30 Days of Disneyland - Day 29: Favorite Aspect of Disneyland

Day 29 - Favorite Aspect of Disneyland

Disneyland may be "our land" by Walt's decree opening day, but it is Walt's park. He walked the grounds, he oversaw its completion... he welcomed the world into his kingdom. This is the greatest aspect of Disneyland - Walt Disney lived it. This was his dream that he made a reality. Sure we all joke that it's a people trap built by a mouse, and we whine about the cost and the crowds, but it's so much more than all of that.

Walt was a self made man. He took a dream, a thought, an idea and fought like hell to get to the position that he was in to make Disneyland a possibility. It wasn't his first idea, it came much later when he was at the height of success, but it was yet more proof of his determination and ingenuity.

As much as I LOVE Disney World (it really is in many ways, everything RIGHT and BETTERing of what Disneyland is), it does not have the same *feeling* as Disneyland. DLR has this hard to shake feeling - at least for me - and I can't help but think it's just knowing that we're actually walking in Walt's footsteps.


77 days till I get to walk in his footsteps again! Can't wait!

30 Days of Disneyland - Day 28: Favorite Time To Visit

Day 28 - Favorite Time to Visit

Not sure if it means time of year, or time of day. If it's time of year I have to say any time that isn't peak season. For Disney World I've decided I love November... but for Disneyland I'm not quite sure. I've been in the summer several times and it's been either great or traumatic (great in 2006, traumatic in 1990 - I got stuck to the sidewalk thanks to my jelly shoes melting!) or just super hot and I ended up sick (2012). So August isn't my favorite... February is the only other time I've gone, and the crowd levels were awesome (there were none!) but a lot of things were down for rehab and refurb... of course a lot of the park that was down for those things are now fully functional (construction was for Carsland and the new Fantasyland attractions). So it may not be as bad normally in Feb. So let's just say I don't care when I go so long as I don't melt (or my shoes) and I don't have to deal with crazy crowds.


Time of day that I like to visit is either first thing in the morning because the crowds are less, or once the sun goes down for photographic purposes (I have been known to close down a park just snapping long exposures while most of the crowd is headed home).

So there ya have it... I'm trying to figure out what July's challenge is going to be themed after....

78 Days till Disneyland!

Yup, another MRJ gif I snagged from Google.
Good night my friends.

60 Mushers sign up opening day for Iditarod 43

Here's the list, I'll try to write up my thoughts later.


2015 Iditarod entries
(listed in order of the draw at the musher's banquet)
(R) designates rookies
Past champions are bold-ed.

1) Ben Harper, Wasilla (R)
2) Dallas Seavey, Willow
3) Kristy Berington, Kasilof
4) Gwenn Bogart, Wasilla (R)
5) Pete Kaiser, Bethel
6) Lance Mackey, Fairbanks
7) Lisbet Skogen Norris, Willow
8) Ellen Halverson, Wasilla
9) Richie Diehl, Aniak
10) Mitch Seavey, Seward
11) Rick Casillo, Palmer
12) Seth Barnes, Nenana (R)
13) Matt Failor, Willow
14) Travis Beals, Seward
15) Curt Perano, Willow
16) Mats Peterson, Sweden
17) Charley Bejna, Wasilla
18) Philip Walters, Eagle River (R)
19) Justin Savidis, Willow
20) Hugh Neff, Tok
21) Cindy Abbott, Irvine, California (R)
22) Jaimee High, Willow
23) Jan Steves, Edmonds, Washington
24) Scott Janssen, Anchorage
25) Alan Eischens, Wasilla (R)
26) Allen Moore, Two Rivers
27) Monica Zappa, Kasilof
28) Sarah Stokey, Seward (R)
29) Paul Gebhart, Kasilof
30) Marcelle Fressineau, Whitehorse, Yukon
31) Becca Moore, Willow (R)
32) Nathan Schroeder, Chisholm, Minnesota
33) Joar Leifseth Ulsom, Rana Norway
34) Aliy Zirkle, Two Rivers
35) Michelle Phillips, Whitehorse Yukon
36) Anna Berington, Wasilla
37) Thomas Wærner, Norway (R)
38) Paige Drobny, Fairbanks
39) Kelly Maixner, Big Lake
40) Isabelle Travadon, France (R)
41) Laura Allaway, Fairbanks (R)
42) Ken Anderson, Fairbanks
43) Lachlan Clarke, Buena Vista, Colorado
44) Nicholis Petit, Girdwood
45) Rohn Buser, Big Lake
46) Ray Redington Jr., Knik
47) Jim Lanier, Chugiak
48) Lev Shvarts, Willow (R)
49) Mark Sellend, Anchorage (R)
50) Yvonne Dabakk, Fairbanks
51) Gerald Sousa, Talkeetna
52) Karin Hendrickson, Wasilla
53) Brian Wilmshurst, Dawson City, Yukon (R)
54) Rob Cooke, Whitehorse, Yukon (R)
55) Martin Buser, Big Lake
56) Jodi Bailey, Fairbanks
57) DeeDee Jonrowe, Willow
58) Jeff King, Denali Park
59) Linwood Fiedler, Willow
60) Jessie Royer, Darby, Montana

30 Days of Disneyland - Day 27: Your Dream Job

Day 27 - Your Dream Job

I'm assuming they mean within the parks - otherwise I'd say I want to be a film director ha ha! But my dream Park job would be as a Disney Photographer. Photopass would be fun - but their "fine art" side of that program would be even better. I'd love to do their promotional work. Just to be able to be in the parks when no one is around would be AWESOME.

I love the photopass photogs, though. They are an awesome group of people (for the most part...some think they know more than they really do). It makes it easy for me - the group photog (everyone I travel with know that's my job, doesn't matter what group/family members I go with ha ha) - to be in the photos and we get some great shots and memories that way.

