V, W, X, Y and Z

Without further ado, what you have all been waiting for lol

V is for Villas at Grand Californian

It is so miuch prettier than this pic, I swear

The Grand California hotel in Disneyland is one of the prettiest hotels in the entire portfolio, and Jeff and I are lucky enough to own  a share in the vacation club there. As you can kinda tell by the picture, it is just gorgeous, and being able to get to DCA literally without leaving your hotel, and having Disneyland steps away is such a perk!

W is for Woody's Fabulous Belt

close up it is sooo sparkly and gaudy and FAAABULOUS

I am so bummed that I cannot find my close up of this, but trust me, it IS fabulous!! Several years ago, Disneyland changed It's a Small World, adding in some Disney characters and mostly getting rid of the wonderful rainforest section. It was replaced by cardboard cutouts and paper mache Jessie, Woody and Bullseye... perhaps the best part being what a friend coined Woody's Fabulous Belt, bedazzled and all.

X is for X Atencio

X Atencio

 I do feel a bit remiss about not featuring any Imaingeer, so here you go, courtesy of Disney Wiki. 

Francis Xavier "X" Atencio  is a former Imagineer, writer, lyricist and animator. He joined Disney in 1938 as an animator. In 1965, he became an Imagineer. He wrote the scripts for several Disney theme park attractions, most notably Adventure Thru Inner Space, Pirates of the Caribbean, and The Haunted Mansion, as well as the lyrics to the theme songs of the latter two, Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A Pirate's Life For Me! and Grim Grinning Ghosts, respectively. His voice can be heard as the Talking Skull at the beginning of the Pirates of a Caribbean attraction, and in a safety spiel for the Haunted Mansion attraction.

Y is for yellow Mickey balloon

Mickey balloons at Disneyland... so pretty

Perhaps cheating a bit, thanks to my friend Wendy, but the Mickey head balloons are iconic. And they are still in the parks, in a bit of an altered form, but it is still nice to see something last for so long.

Z is for Zero

Zero from Nightmare Before Christmas

Jack Skellington's loyal sidekick, he is kinda cute for a sheet!!


Hope you all enjoyed reading my Disney A to Z! It was a challenge for sure but lots of fun :)

U is for...

U is for Up!

up up and away!

Up is such a wonderful, heartwrenching but funny movie. Grumpy old man Carl Fredricksen goes on the adventure he has been waiting his entire life for, not knowing he has a little stowaway, Russell. Together, they explore South America, meet an awesome bird named Kevin and a funny dog who can talk! This film really surprised me. Based on the trailers, I did not think that I would like it, but it is actually one of my favorites!

Carl, Russell, Kevin and Dug!

T is for...

T is for Tinker Bell

Finally got to meet Tinker Bell in 2009!

Bet some of you coulda guessed that ;) Tinker Bell is another character that I have loved forever! She is like all of my other favorite characters into one! She is love lorn like Ariel but stubborn as Miss Piggy (who is a bit lovelorn herself!). She is also sassy and stands up for herself... like me! And she has a cute sense of style ;) I love that she is so popular now!

Tinker Bell laughing!

S is for...

S is for Soarin' (Over California or Not)

Sorta kinda like riding Soarin'

 Soarin' Over California (renamed just Soarin' at WDW) is one of the coolest rides ever. The ride vehicle is like a huge hang glider, and once your eat belt is tightened and the roof comes down, the thrill begins!! You are lifted up into the sky and a HUGE screen in front of you comes to life! Suddenly you are among the clouds and the Golden Gate appears! And you are in for a wild ride. Not to be missed!

Soarin' sign in WDW

 

R is For...

R is for Rapunzel

from disneypicture.net - love this Rapunzel pic

Ariel might be my favorite old school princess, but Rapunzel might just win my favorite overall... I was not expecting much from the movie Tangled, based on the previews. But I was surprised at just how funny it was and just how great the characters were. And let's not forget it has one of my most favorite Disney songs ever. 

 Rapunzel herself is well rounded for someone locked in a tower - she has spent her time studying, cooking, painting, singing, cleaning... all that you and I do. She has a great sense of humor, and even though she is scared, her determination leads her out of the tower and on her way to live her dream. She has guts! Rapunzel is well rounded and not a damsel in distress (although she does have a male partner of course!)

Rapunzel, Flynn, Pascal and Maximus - loved them all, even the horse!

 

Q is for...

