As I talked about in my AVATAR opinion post, Lou Mongello had a few good points in his newscast video, so I thought I would share it with those who have not watched his newscast before. Make sure to check out all of Lou's videos and mass amounts of information on his site, www.wdwradio.com.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Disney Driven Life News Post
The news article for this week on the Disney Driven Life is about, you guessed it, AVATAR! Get the scoop here. Make sure to check the site as well whenever news breaks about the new "Avatar Land" or any other Disney news.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
My Say on "Avatar Land"
I've had people ask, so here it is, my opinion on yesterday's big announcment:
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Yes, that's right, I don't have an opinion as of right now. Why you might ask? Well, for starters, I have never seen the movie Avatar! (Yea, I know, cone of shame and all that jazz) I just never found it over the top appealing or had a need to watch it. This announcement has certainly given me the motivation to watch it, and I plan to, hopefully as a group, but I will get to that later.
For those of you who are upset, I pose a question to you.....why?? It is not like groaning about it is going to change anything, Disney is going to do what they want and what they feel will be best overall for their park and company. A few griping guests is not going to change their mind. And besides, even if you decide to never set foot on "Avatar Land", it's not like you will stop giving them money in other ways.
The addition of this land to Animal Kingdom completes the original plans of the park. Creatures of the past, present and fantasy were to be represented within the park and, while many have said they would have rather seen the originally planned Beastly Kingdom, "Avatar Land" does fit the bill for this category.
Ok, before I continue, I do have to give my one actual beef with the whole announcement. I am really, REALLY hoping that "Avatar Land" is a working title for the project and not what it will actually be called, because it's kinda lame and WDI can do better than that.
Ok, moving on...
For those griping about Disney pulling ideas from outside sources, Lou Mongello pointed out that Disney has been doing this FOREVER! Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, it's not like those are original stories from the mind of Walt, he just put his spin on the classic story. Disney has found a story they believe will stand the test of time and have come up with ways to incorporate the story into the parks. Lou also made the point that Cameron, like the people at Disney, is a story teller and will do what he can to stand by a story. We must remember, this is not just some ho-hum director getting with a mediocre theme park, this is James Cameron and his imagination getting with the talents and imaginations of the Disney imagineers, the guys who get paid to imagine! Combining these elements and getting a ho-hum result just seems illogical. Once Lou gets this week's newscast up, I will post it here for you to enjoy and hopefully to help some see the pros and optimistic side of this endeavor.
A practical reason for putting this update in Animal Kingdom? It needs it BADLY! This park is considered by many to be merely a half-day park with very few E-ticket attractions. Guests have been calling for an addition to this park for a long time now it has finally come to be! This could even open the opportunity for extended park hours in Animal Kingdom, especially if the plans for the land call for some kind of glowing forest! They could close the safari earlier so that the animals will be taken care of, but leave the rest of the park open later for more experience. Plus, the opening of this area will give the E-ticket potential and distraction needed to put Expedition Everest under refurb and allow for the much needed fix for the Disco Yeti problem! (For those unaware, the short of it is that the Yeti in the attraction was way cool until his foundation broke causing him not to be able to function properly and the only way to remedy the situation is to shut the entire ride down for months in order to break through the main foundations to the Yeti foundation, repair it and fix the other foundations again.)
Why was this not announced at the D23 Expo last month? This is all merely speculation by the way, but my first idea was that they did not want to cause major outrage at the Expo like what was seen at the announcement and through social media. I don't think they were prepared for a riot at the Expo. Another thought, and one I actually stand by moreso, they were going to announce it, but pulled it out of the show at the last second. They were prepared to announce it during the Parks and Resorts event, but there were negotiations going on still, so when the Expo came up ad they negotiations were not finished, they pulled the announcement. This would explain the sudden cut of the Parks and Resorts program by a half an hour days before the Expo.
I know there is a lot here, I am just trying to help people see what could be the positives of this announcement, even if they are not fans of the movie. As soon as change is announced, people tend to immediately get upset about it, but we really have nothing to get upset about right now. There are no plans, we have no idea what they are going to start building since they wont be moving any dirt until 2013, so there is plenty of time to be calm and think about the possibilities before having to freak out. Remember Magic, Memories and You; people freaked when that was announced, talking about how dumb it was and being negative, but now it is really a beloved feature of the parks and a great show of technology.
