let's not focus on that right now. Let's focus on the band trip. It was six days in length, although two of those were spent on a bus and there's just not much that goes on there aside from a ridiculous amount of drama and high tempers. You'll hear more about my final thoughts at the end of the trip though, since that last post is reserved for that while this one, along with the other four, are for more specific topics.

Today's topic? The bus.

As I just mentioned, it's quite easy for tempers to run high, people to get angry and to become very, very bored while on a bus for 24 hours. And it would have been nice if we had been on a bus for 24.

The drive from Seymour, Wisconsin to Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, ideally, is about 21 hours. That's without stopping or traffic though, so you have to account for the fact that it'll probably be more around 24 hours to begin with. Our drive ended up being closer to 27 or 28 hours, due to some traffic jams. But that doesn't mean it wasn't an adventure!

To be honest, we watched WAY too many movies on our trip. In fact, I'm pretty sure we watched more films on this trip than we did on the three previous trips combined...or four. Or something like that. Either way, it was just a lot of movies. I was put in charge of such things, and then the back of the bus got angry when I told them we should take a break and put in another movie anyways...which of course no one watched. This isn't about me getting angry about that though, so let's talk about some of the better stuff that went on during our drive.

For one, in order to get from Wisconsin to Florida, you generally head through Nashville. What's awesome about this you ask? Well it just so happens that as we were driving through, a certain actor by the name of Colin O'Donoghue was just wrapping up filming on his new film, The Dust Storm! Of course we didn't actually see him, considering we were on the highway in a traffic jam because of construction and he was at the wrap party downtown, but hey! Being in the same city is good enough for me I should think. After all, that's about the closest I've ever come.

Next year I'll end up missing him at Comic Con by like a week though. Life is rough.

Aside from all of that crazy, I spent a good portion of my time filming out of the window for the band trip video, which is going to take a lot more time than I suppose I initially intended it to. It'll be an adventure.

And despite the fact that we DID watch too many movies, we got to finally watch LEGO movie, which just made me super excited. I bought it just before the trip because everyone always talks about how spectacular it was, and I figured that it would be a good one to take on the trip. My favorite part was most certainly the Star Wars cameo. Can't beat Han Solo. He's pretty awesome. ;)

After all of that we slept...or at least tried to. Sleeping on a bus is one of the most difficult things ever, and in the end you just don't get much sleep at all. But you push through it and come out the next day ready to hit Disney World. Not that we did...much. The beach and Kennedy Space Center were calling us, and then FINALLY we got to Downtown Disney. But we didn't let the fact that we got there late ruin our day. What a great first day in Florida it was!

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on August 1). 

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 371: ADRs

Believe it or not, I will actually go back and write Day 370. It's just that I've been working for a good portion of the last few hours and really wish to get to bed, but decided that I should write at least one blog post so I'm not totally behind in the next few days. I want to start college with a clean slate, meaning that I'm all caught up and don't have to spend hours trying to play catch up when I get back to SNC, although the internet there is faster.

This is beside the point though. Today makes a grand occasion, as I have, for the first time ever, made my own actual, REAL, Advanced Dining Reservation for Walt Disney World. Great, I know. Where to, you ask? Beaches and Cream. And why? Well, that involves a little bit of a story.

As you already know, my High School Band is headed to Walt Disney World this June. It's a very exciting thing, and I have family coming down to see us in the parade. Specifically my godfather. Now, he doesn't come with us very often, and since he lives in Chicago, a four hour drive from here, it's not exactly always easy for us to see him. So it means a lot to me that he's coming to Disney to see us march in the parade. But we only have three days in the Disney Parks, and I have a lot on my shoulders when it comes to this trip. It's not like I'm going to have spare time all over the place in which I can just go see my family. No, when I'm in the parks I will be running around getting video or spending time on attractions that I feel my closest friends have to see.

But there is one thing that I can do that my family that's coming and my friends can all enjoy! Dining of course! So back last week, my mom made dining reservations for our group at a couple of places that I know my friends will enjoy, but also so I can see my family for at least a little while on this trip. But it wouldn't be fair if just my closest friends got to go to restaurants like that. So I'm working with my band director to open it up to the entire band.

