Disney Perfect

As many of you know, my father is actually the one who has turned me into such a Disney fan. Without him, I doubt I'd care half as much about it. Dad and I like to nerd out to all things Disney, so this story is rather fitting.
I took a trip to the southwest, where we read that due to covenants, most of the adobe structures aren't really adobe, they are newer and have a frame. They also have to use specific colors. Earth tones. Although, admittedly their "earth tones" are different than the ones I know.
The point is, everything is perfectly painted and trimmed in a bright turquoise or purple and anything that looks old, does so flawlessly.
I was looking at the city and I told my dad "Everything here looks Disney perfect" and it made me think. How is it that beauty and perfection has to pass the Disney Test for me? When did perfection and Disney become synonymous?
Here's my question for you, do you have any Disney Perfect places you've been to (other than Disneyland, or Disney World of course) and what makes it "Disney Perfect"?

3 Wishes

   First of all, let me just say, I am sorry for not updating this blog.  I would love to say it is because I was so busy with life, and school, and work, but if I did, I would be lying. Nothing interesting has happened in the last 2 months. Here is my promise to you. I will attempt to blog once a week, but I need help from you all... and by all, I mean the 2 people who read this. Hopefully, by writing more, I will gain more viewers though. So, before I jump in, here is my request from you.  I need blogging ideas.  I love Disney, as you may be able top tell, but there is just so much to talk about, I really don't know where to begin.

Also, when I say "the World" I mean Disney World.
WDW= Walt Disney World.

Now, for the moment of truth.

   How many of you have seen the movie Aladdin? If you have not seen it, it is about time you do.  The basic premise is not much different from all Disney Princess movies. Girl falls in love with guy. Guy is not right for her. Something catastrophic happens. It all works out. The thing that is interesting about Aladdin is that he (Aladdin) rubs a magic lamp, and gets 3 wishes.  Now I know everyone gets asked what they would do with three wishes, but my answers are probably a little different than most.

Wish #1.
   I wish I could live in a room at the Coronado Springs resort in Walt Disney World.  Why not in Cinderella's Castle? Because there would always be people in my house. I'd have to always look good for people. Coronado Springs is a beautiful resort and the plus side to living there is that you can leave whenever you want.  Living in the Castle would mean you go nowhere after park closing. CS means I can be close enough to the World without actually being in it.  I would hate to get sick of Disney, but just like the neighbors Music in the apartment next to you becomes annoying, so would the parades, music, and fireworks.

Wish #2.
   I wish I could spend a week with Walt Disney.  I have a huge crush on him.  His ideas were so revolutionary and wonderful.  I would walk through each of the parks, and listen to everything he had to say about them.  I sometimes wonder how different the World would look if Walt Disney was still alive.  I would record every moment of our week together, and learn as much as I could from him.  If only more people's brains worked the way his did.  A Week with Walt, would be the best thing anyone could ask for.

Wish #3.
   I wish all the previous Disney sequels (not including Pixar) would vanish, and no more would ever come into existence... ever.  This may seem frivolous, but I feel that the Disney sequels tarnish Disney's good name.  Disney was a perfectionist.  John Lasseter re-wrote Toy Story 2 because it was not good enough the first time.  Quality is key, and I feel like the sequels do not measure up to the standards that the classsics are held.

   Thanks for reading!
Leave a comment, or tweet me your 3 wishes!

Never  Stop Dreaming!
-D.G.

My Favorite Disney World Experience

I have so many wonderful memories at Walt Disney World (WDW).  It is hard to pick one favorite. So I am going to list my top 3.

3. Let me just start out by saying that my favorite place to be in WDW at night  is tomorrow land.  Its lights and against the night sky has a way of drawing me in.  About five years ago, we were at Magic Kingdom for the extra magic hours, and it was pouring rain and every light had a halo around it. And I remember my dad, my two best friends, and myself running from ride to ride in the rain, we were cold, and soaked to the bone, but it was such a surreal moment. Because of the late hour, and the heavy rain, there was practically no lines, so I rode space mountain five times in a row.

2. It was my birthday, and we were in Hollywood Studios (my favorite park.) I always found it unfair that the only signatures people got were from the characters, so on that vacation, I decided to fill my autograph book with the signatures of random cast members.  Without them, the park does not run.  Anyway, My family was finding seats for the Beauty and the Beast show, and I stayed behind to ask the cast members to sign my book. One lady saw that I was wearing a birthday pin, and she led my friends and I to the VIP seating. She gave me a hug, and said "That's what happens when you ask for my autograph on your birthday." We were so close to the front that we could see the actors switching places when the Beast turned into the hansom Prince Adam.

1. My number one moment doesn't actually start at Disney World.  It was December 10th and we had to wait until my family members got out of school, so we took a late flight to Orlando, and when we arrived, the airport was pretty empty (it was midnight after all). As we approached the exit, there was a giant Christmas tree with blue, green, and purple lights.  Over the next five days, we got our pictures at as many Christmas trees in WDW that we could.  Disney at Christmas is one of the most magical experiences that I have ever had! The Christmas music plays, and Disney is covered in lights! I just love it! If you ever get a chance to go, do it! You won't be sorry.