The biggest realization of this whole thing: This is Disney we are talking about!! Haven't they earned our trust by now? Yes, the Pepto-Bismol castle, Stitch's SuperSonic Celebration and the second iteration of Journey into Imagination were a few dark spots, but I think they're positive decisions FAR outweigh the negative ones. For now, I am putting my trust in Disney to plan something spectacular.
......................................
Yes, that's right, I don't have an opinion as of right now. Why you might ask? Well, for starters, I have never seen the movie Avatar! (Yea, I know, cone of shame and all that jazz) I just never found it over the top appealing or had a need to watch it. This announcement has certainly given me the motivation to watch it, and I plan to, hopefully as a group, but I will get to that later.
For those of you who are upset, I pose a question to you.....why?? It is not like groaning about it is going to change anything, Disney is going to do what they want and what they feel will be best overall for their park and company. A few griping guests is not going to change their mind. And besides, even if you decide to never set foot on "Avatar Land", it's not like you will stop giving them money in other ways.
The addition of this land to Animal Kingdom completes the original plans of the park. Creatures of the past, present and fantasy were to be represented within the park and, while many have said they would have rather seen the originally planned Beastly Kingdom, "Avatar Land" does fit the bill for this category.
Ok, before I continue, I do have to give my one actual beef with the whole announcement. I am really, REALLY hoping that "Avatar Land" is a working title for the project and not what it will actually be called, because it's kinda lame and WDI can do better than that.
Ok, moving on...
For those griping about Disney pulling ideas from outside sources, Lou Mongello pointed out that Disney has been doing this FOREVER! Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, it's not like those are original stories from the mind of Walt, he just put his spin on the classic story. Disney has found a story they believe will stand the test of time and have come up with ways to incorporate the story into the parks. Lou also made the point that Cameron, like the people at Disney, is a story teller and will do what he can to stand by a story. We must remember, this is not just some ho-hum director getting with a mediocre theme park, this is James Cameron and his imagination getting with the talents and imaginations of the Disney imagineers, the guys who get paid to imagine! Combining these elements and getting a ho-hum result just seems illogical. Once Lou gets this week's newscast up, I will post it here for you to enjoy and hopefully to help some see the pros and optimistic side of this endeavor.
A practical reason for putting this update in Animal Kingdom? It needs it BADLY! This park is considered by many to be merely a half-day park with very few E-ticket attractions. Guests have been calling for an addition to this park for a long time now it has finally come to be! This could even open the opportunity for extended park hours in Animal Kingdom, especially if the plans for the land call for some kind of glowing forest! They could close the safari earlier so that the animals will be taken care of, but leave the rest of the park open later for more experience. Plus, the opening of this area will give the E-ticket potential and distraction needed to put Expedition Everest under refurb and allow for the much needed fix for the Disco Yeti problem! (For those unaware, the short of it is that the Yeti in the attraction was way cool until his foundation broke causing him not to be able to function properly and the only way to remedy the situation is to shut the entire ride down for months in order to break through the main foundations to the Yeti foundation, repair it and fix the other foundations again.)
Why was this not announced at the D23 Expo last month? This is all merely speculation by the way, but my first idea was that they did not want to cause major outrage at the Expo like what was seen at the announcement and through social media. I don't think they were prepared for a riot at the Expo. Another thought, and one I actually stand by moreso, they were going to announce it, but pulled it out of the show at the last second. They were prepared to announce it during the Parks and Resorts event, but there were negotiations going on still, so when the Expo came up ad they negotiations were not finished, they pulled the announcement. This would explain the sudden cut of the Parks and Resorts program by a half an hour days before the Expo.
I know there is a lot here, I am just trying to help people see what could be the positives of this announcement, even if they are not fans of the movie. As soon as change is announced, people tend to immediately get upset about it, but we really have nothing to get upset about right now. There are no plans, we have no idea what they are going to start building since they wont be moving any dirt until 2013, so there is plenty of time to be calm and think about the possibilities before having to freak out. Remember Magic, Memories and You; people freaked when that was announced, talking about how dumb it was and being negative, but now it is really a beloved feature of the parks and a great show of technology.