We all know that Dining Reservations aren't hard, but you still might need help if you're doing it the first time. So tonight I set out to learn the system in full. It honestly wasn't too difficult, especially for someone who has been to Disney as many times as I have, and I was able to type up instructions for the rest of the group to use to set up their own reservations if they want.

And in order to learn the system in full I had to, of course, make a reservation! So since I already knew that I wanted to go over to Beaches and Cream in March, and I know they accept reservations now, I figured why not! So I set it up and now, in March, guess where I'm going!?! BEACHES AND CREAM!

That, basically, is the story of the very first Disney Reservation I have ever made all by myself. Then again, it's probably not good that I know how to actually do this now. But it is at the same time, because now I can help the band set up their own reservations if they want and answer any questions they may have. And that's what's really important here. I want them to have the best trip possible, after all, and I think all of us who have been to WDW can agree that food is an important part of that.

Here's the DFOTD: An estimated 1.65 million pairs of eyeglasses have made their way to Disney World's lost-and-found bins since 1971. Every year, the park finds an average of about 6,000 cellphones, 3,500 digital cameras and 18,000 hats.

Have a magical day!

Day 370: Magic Bands - Step 1

Honestly I'm not really sure how this whole Magic Band thing works yet...hence the fact that I'm going to Disney in March to prepare for when I go in June and have a band after me to help with all of this stuff. That's ok though, I'm excited to work with the stuff and learn how Fastpass+ and the new system works.

And today (or really a few days ago when I'm writing this I guess), we got one of the first things that go along with this new experience. Actually, my mom got it, but I was like "DISNEY MAIL!" and proceeded to be like "CAN I OPEN IT!?! CAN I!?! PLEASE!?!" and then I did. I had no idea what it was, but I opened it anyways, and this is what I found:

Yes, looks like the first part of our Magic Band experience has arrived. And that means that we're actually getting close to our trip! But what I didn't know about all this stuff is just how personalized everything is. You can see at the top of the brochure that it says, specifically, "The Tesch Family's Incredible Vacation." That's our name! How awesome is that!?! 

And then it has a page devoted specifically to where we're staying: Old Key West. I suppose it changes for everyone, but that must take a lot of planning to accomplish with how many people visit Walt Disney World each year. I just find it really amazing that they can do that, as it's personalization on a whole new level that I'm excited to see in the Disney Parks. 

Finally, at the end of the book, they had this little Magnet with all the important dates coming up on it that you might need to know for stuff such as Fastpass+. Ours is still in our book, mostly because we don't really need it since we already have those dates on our calendars long beforehand, but I still think it's a great idea. It makes it really easy for people to get everything they need to do finished before they set out on their own Disney Adventure. 

Don't worry, I'll have a whole post on the magic bands when they come soon. I can't wait to get that in the mail though. SUPER excited about it. =)

Have a magical day!

Day 368: It's Super Cold

Currently I'm sitting on my bed, trying as hard as possible to come up with an actual topic for today's blog post, but to be totally honest, I've got nothing. I have no clue what to blog about today. Granted, this is either a bad sign about deciding to do for a second year...or just due to the fact that I've been so busy today and have a lot going on. That or it's this wicked cold that's upon Wisconsin as of right now. If there was ever I time I wished I could be in Florida, it's right about now.

You know, it's funny, because maybe there's the blog post topic in here after all. You see, I may or may not have talked about this before, but when I was a kid, my family would go to Walt Disney World once every school year. That means that we might go in January and again in November, therefore in the same calendar year, but two different school years. The next year we might not go at all and so on and so forth. The point? We went to Disney a lot.

At school, therefore, I became known as the Disney person. I would go to Disney and Florida and bring back treats and everything like that. As we got older I would return and my classmates would always ask me, at some point or another, "Why aren't you tan?" and I'm always like "Ha! It's the middle of winter! Are you crazy?" And then they would be like "But you went to Florida!"

Now, this might actually seem crazy to some people, but it DOES GET COLD IN FLORIDA. I know, a long shot there. Who would have thought that the sunshine state actually can get cold. I'm not saying like here in Wisconsin right now, where, to be honest, it is probably colder than Hoth, but it is often cold enough that you don't want to be out on the sand trying to get a tan, even if you are from Wisconsin.