So, now that I told you my Favorite Disney World experiences, you tell me yours! Leave a comment.

Have a magical week!

5 Tips for Staying Sane on Finals Week

I know this has nothing to do with Disney, but I am in the middle of finals week, and I hope to help as many college students as I can. So here is my list of things I do to make finals week a bit easier. 
1. Enjoy the little things.  You can't do homework on the drive home, so instead of stressing about it, enjoy the ride.  Put homework out of your head for the amount of time that it takes to get from school to home.  Take the long way if you want.  You can spare 5 minutes for your sanity.
2. Prioritize. Take a look at all of the assignments and studying that you have to do, and do them in order of greatest importance.  While doing one assignment, put the others out of your head.
3. Get rid of distraction.  It is tempting to text, and socialize while doing homework, but don't do it! Do not sign onto Facebook, or text.  Turn your phone off or silence it.  Trust me, the time will move by much faster when you are focused on your work.
4. Calm down. If you need to cry, or scream or whatever, do it. Just get it over with, and move forward.
5. Sleep! Sleep is way more valuable than studying in the midnight hours.

Space Mountain

Space Mountain is an indoor dark roller coaster located in Tomorrow Land (both in the Magic Kingdom at Disney World, in Orlando, Florida and Disney Land in Anaheim, California). The futuristic queue line, and space music build excitement as passengers wait to enter their space ships and blast off. The ride takes you through sudden drops, and sharp turns.
When I was 10, I was terrified to ride Space Mountain, while my little sister cried because she was not aloud to ride. My face grew pale and my breathing was heavy as I strapped myself into the vehicle and triple checked the lap bar to make sure it was secure. The ride had commenced, and it was too late to turn back. We flew through the tunnel and up into the darkness. Suddenly, I realized something, I was not going to die! I laughed and put my hands in the air (DO NOT put your hands up on this ride! I will explain later). I found my new favorite ride! I had every Nemer of my family ride with me at least twice until they refused to ride it again! I conquered my fear and loved this new adventure!
Now that I am older, I am a little more afraid of space mountain than I used to be. When I was younger, I could ignore the tracks and the wood stricture and imagine that I was flying. Now that I am older, I can see the structure, and it looks much closer to the ride vehicle that I am comfortable with.
Despite what I just said, my favorite ride in the Magic Kingdom remains Space Mountain! I highly recommend it!

My Top 10 Wow Moments at WDW

In a recent podcast, Lou Mongello and 2 others discussed their top ten WOW moments at Walt Disney World. This inspired me to discuss my top ten. I will start from Ten and work my way up to my most amazing wow moment. Here we go!
10. It sounds obvious but driving through the gate that says Walt Disney World, it is a surreal moment that fills my heart with excitement!
9. Lou already said this but I agree, park opening at Magic Kingdom fills my heart with glee and pumps me up for the day.
8. The first time I ever went on Tower of Terror, I was so scared! In line, I was freaking out, and when everyone was screaming because the 13th floor windows opened, I just looked and thought "wow this is amazing! I can see so far!" it is a great experience!
7. On my 15th birthday, my friends, family, and I were in MGM (now 'Hollywood') studios and I had an "It's my Birthday" pin on, and I asked a random cast member for her autograph (something I often do- it's not fair that just the characters get autographed) and the lady was so shocked, she gave my friends and I VIP seats and said "That's what happens when you ask for my autograph on your birthday."
6. Fantastic is an AMAZING show at Hollywood Studios! There us no doubt about that, and I'm amazed every time I go, but nothing beats the first time going. When all the characters are on the boats and the happy music is swelling!
5. On the same trip mentioned in number 7, I grabbed my friends' hands and we booked it to Dumbo at park opening and were the first group of people to get on! There is never a short line for Dumbo, so that was another WOW moment
4. I have been on Rock'n'Rollercoaster about 10 times still when the countdown stops and I am launched forward into the darkness, it is a wow moment.
3. No matter how many times I've been on Expedition Everest I am still so amazed by it! Watching the tracks change and flying backward through the dark amazes me every time!
2. The festival of the Lion King! 'Nough said.
1. Christmas time at Disney World! Everything at that time of year is magical, but nothing beats Disney World in December! At twilight, the Christmas trees light up! It is breath taking! The Candlelight Processional at EPCOT leaves me speechless. The Osborne Family lights are beautiful, and the Christmas Music just adds to the magic! Nothing is better than WDW in December!
That was my top ten! What is your number 1 Wow moment?
-Anna

Life

Dear Readers,
I am sorry for not posting for so long! Life is quite hectic! My friend is getting married next month and I was busy planning the bridal shower. The bridal shower was a complete success! The other brides maids are wonderful! they helped so much, but I still had a lot to do!
These next two weeks are going to be rough. Finals are approaching rapidly so I do not think I will post for the next few weeks but I will be on over the summer
Stay golden!
Anna

Kilimanjaro Safari

Animal Kingdom is the most beautiful park in Walt Disney World. It is full of plants, and animals, and is home of one of Disney's most famous roller coasters, Expedition Everest. It includes attractions such as Kali River Rapids, Kilimanjaro Safari, and It's tough to be a bug.