The biggest realization of this whole thing: This is Disney we are talking about!! Haven't they earned our trust by now? Yes, the Pepto-Bismol castle, Stitch's SuperSonic Celebration and the second iteration of Journey into Imagination were a few dark spots, but I think they're positive decisions FAR outweigh the negative ones. For now, I am putting my trust in Disney to plan something spectacular.
This Week's It Came from Disney
My article this week for DisneyDispatch.com is all about a great Disney wallet from a surprisingly non-Disney source! What am I talking about? Find out in my article! Don't forget to check out the other great articles on the Disney Dispatch, including stories from Disney Legends Rolly Crump, Tom Nabbe and Charlie Ridgway!
Monday, September 19, 2011
This week's Mouse Meals
This week on Mouse Meals, I talked about my experience at the Blue Bayou in Disneyland! Here are some of my pictures from my dinner there! To hear about my experience, tune into Mouse Meals on Magic 24.7 at 12 pm Pacific (3 pm Eastern). Visit VacationSuperstation.com for information.
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| Such an elegant area |
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| The view from my seat, we were right by the door |
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| The lamps add for a great atmosphere |
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| Part of the Bayou area where Pirates of the Caribbean begins |
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| The water with one of the POTC boats |
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| Into the restaurant |
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| Salad that came with my meal |
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| Filet Minion |
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| My First Time Visitor Mousse! |
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Lion King 3D Review
The line for The Lion King 3D was incredibly long and I believe it maxed out at the D23 Expo, so my only chance to see it was in the theaters these next two weeks.
The film is the original version show in theaters in 1996, so the new song "Morning Report" was not included. For me this was a moot point; if they included it, awesome, if not, not a huge loss. The film itself is quite clear because of the switch to digital for the sake of the 3D. The usage of 3D is strictly for depth, though there are a couple places where objects or faces do pop out at you, like Zazu's tail feathers, but this seems strictly coincidental. The friend I went with said that he noticed a couple parts in the movie where the picture seemed a little distorted from being in 3D, but I honestly did not notice these times and it did not take away from the movie.
I didn't realize until I got home, but the really cool themed 3D glasses I picked up to use were technically for children, though they did fit me fine. They have a little Simba on the front and one of the arms says "The Lion King 3D". I thought they were really cool!
My total opinion: It was cool to see The Lion King on the big screen again; when it came out in 1996 it was the 2nd movie I had ever seen in theaters and my sister's first. The 3D was a unique way to see the film, but it did little for me honestly. If you are a big Lion King fan or just want to see the film on the big screen again, I say go for it. Otherwise, I would say put the $13 a ticket towards something else, like buying Lion King on Blu-Ray to get all the awesome features that comes with that, or put it towards your next Walt Disney World vacation and see the Festival of the Lion King show.
The film is the original version show in theaters in 1996, so the new song "Morning Report" was not included. For me this was a moot point; if they included it, awesome, if not, not a huge loss. The film itself is quite clear because of the switch to digital for the sake of the 3D. The usage of 3D is strictly for depth, though there are a couple places where objects or faces do pop out at you, like Zazu's tail feathers, but this seems strictly coincidental. The friend I went with said that he noticed a couple parts in the movie where the picture seemed a little distorted from being in 3D, but I honestly did not notice these times and it did not take away from the movie.
My total opinion: It was cool to see The Lion King on the big screen again; when it came out in 1996 it was the 2nd movie I had ever seen in theaters and my sister's first. The 3D was a unique way to see the film, but it did little for me honestly. If you are a big Lion King fan or just want to see the film on the big screen again, I say go for it. Otherwise, I would say put the $13 a ticket towards something else, like buying Lion King on Blu-Ray to get all the awesome features that comes with that, or put it towards your next Walt Disney World vacation and see the Festival of the Lion King show.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Books, Art and Everyone's Favorite Catchy Tune!
I heard about this event and just had to share! The upcoming release of the new Disney Press children's book "It's a Small World" is being celebrated in style at Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra, California.
