Changing my Fate

Thought the title was appropriate for the new movie coming out soon (which I am very excited to see by the way) and for the news I am about to share.

For the past year, I have been working as a special education teacher and, while I love my kids with all my heart and love teaching them, the school and politics within caused several problems for me. The environment became uncomfortable and I did not feel like I was able to give my all to what I was doing. So I began searching for somewhere that might allow me to grow and learn, to challenge me and work to my full potential.

After lots of work and searching and a lot of help from some great friends, I am happy to announce that, after my WDW trip with my sister this week, I will be starting a brand new adventure in Florida. In the next several weeks, I will be moving into my new apartment in Kissimmee, FL.

That is not all though; As of the first week in July, I will begin my training for a new position...working in Hollywood Studios! I am excited to be within this park, not because it is my favorite park-actually the opposite-I do not know much about the Studios and hope to learn more and get a better appreciation for it.  It is an attractions position, but I look at it as a starting point on a huge opportunity to grow within the company. I had always hoped that this would become a reality and now it finally has!

I will still be working for Celebrations (though, over the next few weeks, please be patient with me as far as answering emails and interacting via Social Media) and I still hope to blog and interact, hopefully more now that I will be close to the magic. I want to make Twitterscursions a regular thing that I do hopefully a couple times a month so that I can bring the magic more to those of you who live farther away.

I will be at least tweeting along on my moving journey, so please follow along! I am naturally nervous, but am looking forward to sharing this new adventure with you! :)

Disney Bucket List Update

I figured now was a good time to update the Disney Bucket List; I have stayed in a couple new hotels, had a new drink and ran in another Disney race since my last post. Besides, I am aware of some BIG changes to this list coming soon, so I thought I should give it an update now before the big hit.....more info on that later, but for now, the list!

Disney Bucket List

1. Move to Florida

2. Work for Walt Disney World in Any Capacity

3. Work for Youth Services for Walt Disney World

4. Take a Picture in front of Walt Disney World’s Castle

5. Take a Picture in front of Disneyland’s Castle

6. Take a Picture in front of Disneyland Paris’ Castle

7. Take a Picture in front of Hong Kong Disneyland’s Castle

8. Take a Picture in front of Tokyo Disneyland’s Castle

9. Take a Picture in front of Shanghai Disneyland’s Castle

10 See It’s A Small World in Disneyland Paris

11. Eat at every restaurant in Epcot: Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, Biergarten, Bistro De Paris, Chefs De France, La Hacienda De San Angel, Le Cellier, Nine Dragons, Marrakesh, Rose and Crown, San Angel Inn, Teppan Edo, Tokyo Dining, Tutto Italia, Via Napoli

12. Have a drink in each country in Epcot: Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, USA, Japan, Morocco, France, UK, Canada

13. Drink around the world completely in one day, but remember it

14. Get a picture with Mickey in each Disney Park

15. Get 999,999 on Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin

16. Get 999,999 on Toy Story Midway Mania

17. Stay at every Walt Disney World Resort: Pop Century, All Star Sports, All Star Music, All Star Movies, Art of Animation Resort, Port Orleans French Quarter, Port Orleans Riverside, Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs, Contemporary, Old Key West, Polynesian, Wilderness Lodge, Grand Floridian, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Saratoga Springs, Beach Club, Yacht Club, Boardwalk

18. Stay at every Disneyland Resort

19. Eat at Victoria and Alberts

20. Run in a race through each Walt Disney World Park: AK, MK, DHS, Epcot

21. Run in a race through each Disneyland Park

22. Get the Coast to Coast medal

23. See all of the movies in world Showcase: Canada, France, Norway, China

24. Do a Drawing at the Animation Studios

25. Spend an entire day in Animal Kingdom

26. Rent a Boat

27. Tour the Cinderella Castle Suite and the Dream Suite

28. Spend a holiday in each park

29. Try on a Kimono

30. Tour Animal Kingdom with Joe Rohde

31. Do every tour that Disney offers: Wild Africa Tour, Backstage Safari, Wild by Design, Backstage Magic, Disney’s Family Magic Tour, Keys to the Kingdom, Marceline to Magic Kingdom Tour, The Magic Behind Our Steam Trains Tour, Holiday D-Lights, Yuletide Fantasy, Around the World at Epcot, Gardens of the World, Behind the Seeds at Epcot, Dolphins in Depth, Epcot DiveQuest, Seas Aqua Tour, UnDISCOVERed Future World