Today I will be focusing on Kilimanjaro Safari, one of my personal favorite rides at Walt Disney World. Kilimanjaro Safari is a "two week" (20 minute) journey through Africa. Riders enter a vehicle that looks like a jeep for 50 people. The ride goes through real wild life preserves where one can look at tropical birds, zebras, giraffes, hippos, and my personal favorite, lions. (Don't worry, the lions can not come anywhere near the vehicle.)

Somewhere in the middle of the adventure, a message requesting help comes on the radio, and the course changes. The passengers go from being on a pleasure cruise to crossing "shaky bridges" and "saving elephants from poachers." At the end, the passengers get to see a baby elephant, animatronic that they saved from the poachers.

This ride is wonderful for children and adults.

Donald Duck

Thanks to Lou Mongello, I just found out that March 14, 1935 was the first time Donald Duck was seen in a Mickey Mouse cartoon. Donald Duck is arguably the best classic Disney Character. His hot temper has made many people, including myself, laugh. Some May argue, he is the best duck in showbiz.
The 1944 animated movie, The Three Caballeros features Donald Suck and two bird friends that he met after her received a surprising (to say the least) birthday gift. He travels the world, and along the way meets, Panchito, and Jose. The film is full of fun music, and vibrant colors.
Donald's middle name is "Fauntleroy" after the sailor uniform he wears. Though he is not the most chipper of all Disney Characters, he has won his way into the heart of this blogger.

Middle of the Semester

It is the middle of the semester, and I know I haven't been posting every week. Even though no body is reading this, I still feel an obligation to keep this up to date.

Going to school full time with no electives is no fun. I am trying to keep all my online things up to date but between 15 page papers, mid-terms, Selling books on amazon, pinterest, facebook, twitter, tumblr, and this blog, my days are pretty full. I need to keep working hard, and stay motivated. If I stop, I will like the feeling of laziness too much to pick up and start again.

Every time I get frustrated, and want to stop, I think about what I want to do with my life. I think about how soon I will be living in Orlando and working at the happiest place on earth. Disney is a huge part of my life. It has been for a long time.

I have been to Disney World, eight times; Disney land, two times; California Adventure, once; and I have been on one Disney cruise. My parents are Disney focused travel agents, so I have had wonderful opportunities, and I am so blessed to have been involved with Disney.

I plan on focusing my blog more on the Disney lifestyle, and information on the parks than just my life, but I thought I would give a little background information.

On My Way

College is hard. It really is. I keep wishing that it would be over soon. I tell myself, just three more semesters and I can move to Florida. The homework is hard. There are bags under my eyes. I have developed an addiction to coffee. The teachers are tough, and the nights are long. Social life has to take the back seat, sometimes. It isn't all bad, though.

Honestly, College has helped me more than I can explain. The hard work is just a small part of it. I have learned so much in my classes. More than I learned in High School. I just want to encourage anyone out there who is having a tough time in school to just keep pushing through because great things are bound to happen! All the hard work will be worth it in the end, and even though you may feel stuck now, things will get better.

In the words of Tiana, "'Fairytales can come true
You gotta make 'em happen, it all depends on you'
So I work real hard each and every day
Now things for sure are going my way
Just doing what I do
Look out boys, I'm coming through
And I'm almost there"

Have a magical week!

Tower of Terror

If you are a fan of the Twilight Zone, like me, you will probably love the Tower of Terror! Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is a thrill ride where you drop 13 stories!
I am such a wimp! I do not like roller coasters or spinny rides, and I am afraid of heights, however, I LOVE ToT! The queue line begins in a creepy courtyard that is usually kept cool using eerie mist. Upon entering the hotel, the riders are shuffled into a room where a man who sounds like the narrator for the Twilight Zone explains the story on how the hotel became haunted. He dares the riders to enter "if you dare" the basement where thy are loaded onto a 'service elevator'.
The elevator goes up, up, up until it can go up no further, then it begins to move forward. The windows open, and the elevator bounces and drops a few times. You do not realize how high you go until the windows open! It is a thrilling ride that I could ride over and over!
I would not recommend small children, or anyone who is afraid of heights to ride this ride, but if you are willing, you won't regret it! In my opinion it is one of the best rides at Disney World's Hollywood Studios, and Disney land!

Once upon a time...

There was a girl. Who loved Disney. Okay, I am that girl. I am an absolute Disney fanatic! My first time I went to Disney land was when I was six years old. I remember going on Splash Mountain with my aunt over, and over. I remember staying at the Castle hotel, and watching the Mulan parade. I continiue my love for Disney as I grew older. I wrote many reports about Walt Disney in School. I have done two presentations about Disney in my first year of college.
I have been to Disney World 8 times, Disney Land 2 times, and I have been on one Disney Cruise. I LOVE DISNEY! This is why I want to be a tour guide at Disney World, as soon as I get out of college. I have one year left, then I am off to Disney World. That is why I named my Blog "Destination Disney." I will blog every week until I get to Disney World (or at least I will try to). So I am very excited to start this.
See ya next week.
Disneygirl