Starting Saturday the 17th, artwork will be displayed throughout the gallery all with the theme of global peace to celebrate the release of Disney Press' "It's a Small World", a children's book made using the Sherman Brothers' famous lyrics and illustrated by artist Joey Chou. The exhibit features artwork from 45 artists, including Chou, all taking their inspiration from the Disney Parks attraction.
The Opening Reception is Saturday the 17th from 7pm to 10pm and will not only have some of the artists present, but will feature a book signing with Joey Chou as well as a raffle with one of the prizes being a signed copy of "It's a Small World". Admission is free and refreshment will be served. Click Here to see the event page and to pre-order your copy of the book.
What a great theme for an art exhibit with some Disney flair! If it wasn't on the other side of the country, I would so be there. I told someone at the gallery this and they let me know that a preview of some of the artwork that would be at the show was available on their website! I looked at the pieces and was amazed at how much they reminded me of sitting on that boat in that classic attraction! The colors and the faces of the children featured in some of the pieces brought a smile to my face. Check out the preview by clicking this link. Let me know what you think about the pieces as well! Do you get the same familiar feeling as I do?
If you are in the Alhambra, California area, I would definitely urge you to stop by this exhibit. After the opening on Saturday night, the exhibit is available to view every day until October 3rd. Visit www.gallerynucleus.com for directions and other information regarding the gallery.
Starting Saturday the 17th, artwork will be displayed throughout the gallery all with the theme of global peace to celebrate the release of Disney Press' "It's a Small World", a children's book made using the Sherman Brothers' famous lyrics and illustrated by artist Joey Chou. The exhibit features artwork from 45 artists, including Chou, all taking their inspiration from the Disney Parks attraction.
The Opening Reception is Saturday the 17th from 7pm to 10pm and will not only have some of the artists present, but will feature a book signing with Joey Chou as well as a raffle with one of the prizes being a signed copy of "It's a Small World". Admission is free and refreshment will be served. Click Here to see the event page and to pre-order your copy of the book.
What a great theme for an art exhibit with some Disney flair! If it wasn't on the other side of the country, I would so be there. I told someone at the gallery this and they let me know that a preview of some of the artwork that would be at the show was available on their website! I looked at the pieces and was amazed at how much they reminded me of sitting on that boat in that classic attraction! The colors and the faces of the children featured in some of the pieces brought a smile to my face. Check out the preview by clicking this link. Let me know what you think about the pieces as well! Do you get the same familiar feeling as I do?
If you are in the Alhambra, California area, I would definitely urge you to stop by this exhibit. After the opening on Saturday night, the exhibit is available to view every day until October 3rd. Visit www.gallerynucleus.com for directions and other information regarding the gallery.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
unKNOWN Actors: Bill Thompson
For our unKnown actor this week, we have a man of many voices and accents. He has been featured in many different Disney films over a span of 20 years playing several characters that Disney fans have grown to love. This man is Bill Thompson, born July 8, 1913 in Indiana and died July 15, 1971 in Los Angeles. Besides his Disney roles, Bill is also known for providing the lovable monotone voice for Droopy the dog in all of his cartoons throughout the 1940s and 1950s.
Bill’s bit with Disney started in 1951 with Alice in Wonderland. He voiced the frantic White Rabbit and the know-it-all Dodo.
The same year, he was in the Walt Disney Christmas Show, which was a TV movie, as the character Willoughby.
1953 was Bill’s next voice stint, bringing the gullible yet lovable Mr. Smee to life in Peter Pan. He also voiced a few of the other pirates as needed, though he was not credited for them.
In the 1953 short Ben and Me, Bill gave his voice to some of the background characters and to Governor Keith.
Lady and the Tramp (1955) would not be the same without Bill’s voice talents because he did a handful of the characters in that film! His main character was the scotty dog Jock, but he also voiced Bull the Bull Terrier, the Policeman at the Zoo, Dachsie and Joe.
Four years later, we hear him in Sleeping Beauty, giving a voice to Prince Phillip’s father, King Hubert.
There was a long break before his next Disney film, which came as a short film in 1967. He voiced Scrooge McDuck in Scrooge McDuck and Money.