32. Take the Haunted Mansion cast member tour

33. Go to Chip and Dale’s Sing A Long

34. Spend an entire day in the Magic Kingdom Train Station

35. Spend an entire day in the MK Rose Garden

Disney Bucket List

I have been working on this Bucket List for a few weeks now, but after hearing Krystal on Magic 24.7 talking about it recently, I decided it would be a good idea to post my list. I figure, as I cross things off, I can update it and see how far I get. Feel free to leave me feedback on what you think of my bucket list and what ideas you have for me to add to it.

Disney Bucket List

1. Move to Florida

2. Work for Walt Disney World in Any Capacity

3. Work for Youth Services for Walt Disney World

4. Take a Picture in front of Walt Disney World’s Castle

5. Take a Picture in front of Disneyland’s Castle

6. Take a Picture in front of Disneyland Paris’ Castle

7. Take a Picture in front of Hong Kong Disneyland’s Castle

8. Take a Picture in front of Tokyo Disneyland’s Castle

9. Take a Picture in front of Shanghai Disneyland’s Castle

10 See It’s A Small World in Disneyland Paris

11. Eat at every restaurant in Epcot: Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, Biergarten, Bistro De Paris, Chefs De France, La Hacienda De San Angel, Le Cellier, Nine Dragons, Marrakesh, Rose and Crown, San Angel Inn, Teppan Edo, Tokyo Dining, Tutto Italia, Via Napoli

12. Have a drink in each country in Epcot: Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, USA, Japan, Morocco, France, UK, Canada

13. Drink around the world completely in one day, but remember it

14. Get a picture with Mickey in each Disney Park

15. Get 999,999 on Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin

16. Get 999,999 on Toy Story Midway Mania

17. Stay at every Walt Disney World Resort: Pop Century, All Star Sports, All Star Music, All Star Movies, Art of Animation Resort, Port Orleans French Quarter, Port Orleans Riverside, Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs, Contemporary, Old Key West, Polynesian, Wilderness Lodge, Grand Floridian, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Saratoga Springs, Beach Club, Yacht Club, Boardwalk

18. Stay at every Disneyland Resort

19. Eat at Victoria and Alberts

20. Run in a marathon through each Walt Disney World Park: AK, MK, DHS, Epcot

21. Run in a marathon through each Disneyland Park

22. Get the Coast to Coast medal

23. See all of the movies in world Showcase: Canada, France, Norway, China

24. Do a Drawing at the Animation Studios

25. Spend an entire day in Animal Kingdom

26. Rent a Boat

27. Tour the Cinderella Castle Suite and the Dream Suite

28. Spend a holiday in each park

29. Try on a Kimono

30. Tour Animal Kingdom with Joe Rohde

31. Do every tour that Disney offers: Wild Africa Tour, Backstage Safari, Wild by Design, Backstage Magic, Disney’s Family Magic Tour, Keys to the Kingdom, Marceline to Magic Kingdom Tour, The Magic Behind Our Steam Trains Tour, Holiday D-Lights, Yuletide Fantasy, Around the World at Epcot, Gardens of the World, Behind the Seeds at Epcot, Dolphins in Depth, Epcot DiveQuest, Seas Aqua Tour, UnDISCOVERed Future World

32. Take the Haunted Mansion cast member tour

How Disney Married Us...Unofficially

Had to throw that unofficially in there before I gave anyone a heart attack.  No, Chris and I are not engaged or married, unless you ask a couple Magic Kingdom cast members who seem to think otherwise. 

It all began right before our trip; my cousin is getting married and was thinking about going to Walt Disney World for her honeymoon.  She wanted me to pick up some information for her while I was there, if there was any.  I didn’t mind at all, but I was not sure where to look.  The couple times I went to Franck’s it was closed and when I asked at the concierge at Wilderness Lodge, all they did was hand me a piece of paper that basically said “Call this number”. So Chris and I thought that maybe the City Hall in Magic Kingdom would be a good place to check.