The other question would always be about whether my family went to Disney for the warm weather, and while I suppose it is nice to head to a warm place, even just for a few days, in the middle of the winter, that has never, ever, been a reason to me. I go to Disney World because that's what I love to do. I love just going there. I don't care if it's warm or cold or raining or sunny or what (ok...I rather prefer to not have Tornadoes), because I'm going to be happy no matter what. I know my family hates going in the summer because of the heat, but back in July when I went I really didn't mind it too much. I was just happy to be there.

Not everyone gets the chance that I get, to go to Disney World often enough to know it like the back of my hand and see it as my home, especially since I live so far away. But I honestly treasure every moment I have there. When I go in March, I'm only there for a few days, and much of my time won't be spent on personal time either. I'm going on that trip for work...to record video for the Band Trip Video and to gain first hand experience with both Fastpass+ and any other changes that are coming through the parks right now. I need to be able to help my fellow students come June, in whatever way I can. Of course, that actually is starting right now as we deal with Advanced Dining Reservations, but still. I want everyone in the group to have a wonderful time there, so even if just for a moment they can have a glimpse of the spectacular place I have grown up with.

And if they have a good time, then I'm just as happy as if I could spend twice the amount of time there.

Ok...so maybe I wouldn't mind more time. But who wouldn't?

DFoTD: All of the natural elements that went into creating the murals at the entrance to the Land Pavilion were made from materials found on Walt Disney World Property.

Have a magical day!

Day 348: Life is Rough

As you'll see in a post that will occur two days previous to this one (there will be an explanation as to why this is all messed up in a later post actually...basically though...finals), I'm home from college now. At least I'm home for the next month or so, and then I return for my second semester, a second semester that I'm sure will be quite entertaining.

Either way, I'm currently working on multiple projects all at once this morning. I'm thinking about the Once Upon a Time Winter Finale (skip ahead two days for that post...once I finish it!), but I'm working on editing my High School Band Trip video from this past summer, and working on updating this blog and planning out the last few days of the year and trying to spend time with friends and family (and my kitty of course) and multiple other things. Mainly though, right now, I'm working on my Band Trip Video.

I'll be honest. Editing this video is really hard for me right now. I mean, as I write this I'm, once again, listening to a ton of music on Youtube and through a website that has previews of tons of music perfect for videos, but the second I get to the actual editing it just gets kind of weird for me. Here's the long story short: As a senior, you know that I was both President and Drum Major of the high school band, and you also know that it's a position I loved and adored. Not because of the power, but because I felt like I belonged. I was making a difference, and making people happy. That's what I wanted. Not anything for myself, but I enjoyed it, and that was what made all of it worth it. It's what made me realize I wanted to be a music major, a new adventure that I am enjoying in college. But this past summer something snapped in some of the people around me. It was like someone flipped a switch, and suddenly they wanted me gone. It's still going on, and while I am so very proud of them, and their number one fan, it's like they never want to see me again. That's why it's so difficult for me to edit this video. It's because this video is from when we were still all a family.

But with all of this came a realization the other day. I used to be happy, and I wanted nothing MORE than to get the band to Walt Disney World. I marched with shin splints in our audition video, because there's honestly nothing I've wanted more in my life. Not for me, but for them. I want everyone to have an experience to go to Walt Disney World, and while I'll finally be fulfilling my dream of marching down Main Street, I'm even happier that they can fulfill it too, even if it's something they never imagined in their wildest dreams. It's a once in a lifetime experience, and I hope they all enjoy it.

The closer we get to that performance though, the more things get crazy. I stepped down from my positions as President and Drum Major months ago, only returning to see them perform (or as I did this last Friday, have a great opportunity to perform with them once again for a few minutes) or help with the planning of the Disney trip. I'm helping because I know what I'm talking about and can provide some real insight into the trip. It isn't my trip, but I'm offering my help anyways. I would do that even if I couldn't go ON the trip. It is what I want to do for the rest of my life, after all. Even so, I'm often getting backlash from people who don't want me there at all. Those who think I should get lost. And that hurts. I'm trying to help and they're just 100% refusing it.