There were two characters that Bill brought to Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color throughout its broadcast. Those characters were Ranger J Audubon Woodlore and an Ajax Employment Agency Proprietor.
Bill’s last Disney film came the year before his death, in 1970, where he had a short yet memorable voice part as Uncle Waldo in The Aristocats. It was a small part, but I know that is one that my sister and I laugh at every time we watch it! "Neighbourhood!!"
I hope you are enjoying reading about all of the different actors throughout Disney history and how they shared their many talents with us and future generations!
Bill’s bit with Disney started in 1951 with Alice in Wonderland. He voiced the frantic White Rabbit and the know-it-all Dodo.
The same year, he was in the Walt Disney Christmas Show, which was a TV movie, as the character Willoughby.
1953 was Bill’s next voice stint, bringing the gullible yet lovable Mr. Smee to life in Peter Pan. He also voiced a few of the other pirates as needed, though he was not credited for them.
In the 1953 short Ben and Me, Bill gave his voice to some of the background characters and to Governor Keith.
Lady and the Tramp (1955) would not be the same without Bill’s voice talents because he did a handful of the characters in that film! His main character was the scotty dog Jock, but he also voiced Bull the Bull Terrier, the Policeman at the Zoo, Dachsie and Joe.
Four years later, we hear him in Sleeping Beauty, giving a voice to Prince Phillip’s father, King Hubert.
There was a long break before his next Disney film, which came as a short film in 1967. He voiced Scrooge McDuck in Scrooge McDuck and Money.
There were two characters that Bill brought to Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color throughout its broadcast. Those characters were Ranger J Audubon Woodlore and an Ajax Employment Agency Proprietor.
Bill’s last Disney film came the year before his death, in 1970, where he had a short yet memorable voice part as Uncle Waldo in The Aristocats. It was a small part, but I know that is one that my sister and I laugh at every time we watch it! "Neighbourhood!!"
I hope you are enjoying reading about all of the different actors throughout Disney history and how they shared their many talents with us and future generations!
Monday, September 12, 2011
Why I am Not Applying for Mom's Panel
Yes, you read that right, I am not applying for the Mom's Panel this year. I enjoyed the application experience for the most part last year, outside of the waiting period and anxiety associated with it, but I have decided to skip it for this year. No, I am not being a quitter, and I am not scared of not being accepted. I am not applying this year because I am focusing on applying to Disney in another way....a more permanent way.
My ultimate dream is to work in the parks, to be a cast member, and I realized that if I applied for the Mom's Panel, I really wouldn't be able to focus on my ultimate goal as much. Where would I like to work in the parks? Well, I would be happy just about anywhere really, but what I am working to apply for is the Disney Youth Programs. I feel that my Education degree will really shine working with one of these programs (plus, it won't make my family feel as bad for paying for me to get a degree for me to "just work at Disney").
This process of applying could take a while, but I am willing to stick it out because I know it is what I want to do and every day of experience I get will get me closer to that dream job. Just thought I would head off any questions by answering it in the blog post now. I would like to wish a BIG Good Luck and send some pixie dust to anyone who is applying for Mom's Panel, Disney would benefit from all of your input and wisdom!
My ultimate dream is to work in the parks, to be a cast member, and I realized that if I applied for the Mom's Panel, I really wouldn't be able to focus on my ultimate goal as much. Where would I like to work in the parks? Well, I would be happy just about anywhere really, but what I am working to apply for is the Disney Youth Programs. I feel that my Education degree will really shine working with one of these programs (plus, it won't make my family feel as bad for paying for me to get a degree for me to "just work at Disney").
This process of applying could take a while, but I am willing to stick it out because I know it is what I want to do and every day of experience I get will get me closer to that dream job. Just thought I would head off any questions by answering it in the blog post now. I would like to wish a BIG Good Luck and send some pixie dust to anyone who is applying for Mom's Panel, Disney would benefit from all of your input and wisdom!
Mouse Meals, Episode 1
Today at 12pm Pacific (3pm Eastern), the first episode of my new show, Mouse Meals, will debut on Magic 24.7!
For those of you who haven't heard of this station yet, its a new Disney internet station that focuses a lot on Disneyland music, with a little of the World thrown in. You can get more information by going to www.VacationSuperstation.com.