Q is for Quality

Yes, I did not post Q yesterday because I could not think of any character, song movie, ride, etc that I liked enough to write about. But rocking the baby to sleep in the middle of the night last night, I thought of my Q. I have mentioned this in passing, but I thought it deserved a whole post - Disney is quality. Not just in the movies - storylines, characters, music - or in the dedication and love of the company that so many of its employees have,  from the guys in charge down to the CM sweeping up the parks. It is also shown in the little details of the parks, the "plussing" that makes the Disney parks stand out form their competitors. What follows is a few pictures to demonstrate.

animals made out of washcloths and towels are a cute surprise

The Tree of Life in the Animal Kingdom is just amazing. Search for pics of the whole thing if you've never seen it!

Even the Disneyland parking garage levels get themed seasonally!

O is for...

O is for Orange Bird

Look at this cute guy! Orange bird is back!

Well, I need an O, and lookie what happened... Walt Disney World brought back the Orange Bird YESTERDAY, the same day that the letter O was the letter of the day**! And the same day that I had no clue what to post for the letter O! What a co-ink-i-dink!


A quick Orange Bird history, thanks to the Orlando Sentinel:  Back in 1971 when the Magic Kingdom opened, it was called Tropical Serenade and featured animatronic birds and flowers doing their thing for more than 25 years before transforming into The Enchanted Tiki Room -- Under New Management in 1999.

The bird greeted families at Sunshine Tree Terrace, which also hocked citrus drinks and Orange Bird gifts. The Orange Bird was gone from Walt Disney World by 1981.

Now more than 30 years later, the Orange Bird has returned to the signage for the terrace and also on "quirky drink cups." One bit of history that isn't returning, at least not yet, is the Orange Bird character who walked around the park. But the actual, original bird figurine itself will retake its perch at the terrace.

Truth is, Jeff is a HUGE fan, and is crazy excited that they bought this totally cute little bird back, at least for the time being.

Orange Bird Sipper Cups... so cute!!

**I know I am still a day behind! Hopefully tomorrow I will catch up...

N is for...

N is for NEWSIES!!

Newsies promo shot

Of course, why would N be anything else?? I have been a huge fan of Newsies ever since it came out. What teenage girl wouldn't love a bunch of cute guys singing and dancing?? When I heard that it was finally turning into a musical, I was ecstatic, I mean, I already had an entire musical version in my head. And when I saw it in NJ, I hoped against hope that it would come to Broadway. and it DID and I SAW IT. Among all of the birthday sickness last week, Jeff, our great friend and theatergoing buddy Jonathan and ME! I! got to see Newsies the musical on Broadway!!!  And somehow it was ten million times better than  it was in NJ... just the way the cast acted, you could tell how thrilled they were to be on the Great White Way.

I HAVE to see it again before it closes. If you are looking to see a Broadway show, go see Newsies!!!

Did I mention that the set is crazy awesome? Newsies the Musical

M is for...

M is for MiceChat!

No pics of a Web site but here is a picture from the year Micechat was created!

There are so many things to use for the letter M ... not only the obvious "big cheese" ;) But I decided to go personal on this one... Micechat.com is a Disney message board. I stumbled into Disney message boards in 2004, when I was planning my first trip w/a few friends. (I went looking for pictures and found a LiveJournal entry instead! Then spent way too much time reading entries from almost 10 years ago?!?!?!) Back on topic, as I alluded to in A is for... MiceChat changed my life. Without this message board, I would have no friends and no husband! (Well I'd have a few friends but not as many!). The past 7 years would have been a lots less dramatic, and I would have a lot more money in the bank! But I would rather have the good and bad memories, I think.

Please excuse this late night, exhausted rambling. I don't think this post is making any sense or getting my point across lol

(BTW, my first meeting Goofy in Disneyland, I reported it like this: We did get our pics w/Aladdin. And Goofy! Eee, I DANCED with Goofy! Yup, been a fan for a long time.)

I think this is from 2006. Sadly pictures like this cannot be taken anymore!

L is For...

L is for Little Mermaid

Little Mermaid

Yes, Ariel herself. She is the first Disney Princess I really paid attention to. And as much as I love Belle and Rapunzel, Ariel will always be my long standing, loyal to the end, favorite. I can understand her desire for something new, better, different. The hopeless romantic longing for this guy she has been observing for so long. Not to mention her awesome singing voice!

As a bonus the movie is awesome, and now Disneyland (and soon to be Disney World) FINALLY has a Little Mermaid ride!! It is a good ride, a short journey through the film. Not as creepy as the pic below might seem!!

Scene from the Little Mermiad ride... straight out of the movie

K is For...