So this week I was thinking about all of this, because some other circumstances brought it really to the forefront of my mind. And finally I realized what is probably the REAL reason Once Upon a Time has become so important to me over the past few months. Before I thought it was just because I was in Disney Depression, but it turns out that this is a whole new kind of Disney Depression. You see, when I watch Once Upon a Time with my friends, it makes me happy. It's like when in The New Neverland Charming was talking about the good and the bad moments. Well right now Once makes up most of my good moments. It's a way I've made countless new friends at college, and therefore I want to hold onto those moments when the life I knew a year ago is turning quickly from good moments to bad ones.

Because now, as I think about Walt Disney World and the band trip, I can only think about how everything I do to help is just going to be considered by people I used to call my family as stupid and unhelpful. I know it means a lot to some people that I'm still there, but it takes a lot for me to wear a smile around others sometimes. It hurts, first off, that they're treating me like dirt, but even more so that because of the band trip, they're ruining the one thing that means the most to me. Disney.

Now, Disney will always be an important part of my life. No matter what. But right now everytime I think about Disney World I can't help but think to everything they'll say. Everything I say and do these days is based on what their reaction will be and whether it will help or make things worse. I don't know what the right thing to do is anymore, and this entire circumstance is going to test me more than anything else in my entire life. I know that the friends I have left, and the new ones I've made at college, and Once and, most importantly, Disney, will get me through this. But that doesn't mean it's going to get any easier either.

I guess I'll just have to live by a few of my favorite quotes:

"All your dreams can come true, if you have the courage to pursue them." -Walt Disney

"There has to be a darkness for the dawn to come." -Harrison Ford

"Life is made up of moments. Good ones. Bad ones. But they're all worth living." -Prince Charming (Once Upon a Time)

Here's today's Disney History: 1966: Lilly Disney visits her husband Walt at St. Joseph's Hospital (Across from his studio in Burbank, California). Although Walt is very ill, she is encouraged by the strength he shows. His brother Roy pays him a visit at night and they talk about company matters, EPCOT, and Disney World. Walt looks at the ceiling and points out the design of the new Florida park to a teary-eyed Roy. After he leaves, Walt asks to have his bed raised so he can look toward the nearby Disney Studios. At Roy's order, every one of the studio's light is left on to shine through the night.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on December 16 because of finals.)

Day 296: Promo Video!

I can share this on my blog now since everyone has pretty much officially seen it (at least my High School Band has all seen it as of now). I was waiting for the high school to see it before posting in on my blog. Plus now the video is finally up in 1080p. The other day when I first uploaded it, it wasn't in that HD quality yet because as fast as my internet is here at SNC, it's not that fast.

So here's what I'm talking about:

That's right, I made a promotional video for my high school band trip to Orlando and Walt Disney World. You could say I'm a bit excited. Actually, apparently I was the legitimately first person signed up to go, my brother is second. Probably because my mother went and brought in our payment before the High School even got their brochures, but you know. 

Anyway, there certainly are some favorite moments I have with this video. I mean, I love the entire thing, obviously, because I edited it all, but there are just a couple of moments that are my absolute favorite. For instance, I love the first time we see the band marching, because the steps all line up with the music. And when we're dancing in that opening section, our dance moves match the song too. Then I think it's safe to say that the next thing I adore is when we're going down Splash and it transfers into Big Thunder and such, and I love the ending with the Thrills and Classic Attractions. But my absolute favorite part is the end, when the projections on the castle match the music perfectly. Can't get much better than that if you ask me! Also, if you watch closely you may find hidden hints to Colin O'Donoghue and Harrison Ford! My two favorite actors!

Here's today's Disney History: 2011: ABC-TV premieres the fairy tale drama series Once Upon a Time. About a woman with a troubled past who is drawn into a small town in Maine where the magic and mystery of Fairy Tales parallels real life, the series stars Jennifer Morrison, Ginnifer Goodwin, Lana Parrilla, Josh Dallas and Jared Gilmore. Created by Lost and Tron: Legacy writers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, Once Upon a Time is distributed by Disney-ABC Domestic Television. (MY FAVORITE SHOW!)