My show, Mouse Meals, is all about the food of Disney. From restaurants to recipe reviews and great Disney music, Mouse Meals has everything for the Disney fan with an appetite!
On this week's show, I talked about my first meal ever in Disneyland, a corn dog. Here are some pictures from this surprisingly large meal.
For those of you who haven't heard of this station yet, its a new Disney internet station that focuses a lot on Disneyland music, with a little of the World thrown in. You can get more information by going to www.VacationSuperstation.com.
My show, Mouse Meals, is all about the food of Disney. From restaurants to recipe reviews and great Disney music, Mouse Meals has everything for the Disney fan with an appetite!
On this week's show, I talked about my first meal ever in Disneyland, a corn dog. Here are some pictures from this surprisingly large meal.
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| The corn dog stand is to the right near the end of Main Street, but before the Hub. (P.S., thats the trash can that Marc Lorenzo and I ate on.) |
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| You can get chips or apples with your meal. Tell me that the corn dog does not look like a turkey leg sitting there! Its Huge! |
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Ground Zero, One Year Later
Finally was able to find the pictures I was talking about. During 8th grade, we went on an overnight field trip to New York City and one of the stops on our tour was a visit to Ground Zero. Here are a few pictures that my mother or I took of the area. These pictures were taken a few days before Christmas in 2002.
These last couple pictures are from a trip later on in the school year to Washington DC. These couple artifacts were in a museum, though I am not sure which museum.
These last couple pictures are from a trip later on in the school year to Washington DC. These couple artifacts were in a museum, though I am not sure which museum.
We Will Always Remember
Taking a brief step away from the Disneyness of this blog to talk about what today is all about, remembrance.
Where was I ten years ago? I was in my second week of 7th grade. I was in a new middle school building and was still trying to figure out where everything was. My morning had been normal, went to my first few classes. I remember hearing only one or two people talking about a building being blown up, but I didn't know what the building was, just knew that it was in New York. It quite honestly didn't sound like a big deal to me, I didn't understand that terrorists were involved, I just thought some kind of accident had happened in the building. I really thought nothing of it.
I had my band class over lunch that day, which meant I had the last lunch, the 3rd one. I loved those days because it meant a full hour of band, my favorite. Near the beginning of class, a couple students were called out for an early dismissal. Seemed pretty normal, didn't really think about it. About ten minutes later, four more students had dismissal, and then a few minutes later, a group of three or four more. Every five minutes or so groups of people were being called for early dismissal. This is where I started to get confused; there was no way that many people had doctor appointments and would be pulled out at the same time. This is when the rumors started swirling.
Being in the band class, you had students from all over the building in the same room, so while none of my teachers had the televisions on in the morning, others had and some of the students had seen some of the news footage. There was talk about planes blowing up, buildings blowing up, the Pentagon being blown up, I remember even people talking about the White House and Capitol. Everyone kept saying "blown up" because we hadn't known how the planes were involved, they kept seeing buildings with smoke so they figured explosions.
After band we went to the cafeteria for lunch, where rumors continued to swirl. About five minutes into lunch, my principal walks in and gets us all to stop talking. He tells us that the school was to have early dismissal and the natural reaction from a group of 12 and 13 year olds is to cheer, as some students did. Remember, we really had no idea what was going on. The principal freaked out at this reaction, telling us that something terrible was happening to the country and we were to go directly home to be safe. This sent a hush over the room, we finally knew that something serious had happened, though we still really didn't know what. We were given a few minutes to finish eating and were told to go to our homerooms to await dismissal instruction.
Walking in the halls to our rooms was surreal. I saw teachers and students in groups, some crying. We got our bags from the locker and waited for the announcements. I remember hearing people talking about schools being threatened, which was why we were told to go home. I had a Columbine type situation pictured in my head, which didn't seem to make sense with the other news I had heard. I remember emptying my locker and taking all of my books home even though I didn't have much homework by that point; since I wasn't sure what was going on, I figured that if I had everything with me I would be prepared.