K is for King of Hearts

Look behind the card - there is the king! Photo from Flickr

Specifically - the King of Hearts is the Alice in Wonderland ride at Disneyland -  another example of little details that make Disney stand out. The ride itself is fabulous, and as your caterpillar turns through the Queen of Hearts' garden, you hear a voice saying "three cheers for the queen!" and there are a lot of loud cheers. Then the voice continues, "And the king!" and one lonely voice replies "Hooray!" Every time it just cracks me up! You continue onto the next scene, and there in the background is this tiny little king behind this tall podium. Love it!!

photo by Loren Javier on Flickr

J is For...

J is for Jungle Cruise

Cannot believe that I could not find ONE Jungle Cruise pic in all of our pics! This one is from myfourthirds

Let's bring this thing back to the parks, shall we? The Jungle Cruise is a classic ride - educational (who knew there was only one Africa Bull elephant in the world... oh, wait....), funny (don't try this at home - you'll hit your head on the back of the sink!), and "punderful" (He'll get his point across... in the end). A lot of the ride depends on the skipper, but I find it always enjoyable. And at night, you get an entirely different experience. I also like how the Disneyland and WDW versions are similar but not the same. I do like WDW's version better!

This was about all I had from the Jungle Cruise!

I is for...

I is for I See The Light

Another thing I love about Disney is how great their songs are. The people who write songs for Disney movies are so good at choosing the right words - funny, serious, romantic... so many of their songs have such a great meaning. When I first saw the movie Rapunzel, I was 5 months pregnant, and the song I See the Light resonated with me. It is a love song between the two main characters - but it also translated to the love I had for my unborn child. Disney songs are so universal.

Here are the lyrics:


All those days watching from the windows
All those years outside looking in
All that time never even knowing
Just how blind I've been
Now I'm here, blinking in the starlight
Now I'm here, suddenly I see
Standing here, it's all so clear
I'm where I'm meant to be

And at last I see the light
And it's like the fog has lifted
And at last I see the light
And it's like the sky is new
And it's warm and real and bright
And the world has somehow shifted

All at once everything looks different
Now that I see you

Eugene(Flynn):
All those days chasing down a daydream
All those years living in a blur
All that time never truly seeing
Things, the way they were
Now she's here shining in the starlight
Now she's here, suddenly I know

If she's here it's crystal clear
I'm where I'm meant to go

Rapunzel & Eugene (Flynn):
And at last I see the light

Eugene (Flynn):
And it's like the fog is lifted

Rapunzel & Eugene (Flynn):
And at last I see the light

Rapunzel:
And it's like the sky is new

Rapunzel & Eugene (Flynn):
And it's warm and real and bright
And the world has somehow shifted

All at once, everything is different
Now that I see you,
Now that I see you!

H is for...

H is for Hot Dog!

Hot Dog Dance in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

...as in the hot Dog dance from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse! What a catchy tune! Every time we watch the show, we do the hot dog dance. My favorite is dancer is Donald... he cracks me up! This is the perfect rune if you need a quick pick me up. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is a pretty good show, too, fairly interesting even for adults.

Here is a video from the show. The lyrics follow! 



Hot dog! (Hot dog)
Hot dog!

Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggety dog
Now we got ears, it's time for cheers

Hot dog, hot dog, the problem's solved
Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggety dog

Grab my boots and a sandwich
Let's start a parade
Get the coconut drum kit
For Daisy to play

Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggety dog
We're taking off, we're dancing now
Hot dog, leapfrog, and holy cow
Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggety dog

Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggety dog
It's a brand new day
Whatcha waiting for?
Get up, stretch out, stomp on the floor

Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggety dog
Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggety dog
We're splitting the scene
We're full of beans

So long for now from Mickey Mouse (That's me!)
And the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

(lyrics by they must Be Giants)

G is for...

Catchup number 2...

G is for Goofy!

Mardi Gras Goofy!

My favorite Fab Five character. I have been a fan of his for a long time! I like how he is funny and messes up a lot but doesn't let it phase him! Plus he is adorable!!

Showing Goofy some love!

F is For...

Back on track after the past few crazy days, here is catch up post #1:

F is for.. Figaro's Feet

from dpasmagic. look in the bottom left corner. for the cuteness...

There are some rides that have cute little feature or extras away from the main part of the ride. For instance, on Pinocchio's Daring Journey in Disneyland, in the second to last scene, the main action is shown above - the Blue Fairy, Geppetto, Pinocchio... and down on the floor at the at the end of the scene, little kitty Figaro, snuggled in bed with his kitty feet moving back and forth. It is one thing i look for every time I ride. That is one reason why I love Disney - so many little details that actually do make a difference.

I was considering using Figaro Fries for this post... Oh I miss them!!!