I mean, if I could be a Disney photog I'd get paid to take pictures in the Disney Parks all day every day! What could be better? (of course, come hot and humid parts of the year I'd be miserable no matter what so... that's what's kept me, among other reasons, from applying.)

Oh and this week, I got my photopass+ package in the mail. Ordered it for the trip in September. Yup, I'm a fan.

One of my favorites from our 2012 trip. Haille Rae is awesome. Love her!

Also, we're at another (somewhat) milestone in the countdown. We've left the 80s and are now into the 70s! We are at 79 days till the epic LLP + B Disney trip! I'm super stoked. Chatted with Erin the other night and we have both definitely caught the "OMG"s for this trip. We'll soon be texting and calling each other daily with the "WE'RE TOO EXCITED TO SLEEP!" message. Because we're big dorks like that.

Yes, I did just use an MRJ gif.

In about 20 days I'll be able to make our first ADR! I'm debating if I should call down or if I should just do it online. I may do a combination of both, because it's just not a Disney trip without calling the Disney Travel Company, but at the same time the Disneyland call center isn't as much fun/magical (and their hold music is normally closer to elevator music than actual Disney music. Sadness).

Three weeks till ADR time... three weeks till we're down to the two months mark... It's getting close... but not close enough! Come on September, get here already!

30 Days of Disneyland - Day 26: Favorite Cast Member Costume

Haunted Mansion. 

80 days till I'm back there!

30 Days of Disneyland - Day 25: Favorite Park Picture

Day 25 - Favorite Park Picture

The one above is my most favorite Disney Park picture I've taken so far.

and just because I can, here's my second favorite:

81 days till I'm back there snapping pictures!

30 Days of Disneyland - Day 24: Favorite Disneyland Memory

Day 24 - Favorite Disneyland Memory

I have so many favorite memories at Disneyland. Having been to the park a handful of times (for several days most trips), I've created quite a few. So it's hard to choose just one. Instead, I will cheat and list my favorite memory(ies) of each trip. Because, well, I can. There's no Meme Police that I'm aware of. So I do what I want!

1990 Family Trip: I was 5. Favorite Memory was most definitely riding The Matterhorn. I sat with Dad, and mom rode behind us. The whole time mom was screaming at my dad to hold onto me. All I remember is the Yeti and the *huge* pool of water at the end (and the crowd). It was thrillingly fun.

2006 Road Trip: Erin and I drove 7 hours for one day at Disney. It was EPIC. We spent 11 hours in the park (would've been from opening to close had we not gotten lost on our way from where we stayed to the park). We only went to Disneyland park, not California Adventure, but we got to see everything we wanted to in that trip. It was before I got obsessive over planning and knowing everything about the parks. That would soon change, but I digress. Favorite Memory is hard to pinpoint because that whole day was perfect and awesome. Perhaps I will go with the memory of laughing pretty much non stop all day. We'd definitely found our laughing place.

2011 Haille's First Trip: Haille turned five in Disneyland. What better birthday could you possibly have?! My favorite memory from that trip was the last night we were all there (I spent an extra day in SoCal from the rest of them). We ate at Goofy's Kitchen. Haille'd been shy around the characters all week, but that night she was ALL smiles. She had a blast. She danced with Goofy, fought Pluto for her hot dog, played pranks with Dale, was sung Happy Birthday by the Fairy Godmother... and so much more. We stayed for two hours because of all the attention. It was awesome. (Another great memory was Haille falling in love with the Haunted Mansion... and the ONE particular hitchiking ghost that ALWAYS sat in our car. EVERY SINGLE TIME. CREEPY!)

2012 Family Trip: Another trip with Haille. Another GREAT trip. We had Gaylord's granddaughter and daughter with us that trip as well (his gdaughter is also named Hailee). My favorite memory is Haille Rae sharing all her Disneyland wisdom with Hailee (it was her first trip). She talked her through the scary stuff (remember, it just pretend!) and she showed her the tips and tricks to talking with the characters. She remembered so much of what I told her about certain things about the park and characters from the trip the year prior. I was bursting with pride. That kid is amazing. Gonna miss my park buddy on our trip this year.


82 days until we make a new set of favorite memories!

30 Days of Disneyland - Day 23: Favorite Thing To Collect

Day 23: Favorite Thing to Collect

I think it has to be the pins. I get a lanyard and fill it up for each trip. I normally get a pin for new attractions/rides/section of the park that we visited, as well as a couple of my favorite characters. As well as any special pin that signifies what the trip was for.

I don't trade any of my pins. They all have meaning. So I don't take them with me on the next trip(s). I'm looking forward to filling up another lanyard.


83 days till Disneyland! And a pic of Colin O'Donaghue as Captain Hook just because (EYEBROW)!

30 Days of Disneyland - Day 22: Favorite Shop

Day 22 - Favorite Shop

I have a confession: I don't really like to shop. Oh, sure, it's fun to get new stuff - I love getting new stuff, butut I hate the whole walking around browsing. I normally leave the shopping to Erin (or my aunt and niece). But I do enjoy hitting up Downtown Disney a few times when I visit the parks. It's your one stop shop for all things awesome when it comes to Disney swag.

So I guess I'm looking forward to it (and the gift shop in the Disneyland Hotel) the most for shopping purposes. Get in, get everything, and get out.



I was gone this weekend for a wedding. I'm trying to get the photos edited and do this blog. Should be easy but I'm terribly ADD anymore. So this blog has sat pretty much all day with just a few words. Whoops. Oh well... 84 days to go.

30 Days of Disneyland - Day 21: Favorite Food or Beverage

Day 21 - Favorite Food or Beverage

Um, Mickey Waffles. 'Nuff said.


85 days till Mickey Waffles.