We walked into Magic Kingdom one night after our dinner at Ohana’s and walked over to City Hall.  After waiting a minute or so, a woman came up to us and asked what we needed.  I asked “Do you have any information on honeymoons?”, what I thought to be a simple, non-implied question.  She thinks for a second and says she is not sure, goes behind the desk and calls us up to it.  She asks how long we would be still in the parks to which we replied just one more day, as it was near the end of our trip. She looks through a few things and speaks with her fellow cast member standing next to her, though we cannot hear what they are saying until he says “Can you do that?” and she replies “I don’t know, but I am going to try” and walks to the back room.

The male cast member behind the desk makes small talk with Chris and I, asking if we have seen the Main Street Electrical Parade or Fantasmic yet, to which we replied that we had seen everything expect Fantasmic, which we were seeing tomorrow, on our last day.  

The woman walks back and forth a few more times between the back room and then comes out to us, saying that she cannot get ahold of the manager at Hollywood Studios, so we would have to do this the long way.  She has me fill out a slip with my name, address and phone number on it and then begins plugging things into the computer. Up to this point, Chris and I thought she was merely arranging for us to pick up information at the studios tomorrow. 

The cast member then pulls out a booklet and begins writing on a carbon copied sheet, rips out two of them and hands us these yellow slips of paper. “This one is for a free ice cream for each of you and this one is for a free soda or water, both to be used in the Magic Kingdom tonight” she says and we, through shocked faces, thanked her very much for them.  I did not know what this had to do with my question, Chris and I assumed they were giving this to us because we stumped them with a question and they had no information on honeymoons. She then pulls out this other slip of paper; “If you guys take this number to Guest Relations tomorrow at Hollywood Studios, they will give you free Fast Passes for rides of your choice”.  Chris and I were in full shock now! We thanked her very much and realized we must have really stumped her…until her next statement…

“We don’t have any information on honeymoons, but we love helping you guys out” and with this, she pulled out two “Just Married” pins and handed them to us.

……………..

Yea, that’s about all we could say….we must have stared at her for a good five seconds…What made her assume that we were married? All I asked for was honeymoon information, if I was on my honeymoon, why would I need the information?? 

We took the pins, thanked her again and walked out onto Main Street.  Chris could barely contain his laughter! He turns to me and explains that she must have thought we wanted information on what we could do during our honeymoon now or if there was any special things for honeymooners to do. 

So that is how Chris and I got unofficially married by Disney.  In the end, it is a good tip for those who are on their honeymoon; Get those “Just Married” pins, they will get you sooo much free stuff! No, we did not wear the pins, we did not feel it was right to lie to people like that, but you can guarantee that when we do get married someday, we will have those pins for sure!

Oscar Nods for Disney!

The Press Release, which came out today from Disney, excitedly announces the 12 Oscar Nominations that Disney and Pixar have received! Read to find out more:

THE Walt disney studios Celebrates
12 Oscar^® Nominations for TOY STORY 3,
ALICE IN WONDERLAND AND MORE     
Disney•Pixar animated film earns Best Picture nomination for second straight year

BURBANK, Calif. – January 25, 2011 – The Walt Disney Studios is proud to announce its 2010 films have earned 12 Oscar^® nominations. Today, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced five nominations for Disney•Pixar’s Toy Story 3, including for the coveted title of Best Picture; three for Alice in Wonderland, and one each for Day & Night, Tangled, The Tempest and TRON: Legacy.

“2010 was a banner year for The Walt Disney Studios, and we are thrilled that the Academy has chosen to recognize both our animated blockbusters Toy Story 3 and Tangled and our live-action hits Alice in Wonderland and TRON: Legacy for their artistry, technical achievements and storytelling,” said Rich Ross, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios.

Toy Story 3 marks only the third time in history that Academy members have honored an animated film in the Best Picture category. It also earned a nomination for Adapted Screenplay – making it the fourth consecutive screenplay nomination for a Disney•Pixar film. The Toy Story trilogy’s tally of Oscar nominations now stands at nine.

Commenting on the announcement, John Lasseter, chief creative officer for Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, said, “To have Toy Story 3 represented in the Best Picture category is a great honor, and a fitting tribute to director Lee Unkrich, producer Darla Anderson, screenwriter Michael Arndt, and all of the talented people at Pixar, who worked so hard to live up to and exceed the standards and expectations of Toy Story fans and moviegoers all over the world.” 

