My State of the Community Address

Allow me to first say that everything that is about to be said is my opinion and mine alone, which I am entitled to and it does not represent any other opinion of anyone I am affiliated with.

I am done watching from the sidelines. I need to speak my mind and it is going to happen now.

I entered this community nearly 3 years ago as a twitter novice just to make friends. And wow have I!! It was those friends who encouraged me to start a blog and speak my thoughts.  Without this community’s support, I know for an absolute fact that I would not be the same person I am today. Having this supportive network has helped me in countless ways and I would not trade it for the world. Just through an internet connection, I have made friendships that will last a lifetime! This community is just so full of love!

And then….it’s not…..

Sadly, I have also seen negativity in our community. People trying to get ahead of others, knocking others ideas, bad mouthing people’s opinions, complaining when one person gets an experience that they do not get. Newsflash: This does not make you or your ideas look any better when you put others ideas down! Not to mention the fact that it is SO un-Disneylike! Allow me to remind you what commonality this community shares: a passion and love for Walt Disney and his dream. Our common thread is based on a man who brought so much joy and shared so much with the world. How can a community based around such good principles fall off the wagon?

One of Walt’s visions was people being able to live, work and play together in a community. While his actual community was never made, I honestly believe that we have done so here, in this technologically connected community.  We are living Walt’s dream…or at least that is what I believe we should be doing.  We should be giving each other a helping hand, promoting each other, supporting each other, sharing ideas, building each other up.  That is what a community is all about.  None of this back stabbing, swindling, cheating, sneaky shenanigans that I have recently been seeing and hearing about.  That is so not Disney!

People who are paranoid that others are stealing your ideas or freak out when someone says something to you about your blog: Stop Caring!! Blog for you and you alone. Writing should be a therapeutic experience, it should not want to make you start drinking. Stop stressing and just have fun with it! If other people like it, good for them, but do it for you!

Let’s make this easy:

How to be a Good Disney Community tips:

- Be Genuine, be yourself!! Love you for you and others will follow! If people don’t like your opinion, that’s their problem, not yours.

- Give a helping hand to your fellow community members…This could be something as simple as retweeting an article of theirs that you enjoyed

-Congratulate someone when they get a special opportunity instead of pouting because you didn’t get it.  Be happy for them, show them support and learn from their experience to improve.

- Show support for other people’s work. Everyone works just as hard as you do to make their mark on the community, what’s the sense or thought process behind putting someone down? What do you gain?

- Compliment someone’s blog post, pictures or layout

- Say hello to someone (Seriously, this has become a dying art, what’s up with that??)

- Drop the negativity and attention seeking acts and tweets, it is not attractive and after a while, people will ignore you and your negative energy…you can guarantee I already have.

- Make friends with people because of who they are, not who they know.

- If you have a problem with someone, go to them and talk it out, do not start rumors about them or talk about them behind their back. (How old are we, seriously?!)

If you do not like this post….good for you.  As I stated above, this is my opinion. If you have your own opinion and would like to share it with me in a calm, adult manner, I would love to hear it. If you have constructive criticism, fire away, I’m all ears.  If you want to rant and rave about how this is unjust and an unfair portrayal of the current state of our community, I will be glad to listen, but do not expect to sway my opinion.

All I want is to be in a community who cares for each other, looks out for each other and wants the best for each other.  We should be working together to lift each other up and help each other to reach our full potential.  We cannot do that when we are so busy trying to best one another. Let’s all work each day to live up to Walt’s dream and the values that make us love his dream so much!

Disney and Arthritis

As I was searching around for some pictures of Disney the other day, I came across one that got my attention very quickly. It was labeled "1956- Walt Disney" and it was from arthritis.org. Naturally, I just had to click on it and check it out. The page that came up was called "Milestones for Juvenile Arthritis" and it discussed programs and people who supported the fight to find a cure for Juvenile Arthritis. Sure enough, about half way down the page, was a picture of Walt Disney with a young boy who has JA. See the full article and picture here.

After seeing this, I was curious if there was any way that Disney was involved with the Arthritis Foundation, so I did a Google search to see what I could find. The page I came across first was a page for the 2011 Joints in Motion Training Team. This online training team is helping runners to train for the Walt Disney World Half Marathon and Marathon in January while raising money for the Arthritis Foundation!

When you register for the team, you are given your own interactive pages and a whole community of people to talk to who are running for the same cause. It costs $150 to join the team for the Half Marathon, the Marathon or Goofy Challenge and if you have ran with the the team before, it is only $100 to register again. This joiner's fee includes the training information you receive online, guaranteed event entry, hotel accommodations at a Walt Disney World Resort, Team Apparel, Team Incentives, and your own personalized fund raising site and tools for the fund raising. The Donation goal for the program is $2600, all the money going to help find a cure to Arthritis.

If you are not a runner, you can go to the site just to donate to the cause as well. If you know someone who is running on the team and would like to donate to their goal, just go to the page and search for their name.

If you are interested in registering for the Joints in Motion Training Team, visit their website here.

Tribute to Uncle Walt

While just 10 days ago, all Disney fans were celebrating the birth of legend Walt Disney, I would like to take a moment to remember a sadder time in Disney history, his death. 43 years ago today, the world lost a most treasured man, a man who's legend will never be forgotten. He spent his entire life making others happy and loved every moment of it! He gave the world most cherished memories that many hold dear to their hearts. His ideas, dreams and imagination will live on forever.

Thank you for everything Uncle Walt, we miss you!

Walt's Legacy: Disney World and EPCOT

One of my favorite parts, if not my favorite part, of Walt Disney's legacy would have to be his "Florida Project", known today as Walt Disney World! In honor of his birthday, I thought I would share with you all the Disneyland USA show that he did describing his visions and dreams for his Florida Project, including all of his ideas for the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, or EPCOT. This was his great dream! He used this video to show his ideas to the Florida legislature in order to get permission to start building and to receive the rights to self govern. How is the EPCOT that Walt visioned similar to today's Epcot? How is it different? Watch the videos and find out!

"To all who come to this happy place.....Welcome"

108 years ago today, in Chicago Illinois, a baby boy was born. It was not known then, but history will know that baby as one of the most talented and successful animators who every lived. It was not known then, but today, there is only a few people in the entire world who do not know his name. Today, he is on the list as one of the most influential people of the 20th Century. That man, that baby, born 108 years today, is Walter Elias Disney.

Throughout Walt's life, he worked to create happiness and to entertain the world, succeeding beyond his wildest dreams! From his creation of Mickey Mouse in 1923, to his idea for Full Length Animated Features with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, to his inspired reinvention of amusement parks with the first theme park, Walt used his endless imagination to create joys that would stand the test of time.

Walt took a small company that he began running out of one room and created a mass corporation that not only creates quality cartoons and movies, but runs television stations, broadcasting companies, theme parks, resorts, a cruise line, radio stations and so much more! Walt's small company grew to be 100 times larger than I'm sure he ever dreamed it would be!

Walt Disney is not just a person. When people think of Walt Disney, they think of his imagination, creativity, endurance, energy, perseverance, and the happiness he has brought to the world. People know that when they hear the name Walt Disney, kindness, quality and smiles come along with the name. Whether you are 1 or 100, anyone can enjoy the surprises, adventure and fun that Walt and his company brings.

From every single Disney fan around the world, Happy Birthday Walt, and Thank You!