Have a magical day!

Day 256: They've Got Character

One thing I really really regret not having the ability to do is have a so called "Princess Phase." Granted, when I was a kid there really wasn't much of a Princess thing going on. Growing up I had Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Belle and Ariel. That was pretty much it. I guess Pocahontas and Mulan were there too, but it wasn't as big of a deal as it is now. I didn't have either of my favorite Princesses (I ADORE Rapunzel and Tiana...Belle is a close third and then Ariel), and while there were some of the little dresses, it's not like I remember it being a huge thing. I just wasn't a kid that constantly wanted to meet characters. I have autograph books, and I'm sure my parents remember me wanting to meet characters much more than I do, but it's just something that my family in general never really did a lot of.

That's me...and Goofy, obviously. It's actually one of my favorite pictures from my childhood!

But now I'm going to Walt Disney World with some of my best friends, two of which, if they both go, have never EVER been to Disney. I know that our time there is short and that our real trip won't be for many years, since we really want to plan another one when the last of us turn either 18 or 21, but still, I want to make this trip as magical as possible, and for me, one of those things is making sure they get to meet some of their favorite characters.

I was going through the common character list tonight to send it to one of my friends and honestly, I had no idea that there were so many characters in the Disney Parks. Like the list is much longer than I initially expected. So that leaves the question, who are the must see characters, who do I want to meet and who should they meet?

For starters, I know my best friend Megan, if she goes, absolutely HAS to meet Marie. Her favorite Disney movie is the Aristocats, so that would have to happen. My other friend, Ashely, loves the Pixar movies Up and Finding Nemo. Of course Nemo is a bit hard to meet, but I fully plan on spending time in the Seas with Nemo and Friends and trying to take her to meet Dug, Mr. Fredrickson and Russell. Those are more specific to them I guess. I think my list includes the Princesses because I honestly have never met my favorite one (RAPUNZEL!) and I really can't wait to see Princess Fairytale Hall! And Gaston is probably on that list too because well...it's Gaston.

And me and Marie a couple of years ago!

Aside from that, everyone needs to meet Mickey and Minnie and Goofy and Donald and Pluto and all those guys. Mickey and Minnie for sure. It just needs to happen. When I went to Disneyland Mickey and Minnie walked out and I was right there and I will forever regret not going by them right away. I could have met Mickey and Minnie AT DISNEYLAND, and I didn't. Sigh...regrets in life.

Also on my list? Indiana Jones and Marian! It's not necessarily a secret but if you stick around after the show you generally can meet the actors and I personally think it would be awesome to do that with a group of people from my HS Band, if not everyone! First we need to go to Hollywood Studios, but if we do I promise I will work my hardest for us to get to meet Indy!

Today's Frumpstagram was, surprisingly, easier than the past few days. The topic? Transportation. I couldn't find the Millennium Falcon so I guess a Speeder Bike will just have to do for now! It's kind of interesting though, and I think I'll make that tomorrow's post maybe, about how I used to hate Hollywood Studios and knew very little about it until Star Wars changed my life forever.

And here's today's Disney History: 1941: Walt Disney's father Elias passes away in Los Angeles, California at the age of 82. Walt is currently in South America in the middle of a 10-week trip.

Have a magical day!

Day 254: Which Wins?

I eat dinner with the same few people just about every night. I mean, my best friends and I have Wind Ensemble and then we eat together because, well, it's 6 o'clock and it's dinner time. That's just how things work. So this evening we were discussing Disney, because that's such an odd topic for me to be talking about, right? 

Anyway, one of my friends asked me why I was pushing Hollywood Studios for the band trip over Animal Kingdom, and this is a legitimate question. I was asked which I'd rather see on the trip and after some thought, I did decide that Hollywood Studios would be a better fit for our group. Of course, then we got into the discussion over which park is the best. I said Epcot, because it is, in every way, my favorite park. She said Animal Kingdom and argued that the band should be going there instead of Epcot. 

Megan, my best friend, just commented that our other friend had a death wish. 