Everyone was dismissed and people started getting on their buses to go home. I was a car rider, carpooled with a friend of mine, so we met up and stood outside. We didn't have cell phones so we were hoping that my mother or her aunt knew to come get us. We figured it would be her aunt because I knew my mother would be taking care of my little sister first because she was only in third grade. After waiting a few minutes, we went inside to ask the office if we could call one of them to make sure they were getting us. They told us that cell phones weren't working because towers were down, so there was no use in calling. We walked back outside and sat on the steps, a little nervous. All the students were gone at this point except for us and while we sat there we saw teachers starting to rush to their cars and leave, none of them really paying much mind to the two of us sitting on the steps.
It was at this point that I started to believe that this was the end of the world. Buildings blowing up, schools being threatened, communication down, to a 13 year old the end of the world seemed like a logical explanation. I felt completely cut off from everyone and everything and I really could not figure out any other way to explain it.
After talking it out, my friend and I decided that the most logical thing to do, since we could not get a hold of anyone, was to start walking to her aunts house. It was a good 5 mile walk and would have taken us a few hours, but since we didn't know what was going on or what to do and almost the entire school was emptied, we decided to take matters into our own hands. We started walking along the path to her house, walking along the road where her aunt or my mother would have seen us if they did end up driving to get us. I think it was at this point, while we were walking and everything was so quiet that I started wondering if anyone was left on Earth. We didn't see a car or anyone else walking along the sidewalk and I remember specifically looking at the sky and not seeing any planes either, which would be a normal thing to see and hear being only about 20 minutes from the Philadelphia airport.
We were only walking a few minutes when my friend's aunt came down the road. Wow was she upset with us for starting to walk, telling us how unsafe it was, but she calmed down quickly when we explained to her why we did it. She drove towards my house, telling me that my mom and sister were already there (my mom had went to pick my sister up from school as I had suspected and had woken my friend's aunt to come get us) and then proceeded to fill us in on what was really going on.
The rest of the day is a blur to me, I don't even remember getting home. I just remember images of me sitting with my mom and sister crying while we watched the television. The images that we all associate with that day flashed on the television over and over again and I tried to understand what was happening. While I knew the hard facts, I could not understand why.
So much has changed in the last ten years, but I think I always will be wondering why, just as I did on that day.
I had seen both Ground Zero and the Pentagon a little over a year later and, if I can find them, I will post the images later for you. If you would like to share your story with me, I would love to hear it. Feel free to post any comments below or, if you would rather share privately, send me an email at lady_aurora_yensid@hotmail.com.
Where was I ten years ago? I was in my second week of 7th grade. I was in a new middle school building and was still trying to figure out where everything was. My morning had been normal, went to my first few classes. I remember hearing only one or two people talking about a building being blown up, but I didn't know what the building was, just knew that it was in New York. It quite honestly didn't sound like a big deal to me, I didn't understand that terrorists were involved, I just thought some kind of accident had happened in the building. I really thought nothing of it.
I had my band class over lunch that day, which meant I had the last lunch, the 3rd one. I loved those days because it meant a full hour of band, my favorite. Near the beginning of class, a couple students were called out for an early dismissal. Seemed pretty normal, didn't really think about it. About ten minutes later, four more students had dismissal, and then a few minutes later, a group of three or four more. Every five minutes or so groups of people were being called for early dismissal. This is where I started to get confused; there was no way that many people had doctor appointments and would be pulled out at the same time. This is when the rumors started swirling.
Being in the band class, you had students from all over the building in the same room, so while none of my teachers had the televisions on in the morning, others had and some of the students had seen some of the news footage. There was talk about planes blowing up, buildings blowing up, the Pentagon being blown up, I remember even people talking about the White House and Capitol. Everyone kept saying "blown up" because we hadn't known how the planes were involved, they kept seeing buildings with smoke so they figured explosions.
After band we went to the cafeteria for lunch, where rumors continued to swirl. About five minutes into lunch, my principal walks in and gets us all to stop talking. He tells us that the school was to have early dismissal and the natural reaction from a group of 12 and 13 year olds is to cheer, as some students did. Remember, we really had no idea what was going on. The principal freaked out at this reaction, telling us that something terrible was happening to the country and we were to go directly home to be safe. This sent a hush over the room, we finally knew that something serious had happened, though we still really didn't know what. We were given a few minutes to finish eating and were told to go to our homerooms to await dismissal instruction.