A summary of nominations for The Walt Disney Studios is as follows:

Toy Story 3

Best Motion Picture of the Year - Toy Story 3 (Walt Disney) A Pixar Production
Darla K. Anderson, Producer

Best Animated Feature Film of the Year - Toy Story 3 (Walt Disney) Lee Unkrich

Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song) – “We Belong Together” from Toy Story 3 (Walt Disney) Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

Achievement in Sound Editing - Toy Story 3 (Walt Disney) Tom Myers and Michael Silvers

Adapted Screenplay - Toy Story 3 (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Michael Arndt. Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich

Alice in Wonderland
Art Direction - Alice in Wonderland (Walt Disney), Robert Stromberg (Production Design), Karen O’Hara (Set Decoration)

Achievement in Costume Design - Alice in Wonderland (Walt Disney) Colleen Atwood

Achievement in Visual Effects - Alice in Wonderland (Walt Disney) Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips

Day & Night
Best Animated Short Film - Day & Night (Walt Disney) A Pixar Animation Studios Production Teddy Newton

Tangled
Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Song) – “I See the Light” from Tangled (Walt Disney) Music by Alan Menken; Lyric by Glenn Slater

The Tempest
Achievement in Costume Design - The Tempest (Touchstone) Sandy Powell

TRON: Legacy
Achievement in Sound Editing - TRON: Legacy (Walt Disney) Gwendolyn Yates Whittle and Addison Teague

12 Days of Disney Christmas

This year, I have decided to take a popular Christmas carol, The 12 Days of Christmas, and Disneyfy it! Are any of these gifts on your Christmas list??

On the First day of Christmas, my true love gave to me
A Figment Ornament for the Tree!

On the Second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,
Two Turkey Legs
And a Figment ornament for the tree!

On the Third Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,
Three Dole Whips
Two Turkey Legs
And a Figment ornament for the tree!

On the Fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,
Four Thrilling Mountains
Three Dole Whips
Two Turkey Legs
And a Figment ornament for the tree!

On the Fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,
Five Fast Passes!!
Four Thrilling Mountains
Three Dole Whips
Two Turkey Legs
And a Figment ornament for the tree!

On the Sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,
Six Rides on Soarin'
Five Fast Passes!!
Four Thrilling Mountains
Three Dole Whips
Two Turkey Legs
And a Figment ornament for the tree!

On the Seventh Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,
Seven Main Street Cookies
Six Rides on Soarin'
Five Fast Passes!!
Four Thrilling Mountains
Three Dole Whips
Two Turkey Legs
And a Figment ornament for the tree!

On the Eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,
Eight Club Cool Sodas
Seven Main Street Cookies
Six Rides on Soarin'
Five Fast Passes!!
Four Thrilling Mountains
Three Dole Whips
Two Turkey Legs
And a Figment ornament for the tree!

On the Ninth Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,
Nine Omnimovers
Eight Club Cool Sodas
Seven Main Street Cookies
Six Rides on Soarin'
Five Fast Passes!!
Four Thrilling Mountains
Three Dole Whips
Two Turkey Legs
And a Figment ornament for the tree!

On the Tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,
Ten Vinylmation
Nine Omnimovers
Eight Club Cool Sodas
Seven Main Street Cookies
Six Rides on Soarin'
Five Fast Passes!!
Four Thrilling Mountains
Three Dole Whips
Two Turkey Legs
And a Figment ornament for the tree!

On the Eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,
Eleven Trading Pins
Ten Vinylmation
Nine Omnimovers
Eight Club Cool Sodas
Seven Main Street Cookies
Six Rides on Soarin'
Five Fast Passes!!
Four Thrilling Mountains
Three Dole Whips
Two Turkey Legs
And a Figment ornament for the tree!

On the Twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me,
Twelve hugs from Mickey
Ten Vinylmation
Nine Omnimovers
Eight Club Cool Sodas
Seven Main Street Cookies
Six Rides on Soarin'
Five Fast Passes!!
Four Thrilling Mountains
Three Dole Whips
Two Turkey Legs
And a Figment ornament for the treeeeeeeeee!

Merry Christmas Everyone!