But thinking about it in the end, why WOULD I choose the three parks I have for the band? Why Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood Studios? And so, here we have a perfect topic for a blog post. 

Magic Kingdom: 

I think this one can mostly go without saying. We're officially marching at 2:30 on June 25th, 2014 in the Magic Kingdom, and I am super excited. There's just absolutely no way one can go to Disney World and NOT go to Magic Kingdom. It's classic, has some great thrills and just screams Disney. It's the essential home of Walt Disney World. 

Hollywood Studios: 

We'll put this one second just because then I can leave the final debate of Animal Kingdom and Epcot at the end. When I was initially asked which of the parks I'd rather see, I chose this one for the following reasons. Hollywood Studios has multiple E-Ticket Attractions, including Tower of Terror, Rockin' Roller Coaster, Toy Story Midway Mania and Star Tours, but that's not all. Hollywood Studios also has a lot for the less adventurous person, including a walk through One Man's Dream, MuppetVision 3D, The Great Movie Ride, The Little Mermaid, Indiana Jones and so much more. There's just a lot for this park to offer a group like my band. It just makes sense, right? 

Epcot: 

Now, part of the reason we MUST travel there is because our recording session is located at Epcot, but I feel like Epcot is essential for everyone to hit on their Disney Vacation because it is, to a point, part of Walt's actual dream. Epcot, in it's original form was the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, but that's not all. There's three GREAT E-Ticket Attractions, Test Track, Soarin' and Mission SPACE, as well as many other classic attractions such as Ellen's Energy Adventure and Living with the Land. And that's not even including World Showcase! There's so much to explore there that I haven't even done it all, and I spend hours and hours at Epcot! But I think the absolute best reason for Epcot to be a must see is at the end of the day: Illuminations: Reflections of Earth. It's the absolute perfect display of fireworks!

Why not Animal Kingdom?

The reason I am turning Animal Kingdom down is as follows. While there are, when I finally did count, Four E-Ticket Attractions, Expedition Everest, Kali River Rapids, Dinosaur and Kilimanjaro Safari, there isn't much else for this park to offer. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE Animal Kingdom, and for many many years it ranked about Hollywood Studios on my list of favorites (that only changed when I watched Star Wars, honest). Yes, there's Finding Nemo and the Lion King and the trails and what's left of Dinoland, but that's about it. Tough to be a Bug is in there too, but that really is it. That's all Animal Kingdom has to offer. But you see, the NUMBER ONE REASON I'm suggesting we DON'T go to Animal Kingdom is because of the park hours. Animal Kingdom is only open from 9 (8 maybe if we stay on property AND meet a day that works) to what, 7 or 8 in the summer? Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom are all open until 9 or later. It makes for a longer day with more time to see things, and we certainly don't want to waste time on our short trip. 

And so, in the end, I guess this doesn't necessarily determine which is better, but which is the best fit for our HS Band. I love all four theme parks, and that's something I honestly wouldn't have been able to say a couple of years ago. Actually, I hated Hollywood Studios (I found there was little for me to do there), but now I have learned to love it. In it's place, Animal Kingdom has just fallen short for me recently. With the changes in Kilimanjaro Safaris and the looming Avatar Land, I just don't see it as the same park it always was. Yes, all four would be great for the band, but in the overall scheme of things, our best choices are Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood Studios. 

What do you think though? Does Epcot have too little for the group? Does Animal Kingdom have more to offer than meets my eye? Which is your favorite park, and for what reason? I'm legitimately curious!

Frumpstagram threw me another loop today and asked for a Princess Picture...which of course, I don't really have many of. Did you know that in the past five years I've met two princesses...and seriously, one was by accident. I really hope that will change when I go with the band though! I'm ready to meet some characters!

Here's today's Disney History: 2001: Following the morning terrorist attacks on The Pentagon, New York City's World Trade Center and in the air over Pennsylvania, the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and the Disneyland Resort in California, close without incident. All the resort hotels remain open and provide accommodations to guests who are unable to leave. Phone charges are suspended so that guests can reach family. The closure marks only the second time Disneyland has locked its gates in its 56-year history due to a national tragedy. The first time followed the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in November 1963.

Have a magical day, and always remember 9/11!