Walking in the halls to our rooms was surreal. I saw teachers and students in groups, some crying. We got our bags from the locker and waited for the announcements. I remember hearing people talking about schools being threatened, which was why we were told to go home. I had a Columbine type situation pictured in my head, which didn't seem to make sense with the other news I had heard. I remember emptying my locker and taking all of my books home even though I didn't have much homework by that point; since I wasn't sure what was going on, I figured that if I had everything with me I would be prepared.
Everyone was dismissed and people started getting on their buses to go home. I was a car rider, carpooled with a friend of mine, so we met up and stood outside. We didn't have cell phones so we were hoping that my mother or her aunt knew to come get us. We figured it would be her aunt because I knew my mother would be taking care of my little sister first because she was only in third grade. After waiting a few minutes, we went inside to ask the office if we could call one of them to make sure they were getting us. They told us that cell phones weren't working because towers were down, so there was no use in calling. We walked back outside and sat on the steps, a little nervous. All the students were gone at this point except for us and while we sat there we saw teachers starting to rush to their cars and leave, none of them really paying much mind to the two of us sitting on the steps.
It was at this point that I started to believe that this was the end of the world. Buildings blowing up, schools being threatened, communication down, to a 13 year old the end of the world seemed like a logical explanation. I felt completely cut off from everyone and everything and I really could not figure out any other way to explain it.
After talking it out, my friend and I decided that the most logical thing to do, since we could not get a hold of anyone, was to start walking to her aunts house. It was a good 5 mile walk and would have taken us a few hours, but since we didn't know what was going on or what to do and almost the entire school was emptied, we decided to take matters into our own hands. We started walking along the path to her house, walking along the road where her aunt or my mother would have seen us if they did end up driving to get us. I think it was at this point, while we were walking and everything was so quiet that I started wondering if anyone was left on Earth. We didn't see a car or anyone else walking along the sidewalk and I remember specifically looking at the sky and not seeing any planes either, which would be a normal thing to see and hear being only about 20 minutes from the Philadelphia airport.
We were only walking a few minutes when my friend's aunt came down the road. Wow was she upset with us for starting to walk, telling us how unsafe it was, but she calmed down quickly when we explained to her why we did it. She drove towards my house, telling me that my mom and sister were already there (my mom had went to pick my sister up from school as I had suspected and had woken my friend's aunt to come get us) and then proceeded to fill us in on what was really going on.
The rest of the day is a blur to me, I don't even remember getting home. I just remember images of me sitting with my mom and sister crying while we watched the television. The images that we all associate with that day flashed on the television over and over again and I tried to understand what was happening. While I knew the hard facts, I could not understand why.
So much has changed in the last ten years, but I think I always will be wondering why, just as I did on that day.
I had seen both Ground Zero and the Pentagon a little over a year later and, if I can find them, I will post the images later for you. If you would like to share your story with me, I would love to hear it. Feel free to post any comments below or, if you would rather share privately, send me an email at lady_aurora_yensid@hotmail.com.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Magic, Memories and You: DL vs WDW
My first comparison: the celebration show this year, Magic, Memories and You. This show in general is a feat of technology, no matter which park it is seen in and the score always brings a smile to my face. In Walt Disney World, the show is projected on the castle while in Disneyland it is projected on the facade of 'it's a small world'.
Being projected on surfaces of two very different sizes and shapes gives different perspectives to the shows, even though they are relatively the same show. The part of the show where 'it's a small world' plays and the dolls come marching across the building visually makes more sense on the 'small world' facade (naturally) while the scene with the rocket blasting off looks so much cooler on the castle as a tower launching off of the castle.
If you are set on looking for your picture to be in the show, you will have a better chance at that if you are watching the show in Disneyland. The closeness and size of the 'it's a small world' building makes it much easier to spot the pictures, unlike on the castle where the pictures tend to be smaller and harder to see.
So, which one is better? I honestly could not decide. They are both beautiful and have their own highlights. So, I am leaving it up to you to decide. Here are the two videos I took of each show, watch them and leave me a comment letting me know what you think! I would love to hear your thoughts!
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