Day 1055: The Pied Piper

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

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

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

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

Have a magical day! 

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

Day 1054: Done and Over

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

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

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

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

Have a magical day! 

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

Day 1053: A Different College Campus

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

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

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

Have a magical day! 

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

Day 1052: Keep on Spinning

Boy, it's been a while.

I just figured I should throw in a post and let you all know that I am indeed still in the land of the living, despite the fact that I'm downridden with homework and preparations for a recital this Friday. However, I'm also happy about the fact that I have three main priorities for over Thanksgiving Break next week, and one of those goals is to catch up around here.

So what's happened in the past month that I've let Everyday Disney sit in the dark? If you haven't been following me on Instagram or Twitter, here's a few updates:

1. I talked to Colin O'Donoghue on the phone a while back, which will have it's own blog posts (yes posts) on days 1027 and 1028 (October 24 and 25, respectively). It's a VERY long story, but if you want more information RIGHT NOW, you can check out my video on the topic:

2. School has been INSANE. Literally, so much has gone on with my recital that it's put me pretty far behind in many areas beyond Everyday Disney. So don't feel too bad that there's been a lack of blog posts, because my English Blog for class feels the exact same way.

3. I've had a lot of coffee. No idea why this was worth noting, but it's true. 

4. There's a bunch of videos on my YouTube channel. Yes, even if I've been slacking here, I've somehow managed to keep up with my weekly videos on YouTube. In addition to the video above there's one on pumpkin carving, another on being youself, and several vlogs that are all just waiting to be watched! 

Other than that, there isn't really much else to say. I spend most of my days working, whether that be in class, for one of my two jobs, practicing for my recital, volunteering for something, or simply trying to get some small amount of sleep (ok, I've been binge-watching Psych too), and as much as it frustrates me, when life gets really busy, Everyday Disney gets the short stick. 

That'll hopefully be over soon though, as from here on out I'm hoping to continue forward so I don't get any further behind than I already am. So as I make up the missing posts from the last month, I'll also continue forward day by day as usual. Is that a good idea with how long I'm currently spending on work at the moment? Probably not, but let me tell you...it's good to be back.

Have a magical day everyone! 

Day 1051: Hospitality

Do you ever have those phrases or words that just automatically bring you back to Disney? Like if someone says pineapple maybe you think of a dole whip, Aerosmith takes you to Rock'n Roller Coaster, and discussions about The Twilight Zone end in Tower of Terror. For me, there's any number of these kinds of things, but a few in particular are worse than others.

In one of my classes this semester we talked a lot about hospitality, and after a while I realized that every time I came across that word, whether it was in a reading assignment, test, or class discussion, I ended up adding "house" to the end of it, so instead it would be "hospitality house." For those that don't know Disney (and even those who don't know Old Key West), this probably makes no sense, but for a girl who considers OKW her home, Hospitality House is the only thing that comes across. In fact, all of OKW is about hospitality (as are most Disney resorts), and that's one of the things I love most about it.

There's something about the atmosphere at Old Key West that's just calming, and you can frequently find me there even when I stay at a different resort. In fact, there's not a trip I can remember that I didn't return to OKW at some point, even if it was just to transfer to a different park or Disney Springs (because sometimes taking the first bus you see can help a lot).

And so, somehow, any time someone says "hospitality," I think of Old Key West and suddenly get a bit calmer. Kind of like when someone mentions the printing press and I start thinking about Spaceship Earth. I wonder how many other "trigger words" I have for thinking about Disney?

Do you have any? Let me know in the comments below!

Have a magical day!

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

Day 1050: For the (New) Record

Almost two years ago my family pulled out some old records and started listening to them, and now, while going through boxes from my Grandma's house, we came across a few others. You can head back and read about the original records HERE, but it's always fun finding new (or old really) records to listen to!

Now, I didn't really take pictures of all the records I found, but I did find several Disney ones that I'm thrilled to listen to as soon as possible, including this Alice in Wonderland record! I know that there was something with Mary Poppins and a few other childrens records stuck in there that were associated with Disney, but it got me thinking!

The way we listen to music today is so different from the way things used to be. Now all we have to do is turn on our computer (or our iPhone, iPad, Car Radio, even watch sometimes) and we have music right at our fingertips. I can head over to spotify and listen to the same music right now if I want to, but that's part of the fun of a record like this! This is a real historical artifact. Yes, I could go and find the same music, but with this I'd literally be listening to a piece of history, kind of like how when we visit the Disney parks and head on a classic attraction we're doing pretty much the same thing! After all, if you've never walked the streets of Disneyland while thinking about Walt Disney, you have yet to live! It's one of the most amazing feelings, knowing that you're walking historical ground, and the same ground that Walt once walked many years ago. It's something to cherish for sure!

Have a magical day!

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

Day 1049: Fandom Life

As a member of the internet and social media, I'm always seeing posts that note "what a time to be alive," and it's occurred to me recently that now, right now, is a wonderful time to be alive, at least in regards to the live of being a fan. Suddenly it's become kind of "cool" to be a part of a fandom, whether it be Star Wars, Disney, a television show, or something else entirely. In fact, it's gotten to the point where I think most of us wonder what people without a fandom do with their freetime.

Honestly, picking a fandom to be a part of isn't even that hard, unless you're trying to stay away from all negativity. There's plenty of that on the internet wherever you go, and while some fandoms are worse than others, every one of them has a few rotten eggs. But seriously, all you have to do to become a part of a fandom is like something, and usually that means becoming absolutely obsessed with something.

It starts out relatively simple, like when I began watching Star Wars. You watch the movie with the smallest amount of interest and enjoyment, and then suddenly something clicks. For me, it was the moment a certain space scoundrel came on screen and I realized that it was indeed Indiana Jones. Boy, I'd been missing out on an entire childhood of Harrison Ford and I had no idea.

And so, you begin to watch (and rewatch) the movie over and over again. With a TV show you end up buying a season pass on iTunes so you can watch the film immediately the next day and every day after that until another episode appears. Maybe you start DisneyBounding your favorite characters, and tweeting the cast and crew. You join internet groups, maybe you create a fan page (or a giant blog dedicated to your fandom), and eventually things just start to get a bit out of control. 

You attend a fan convention, maybe something as big as Comic Con or D23 Expo, or something smaller that simply embodies your fandom. And when you can't go to the conventions because you spent too much money on fan merchandise, you stalk the internet waiting for any possible news. And speaking of fan merchandise, things just sort of start to pop up in your room, especially after people figure out that a gift featuring your favorite character would work perfectly for an occasion. 

And before you know what happened, you're a part of a fandom. You've made friends and learned everything you possibly can about the show or movie: all the head-cannons and real plotlines and accepted truths. You spend the majority of your day thinking about the fandom, and drawings in the columns of your notebooks relate your love of the scoundrel that stole your heart.  

Previously, at this point you'd try to hide your love of the fandom. Kept it completely under wraps for fear of someone finding out you actually have a shrine to a character in your bedroom. But that's a world that exists no more. Now you can be proud of your fandom and the happiness it brings you! 

What fandoms are you a part of!?! Let me know in the comments! 

Have a magical day! 

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